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PHYSIENTS WILL ALWAYS OFFER BEST STORIES AND LIVE STREAMING ALL TIME
ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 201 Time to dig
Music Recommendation: Harriet Smith and Robert Martin- Isobel Waller
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When Alfie brought food to the room, Vincent pulled the cart inside. Eve said, “I don’t have an appetite.” Not with a dead person in the room.
Vincent pushed the cart and placed it next to her, “I wouldn’t have minded you not eating, but you need energy to dig the grave to bury this woman in it.” Noticing Eve imagine it, he taunted, “Don’t tell me you were hoping I would do all the work by myself, did you?”
Eve pursed her lips. In less than a few hours, she had turned into a criminal. First, she had killed a person, and now she was going to bury and hide the body. She replied, “I did not.”
“Good. Eat now. They are things you can digest,” commented Vincent, pulling the chair next to her. He said, “The woman died trying to drink you dry, you should be the last person to be sad about it.”
“I am not sad. It isn’t every day I sit in the same room as the dead and have my meals.”
Vincent smirked while trying to get under Eve’s skin. He said, “If you didn’t pick a woman of a high status, I would have taken you to Hollow Valley’s finest inn to celebrate your first kill.” He picked the long-stalked bean that was cooked in olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper.
As Eve ate the vegetables, she could feel Vincent’s gaze on her the entire time. She asked him, “Where did you get those blood spots?”
“I went out for a walk and it drizzled blood. It was unavoidable,” Vincent responded to Eve without looking away from her. “It is better to be ignorant about a few things.”
“Haven’t I already stepped into your world with both my feet?” Eve asked him, and she noticed his eyes smile.
“Silly girl. You might be on my side of the world, but you are a fish and don’t have feet,” Vincent leaned forward and whispered, “It is because I am holding you,” and his lips curled.
He was protecting her by letting her know very little, than letting guilt weigh in her mind.
“Thank you for having my back, Vincent,” thanked Eve, something Vincent had not expected her to do even though it was in her nature.
“You better be ready to dig ground the next time I need someone to do the job,” Vincent saw Eve nod. “You don’t have to worry about experience, you will learn quickly after the tenth time,” he said nonchalantly, noticing her blink at him before a smile cracked on his lips.
Vincent bit into the beanstalk, watching the mermaid finishing her meal. As much as he wanted to corrupt her, he didn’t want the world to corrupt her.
When everyone in the mansion went to sleep, the butler started cleaning the piano room to remove every trace of blood. Vincent and Eve left the mansion along with Lady Camille’s body, away from Skellington.
In the carriage, Eve asked Vincent, “Are you sure about this?”
“Do you have a better idea than mine? I am open to suggestions,” Vincent raised his eyebrows in question. “This will work just fine.”
“You want to bury the body in Darthmore. Behind the council’s building… ” Eve wasn’t at ease about it. It was as if a thief was going to the authorities to get caught. “How many bodies have you buried there before?”
“Why?” Vincent turned to her, and his eyes narrowed, “Do you plan to bury some in the future?”
“Of course, not! Why would I do that?”
“Self defence?” Vincent asked her, blinking his eyes, and Eve stared at him. “To answer your question, just a few of them.”
The last time this pureblooded vampire had said he killed only ‘handful’ ones, it was not even a quarter of it. Eve murmured, “I see.”
Vincent then remarked, “Doesn’t Lady Camille look happy enjoying the ride with us, this fine evening?”
Eve shifted her gaze from Vincent to look at the dead woman, who was riding with them, sitting in front of Vincent with her hands and legs tied. Her eyes hadn’t been closed, just so that she appeared alive. Her body had lost most of its colour, where the underlying veins surfaced on her skin.
“She looks pale…” Eve replied.
“Maybe we should have powdered her face to make her skin look in excellent health. Hmm,” Vincent hummed, and Eve wondered if she had started to lose her mind because she didn’t scowl at the vampire like she usually used to do at his jokes.
And though Vincent was in a humorous mood, he glared at the dead woman for sinking her teeth into his precious mermaid and drinking his precious blood.
Once they reached the place, Mr. Briggs stopped the carriage as if he knew where and what to do in these situations. The coachman carried the dead woman over his shoulder before dropping her on the ground when they reached a safe place far away from where the Council was actually located.
