My Darkening Ember

Chapter Forty - Two

She strolled to my side and I could see it on her face, the concern to ask me about yesterday. Fortunately, she didn't, and instead, she reached out.

"You dropped this." In her hand was the book, the little black book.

"It belongs to the library," I said, confused as to what she wanted me to do with it.

"Well, they won't be missing it for another day." She almost winked at me before turning to walk away.

I retreated to my room, throwing the book on my bed, feeling tested to consume every word of it. But if I read it would it tell me things I didn't want to know? Would it make me understand why Xander was who he was? Could it contain an answer to a cure?

Temptation made me pick it up and within seconds my eyes were skimming the lines on the pages.

One chapter after another I read through it, although after a few hours, I had to stop, as Selene fetched me for dinner. I almost swallowed everything within minutes just so I could run back to my room, emerging myself back into the contents.

It was morning when I finished it. With the last sentence, I slammed the book shut, feeling an emptiness inside I'd never felt before. It suddenly felt so lonely that I now carried the knowledge that not many others did. With the book in hand, I rushed out of my room, heading for the kitchen.

My instincts told me she would know. I hadn't thought about it before but the tone of the kitchen lady had suddenly popped into my head. She had expressed such hatred in her voice, it had sounded personal. Maybe she knew something.

I ran down the rounding stairs, reaching the kitchen, and as I pushed the door aside I found it empty. A small pot on the stove was boiling, and steam was escaping from under the lid. I approached it when a noise shocked me, and I spun around.

"You're here again. Did you forget to eat, child?" She said, her light blue dress swaying around her ankles as she carried a crate of apples, putting them down on the counter.

"No, I came to ask a question," I answered almost out of breath as I watched her face turn curious and she placed a hand on her hip.

"This," I said and held up the book, "Do you know about this?"

She sucked in her cheeks, her hand immediately falling to her side as her eyes pinned into the book.

"Where did you find that?" She asked with a low, warry tone.

"The locked section of the city's library."

"Did you read it?" Her breathing became heavier and heavier. I didn't have time to answer as my face gave it away and she clenched her fists.

"What makes you think I know anything about that?" She tried relaxing, picking up the crate of apples, brushing past me, and putting it down on another table at the back.

"Something in the way you spoke about them last time."

"If you did read it, you know why to stay away from them."

"Is it true then? The story?" I held up the book again, sounding almost desperate for an answer. For her to say no.

She turned her back to me, grabbed the counter and steadied herself, "It's not just a story." She hissed and continued, "I met the monsters described in that book. I lived through what she didn't." She turned to me, her face already in agony.

"I met one, once as a young girl. He was terrifying but I wasn't afraid. Eventually, he became kind and lovable. He seduced me into thinking I was in love. I gave him all of me. And in turn, he broke me. I had no idea what he intended until I found out I was with a child, his child. I fled, fearing what he would do to me once the child was born and I came here, where he couldn't touch me." She paused, and I felt her terror.