I worked out very quickly that I was not cut out for life working in a Hospital. I stood frozen and watching as deep, arterial blood flowed over the floorboards. It pooled across the floor and out the door, staining the edge of the carpet outside. With every passing moment he was losing life and I stood staring at him, frozen with blind panic. Whilst I was completely useless, however, Dorothea was not.

She set to work immediately, pulling me in and closing the door behind us before moving her wand and muttering below her breath. Beneath her breath, she was muttering a range of charms and I watched as the blood in the room flowed back, trailing over her body and filling the wounds that had been severed into his body.

More incantations and I watched as the tip of her wand glowed a vibrant orange. Taking the tip she placed it to the wound and began to fuse the skin of his wounds together. For the first time since we had entered I saw life in him. He jolted with pain and a deep guttural cry of pain escaped from between his grey lips. I moved to hold him, not only to keep him still so my sister could help him properly but I just wanted to touch him.

Part way through him was becoming more and more conscious. His hand, hot with sweat, wrapped around my own clammy palm. Our fingers interlocked. His hands were oddly course, the hands of a man who has worked. Unlike my father's or Victors, who both had hands were smooth from a lifetime of wand waving.

"You should be okay, it'll take a few days for your ribs to fully heal so avoid strenuous exercise" Each set of eyes seemed to fall on Dorothea's wand at once. The awkward silence that followed felt as expansive as the Atlantic Ocean we were sailing through. "I'll leave you two alone"

She left, letting the door gently shut behind her. I watched him beneath me. He still lay on the floor with his chest heaving whilst I crouched beside him. Back there I had felt sure that I was going to lose him tonight but by some stroke of miracle my sister had managed to save his life. I was starting to feel…well, I wasn't sure exactly what I was feeling towards him. I was sure it was not love, but what I did feel was more intense than I had ever previously experienced.

But now he had watched Dorothea perform magic. He would have questions and may very well think I'm some kind of freak or monster. How was I supposed to explain this all away?

"So there are some things that I need to explain" I stumbled through my words "I can explain…"

"You don't need to explain" he said groaning as he pulled himself up "I know you're a witch. I am still convincing myself that I'm not going crazy, but I know what you are"

I bowed my head, staring into the floor. I felt my heart beat into my throat and my eyes began to sting. I couldn't cry, that would only make everything a million times worse than now. "…I'll leave"

"What? Why?" he turned, his eyebrows furrowed "You think I don't like you now or something? I don't care that you're a witch, I care that you're supposed to marry that psychopath"

"Wait what" I asked standing up "What does any of this have to do with Victor?"

He ran his hands through his hair, moving too quickly and flinching at the pain. "He…he came down here. Apparently he's not best pleased with you and me spending time together"

"So…" I struggled between the waves of anger that were beginning to course through me "He did this to you?"

"I'm fine, please I am fine" but I was already turning to the door. I felt his hand on my shoulder and I paused. Aside from when he had been in pain, agony coursing through him, we had never touched. It wasn't like in the books, there was no spark or flame or electricity. But every nerve in my body seemed aware of him and every muscle tensed instantly.

His hand trailed down from my shoulder, fingers slow and deliberate over the flesh of my arm. He was so gentle and his skin felt hot. I don't believe anyone had ever touched me like that. I turned slowly to face him, his eyes darker than usual. I was a sensible woman, raised in a civilised family to be a proper lady. So when I raised myself up onto my tiptoes and pressed my kiss against his, I was just as surprised as he was.

But neither of us pulled away.

Time seemed to slow as my fingers moved and tangled into his hair and his palm found my waist. His hands were firm, pulling me in closer and holding me tighter. I felt my own body surge with heat and when the kiss broke, I felt like I had been deprived of Oxygen.

"I know that we come from two different worlds" I spoke, only half aware of the words that I was saying "But I feel more alive with you than I ever had with anyone else…when this ship docks there is no way I can go back to my old life. I want to run away with you…if you let me"

He didn't answer but the stupid grin on his face told me enough. As he pulled me in for another kiss I didn't have a care in the world. All traces of Victor had been long washed away.