Rosehead

Chapter 8. Ed's Story

They passed through the arbor, out of the fog and into the sun. Guests' voices trilled in the distance. A pleasant scent hung in the air. Everything looked so normal that it seemed inconceivable another side to the garden existed, dark and sinister. Lilith tried to memorize the way out, but the many turns confused her and she soon gave up. They rounded another bush and stumbled upon Ed. He had a crumpled look about him, sketching furiously in his notepad.

"Ed! My dear boy. Why am I not surprised to find you here," Alfred said cheerily.

Ed startled, his already pale face turning white.

"Drawing another rose, I take it?" Alfred snatched the notepad.

Ed and Lilith exchanged a glance that could only mean one thing, that Alfred Bloom was an obnoxious brute.

"Hmmm, doesn't look like a rose. More of a peony. You can do better than this, I know you can. Practice, my dear. Although...I'd prefer it," he said, as he pointed to a small cottage that Lilith hadn't noticed before, "if you sketched from the comfort of your home. Snip a rose, stick it in a vase. Better concentration that way. Too many people here to distract you." He shoved the pad back into Ed's hands.

Preceded by barely audible footsteps, Gustav materialized out of nowhere. Lilith had gotten used to it by now. She wanted to ask about Panther, but didn't get her chance.

Gustav hotly whispered something, and Alfred's face turned thunderous. "I'm afraid, I must leave you two for the time being," he said and stalked off without another word.

Lilith's stomach churned at the thought of Panther being locked up as she watched the butler's tall figure and her grandfather disappear behind a turn.

Ed looked at Lilith.

"Hi," she said, remembering her manners. "I don't think I've introduced myself properly. Sorry about that. I'm Lilith Bloom." And this is Panther, she wanted to add, but bit her lip.

Ed flipped over his pad.

ED VOGEL, it said in large letters.

From the distant recesses of her memory, Lilith extracted the meaning of the word vogel. It meant bird. Ed did look a bit like a bird, inquisitive and alert. And he smelled like cookies. For that fact alone, Lilith wanted to be next to him at all times.

"Er...thanks for your note," she said.

Ed grinned expectantly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't get a chance to read it. It landed in a bowl of vanilla sauce."

Ed raised a brow.

"Don't ask. It was the stupidest thing. Can you tell me what it said?" Her heart drummed wildly.

Ed wrote. I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU.

"Oh! I wanted to talk to you, too. Was it you signaling us with the flashlight?"

He nodded.

"How did you know where we were?"

Ed pointed to the cottage, to its single upper story window. Lilith could barely see it through a mass of overgrown vines.

"You live there?"

A nod and extensive waving of the arms was his answer.

"You saw us from your window? Thanks for helping. I thought we'd never find our way back. The garden—" She wanted to say, the garden wouldn't let us go, but bit her tongue, remembering her grandfather's threat. "Is it true you're mute?" she blurted, and covered her mouth in horror.

Ed's eyes widened.

"Oh no, I did not just say this. Please excuse me, I didn't mean to be rude."