p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"strongAct II Part IXbr /Something Wicked/strong/p
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p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"emReaver,/em/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"emBefore I begin, I know it's been a while since we've spoken, or since I've written and, yes, I did get all of the letters you've sent us – all of the 40-odd you've sent this year. I read them, and I burned them. I wrote to you after the first one telling you not to write, and yet you persist. Stop, I implore you. I won't read any more of them. Do not write to me anymore. If you wish to know how life at the castle is, maybe you should listen more carefully to the gossiping hens in /The three of us, here, we are a family, and we don't need you meddling any more than you already have. Whatever your reasons or motivations, you need to stop trying to contact us. If Sparrow ever found out, she'd be furious. After what happened this winter, I don't want her under any extra /Leave us alone, Reaver./em/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"When he was done his furious scribbling, and Jasper finished his dictating, Logan set the quill down and sat back, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He yawned and stretched. Jasper read over his shoulder. "Good, now -" He grabbed the quill and scratched, in beautiful, curled letters, an elegant, emNow fuck off/em, at the bottom of Logan's message. "In case he hasn't got the point already."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The young prince looked at his stepfather with tremendous admiration. "I really do love you, Jasper," he mumbled sleepily./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Alright, just don't go soft on me, now. And never tell that to your mother, she'll hate me. You're supposed to be a mommy's boy," he said scornfully, wagging his finger at him./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""N-no I'm a daddy's girl," he slurred in reply, getting to his feet. He stumbled slightly, but Jasper caught him./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""My dear boy, I think you're a tad drunk, though your handwriting hasn't suffered a bit. And that means that it's bed time."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Did you put Logan to bed?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Jasper looked up from his feet to meet his wife's eyes from across the room and cocked his head to one side. "I don't think you put a boy of his age to bed, dear." He smiled./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Sparrow's own lips turned upward in response, as though it were a reflex. "Yes, of course."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The butler removed his coat and hung it up neatly and began unbuttoning his shirt as he walked across the room, kicking off his shoes as he went. He skillfully escaped his trousers and hopped into bed. He reached down and pulled the covers up to his chin, sighing in contentment as he made himself comfortable. After a moment, he turned on to his side and looked at Sparrow with his tired, blue eyes. "Lovely weather we're having," he said nonchalantly, reaching up to rub the nook between his left eye and his nose with his index finger./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"She tucked her chin into the neck of her nightshirt, nibbling at the fabric of the collar habitually. "Indeed. Uncharacteristically lovely, I must say. I can't wait for it to snow. I love the snow," she mumbled, seeming to be somewhere else completely. She shook her head and went back to her nibbling, her focus returning to him./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Might be a while yet," Jasper admitted. "Summer's only just arrived." He traced along her jaw with a single finger, hooking it under the neck of her nightshirt and removing it from between her lips before rubbing his thumb along her chin. She shifted slightly next him so she could place a chaste kiss on his nose./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""I love the winter. I love the snow. Hannah promised that she'd arrive in Bowerstone with the snow this year, remember?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Jasper's unshakable smile faded as he regarded her with concern, forcing a sort of half-smile as a comfort to her. "Yes, Sparrow, I remember." He took her hands in his own. This caused her own hopeful smile to fade away to confusion. "Hannah died this winter. The monks sent for us when she fell ill. She made us that promise on her deathbed. You were at her side until the very end." He paused for a moment, trying to recall how many times he'd had to explain this to her. As always, he added a playfully, "You're losing yourself again, dear."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Sparrow let out a sharp breath and shook her head, gently, a ghost of smile returning. "Yes, yes, of course. I'm just tired. You know me; I'm just trying to block it all out. Terrible business. Hate thinking about it."