Amongst the Order (Watchers of the Veil #1)

Chapter 15

Leopold's manor remained just how we left it before the party – locked and secure, not a single human nor vampire inside. I picked the lock on front door, just as dad had taught me to do, my hands shaking with every glance at Florence. When the lock clicked, I held the door open for Alex to carry my cousin inside.

"Where to?" he said.

I'd been burned before; a demon who liked fire a little too much. The second the monster was put to rest, dad had me submerge the wound in cool water, although it was only a small part of my arm. The burn was not nearly as bad as this.

"Bathtub," I replied.

He went without question. Panicked, I darted around the upstairs rooms, banging doors off walls until I finally found a bathroom.

Leopold kept a pristine ivory bath in the centre of his black and white tiled bathroom on the second floor, sitting in front of a large, open window offering the view of rolling hills of the countryside he could stare at while... indecent. I sneered at the image. Arrogant prick.

I had Alfie and Nathaniel scrambling around downstairs to find bandages and towels while I ran a shallow bath for Florence. The water had to be cool – not freezing – so I stuck my hand under the tap to check the temperature while Alex held onto her, offering words of reassurance.

It was ready. I nodded for Alex to bring her over.

The middle of her dress was singed, peeling away to expose a seeping, scarlet line on her burning stomach. It was too tight; the skin could swell.

She shrieked as Alex lowered her into the bath, and cried hysterically as the burn sizzled.
"I know, I know, I know," Alex soothed.

Tears streamed down her cheeks for a few agonising moments in pain until she let out a sigh of relief. The burn was visibly calming, but she needed to get her clothes off.

"Alex, could you...?" I motioned a circle and he turned around without question. "I need to get this dress off," I said quietly to Florence. "Can you turn?"

She nodded grimly, lips pressed into a fine line. She was becoming more alert now, senses returning, and managed to turn slightly to the left. A wince crept out as I unzipped and pulled off the wrecked outfit but she stopped clenching her jaw when I brought it out the water, dripping onto the tiles.

"Thank you," she croaked. "Can I—" She hissed in pain. "Can I stay here for a while?"
"Of course." I brushed a strand of hair from her cheek then headed for the sink to squeeze the ruined dress into the sink. On my way out, I tossed it into the aluminium bin by the door. "I'll just be outside, if you need anything."

Another weak nod. I tapped and led Alex out then closed the door behind us. He frowned at it, concerned.
"Will she be okay?"

The burn looked bad. I could manage it temporarily, but I was no doctor. She needed a dressing, painkillers and food to keep her strength up. The manor needed fortifying, too, then we had to get back on the road in the morning and—

"Erika." Alex clenched my shoulder. "Erika, will she be okay?"
I wasn't looking at anything in particular when I said, "I don't know."
"And will you be okay?"
So much needed doing. But all I could think about was the possibility of someone breaking into the manor and hurting my family again. "I..." My voice cracked. "I don't know."

He didn't even think twice about it when he curved his arms around my torso, holding me close in a warm hug I didn't know I needed. My shaking hands hovered in the air before finding a place on his back, burying my face in his shoulder as my eyes began to sting. I couldn't show my tears — not when I had to be strong for anyone else.