“Is there anything else I can do for you, Master Vincent?” Mr. Briggs asked with a straight face, and Eve was in awe that Vincent had such loyal people around him who helped him bury bodies.
“That would be all,” replied Vincent. Eve watched Mr. Briggs walk away from them, before stopping next to a tree as if to keep a watch and make sure no one came.
Thirty minutes passed, and Eve continued digging the ground with all her energy, while Vincent leaned his back against one of the trees, and one of his shoes was placed flat on the bark. Amid the almost quiet forest, they were surrounded by crickets chirping and frogs croaking.
“With the pace you are going, the woman will be buried when the sun sets tomorrow,” Vincent remarked as Eve dug the ground. He said, “I am surprised you didn’t ask me to work along with you.”
“I killed her… It was only right that I dig the ground. Would you have, if I asked you?” Eve asked him, and she forced the shovel to remove the mud from the ground.
Vincent pushed his body forward and left the tree’s side. He said,
“You never asked.”
Eve stopped what she was doing and turned to see him. She asked him, “Will you help me?”
“Haven’t I been doing it,” Vincent’s eyes slightly glowed in the shadows of the trees surrounding them, and she saw his lips twist into his signature cunning smile.
Together, Vincent and Eve dug the ground, the sound of the shovel hitting the ground and throwing the mud to the side. He said,
“We should make this interesting.”
“Isn’t it interesting enough that I killed someone this evening?” Eve asked him without turning to look at him.
“Have you fallen in love with me that you find it hard to look me in the eye and speak, Eve?” Vincent teased her, which was enough to have her turn to look at him. He raised his hand and stroked her head, his action catching Eve off guard. He then said, “Good girl.”
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ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 202 Who finishes first
“What are you doing?” Eve asked Vincent, taken aback by his carefree gesture, she asked him.
“Your words sounded as if you were waiting for me to praise you and tell you how proud I am, which I am,” Vincent offered her a charming smile, and before she could swat his hand away from her head, he had already pulled it to his side.
Eve gave him a small glare and said, “We should get back to digging the grave rather than chit chat.”
“Would you prefer to dig the grave all by yourself?” Inquired Vincent, and the tip of Eve’s shovel hit the ground, which was still in her hand. He stepped closer to her and asked, “You didn’t think I was a kind person, did you?”
Eve looked back at him and said, “I didn’t.”
“That’s good,” Vincent’s eyes roamed on her face before settling on her eyes, “How about we make this digging interesting. I will take more than half the area and you can take the rest to dig. Whoever loses, does what the victorious wants,” his eyes sparkled.
“I think we already know who is going to win and lose here,” retorted Eve. She wondered what was cooking in the vampire’s crazy mind.
“I told you I would be fair in dividing the space you and I need to dig. Doesn’t the idea of being able to fulfil one wish or demand intrigue you even a little?” Vincent questioned her.
Eve wanted to finish digging the grave and bury the dead vampiress, but Vincent pausing every now and then to talk wasn’t helping. She nodded, “Okay. Let us decide the space.”
A wide smile appeared on Vincent and he said, “Let us.”
After deciding how much space each of them was going to dig, both Vincent and Eve quickly started to dig. Eve used all her might, with the faintest hope that she would dig her side of the grave faster. When two hours passed, Vincent was done digging his side, while she still had a bit left on her side.
“You are slower than I thought,” Vincent commented and Eve sighed.
Her arms had started to ache, and she huffed for air, “You have the advantage of being a vampire.”
He replied, “Strength is what is in your mind, little girl. Not what you think. Looks like you will need to fulfil one of my demands now.”
Sweat trickled down Eve’s neck, making her hiss in pain. The salty water touched the wound on her neck, and it was nothing less to her soul jumping out of her body.
[Music Recommendation: Quietly Yours- Birdy]
Vincent pulled out the fresh handkerchief from his trouser pocket that he had picked from the mansion. He spread it around Eve’s neck, knotting the ends at the front. He murmured,
“Such a child.”
The hot and cold actions from Vincent was turning Eve confused, and she whispered, “Thanks.” It was hard to glare at him anymore, because of the rare glimpses of his kindness that she witnessed.
When her eyes fell on his side of the grave, she noticed it was wide, while her side was narrow. They hadn’t dug a rectangular grave. She said,
“I think you dug more than what was required.”
