Time Weaver

by Jacinta Maree

  “Good, you’re a natural.” He took the pistol off her and loaded it with metal bullets from the case. “Now, we will train with a loaded gun.”

  “Wait? Am I ready for this?”

  Klaus chuckled. “As long as you don’t shoot at me, you will be fine.” As he finished loading the gun, the phone inside the library rang. He placed the gun on the table and went out to answer it. “Guten tag, Sir Wicker. How can I help you? Ja?” He nodded a few times at the receiver’s muffled voice. Elizabeth watched his expression. Klaus put the phone back into its cradle before looking apologetically over at her.

  “Let me guess, Doctor Wicker requires your assistance?” She glanced down. “And I am to remain locked up here like some fancy prisoner?”

  Klaus’ upper lip curled in a smile. “Actually, he requires your assistance. He wants to meet you for lunch.”

  “Pardon?” Elizabeth’s cynical smirk dropped. “This is the first time he’s invited me out for lunch. I–I better get changed!”

  “I will escort you,” Klaus offered.

  “Thank you. I would like that.” Elizabeth smiled as she turned on her heel and made a quick dash for the door.

  Chapter Fifteen:

  Klaus accompanied Elizabeth down the leisurely walk to William’s office. The gentle spit of rain became heavier as Klaus popped open the umbrella, offering his arm. Elizabeth hooked her arm with his. He squeezed her close to ensure none of the droplets would hit her head. It was quiet out. The crowds that usually littered the markets had scurried home, purses over their heads to protect their styled hair from uncurling. Out of the corner of her eye, Elizabeth caught sight of Sara shielding herself underneath a canopy. She stopped, and reeled backwards to get a better look. Sara must have seen Elizabeth at the same time, as she excitedly got onto her tiptoes and waved Elizabeth down.

  “Oh my, that’s Sara! Klaus, do you mind going ahead and letting my father know I’ll be a few minutes late?” Elizabeth asked. Klaus hesitated for a brief moment, but slowly nodded before handing over the umbrella and continuing on without her. He stopped to check on her twice, as if in debate with himself, before stepping into the side street toward William’s workplace. Elizabeth ran to Sara and greeted her with a firm hug.

  “Sara, I’ve been so worried. Have you not received my letters?” Elizabeth stepped back and gently cupped Sara by the chin, lifting her face up. The cuts were gone, leaving soft, pink scars over her eyebrow, forehead, and left cheek where the glass had shattered. She eased Elizabeth’s hands down, embarrassed by her slight disfigurement.

  “I am okay, please don’t worry. Sir Wicker is an excellent doctor. Arthur hasn’t laid a hand on me since that night, and I’ve been taken into the direct care of Lady Claudia. Governor Beaumont was so mad he banished Arthur from approaching me ever again. You must remember I cannot reply to your letters, Elli. Though, I do love reading about your adventures.”

  Elizabeth’s heart sang. “Of course, I’m sorry. I am relieved you are out of Arthur’s reach at least. I promised to storm the streets if he dared touch you again.”

  “Always so dramatic. But I must apologise for our last encounter, I didn’t mean to ruin your special night. I wanted to say how absolutely breathtaking you looked in that gown. The collars look so elegant on you.”

  Elizabeth gingerly touched the collar, her smile weakening with shame. When she walked around in such clothes, standing next to Sara, who wore the common rags of a maid, she felt guilt expand inside her. “Please don’t apologise, Sara. You know those parties mean nothing to me. Plus, these things are always itchy; it’s really not as great as they pretend it to be.”

  Sara chuckled. “Do you mind walking with me? I have to get down the street, but I don’t want to get Lady Claudia’s coat wet.” Sara motioned with a tilt to the golden coat folded over her arms.

  “Of course.” Elizabeth grinned as they descended down.

  “I noticed you were walking with someone, are you sure he won’t mind?”

  “Not at all. I’m meeting up with Sir Wicker for lunch. He was escorting me.”

  “Is he a suitor perhaps?” Sara wiggled her brows in Klaus’ direction.

