Erik
Where is the damn boy? I thought angrily as I paced back and forth. I had emerged from the catacombs about an hour ago only to find the church empty. Had I scared him away? Had I driven him out of his home?
I cursed at myself. That was the only explanation. Why else would the boy had gone out in this storm? Why else would he have not returned yet? Perhaps something had happened to him, preventing him from returning. No, that would not explain why he left in the first place.
I looked up at the ceiling, noticing that the storm had begun to subside. I considered abandoning the church. A cursed monster such as I has no place in a church anyway, I thought bitterly. But a nagging feeling in my gut prevented me from leaving; I had to make sure the boy was safe first.
I continued my pacing, unsure of what to do. The boy could be anywhere; I did not even know where to begin searching. As I contemplated possible courses of action, the door suddenly swung open.
I angrily shoved the boy against the wall. "Foolish boy! What were you doing out there?!" I roared. He looked at me, terror etched across his face. This only made me angrier. The fear in his eyes reminded me of the way Christine looked at me the night she had left with the vicomte. I shook the boy violently. "Answer me! Where the hell have you been?!"
The boy silently lifted up a basket full of food. I took a step backwards as I realized why he had left. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I was not sure why I had become so enraged; I did not particularly care for the boy and he was allowed to make his own decisions. I suddenly became aware that he was shivering violently. I felt shame wash over me. Had I really terrified him that badly?
After a long pause, I finally broke the silence. "I apologize. Are you alright?"
"Just cold," he mumbled softly. He began to sway a little, and I instinctively stuck out my hand to steady him. I felt another pang of guilt as he flinched at my touch. His skin was ice cold and, now that I was looking at him properly, I could tell that something was wrong. His face was as white as the mask that I wear.
My voice softened when I spoke next. "You should get out of that wet cloak, and I shall light a fire. You need to warm up."
He nodded at me dazedly. As I began to turn away, I saw him stagger out of the corner of my eye. As he collapsed, I swiftly caught him before he hit the floor. I carried him to his bed, noticing how frail his body was. I could not believe that I had attacked this child. Surely, he was not this small and defenseless just moments ago. I would have never reacted so aggressively if he were. I felt disgusted with myself.
After placing him onto his bed, I removed his soaking cloak and wrapped mine around him instead. He seemed slightly confused, yet unaware of what was happening. I quickly gathered all the blankets that I could find and covered him with them. Once he was bundled up, I quickly built a fire.
What now? I thought to myself once I had the fire going. For a second, I considered leaving, but then I imagined the look on Christine's face if she had heard that I abandoned him. As I listened to his slow, shallow breathing, I concluded that he would probably not survive without me. I sat down and let out a long sigh, knowing that I had to stay. He mumbled something incoherently. When I looked down at him, I felt an odd sensation in the pit of my stomach. It was almost as if I cared for the boy. Almost.
AN: I know this is short, but I wanted to update before Easter. Happy Easter and Happy Passover to those of you who celebrate. Please leave a review telling me what you think so far!