“Is that so?” Vincent questioned, turning to look at his side, and he said, “I think it is the perfect size that had to be dug.”
When Eve finished digging the remaining part of the ground to level what Vincent had dug, she had turned exhausted. She was sweating and her arms hurt from the labour. She said,
“We can finally bury her now.”
Finally, Lady Camille’s dead body would be resting under the ground, and no one would know that she had killed the vampiress. At least for now, and hopefully never, thought Eve to herself.
“Not yet,” said Vincent when she was about to climb out of the grave.
Eve frowned and asked, “Do we need to dig more?”
Vincent shook his head once, and said, “You haven’t completed my demand.”
“Can’t it wait until we bury her?” asked Eve, “If it is blood, you can tak–“
Vincent surprised her with his words, “Lie down with me.”
Wind blew across the forest, where leaves rustled against each other and for a moment, everything went still and quiet. Not knowing if she heard it right, Eve asked,
“Lie down?”
“Mhm. Here in the grave,” Vincent stated, before lying flat in the dug ground with his hand behind his head.
Eve wasn’t sure how to feel about sleeping in the grave dug for someone. But at the same time, this was the easiest thing Vincent had demanded from her, even the strangest. She turned and looked at the dead body on the ground and then at the coachman, who stood a little away from them, while continuing to keep an eye if someone walked upon them or the dead body.
Noticing Vincent waiting for her, Eve hesitantly sat down before laying next to the pureblooded vampire. For a few seconds, she lay there still, staring at the starry sky. She asked him,
“Do you sleep in every person’s grave before burying them in it?”
A smile bloomed on Vincent’s lips, “What do you think?”
“I don’t think my mind can fathom the thoughts that run in your mind,” she replied and cautiously turned her head to look at him, noticing he was looking at the night sky.
“We have to make sure the dead can sleep comfortably, isn’t it?” Vincent said it in such seriousness that for a moment, Eve believed he did sleep in every person’s grave. He turned to look at her, meeting her blue eyes filled with questions.
Every day I find you stranger than the day before, Eve whispered it in her mind.
“Do you feel better?” Vincent asked her.
And kinder at times like these, she added.
Eve stared into Vincent’s eyes, which didn’t seem as cold as they often did. Thanks to him, she wasn’t anymore in distress with the death on her hand, and her chest didn’t feel as heavy as it did a few hours ago.
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ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 203 Souvenir of the dead
Music Recommendation: Nowesind- Jacob David
—
Eve lay in the grave next to Vincent, watching the sky.
Who would have imagined that she was going to test the grave she had dug before letting the dead occupy it. She mentally admitted this place was somewhat cosy because the chilly wind didn’t brush against her skin as much as when outside the grave.
She asked, “How long are we going to spend our time here?”
“Considering how comfortable I am right now, I was contemplating taking a nap. You should take one too,” Vincent hummed.
Eve turned her head to look at him, noticing the peaceful expression on his face. It was past midnight. She asked him, “Aren’t you worried about being caught?”
“If I worried every time with the thought of being caught, I would have been caught already,” he murmured and Eve frowned. He then said, “Do you ever worry of being caught when you go near water?”
“Sometimes,” Eve whispered.
She heard Vincent say, “So many billion stars in the sky, and we choose to see only a few. And remember fewer than what we know, just like people. Look,” and upon his words, she looked at the sky, in time to catch a meteor shoot across the sky.
A smile appeared on Eve’s face, noticing the beauty of nature. Though she had killed someone a few hours ago, here she was, lying in peace. More importantly, alive. And as quick as the smile appeared, it slid away like the sands at the shores pulled by the waves of the sea.
The world they lived in, there was no room for the weak, powerless and poor. To know she had taken a life today was hard, but Eve knew that before anyone, she would have to forgive herself for the blood on her hands. Maybe not now, and maybe not today, but she would make peace with what she did.
She didn’t want to be okay with killing people without a second thought. The only flip side was that she would be buried in her guilt if she didn’t.
Eve’s eyes fell on a relaxed Vincent, who didn’t look at her.
Somewhere, it bothered her. Vincent had made the entire ordeal as if it was normal, putting her distressed mind at ease. She was thankful for it, but at the same time, it scared her. He scared her.
