Nodding silently, Ella took off her apron and dusted off her hands. She would be no help to William with all this rage bubbling in her veins. Better that she take a walk to cool off.
Kissing him on the cheek, Ella went out the back door, her steps slow and sad. She could feel William’s eyes on her, sad and worried, but she didn’t have any words to reassure him.
Rounding the corner as she walked to the house she shared with William, Ella stopped as water pattered down on her head in the beginnings of a summer shower.
Cursing, Ella turned back for her cloak, which she’d forgotten behind the door of the bakery’s backroom.
Sudden loud voices stopped her.
Ella peered around a tree, and saw William being surrounded by several men from the village.
“You need to start being careful about the company you keep, William,” one of the men said gruffly. “That elf-touched girl you keep around here is no good.”
Ella swallowed hard.
This was it. William would finally abandon her, she was too much trouble, they weren’t evenreal family—
“Be careful how you speak about my daughter,” William growled, and her heart jumped.
“You must listen to reason, William,” one of the other men said, his voice tense. “That girl, Ella, there’s somethingunnaturalabout her. We’ve seen the signs, the streak of white in her hair, her inexplicable survival during the plague. It's not right, I tell you.”
William’s voice, when it came, was stern and harsh. “Ella is no witch. She’s an innocent girl who has faced more than her share of hardships. Her hair and resilience are nothing more than peculiarities—like your curly hair, Anton, or your bad ankle, Dima.” He took a threatening step forward, glaring at the men around him. “You’ve let your imaginations run wild with superstition.”
“But, William, we must protect the village,” another man insisted. “What if her presence brings us more harm? What if the Elves come back for her? We cannot afford to have a witch among us.”
“The Elvessavedus from the pirates,” William said hotly.
The men shuffled uncomfortably, until one of them blurted out, “The Elves probablybroughtthe pirates with them! You know what Elves are like! They probably wanted to enslave all of us, and were angry that the pirates were attacking the merchandise!”
“And if you don’t see sense, William, maybe there’s no place for you in Strayhaven, either,” another one of the men said hotly.
As the men continued to argue, Ella’s heart sank. The villagers she had once called neighbors and friends now saw her as a threat, an otherworldly presence to be feared. And now they were turning against William, too.
It was as if her very existence was an affront to their beliefs and safety.
William’s stern voice cut through the raised voices, steadfast and sure, his words resonating with a fierce protectiveness.
“Ella is like a daughter to me. I have seen her since she was a babe—like all of you! Youknowher true nature. There is no harm in her, only a tender heart burdened by the weight of loneliness and judgment. I will not abandon her.”
Tears welled in Ella’s eyes, a mix of guilt and gratitude washing over her.
William, in his steadfast loyalty, had taken a stand for her, claiming her as his own. But at what cost? What if they were both turned out from the only home they’d ever known—just because of her?
Unable to bear the weight of her emotions, Ella turned and fled into the night.
Her heart ached with conflicting emotions—gratitude for William’s unwavering support, guilt for the pain she had caused, and a yearning for acceptance that seemed forever out of reach.
As she ran, tears streaming down her face, Ella hardly knew where she was going.
Her feet carried her deeper into the dense woods that surrounded their village, the forest canopy casting long shadows over her path. She ignored the warning cries of birds and the rustling of leaves, consumed by her own fury.
The air grew colder as the daylight waned, and Ella shivered, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice the shadow that grew overhead until it was too late. A sudden wind buffeted her, and she raised an arm against the force of the wind that almost blew her down.
When she had regained her footing, she looked around, but nothing indicated what had just happened.
Ella shivered, and turned around to run home. Her instincts were screaming at her toescape.
