Soul Snatcher (13 page)

“
Does Garrick know?” Annie whispered as she came up
behind them. The two men were startled by her unexpected
presence.

“
Annie, I told you to stay in the library,” Eli
scolded.

“
Why would I stay there?” She argued, both still
whispering.

“
Did you tell her?” Garrick asked in the shared hushed
tone.

“
She found the daggers and I almost attacked her
thinking she was suspicious!” Eli thought this explanation was
enough.

“
I will not tell anyone,” Annie assured Garrick. Before
any of them could continue quarrelling Miss Danes spoke from behind
the door.

“
Are you there?” Her voice came through muffled. They
all looked at each other and Eli slowly opened the door.

“
Miss Danes, how are you on this fine day?” He asked.
He used the door to lean against as he kept hold of the handle.
Annie stood behind Eli and Garrick but Miss Danes stared right at
her, completely ignoring the others.

“
I am just here to collect what is mine,” she said
referring to Annie. Eli’s hand tightened on the door
handle.

“
It seems you are referring to Annie, Miss Danes of
which you would be mistaken,” Eli warned sternly. Miss Danes turned
her head sharply to look at him.

“
No. I. Am. Not. Mistaken,” she said through gritted
teeth.

“
From my understanding she was found and welcomed into
your staff. She was paid for her services and if she had not been
dismissed by you then she would have been free to leave at any
time. Which means she is not a slave and therefore not your
property. And please, do not get me started on my ethical
disagreement of slavery or we will be here well into the night,”
Eli argued rationally. It looked as if Miss Danes was about to
explode. The rage was evident on her face, so much so that she
almost turned red.

“
You cannot keep her,” she almost shouted.

“
But you see, Miss Danes I can and I will. I do not see
you walking in here and taking her. Wait, I believe it is because
you cannot,” Eli tormented. Miss Danes took a step forward then
stopped abruptly, as if she ran into a wall that wasn’t there. She
clenched her fists beside her and silently fumed.

“
You have made a powerful enemy,” Miss Danes
hissed.

“
And you have been here long enough. Do not be
mistaken, I will do what I have to Miss Danes and I think you
understand exactly what I am saying.” Eli slammed the door in her
face and locked it.

“
Eli, what is going on?” Annie asked as she followed
his hurried pace as he made his way back to the library, Garrick in
tow.

“
She is a snatcher,” he explained as he rolled up his
sleeves and lifted the day bed’s hidden lid.

“
Which horse?” Garrick asked.

“
Excuse me?” Annie squealed.

“
Give me lightning, Garrick,” Eli instructed. With that
Garrick left for the barn. Eli quickly looked over to his desk as
if he just remembered something. He went and grabbed his coat that
hung on the back of his desk chair and put it on. He walked back
over, picked a dagger from the day bed and slid it into his hidden,
interior breast pocket.

“
Eli, what is going on?” Annie asked again. He finally
looked at her for the first time since entering the
room.

“I am sorry
to sound so insensitive but if you
must have an explanation now then I shall have to be quick.” He
placed his hands on both of her arms and looked into her eyes. She
nodded in understanding so he explained. “I have suspected that
Miss Danes was a snatcher for some time now but we are not
permitted to terminate one unless there is clear evidence and they
pose a threat. Her not being able to walk into the house is all I
needed and she has already harmed a human,” he said referring to
Annie’s experience with her. “I was visiting her all those times to
try and gain the confirmation I needed.”

“
Who are you referring to when you say ‘we’?” Annie
asked. Somehow her life had just become even crazier in the past
few seconds.

“
That is too long an explanation that I will save for
another time but there is another thing.” He paused so she nodded
for him to continue. “I purposely got you fired. I am so sorry it
happened in such a horrible way but I could not stand the thought
of you in that house any longer.” He felt relieved after admitting
his guilt. Annie reached out and touched the cheek Miss Danes had
slapped, remembering his extreme reactions that had seemed strange
at the time. Eli took her hand in his, leaned in and gently kissed
her cheek. “I never meant for you to get hurt like
that.”

“
Sir, your horse is ready,” Garrick said from the
doorway feeling awkward from having to interrupt their intimate
moment. Eli turned to him and nodded.

“
Joel is faster at saddling every time,” Eli commented
about his stable boy, sounding as if he wanted more time with
Annie. Garrick left without another word. Eli looked back to Annie
when they were alone again. “Do not fret about Miss Danes. She will
not be able to harm you as long as you are in my manor, as she has
never been invited in. We will talk more when I return,” he assured
her. She nodded and he moved to leave the room.

“
Wait, Eli.” Annie paused and waited for him to turn
around. “Where are you going?” He smiled easily and warmly at her
question.

“
To rid the world of one more snatcher!” He proclaimed,
almost with excitement in his voice.

Before she
could say anything else he was out the door. She went after him but
he had already left the premises. How was he going to overpower a
snatcher? How was any of this happening? What on earth was
happening? Deciding that there was nothing she could do and that
worrying wasn’t going to help, Annie grabbed the book she had
intended to read and took it to her room. She would try to find the
answers to her questions by herself.

When she was
inside her room she locked the door, she always felt safer when she
did. As she turned to walk to her bed she ran into someone. She had
just started to let out a scream when Baden covered her mouth and
smiled at her. She closed her eyes in relief and he removed his
hand.

