Chapter 36 36 Lady Russell

Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Lady Russell

She waltzed over to their table with her golden locks bouncing as she proceeded;

"Apologies for the long wait Nexus. I hope dinner was to your liking?"

She stopped when she saw the trays of food untouched. Her eyes went to Nexus questioningly, and he answered diplomatically;

"I hardly think its proper for the guest to begin eating without waiting for the host."

She chuckled as she glanced at Crystal;

"Does your friend agree though? She looks like she could do with a bite or two."

Nexus did not say anything. Nora picked up on the subtext and returned her gaze back to Crystal. She looked pissed, frustrated, and trying to stay off the edge.

"Is something wrong? Nexus, care to enlighten me? Did something happen while I was gone?"

"Well, not something. More like a redheaded someone."

Understanding flashed, and Nora's eyes darkened instantly. She knew the problem even without explanantion. And it had a name;

"So, I see you've met my sister- Monica the menace."

Thunder rumbled in the distance, followed by a series of lightning flashes. Nexus took that as an omen on cue.

"I was not aware she was your sister." he said.

"Oh she is, trust me. Hope she did not say anything?"

"Well. . ."

"Heavens," Nora gasped in shame; "Of course she did. I'm truly sorry you had to deal with her Nexus. Whatever she said, and however she said it, I take full responsibility for it."

Her earnest eyes gleamed bright with sincerity. But Crystal's face was still contorted in anger.

"It's alright, we're guests in your home. Really, you have nothing to apologize for at this moment."

"Still, I'm sorry. I assumed she would have gone to bed already."

Nora sank into the head chair;

"You see, Monica's my half-sister. We're related by half-siblings. She's had her issues for as long as I can remember, but she wasn't always this rude you know. . ."

Nexus listened;

". . .Her own mother, my step-mother, died when she was very young. Back then, the young Monica was barely old enough to understand what it truly meant. I remember one day, when she was little and trying to understand it, while everyone was running around for the funeral, she walked up to my mother holding her teddy bear. With her messy redhair, and naive eyes, she tugged at my mother's sleeve and innocently asked her if she was now her new mummy. . ."

Her eyes drifted as she recalled;

"That was a pretty difficult time for Monica. And I'm afraid she never truly recovered. Since then, it has always been difficult for her to be close to the people around her. That coping mechanism grew to become a complex."

Nexus listened carefully.

It seemed this family had had its share of losses.

"It never would have crossed my mind to think that you two were sisters."

"I know. She looks exactly like her mother; a tall fiery, slender redhead with a temper. And she doesn't even know it."

"Intriguing. . ."

It really was intriguing. Both sisters were as dissimilar as apples and lemons. Nexus' eyes glazed over Nora as she spoke, noting the glaring differences. Her golden locks contrasted sharply with Monica's red mane.

Their body sizes were also two opposites.

While Monica was tall, slender, and a little androgynous in nature, Nora was of average height, and had a full figure that was still blossoming. Her breasts were full and perky, and her thighs were inviting enough to be considered thick.

It made perfect sense that they were half-sisters. Even their personalities, were different. Nora was still talking;

". . .I'm guessing she came here complaining about the scent of the herbal mixture right?"

She shook her head rather sadly. And Nexus knew what was on her lips, but did not want to say.

Monica did not care about Nora's mother.

The redhead was not malicious. She did not want Nora's mother to die. Neither did she care if she lived. She just did not give a damn.

The crazy thing was that it was clear Nora understood, and did not blame her half sister in anyway.

"Monica's been through a lot you know. It's tough losing a father. But to lose a mother in the early formative years of one's life? That's an experience even the strongest people never recover from."

Outside, a slight drizzle began to pour down.

The group of threevsat there, listening to the pattering raindrops beat against the ground, enjoying the rising rythym of the increasing intensity. Thunder cracked overhead in continuous booms, and the rains started to come down hard.

The temperature took a serious dive.

But unfortunately, so did Mrs. Rusell's health.

Just as another vicious crack of thunder blasted in the skies, a servant came bursting through the door to their left. Eyes haggard, and chest swelling in deep breaths like he had been chased, the young boy came stumbling in with zero finesse.

"My Lady!" he called between frantic breaths; "My Lady!"

Nora was up her feet in an instant.

"It's. . .the. . .Lady. . .Russell !"

Nora's face went pale white. Nexus jumped to his feet in solidarity. And so did Crystal. He charged the lad;

"Speak boy! What's wrong? What's happened to the Lady Russell?"

The boy managed to say;

"She's. . .c-c-onvulsinggg!"

Nora's blood pressure spiked astronomically. Her tired, sleepless eyes delved even further back in their sockets.

The blonde lady dashed forward without even consciously realizing it. Nexus had never seen anybody physically move that fast. Her arms swung in tandem with her portruding thighs, and her face tightened with laser-like focus. Her relatively moderate gown clung to her skin, accentuating her every curve with every sprinting motions.

As she breezed past the servant, she barked urgently;

"Go get the healer! NOW!!!"

His face still red, the poor boy still had not caught his breath. But Nora's commanding tone wound him up, sending him dashing out the main entrance.

Nexus had not intention of staying back. Not when he could actually help. The muscles on his shoulders tensed as he threw his head sideways at Crystal. One look said it all;

"LET'S GO."

The both sprinted after Nora in hot pursuit. Outside, the raindrops violently clapped against the stony walls in repeated splatters, sending ominous echoes through the medieval structure. Hot in pursuit, the three of them raced through the castle.

Behind the door, a long stretch of stony stairs appeared, spiraling upwards, towards a a location cloaked in shadows. Nexus knew at once that they were headed up to one of the towers he had seen.

In short, hurried steps, their feet thumped all the way up. The only source of illumination was the flaming torch hanging on the wall at the bottom of the steps. Overhead, they heard the heavy showers pouring down on the earth with unrestrained fury, occasionally sending cracks of rumbling thunder their way.

Finally, they conquered the stony steps, and came before a single wooden door. Nexus and Crystal instinctively deccelerated behind Nora. But the blonde aristocrat did not do that.

Refusing to slow down, she charged right at it with a fresh burst of energy, forcing it open with a powerful shove. There was an audible sharp protracted creak as it swung open to the right, slamming into the wall behind it. Nora skidded to a sudden halt, breathing like a horse, and body poised in anticipation for the worst.

Nora head darted towards the left side of the room, and laid her eyes on her mother. On the spot, her eyes moistened.

Nexus heard the Lady Russell way before he set his sight on her.

Her moans came out of her throat all scratchy- followed closely by an unpleasant and, unnatural hollow whistling. Nexus set his foot forward, and walked through open door just as Nora rushed to her mother.

The room at the top of the tower was fit for a king.

It was freakishly large.

Large enough to break into three seperate rooms. Large enough to be a stable. It was also spacy, well ventilated, and furnished with bloodless taste. But all that ambience was dulled by the presence of sickness in the air, the smell of boiled herbs, and the sight of the half-conscious woman moaning and groaning- in pain.

She was covered in a duvet and in a huge bed that sat at the very center of the room. At all corners were four wooden pillars, which held up a crimson colored canopy that was folded in.

The woman's moans came again, filled with raw anguish, hitting his ears like a silent plea for death- making the hair on his neck stand in appreciation for life.