Sensing her intense gaze on him, Vincent asked, “Found something more interesting than the stars?” He turned his head to meet her eyes.
Vincent held darkness within him. More than the dark side she had stepped into, Eve felt it was his darkness that she was sinking in. And even though she was aware about it, she didn’t pull away. As if finding comfort in the darkness.
Neither Eve nor Vincent realised the seconds had turned to a minute as they silently stared at each other.
“Do you not like your bed?” Eve asked, considering how comfortable he was lying down here.
A grin cracked on Vincent’s lips. He responded, “I do, but it isn’t as fun as what we are doing now. For a moment, I was sure you were enjoying it.”
Eve pursed her lips before replying, “It is… different compared to other days I spend. Have you ever asked Mr. Briggs to join you? To relax like this.”
“I don’t like sharing my grave space with anyone,” Vincent answered with a straight face and just for a mere second, Eve felt her heart go still, “Besides, Mr. Briggs isn’t as fun as you are. If I ordered him to come join me, he would do it without a question.”
“If it is a person you want, who questions your idea of fun, I am sure you will find plenty of them,” Eve replied, breaking her gaze away from his intense ones so that she could go back to looking at the stars when in truth her attention was on the vampire next to her. She murmured, “You do know that it isn’t normal to lay in a grave.”
Vincent hummed in response, “Which is why it is more exciting, isn’t it?” There was obvious amusement in his voice. His voice turned slightly serious, and said, “What happened today, do not discuss it with anyone. Even with your aunt or your servant.”
Eve didn’t look away from the stars and said, “Someone is going to report her to be missing.”
“Undoubtedly. The council will question everyone she’s come in contact with. And you will be questioned, if the butler was informed on where his mistress went,” replied Vincent, and Eve felt her stomach turn into knots. “Don’t be scared, little one. Death and murder isn’t uncommon in the world that we live. You will survive.”
“How are you sure?” Eve asked, her eyes moving to the corner to look at him.
“Because you are my mermaid,” came the answer from Vincent, meeting her eyes. “And I always protect what belongs to me.”
Eve knew Vincent’s words didn’t hold any more meaning than what he said, but the way he said it, there was something that had her lower her eyes.
Vincent switched the subject, “You were asked by many men today. From the council members who met you at the soiree. One of them showed a very keen interest and wanted to court you. He seemed to be quite smitten by you and wanted to invite you for a meal.”
Eve asked, “Who?”
Vincent’s eyes sparkled and he drawled, “Interested?”
“It was just a conversational question,” Eve pursed her lips.
Vincent turned to lay on one side of his body, facing her, “What do you think I told him?”
“That I wasn’t available?”
“Why do you think I would say that?” Vincent stared into Eve’s eyes, a faint smile on his lips.
Eve turned on one side of her body like him and said, “You said ‘wanted to court’. Also because you wouldn’t get my blood?”
Vincent chuckled at her words and replied, “Just because you marry someone doesn’t mean I will stop drinking from you.” If it weren’t for her being attacked by the useless vampiress, he would have taken a bite from Eve. He was addicted to the taste of her blood and was turning addicted to her company. “But you are right. I told him you are already occupied. He was unsuitable.”
Curious, she asked him, “Why do you think so?”
Vincent thought for a second before he said, “His credential merit in the Council is decent, which is fine as you are only a governess,” Eve’s eyes narrowed, catching a hint of tease in his voice. He continued, “He’s a human.”
Eve frowned, “I thought a human would be a good choice after a merman.”
“If you want to die, sure,” Vincent remarked, rolling his eyes. “Like it or not, humans are weak.”
As they were on the subject, Eve decided to delve in and asked, “How about you?”
“Asking me to consider you as my partner, hm?” Vincent’s eyes were filled with mirth.
Blood slowly crept up her neck, and she said, “I meant if you found someone.”
Vincent’s lips curled, “I am looking for someone, who probably doesn’t exist anymore.”
His words caught Eve’s attention, and she asked, “From your dreams?”
“Better. From my memories,” he murmured, “I wonder if that is why I stay next to the shadow.”
His answer was vague, leaving Eve to wonder what he meant. After lying there for five more minutes, they finally climbed out of the grave.
Before lowering the vampiress’s body into the place they dug, Vincent sat next to Lady Camillie’s body. Eve watched him bring his hand forward and realised how wrong she was of him in a few things. He was a considerate person who would close Lady Camille’s eyes.
