Snow Heart (7 page)

“Calm down,” the doctor said patiently. “I’m sure…” No, Wilhelm thought, stopping himself. Alric didn’t kill Erika for a reason. He did it because he was either bored or irritated. Wilhelm hadn’t even seen Erika or knew what she looked like. For all Wilhelm knew, Erika really was dead.

Nieves sobbed, leaning forward until her head pressed against the doctor’s shoulder. She let out a disheartened hiccup-sob before saying, “I need your help.”

Wilhelm had heard that many times. He could give a list of all the people who had asked for his help from the horrid abuse of the curse. Yet, every time he never bothered to lift a finger to stop the agony. At least not until now.

He desperately wanted to help Nieves escape.

“I’m sorry,” Wilhelm quickly stated, forcing Nieves to sit up right. “Your sister, I’m sure is perfectly safe.” Wilhelm knew that Erika had to be dead. “I saw her the other day shopping. She is absolutely safe. Now, I need to examine your head wound.”

“Erika is alive?” asked Nieves, quickly grasping the string of hope.

Wilhelm nodded—pulling the lie off easily.

Nieves lifted her hands and wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. “Why would Alric lie to me like that?” She glanced down at her attire and blushed remembering that her clothes had been changed. “What am I wearing?”

Nieves nearly groaned at the idea; she was not too thrilled at the thought of being undressed and dressed again during sleep. How had he accomplished that in the first place? Was he drugging her?

Wilhelm dug around the contents of his bag and pulled out a syringe and a vile of clear liquid. Nieves’s eyes widened before she said shakily, “You don’t have to give me a shot, do you?”

“It won’t hurt,” Wilhelm told her encouragingly. “I promise.”

Nieves nodded her head and put out her left arm. She turned her head away, waiting for the sting but it felt like forever. She turned to Wilhelm who was now putting a cotton ball onto the bend of her arm.

“Alright,” Wilhelm informed, “Get some sleep.”

“That’s it?” asked Nieves.

Wilhelm snapped his medical bag closed after throwing away the used needle. “Yes, that was it. Some things in life appear to be difficult but in actuality they are much easier.”

Nieves slowly nodded her head. “Like, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ type deal?”

“Exactly.” Wilhelm patted her hair into place. He seemed to think of her as a daughter—a young child losing her way amongst the dark secrets of the Macter family. He desperately hoped Nieves would make it out alive.

Just before he could leave her, Nieves said, “Have you talked to Rusuto?”

Rusuto’s best friend turned around and stared at her for a moment. “No, I haven’t spoken with him. He’s doing fine if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Nieves shook her head. “I meant: Have you tried to spend time with him?”

“That’s,” Wilhelm began to say but stopped. He sat down onto the bed next to Nieves and looked her in the eye. “Alric will not allow me to see Rusuto. I’m not allowed to see him. If you tell Alric then Rusuto or I will die...”

“We both declared that it would be against Macter law.” Wilhelm rose to his feet, taking the medical bag in hand. He went to leave but Nieves placed a hand on his arm.

“Friendship never ends,” she whispered. “It shall last forever. Love too.”

Wilhelm slowly began sit down, keeping his back to her. “I know that. It truly isn’t a big deal. We were close in childhood but now…” Wilhelm shook his head. “Truly, none of this matters.”

Wilhelm’s expression froze in its place, starring emptily at Nieves. She noticed the dullness that suddenly covered his eyes—to her, it was like starring into the eyes of a painting. It was after years of practicing to keep his emotions concealed from the abusive Head Macter.

“I never thought it’d be you, Wilhelm,” Alric said with displeasure. “Perhaps I didn’t abuse you enough. I feel quite taken aback to know that you have betrayed me for a worthless girl who is not even a part of this family.”

Wilhelm rose to his feet taking the medical bag into hand. Just as he had trained himself to do, Wilhelm stoically walked to the door past Alric. Never once did Wilhelm give a sliver of fear. Alric of course never enjoyed such a fearless behavior—he wanted the entire Macter family quivering at the site of him.

“You will wait for me,” Alric ordered his doctor. “Wait in the room.”

The shoji door slid shut with a hush.

“The room” seemed like some cursed thing especially the way Alric had muttered about it and the way it froze Wilhelm in his tracks simply for a millisecond.

Alric quickly raised his hand, ready to strike her. Nieves in flinched defense, raising her arms as any person would. He grabbed hold of her wrist tightly and yelled, “How dare you speak to me like that!”

Before he could speak Nieves barked, “You have no right! Why are you so cruel to the people around you? They’re just friends.” She screamed, “Wilhelm and Rusuto should be together!”

Alric slapped her all too quickly.

She gasped with shock.

“Slave,” Alric muttered in a mellow tone; for some reason he was suddenly calm. “Know your place, peasant. Within these walls I am God.”

Nieves shook her head, letting her hair fall forward like a curtain over her features. “You are not,” she muttered. “One day you’ll die and it’ll all be over.” A thin rivulet of tears slid down her face while she shook with adrenaline.

