Afterthought by M J Marlow (red white royal blue .txt) 📖

please…” “I’m sorry, Aileen,” Elinor broke in and looked at her victim sternly. “This is the only way you’ll be safe. You don’t want to go to the Shadow Lands, do you?” “No,” Aileen shook her head. She looked at Gerald warily. “He won’t hurt me, will he?” “You will do whatever pleases him, Aileen,” Elinor replied. She looked over at Gerald. “Hurting or not hurting is his choice, not yours.” Two days passed and Evangeline was kept drugged to the point of near immobility. She could not stay on her feet; it was too much of an effort. It wouldn’t have mattered if she could walk; her kidnapper accompanied everyone who entered the room so she had no chance of seeking help. She was confused when she was helped to her feet and taken to the hallway where a wheelchair waited. An orderly pushed the chair along behind Elinor and they went to a door at the end of the hall. She watched as Elinor unlocked the door and they entered what had once been her nursery. She could see some of her old furniture in the corner as she was taken to a large desk where an immense screen was hooked into a computer. Elinor had the chair pushed to a place next to the desk and the orderly left. The woman got out a long white blond wig and a put it on Evangeline. Then she put a pair of contacts in the girl’s eyes. “You are about to meet the man who your father’s testimony will condemn or set free,” Elinor told her as her fingers danced over the keyboard. The screen flared to life and a man with gray eyes and white blond hair appeared. “Hello, Edward.” “Hello, sister,” Edward nodded. “I see our little friend is feeling a bit better.” He looked at Evangeline and she shivered as a chill coursed up her spine. She recognized his voice. This was the man who had marked her. “Hello, sweetheart.” “No,” Evangeline shook her head slowly and forced her head up. “Not…your… sweetheart!” “You wound me greatly, my angel,” Edward said, his expression sad and filled with regret. “You know I’m your sweetheart. I’ve only been gone five years, baby.” He looked at Elinor. “That accident did more damage than you told me, sister.” “I didn’t want to upset you, Edward,” Elinor replied, enjoying the little fiction they were putting on for the benefit of the prison staff. “We are learning how to adjust to the limitations.” She stroked Evangeline’s hand and the girl struck out at her, whimpering in protest. “The mood swings are the worst of it. I never know if she’s going to be angry or happy or violent.” “I…hate…you!” “Today,” Elinor sighed; “we’re being angry.” She looked at Evangeline. The girl glared at her with as much energy as her doped mind could muster. “We are ready to do what we can to help you.” Edward nodded and turned away from the computer. He saw the guard standing behind him and he kept a mournful look on his face. “My niece was injured in a car accident a few months ago. Her father was killed outright and she suffered severe brain trauma.” “Poor kid,” the guard responded as Edward had known he would. He moved a step closer and ran his eyes over the girl with the same gray eyes and white blond hair as her uncle. “Pretty little thing.” Evangeline sobbed and tried to get out of the chair. Elinor pushed her back down and the girl hit her. It was a weak blow, her arms felt like lead, but she smiled at the woman anyway. Elinor looked at her brother in feigned distress and the guard was horrified at the way the child was behaving. This was exactly what Edward had been hoping for. “She was an angel before the accident,” Edward sighed. “The damage has left her unable to control her emotions. My sister is hoping to teach her new ways of controlling herself.” “So your sister won’t be here today?” He heard the lock being disengaged. “Pity. She’s not hard on the eyes, either.” The door opened and two other guards came in with the wrist and leg shackles. “Time for your hearing, Landry.” They put the shackles on Landry and took him down the corridor and out several gates. They entered a large room and he saw his sister’s face on a large screen set up near the table where the panel was waiting. Behind her their prisoner sat silent and angry. He smiled and sat down in the chair. A door opened and the Warden came in with the lawyers and psychiatrist chosen to sit in on the parole board. Behind them Prince Roza and his son followed. They took chairs near the screen. Edward looked at Stefano and saw the rage being barely controlled. “We are here to decide on the advisability of parole for Prisoner No. 45283, Edward Landry,” the Warden said as they opened their folders. “His sister, Doctor Emerson, is here via computer link. Thank you for taking time to be here today, Doctor.” “My brother’s welfare is important to me, Warden Maxwell,” Elinor nodded her head. She heard Evangeline struggling and turned to see her pushing herself up on the arms of the wheelchair. “Baby, you’ll hurt yourself!” She looked back at the panel. “Please give me a minute. It’s time for my daughter’s medication.” “We heard about the accident, Doctor,” Maxwell nodded. “We sympathize with your loss and hope your daughter recovers.” “It’s going to be a long hard road,” Elinor said sadly. She filled a needle and Evangeline slapped her across the face. “My daughter has no control over her impulses now.” Elinor said apologetically. “Angel, darling,” she