A ball suddenly formed in the middle of her stomach, as if she'd swallowed a stone.

she'd swallowed a stone. Her stomach filled with bitterness and she jumped to her feet, jostling Edmund, whose infuser slipped out of her hand. With a lump in her throat, Freyja tried to

to reach the thatched cottage, but the lack of air sent her reeling

against an oak tree.

- Freyja?" said Edmund, looking surprised.

When he realised that she was unable to answer, he joined her

and helped her to sit down.

- It's all right, leave me alone," she said with difficulty, pushing

with one hand, her throat and stomach freezing.

- What's the matter with you? he asked, examining her

with a keen eye. You can't expect me to believe that one little

sting is enough to knock you out?

A little laugh escaped from his beard.

- It's nothing, really. Just... a dizzy spell.

Edmund's face turned serious.

- For so little?

Freyja didn't like him examining her so closely. But what

she hated most of all was appearing fragile to him.

fragile in his eyes.

- Look at it! The blood bag is on the floor!

pointing to the object to change the subject.

Edmund paused for a moment. Then he lunged for the bag

with extraordinary speed for his age - even though Freyja had never

Freyja had never known his age. As far as she was concerned, he was

simply old. How old? She didn't know and probably never

know because she didn't have enough memories of other people

memories of other people for comparison. From

she would never dare ask. He certainly wouldn't

He certainly wouldn't answer, as he had an annoying tendency to growl at the

the slightest question.

Edmund gently took the blood bag in his rough hands

hands, as if it were a fragile and fascinating piece of ruby.

fascinating piece of ruby. His face lit up. Clearly, the bag

was intact. Freyja frowned and her hand tightened on a bunch of herbs.

bunch of herbs: "He doesn't care if I'm all right...".

- Rest for a moment," said Edmund as he walked away towards the

thatched cottage. This has never happened before.

Join me inside when you've recovered your senses.

come to your senses. I need your help with an experiment.

- Yes," mumbled Freyja, staring at the grass, her stomach heavy.

He stopped in the doorway, opened it, stood still for a moment, as if thinking

moment, as if thinking, then, without turning round, he said in a

in a perfectly neutral voice:

- Happy birthday, by the way.

Freyja was stunned.

- Today's my birthday? Seriously?

There was no joy or surprise in her words. She was simply

simply shocked. Shocked at the seriousness of the situation.

Today she was nineteen years old and she was still

locked up on top of that cliff!

Her days were so similar that she had ended up losing track of time.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

lost track of time. The only time she had to kill was reading

and dreaming alone on her cliff. She was cut off from the world,

far away from everything, and time was an unknown dimension that

rang out like a clock once in a while,

that is, on each of her birthdays.

Freyja suddenly realised how much things were moving

progressed around her while she remained at the same point.

the same place. The years flew by and her destiny appeared to her

marble tablet, smooth and unyielding.

- Thank you," she finally replied, trying to smile.

This shock, like every year, was awakening something inside her.

A risky question that would hibernate for an entire year

her lips once the chimes of the clock had broken the silence.

clock had broken the ice.

- Edmund. I'm nineteen today, could I...

- No, you couldn't.

Freyja paused involuntarily, her mouth wide open.

wide open. She breathed in deeply, summoning up all her courage, before letting out her famous question at the top of her lungs:

- Can I come down to town with you today?

Edmund turned round. His eyebrows were furrowed and deep furrows

his forehead. Freyja was breathing as loudly as an elephant

elephant, but she was proud. She had never managed to

her first refusal.

A deafening silence fell between them. As she waited

for an answer, her heart was pounding so hard she thought it would burst

it was going to burst out of her chest, crash to the ground and run

hide in the thatched cottage.

- You can't go in there.

- I can and I want to!" exclaimed Freyja, launched for good.

for good. I've grown up! I'm a woman now. I have the

right to go!

- I forbid you! Edmund growled. You've got no

idea what's out there. Over there, people

will greet you like rabid canines. They hate

Freyja, so don't expect to be loved!

No-one will love you.

- There's Jorik! He's always been nice to me!

Edmund sighed.

- Because Jorik is my friend. The only friend. But no one,

not even him, will accept you like I did.

Freyja opened her mouth to reply, but Edmund was quicker.

quicker.

- ENOUGH! he exclaimed, turning round.

He gave her a penetrating stare. She wanted to move back, but her

legs wouldn't respond. She was paralysed on the spot,

subjected to the fascinating eyes she so feared.

- To be able to survive off the cliff," he said suddenly,

in a terribly amplified voice. You'd have to be

be able to keep from feeling unwell after just a

little sting.

Terrified, Freyja didn't know what to say. Her lips trembled like two leaves and her back arched like a shell in which she tried to seek refuge.

in which she tried to seek refuge. But there was

no refuge.

She now regretted having defied him and was desperately trying to

desperately trying to hide from the amethyst pupils probing her soul...

her soul... but she was petrified.

Fortunately, after what seemed like an eternity,

Edmund turned on his heel and slipped away into the cottage.