Chapter 82
Rebekah also came out to the porch. She was startled to see the black bird that was staring back at her. "That's not good," she muttered.
"That's what I said," Freya told her. "There are obviously big holes in the barrier. Much as I would like to leave, the barrier has given me a sense of safety. That's fading fast."
"John and Sarah are coming today," Elijah mentioned. "I am going to ask John to cut down all the shrubs that are close to the wall. Muskets have a limited range. The shooter got close because we did not see him. Even still, it was a skilled shot that managed to hit Kol."
"True. Sarah hasn't been here for a while," Freya pointed out. She was aware that Elijah really was attracted to her, and the young woman seemed to like his company despite the barrier between them.
Elijah looked at his hands, still a bit bloody despite the washing he had already done. He washed them again, but the water in the metal basin was quite red. He dumped out the water and headed for the well to get a bucket full of clean water. The raven moved out of his way, but it then followed him. He frowned at the bold bird.
When he returned to the porch with the basin, the two women were still there, searching the overhead dome with their eyes.
"Is it just my paranoia or is there a chance that bird is someone spying on us?" he asked.
With a sigh, Freya said, "There's always a chance that's true. But who would it be? Our beloved father?"
"What if he has been working with a witch all along?"
"I don't know. We haven't actually seen him in a couple of years or so. Maybe he's just waiting for the dome to collapse, and then he can get to us."
"The witch could be working to weaken the dome," Elijah said worriedly.
"Maybe so."
From the kitchen door Kol came carefully out to the porch accompanied by Barbara. He was wearing a cotton tablecloth wrapped around his hips and he was barefooted.
"I heard what you said," he muttered as he looked at the beady-eyed bird. "Hey, bird, are you Mikael? Is that you, Daddy Dearest?"
The bird made some sort of noise and strutted around in front of the porch. Then it spread its wings and lifted upward. It made a circle over the back yard and then headed for one of the openings at the top of the dome. It tucked its wings just for a moment, long enough to pass through the hole without touching its edges.
"If he stopped and sat up there, we'd know if there is any power left at the top," Freya said. She had her doubts. When the bird was out of sight, she looked at Kol. "How do you feel?"
"Got a belly ache and a sore backside, but what the hell, looks like I'll recover."
They all had to change clothes because they had gotten his blood on them. The soiled areas were cleaned with cold water and minimum effort and hung on the line to dry. Everyone had sufficient clothing, mostly made of cotton and wool. The women repaired things regularly, but as with the barrier, their efforts to replicate items was becoming weaker.
Kol decided he was feeling weak and needed to rest. He went into the house and to the hallway where the stairs led to the bedrooms.
"Can you make it up the stairs?" Barbara asked worriedly.
"You know what? I don't think I want to make the effort. I'm going to lie down in the parlor."
He was too tall to stretch out on the sofa, but he fit alright when he lay on his left side with his knees bent. Barbara placed one of the embroidered pillows under his head and a knit afghan over his body.
"Can I get you something else?"
"Yeah, darlin', a nice swig of that whiskey." The group had accidently spilled the last of the good whiskey, so that Freya couldn't duplicate it. John had brought them a bottle of the best that the town's saloon had, which was not very good. John and the other townsfolk often brought things. The group under the dome had little to bargain with, but they had shared the beef from the bull they had slaughtered.
It was around midafternoon when John and Sarah arrived in their buggy. There was a man with them, one that the group had never seen before. Everyone except Kol went to meet them. Sarah remained by the buggy and explained about the dome, which obviously astounded the new man.
To Elijah John said, "Your dome in more visible than ever. It's dusty and the holes show. In fact, I can see the top of the house right through the dust." He could also make out the blurred form of Elijah as if looking through a steamed-up window or mirror.
"We are quite concerned about that," Elijah admitted. " A raven flew right down here inside today."
"There were a pair of ravens sitting on the roof of the general store," John said.
