Betrayal

Chapter 4

"Water,"Cecilia croaked. With great pain she lifted her arm to reach the pail of water but lady luck was not on her side and it crashed onto its side spilling all the water out.

"Please,"She cried out to her maid and remembered she was dead. They all were. Her pretty little companions all lost to her forever. A solemn tear ran down her face and it pained her agitated skin. She squeezed her eyes shut and let the sound of the dripping water lull her into another dark vacuum from which she was not certain she would ever return. It seemed the only way to rid herself of the horrid smell of roses that had seeped into her pores.

"Cecilia!"A voice brought her back from the precipice. The red head opened her green eyes.

"D-Delilah, w-what- you doing 'ere?" The girl blinked up at the painted ceiling. Was she hallucinating in her last moments.

"I am at the door opening all of these damnable locks."

The sound of metal and wood clashing supported her cousin's words.

"N-No!Stayy out! I will not c-codemn you with this c-c-curse. Leave me be,"The red head gasped trying to hide herself but she had no energy left. It was a miracle she could even lift her head up.

The last lock sprang open and the wooden door banged open with an almighty thud.

"My sweet little cousin. What has become of you," Delilah's sweaty face loomed over hers, hazy around the edges. It took her a moment to realize that she was crying.

"W-why are you doing this? I c-cannot, will n-not, have you die 'cause of me,"Cecilia tried to fight her cousin's embrace.

"I promise I'll make things better," The grey eyed girl whispered soothingly in her ear.

"You c-an't helpp. L-let me die in peace," Cecilia murmured with a certainty that scared her to the core. Her time on the mortal realm was finite and there was nothing to be done for her.

"You will not die, you hear me," Delilah placed he cousin's head on her lap. She stared at her with such ferocity that it brought a smile on Cecilia's peeled lips.

"Here have a sip," She brought a small glass near her cousin's face and Cecilia eagerly let it touch her lips. She hadn't had a lick of water since yesterday.

"Easy there, Cissy. Musn't spill," Her cousin guided her gently. The liquid slowly travelled down her swollen throat soothingly.

"D-damian will kill me," Cecilia imagined him charging in with his sword unsheathed, "Well that w-would be a relief. I-I am sick of this p-pain."

"He will not do anything once he knows exactly what I've done," Delilah beamed at her cousin, "I have found it! I have found the cure!"

The redhead started at her sister blankly. Delilah tried to manoeuvre into a more comfortable position but ended up uncovering the worst of her charge's injuries