23. Eleanor

23

ELEANOR

E leanor opened the door as she stepped out of the cottage, a watering pail hanging form her arm. The water sloshed around with each step.

The cold kiss of the day’s air on her skin caused her stomach to drop.

Less than eighteen days left of their deal.

The corners of her mouth lifted as she laughed softly.

Who would have thought that the niece of James Carver would be entertaining the idea of running off with the Headless Horseman.

When Osiris returned, she would be sure to tell him—

“Human,” came a voice, Elias’ grating voice, and as Eleanor turned her head to look up at the tree behind her, there he was. Sitting on one of the large branches and smirking like a cunning bastard. “Where are you going?”

Eleanor clenched her jaw. She wanted the freedom to be outdoors, but not like this. Not with him. She wanted this with Osiris. Yet, where was he? All night she had tossed and turned about what she had said to him.

What if she had upset him? What if he did not want her here? She did not know when exactly it had happened, but in the few days she had spent with Osiris, she had truly come to care for him. He had listened to her, really listened. Even when he insisted she stayed inside it was only for her safety and that of the other beings, and when she told him she needed more freedom, he had agreed to compromise.

She had never experienced such care before, hadn’t thought it possible. It went against all she thought she knew.

‘Money. Power. Control. All men are the same. And even this man, Osiris, who knows nothing of me, wants to tell me what to do and where to go.’

Remembering her thoughts from only days prior, Eleanor had to admit to herself that she had misjudged Osiris. She had come to trust him, and the thought that she may have upset him filled her with guilt. She needed to clear things up with him. She had planned to speak with him when she awoke but instead of being greeted by the sight of Osiris tending to his garden, Elias was there.

“To the garden. Right in front of you. To water the plants,” she muttered, stopping at the edge of the grass as she lifted the pail and let some of the water fall atop the fever few. “You do not need to ask me that every time I take a step outside.”

Elias barked a laugh. “Well, you are probably correct. Still, he asked me to make sure you were safe while he went to the market so that you could enjoy the outdoors.”

“I know,” Eleanor grit out, refusing to turn back to him as she focused on tending to the garden.

“He cares very much for you, you know?”

Reflexively, Eleanor looked back at the vampire, her eyebrows furrowed together.

“And what about you?” Elias mused. “Do you care for him?”

Setting the watering pail down with a sigh, she crossed her arms over her chest as she turned to face him. “Why do you care?”

Elias shrugged his shoulders. “I am curious. You are human, but you are not scared of him?”

“No,” Eleanor shook her head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I was at first, but, once I got to know him, I realized how gentle he is.”

Elias looked at her with a pensive expression. “Are there other humans like you? Ones who would not be scared if they spoke to us? Preferably ones who would not squawk so much or have hearts that beat so loud.”

Eleanor scoffed, looking away before she found his gaze once more. “Well with that attitude I hardly doubt any woman, human or being, would like to spend much of any time speaking with you. And I am so sorry,” she dragged on, placing one hand on her hip, “if my squawking was too loud. Perhaps, if a vampire didn’t barge in out of nowhere, I wouldn’t have been so startled.”

“Hm,” Elias hummed, the corners of his mouth pulling back to reveal his fangs. “Yes, I think I also want a human woman. Though, mayhap a pet that is more delicate, a woman that is more comely and less viol—” Elias dogged as Eleanor’s watering pail went flying through the air, nearly hitting him straight in the head.

Dusting her hands off, she stared at him as he righted himself on the tree. “If such a woman exists, I pray that she must never suffer the displeasure of meeting you.”

Elias barked another laugh as Eleanor walked inside, closing the door behind her.

The emptiness of the cottage did not suit it. Not when it should have been filled with Osiris’ shadows and his scent.

Seeking out anything that was him, Eleanor threw herself onto the bed, nestling her face into the pillow.

When will Osiris be home?

Eleanor’s eyes fluttered open as the feeling of something playing with her hair grew stronger, as if someone was twirling a lock of hair around their finger.

Opening her eyes fully, directly in front of her was one of Osiris’ shadows.

Eleanor’s lips twitched up as she lifted herself to sit on the edge of the bed. One quick look around the cottage confirmed that Osiris was not inside. Still, he was here. Lifting her fingers to hover in front of it, his shadows began to twirl around them, eventually making their way up her arm.

The shadow tightened slightly, giving her arm a quick tug until she stood up fully, only to leave her arm to wrap around her lower waist.

“You are awfully excited,” Eleanor whispered as she allowed the shadow to guide her to the table where a white dress had been laid out for her.

“You want me to change?”

In response, the shadow snaked up her back, flicking the shoulder of her dress off. A thrill rushed down her spine as her heartbeat picked up pace, nearly drowning out all other sound.

Eleanor carefully removed the other shoulder of the blue dress Osiris had bought her, letting the fabric slip to the floor.