Although Elijah was curious about the man taking up Sarah's time, he spoke again to John. "Someone shot at us today, right through one of the holes. We did not see him because of the shrubs right next to the barrier. Would you be kind enough to take a saw or hatchet and cut down those that grow too close?"
"Oh, no! Did anyone get hurt?"
"Kol did, but he will be alright."
"That's good news. And yes, I'll see to the bushes. I can do it now if you have the tools."
"I know that we do," Elijah said, but his eyes went to John's sister.
Sarah approached with the newcomer, a fellow with reddish-blond hair, green eyes, a neatly-trimmed reddish beard and nice clothing. "Elijah, this is Alexander. He's a distant cousin of ours."
"Pleased to meet you," the young man said. Elijah could easily hear a New England accent, especially the Boston area. "This situation is beyond belief. It's magic!"
"Yes, it is. Powerful magic," Elijah said. "But it is four years old and beginning to fade." He waved his hand to indicate the barely-visible wall.
"If it disappears, will you be able to leave there?"
"We do not know yet."
"Alexander and I are going to marry," Sarah announced, holding onto the man's arm and smiling happily at him. He lifted her hand and kissed it.
Elijah was unprepared for this announcement. He was shocked. In fact, his feelings were so strong he had trouble hiding them. He felt betrayed and jealous, and yet he knew he had no right to feel that way. Neither he nor Sarah had truly considered ever being together as a pair. She had never mentioned that she was engaged.
Freya, next to Elijah, sensed her brother's feelings. "What a nice surprise, Sarah. Congratulations, you two. Is this something you both had planned on in the past?"
"Yes. I live in Tennessee," Alexander explained. "I wanted to get established and to provide a nice home for my bride. It has taken longer than I thought it would. Were it not for frequent correspondence, I think Sarah would have given up on me."
"I despaired of dying an old maid," Sarah teased, still clinging to Alexander's arm.
The group, including Rebekah and Barbara, chatted for over an hour. If Sarah and John had brought anything for those inside, they did not mention it. Such items would have to be passed though the large hole on the west side, and apparently Sarah was not yet ready to share this fact with her betrothed. At some point Elijah went to the barn and returned with a saw. He also picked up the axe from the woodshed. He knew that there was a moderate-sized hole about eight feet off the ground just to the east of the outhouse. He stood on a short piece of tree trunk from the wood pile and carefully passed the tools through to the other side. John let them drop to the ground and then picked them up.
Barbara left the group and went into the house. She went straight to the parlor to see if Kol was awake. He was.
"Guess what I found out."
"What?" Kol often listened to gossip because one never knew when some piece of knowledge might come in handy to be used against someone.
"Sarah is betrothed."
"Really? Who to?"
"A cousin from Tennessee. Alexander. He has a funny accent. He's not nearly as handsome as you."
He grinned at her despite the discomfort he was still feeling. "She told Elijah?"
"Yup. She introduced the two of them to each other. I think Elijah nearly fell over. You know he is sweet on her."
"Not that it does him any good. I suppose he'll be in a foul mood for a while," Kol muttered.
"How can you tell? He doesn't show much how he feels, although I can sense it."
"He can be really taciturn sometimes," Kol said. He shifted position a bit and groaned at the soreness.
"What's that mean?" Barbara adjusted the afghan over his shoulder.
"Silent. Brooding. Whatever. What's that noise?"
"John is chopping down the bushes that are growing near the wall so no one can creep up close and shoot at us again."
"What's with this 'us'? I'm the one that got shot."
"You know what I mean. Poor baby, what can I do to help?"
"Another shot of whiskey, darlin'. That should help."
"I'm sure it will."
Outside, Elijah found that he could carry on a reasonable conversation with Alexander, who said he was an attorney at law. Elijah had a nagging feeling that he had met the man somewhere. When Alexander turned his head toward the south to observe John for a moment and the sun shown on his face in a certain way, Elijah felt another shock. He realized that Alexander bore a subtle resemblance to Niklaus.
A/N Is this just a coincidence because people often look like other people, or is Alexander someone to be wary of?