Chapter 7: Careless Mistake
Lily couldn't calm her anxiety the next morning as she reported to Doc Hansel's lab for her lessons with Fredric. She stood in front of the heavy oak door that led into the lab, remembering every heart-pounding detail of her midnight encounter with Fredric. Her skin felt overly warm from the memory of his body pressed against hers and the taste of his mouth. His voice and smell stirred her senses, and his mind left her baffled. There was more to him than she ever imagined, and it frightened her, but it also pulled her to him like a moth to the flame. She was conflicted by her desire to tell Master Hansel what happened. She didn't want to get herself or Fredric in trouble, but she felt like she was betraying her master by keeping dangerous secrets from him. Fredric had violently murdered someone, and he was likely wandering the halls of the castle at night after picking the lock on his cage.
Fredric was quiet and subdued that morning as Doc taught them algebra. Sunlight was shining brightly through the arched windows that lined the upper half of the southern wall, warming Fredric's corner of the lab. After a science lesson concerning air convection, Doc guided Fredric back into his cage so he and Lily could sit at the little oak desk and read poetry. Fredric was seated with his hands in his lap and his eyes on his desk as Lily picked up the poetry book. She opened it, and a piece of folded paper fell out into her lap. She picked it up and unfolded it to discover a handwritten note entitled, "My Heart's Confession." Fredric had written her a poem. Her heart was fluttering as she began to read it.
"Lily... I see and feel you more clearly every day. The embodiment of my desire in the shape of dark hair, warm skin, and bright eyes. A voice like a siren in my mind, singing to awaken my soul, casting a spell of reality where I drift in madness. The opposite of a rock but still a monolith. Your visage decimates the ghosts of my delusions. Your overwhelming allure shatters my anger like ice on a hot anvil. You are an unstoppable compulsion. Like Poseidon's maelstrom and Helios's fire, you burn and drown my senses, a crucible of temptation to reorder my thoughts. Like water escapes a broken pitcher, insanity gives my actions freedom. My strength is emotion. Passion moves through the cage of my mind, reaching for its new obsession. A fire on a hill, a promise of warm pleasure in the midst of cold madness. Let me taste your mouth again, Lily. You tempt me with ecstasy, and not merely base sensation but absolute clarity in a moment of passion. A blissful respite from the trembling in my mind. A focus so sharp it crumbles my inner labyrinth. In your presence, cold gray stones sprout billowy moss and rise toward the warmth of a blue sky. Barren valleys fill with swaying grass and beckon me to sleep in a new heaven. Your touch has awakened Eden and the temptations of the first garden. Lie with me in the fragrant grass. Bring peace to my mind and an ache of ecstasy to my body. Cage me in your clarity and warmth. Smother my demons with your passion before they find me awake."
Lily was trembling as she read the poem. She felt a little breathless by its passionate expression. It gave her a beautiful glimpse of how she affected his mind. She swallowed against the tightness in her throat as she looked at Fredric. His sleepy gaze was still focused on the desk. His honey-colored hair was shining in the morning light. It was hard to believe the man sitting in front of her had written what she just read. She knew one of the men in the dark had actually written it. She cursed under her breath at that thought. She was starting to partition Fredric. She hated to think of him as shattered, but he was.
Tears streamed from her eyes as she quickly folded Fredric's poem and tucked it into her pocket. She glanced across the lab to make sure Master Hansel hadn't seen her reading it. Doc was writing away with his quill at his desk by the stairs. She quickly wiped her face and picked up the poetry book again. She flipped through it to make sure there weren't any more hidden notes. The pages Fredric had ripped out had been carefully tucked back into the book. She smiled when she discovered them. She selected one of those poems to read. She knew sleepy-Fredric enjoyed them tremendously. Angry-Fredric had revealed that to her.
Midway through their poetry hour, Doc Hansel excused himself to the water closet at the bottom of the stairs. Lily didn't mind. Fredric rarely moved in the mornings, and she was determined to pretend the day was normal in spite of the anxious gnawing in her gut. She had to tell someone about the poem, but she didn't want to show it to Master Hansel yet. She had too many emotions and less-than-clever actions to sort through before she opened up to him. Her biggest fear was angering the master and losing her access to Fredric. Ruby would have to be her confidant.
As Lily began reading the "Night Clarity" poem, a puffy cloud drifted across the sun, darkening the lab into a dungeon and sending Lily's heart into her throat. Master Hansel hadn't turned on the artificial lights that morning, and he was still occupied in the water closet. A soft chuckle from across the desk sent goose flesh creeping up her arms. Fredric was awake. Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm the fear that suddenly flared up inside her. It was dangerous to show Fredric fear. She wanted to be confident that he wouldn't hurt her, but she couldn't.
