Lady Tremaine faltered, her tone turning dulcet and syrupy. “No, no! Of course, I would never. And I’m sure the Baron wouldn’t have wanted her for such things, anyway. How your imagination does run away with you, Mr. Johnstone.” She let out an airy laugh that made Ella cringe, which incited a coughing fit that rattled her bones.
“What… Is someone in the closet?”
Lady Tremaine brushed off his inquiry. “Ella’s yours for four days, and then you’ll return her, as discussed.”
“That’s much better. Where is she?”
“Right here.”
When the key turned in the lock, Ella was determined to keep herself upright. It was when the bucket her shins were propped up against toppled over that she fell forward with the mop, tumbling out with a shriek onto the floor at Remus’ feet.
“What’s all the commotion?” The Baron rounded the corner just in time to see Ella floundering on the floor, knocking herself in the back of the head with her broomstick. “Oh, Ella. Always so clumsy.”
Remus shouted his shock, but stuffed his more coherent exclamations back down his throat as he knelt to untangle Ella from the mess of cleaning supplies. When Henry craned his head down the hallway, Remus used his body to partially shield Ella from view. His tone turned sharp to warn Henry to keep his mouth shut. “Henry, you don’t deal with the servants. That’s my job. Go out and entertain Lady Tremaine’s daughters.” When Henry took a step toward Remus instead of away, Remus didn’t hold back the command in his voice. “Now!”
Henry’s eyes glinted with anger, and then wilted to misery when he took in what he could make out of Ella’s besotted state. For all the power his throne afforded him, he couldn’t go against Ella’s wishes. She’d been firm that he was to let things continue on in the cycle of abuse she was stuck in, for fear of tumbling out of the cycle and landing in something far worse. “Of course, Remus.”
Once Henry was out of sight, Remus lowered his voice to a threatening whisper, his hand resting atop Ella’s head. “What’s the meaning of this, Lady Tremaine? You kept her locked in the dark?” His tone was pure horror, and Ella knew he was reliving his own time locked in the dark under Malaura’s cruel tutelage. His fingers trembled with barely contained torment as they floated atop her tangled curls.
“She displeased me.”
“She’s shivering, and sick as a dog! I didn’t pay you for a barely upright servant. Come, Ella. On your feet.” His words were brusque, but his hands gentle as he pulled Ella up, taking in her pallor with a tightness to his eyes. “Go fetch your things. There’s much work for you to do at my house. Quick, now. Prince Henry has many important errands to attend to this evening, and doesn’t wish to linger.”
Ella read between the lines, understanding that Henry’s patience could only be expected to last so long in this place. “Yes, sir.”
Remus touched his forehead at her formal address. “Actually, I wanted to see your bedroom, Ella, if it’s alright with Lady Tremaine. My servants have too many trinkets in theirs, and I wondered if I was indulging them too much. May I escort her upstairs, Lady Tremaine?”
“Do what you like with her.” Lady Tremaine waved her hand dismissively in Ella’s direction. “When you leave, make sure you go out the back entrance, Ella. I don’t want anyone to see you so filthy, and assume that’s what I allow in my house.”
Ella’s cough was deep and rattled in her chest, but finally she eked out a croaky, “Yes, ma’am.”
28
Comfort to End the Darkness
Ella’s legs were unsteady from not being able to bend for so long, but she made it up the steps by bracing herself on the railing, cursing her life that Remus had to walk behind her and watch her struggle.
The moment they reached the top of the steps and turned the corner, Remus swept her off her feet and kissed her cheek, his whisper frantic. “I’m so sorry, my darling. Say the word, and I’ll do whatever you need.”
Ella permitted one long breath in his arms, and then struggled to get down. “You can’t hold me like that.”
He didn’t take offense, but set her feet down gently and stepped back. “Of course. Apologies. You only looked like your legs might be aching you. I didn’t Pulse you with Comfort. I would never do that without permission.”
