Her pulse slowed after a moment, and she pulled the door open again, grateful for the silent hinges.
She left it slightly ajar, allowing the cold air from the corridor to slip into her chamber, and somehow, the room no longer felt like a trap. She tiptoed back to the bed and crawled under the blankets, determined to get some sleep.
Her eyes closed slowly as the soft light from the corridor spilled into the room. Her breathing evened out, and her body grew heavy as she drifted off.
Suddenly, a slight noise cut through the air, jolting her awake.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” she mumbled, a dull ache spreading across her forehead.
She sat up in bed, her heart thumping when she spotted the large figure in the doorway.
“Who is it?” Her voice was hoarse.
The figure shifted slightly in the doorway.
She blinked, trying to clear her vision. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to identify the figure, panic rising in her chest.
“Show yerself,” she ordered, once she was sure that it was a man and not a ghost.
The man was large. Nearly as tall as the doorframe, with broad shoulders that hardly fit in the doorway. His arms were folded in front of him, though his back was to the light, and she could hardly see his face.
Perhaps I shouldnae have left me door open.
Her head ached more as she strained to make out more of his features.
Perhaps I should scream.Would Aaron hear me?
“’Tis me,” the man said, and she immediately recognized his voice.
Her cheeks flushed at once. She pulled the blanket higher over herself, her heart pounding faster at the realization that Aaron might have just seen her in her undergarments.
“What are ye doing in me chamber?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Aaron had not crossed the threshold. Not even by a step.
“I saw yer door open and heard noise,” he said, pausing for a moment to look around. “Ye lack nothing?”
Edith exhaled loudly. Her pulse slowed, and the fear that had initially filled her chest faded into irritation.
“I lack me freedom, but what can ye do?”
“And here I was worried ye were ill,” Aaron scoffed, taking one step forward.
His face caught the light from the corridor behind him, his jaw sharp enough to cut.
“But nay,” he continued, shaking his head slightly. “Here ye are, the Edith I ken. Fighting me back at every turn.”
Edith rolled her eyes.
Ye daenae ken me.
He had startled her by standing at her open door. She was not about to let him off easy simply because he was trying to do a good deed.
“Only when ye deserve it,” she replied coolly, resting her aching head against the headboard.
Aaron made a sound, almost like a huff. He stepped further into her chamber, closing the door behind him.
The room suddenly felt crowded. Heat rose in her cheeks that had nothing to do with the crackling fire.
