Although Robert was basically rejecting Elaina’s advances for now, I knew that it wouldn’t last long. It would only make her more aggressive.
I wouldn’t be able to relax for even a moment. If I was sent here to safeguard this man, that’s exactly what I intended to do.
Elaina occupied the guest room, no doubt trying to come up with a way to get to Robert faster.
I sat in the rocking chair, staring at the guest room door until long after Robert went to bed for the night. He seemed to be safe for now.
As very few options of what to do about Elaina went through my mind, I decided to study a bit of alchemy. I went down to the basement for the first time in a long time and made a gruesome discovery…
Elaina had already begun to make my house her home. She had already been sleeping here. No wonder she seemed to already know about Annie.
I studied at my alchemy table briefly, but couldn’t concentrate for very long. I couldn’t dare leave Elaina alone with Robert too long.
I quickly headed back upstairs, prepared to sit up all night in the rocking chair if I had to.
It was well after mid-night when Elaina finally left the guest room, as I knew she eventually would.
She stopped when she saw me there in the rocking chair waiting. We silently sized each other up; surely with the same thoughts running through our minds.
Elaina didn’t say anything; probably because she didn’t want Robert to overhear. I could see the hate in her eyes. I could see her questioning my purpose for being so protective.
In frustration, she turned and headed into Robert’s room. I hoped that he would once again reject her, but deep down I knew he wouldn’t.
As Elaina shared time with Robert; my feelings alternated between hate and envy. I hated her for being out to get him, but I envied her for having a physical form. He noticed her and wanted her. But with me, there was no physical person to want…no real person to love. To him, I continued to be nothing more than air.
It was close to sunrise when Elaina finally left the house.
I knew she was only retreating underground to rest. Who knows what excuse she gave Robert for leaving his side.
Robert left his bedroom in a pretty good mood. I was just glad that he was still alive.
Facing Robert during the early morning always seemed to be the hardest for me.
It’s the only time of day when the problems of the day have not yet left marks on his face and the problems of yesterday have been erased temporarily by peaceful sleep.
It’s the time of day when he seemed the most open to new possibilities; when he almost seemed to have a childlike optimism and newfound vivaciousness for the future. He was happy and I had nothing to do with it.
It was on this day, when this internal happiness was even more pronounced and it troubled me even more than usual.
Because I knew that it was Elaina who put it there.