But Eve frowned when she saw his hand not close Lady Camille’s eyes. Instead, it went to the vampiress’s mouth.
“What are you doing?” Eve asked him, coming near him.
In less than two seconds, Vincent broke the fangs from the deceased vampiress’s mouth and Eve’s mouth hung open. He looked up at her and a crooked smile appeared on his lips. He said,
“Something to remember her by,” and he slipped the fangs into his trouser pocket.
This crazy vampire… Eve said in her mind.
Placing the dead body in the dug ground, Vincent and Eve pushed the mud back into it before levelling the ground to make it appear the same as before.
Vincent stared at the ground. Though people were naturally petty, Lady Camille had come to Eve when she could have ignored it. His eyes narrowed, wondering if there was something the woman was hiding.
His eyes then shifted to look at Eve, who was quiet, and as if sensing his gaze, she looked at him. He said,
“Time to leave.”
Soon, Vincent and Eve climbed the carriage, and Mr. Briggs drove the vehicle away from Darthmore without anyone’s notice.
The next day, when Eve was about to leave home, Lady Aubrey asked,
“Is everything alright? You seem tense and you are leaving early.”
Eve nodded, managing a smile. She had to loosen herself and couldn’t stay tense. She said, “If someone asks, Eugene picked me up yesterday from Moriarty mansion.”
Lady Aubrey stared at Eve with slight worry and nodded, “Okay. Be careful, Eve.”
When Eve left the house, Eugene said, “There were blood stains on the clothes Miss Eve wore yesterday.”
“Maybe that is why she has been quiet,” replied Lady Aubrey with a grim look.
On her way to work, before Eve could hop onto the local carriage, she visited the church. She held her hands together, while on her knees, and her head bowed in front of God.
Eve often visited the church when her heart felt troubled. She had picked the habit from her mother, who used to bring her to the local church of Crowbury to pray for better days. Eve’s days had improved as she grew up, but her mother’s days were cut short.
As much as she tried not to think how she had killed Lady Camille, her thoughts went to it. Seeing the priest arrive, she got up.
“Good morning, Father Joseph,” Eve bowed in greeting.
The priest was an old man who returned her bow and greeted her, “Good morning, Genevieve. You are quite early today.” It was because on weekdays, Eve mostly visited the church in the evening. “How are you doing?”
“I was hoping if you could hear my confession,” Eve spoke politely, and the old man was quick to nod.
“Of course. This way,” Father Joseph led her to the confession box, and Eve followed him, walking to the other side of the box.
The two stepped inside the confession box and sat down in their seats. Eve heard the old man lock his side of the door before he said, “Go ahead, my child. What is troubling you?”
Eve confessed, “I did something I thought I would never do. Something bad… But I had no other choice.”
The words she continued to speak were all vague. And while she spoke, her conscience cleared a little. The priest continued to listen to her speak, while offering words of advice and hope to her. Once Ever was done, they stepped out of the confession box.
At the same time, Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey entered the church. Mr. Humphrey noticed Eve and said to his wife,
“Look, it is Genevieve Barlow. Did Patrick ask for her hand yet?”
Mrs. Humphrey’s already narrowed eyes shifted to see Eve talking to the priest. She said, “Not yet. Patrick is apprehensive about it.”
Her husband turned surprised and asked, “Why? What happened?”
Mrs. Humphrey replied, “Word is that the girl is receiving favours from her employer and vice versa.”
“That can’t be true,” replied Mr. Humphrey. He quietened along with his wife when they saw Eve making her way towards the exit. Meeting them on her way, she offered a slight bow and they did the same, before stepping out of there.
“Are you sure about it? She doesn’t look like someone to do such a thing,” stated Mr. Humphrey, as the couple took a seat on one of the benches while smiling at the fellow townsfolk.
Mrs. Humphrey spoke to her husband in a hushed voice, “The information is from Mrs. Edwards, their neighbour. She saw her come home late after midnight. Not once but many times and different carriages.”
“I am surprised that Mrs. Edwards was even awake at that time to catch it,” murmured the man.
Mrs. Humphrey lightly hit her husband’s leg and said, “That isn’t what’s important. The girl has been making money. Painting walls, redoing the floors and what not.”