  “No, not a suitor, unfortunately. That is Klaus, Sir Wicker’s apprentice. He’s been staying at the Wicker mansion for a while. I’ll introduce you next time. He is much dreamier up close.”

  “Klaus? What an exotic name. Must be a smart man to be wooing the rich doctor’s daughter,” Sara teased.

  “Stop it!” Elizabeth blushed, playfully nudging Sara away. “I will be honest with you, I am fascinated with him, but he doesn’t seem the type to concern himself with girls.”

  “Concern himself with girls? Oh, do you mean he rather the company of men?”

  Elizabeth’s cheeks burned. She hadn’t thought of that possibility. He was always trailing around William’s heels. Maybe there was something there she had overlooked with her own fantasying.

  “Maid!” A voice barked. “We don’t pay you to gossip out on the streets—” Elizabeth froze as Arthur Beaumont walked out from the pub house opposite them. He stopped abruptly, and his smile curled. “Is that the Wicker whore I see? Look, boys, this is the maid I was telling you about. The ugly trout that thinks she’s above us.” Behind him followed three other men, all from noble families and all mimicking Arthur’s curdled grin. They swayed as they walked, suggesting they’d been drinking. “Go back to the house, maid! You’re not needed here,” Arthur barked.

  “What…b-but—” Sara glanced wearily at Elizabeth.

  “I said, go back!” Spit sprayed as he shouted.

  Elizabeth took Sara by the shoulder and ushered her along. “Just go, Sara, don’t make him mad.” She felt Sara pull against her. “Go, I’ll be fine.” She forced Sara to take the umbrella. “I’ll see you later.”

  With a final push, Sara sprinted back to the house. Elizabeth turned back to Arthur, crossing her arms as the rain seeped through her clothes. She eyed all four of them, carefully aware how close they stood to her. “You really are a twisted creature, Beaumont. Is hitting girls the only way for you to feel manly? Not surprised, there are a lot of rumours about your lack of manliness, after all.” She prayed her voice didn’t waver. The last thing she wanted was to present Arthur with a chance to dominate her. The rain had driven most of the residents inside, leaving the streets bare. Her jaw tightened, suddenly concerned.

  He grinned. “I make bitches like her choke on my manliness if it serves me.”

  “Well, people do tend to choke on small things.” She attempted to step around them only to have her path blocked. She took a quick step back, alarm bells flaring. “Even a pea-brained idiot like yourself wouldn’t do anything in the middle of the streets. Like it or not, I’m a Wicker now. I’m nobility. You can’t touch me!” The words felt hollow, untrue. She could see if in the exchange of their smirks even they didn’t believe she had such a title.

  “Oh, is that so? Well, I don’t see any witnesses here. All I see is one skinny, stupid maid prancing around with a stolen last name. No one sees a noble woman when they hear the name Elizabeth Wicker, but a joke and the pathetic attempts of a lonely old man trying to buy himself a whore to dress up. Let me remind you of exactly what you are.”

  Arthur reached out to her, snatching Elizabeth’s wrist and hauling her in. In one fluid motion, Elizabeth was able to twist her arm free, as practised, before swinging her elbow into his nose. She felt her swing connect and the bone snap. Before she could run past, the wet weather made the bricks slippery. She skidded out and fell. Arthur cupped his bloodied nose, his eyes flaring with rage. She had given him enough incentive to attack. They quickly created a wall of bodies around her.

  “Get away from me!” Elizabeth screamed. They shoved her against the wall.

  “Hold her down! Cover her mouth!”

  Elizabeth struggled in their hands, using every muscle to thrash and tear away. Her throat was pinned beneath one of the boy’s forearms, forcing her
chin up. She clawed at his arm, desperately trying to inhale. The other man grabbed her arms and held them above her head. He positioned his knee to part her legs.

  The clouds above their heads clashed with thunder, covering their grunting as they feverishly tried to unbutton her blouse. Each breath became hoarse. Her chest convulsed as pain seized along her jaw, making it impossible to call for help. In a matter of seconds, Elizabeth felt her body painfully clench. Dizziness spun the world around her. Her left arm numbed. Her chest felt crushed beneath the weight of a concrete slab.

