Ella’s legs were unsteady from not being able to bend for so long, but she made it up the steps by bracing herself on the railing, cursing her life that Remus had to walk behind her and watch her struggle.
The moment they reached the top of the steps and turned the corner, Remus swept her off her feet and kissed her cheek, his whisper frantic. “I’m so sorry, my darling. Say the word, and I’ll do whatever you need.”
Ella permitted one long breath in his arms, and then struggled to get down. “You can’t hold me like that.”
He didn’t take offense, but set her feet down gently and stepped back. “Of course. Apologies. You only looked like your legs might be aching you. I didn’t Pulse you with Comfort. I would never do that without permission.”
Ella shook her head, emotion making its way to her throat. “No, it’s not that. You can’t be nice to me here! I’ll start crying, and I can’t break down like that right now. Please get me out before the Baron buys me from her!”
“Of course, Miss Ella. Which one is your bedroom?” He glanced around at the rooms on either side of the hallway.
Ella reached up and tugged on a cord that hung overhead. “Right here.” She pulled, and a rectangle in the ceiling opened, revealing a staircase that fell from above.
Remus paled, looking as if he might be sick. “You sleep in the attic?”
“It’s not so bad.” Ella climbed up the steps that gave a slight bounce to them under her weight. She wasn’t expecting Remus to follow her up, but moved to the side when he entered the tight space that had welcomed her when nowhere else had. “My things are right here.” She picked up the bundle atop her quilt and rested it under her arm against her hip.
“You should change into something that’s not damp. It’s freezing out there.”
Ella shook her head. “Lady Tremaine will be happier if I’m uncomfortable. Let’s just go.”
Remus ran his fingers through his black hair, looking younger and completely lost. To Ella, he usually appeared so very in control, but standing in her bedroom, she could see his struggle to find the right thing to say. “That horrible woman locked you in the dark.”
Ella gave a curt nod.
“I want you to pack up all your things. Quick, now. Where are the rest of your clothes?”
Ella was cautious as she pointed, shivering toward the small chest in the corner. “That’s everything I own. Most of my parents’ stuff is locked in a storage unit that’s under my name only.”
Remus darted to the chest, swallowing hard at the meager possessions that amounted to a pile of worn clothes. “Is there anything here you have an attachment to?”
Ella hugged herself with her right arm, trying to rub feeling into her body. “No. Why?”
“Because you’re not coming back here, so take whatever you like, but then we’re leaving. We’re not looking back until you go public. Then you can return here as the lady of your own house.”
Ella tried to reply, but instead lost her words to a coughing fit. Remus shoved her tattered things into his messenger bag, and then met her in the center of the room to wrap her in his arms. “Not to worry, darling. I’ll get you out of here. Soon this will all be a distant memory. Say a fond farewell to this space. The next time you step inside, this will be an attic, and no longer a bedroom.”
Ella made to argue, but only ended up coughing.
Remus’ pitch climbed with a tinge of desperation. “I couldn’t save myself from the darkness, but I can save you! Do not fight me on this!” His eyes squinched shut as he squeezed her through her next bought of coughing. “You don’t even have a bed! You sleep on a mattress on the floor!”
It wasn’t until she saw the full breadth of his panic that she began to understand the mess for what it was. Far less than ideal, it wasn’t sustainable. No matter the outcome, she knew couldn’t live like this any longer. Reality crashed over her with all the subtlety of a wrecking ball. “It’s only a matter of time before the Baron convinces her to sell me to him.”
Remus gagged, his face twisting with torment. She could tell he had whole epistles of arguments to persuade her to leave the life of misery, but in that moment, she didn’t need a single push to finally take that first step in the right direction.
“Remus,” she whispered, and finally let her head rest on his shoulder. So many things he’d done had confused her or given her pause, but his hug was filled with a desperation to make her life better. She decided to trust in the kindness, since that was the language with which she was most familiar.
Remus lowered his volume to match hers, but his words flowed out no less tensed. “Your parents wouldn’t have wanted this life for you. Let’s honor that, shall we? Let’s honor your parents, who loved and protected their daughter as best they could.”
She caught the sob in her throat before it birthed from her. She quickly shoved it back down and replaced it with a quiet plea. “I need you to do something for me. Please.”
“Anything.”
She pursed her lips, wrestling with her anxiety that came whenever she had to weigh the pros and cons of asking for help. “Pulse me, Remus,” she begged with a quiver slicing her voice.
His breath of relief relaxed his shoulders as he fanned out his fingers across her back, thrumming a steady dose of Comfort into her spine. When Ella’s syncopated panting calmed to light puffs of breath fanning across his neck as she lay her temple on his shoulder, Remus’ frustration visibly melted. “There we go. Any time you need me, all you have to do is ask.” He turned his chin and kissed her forehead. “See? You trusted me with that; you can trust me to help you leave this life.”
Slowly, Ella nodded. “Okay. I trust you.”
Another kiss pressed to her forehead, and he donned a pleasant expression he tried to force to appear sincere. “Come now, I can make you some chicken soup the moment we get home—your new home with me.”
Her arms were weighted with weakness, but she managed to summon enough strength to hold onto him. “You’ll let me stay with you until I get back on my feet and make a plan?”
“Silly girl. I’ll let you stay with me forever. As long as you like.”
His words were honey to her soul, and she savored the sweetness she so desperately needed. Though she wished for more eloquent musings, she choked out a raw, “Thank you.”
“Of course, darling. There will be no more darkness for us.” Remus Pulsed a few more beats of Comfort into her skin. “And do make sure to tell Henry exactly how sick you truly are. He won’t hesitate to wait on you hand and foot. He’s got a cold remedy he swears by that’s absolutely dreadful. I can’t wait to see your face when you choke it down.”
Ella chuckled, but then coughed so hard, she nearly collapsed in his arms.
“Or perhaps we’ll make a quick stop at Urgent Care first. Is that everything, then?”
Ella nodded, blinking back tears, lest they fall and break her perfect track record. For better or worse, her nightmare of living with the Tremaines was coming to an end.
“Can you make it down the steps and to the car? It’s unlocked. Get in the backseat and wait for us there.”
Ella was careful as she moved out of the attic down the steps, and then onto to the main floor. She carried her bundle, shivering as she tiptoed out the backdoor, leaving Remus to fetch Henry. She slipped into the back of the town car and let loose a tearless cry that was a catharsis of both joy and anxiety, knowing there was no turning back now.