The Cursed Bride by Camille Oster

Author:Camille Oster [Oster, Camille]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-06-22T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

WITH A START, ALDINE awoke abruptly, again escaping the fire in her dreams. This time she had been running from Heinrich, feeling him chasing behind her. He'd called for her, but he hadn't meant her well.

Her heart still pounding and her lungs fought for breath, her eyes frantically searched the darkness, but the whispers in her dreams seem to have followed. It wasn't with her ears she heard them, but she still did. Whispers, too faint to understand. They were whispering about her, but she couldn't make out the words.

Her nightgown was soaked through and the blankets felt incredibly hot, so she lifted them off, but wasn't greeted by the cold air she expected. It was still hot. Flames, like she had felt in her dreams. Was she still dreaming?

"Heinrich," she said, seeing the dark form next to her, but he didn't wake.

Flames licked her skin, traveling along her body as if the bed was on fire, forcing her to jerk back.

"Heinrich," she called again and turned to shake him, but he still didn't wake. No one would sleep through that.

Whispers continued and she looked around, trying to get her ears to identify a direction, but there was none. The heat came in currents, washing over her, her skin, her lips, her eyes. The bed truly felt like it was on fire.

Scrambling out of bed, she moved away and was finally met with cold air—and silence. The room was dark and still, the floorboards cold under her bare feet. The cold air a balm to her skin and her ragged breath. Shaking fingers, she held them to her lips, her eyes darting around the room.

Stepping closer, she felt the heat again, so she backed away. It was there; it was real. Moving back, she yelped as the back of her legs struck a chair. Sitting down, she tried to get her thoughts under control. She was not asleep. This was not a dream, but the heat had followed her into waking life. There were no flames, but the bed felt as if it was on fire. Josefina had said she'd experienced the same. This wasn't just her. The bed felt like it was on fire.

Tucking her hands under her arms and crouching over, she looked back on the bed. Nothing was seen.

"Heinrich," she called, but still he didn't wake. A noise made her startle, but she realized it was coming from beyond the closed door. Disbelievingly, she stared at the door, fearing it would open, but it didn't. Getting hold of herself, she walked to the door and threw it open, seeing nothing but a dark and silent hall. There wasn't a person standing on the other side—a witch wishing them ill. There was nothing out of the ordinary.

It was even colder out in the hall and Aldine felt goosebumps rise along her arms. The fact that the nightgown was drenched didn't help.

Taking a last look, and hoping deep in her heart that she didn't see anything that shouldn't be there, she returned to the bedroom and closed the door.

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