crooned as she pushed the chair out of sight. “Mama only wants to help you. Don’t fight me, baby.” Edward kept his face showing anguish at his ‘niece’s’ condition. The display won the heart of the three women on the panel but he could see it had done nothing to sway Stefano or the Warden. The other man, Judge Atherton, was his man; so he knew how that one would vote. Elinor came back on screen a few minutes later and he could see a Nurse pushing the chair away with a sleeping Evangeline strapped into it. “I apologize for that,” Elinor said to the panel. “Angel is having a bad day. She was so excited about seeing her uncle earlier today.” “You have nothing to apologize for, Doctor,” Atherton spoke up. He looked at the Warden. “Can we get on with the hearing now?” The hearing continued and Stefano could see how it was going. Despite his rehashing of the details of Landry’s career as a serial rapist and torturer, he could see the panel was not swayed. The little act of the man’s sister had been keyed to win the sympathy of the softer hearted women on the panel. It appeared to have done exactly that. He was close to losing all control after seeing that woman abusing his daughter. He knew that was Evangeline; Elinor had no children. His research on the woman was years in the making. But these people were expected to take doctored documents as gospel, and they were doing a good job at it. If he had not known they were aware of his findings, he would be worried. The panel went out to make their deliberations and Stefano’s cell phone went off. He listened and a smile crossed his face. “Go now,” he said simply and hung up the phone. He said something to Sebastian in whispered Italian and Edward knew something was going wrong. Elinor caught the sign from her brother and knew his hearing was going to go wrong. It didn’t change anything, the princess was in her hands now and she was going to be programmed to belong to Edward. It would just give her more time to work with the child if he remained in prison. The panel came back in and Edward could see that something had shifted in their mood. The Warden actually glared at him as he was handed the paper with the decision on it. He looked over at Stefano and nodded slightly. “We have gone over all the evidence,” he said tightly, “and listened to the witnesses and experts.” He looked at Edward again. “Having your sister lie about a daughter and husband she never had, Landry, is beneath contempt. We don’t know who that poor child is, but we are assured that someone will take her away from your sister and see she gets the proper care.” He held up a stamp and slammed it on the inkpad, then slammed it on the paper. “Parole is denied. Take the prisoner back to his cell.” Night came and Evangeline woke up to see Edward Landry in her room. He stood over her bed and she smelled the ether. She was too weak to fight as he laid the cloth over her face and took her down. She was aware then of floating and noted peripherally that she was being carried out. She was put in the trunk of a car and wrapped in blankets gently. Then the lid closed and she was out. Edward laughed and looked over at his sister, Elaine, twin to Elinor. “Pietro is going to love her, sister,” he smiled. “Shall we deliver his new attraction to him?” Evangeline came awake as pain surged through her chest. She opened her eyes and saw white blond hair in front of them. She had been strapped down on a bed and he was finishing the tattoo. She wasn’t wearing anything at all and she was horrified. She did not want this! But the shackles held her down and there was a gag in her mouth so she could not scream. She closed her eyes as the tears sprang to her eyes and flinched as someone dried them for her. “There!” Edward smiled as he finished the last of the tattoo work and looked at his work. “The tattoo is complete and you are mine.” Evangeline shook her head and he laughed at her. He ran his fingers along the mark and she winced as the salt in his skin burned along the marks. She could not scream; only soft whimpers of pain were heard as he deliberately tormented her and caused her pain. He patted her cheek and smiled at her nastily. “You make a lovely little toy,” Edward said to her. Evangeline whimpered as he ran his fingers down her arm. “You are my property now, Princess, and I will do as I wish with you.” He leaned over her and laid his lips against hers. She knew he was daring her to fight him and she wanted to hurt him badly. But if she did that he would hurt her; she was certain of it. “What? No biting?” He stroked her cheek and smiled warmly. “What a good little girl you are.” He cleaned her off and put on the sealant. Then he removed the shackles and the gag and went to a cabinet to get out a box. Evangeline sat up slowly and looked around the room in confusion. It wasn’t a room; it was more of a brightly colored box. “Where have you brought me?” Evangeline asked as she pulled on the robe lying at the foot of the bunk. Her chest hurt but she refused to look at the cause. She did not want to see what he had done to her. “We are traveling with a friend’s carnival, my pet,” Edward told her. “We will be performing for him to earn our passage to our new home. I,” he smiled as he picked up four juggling pins and tossed them expertly, “as a juggler. You,” he smiled, “as a singer and dancer.” He laid his fingers