Chapter 42- Whispers In The Wind

Greg gave her another harsh slap across her face which instantly erupted in pain and caused her to lose control of her power. The bottle flew through the air at lightning speed hitting Greg at the back of his head. She heard the bottle shatter, the high-pitched sound of the crackling glass blocked out any other sound. His hand loosened as his eyes rolled back in his head and he dropped to the floor.
Ruby couldn’t move. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart leapt. Blood pooled on the floor around Greg’s head.
Slowly she bent down and felt his pulse on his wrist. Nothing. It was just a moment of insanity she told herself.
Gulping she reached for his neck and pressed two fingers to where is pulse should have been. Blood ran over her fingers and sick rose in her throat. There was so much of it.
Still nothing. In sheer panic she ran. Wiping her hand on her dress she pumped her legs. She had no destination in mind. She was fuelled by adrenaline and ran into the woods.
She paused to catch her breath. Placing one hand on a tree, and the other on her knee as she leaned forward panting, her mind screamed murder at her.
“The forest isn’t safe,” she heard a voice and spun around. Her hand outstretched ready to call upon her power.
“Levi?”
“Ruby. Are you hurt?” he asked taking a step toward her.
“Stay away from me!” Ruby screamed, haltering Levi in his tracks. She was shaking and her hand shook uncontrollably in front of her.
“It’s okay I won’t hurt you,” he said raising his hands as if to surrender.
She had killed him. The thought ran around her mind on repeat, killed and murder swirled together like a painting that had gotten wet.
“Ruby? What happened?” Levi asked in a soothing calm voice.
Unable to hold back her tears, Ruby fell to her knees and put her head in her hands. Sobs raked her body as what she had done sunk in.
The dried blood caused Ruby’s crying to turn into hysterics. It seemed to burn her skin and itch, a reminder of what she had done.
Levi bent down and put his hand on her shoulder. When she didn’t protest her made shhing noises and brushed her hair away from her face.
The comfort he offered her only made her sobs worse. She didn’t deserve his kindness. It came to something when the one portrayed as a monster was the one offering her a shoulder to cry on after an evil deed.
“I killed him,” Ruby glanced up and looked Levi in the eyes and stated. Her tears vanished and her heart turned to stone. She wasn’t crying over Greg. It was more of the person she had become. The title murder she couldn’t handle.
“Killed who?” Levi asked.
“Greg,” Ruby could see him thinking with the way he scratched his head and looked confused.
“My husband,”
Nodding Levi got to his feet and pulled her up.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“There’s so much blood. What do I do?” she clung to his collar desperately. She needed help.
“Show me,” Levi said, and Ruby nodded. Slowly they walked back to her home in silence.
She had told a stranger what she had done. Not any stranger but one portrayed as a monster and betrothed to her sister. Could she trust him? Of course, not she couldn’t trust anyone, yet Crystal trusted him and that gave her hope.
She looked at Levi out of the corner of her eyes. He looked calm. Even though Ruby had confessed to murder and was leading him to the scene. Perhaps he didn’t believe her. Maybe no one would. Sweet, innocent Ruby, a murder.
They would all have a shock, a murder, and a cheat. One that was carrying a child that would never be accepted by the coven, she wasn’t the person everyone thought she was.
She wasn’t the woman she had always believed to be. Something had snapped inside her. It was like she had stepped out of the shadows ready to fight for what she believed in. The only problem was that in the process she was losing sight of the woman she wanted to be.
***

Jeanette walked into the cabin she called her home a different girl. She had shut of her heart and became withdrawn from her mother and sister.
The following day she refused to make the trip through the forest to her grandmother’s home. Josephine her twin sister had to take her place. As night fell there was no sign of her sister, and her mother became worried.
By morning light still Josephine had not returned. Jeanette along with her mother made the long journey to her grandmother’s home.
Adele laid in her bed frozen in terror, her mouth hung slightly open, and her eyes were wide.
She was dead. What had happened remained a mystery. The wedding was held off while the search for Josephine took up the better part of six months. She had left behind no clues. It was like she had vanished.
Seth Carmichael married Mary and Jeanette withdrew more.
There was no other suitor available for Jeanette and she feared she would be alone for the rest of her days.
Jeanette was curled up in her rocking chair thinking back to the events that had changed the course of her life. Still to that day, the disappearance of Josephine was still a mystery. Some witches speculated that she had died along with her grandmother. Attacked by a creature of the forest, Jeanette on the other hand didn’t think that was the case. Josephine was strong and could hold her own. Others thought she had gotten lost within the forest. Whatever happened that day no one really knew? Sighing she knew that wasn’t true. She knew what had happed and she was losing her battle to save her.