After Andreas and his “ladies” had disrupted me for the tenth time that week, I decided I needed to get out and get some air. I had to get away from the house where I didn’t have to hear him… pleasuring… another girl. The mere thought of what he was doing sickened me. The worst part of it was that he was getting away with it. My plans for revenge were non-existent as of yet. What could I do? Andreas never invited any men over whom I could pretend to like just to gauge his reaction. Throwing over my hood, I exited the house.

I hadn’t yet been to the town; I’d been cooped up in that house for weeks. I could hardly believe how much time had passed since Andreas and I had met. It didn’t feel like it could’ve been that long ago. As I walked into the frigid winter air, I tried to figure out exactly how to get to the town market.

It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be and before long I could make out stalls selling everything from fruit to jewelry. A little girl with light blue, almost grey, eyes and blond hair ran past me swiftly. She almost caused me to topple over when I heard a stern voice calling to her. “Izzy! Your mother will kill you if she finds out you are causing havoc again, girl! Get your head on straight.” Izzy ducked behind me and stared at the man as she clung to me.

“I’ll behave,” she said with a mischievous tone. “I know this lady, right?” she said, winking at me. Deciding it couldn’t hurt to play along, I nodded. The man eyed me suspiciously, but let it slide. Why would I lie when the child was the one that should be most bothered by her?

When the man disappeared, Izzy wiped invisible sweat from her forehead. “Phew, that was close. Thank you for helping me, lady.”

“You can just call me Lana,” I replied with a smile. The girl was strangely likable, with her quirk nature. I didn’t know if it was because I haven’t had any human contact other than Andreas and his ladies in over a month, or if she was actually someone worth liking.

She beamed as if I had just paid her the biggest kindness ever. “Lana,” she said with a huge smile. “You should come over to our stall! I’m sure you’ll like it there. We have the prettiest jewelry.” Even though this was clearly part of her sale’s pitch, I went along. I wasn’t sure when I would get the chance to meet people again.

We walked past many crowded stalls, owners and customers all animated in negotiations. Here and there I could hear people yelling that I could get the best deals at their stall, or the freshest apples at theirs. The sounds of people living their lives brought a smile to my face. It felt good to just enjoy this lively atmosphere, without thinking of everything that bothered me.

The smell of freshly baked bread filled my nostrils and I was suddenly very hungry. I had to fight down the urge to go to the baker and ask for a small loaf of bread, because I didn’t have any money on me. I doubted that even had I asked Andreas for some coins that he would’ve given it to me. My stomach growled as we passed that stall, immediately followed by a fruit stall, the aroma of which just as appetizing, if not more so than the bread. Luckily the sound of my growling stomach wasn’t loud enough to alert Izzy to it.

About ten stalls later, we finally stopped. Izzy gestured for me to stay put as she ran to the back to fetch someone. I used this time to admire the lovely jewelry that were displayed everywhere along the two tables that had been set up perpendicular to each other. One necklace in particular caught my eyes: a simple, silver heart pendant. The words Forever and Always were written across the heart in an elegant script that I had only ever seen my mother use. The words struck me, but not because of the romantic undertones, but rather because the promise seemed so sure. So concrete.

I had once wished for uncertainty when my life seemed sure. Meticulous planning of every single minute of my life… who would’ve thought I would miss it? The uncertainty wasn’t all I had hoped. I would have given everything to be sure right now. Andreas complicated everything. He had not allowed me to feel secure or certain for a long, long time. The promise of forever and always reminded me of my life before all the madness. And despite how poorly it had turned out, it hadn’t been all bad. I had to believe that deep down both of my parents still loved me and that they were just scared. They panicked when they realized I was a witch, but that they had now had enough time to process the information. I wanted to believe that when I saw them again they would be more accepting of me.

“You like that one?” a male voice asked. While deep in thought, I hadn’t realized that I had picked up the necklace to examine it closer. I put it back down quickly, afraid the man would think I wanted to steal it and met his gaze. He was young, probably around my age, and had misty violet eyes. His smile seemed sincere. Izzy, her blond hair bobbing, ran out from behind him and came to stand next to me.

“Elijah, this is Lana, the girl who I told you helped me.” My small aid to her must have made a bigger impact than I thought. I merely acted as if I had known her to spare her some trouble. It made me wonder how poorly people must have treated her in the past, or how bad her punishments have been.

The young man, Elijah, extended his rough, calloused hand toward me. “Anyone who is nice to my baby sister is a friend of mine.” His smile was bright and inviting, a very welcome (and real) change. I took his hand and shook it.

I smiled tentatively. My eyes drifted back to the necklace. Elijah noticed and his smile grew wider. “You can have it, if you want it. Take it as a… thank you. People are rarely nice to Izzy,” he said, and leaned closer, “and between you and me, she can be quite trying so I don’t blame them.”

“Hey, I heard that!” Izzy piped in from the side. I felt my own grin widen.

Without waiting for my reply, Elijah stepped around the tables of his stall and walked around me and clasped the necklace around my neck. It rested above the teardrop pendant that was carefully tucked away under my dress. “It suits you,” he commented proudly.

“I can’t accept this! Please. Let me pay you back. How much does it cost?” Elijah waved it off.

“Nothing, really. That specific necklace was made from left over metal I had in the shop. I’m surprised you even like it. But if you do feel like you owe me… perhaps have lunch with me one afternoon?” I could see a faint blush on his cheeks. I needed someone like him right now. Someone who seemed more kind and generous. He would be a very welcome distraction.

“Sure. I will meet you out here again tomorrow around noon?” His smile was as bright as a full moon.

“I will see you then, Lana,” he replied, saying my name as if it were a prayer. I couldn’t help but be charmed by him. I also couldn’t help but wish it was Andreas who had said my name so sweetly. I really needed to get him out of my mind. This constantly thinking about him was not healthy for my state of mind. He had made his disinterest very clear. It was my turn to move on.

I said goodbye to Elijah and Izzy and started walking back to the manor again. I doubted Andreas would even have realized that I was gone. The instant I set foot over the threshold, my mood worsened again. It was as if there was an aura of sadness that clung to every surface of the building. The feeling it gave me was ominous, like something bad had to have happened here. I couldn’t understand it because I hadn’t felt it before. Perhaps my emotions had been so on edge at that time that I couldn’t pick up on any other auras.

Andreas suddenly flashed into my line of sight. It appeared that he was making it a point not to wear a shirt anymore. “Where were you?”

I narrowed my eyes, trying really hard not to let my gaze stray to his torso. “Out.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“You never really answer any of mine either,” I replied with a shrug and pushed past him to the stairwell. Not that it helped much because he just reappeared in front of me again, this time completely blocking my path. I sighed and placed my hands on my hips. “These double standards have to end.”

Andreas smirked. “Need I remind you, my house, my rules.”

I smirked back at him. “Go ahead, throw me out.”

Andreas hesitated and crossed his arms over his chest. “Touché. But I still expect you to tell me.”

“You shouldn’t expect too much, it always leads to disappointment,” I stated flatly.

“My, my, we have gotten mouthy. I like this change in you,” Andreas said, his expression almost proud.

“I learned from the best, now if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.”

I tried brushing past him again, but he grabbed my arm. “Where did you get that necklace?” he asked, his tone growing darker.

“None of your business.” I pulled my arm from his grip and started walking up the stairs without as much as a glance back in his direction.

“This is a dangerous game you are playing, little witch. You better be careful. It is always those who are less experienced that get end up getting hurt,” he called after me, but didn’t follow any further.

Thinking back, perhaps I should’ve heeded his warning.