26. Rosalie Wilde
1407 Words
26
Rosalie Wilde
Emilia walked slowly into the room. In the corner was a rusted metal bed with a young woman lying on it, curled up in a tight ball. She had long, black hair streaked with grey. Emilia ran to the bed and leaned over, desperate to see the woman’s face.
“Mother?” Emilia whispered.
The woman’s glazed eyes fluttered open and turned to Emilia.
Emilia stared into the face she had dreamt about so often. It was gaunt and worn. Her skin was sallow and paper-thin. Purple rings surrounded deep blue eyes that held no life in their depths. But despite all of this, Emilia recognized Rosalie Wilde.
“Mother,” Emilia breathed.
“I am no one’s mother,” the woman croaked, laying her head back down on her arm.
“Mother, it’s me. Emilia.”
“I have no child,” the woman mumbled.
“Aren’t you Rosalie Wilde?” Jacob leaned over the bed.
The woman laughed, her voice creaking like old leather. “I might have been once. But I have not been that girl for a very long time.”
“But it is you. You are Rosalie?” Emilia asked, finding it hard to breathe in the stench of the room. Rosalie did not respond. “I’m your daughter. Emilia.” She pulled the sapphire pendant out of her collar. “See? You left this with me.”
The woman stared for moment, blinking at the pendant. “What do you want?”
“I wanted to see you. I wanted to meet my mother.”
“You have no mother.”
Emilia swallowed, fighting back tears. “Yes, I do, and I have a father. And he’s doing horrible things.”
“How do you know him?” Rosalie snapped, struggling to sit up. Her arms shook under her slight weight.
“He found me. He captured me,” Emilia said, reaching for Rosalie’s arm, trying to steady her.
Rosalie jerked away, falling into the wall behind her. “I left you where he would never find you.”
“I know, but he found me anyway. And he’s hurting people. Killing people. I need you to help me. Please, Mother.”
“I am no one’s mother.” Rosalie slid back down onto the filthy mattress.
“Stop saying that!” Tears rolled down Emilia’s cheeks.
“I gave birth to you. That doesn’t make me anyone’s mother.” Rosalie laughed again. Her dry laugh turned into a hacking cough.
“But you left me with Isadora Gray to protect me. That means that you loved me.”
“I don’t remember love anymore.” Rosalie started curling back into a ball.
“Come with me. If you leave, we can find a way to get your magic back. You can be you again.” Emilia knelt on the bed, reaching for Rosalie’s hand.
Rosalie smiled, nestling her head back onto her arm. “Silly girl. I will never leave the Siren. Why would you even think I would want to?” Rosalie’s breath slowed as she drifted back into sleep.
“She took all of your magic,” Emilia said, shaking Rosalie. “She’s trapping you in the dark.”
“The well runs deep, runs deep, runs deep. The well runs deep and has no end,” Rosalie sang softly to herself, not opening her eyes, or seeming to notice Emilia still shaking her. “The well runs deep, runs deep, runs deep.” She kept singing as Jacob took Emilia’s hand, drawing her away from Rosalie.
He wrapped his arm around Emilia and led her to the door. She didn’t fight to stay. As they passed through the doorway, Emilia tore her gaze from her mother. She expected to see the dark and dank hallway, but instead, they stood on a balcony overlooking the ocean.
The balcony was made of white marble streaked with deep shades of purple and blue. The sun poured down around them with a light so bright Jacob’s hair and skin seemed to glow. The breeze replaced the smell of stale sick with the scent of the salty ocean. It was beautiful and perfect. A sunny place she could spend the rest of her days.
Emilia felt tears running down her cheeks, their salt mixing with the taste of the ocean on her lips.
Jacob tucked her hair behind her ears “I’m sorry. I know this isn’t what you wanted, but you’ve seen her now.”
Emilia nodded, but she couldn’t look at him. She had dragged him here, risked his life, for nothing.
