Legacy of ash and bone

CHAPTER 4

EVELYN'S POV

My body was still tingling from the adrenaline. After beating up that man, I was able to breathe slightly. The grief that was weighing on my chest easing just a bit.

Caleb had taken care of the damn wolf that showed up.

I didn't even want to ask how? I didn't know we still had wolves inside the city, this close to the residents.

I pushed the thought to the back of my mind. There were bigger things to worry about.

The rest of the drive was silent. With Caleb occasionally glancing at me with a light ting of amusement. What was he all happy about?

Every trace of amusement vanished once we pulled up to the gate of a huge house. The fences were as tall as towers and the gates were made of what seemed to be gold. Was this the uncle in questions place?

He must be loaded.

My mouth hung low as we drove in. The whole space was decorated in modern style. Paved driveways and a sculpture in the middle of everything. Beautiful gardens on the far end and maids bustling to keep everything in order.

The sight made me question what kind of man he was. I glanced at Caleb momentarily, his gaze was focused ahead but his jaw tightened.

We got to the entrance of the house and I pushed the doors open, walking down from the car.

My father had taught me to never feel inferior but at this moment I felt so small in front of the doors mounted, they let out a low growl as it opened, revealing the interior of the house.

I turned to see Caleb resting lazily on the car. “Go on” He gave me a nod to go in and I pursed my lips.

I stood awkwardly in the middle of the big space not knowing exactly what to expect.

"Evelyn... I'm so glad to see you were able to make it here unscathed" I heard a smooth voice coming from the top of the stairs. My eyes met a man who seemed to be in his forties.

His hair was black with a hint of gray, he dressed in formal wear like he was going out for an event and commanded respect with every step he took.

Unsure on how to approach, I smiled nervously as he descended the stairs and finally reached me. He grabbed me and pulled me into a hug... I stiffened at first, The gesture was warm… too warm for a man I barely knew. Slowly, I forced myself to relax, though my heart pounded against my ribs.

Looking closely I could see the uncanny resemblance to my father. My heart dropped instantly and I felt a wave of sadness wash through my body.

"How was the journey?" His voice laced with concern and something more bounced off the walls of the tall space.

"Good" my voice was almost a whisper. That was all I could manage to say.

He pulled back slightly and had me at arm's length, studying me slowly. " You look just like your mother"

Normally I would feel happy or proud but the tone which he said it in made me feel otherwise but I brushed off the feeling.

“You need to rest…” His eyes scanned my face, then my body and he had this look on his face

“They will show you to your room. Take a shower and get some sleep" he smiled at me but it didn't reach his eyes. It gave me an unsettling feeling. “I'm sure you have questions. They will be answered accordingly tomorrow" reassuring me as they signal the maid to approach him.

“Now... I have some work to do but you will be well taken care of”. And with that he turned around and disappeared into the corner.

Of everything that had happened so far, my mind raced with questions. My eyes were seeing that that was indeed my father's brother but my mind was still in doubt. At least I was safe… for now.

We stopped at one of the many rooms on that floor and the maids pushed the doors open. The room was just as magnificent as the rest of the house with minimalist design, floor to ceiling drapes and a vanity mirror. It had a faint scent of lilies.

One of the maids started to speak, drawing my attention to her " This is the bathroom Miss... There are fresh clothes laid on the bed and if you need anything else just ring this bell" she gestured to a small silver bell on the stand.

They left me with a bow, closing the doors behind them. I sunk into the bed with a sigh and the pain crashed back in, hard. The guilt of surviving, the feeling that if I had done something different, I wouldn't be here and my parents would still be alive.

Tears filled my eyes as I hugged the pillow tightly. I cried till my throat felt like I swallowed glass and my stomach turned. I ran to the sink, barely making it before the bitter taste crept up.

I let out the content, heaving into the sink. After a while, I pressed my back on the tile walls, steadying my breath.

My whole body felt numb as I walked to the mirror. My clothes were still stained with blood, beads of sweat on my forehead and my face was pale like I just saw a ghost.

I tore my clothes across my head, letting it drop to the floor. Lazily stepping inside I turn the faucet on and let the warm water hit my face. The water on my skin felt like a relief after everything that happened but I just slid down the door, sitting on the floor as I let the water wash away my pain.

After a long while I turned off the shower and came out of the bathroom, glancing at myself once more. I crawled into the bed after putting on the blue nightdress laid out for me.

I shut my eyes tightly, pushing out the thoughts gnawing at my mind. Everytime I tried to force myself to sleep the pictures of my parent's disemboweled parts flash through my mind.

I was pulled out of my spiraling thoughts by a sound.

Knock knock.

I didn't answer, I didn't have the energy to but the knocking persisted. More urgently. I reluctantly slipped out of the bed, leaving the comfort of the sheets. "Who is it?" I whispered , pressing my ears to the door.

"It's me" I heard Caleb's voice on the other end.

I bit the inside of my cheek, contemplating if I should let him in. I sighed, pushing the door open. His eyes met mine and for a while I couldn't breathe, his calm and collected demeanor shifting for a second.

He cleared his throat and stepped in with a tray I didn't realize he was holding. “I need to clean your wounds properly so they don't get infected” he said absentmindedly, his eyes scanning the room like he was waiting for something to jump out.

He placed the tray on the side of my bed. I followed closely behind him. I wanted to retort. To tell him I wasn't some China doll. But he was right.

I perched on the edge of the bed and he sat opposite me. The tension in the air was thick and so was the silence.

I watched him as he cleaned my wounds, doing it with care almost like he was trained for this. His eyes softened from time to time and his large hands grazed my skin. I held my breath and tried to stay still but his hands traveling on my body didn't make it easy. He reached my face and stopped, his eyes boring into mine like they were waiting for permission.

I nodded lazily and he resumed. As gently as he could, everything was going fine till his eyes flickered to my lips. They didn't just flicker, he hovered on them. For a split second, I thought his eyes… glowed. Maybe it was the lighting. Maybe it was exhaustion. But I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.

My lips parted, the heat creeped up my face as I awkwardly cleared my throat, tearing his gaze.

Caleb blinked twice like he was trying to get out of a trance and pulled away from me taking his warmth with him. He placed the cloth on the tray almost mechanically and stood up straight.

“That should be good” he said, his calm tone was backed up this time with something close to nervousness. “You should get some rest” and with that he literally bolted out of the room.

I stared at the door, stunned.

I got back in my bed and pulled the covers up to my face. I could feel the weight of exhaustion crushing me as I drifted into unconsciousness.