He was
dressed in his usual black suit pants and a clean, loose white
peasant shirt. Though he was dressed casually he still looked
incredible and it looked as if he had put effort into his
appearance. It made her wonder where he had just come from and the
spark of jealousy reared its ugly head again. She could see just a
little of his shoulder and chest where the shirt drooped off his
frame slightly. When he wasn’t looking at her she strained to see
more but she didn’t get the chance often because he kept his eyes
stuck to her most of the time.

“
Why did you startle me?” She whispered, fearful
someone might hear them talking.

“
I was not hidden. You were the one who neglected to
pay attention,” he said cheekily. Annie went to say something but
there was a knock at the door.

“
Miss Belle, are you alright?” Garrick asked through
the door.

“
Yes Garrick, I…uh…I thought I saw a mouse. I am just
settling down to read a book,” she half lied, keeping her eyes on
Baden to make sure he didn’t disappear. His lips turned up in a
small smile, he seemed pleased that she kept him a
secret.

“
Very well, call if you need anything.” With that
Garrick left.

“
Reading?” Baden quickly took the book from her hands
and turned away from her. She tried to grab the book back but he
kept it out of her reach.

“‘
Methods of the soul snatcher’, how droll.” He smiled
as he flicked through the pages.

“
Baden, give it back,” she demanded as she continued to
try and grab it back off him. Before she had time to realise what
he was doing, he turned and wrapped his arms around her waist and
pulled her close to him, the book in his hands behind her
back.

“
Surely you will not waste your time on such drivel?”
He said leaning his face close to hers. If there had been some
distance between them there may have been a chance for her to
configure an actual response but she simply stared at him, trying
to remember how to speak. “I can think of much more productive ways
for you to use your time, Annie.” He threw the book and it landed
on a reading chair close by.

“
I just thought…” She struggled to find the words. “A
little…light reading would be…sufficient,” she stammered. With him
she always managed to lose herself.

“
Reading myths and fables? I cannot think of a greater
waste of time.” He let go of her and walked over to the seat where
the book lay. When she had some space to breathe she could think
more clearly. Did he just come here to insult her?

“
I think I will be the judge of my past time!” She said
harshly. Who did he think he was, coming there and telling her what
to do? “Have you just come to offend me, Baden? And how do you keep
finding passage into my room?” She asked as she walked over to
inspect the window. The latch wasn’t broken and nothing seemed
amiss. She looked over to him in question but he was right next to
her. She took a step away from him, surprised by his
closeness.

“
Skilled,” he said as if that was enough to explain it.
He looked her up and down and a strange look came across his face,
it was almost as if he were sad. “Tell me, Annie…are you afraid of
me?” He took a step towards her and for a reason she didn’t know
she took a step back. The same look came across his face. He
couldn’t decipher the feelings he sensed in her soul and the
confusion of it played across his face.

“
I would not say afraid.” She wasn’t sure how she would
describe the way he made her feel. “How should I feel?” She turned
it around on him instead of responding. He thought for a moment
before he answered her.

“
Well…” He took another step forward and she took
another step back. “Why do you keep doing that?” He asked curtly.
She looked at him unsure of what he meant. “Why do you keep moving
away from me?” He clarified when he felt her confusion.

She looked
down to where she stood in comparison to him and she didn’t have an
answer. Why was he stepping so close? He slowly moved to take
another step forward and she decided to stay where she was. They
stood toe to toe, him peering down at her as she looked up into his
face. Her breathing fluttered a little and the smallest smile
formed on his lips.

“
That was not so difficult, was it?” He spoke
quietly.

“
No,” she said just as softly as he had. He gently
touched her hands with his fingertips then ran them up along the
length of her arms until they rested on her slender neck. It sent a
thrill through her.

“
Now what was I saying?” He asked seeming distracted by
her.

“
You were…” she had to take a breath before she could
continue. “Advising me how I should feel towards you,” she
reminded.

“
Yes, I was.” He tickled along her neck as he spoke and
a little shiver made it past her self-control. Again the half smile
played across his lips. “If we piece it together logically then
maybe we can deduce together the appropriate response?” She barely
nodded but he saw it so he went on.

“
Firstly, I am practically a stranger to you.” The
words seemed odd to her because she felt like she knew him, or more
so it felt like she trusted him. “Secondly, I seem to break into
your room silently and effortlessly.” Annie knew she should feel
scared of that fact but she didn’t. “And lastly, when I ask you to
do something you seem not to question my demands. It is as if you
find them reasonable.” He moved his hands and rested them on her
waist.

“
So you are advising me to be afraid?” She asked, her
mind tangled up in all of the conflicting thoughts. His actions
were so different to his words, he was telling her to keep away but
he was holding her close. How was she meant to know what that
meant?

“
You may choose the reaction you believe best suits how
you feel,” he answered tactfully.

“
Who says I do not feel frightened by you?” She
bluffed. He looked at her with those clear, blue eyes as if he was
hurt by the fact that she might be.

“
I notice everything you do and your actions beg to
differ. From the way your chest rises and falls more erratically
when I am near, as if you are trying to calm yourself. The way your
lips quiver ever so slightly when I touch you in certain places.”
He tightened his grip on her waist and pulled her closer still.
“The way you lose your words in my presence.” The way he stated his
observations made it sound as if he enjoyed her reactions to him
quite a bit. What he didn’t tell her was that he could sense her
soul and it told him more than she ever could.