Her hand softly traced his face as he pretended to sleep, no longer bound, he shifted.
It made her chuckle, the relieve that had been vibrating in the air vanished as she sighed, sitting up next to his sleeping form.
''I did as you said.'' It took everything not to flinch or do anything else that would betray him being awake.''I took them to an uninvolved doctor, unaware of my involvement.
They were horrified...and I...I couldn't tell them it was I who made them like that."
Alisha shifted, hugging her knees close to her body. ''I..felt ashamed, I didn't even know it was possible to feel like that.
I couldn't undo it but I couldn't even admit it was me. I could never own up to my own mistakes, not even at the cost of someone's life's comfort.
I couldn't say it outright, the thing I was so proud of in the past left my mouth in stutters until nothing came out at all.
What am I to do?
I gave them lodgings, the doctor drew up a plan and said most had a high chance of healing.
They are hopeful.
The very thing I must have taken from all of them....and you.
I have done nothing to deserve you, I destroyed your life.
Almost branded your parents traitor, detained you, drugged you and took the one thing you were dreaming of experiencing with the love your life.
And yet still you taught me right from wrong, you taught me all the things my own mother never did.
And I wonder
.
.
.
how could an enemy spend more time and effort teaching the needed things?
Morals, cause and effects and so on.
I could never repay my previous victims, because that's what they are and I can never repay you.
I wouldn't even know how.
All I ask is stay by me.''Her sweat or tears covered hand grabbed his, clenching tightly as she continued.''Stay by me, my good side, stay and watch how well we will thrive.''
She had an unfortunate timing to start preaching.
An uproar started at the outside of the mansion, a pair of feet rushing inside the room. "Mas-""SHHH.""Master, there are people causing trouble. The madam has urgently requested you come.''
Her quard, the one with the crush, added with a wispher. It took another second before Alisha decided, taking a second to plant a kiss on his forehead, she left closing the door silently behind her.
She didn't know but it would be the last kiss she would ever place on anyone.
Wiping the kiss off, Malachi stood, his servant already calling impatiently.
Moving to the window, he opened it to see him standing underneath, waving as it had been years and not days.
''You do know if your any louder, she will hear and turn back.''
The servant stopped moving altogether, making him laugh at the ridiculous sight. ''I'll be right down.''
He took nothing of importance, except a few books he hadn't seen before and two outfits.
One he put on and the other he put away.
Throwing it right down, he watched the other catch it and he sighed in relief. If he had dropped the books, Malachi would have given him a scolding.
Books are knowledge and knowledge is everything.
''Alright, alright, I'll catch you. Come right down, I'm ready.''
He didn't me...oh he did.
Trying to esteem where Malachi would land if he jumped, the servant acted like a frog.
Going from one place to another with his hands wide open, ready to catch.
This guy was humourously bad.
Shaking his head, he instead carefully tossed his legs over the ledge and lowered himself slowly before swinging to the staircase hidden behind the plants.
After way too many times of Alisha standing there, he had enough and went exploring.
It was so well hidden that it took way too long to realise.
Safely his feet hit the ground, the guards breath loud and clear, he sounded more nervous then he was.
''Were you holding your breath?
''Ofcourse master, what if I distracted you and you fell to your death!!???"
He hadn't taken the other to be so dramatic but smiled brightly at the prospect of a better future for the servant as well.
He had a lot of time to think with Alisha's question so he didn't mind his system all that much anymore.
''My parents...?''
''Aah right, follow me master.''
He did, swift and silence they moved, even though it was quite unnecessary as most were at the front part of the mansion, dealing with the intruders.
''Are they trustworthy?''
''Most definitely, some of those men and women are even the parents or sibling of one of the victim's.
The daughter is one thing-''When the servant didn't see anything suspicious on his face, he kept talking.''She has only been experimenting for a few years but her mother is a different story.
People barely know of her doing anything else, the only reason they didn't do anything before, is because they didn't know how.
Now with money as an instigator they easily followed along like you hoped."
"Good job.''
''w-thank you?"
Blinking awkwardly at the other stilling at his praise, he nudged him along''My parents?''
''Right there.'' His finger pointed and his eyes followed, heart beating with emotions his mind couldn't wrap around.
Short and elderly but their eyes portrayed the deepest of love as his own watered unconsciously.
''Mom...dad...sob..'' It left him just like that, feet moving before he was aware of it.
Arms clinging around the both them as his knees hit the ground and they followed.
Their own sobs and words of care joining the atmosphere.
Alisha hadn't allowed them to meet, even when things bettered.
Maybe she forgot, busy trying to make up her mistakes to her other victims.
Their hands so frail and old shook from the efforts to feel him up and only now he understood how strong the original had to be for them.
How thight his face had to be kept to keep others from using their age against them.
All he ever did was love his parents and it cost him his life.
How broken must they have been when they realised their only son was dead? They probably followed not long after.
Clutching them tighter for a second, he promised he would get them away from here safely.
''Let's get moving.''