Shattered Illusions-Chapter 10

"Yes, she doesn't take good enough care of herself. She never uses common sense; she just thinks of the here and now, instead of the future," Jacques said.

"Is that so, Monsieur Jack? Well then, what does that have to do with finding something out from me?" Erik asked with sarcasm evident in his voice.

"Jacques, I think maybe you'd better talk to Erik man-to-man in another room to discuss the situation and what you're trying to do. I'm feeling rather faint, and I'm cold and shaky," I said, burrowing into the covers as my breaths rattled in my chest.

"Elise! You're burning up!" Erik said as he ran to my side and pressed a cool hand to my forehead.

"It doesn't help that she got up out of bed. When I came in here, she was out cold on the floor," Jacques sneered. "You will pay for this later," he whispered, referring to me making him come up with an explanation for our conversation. He kissed my cheek. "Sleep well, sister," he said, his words dripping with sarcasm, and he took his leave. "I'll meet you in the library."

Erik handed me another vial.

"It'll help you sleep while it reduces your fever," he explained, knowing I'd want to know. He poured it into my mouth, and gently massaged my neck. I swallowed and instantly felt my eyelids droop. I saw Erik's worried gaze as he caressed my cheek. I pressed my face into his hand.

"Erik," I whispered as I fell into darkness.

I knew something was up from the moment I heard Jack's voice coming from Elise's room. I heard what they said, and suddenly, it clicked. They were con men. Well, not Elise. She was evidently a woman. I'd seen that firsthand. I was suddenly angry, angry with Elise. Angry with myself for believing a woman could ever have feelings for a repulsive carcass as myself. I wanted to immediately kick them out of my home, but three things stopped me. One was that Elise was in no shape to be leaving. As much as I was angry with her, I also still had feelings left for her. It made me angrier, reminding me that I was weak and mortal; reminding me I was a human that could feel for the opposite sex. I also wanted to see the look on Jack's face when I unmasked their plot, and showed him that no one could con me. I also wanted to give Elise a chance to explain.

Date: 11-27-1994

Subject: Elise, Jack

Time: 4:45 P.M.

Two hours ago, Elise came down with a bad fever and chills. I gave her a serum to help her sleep and to reduce the fever. I couldn't help but caress her cheek as I saw her fight to keep her eyes open and gaze into my own. Was it my imagination, or did she really press her beautiful face into my hand? She uttered one word, and I felt shivers crawl up my spine as my heart stopped short. The last thing she said before falling asleep was my name. Was she truly a con woman? She couldn't be. As much as I wanted to believe she wasn't a con woman, I couldn't let myself be fooled. Not again.

I awoke to Jacques violently shaking me. My mind was still muddled from the serum Erik had previously given me, and I was having trouble staying awake and focusing on Jacques.

"Wake up, Elise," he said, slapping me awake. That made my eyes open wide, as I grasped my cheek.

"What is it, Jacques?" I asked. I knew that I was to be paid for being sick and for making Jacques come up with a story.

"You are going to pay as soon as you are well. I don't want anything to do with you while you are ill. However, I will tell you one thing before I leave. I'm going on to Scotland, and I'll be back on one month's time. If you haven't gained the information I need by then, you will pay in a way that will make you wish you were dead. Oh yes. There are worse things than death, Elise," he said with venom saturating his words. "Oh, and by the way, Erik now thinks that what we were talking about was the fact that I've been trying to find you a husband, and that we were trying to see if he was worthy and so on and so forth. Yes, it is lame, but it'll have to do. This will work for both of us. You get hitched, and out of my hair, and I get the money I'll need in order to retire. And yes, I've seen what's underneath that mask, and it's not pretty. You'll be marrying a monster, Elise. You'll be taken in both mind and spirit by a monster." He laughed and left.

"The only monster that will ever have taken me will be you, Jacques," I spat out, and blacked out from exertion.