Adela Augusta Blood Famine

Chapter Nineteen

Chaise

Chaise glanced at the door where a knock sounded over his father's coughing. He ignored it, pressing a wet rag to Henry's head. Another set of pounding fists sounded much to his annoyance. "Leave me be!" He called over his shoulder.

"I'm sorry but I'm searching for Chaise Comfert. I was told I could find him here." A girl's soft voice called back.

"He isn't here!" he lied.

His father reached out and tightly took hold of his sleeve. He glared deep into Chaise's eyes before shutting his own in another fit of ragged coughs.

"I'm busy!" Chaise offered, shooting his father a look of his own, but Henry's expression remained disapproving.

"Fine!" Chaise said exasperated rushing to the door and throwing it open. "Hurry up and come in then. What do you want?"

He removed the cloth from his father's brow and dunked it in a bucket of water and wrang it out before returning it.

"He looks terrible."

Chaise shot the girl a dirty look, though he couldn't say she was wrong. His father's case was getting worse with each passing day. Fever spikes coughing, rashes.

"It's not contagious is it." She asked, hands clasped together in discomfort. Concern and sympathy were written clearly on her face but she kept her distance.

"I've been around him for as long as he's had it, and I've yet to catch anything."

The girl seemed to consider this her shoulders relaxing a little bit but she didn't move any closer. "Are you Chaise Comfert?" She asked.

Chaise kept a hand pressed to the cloth on his father's head and turned his eye to the girl. She seemed innocent enough. She was probably a few years younger than himself barely in her twenties. The clothes she wore were modest, a farmer by the looks of it. He didn't get the feeling that she sought him out with ill intentions.

"I am he." He sighed.

The girl's face lit up with relief. "Thank goodness. My name is Mary Heywood, and I've been searching for you for over two days now." Mary looked at Henry's red face.

"I'm sorry, can I recommend keeping your doors and windows open. You'd have cooler airflow. The heat is stifling today, and you'd do well with a bit of a breeze."

Chaise only debated it for a second. She had a point. He moved throughout the room opening every window and propping open the door. He had a habit of trying to remain hidden and thought it best to keep the sun off him directly, but he'd try anything right now, no matter how little the help might be.

Henry hacked a few more times, clearing his throat to speak in a raspy voice. "What'd I tell you... I need Solange's rays."

"She said you needed air dad, not sun."

"Well, actually most physicians and priests believe that the sun and Solange are highly beneficial."

Chaise shot Mary another dirty look, and she instantly looked down at her feet.

"But you know that's just what science and religion say. If you believe either of those sorts of things."

"He hasn't had Solange in his heart since his mother passed away."

Mary kept her head down but turned her eyes up like a guilty puppy. "I'm sorry. My mother passed away too."

"My mom didn't pass away, she was murdered." Chaise answered his focus fixed outside the window, his tone tense.