  Everyone but Arthur let her go. Pins and needles pulled up her neck, spreading across her chest and shoulders. In her darkening vision, she spied two men sprinting down the alleyway toward them. One of them was Klaus. He moved so fast he was a mere blur. He tore Arthur back by the shoulder, slamming him onto the pavement. In the same movement, he caught one of the boy’s lunges and snapped the man’s wrist.

  Shock coursed through the injured man, quickly followed by painful howls. The three of them scrambled to get away from Klaus’ reach. Elizabeth’s body flashed between hot and cold. She slid to the ground. William rushed over and dropped to his knees, hoisting Elizabeth up.

  “Elizabeth? Elizabeth!” Warm hands cupped her flushed cheeks. “Klaus, you have to help me! Do something!”

  Pressure intensified against her temples. She lost consciousness and felt her body collapse into waiting arms. Suddenly, the unbearable pain abruptly broke into tingles. It soothed her, calming the shudders from her strained muscles. Darkness followed. In her subconscious, a rough current seemed to pull her under black water. She fell into the cold emptiness. Death. It felt like death, or the second before death could take her out of this world. Death would tear her soul from her body. Only death could stop her heart. All she could do was wait, so she waited.

  Chapter Sixteen:

  Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

  Colors sharpened. The piercing bells of ticking cogs stirred her awake. Prickles ran up and down her body, sparking her into consciousness. When her eyes fluttered open, Elizabeth was back at home, sheets tucked up to her armpits and her hair damp from the rain. Immediately, she bolted upwards and clasped a hand to her heart. There was no pain, no tightness of struggle. How is this possible? The last thing she remembered was fear. A cold shower of fear pouring into her chest until the point of unconsciousness. Her body failed, rolling her eyes back into submission. Yet, here she was. There was no discomfort, no twitch or uneasy flutter. In the stillness, she inhaled a deep breath, closed her eyes and strained her ears. Undoubtedly, there it was, the ticking. It didn’t pulse anymore; it just ticked. When she checked her chest for any surgical scars or bruises, there was nothing there.

  Lightning and thunder tore through the skies, flooding the streets with dark water. Elizabeth trembled as she glanced at the door, unsure if she was dreaming. She noticed her necklace was missing. It must have fallen off during her struggle with Arthur. The memory left an awful taste in her mouth. Arthur Beaumont. The monster. Perhaps her heart condition had saved her this time.

  “Elizabeth?” She turned to see William standing beside her bed. His shoulders slouched in his relief. “You’re awake.”

  “Sir Wicker? What happened?”

  “You had a heart attack, but you’re okay now.” He sat down on the bed beside her. His face and tone suddenly hardened. “I will not let those thugs get away with what they did to you. Arthur Beaumont will be brought to justice.”

  Tears threatened to spill. She suddenly felt incredibly embarrassed, but wasn’t sure why. She didn’t want to be seen like that. She didn’t want her name associated with his, in any way, even as his victim. Elizabeth took a deep breath, swallowing down the fear. “I’m okay,” she whispered. “You got there before anything could happen.” She continued to rub her chest, unable to block out the sound of the foreign ticking.

  William noticed her anxious rubbing and eased his hand onto her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to let that happen. At least now you’re never going to have to worry about your heart condition again.”

  “I won’t?”

  “Not anymore. But, I’m afraid I can’t stay here. I need you to continue my work. I will leave instructions to how to run the manor. Everything will be fine, this is just something I have to do.” He promptly stood up and turned away as though pained by his own words.

  Lost, Elizabeth reached out to grab him. “Wait? Pardon?”

  “Harry is staying behind in my place and will help with anything you may need. I’ve also contacted my sister; Margaret, she lives on the other side of the country but she’s aware of the situation.”

  “W-What situation?” Elizabeth managed to stutter out.

  William swallowed fearfully, stopping by the doorframe as she kicked out the sheets. “I am so sorry, Elizabeth. I’m afraid I’ve done the unforgiveable.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Your heart was in a more serious condition than I thought. You died because of my negligence.”

