Cimmerian Shade

Chapter 6

A/N Thank you soooooo much to everyone reading, and everyone that's voted or fanned!!! :)

“It is such a secret place, the land of tears” –Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Liverpool-

Muffled voices sounded around her; she couldn’t make out what anyone was saying. A bright light caused her already half-closed eyes to squint until she decided it wasn’t worth the effort and closed her eyes. Yes, she thought, she would rest.

Her head was pounding. Loud voices sounded in her ear. Was someone yelling? She tried to lift her hand to her ears to shut out the noise but it felt as if someone had tied them to a load of bricks.

“Stop yelling,” she mumbled incoherently. Silence. She sighed with true contentment and relaxed, but suddenly forgot about her pounding head as anger set in.

“Who has tied my hands? Unbind me,” she demanded. “I can’t see…I can’t see.” Muffled voices surrounded her again. Some sounded worried and urgent, others…well; she didn’t want to think of the others.

“What have I done to be tied this time?” she mumbled. “I’ve done nothing wrong….nothing.”

A worried expression dominated Breanne’s features as she watched her friend fall silent again. The doctor said that Alla had a slight concussion, and if that were not enough, she had a horrible fever that had lasted two days thus far. Tearing her eyes from Alla, she turned to Godfrey who stood at the bedroom door.

“Godfrey, please thank his grace for allowing me to visit Katrina.”

“You may thank his grace yourself mum, but I will oblige you if you do not get the opportunity.”

Breanne nodded once and sat in the chair situated near Alla’s bed, grasping her cold hands. When she heard the door click shut she turned around. He left. She sighed with relief. She certainly did not want to thank his grace on her own, and freely admitted that when it came to the duke, she was a coward. Thankfully, the Viscount Torrington had escorted her over to the manor so she had been spared from speaking with him.

“Please...,” Alla mumbled. “No, no!” Her head turned back and forth on the pillow. Beads of sweat came shone on her forehead, and tears streamed down her eyes. Breanne squeezed her hand, and brushed Alla’s hair from her face. After squeezing water out of the bowl resting on her nightstand, she gently dabbed at Alla’s forehead. 

“Amos, I’ll save you. Mama, mama…”

Breanne’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion at her words.

“Miss Crabtree.”

Breanne turned to see the viscount and duke in the doorway, although she avoided focusing at the latter.

“We should be off. I promised your parents we would return at this very hour,” the viscount stated. Breanne turned towards Alla. Bending down towards her, she kissed her forehead and returned the cloth to the bowl. She walked towards the two men, keeping her focus on Torrington. When she reached them, she managed to focus on the duke’s chin.

“Will you...will you allow me to return; to check on her?”

The duke inclined his head in agreement.

Breanne took the offered arm of the viscount, and departed, leaving the Duke of Manchester in the doorway.

“I’m not a coward, I’m not!” Alla cried. “I’m sorry I left you…I can climb it, I can do it. I have to fly.” He stared at her a minute longer; gave instructions to the servants, and left the room.