“Emi, I think we should start trying to find a way out of here. I don’t have much magic left, and we can’t afford to use any of yours. We need to get out before we get stuck. There’s nothing we can do here. I’m sorry we can’t help your mother, but there’s nothing to be gained by staying in this awful place. Let’s just go.”
“You’re right.” Emilia tossed her hair over her shoulder and strode away. She reached the door and pushed, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Emilia, let me,” Jacob said, but she kicked the door open before Jacob managed to catch up to her. Rosalie still lay in the corner, singing softly to herself as she slept.
“Stand up,” Emilia ordered as she crossed the room. “I said stand.” She grabbed her mother by the arm and tried to yank her to her feet.
“I thought you ran away from the Siren.” Rosalie laughed. “I’m glad you decided to stay. Like mother like daughter.”
“I am nothing like you,” Emilia spat, and with a giant heave she dragged Rosalie to her feet. The woman swayed and almost fell before tumbling into Jacob’s arms.
“I like you.” Rosalie smiled up at him. “You’re strong.”
“Back off, Rosalie,” Emilia growled. “Jacob, can you carry her please?”
Jacob lifted the frail woman easily and without question.
“Let’s go,” Emilia said.
“Go where?” Rosalie asked like a pouty infant.
“To find a way out of here.”
“I’m not leaving.” Rosalie started to struggle.
“I never said you had a choice,” Emilia said, walking back out the door. This time she was neither in the hallway nor by the ocean. They were back in the square by the fountain.
Rosalie gasped at the bright sunlight and buried her face in Jacob’s chest.
“Are you serious?” Jacob asked. “Are we really back here?”
“It’s too bright.” Rosalie’s whine was muffled.
“Just keep your eyes closed,” Emilia snapped, searching the crowds of people passing by. No one seemed at all concerned about the filthy person huddled in Jacob’s arms.
“Put me back!” Rosalie screamed. “You have no right―”
“I have every right,” Emilia hissed in her ear. “Debts need to be repaid, and you’re going to help me.”
Rosalie went quiet in Jacob’s arms. Either she was asleep or had decided not to fight. Emilia didn’t care which.
“How are we supposed to get out of here?” Jacob asked.
“I want to find someone who knows the way out of here,” Emilia said loudly.
“Hello again, my Lady.”
Emilia turned. Walking up behind her with a long, confident stride was Bertrand Wayland.
“I see you’ve found your quarry.” Bertrand surveyed Rosalie’s filthy form. “I can only hope that now you have her, you would like to partake in some of the many wonderful pleasures the Siren has to offer. You were in such a hurry before we had no time to become truly acquainted.” Bertrand took Emilia’s hand and pressed it to his lips.
“Actually,” Jacob said, “we’re looking for a way out of here. We have to get home.”
“But this cannot be,” Bertrand said, ignoring Jacob and looking deep into Emilia’s eyes. “You cannot want to leave paradise so soon.”
“Oh, we want to,” Jacob answered. “We definitely want to leave right now. Isn’t that right, Emilia?”
“Yes, it is.” Emilia gave Bertrand a winning smile, trying to ignore the jolt that flew through her stomach.
“Pity,” Bertrand said. His eyes looked pained for a moment before his bright smile returned. “There are ways to leave. Many have tried, and few succeed. Well, I don’t know if they truly succeed, but I have not seen them again. So I hope for the best for their sake.”
“What do we do?” Emilia asked.
“Go to the docks.” Bertrand pointed down a narrow street on the far side of the fountain. “There will be a boat there. Ask it to take you where your heart desires.”
“That’s it?” Jacob asked, shifting Rosalie’s weight in his arms. “All we have to do is catch a boat?”
“How can people not make it out? If it’s just catching a boat…” Emilia didn’t finish. Of course it wasn’t just a boat.
“I’m afraid I have no answers. I have never wanted to return home.” Bertrand bowed. “May your journey be pleasant and may you end it unscathed. And should you ever return to the Siren’s Realm, I am always at your service.” Bertrand turned and disappeared into the crowd.
“Great.” Emilia ran her hands over her face. “Let’s go catch a boat.”
- Writer
