Rose, Wilted: Book 1

Chapter 22 - Just One Week

I'd pulled a cloak and hood over me before I'd left the house, and kept my head down the whole way. The whole thing had gone without a hitch, the whole dash into town to get Mrs. Charleston. Somehow she didn't seem surprised to see me either. But the truly unnerving thing was that I hadn't seen Avoln, at all, anywhere. He was nowhere to be found, though I had expected him to be breathing down my neck at every turn. Paranoia still insisted he was watching me, just outside the house, waiting, biding his time. And Jayla was a constant shadow clawing at the back of my mind. I paced the kitchen, wearing a rut into the floorboards, waiting for Mrs. C's verdict. I would have stayed in the living room, but I had been kicked out on the grounds of her needing peace and quiet to do her job, not a fretting daughter hovering over her shoulder.

He was going to be okay. His heart was still beating. He would recover. But the Beast wouldn't if Jayla got to him. He didn't want me to go in the first place and now he was in danger. But so was my Father. I couldn't just leave him alone here, could I? Maybe Mrs. C would be willing to watch him for me. I could go back to the castle and warn the Beast and then I could come back. It wouldn't be that long now that I had the horse. Bess had run home after getting spooked too. She'd been put back up in the stables. But until I knew what was going on with Father I couldn't bring myself to do anything but wait. Besides, it shouldn't be long now.

Right on cue, Mrs. C came into the kitchen. I stopped my pacing.

"How is he? Is he going to be okay?"

"He's fine for now," Mrs. C said , tucking a silver stand of hair back into her bun. Her mouth had closed into a thin line, her brow furrowed and tired, emphasizing her wrinkles.

"You're lucky to have found him. I've never seen a case so severe before, nor one that set on so quickly. He was up and about yesterday. I saw him at the market. Of course," she said, raising her eyebrows at me, "he hasn't been the same since you left."

I ducked my head.

"I was trying to protect him. I switched him places-,"

"I know, Annalise, I know. He told me everything. He's been worrying himself to death these past few months."

"Can I see him?"

Mrs. Charleston nodded.

"Go on in."

In half a moment I was past her and in the living room, but at the sight of him with his back to me in that rocking chair halted my steps. Yes, I'd seen him already, but now that he could see me... He shifted in his chair. Awake. Alive.

I forced myself to walk forward again, treading around the rocking chair to face him as though the floor were made of thin ice.

The first things I saw were his open eyes, wide and disbelieving. The spell between our irises held us still. I was afraid if I moved he might shatter like weak glass. Then he whispered my name in a hoarse voice.

"Anna?"

My lips were trembling.

"Father?"

His image was growing blurry and my eyes were hot. I threw my arms arms around him and the next moment we were both crying, comforting each other, choking on the words.

"It's okay."

"I'm home. I'm home."

"I'm here."

"It's all right. You'll be okay."

"You're safe now."

"I missed you so much, Father."