Devils Roses 04 - Witch

“Annabelle why are you a maid here?”
    She shrugged, “I gots nothing better to do and Miss Lydia kept me alive and safe for a long time. I don’ts sleep and I don’ts eat and I never need to rest or be quiet. Eternity is a long time to be dead.”
    “Why don’t you go to heaven?”
    She laughed, “Oh I will. When Miss Lydia is ready to move on we move on together. We was born together and we will die together.”
    “What is the guard for?”
    Annabelle’s face grew serious, “Them shadows is full of dark magic. The stain on the earth from the darkness. All the black evil magic hunts us. It wants to corrupt us.”
    She frowned, “Are we that weak?”
    Annabelle shook her head, “No, but a witch has gotta rest and aint no witch restin when them dark thangs is after ya. The shadows creep along trying to tie themselves to you. They the dark stain your momma put on this earth. Her anger.”
    Ophelia shivered, “I saw them. The shadows that moved.”
    The maid put a ghostly finger up at her, “You stay away from them shadows, they be coming for you. If the darkness wins everything good on the earth is gonna die Miss Ophelia. All the hate and pain and suffering your momma cast on man is in those shadows. It be the original black magic. Full of hate and pain.”
    “Am I bad?”
    Annabelle shrugged, “The prophecy says you gonna choose the light and save man but tis only a prophecy. Tis possible that you could choose the wrong side and your brother could save man. The prophecy only says one of the twins. It's them angels that thinks it be the girl and not the boy who evil.”
    Ophelia looked at the balls of light hovering in the corner again and sighed, “I hope that doesn’t happen.”
    ‘We all do Ophelia.’

Chapter Eighteen
    Sam

    Aimee paced back and forth as the sun came up, “I think this is a mistake. She is going to burn to death.”
    Sam shook his head looking at the old dusty book, “No it says right here. She just has to wear that disgusting old ring of his and she can walk in the sun.”
    Giselle sat in the window watching the sun. She twirled the ring that replaced her Roses ring.
    “It feels old and gross. I hate this ring. Look how fat it makes my finger look.”
    Sam closed the book with a snap, “Giselle you need the ring. Being the sun walker makes you different than the others, more royal. Marcus was always slightly weaker but he could go in the sun.”
    Aimee never spoke.
    “Aimee I just want to sleep. Can we try tomorrow?”
    Aimee spun and looked confused, “What? Oh uhm sure whatever you want.”
    Giselle left the window and waved backwards, “I’m going to bed. Jeeves come tuck me in.”
    Sam covered his eyes, “Hamish, it’s Hamish.”
    He looked at Aimee with a smile, as Giselle’s voice echoed throughout the halls, “Why are you so old? Why don’t I have young hot guys as my slaves?”
    “Well, miss I am your butler not your slave.”
    “Whatever. I need like, warm blood before I go to sleep and don’t microwave it.”
    Aimee barely cracked a smile. She turned her back to the doorway again and watched out the window silently.
    Sam grabbed her arm and instantly they were standing on the side of the road. The old faint cross in the bark was barely visible.
    She walked to it and dropped to her knees. She rested her head against the tree and brushed her fingers against the lines of ripped bark.
    She whispered, “How did you know?”
    He sat on the road, “Aleks. He called it your spot, like his and yours. He told me you would sit here and tell him everything. You poured your heart out to him. He spent eight months listening to every thought and feeling.”
    She felt it in the air, it wasn’t her mother’s spot. It was their spot. His and hers.
    “Sam, what the hell Aimee?”
    Sam turned and waved, “Shane, hey man.” Aimee turned her back on the tree but never removed her hands from the bark.
    “Hey.”
    Shane looked hurt, “I’ve been calling you and shit Aimes. What’s going on?”
    She shrugged and swallowed hard.
    Sam stood feeling the tension in the air, “I’m going back to the castle Aimes, give you two some time alone. See ya around Shane.”
    Shane put a hand out for Sam to shake. He shook it, trying desperately to not feel the pain in Shane’s heart.
    “See ya man.”
    Sam flashed to Greece instead. His heart burned. It was nighttime there. He watched the small house in the lonely part of the island but no one moved inside of the windows.