Ella shook her head, emotion making its way to her throat. “No, it’s not that. You can’t be nice to me here! I’ll start crying, and I can’t break down like that right now. Please get me out before the Baron buys me from her!”
“Of course, Miss Ella. Which one is your bedroom?” He glanced around at the rooms on either side of the hallway.
Ella reached up and tugged on a cord that hung overhead. “Right here.” She pulled, and a rectangle in the ceiling opened, revealing a staircase that fell from above.
Remus paled, looking as if he might be sick. “You sleep in the attic?”
“It’s not so bad.” Ella climbed up the steps that gave a slight bounce to them under her weight. She wasn’t expecting Remus to follow her up, but moved to the side when he entered the tight space that had welcomed her when nowhere else had. “My things are right here.” She picked up the bundle atop her quilt and rested it under her arm against her hip.
“You should change into something that’s not damp. It’s freezing out there.”
Ella shook her head. “Lady Tremaine will be happier if I’m uncomfortable. Let’s just go.”
Remus ran his fingers through his black hair, looking younger and completely lost. To Ella, he usually appeared so very in control, but standing in her bedroom, she could see his struggle to find the right thing to say. “That horrible woman locked you in the dark.”
Ella gave a curt nod.
“I want you to pack up all your things. Quick, now. Where are the rest of your clothes?”
Ella was cautious as she pointed, shivering toward the small chest in the corner. “That’s everything I own. Most of my parents’ stuff is locked in a storage unit that’s under my name only.”
Remus darted to the chest, swallowing hard at the meager possessions that amounted to a pile of worn clothes. “Is there anything here you have an attachment to?”
Ella hugged herself with her right arm, trying to rub feeling into her body. “No. Why?”
“Because you’re not coming back here, so take whatever you like, but then we’re leaving. We’re not looking back until you go public. Then you can return here as the lady of your own house.”
Ella tried to reply, but instead lost her words to a coughing fit. Remus shoved her tattered things into his messenger bag, and then met her in the center of the room to wrap her in his arms. “Not to worry, darling. I’ll get you out of here. Soon this will all be a distant memory. Say a fond farewell to this space. The next time you step inside, this will be an attic, and no longer a bedroom.”
Ella made to argue, but only ended up coughing.
Remus’ pitch climbed with a tinge of desperation. “I couldn’t save myself from the darkness, but I can save you! Do not fight me on this!” His eyes squinched shut as he squeezed her through her next bought of coughing. “You don’t even have a bed! You sleep on a mattress on the floor!”
It wasn’t until she saw the full breadth of his panic that she began to understand the mess for what it was. Far less than ideal, it wasn’t sustainable. No matter the outcome, she knew couldn’t live like this any longer. Reality crashed over her with all the subtlety of a wrecking ball. “It’s only a matter of time before the Baron convinces her to sell me to him.”
Remus gagged, his face twisting with torment. She could tell he had whole epistles of arguments to persuade her to leave the life of misery, but in that moment, she didn’t need a single push to finally take that first step in the right direction.
“Remus,” she whispered, and finally let her head rest on his shoulder. So many things he’d done had confused her or given her pause, but his hug was filled with a desperation to make her life better. She decided to trust i
n the kindness, since that was the language with which she was most familiar.
Remus lowered his volume to match hers, but his words flowed out no less tensed. “Your parents wouldn’t have wanted this life for you. Let’s honor that, shall we? Let’s honor your parents, who loved and protected their daughter as best they could.”
She caught the sob in her throat before it birthed from her. She quickly shoved it back down and replaced it with a quiet plea. “I need you to do something for me. Please.”
“Anything.”
She pursed her lips, wrestling with her anxiety that came whenever she had to weigh the pros and cons of asking for help. “Pulse me, Remus,” she begged with a quiver slicing her voice.
