Startling awake, it took Aislyn a few moments to realize where she was.
Groaning, Aislyn left her head flop back onto the pillow, before lifting her arm to get a clear look at her injury. The cut had been sewn closed and the poison was no longer tainting her skin.
Aislyn threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She looked down at what she was wearing and noticed it was Gale's shirt. Bringing the fabric up to her nose, she inhaled deeply and sighed.
Just as she was about to walk out of the room, Aislyn heard movement coming from the bottom end of the bed. On silent feet, Aislyn padded over to where she heard the noise and she saw Galen lying on the cold marble floor, barechested and covering his eyes with an arm. She stood there for a while, just watching his chest rise and fall with each breath. She didn't know why, but it brought her some comfort.
She dragged the blanket off the bed and gently covered him.
Aislyn tiptoed out of the room, closing the door behind her as to not wake him.
"So the dead has finally arisen."
Sitting across the room was Serilda, dressed simply in a silk robe, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently.
"What can I say?"
"How about you start with apologising for screwing up last night? Or maybe ask about your punishment."
Aislyn, detecting the cold edge to Serilda's tone, stood up slightly straighter and pushed her shoulder backs, staring her straight in the eye.
"I apologise for getting stabbed, against my own free will," she started, her mouth drawing into a thin line, "What is my punishment going to be?"
"You're going to reveal your true identity o your brother. Tonight."
"That's not happening."
"You don't exactly have the choice. That is an order."
"No, Serilda, please," begged Aislyn, holding her hands up in defence, "You don't know what it'll do to him, he-"
"Either you tell him, or I will."
Something changed within Aislyn at that moment. Her eyes hollowed out and hardened all at once, hatred practically steeling her gaze as she stood in front of someone who she used to considered a mentor. Someone that, at that moment, she loathed with every fibre of he being.
Serilda was waiting for the evitable outburst, the childish motion of uncontrolled emotion that reminded her that Aislyn was nothing more than a little girl in the body of a grown-up.
But for the first time, she could remember in a long time, she was surprised.
Suprised when Aislyn's only response was, "As you wish."
"Permission to leave."
"Granted."
Without uttering another word, Aislyn walked over to the corner of the room, picked up her suit and masked, and walked out of the suite, shutting the door quietly behind her.
As soon as she was out of sight, Aislyn slumped against the door, running a trembling hand over her clammy face. Things recently had been moving along quickly and smoothly, every day that passed, Aislyn was building up a steady case of intel on The Necromancer. She had a hunch that she was close on tracking him down. Very close.
And she was scared.
Death had been following her for years. Always a step behind her, nipping at her heels every time she was sent on a mission or was attacked or was injured.
But it felt different this time. It felt like there was a hand, hovering over her shoulder, ready to latch on and yank her under.
And she was scared.
At the sound of voices travelling up the nearby staircase, Aislyn hastily put on her mask and scurried over to a dimly lit part of the corridor where she changed into her suit. She registered the tear in her suit had been mended expertly, the stitches almost invisible. Hearing the voices draw even nearer, she threw Galen's shirt under one of the many tables lining the hallway.
By the time Aislyn had smoothed out her clothes and adjusted her mask, the people belonging to the voices placed walked into sight.
"Bollocks," Aislyn muttered under her breathe. Just her luck. Of course, it had to be the two people she was trying to avoid the most.
"-And your rooms are over there to the right," pointed a maid.
Analysing her face, it took a few seconds for Aislyn to recall who she was. It was the maid Aislyn had scared the daylights out of yesterday.
"If there is anything else I- Azure!" She squealed, jumping back, "I-I didn't see you there."
"How rude of you," replied Aislyn, leaning back against the table and crossing her arms.
The young girl's face paled to a sickly yellow colour.
Without another word, she slowly backed up towards the suitcase, before spinning around and scurrying off.
Jackson and Tamani remained where they stood, shuffling uncomfortably from foot to foot.
Eager to shorten the unpleasant encounter, Aislyn pushed herself off the table and began to walk the other way, completely ignoring them.
"Azure?" She heard her brother call.
"I'm busy," she shouted over her shoulder, not even looking back.
"Well I just wanted to say thank you on behalf of my Community," he replied jogging towards her, paying no heed to Aislyn's rude attitude.
"No problem," she said, still walking away.
"Wait!"
She felt Jackson's hand grab her arm, in a gentle yet forceful grip, urging her to stop and turn around to face him.
Aislyn, with her left hand, reached across her body to where Jackson was holding her arm. She latched onto his forearm and crouched over slightly, moving back. She pulled and Jackson stumbled forward. With her right hand, Aislyn grabbed a hold of his neck and slammed him into the wall hard enough to make the hanging paintings shake.
Realization of what she had just done kicked in at the same moment her instincts disappeared.
She immediately released her grip from around his throat and took a step back, holding her hands up in a gesture of surrender.
"Sorry," she muttered under her breath backing away slowly, both her arms still raised in a defensive stance.
Aislyn continued backing away until her back slammed into the wall at the end of the corridor. She turned to the right and dashed down the hallway, running so fast the paintings on the wall all began to blend into a dull brown colour.
Aislyn ran through an open door, unsure of where she was and found herself standing in one of the kitchens.
As hubbub died down when she entered the room, the only noise coming from the blaring fire on the other side of the room. All the servants stood silently, gaping at her, platters of food and cutlery hanging loosely in their hands.
"Well, what are you staring at?" She snarled, spinning around to look at as many of them as she could.
As if they had been jolted, everyone's eyes dropped to the floor, no-one daring to look her in the eye.
"How do I get outside?" She asked, not directing the question at anyone.
Like a wind had blown through the room, a cluster of servants parted down the middle, revealing an old wooden door.
Aislyn, head held high, strode through and slammed it behind her.
Slowly, she sank to the ground and gathered her knees up in her arms, resting her head.
"How am I going to do this?"
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Secrets Intertwined
Romance{COMPLETED} Kidnapped. Aislyn was stolen from her home five years ago...snatched from her companion, her brother, and the only life she had ever known. Tortured. Waking up in a place of nightmares, she endures two years of abuse at the hand of her c...