Alric spun around and headed for the door. “You will be dead before I die. I shall make sure of that, Nieves.” Alric forced open his door and stepped outside with excitement. He couldn’t wait to abuse Wilhelm.

CHAPTER 8

Alric stood amongst the dark shadows.

Wilhelm could only see the weak outline of Alric’s body but that was all he wanted to see. Just enough to know when the pain would come and leave. Alric, though he looked frail, was quite strong and powerful. The curse had left him with all sorts of strange abilities over his cursed family members.

“What does she know?” Alric asked lifelessly and bored.

Wilhelm replied quite calmly, “She knows we are cursed but she doesn’t know what the curse consists of.” His heart leapt with fear—Alric was obviously playing with him for amusement.

“And Rusuto,” stated Alric. “What do you wish of him?”

Wilhelm’s body began to lose its calm composure. Alric would attack Rusuto instead of him that just seemed out of the question. “Alric…” Wilhelm’s words were captured in his throat.

“Then leave,” muttered Alric. “I wish to not look upon you. I do not want you anywhere near this place, Wilhelm. Understand?” Alric sneered in the darkness out of Wilhelm’s view. He’d give them time until he felt they were close enough. Then, with enjoyment, he’d rip them from each other’s arms. He’d kill Rusuto. Wilhelm still needed to take care of Alric, after all.

Wilhelm paused before saying, “You will allow this?”

Alric walked away without a reply. He slid open the shoji door and stepped out to find the daffodils still in full blood. The plum trees that lined the walkways were beginning to lose their petals. He was dreading the upcoming winter but somehow, in the marrow of his bones, he knew that the last few days of his life were going to be fun.

Alric planned on spending his time torturing Nieves as much as he liked. She wasn’t going anywhere any time soon due to the chains and shackles. Of course, this made Alric want to laugh.

Yet, the giggling of someone stopped him in the process of his maniacal laughter.

“Jacob, catch me!” Eliza yelled behind her with a giggling sound—a sound that made Alric’s stomach twist in disgust. “Catch me! Catch me!”

Alric headed down the path towards the two children racing about the field. Eliza was only ten years of age and she’d lived at the main house since birth. She was one of the cursed unlike her older and younger siblings. Strangely, her parents did not want to keep Eliza even though she was kind hearted and gentle—completely innocent compared to most children cursed.

Jacob, also a young child, age nine, was abandoned at Alric’s home. His father had died from heart failure while his mother never wanted to look upon the child’s face again—she had claimed it reminded her too much of his father. He was a shy child, Alric noted through time, only speaking to Eliza if speaking at all.

“Children.” Alric’s cold voice stopped them in their laughter—Jacob hadn’t been laughing but smiling instead. “What are you doing in this part of the garden?”

Eliza pulled her hands behind her back, stretching childishly at the thought she’d be in trouble. “We just wanted to play, sir. We cannot play in the fields today because there is a gathering.”

“Gathering,” Alric thought mildly. He could not recall there ever being a gathering for any form of holiday. In fact, Alric couldn’t even recall what day it was. He knew it was the month of January but the date itself—even the day of the week—was completely oblivious to him.

Eliza nodded her head as if she’d read the thoughts from his mind. “They said Danzig passed away last night.”

“Did they?” Alric gave a sneer of delight.

Eliza laughed a little, pleased that Alric was smiling though she was far too young to understand that his smile was anything but positive. “So, Jacob and I came here to play.”

Alric’s smile slipped and his expression became plain. “In my garden?”

“Well, we thought…” Eliza bit back her words, noticing the dramatic change in Alric’s visage. He seemed rather upset and ready to strike if provoked. “We thought…”

Alric leaned down to them and watched their bodies flinch with fear. “She is no princess, little ones. She is here to kill you in your sleep while you are dreaming. She is a Demon in disguise.”

Eliza’s eyes widened at the thought.

Yet, Jacob shook his head lightly muttering, “She’s a princess.”

Alric, quite used to Jacob’s mumbles, understood exactly what the self-conscious boy had said. “Are you questioning my authority?” Alric was holding himself back from snatching up the boy’s collar.

“She,” Jacob continued, “is a princess.”

Before Alric could lash out at the children a familiar stone-cold voice said his name. The two frightened ones dashed for the cover of the long grasses towards the main entrance of the front yard.

Alric straightened his posture considerably; he was too arrogant to let Bartolemé get the better of him. “What do you want?”

Bartolemé walked to his family’s leader’s side after taking off the brimmed hat from his head. “I came here to tell you about Danzig’s demise. I thought you’d be rather excited about the matter.”

Alric gave a slight smirk to show Bartolemé that he was in fact overjoyed. “One less I have to worry about.”

Bartolemé nodded his head a single time then dug around in the confines of his dark brown overcoat. He pulled from the inner pocket a cigarette and stuck it between his lips after wetting them. “I’ll let you in on a little secret, Alric.”