His breath of relief relaxed his shoulders as he fanned out his fingers across her back, thrumming a steady dose of Comfort into her spine. When Ella’s syncopated panting calmed to light puffs of breath fanning across his neck as she lay her temple on his shoulder, Remus’ frustration visibly melted. “There we go. Any time you need me, all you have to do is ask.” He turned his chin and kissed her forehead. “See? You trusted me with that; you can trust me to help you leave this life.”
Slowly, Ella nodded. “Okay. I trust you.”
Another kiss pressed to her forehead, and he donned a pleasant expression he tried to force to appear sincere. “Come now, I can make you some chicken soup the moment we get home—your new home with me.”
Her arms were weighted with weakness, but she managed to summon enough strength to hold onto him. “You’ll let me stay with you until I get back on my feet and make a plan?”
“Silly girl. I’ll let you stay with me forever. As long as you like.”
His words were honey to her soul, and she savored the sweetness she so desperately needed. Though she wished for more eloquent musings, she choked out a raw, “Thank you.”
“Of course, darling. There will be no more darkness for us.” Remus Pulsed a few more beats of Comfort into her skin. “And do make sure to tell Henry exactly how sick you truly are. He won’t hesitate to wait on you hand and foot. He’s got a cold remedy he swears by that’s absolutely dreadful. I can’t wait to see your face when you choke it down.”
Ella chuckled, but then coughed so hard, she nearly collapsed in his arms.
“Or perhaps we’ll make a quick stop at Urgent Care first. Is that everything, then?”
Ella nodded, blinking back tears, lest they fall and break her perfect track record. For better or worse, her nightmare of living with the Tremaines was coming to an end.
“Can you make it down the steps and to the car? It’s unlocked. Get in the backseat and wait for us there.”
Ella was careful as she moved out of the attic down the steps, and then onto to the main floor. She carried her bundle, shivering as she tiptoed out the backdoor, leaving Remus to fetch Henry. She slipped into the back of the town car and let loose a tearless cry that was a catharsis of both joy and anxiety, knowing there was no turning back now.
29
Someone to Lean On
Henry’s hands were careful with Ella as he guided her up the two steps in the garage that led to Remus’ home. With an arm curved behind her and his other hand clutching hers, he moved as if escorting a delicate woman in her nineties.
Now that she had the freedom to breathe without threat of Lady Tremaine’s vindictive nature, Ella was finally allowed to feel the aches and pains of the common cold, which had been made worse by going outside with wet hair. The sound of her rasping coughs scared her as they moved further into the house.
Remus pushed past them and darted up the stairs, while Henry lowered her to sit on a stool in the kitchen. He fished around in the fridge and pulled out a pot of freshly made chicken soup Chef Lionel had whipped up before going home for the evening. In front of the pot was a Get Well Soon note from him, at which Henry frowned. “Hey, now. Lionel has never given me a card when I’ve been sick. Back when I had my tonsils out, he force-fed me ice cream and kept asking me questions I couldn’t answer, because I couldn’t talk.” He shook his head at Ella, who was slumped with her elbows atop the granite counter. “You’ve enchanted him, you minx.”
Ella blew her nose. “What can I say? I’ve got it going on.”
“Indeed.” Henry heated up her soup, and then stood next to her stool so she could rest her head on his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair while she ate, not looking up when Remus trotted back down the stairs toward them, his sleeves rolled.
“The bath is ready for you when you’re finished with your supper, Miss Ella.” Remus always spoke to her with respect, as if he were the servant in his own home, content to wait on anyone who should need it.
Ella’s nose was runny, her head ached, and she was too tired to examine anything, save for the gratitude that rose up in her ribs, which were sore from coughing. She moved from the comfort of Henry’s chest only to stand and wrap her arms around Remus, finally accepting that he was who he claimed to be, and nothing more duplicitous. “Please,” she asked, hoping for a dose of his Pulse to quell her anxiety.
“Of course.” Remus didn’t hesitate, engulfing her in the hug she craved, while giving her a little something extra to take the edge off. “Good for you for asking.”
“You’re not trying to use my abilities for anything selfish,” she whispered as she gripped him.
