known it was there until it was gone. Instead, I nodded, and smiled weakly when he looked unconvinced. With his dusky complexion in the candlelight, he was like a dark angel, just as he had appeared the night he had rescued me before.
“Do you know who all has been…injured?” Jacqueline asked, unwilling to ask about the dead. It made me realize that Giselle had been an invalid, her room easily invaded. I had to get to her immediately. Before Bastien could answer, I cried “Giselle!” and ran down the hallway on wobbly legs. When I turned the corner, I froze at the sight of the corpse of Jeannette’s friend, leaning haphazardly against a beautifully painted wall. Vomit welled up in my throat, and I tried to swallow it down as I rushed past her and down the path to Giselle’s room. Her door was burst open, wood splintered on the ground.
“No!” I screamed, running into the room, which was destroyed. Bedding and feathers covered knocked over dressers and shards of expensive vases. The canopy was in shambles on the floor. I quickly grabbed a candle from a hallway sconce and made my way into the room, searching the bed and then the ground for any sign of Giselle. Hot candle wax burned down the stick and stung my tightly gripped hand.
“Giselle, can you hear me?” I cried, unable to shed more tears for a lack of water. My throat was bone dry, making my voice unrecognizable even to myself.
“J…” I heard, barely, from behind the other side of the bed. I rushed over to find Giselle pinned under her bed, a pool of blood draining from her middle. Without a second thought to the blood surrounding her, I knelt down by her side and cradled her head gently into my lap. Blearily, she opened her eyes enough for her gaze to meet mine.
“I think it is better this way,” she said, her voice small, like a child’s.
“What are you talking about?” I asked desperately. She cracked a small smile, though it held no humor.
“I’ve been trying to kill myself for a while now, and it wasn’t working,” she admitted, and my heart stopped. I couldn’t believe it.
“Why would you say such a thing, my darling? What are you talking about?”
This time her gaze was more direct. I could feel the life bleeding out of her with every second that passed, helpless to do anything about it.
“The marquis…the one you were rescued from. No one was there to rescue me…he…he…” she began to cry, and then winced as the sob shot pain through her open wound. She coughed, a gob of blood landing on her lower lip, and I quickly wiped it away with my dress.
“He took my soul, J. He took everything from me…he promised he would save my family…and now death will set me free from his torment.” Her gaze turned heavenward, and I found that in spite of my dehydration, tears still found their way down my cheek. I gently stroked her face with the back of my fingers, knowing that any minute she would leave me for another world—hopefully one far better than this.
“I wish you all the happiness of heaven, my darling friend,” I sniffed, and she smiled as the life left her eyes. Her body then fell unnaturally limp, and her grin turned eerie in death. Bastien found me minutes later, huddled over my friend, bathing in the pool of her blood. I remember him picking me up and carrying me back to my room. I allowed him to wash my face, but refused to remove my dress. I didn’t know where my maid was anyway…probably joined the riot. We sat quietly in my room for some time.
“Shouldn’t you be with your sister?” I asked finally. It seemed unfair that I should get his strength when she deserved it more. Bastien was standing at the window, looking out at the ruin. He did not turn around.
“She is strong, and she specifically asked me to look after you. We have been prepared for something like this for a long time. It is newly dawned on you.”
I tugged at my hands, not knowing what else to do. Finally he turned around and knelt at
“Do you know who all has been…injured?” Jacqueline asked, unwilling to ask about the dead. It made me realize that Giselle had been an invalid, her room easily invaded. I had to get to her immediately. Before Bastien could answer, I cried “Giselle!” and ran down the hallway on wobbly legs. When I turned the corner, I froze at the sight of the corpse of Jeannette’s friend, leaning haphazardly against a beautifully painted wall. Vomit welled up in my throat, and I tried to swallow it down as I rushed past her and down the path to Giselle’s room. Her door was burst open, wood splintered on the ground.
“No!” I screamed, running into the room, which was destroyed. Bedding and feathers covered knocked over dressers and shards of expensive vases. The canopy was in shambles on the floor. I quickly grabbed a candle from a hallway sconce and made my way into the room, searching the bed and then the ground for any sign of Giselle. Hot candle wax burned down the stick and stung my tightly gripped hand.
“Giselle, can you hear me?” I cried, unable to shed more tears for a lack of water. My throat was bone dry, making my voice unrecognizable even to myself.
“J…” I heard, barely, from behind the other side of the bed. I rushed over to find Giselle pinned under her bed, a pool of blood draining from her middle. Without a second thought to the blood surrounding her, I knelt down by her side and cradled her head gently into my lap. Blearily, she opened her eyes enough for her gaze to meet mine.
“I think it is better this way,” she said, her voice small, like a child’s.
“What are you talking about?” I asked desperately. She cracked a small smile, though it held no humor.
“I’ve been trying to kill myself for a while now, and it wasn’t working,” she admitted, and my heart stopped. I couldn’t believe it.
“Why would you say such a thing, my darling? What are you talking about?”
This time her gaze was more direct. I could feel the life bleeding out of her with every second that passed, helpless to do anything about it.
“The marquis…the one you were rescued from. No one was there to rescue me…he…he…” she began to cry, and then winced as the sob shot pain through her open wound. She coughed, a gob of blood landing on her lower lip, and I quickly wiped it away with my dress.
“He took my soul, J. He took everything from me…he promised he would save my family…and now death will set me free from his torment.” Her gaze turned heavenward, and I found that in spite of my dehydration, tears still found their way down my cheek. I gently stroked her face with the back of my fingers, knowing that any minute she would leave me for another world—hopefully one far better than this.
“I wish you all the happiness of heaven, my darling friend,” I sniffed, and she smiled as the life left her eyes. Her body then fell unnaturally limp, and her grin turned eerie in death. Bastien found me minutes later, huddled over my friend, bathing in the pool of her blood. I remember him picking me up and carrying me back to my room. I allowed him to wash my face, but refused to remove my dress. I didn’t know where my maid was anyway…probably joined the riot. We sat quietly in my room for some time.
“Shouldn’t you be with your sister?” I asked finally. It seemed unfair that I should get his strength when she deserved it more. Bastien was standing at the window, looking out at the ruin. He did not turn around.
“She is strong, and she specifically asked me to look after you. We have been prepared for something like this for a long time. It is newly dawned on you.”
I tugged at my hands, not knowing what else to do. Finally he turned around and knelt at
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