A stained journal page written in shaky cursive lettering
It was a grand hall. My Lord stood at the center, surrounded by his guests. In the corner, her arms folded, leaning against a pillar, was the one who had mouthed the words to me, though now she paid me no attention, which suited me well, for my Sun w...
Leaving Edward Page A stained journal page written in shaky cursive lettering - on New World Guide Database of Lore
It was a grand hall. My Lord stood at the center, surrounded by his guests. In the corner, her arms folded, leaning against a pillar, was the one who had mouthed the words to me, though now she paid me no attention, which suited me well, for my Sun was singular. “My Lords and Ladies,” my Light said, “we have among us a new member of our household.” He, and then all eyes in the room, turned to me. I felt their hatred, their jealousy, and it excited me. Of course they were jealous of me, for He loved me best, and who would not? I preened in my finery. He wanted me, and He did not want them. I was so engrossed in this thought, that I barely noticed when a young man seated himself next to me. I almost struck him for distracting my attention from my Lord, what my Lord was saying was important, He was saying-
“Remember yourself.”
Unbidden came the words the woman had said, and suddenly those words were all I heard, crashing on my ears like the lightning-cracked mast of my ship had crashed into the sea. My Lord’s voice was getting so far away. Remember myself? It was the last thing I wanted- no, no! I felt a touch on my hand, looked, and it was the young man again. It was my brother. Edward, was his name. I yanked my hand from his grasp, saw the hurt in his eyes.
“Let us now invite our special guests!” My Lord gestured to a doorway, through which streamed- living horrors. Though some walked on legs, that is where the resemblance to humans ended. They had the skin of corpses, their mandibles insect-like, with tight rows of long needle-like teeth that champed into one another from above and below. Made for rending flesh. I nearly shouted in alarm, when I felt Edward’s hand on mine again, this time squeezing hard in warning. “Still your heart and listen carefully, brother. I’ve made bargain with her. The one who woke you. She’ll help you escape from here.”
Servants rolled a cart around with food- ah, food- I had forgotten how starved I was. Two covered platters. Not silver, but unpolished copper. My hunger nearly made me forgot the danger we were in, until they lifted the lids. To my horror, Talbot lay in one pan, roasted to a crisp, where the other held what seemed to be a human thigh. I wondered in a maniacal way, would I have eaten them, had my thoughts still been ensorcelled? I knew the answer without thinking. But this final shock completely awoke me from my daze. “Don’t look,” I bade Edward, whose tear-stained face told me he already knew. “Come, let’s flee together,” I urged my little brother, as the monsters filed in silently, and descended upon the servants who simply stared forward listlessly as they were fed upon.
But Edward shook his head. “You’ll be safer alone, I’d only slow you down.” He smiled sadly, with those small pale lips. And this time, he did not avert his gaze.
That gaze would haunt me. I left him. I left him at that feast of horrors.
