92 Bloodstain
“Y_your son?” Anna didn’t really get it and she nodded, confusing Anna even further.
“The poison might have been out, but he isn’t fully healed yet.” She reminded her, “you have to take care of him till he heals completely, then you can leave.”
The Mayor only shook his head hopelessly at his wife’s silly request.
“We have physician’s to take care of that.” He caught in, which earned him a look of disbelief from his wife.
“And let them kill my son? I won’t allow it Roland.” Her response was clear and she turned to look at Anna again.
“I trust my son’s health in your hand, that’s why I want you to take care of him till he’s healed, then I have no issue with you.”
Anna silently pondered on her words for a while since the lady hasn’t let go of her arm yet. Well she hasn’t been killed fortunately, neither has Roshan but it wouldn’t hurt to stay a few more days and help out, right?
But what if Roshan’s identity get’s discovered??
“Don’t think too much and just accept it. It’s actually a privilege in Ark Ville to be able to care for the Mayor’s son.”
.....
The Mayor who had been quiet just watched his wife’s dramatic display with a questionable intent before finally intervening.
“Anna dear, listen to the woman or else she won’t let you go so easily.” He joked, but he knew his wife was capable of being a persistent being.
“Mhmn.” Anna responded with a nod of her head, causing a bright smile to lighten on madam Alina’s face.
“Good girl, see Roland? Our Nick will be all healthy and fit before you know it.”
The Mayor rolled his eyes, indicating he wasn’t going to fall for her moment but she swatted him off and faced Anna again.
“My dear, he’s been complaining of heavy breathing and the wound on his arm is still open, looking like a burn”
“Well... he should take some comfrey tea, it’ll ease the heavy breathing and some Aloe would work for the burn.” She recommended it, relieving Madam Alina at her thoughtful recommendation.
“I’ll send a maid to make them, but you’ll deliver it to him, it’ll be a perfect chance for him to meet the girl who saved his life. Don’t you think?”
Anna barely uttered a word and just nodded her head like a controlled doll.
~
At one of the fancy rooms, Nicholas tried testing his powers as he stretched his right arm forward, focusing the little bit of energy his body could gain and an unknown spark was the first thing that ignited from his palm before dissipating.
“Come on!” The disappointment could be seen in his Amber eyes as he let himself relax on the bed. He has been out for a whole week, his body would definitely need time to recover fully but he wasn’t the type who got used to staying in bed.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Came the three knocks on his door, he rested his head on the headboard of his bed before responding.
“Come in.”
The door quietly open with a light creak, Anna stepped in, holding a fancy white tray in her hand and when she advanced deeper into the room, the young man who sat upright on his bed came into sight.
From the look on his expression, he doesn’t seem to be in a good mood?
It’s too late to turn back now, so she took a deep calm breath before proceeding to break the strange silence in the atmosphere.
“How are you feeling now?”
Her dulcet voice caught his attention even quicker and when he turned his head to see who had spoken to him, a young pretty lady stood a few steps away from his bed, holding a tray and looking at him with such innocent big brown eyes.
He blinked in response, a bit taken aback by the stranger in his room and she looks nothing like the maids who usually tend to his room.
“Who are you?”
Anna had already expected his question, “The name’s Annalise.”
“Annalise?” He cracked his brain a little, wondering where he heard such a name before and the word of William’s rang in his head.
“A strange pretty lady healed your wounds.”
“Ahh, so you’re Anna?”
She nodded, “yes, I was asked by Madam Alina to come treat your wound.”
She reached for the drawer by his bedside, gently placing the tray on top of it before crouching at the edge of his bed to examine the wound, she reached for his head but halted mid-way when she realized he was still staring at her.
“Can I take a look at your arm?” She asked. Nicholas, who finally realized he had been staring a little too long at the strange pretty lady quickly averted his gaze, he didn’t say a word and just stretched out his injured arm for her to see.
Anna was satisfied with his cooperation and gently held the arm, examining it for herself and truly, it had opened just like Madam Alina said it did. It looked reddish, like some burn imprint.
“I’ll apply some Aloe to your wound, that should heal it faster since it’s nothing more but an injury now and you’ll be fine.” She assured him, but the look on his face was one she found difficult to read. It left her wondering if he even heard the things she said or not.
Still getting no response from him, Anna proceeded to apply the Aloe gloo on his injured arm, gently rubbing it along his arm to his elbow, she looked focused, meanwhile her mind was completely elsewhere.
‘I wonder if Roshan is okay.’
~
The moment she was done, Anna couldn’t deal with the restlessness of her heart and hurried to her room instead. Thankfully, they didn’t make it too far from Nicholas’s room which made it easier for her to locate it.
Opening the door, Anna walked in with quick steps and she hadn’t even let herself enter the room properly before calling out.
“Roshan.”
She surveyed the room she was hundred percent sure was theirs, but the being was nowhere to be seen.
A little confused, Anna turned around and locked the door so no one would come in.
She swiftly turned back to stare at the large room given to them, but no sign of Roshan anywhere.
“Roshan.” She called out again but got no response from him. Then something caught her attention. The duvet on the bed had shifted slightly so the other end would fall to the ground, as though someone had rolled off the bed and slipped when trying to grab the duvet for support.
“Roshan?”
Anna’s heart repeatedly pounded in her chest as she slowly reached for the other edge of the bed, hoping it wasn’t what her mind had pictured but after getting closer, her eyes horrifically widened after spotting Roshan unconscious on the tiled floor.
She slowly staggered back like someone who just lost their stamina and shook her head in disbelief.
“What the_ Roshan!!”
It felt like a part of her had torn after seeing Roshan lay unconscious on the ground. She instantly knelt beside him, shaking him in an attempt to revive him but he wasn’t responding.
“What...what happened here?” She tapped his cheeks lightly with the aim of waking him up, but what she saw next made her heart stop. She slowly moved her hand away away from the corner of his lips, only to see bloodstain in her fair palm.
“B.. blood???”