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Sparrow heard a noise. Her eyes shot open and she lifted her head from her pillow. Her husband lay sleeping undisturbed beside her. emMaybe it was just my imagination, then, /emshe thought. But then she heard it again. As her eyes began to adjust to the dim lighting, she became scanning the room for any sign of movement, or anything out of place. Jasper cleaned the bedroom compulsively, so it remained ever-unchanged; she would know if anything was different, but everything seemed fine. She propped herself up on her elbows so that she could have a better view. That's when she noticed something./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Usually, Sparrow could see what little light there was in the room reflected off the finish of the door, but now the room only ended in darkness. She peered over the edge of the bed, sitting up further, her brow furrowing in confusion. Something was wrong. She could feel it in the air around her – a sort of heaviness that weighed on her, like the darkness was pushing on her, as though it were tangible. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Her breath formed a cloud in front of her face. She shuddered./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"There was a sort of wet clucking sound, like something clicking their tongue. "Hello? Logan, is that you?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Suddenly, a wind rushed forward with unimaginable force, pushing her back down flat against the move with no help of resisting. She lay there, unable to move, listening to the sound of the wind, blowing over her like a hurricane. Her heart pounded. An invisible force gripped her wrists and held them to the bed at her side./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The wind stopped./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Nothing moved, there was no sound, as though time were suspended around her. Shadowy fingers caressed her skin like the rays of the sun, leaving behind a sort of filthy film along her inner thighs. And then, without warning, the strange force spread her legs, and unusually thick darkness that hung over her began to move, first swirling around her, then disappearing between her legs. Sparrow gasped at the cold sensation but was still unable to move until the spell was broken by a warm hand on her shoulder./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Jasper shook her gently. "Sparrow, wake up. You're having another nightmare."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Sparrow sat straight up, breathing heavily. She wiped the gathered sweat from her brow and clutched her chest as though to prevent her heart from bursting out of it. "No. N-no. More. It was… m-more than that." She closed her eyes tightly, willing away the filth she felt on her skin. She relaxed just enough to allow herself to fall against Jasper's warmth and be taken into his comforting embrace. "Something bad is going to happen, Jasper. It's inside of me, growing. Darkness is coming."/p
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p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"emReaver,/em/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"emBefore I begin, I know it's been a while since we've spoken, or since I've written and, yes, I did get all of the letters you've sent us – all of the 40-odd you've sent this year. I read them, and I burned them. I wrote to you after the first one telling you not to write, and yet you persist. Stop, I implore you. I won't read any more of them. Do not write to me anymore. If you wish to know how life at the castle is, maybe you should listen more carefully to the gossiping hens in /The three of us, here, we are a family, and we don't need you meddling any more than you already have. Whatever your reasons or motivations, you need to stop trying to contact us. If Sparrow ever found out, she'd be furious. After what happened this winter, I don't want her under any extra /Leave us alone, Reaver./em/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"When he was done his furious scribbling, and Jasper finished his dictating, Logan set the quill down and sat back, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He yawned and stretched. Jasper read over his shoulder. "Good, now -" He grabbed the quill and scratched, in beautiful, curled letters, an elegant, emNow fuck off/em, at the bottom of Logan's message. "In case he hasn't got the point already."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The young prince looked at his stepfather with tremendous admiration. "I really do love you, Jasper," he mumbled sleepily./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Alright, just don't go soft on me, now. And never tell that to your mother, she'll hate me. You're supposed to be a mommy's boy," he said scornfully, wagging his finger at him./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""N-no I'm a daddy's girl," he slurred in reply, getting to his feet. He stumbled slightly, but Jasper caught him./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""My dear boy, I think you're a tad drunk, though your handwriting hasn't suffered a bit. And that means that it's bed time."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Did you put Logan to bed?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Jasper looked up from his feet to meet his wife's eyes from across the room and cocked his head to one side. "I don't think you put a boy of his age to bed, dear." He smiled./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Sparrow's own lips turned upward in response, as though it were a reflex. "Yes, of course."