The Vampire's Maid

Part 34. The Vampire's Maid

I hope the Youtube video catches the mood :)

My feet pounded along the well-worn path my feet had marked uncountable times to Ashley’s room. It was sobering to think that this would be the last time I’d travel this path, providing I was right about knowing an escape route. Something deep down in my gut was telling me that I was.

I remembered the timid steps I’d taken on this journey before I’d met Ashley for the first time and how nervous meeting him had made me. Then the other mornings, filled with anticipation and excitement at seeing his face, took control of my thoughts. Each day I’d fallen a little further, a little harder for Ashley.

 I slowed as I reached his room. The thought of telling him that I was leaving without him tore me apart from the inside. I found myself short of breath at the thought of it and leaned heavily against the wall outside his room, too scared to even open his door. I owed him that much, though, to tell him that I was leaving. Hell, I owed him so much more.

“Elizabeth?”

Hearing his voice made something break inside me. With a struggle I brought my eyes to the doorway, staring first at the floor and then slowly, guiltily they trailed up his body to Ashley’s face. The flyaway lock of blondest hair in his fringe fell messily over his forehead. I focused on this, rather than looking him in the eyes. I knew that if I did I wouldn’t have the restraint to stop.

“Look at me.” He breathed.

I was unable to stop my eyes as they met his which were dominated by a relief that he couldn’t quite seem to put into words. The intensity of his gaze, which usually made me blush or look away, pulled me towards him. I was so reluctant to look away. The look he was giving me told me that I could tell him anything... And yet I was totally clueless as to what to say. I knew what I’d come here to say to him, but I couldn’t quite get the words to come out of my mouth and tell him that I was leaving. Instead my lips parted and out slipped the question that had been burning in my mind.

“Is Olive dead?”

“Yes.” He spoke without hesitation.

His voice was filled with remorse, and my first instinct was to comfort him and tell him that it wasn’t his fault, that he had no control over his father’s actions. But before I comforted him, suspicion crept into my mind.

“What do you know about this?” I asked slowly.

“About Olive being murdered?” He replied, but his voice was too steady and controlled as though he was hiding something.

“Yes, or more specifically why she was murdered instead of me.”

He avoided my stare, looking anywhere but at me. A sick feeling was beginning to creep into my stomach.

“It’s my fault.” I whispered. “It’s my fault that Olive is dead.”

“No,” Ashley said quickly. “It’s not your fault, Elizabeth.”

“All I thought when she I realised that she was gone was that...was that we’d been mistaken about Dane and your father wanting to kill me. I thought that it was a coincidence and that they were planning to kill Olive anyway. But that’s not true.” My voice was faint and ghostly, even to my ears. “It’s because of me that Olive is dead. Originally, they were going to replace me, weren’t they?”

“Yes.”

“And then something made them change my mind which meant that they killed Olive instead.” I knew as I spoke the words that they were true.