Chapter 11

When they finished buying the foodstuffs, they headed back to the carriage. Carrying the heavy sack, Alicia had a lopsided gait. Even when Lisa had proposed to help carry the sack, she refused saying that she was young and agile to do all these things.

Dropping the sack at the backside of the carriage, Lisa found Alicia staring at the left side of the road and she wondered if she had some business there.

"You should go have fun, don't worry I'll take care of everything at home" What the woman said startled Alicia, fun? she had no friend here so who was she going to play with. She was just looking at the left side of the road because she vividly remembered that she had dropped her sack there.

"I just want to go and check something, uhmm... it'll be better if you go home and I'll come after you" Alicia said and the woman nodded as she entered into the carriage that went away. Staring at the carriage till it was out of sight, Alicia walked towards the left road to check if she could still find her bag and probably the gem her mother told her not to lose.

'I just have to be fast before that Master returns home' she muttered under her breath as she increased her pace.

Alicia kept walking down the road and her eyes narrowed when she couldn't see anyone, why was this road lone like this. There were houses but she didn't see anyone coming out or going in, there wasn't noise at all as if the houses have been evacuated and abandoned, she couldn't help but this place felt creepy for her, walking up the jagged road, she came across her little sack near the dust bin, maybe the wind had blown it there.

She quickly walked to carry it, checking it carefully she was relived that her clothes were intact but something was missing... it was the gem.

"I thought it was here?" She asked herself as she poured out everything to check it again but she couldn't find it, a cold sweat dropped from her forehead... she remembered her mother's word, that if the gem was to get out of their reach, they would become pets to the other creatures and Alicia clearly knew she wasn't a human, she was a dark witch.

She could sense someone staring at her and when she turned her head sharply to the left, she caught sight of someone wearing black as he fled away. she wanted to chase after him but she mistakenly stepped on her front dress and fell on the ground while using her head to hit the same rock.

The sky turned darker and water started drizzling down on Alicia was turning unconscious, suddenly the lightning struck and Alicia grabbed her head, she was in pain as she remembered what had happened that night that people were chasing her mother and her and she had fell on the same ground and turned unconscious.

***

"Mama, mama please wait for me!" Alicia yelled at her mother who was faster than her, her mother had left her behind as she tried to save herself from the people who were throwing stones at them. Alicia was slowing down because she had been running since and Everytime she tried to cover the gap her mother had set, the distance just kept increasing.

"Run Alicia run" Her mother replied as she ran to the front, Alicia shook her head at her mother. Wasn't she supposed to be at the back so that she could watch her daughter but her mother had ran to the front leaving her behind.

"Mama please slow down, you are moving too-" Alicia couldn't complete her statement because she had slipped down the wet ground and her head had hit the rock, she could see her mother running without turning back to look at her, with her unsteady breath she whispered, "Don't leave me, come back please don't go"

***

Asher bent down in the rain as he looked at the stubborn maid of his, just why did she decide to lay on the ground here?. When he was back from meeting the duke, he couldn't find Alicia at home. The house felt empty and he wondered if she had escaped from him already but there was no way he wouldn't find her and bring her back.

When he walked over to the window, he saw the sky became dark and rain started to fall... He wondered what she was still doing outside by this time, she was supposed to be back from the market wasn't she?

"Meow" his cat made a sound and Asher looked at it, the little creature jerked its head outside and it ran out of the house as if searching for something and Asher knew what it was, it was Alicia. The cat knew where she was.

He followed his cat and was surprised when the cat had followed the left road, what was Alicia doing there? wasn't she supposed to come back home after coming back from the market, he shrugged his shoulders and continued following. Until the little creature came to stop in front of his maid who was lying on the ground, he called her name but received no response from her.

Bending down in the rain, he turned her body and placed his index finger on her nose, she was still breathing so he carried her in his arms and teleported to his house and into his room.

He was ready to drop her on the ground when she clung unto him like a koala bear and was whispering, "Please don't leave me, don't go" Asher tried his best to get her off him but it seemed impossible so he let out a frustrating sigh and sat down on the bed with her in his arms.

His deep emerald eyes landed on her face and he could see the deep lines that set themselves on her forehead, his eyes went forward to her eyebrows, eyelashes, nose, her cheeks and then lastly her lips. He didn't know why but his gaze was fixed on that particular place and he unconsciously wet his lips, when she pouted her lips, his eyes widened in shock at what he himself was doing, he threw her on the bed as he took two long steps away from her with his ears burning red.