Rebirth

8. Surprise

Dear Journal,
            I drink the blood of the living and I move at speeds the eyes cannot see. I can see sweat being secreted from pores and smell a seed before it sprouts. I had been dead for years and now I walk the earth once more. My heart beats but I am not truly alive.... and despite it all, I can still be surprised by the truth of this world.
- 𝓔. 𝓢𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓮
(1605)

Elias found Emma sitting on his bed once he returned to his chambers.

She shot to her feet as he entered the room, his eyes never leaving hers while he shut the door behind him.

"Elias.." she said as he watched her.

She wore a black velvet gown with a square neckline lined by gold threads. Her hair was limply curled behind her and a braid crown made from her dark brown tresses sat on her head. Her neck was decorated by a silver necklace with a coin for its pendant. She was a pleasant sight to behold in the morning and her jewelry intrigued him even more but Elias was in a terrible mood.

"What is it?" He asked harshly, still standing by the door.

"I-I should have told you" she stammered, lifting her long gown as she dashed over to him. "I should have told you everything, please forgive me. I'm ready to speak now" she said eagerly.

Elias had not a clue to what she was going on about. He was slightly entranced by the fragrance emitting from her skin. She wore scented oils that smelled of wild berries and flowers.

"I'll hear it" Elias said softly as he towered over her small frame, his eyes low as he watched the secretions from her pores break the surface of her skin.

She had gotten nervous under her his gaze which caused her to sweat. It was a normal human reaction but he found it fascinating to see since he could no longer do it.

The prince's words rang in his head once more.

"....do you fancy her?" He had asked.

Elias snared as he stepped away from her, running his hands through his neatly kept hair so it became slightly disheveled. He was confused and conflicted. He had never felt for any woman but Genevieve and he couldn't help but think these feelings that had come to surface was a betrayal onto their union.

It will go away Elias, he told himself. She's just a pretty face, nothing more.

"Forgive me" Emma said apprehensively.

Elias turned to her once more.

"I am the reason you are like this" she said sadly. "I am the reason for your pain" she said as she closed the distance between them.

"If I had stolen from another stall that day, you would still be alive today. You would still have your wife" she said as she searched his face for any sign of anger.

She was expecting it. In fact, she felt as if she deserved it.

"If you had stolen from another stall then a different monster would stand before you now" he told her strongly.

His eyes glanced down to her neck again. He could hear her pulse beating abnormally fast. He could not tell if she was nervous or frightened, or perhaps both.

Curiousity had gotten the best of him and she watched as he extended his hand out to touch her necklace. The silver burned against his fingertips causing him to withdraw his hand swiftly, wincing slightly at the pain. She frowned at him as she tried to make sense of his reaction.