Page 90 of Alchemised
“I tried to be a perfect wife. I knew it wasn’t a love match, but I thought he’d realise I was made to be his wife. How many men can say that? I did everything, all the things, just the way I was supposed to.”
She tossed her hand, still clutching the paper, her alchemy rings gleaming dully.
“People don’t know, but he didn’t live here. On our wedding day, he left me in the foyer. Disappeared for a whole month before I heard he was back in the city. I thought it was a test. I decorated and threw parties, but he never came to them. Then I thought I’d get his attention if I made him jealous, but he didn’t care. I figured he preferred men or preferred nothing, and I couldn’t do anything about that but accept it.”
The bitterness in Aurelia’s expression grew ugly.
“I accepted it.” Her voice shook with resentment. “Until you came along, and suddenly he moved in, and he turned every inch of this estate upside down for you; took you out for walks and gave you a tour of the house.”
Helena opened her mouth, trying to explain that Ferron was ordered to do all those things.
“Shut up! I don’t want to hear from you!” The newspaper crumpled in her fist. “Then Erik Lancaster started paying attention to me.” Aurelia looked on the verge of tears. “He was so sympathetic, kept me company at all the events that Kaine never showed for. He wanted to know all about me. He noticed all the things I did to impress Kaine. He wanted to see the house, how I’d decorated it. He was the one who said I should throw all the parties again so everyone could see how wonderful I was, even if Kaine didn’t. The winter solstice was all his idea. That big guest list. And all the dinner parties. Even the equinox party.”
Aurelia’s voice trailed off and she stared towards the windows for several moments.
“When I heard Kaine had killed Erik, I thought, He’s finally noticed. He was just busy before. He does care. But then—” A tremor ran through Aurelia. “—then it crossed my mind that Erik approached me the week after that vile article was written about you being here. He was always wanting to come here, even in the winter when it’s ghastly. Then I thought about how he’d disappear. During the solstice party, and the dinner parties, and the equinox. And he’d always be so worked up when he’d come back and find me.”
It was a terrible silence.
“It was all because of you,” Aurelia said at last. “Erik came here because of you. Kaine killed him because of you. Erik was using me! He used me so he could get to you!”
She flung the paper onto the floor, the pages splayed out, revealing Ferron and his pale hair and skin. Hands stained black with blood, and Lancaster’s blank stare, face still contorted.
KAINE FERRON PUBLICLY KILLS INITIATE
“Why do they care so much about you?” Aurelia demanded, stepping towards Helena. “What’s so special about you that Kaine would move here, into this house he clearly hates? With all these servants he can’t stand to be around but won’t ever get rid of? Why would Erik spend months using me to reach you? Why does anyone care about you?”
“I—”
Aurelia slapped her across the face, the iron rings cracking against her cheekbone. “I don’t want to hear from you!”
There was a loud bang outside the door, as if someone was trying to break it down. Aurelia jumped.
There was another boom.
Aurelia smiled. “I think he’s noticed I’m in here,” she said. “But they’re never going to get through that door in time. Not when I have this.”
Aurelia set the short staff directly onto one of the iron bars in the floor, and they twisted up like vines, wrapping around Helena’s wrists and jerking down. Her knees hit the floor with a sickening lurch that shuddered up her spine.
Aurelia stood over her. “I told you not to cause problems for me.”
The banging on the door had grown louder. Aurelia tilted her head to the side.
“You know, Kaine’s terribly hard to shop for. I can never find anything he wants, but there is one thing that he started collecting … Do you know what it is?”
Helena’s heart was racing. She shook her head.
Aurelia nodded towards the far corner of the room. “Eyes. There’s one right over there. I bet he’s watching us now. I don’t think he’s got any brown ones.”
“Please don’t.” Helena tried to wrench her hands free, but the iron around her wrists did not yield.
“Don’t worry,” Aurelia said. “This way Kaine will still have pieces of you once you’re sent back.”
Helena tried to jerk free, but Aurelia made the iron pull her lower until her shoulders threatened to dislocate.
Ferron will come. Ferron will come.
The words ran through her mind in a relentless loop. He would; he had to know what was happening. He wouldn’t let Aurelia—
