Chapter 21

When she slowly opened her eyes, Jake was already sitting by her bedside. He was looking at her calmly, waiting for her to adjust to her surroundings.

"Jake? When did you arrive? What time is it?" she began a series of questions as she attempted to sit up.

"I haven't been here long. Just came by to say hi and found out you have been sick. What happened? Everything okay?"

"Well, I have been having some headaches lately. Maybe I have migraine... I think I am fine now," she moved her eyes about to check if the pain returns, but she was fine.

"Then I guess I should get going. You should get some rest," Jake stood up to leave.

"Oh no, you can stay. I am fine now. I believe I have slept long enough".

"It's alright. I will come by another time. I am sure you have a lot of work to do," he smiled.

At this point Ella walked into the room with a stack of clean clothes in her arms and almost jumped out of her shoes when she found Jake inside the room.

"Oh my dear sir! When did you enter? I will be punished if Sir Phileas finds out I let you in!" she exclaimed.

"Don't worry, Ella dear," he patted her on the head, "I never came, okay?" he walked out and left them alone.

Ella stood there for a while before she turned to Sarah to see if she was angry, but found a smiling person siting on the bed instead.

"He came to see me, hehe".

Ella walked up to her and helped her out of her bed. She escorted her to her bath and stood at one side watching Sarah move behind the divider and come out in her towel. She slipped into the water and looked at Ella.

"Ella".

"Yes, my lady".

"When will you stop staring at me get naked in the bathroom? Do you fancy me?"

Ella giggled and looked away, "no, my lady. It is no such thing. I just wish to make sure you do not hurt yourself, or if everything is fine".

"Don't worry. If I slip, you will hear me fall. And if I need something, I will call you. So just, don't look at me in here, even if you have a crush on me".

Ella giggled again. Sarah made a sour face at her giggling response, "you give me the creeps".

She often thought about how Ella resembled Cindy, her bestfriend from the human realm. These days it was harder to remember her. Like Phileas said, it's only a matter of time before the people in that realm forgot about her, or perhaps they already did. Her own memories were thinning. Being around Ella helped her remember.

I should have met Cindy properly before leaving. Don't hate me Cindy, I just didn't know how to explain. She thought to herself.

Ella kept to herself quietly for a while before walking over to the edge of the tub. Staying careful not to embarrass Sarah, she stared at the wall and opened her mouth to break the silence.

"My lady".

"Yes," Sarah responded with her head tilted back and her eyes closed in rest.

"Do you really like the Ankur heir?"

"Why are you asking me this after helping me to secretly contact him so many times that I lost count?"

Ella stole a glance at her to check her expression as she said, "I-I think he does not like you as much".

Sarah opened her eyes, looking at the ceiling, "What makes you feel so?"

"Well... I just do not see it in his eyes... it seems as if though he is forcing himself to care, my lady".

"Does someone forcing themselves to care show up to see a sick person and wait at their bedside staring at them sleeping?" she blushed a little while speaking this line.

"My lady... it is only a hunch, but I do not see love between you two at all".

Ouch. That's a very honest way to put that you don't ship it, Ella. Sarah thought to herself.

"And you think there is something between Phil and I, right? Is that what you want to say?" she looked over at Ella with disapproving eyes.

Ella immediately moved her gaze back to the wall, "Well... I am not saying that is true... Sir Phileas does care about you a lot though. I will not deny a slight possibility".

Sarah kept staring at her fidgeting and trying to make a point. She slowly moved over close to Ella and folded her arms on the edge of the tub, leaning on them on her chin.

"You know, Ella, you should try and speed things up with Adam first. You have been leaving him hanging a bit too long".

Ella's face flushed red. She bowed her head close to herself in her crouched position, "M-m-my lady! T-there is no such thing!"

Sarah snorted as she leaned back to her previous position.

"When it comes to Phil, he sure does give me a headache".

*

At the study, Phileas sat with Sarah for some tea. He told her what the doctor had told him earlier about there being traces of dark magic in her. Sarah found herself becoming concerned at the thought of there being an evil power lingering inside her, making her ill.

She asked if the doctor mentioned any source. Phileas informed her that the doctor was not well versed in the dark arts enough to know about the origin, but that he himself suspected it must have entered her somehow back in the forest that day.

They sat thinking about it silently, when Phileas suddenly stood up, "I think I should try healing it out of you".

"Huh? It's darkness that is inside me, not an illness. How will healing work?"

"I want to try and see if forcing life magic into you can bring it out somehow".

Sarah, perplexed, shifted in her seat, "h-how do you want to force magic into me -"

"Just stay calm. I will use my hands to transfer the life magic into your head," Phileas said as he moved over to her couch about to grab her head in his hands.

In his hurry, he bumped his shin on the corner of the table and tripped falling on Sarah instead, his hands on the couch on either sides of her head. Sarah, finding Phileas close enough for his nose to touch her own, began to feel a ringing in her head.

He sure does give me a headache.