  Elizabeth hesitated from taking another step. “I died? That can’t be possible…” Disbelief gripped her.

  “It was the only way. I couldn’t lose you.” He lowered his head, ashamed. Outside the crashes of white lightning fired across the walls in a snapshot. “Your heart was too damaged. I had to replace it.”

  “You…you took out my heart?” Her hand shot to her chest. “But, there are no scars. No bruises…how is that possible?”

  “With dark, unlawful magic, and a selfish man willing to pay the ultimate price.”

  Her world froze. It couldn’t be. “You made a contract?”

  Grief crossed his eyes as William gently cupped Elizabeth’s cheeks and soothed his thumb across her skin. “I never got to say just how proud of you I am. I want you to wear our family name with pride and never let anyone make you think you’re unworthy of the best.”

  She cupped her hand along his own, tears pressing to the surface. “You’re my father. You have to stay here. You’re all I have left. Whatever contract you made, we can fix it.”

  A soft gasp escaped his lips. He pulled her into his chest, cupping her neck and kissing the crown of her head. “That’s the first time I’ve heard you call me that.” A sharp ring from the phone down in the study caused William to drop his hands. “I have to answer that. I’ll only be a moment.” He stepped toward it but then stopped, remembering something. “Don’t go near Klaus, Elizabeth.” He returned and grabbed her shoulders to ensure she paid attention. “I’ve betrayed his trust. He is not a friend anymore. Promise me, if he returns for whatever reason, you will shoot him.”

  He pushed what seemed to be a long thimble into her palm before easing her fingers closed. It was chilled and cold to the touch. When she glanced down, the golden nugget was no larger than an ordinary bullet.

  “What? Why?” The phone ring was a constant scream within the dark mansion.

  William nervously checked over his shoulder then down at his pocket watch. “I really have to answer that. Please, wait here.”

  As he rushed off, Elizabeth was left speechless. She placed the bullet on the table next to her, unable to look at it. Her back hit the wall before she slid down in a state of exhaustion. How could it be possible? I must be dreaming. It was the only reasonable explanation. William would never make a contract. When did he have time to find a Time Collector? It had to be something else.

  There was a loud bang of the front door being kicked open followed by the crash of thunder. Elizabeth sat up, alerted to the commotion, before creeping out into the hallway. Looking down from the stairwell, she could see into the empty main foyer entrance below. The flash of lightning reflected off a set of wet footprints left across the tiles.

  Cautiously, Elizabeth went down to the ground level, peering down at the footprints then over at the front door swinging back and forth with the thrashing winds. Every now and again, a flash of lightning would snap, spraying the harsh white acr
oss the entrance. As she glanced over her shoulder, just as the lightning passed, she caught sight of Klaus’ back walking down the hall toward William. She called out to him, but he slowed only enough to glare in her direction. Without a word, he stepped into the study. She could still hear William speaking obliviously on the phone and raced after them. She tried the door handle only to find it locked. She crouched by the study door so she could peek through the gap between the door and its frame.

  “Was it worth it?” Klaus’ voice cracked in his rage. She couldn’t see Klaus, but she could see William as he bolted upright from behind his desk. He quickly slammed the phone down, ending the conversation.

  “You must understand.”

  “Nein.” Klaus spoke near the door where Elizabeth crouched. She inhaled her breath, trying to be as silent as possible.

  “Listen, I’m sorry, but I couldn’t let her die. I couldn’t.”

  “You promised me.”

  “I know, but she has to live. She has a right to live a long and healthy life. That’s worth every sacrifice.”

  Annoyed, Klaus cut his hand through the air, gesturing back to the hallways. “You did not save her. It was all a waste. We were meant to stop Nikolas!”

  “She has a new heart now. She can help you in my place.”

  “Nein.” Klaus’ voice dropped dangerously low.

  “You know she is more than capable, even said so yourself.”

  “She will die too.”

  Stunned silence filled the room. William’s pleading gesturing changed with his surprise. “That’s not what we agreed on. I’m the one paying the time! Not her!”