She stifled a gasp when she felt the poetry book pulled out of her hands. She opened her eyes to find Fredric's handsome face an inch from her nose. A warm hand touched her neck as soft lips pressed against hers. She moaned softly as he kissed her tenderly. He tasted wonderful, and the warmth he provoked inside her eased her anxiety. Sweet-Fredric was kissing her. He was the one that wrote the poem. Her heart was fluttering in pure delight as she touched his cheek and eagerly returned his kiss. After many heart-pounding seconds, he slowly pulled away and looked into her eyes. His expression was alert and full of longing.
Suddenly, a familiar noise from across the lab turned the sweet moment into an instant of terror. Master Hansel had come out of the water closet and threw the switch on his light generator. The lab would be filled with light in less than a minute. The gentle hand on her neck suddenly grabbed the back of her hair and used it to hold her steady. A sinister smile had darkened Fredric's expression as his eyes filled with wild anger.
"I told you I was fucking sick of those poems, and you read them anyway," he growled as he glared at her. Then his expression softened into a smirk. The fear in her eyes delighted him. "Oh, my sweet Lily, are you afraid of me?" he whispered close to her lips. He was tempted to kiss her again.
"No," she stammered. "Fear and surprise are two different things," she grumbled in defiance.
"Not to me," he chuckled as he leaned down and kissed her throat, provoking genuine terror inside her. "I love it when you're scared. It makes my whole body hungry," he whispered.
She shuddered all over when she felt his overly sharp teeth drag across the skin of her throat, threatening to shatter what was left of her calm. He chuckled when he felt her trembling. His hot breath was making her skin burn. She didn't know if he was teasing her or genuinely considering ripping her throat out. Suddenly, light flooded the room as the generator came up to speed, provoking an annoyed groan from Fredric. He drew away from Lily, wrapped his arms around his head, and laid it on his desk. Lily heard familiar boot steps approaching, but she didn't dare take her eyes off of Fredric.
"Lily, are you all right?" Doc Hansel asked as he stood just outside of the cage. He had seen what happened in the terrifying minute it took for the lights to come on.
Lily gulped and nodded. She kept her eyes on Fredric as she slowly stood and left the cage. To her astonishment, Master Hansel pulled her into his arms and hugged her. She could feel his heart pounding against hers. He had been scared for her, and that realization shattered what was left of her calm. She broke into sobs against his chest.
"I am so sorry, Lily. I foolishly forgot the overhead lights this morning. I never meant to be so careless with you," he whispered as he cradled her head against his chest.
Doctor Hansel locked Fredric in his cage and escorted Lily out of the lab. He walked with her to the kitchen, where they found Ruby and Mindy preparing lunch. Ruby gasped when she saw Lily's tear-streaked face and hurried over to embrace her.
"What happened?" Ruby demanded as she glared at Master Hansel.
"We had an unpleasant incident this morning, and it was mostly my fault. No one was hurt. It just gave us a fright," he explained before he turned his guilty gaze on Mindy. "I think it would be good if you and Monty took Lily and Ruby with you into Clairemont tomorrow morning. I'll give you some extra spending money. Take Henry with you too. Enjoy yourselves at my expense, please," he said with a charming smile before he turned his misty blue gaze back on Ruby.
Ruby sighed and shook her head at her master. He was bribing them for forgiveness. She knew something pretty terrible happened if it had come to that. Master Hansel retreated with his and Fredric's lunch wrapped in a bundle under his arm before the servants sat down for their midday meal. Ruby couldn't get an explanation out of Lily with Mindy, Monty, and Henry close by, so she requested that Lily accompany her into the meadow to pick mushrooms for supper.
Lily was quiet as they strolled through the fragrant wildflowers towards the brook. The birds were singing in the woods nearby as sleepy summer clouds drifted across the sun. They looked like silver-lined cotton balls in the endless expanse of blue. The blissful day was perfect comfort for Lily. She took a deep breath without her insides fluttering as she sat in the grass next to Ruby.
"Lily, please tell me what happened this morning. Master Hansel can be careless in his pursuit of discovery. He neglects himself more often than not. I hope he's not also neglecting you," she said as she wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulder and pulled her close.
"It was a simple mistake," she whispered. "I don't hold it against the master. I'm more distressed by my feelings for Fredric. He wrote this for me," she said as she dug Fredric's poem out of her pocket and handed it to Ruby.
