The Crown's Obsession

Getting up from the bed, Madeline stared at her hand. When she went to touch Beth's hand again, a cut formed on Beth's skin and she quickly retracted her hand to her side.

A drop of blood seeped out from Beth's hand to trail down and soak itself on the white blanket which Madeline was trying to pull and adjust. Madeline, who was stunned didn't move an inch for five seconds, before she took one step back at a time, before darting out of the room.

Her feet were quick that ran through the corridors before making its way to the courtroom as she knew where Calhoun was. Looking at Madeline's anxious look, Calhoun handed the file which he was holding to the minster and walked to where she was.

"Is everything alright?" asked Calhoun, seeing her standing at the entrance stiffly.

"B-Beth. I-I think I think something is happening," she confessed to him, "To me."

Calhoun went to place a hand on Madeline's shoulder, but she took a step away so that his hand would not reach her. The little action had his eyes narrowed, but he kept his patience, wanting to know what had turned her jittery at the moment.

"Beth's room," informed Madeline.

Calhoun gave her a nod. Turning around, he said to the minister, "We will continue the discussion later."

"Yes, milord!"

Calhoun followed Madeline to the guest room where Beth was sleeping, and when he stepped inside, he saw Madeline's sister sleeping on the bed with her eyes closed.

"Her hand," Madeline informed him, and Calhoun walked around the bed to examine Beth's hand. On one of her hands, a thick red line had formed that accumulated blood, "I was making her blanket proper for her when it happened."

He left Beth's side and turned to Madeline who looked scared, "It is just a line, Maddie." But Madeline shook her head.

"I think it's happening," she whispered to him, "What my grandparents were speaking about. It's going to happen, and I am going to end up killing someone."

Calhoun wanted to comment something on it, but he refrained from saying something that would upset her now. "Stop," he said, noticing how she was about to take a step back when he took one towards her, "Give me your hand," he said, stretching it out for her to take.

Madeline stared into his eyes with doubt in her eyes. Somewhere it warmed Calhoun to know that she had come so far with her feelings for him, "I am a demon. Nothing will happen," he assured her.

Her hand clenched tightly before she lifted it to place it on his hand. She could feel the heat between their touch and her eyes furrowed, "Your palm is burning!" She went to pull it away, but Calhoun only held it tighter.

It was as if his palm was on fire, leaving burns which he didn't mind. It was similar to the time when he had gone to inspect the high tower of the castle where Madeline had fallen. The contact with the glass had left a similar effect on his hand.

Madeline could feel her heart pounding when she saw drops of blood fall on the ground. Until now, she had hoped nothing would happen, that her grandparent's assumption was wrong, but all along they were right.

"What do you feel?" Calhoun questioned her without a hint of pain crossing through his handsome face, "I want you to concentrate on what you are feeling."

Madeline didn't know how Calhoun could be calm and patient with her right now. She could see the steam escaping from their hands, like a rejection because of them being near to each other. Like a clock's hand moving from one second to the next, blood fell down from their hands drop by drop.

Listening to him, Madeline closed her eyes, concentrating on how she felt right now, "I fear that something bad is going to happen to people around me."

"Why?" questioned Calhoun.

Madeline shook her head, "It is like there's a part of me that wants to harm."

"I feel that too," answered Calhoun and Madeline opened her eyes to see Calhoun had taken another step forward, "It depends on if you want to act on it or turn a blind eye to it. I know you didn't mean to hurt your sister."

"What if I lose my consciousness and hurt?" asked Madeline, her eyes moving back and forth between his eyes.

Calhoun pulled her to him, his eyes intensely looking at her, "I wasn't joking when I said I would help you to hide the body."

"And what if the body turns out to be you?" she asked in a heartbeat.

The dream, her ability and what happened in the past, Madeline wasn't too sure of what was going to happen. Calhoun didn't answer her question, but he brought her hand that he was holding near his mouth and his tongue came out to lick the blood clean. She noticed that the steam had stopped and so did the blood.

He then said, "That won't happen. I won't allow it," he licked every corner of her finger until it was clean. His hand that had burned itself had healed now. "We are meant to be together." Calhoun pulled her closer, putting his arms around her to hug her.

As the time of night arrived, where everyone had gone back to their rooms after dinner, Madeline stood next to Raphael, who had brought a bowl of holy water from the church to start with the viewing of the memories. Calhoun had taken himself to lean against the wall while watching over Madeline.

"Doesn't holy water affect the demons?" Madeline asked Raphael.

"They do, milady. Holy water affects the children of the demons as well as the vampires," answered Raphael, and when he dipped his hand into the bowl, Madeline noticed how his hand made a sizzling sound as if someone had poured water on a hot utensil. "There are some who can handle the temperament of holy water, not for too long but enough to live like any other people who walk on these lands."

That meant even demons couldn't step into the church, thought Madeline to herself.

The room had been lit with candles, and Raphael sprinkled water on Beth. Left, right, top, and near her legs.

"How long will I be able to be there?" Madeline had decided to take a look into her sister's memories herself, to walk through it. She wanted to make sure she knew what to do and what not to do.

"As long as you want to," answered Raphael, "But don't wander away too long, if your body turns cold and your soul drifts away, it will be a little hard for us to get you back to the present," he advised, and she gave him a nod.

"My ability is to look into memories, and I will be giving it to you but make sure you don't speak anything about the present," warned Raphael. Madeline wondered if the people would be able to hear once she would get to take a glimpse from Beth's memories.

She walked to the other side and laid next to Beth, who continued to sleep. Calhoun had left the wall to come to stand next to her.

"We'll be right here," said Calhoun to her. Not bothered with Raphael's presence in the room, he leaned forward and pressed his lips on her forehead. Madeline felt her cheeks heat up, and for a moment, the nervousness of what she was going to do had disappeared to leave her thoughts occupied by Calhoun.

He offered her a sweet smile, "Remember to come back." Calhoun said it because there were some cases in the past where people didn't return and continued to live in other's memories.

"On your word, I will even let you open your own memories to see if you can find anything important. Are you ready, milady?" asked Raphael.

Raphael went to place his hand back into the bowl, and the candles in the room started to flicker when the man whispered something that she couldn't hear. Madeline had closed her eyes, and her heart that had been racing had finally turned calm. When Raphael was done muttering, he looked at the two girls who appeared to be in deep sleep.

Now it was waiting time, thought Calhoun to himself.