𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 ✔

Chapter Thirteen

"You were right, the Macleays did not attempt to speak to me at all." We all had just gathered in the carriage, exhaustion from the night's festivities readily apparent, and I was more than ready to get back to the estate.

"I am very seldom wrong, my child." Madame's voice betrayed exactly how tired she was, I too felt quite spread thin. "I am just glad this is over with. However, you did a wonderful job tonight, you performed well and used everything I have taught you perfectly. I must say, I am very proud of you."

She was right, I had done what I had went there to do. However, it worried me that, in light of my success, Sebastian was attracted to and wanted me more than ever. I wanted to trust Madame and her promise to keep me safe from him, I really did. I just knew that there was nothing more she could have done. That man was practically a prince, in his eyes I was sure he thought he was, with all the power and social ties he had forged and had handed to him from his parents. In a sense he was untouchable. I knew that she knew it and I was sure everyone else did as well.

"He scares me Madame." I had not even realized the words had left my mouth.

The two of them looked at me with wide eyes, then at one another. My words came to a shock to them just as they did to me. I didn't know it would have escalated that far with Sebastian, I had honestly thought he would have given up by then, but he had only gotten worse with time.

"What did he say to you to give you cause for worry?" Madame asked, even though she partly knew the answer.

"He told me that he wouldn't allow me to leave him, and once again said I was his. I was hoping he would have given up like any sane man, but I fear he will stop at nothing, at this point, to have me." My voice started to break.

"I will not allow him to hurt you, do you understand?" She tried to reassure me, but we both knew there was nothing she could really do to help me.

"Tell mama about how he forced himself on you." Alveary said with a worried look on her face. She had been waiting for the perfect moment to continue our conversation from earlier, and it seemed she had finally found it.

"Pardon me? He did what now?" Madame had rage behind her eyes. "Explain everything to me this instant Isabelle, and do not leave out a single detail."

I could tell her anger was purely directed at Sebastian, but it still felt like some of it was for me as well, and rightfully so. I had kept such an important bit of information from her, something I should have spoken up about long ago, yet I was ashamed and still partly blamed myself for it happening to me.

"Weeks before the confrontation where he had he told me about him being a Merlae, he laid his hands on me. I had bruises from where he squeezed my wrists so hard that they felt as if they could have snapped, my back ached from where he slammed me against a tree while hoisting one of my arms over my head. My shoulder too was bruised from where he gripped it tightly to keep me from escaping, then he looked at me with ravenous eyes, a look that only appeared after he had watched me struggle, then despite my protest he forced his lips onto mine." My voiced trembled as I felt the first tear fall. "When he touches me, I relive that moment. I remember just how strong his grip was and that at any moment he could snap, he could grab me and do it all again. But what I fear most is that next time he won't be so gentle and that he won't stop at just a kiss. That it will take longer than a few weeks to heal from what he would do to me."

I felt so. . . so weak. So small. It had been the first time I acknowledged what had happened to me out loud. Which only made me realize just how bad it was, and how bad it could have been. We were playing with fire, and I was terrified that I was going to be burnt beyond recognition the next time it got out of control.