Remus melted around her. “Of course not, darling. The best teachers are perpetual students. I merely want to understand, and then to help.”
“I see it now.” She didn’t stiffen when his hand cupped the back of her head to lean it on his shoulder. She felt protected with her head resting there, which wasn’t a feeling she was altogether used to yet. Oh, how she’d needed a place to rest. “You’re sure I can stay here until I figure out my next move?”
Both Henry and Remus didn’t hesitate. “Of course.” Remus gently swayed from side to side, rocking her as if she was his treasure. “Stay as long as you like. Make this your permanent address. As long as I’m in your life, there will be no more darkness. I’ll keep you safe.”
“Safe?” Ella echoed, turning the word over on her tongue to test how it tasted. There was too much beauty in that one word for her to feel like she belonged in the same room as it, but Remus held her to the spot, assuring her that she very much did.
Too many emotions swam to the surface, breaking through the dam she’d needed in place to keep her head above water, day in and day out. An avalanche of shame crashed around her when she broke down in his arms, sobbing into his clean dress shirt. Fearing that something so perfect might be snatched away, she gripped the pressed fabric, threatening with all of her resolve that this one good thing wouldn’t be stolen from her fingers. Of all the things Lady Tremaine had taken from her, this one word, this concept too grand for comprehension, would remain forever hers.
Remus didn’t shy away from her tears. The only thing he asked was for Henry to fetch a box of tissues, and to make her some tea. By the time her tears had quieted to mere hiccups of exhaustion, the tea was ready, and Remus lowered her back to her stool so she could drink it, his hand never leaving her back. That simple touch assured her that the stability she craved wouldn’t be gone in the morning. She didn’t resist it, but leaned into the touch, silently begging for the Comfort he had on tap.
Henry was careful with her besotted state as he led her up the stairs once she’d finished with her tea. He only whispered words of love and loyalty as he led her not to her bedroom, but to his. “Go on into your bath and relax. I’ll make you a sandwich while you’re in there.”
Ella’s heart seemed to be on perpetual swell and shatter mode, causing new tears to trickle down her cheeks. “You don’t have to do that. You’re both being too nice to me; it’s all so confusing.”
Henry tilted his head to the side, as if to ask her how she expected a boyfriend might behave under the circumstances. He didn’t argue with her perplexed expression, nor did he sweep away her tears to pretend they
didn’t exist. Henry kissed her cheek, and then pulled her into his arms, letting her feel his solid body.
Ella permitted herself to rest against his chest, finally understanding that the beacon of safety she’d only just begun to trust wasn’t going anywhere if she let herself lean on it.
30
Finding Her Role
One might blame Ella’s deep sleep on the nighttime cold medicine Remus gave her, but wiser minds would argue that she slept so soundly because of the arms that banded around her in the night. The gentle glow of the moon lulled them both to indulge in ten hours of unfettered rest. They woke only when the sun decided it had been ignored long enough.
Ella shot up in the bed, turned around after indulging in so much sleep. “Oh! It’s almost eight o’clock!”
Henry shifted, his full lips pulling into a pout, now that his arms weren’t wrapped around her. “Go back to sleep, hun.”
She gasped, scandalized. “Are you serious? I haven’t done a thing to help.” She cast around for her bundle. “Where are my clothes?”
Henry mumbled something that sounded like “Inna fresser,” which Ella translated to mean “In the dresser.”
She darted to the drawers, pulling them open until she came to one that had been cleared just for her. Her panic at not being useful was put on hold when the significance of Henry putting her things in with his hit her with the obvious smack of permanence. Her shoulders lowered, and she pulled out one of his shirts, pressing the expensive fabric to her nose. The fragrance of Henry was wildly addictive. She wondered if her garments would begin to smell like his if she kept her things in the drawer long enough. Henry smelled of cinnamon-laced cologne that had faint notes of peach to it, but was still somehow masculine and alluring.
“Come back to bed. It’s still early. I don’t have anything until nine.”
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