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The butler removed his coat and hung it up neatly and began unbuttoning his shirt as he walked across the room, kicking off his shoes as he went. He skillfully escaped his trousers and hopped into bed. He reached down and pulled the covers up to his chin, sighing in contentment as he made himself comfortable. After a moment, he turned on to his side and looked at Sparrow with his tired, blue eyes. "Lovely weather we're having," he said nonchalantly, reaching up to rub the nook between his left eye and his nose with his index finger./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"She tucked her chin into the neck of her nightshirt, nibbling at the fabric of the collar habitually. "Indeed. Uncharacteristically lovely, I must say. I can't wait for it to snow. I love the snow," she mumbled, seeming to be somewhere else completely. She shook her head and went back to her nibbling, her focus returning to him./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Might be a while yet," Jasper admitted. "Summer's only just arrived." He traced along her jaw with a single finger, hooking it under the neck of her nightshirt and removing it from between her lips before rubbing his thumb along her chin. She shifted slightly next him so she could place a chaste kiss on his nose./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""I love the winter. I love the snow. Hannah promised that she'd arrive in Bowerstone with the snow this year, remember?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Jasper's unshakable smile faded as he regarded her with concern, forcing a sort of half-smile as a comfort to her. "Yes, Sparrow, I remember." He took her hands in his own. This caused her own hopeful smile to fade away to confusion. "Hannah died this winter. The monks sent for us when she fell ill. She made us that promise on her deathbed. You were at her side until the very end." He paused for a moment, trying to recall how many times he'd had to explain this to her. As always, he added a playfully, "You're losing yourself again, dear."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Sparrow let out a sharp breath and shook her head, gently, a ghost of smile returning. "Yes, yes, of course. I'm just tired. You know me; I'm just trying to block it all out. Terrible business. Hate thinking about it."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Sparrow heard a noise. Her eyes shot open and she lifted her head from her pillow. Her husband lay sleeping undisturbed beside her. emMaybe it was just my imagination, then, /emshe thought. But then she heard it again. As her eyes began to adjust to the dim lighting, she became scanning the room for any sign of movement, or anything out of place. Jasper cleaned the bedroom compulsively, so it remained ever-unchanged; she would know if anything was different, but everything seemed fine. She propped herself up on her elbows so that she could have a better view. That's when she noticed something./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Usually, Sparrow could see what little light there was in the room reflected off the finish of the door, but now the room only ended in darkness. She peered over the edge of the bed, sitting up further, her brow furrowing in confusion. Something was wrong. She could feel it in the air around her – a sort of heaviness that weighed on her, like the darkness was pushing on her, as though it were tangible. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Her breath formed a cloud in front of her face. She shuddered./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"There was a sort of wet clucking sound, like something clicking their tongue. "Hello? Logan, is that you?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Suddenly, a wind rushed forward with unimaginable force, pushing her back down flat against the move with no help of resisting. She lay there, unable to move, listening to the sound of the wind, blowing over her like a hurricane. Her heart pounded. An invisible force gripped her wrists and held them to the bed at her side./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The wind stopped./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Nothing moved, there was no sound, as though time were suspended around her. Shadowy fingers caressed her skin like the rays of the sun, leaving behind a sort of filthy film along her inner thighs. And then, without warning, the strange force spread her legs, and unusually thick darkness that hung over her began to move, first swirling around her, then disappearing between her legs. Sparrow gasped at the cold sensation but was still unable to move until the spell was broken by a warm hand on her shoulder./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Jasper shook her gently. "Sparrow, wake up. You're having another nightmare."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Sparrow sat straight up, breathing heavily. She wiped the gathered sweat from her brow and clutched her chest as though to prevent her heart from bursting out of it. "No. N-no. More. It was… m-more than that." She closed her eyes tightly, willing away the filth she felt on her skin. She relaxed just enough to allow herself to fall against Jasper's warmth and be taken into his comforting embrace. "Something bad is going to happen, Jasper. It's inside of me, growing. Darkness is coming."/p