Elsie had gone about her day feeling relatively relieved. The events of last night and encountering the book had made her fear the worst - that something would manifest itself from her meddling and show up the next day. But after a careful inspection of herself in the mirror, the witch had found absolutely nothing amiss. No marks, no weird symbols, nor was she seeing anything she shouldn’t have.
No, for all intents and purposes, Elsbeth had seemingly escaped the repercussions of poking her nose where she shouldn’t have. It was why she woke up so cheerful the morning after, greeting her maid and nearly leaping out of bed to get ready for the morning as she drew the drapes open to let the light in. She had been prepared to have a typical morning, getting dressed and heading down to dinner when something caught the corner of her eye. It was ever so slight as her arm caught the light, but it was enough to make Elsie pause. It was a speck on the inside of her wrist. Had she somehow dropped a pendant and it had gotten stuck to her wrist while she slept?
Blinking to clear the sleep from her eyes, Elsbeth reached to turn the lamp on.
She wished she hadn’t.
Because the small speck seemed to grow right in front of her very eyes, blooming across her skin as if it was paint dripped onto a wet canvas. Elsie wiped at it, panic rising in her chest as she quickly realized it wouldn’t go away. And worse of all, the joint where this patch of - of gold had appeared immediately started to ache, as if the skin had started to stiffen.
Okay, there was no need to panic. She would simply look at the book again and consult it to see if something had gone amiss. There was no need to panic.
Then she caught a glimpse of her left arm; and let out a shriek.
There was a crash in the corner, reminding Elsie she wasn’t alone. Jia knocked over the water pitcher she’d been reaching for, whirling around to see what had happened. By then, Elsie had shoved her sleeves down to her wrists to hide anything. Her maid, was absolutely bewildered to be ushered out so quickly, and though was reassured that it wasn’t anything she had done personally, was only able to nod vigorously as Elsie commanded her to tell no one of this and to fetch her owl so she could send a message to the only person she could think of.
Jia brought back a rather grumpy and harrassed looking Dalnim, a beautiful barn owl with a moon-like face to fit his name. Once he saw Elsie, he hooted a greeting to her before flying over to his perch by her bedside. Elsie had already scribbled a note to Rory in haste before she tied it to his leg and practically pushed Dalnim and Jia out of her room, locking it so no one else could come in and sinking down to the floor, knees tucked to her chest while she waited for her brother.
She didn’t keep track of how long it took, nor did she reach for her sleeves to see how bad her left arm was. All she knew was that something was happening and she needed help now. She couldn’t panic. She couldn’t start crying, not unless she wanted to be near hysterical when Rory found her. No, she would wait and she would explain to him what happened.
Her plans changed, of course, when she heard hurried steps right outside her door and rapid knocking on the wood. She nearly gave a sob of relief when she heard her brother’s voice on the other side of the door and she reached up to the door knob to open it. “No one’s with you are they?” She asked, her voice already shaking as she peeked through the crack in the door.
No, for all intents and purposes, Elsbeth had seemingly escaped the repercussions of poking her nose where she shouldn’t have. It was why she woke up so cheerful the morning after, greeting her maid and nearly leaping out of bed to get ready for the morning as she drew the drapes open to let the light in. She had been prepared to have a typical morning, getting dressed and heading down to dinner when something caught the corner of her eye. It was ever so slight as her arm caught the light, but it was enough to make Elsie pause. It was a speck on the inside of her wrist. Had she somehow dropped a pendant and it had gotten stuck to her wrist while she slept?
Blinking to clear the sleep from her eyes, Elsbeth reached to turn the lamp on.
She wished she hadn’t.
Because the small speck seemed to grow right in front of her very eyes, blooming across her skin as if it was paint dripped onto a wet canvas. Elsie wiped at it, panic rising in her chest as she quickly realized it wouldn’t go away. And worse of all, the joint where this patch of - of gold had appeared immediately started to ache, as if the skin had started to stiffen.
Okay, there was no need to panic. She would simply look at the book again and consult it to see if something had gone amiss. There was no need to panic.
Then she caught a glimpse of her left arm; and let out a shriek.
There was a crash in the corner, reminding Elsie she wasn’t alone. Jia knocked over the water pitcher she’d been reaching for, whirling around to see what had happened. By then, Elsie had shoved her sleeves down to her wrists to hide anything. Her maid, was absolutely bewildered to be ushered out so quickly, and though was reassured that it wasn’t anything she had done personally, was only able to nod vigorously as Elsie commanded her to tell no one of this and to fetch her owl so she could send a message to the only person she could think of.
Jia brought back a rather grumpy and harrassed looking Dalnim, a beautiful barn owl with a moon-like face to fit his name. Once he saw Elsie, he hooted a greeting to her before flying over to his perch by her bedside. Elsie had already scribbled a note to Rory in haste before she tied it to his leg and practically pushed Dalnim and Jia out of her room, locking it so no one else could come in and sinking down to the floor, knees tucked to her chest while she waited for her brother.
She didn’t keep track of how long it took, nor did she reach for her sleeves to see how bad her left arm was. All she knew was that something was happening and she needed help now. She couldn’t panic. She couldn’t start crying, not unless she wanted to be near hysterical when Rory found her. No, she would wait and she would explain to him what happened.
Her plans changed, of course, when she heard hurried steps right outside her door and rapid knocking on the wood. She nearly gave a sob of relief when she heard her brother’s voice on the other side of the door and she reached up to the door knob to open it. “No one’s with you are they?” She asked, her voice already shaking as she peeked through the crack in the door.