His shadow moved to pick up the dress, handing it to her. She was completely exposed. If Osiris walked in, he would see her.

But that only made her excitement run deeper.

Carefully, as she pulled on the new dress, his shadow once again wrapped around her waist as it led her to the door.

Pulling it open, she was met with a dark open field, lit by hundreds of fireflies dancing under the light of the full moon. But what caught her attention, was the man standing across from her, with fire in his eyes as he looked only at her.

“Osiris,” Eleanor whispered.

Upon hearing her voice Osiris straightened his back and held out his hand for her to take. Her heart skipped at least three beats as she noticed the full suit he wore. Looking down at her white dress—was this… was he…

“Eleanor,” Osiris began, his voice straining for confidence as his fire dimmed slightly. “I was hoping, or I was thinking, that perhaps, if you were interested in me—not in me—”

Osiris played with something in his hands. When her eyes dropped from his gaze to look at what it was, pressure built behind her eyes as she tried her hardest to not cry.He had a music box, painted with pumpkins and vines. At the very center was her in a white dress, dancing with him, surrounded by shadows.

“Of course I am not saying you will be interested in me,” he continued to ramble, “what I mean is,” Osiris released a deep breath. “Eleanor. Would you care to dance with me?” Before she could answer he continued to ramble, causing Eleanor’s cheeks to burn as she looked at her Horseman. “You did not get to dance in the human village, at least not because you wanted to. So, only if you want to, I would like to dance with you. It is fortunately one of the few things I still remember from before I lost my head,” he said with a chuckle, still holding his hand out between them. “Of course, if you do not want to,” he began, his shoulders sagging as his flames dimmed even further, “then we may do something else that you would find enjoyable, like—”

“Dance with me, Horseman,” Eleanor whispered.

Eleanor squealed as his shadows shot out, grabbing her and pulling her forward with enough force, that before she could stop herself, she was pressed against Osiris’ chest.

Osiris’ hands hovered over her slightly as she stood up fully.

“It is alright if you are nervous, Osiris, just being here with you makes me happy,” she reminded him, surprised at her own admission, but unable to deny it any longer.She had come to trust him, to care for him. She had come to yearn for him.

Looking back at her life before, she realized how dull it was. Osiris had filled her days with a brightness that she did not know she desired.

Osiris nodded as his flames returned. Slowly, his shadows moved away with his music box as Osiris grabbed one of her hands with his, placing the other on her waist as a melody began to fill the forest around their hidden cottage.

Their own hidden piece of home.

Their bodies swayed and rocked around the field.

His eyes never left hers as they danced.

Eleanor smiled as his hand moved lower on her waist, stopping just above her behind.

Standing on her toes, Eleanor placed a gentle kiss on his exposed collar bone, causing his flames to burn brighter.

“You can touch me, if you want to.”

Without any warning, his hands were on her bottom as his shadows twisted up her leg, curving around her thigh as they danced.

Not rushed, or carnal, simply to touch, to hold, to keep her close.

In that moment, time had stopped and nothing else mattered but them. Still, it wasn’t quite right.

Eleanor’s eyes fell to his neck. “Can you take it off?” she asked under her breath.

Osiris’ movements stilled as he looked down at her, his shoulders bunched together and his eyes compressed slightly.

“I… I do not wish to frighten you,” he answered, his grip tightening on her as the music came to a stop.

Lifting her hand to caress under his head, along the side of his neck, she shook her head. “Osiris, you are not a monster. I yearn to know everything about you. The real you. I promise, I will not be scared.”

Osiris held her gaze as his grip loosened until it disappeared completely. She watched carefully as he lifted his hands to grab the base of his head, slowly pulling it off to reveal more shadows dancing where his head was only moments before.

Each tendril of shadow moved, fading away into the air around them.

His shoulders turned slightly as his neck appeared as if it were rotating, like he was—no, he was looking away from her.

“You are perfect,” Eleanor whispered, lifting her hands to touch the shadows on his neck.

His hands found her waist once more, some of his shadows brushing her hair behind her ear.

“You are beautiful,” came his deep baritone voice, just the same as always.

Eleanor’s shoulders shook with a laugh. “You cannot even see me, how could you know such things? Or, can you see?”

“I do not need eyes to see your beauty. I can sense it in my being, as if it were a truth woven into the very stars we dance under.”

Eleanor’s face burned hot to the touch as she looked up at him, fireflies dancing around them as the crickets chirped and the wind blew. They did not need music to dance, they just needed each other.

“And this, Symphony,” he said, lifting a hand to brush her cheek, “I wish to never know a day where this color does not paint your face.”

Eleanor swallowed as her face burned hotter. Her chest tightened as a new heat made its way lower, lower, down to her core.

“I think,” she whispered, “we should revisit the deal about you pleasuring me.”