“I cannot believe a decent woman such as Aubrey is letting it happen. It’s probably just loose words.”
Mrs. Humphrey shrugged her shoulders, “One can never know. Didn’t you see she was at the confession box just a minute ago?”
Mr. Humphrey laughed, turning his wife puzzled. He said, “We all go to the confession box once in a while. That shouldn’t mean much.”
“I am sure it does! She came this early, I am sure the guilt is catching up with the immoral things she has been doing,” Mrs. Humphrey said, nodding to herself.
Mrs. Humphrey was convinced that Eve was hiding something. Genevieve Barlow had refused her son, and now she would let everyone know her business.
Eve walked towards the parked local carriages, offering polite smiles to the people she knew. Paying the coachman for the ride fare, she stepped inside the carriage. Once the stop for Skellington arrived, she started to walk towards Moriarty’s mansion.
On her way stood Lady Camille’s mansion, which looked peaceful and quiet.
Upon reaching the Moriarty mansion, Eve caught sight of a carriage parked inside the Moriarty mansion that didn’t belong to the family. Next to the carriage stood two men and Lady Camille’s butler.
Taking a deep breath, Eve stepped inside the gates.
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ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 204 Another person in the secret
As Eve approached the mansion’s entrance, she noticed Alfie appear to greet the men and lead them inside. Soon she entered the mansion and saw Vincent and his father walking from the other end of the hallways.
“Good morning, Viscount Moriarty. Mr. Moriarty,” the two men greeted while Lady Camillie’s butler deeply bowed his head.
“Good morning,” Vincent greeted the two men who were the officers looking after Skellington. He asked, “What brings you two gentlemen here this early in the morning?”
“Lady Camille Wright has been reported to be missing since last evening. Even her coachman. We are trying to search for her, Mr. Moriarty,” answered one of the men, who wore a brown coat. “Her butler here was worried and informed us.”
Eve’s eyes fell on the butler, who looked tense and had a suspicious look in his eyes. As the people stood in the middle of the hallways, she had to walk past them if she was going to the piano room.
“It is always good to have a reliable butler,” Vincent praised the butler, and he asked, “Did you find anything so far about where she last went?”
The man in the brown coat nodded and said, “Lady Camille’s carriage was found in front of Lady Layla’s mansion without the coachman. But the butler said that the last time he spoke to her, she told she was on her way here. To your mansion”
“Here?” Eduard questioned with a frown. “What time did she leave home?”
Lady Camille’s butler answered, “It was around four or before it.”
Eve heard Senior Mr. Moriarty state, “If she was here, we would have definitely known because we were in the mansion. Alfie,” the man turned to the butler. “Did you see her?”
The butler bowed and replied, “No, Sire. I was at the entrance getting the carriage ready. I would have seen her.”
The man held a grim expression and said, “We have already spoken to Lady Layla before coming here and would like to question the people in the mansion. If you don’t mind? We don’t mean to doubt you or the people who work here. It’s just for protocol’s sake.”
“Of course, we understand, Walter. Anything so that we can find Lady Camille,” Vincent calmly responded, offering the key to the two men to unlock the door of answers.
With how he was behaving, it was as if he hadn’t helped her bury the ground last night, Eve thought in her mind. As she got closer, her eyes met Vincent’s for the briefest second, before walking away from there.
One of the two men, whose eyes fell on Eve’s back, asked, “Who is that?”
“That is my youngest daughter’s governess,” Eduard answered. “Why don’t we take this conversation to the drawing room? You can then inquire whomever you want there.”
“Thank you for your cooperation. It is very much appreciated,” the person in the brown coat replied, while being led to the mansion’s drawing room.
Eve reached the piano room and was about to step inside the room, when her eyes fell on Lady Camille’s body lying on the ground. For a second, she stopped in shock, only to realise it was her mind playing tricks and there was nothing on the floor.
“Ms. Barlow?” Came the small voice that belonged to Allie.
Eve looked away from the ground and looked at the young vampiress, who was already in the room, who stared at her. Mustering a smile, she greeted the small girl, “Good morning, Miss Allie. Did you finish your breakfast?” It was because the vampiress always came ten to fifteen minutes after she entered the room.
Allie nodded and replied, “Toast, blood, boiled potatoes.”
Sounded like a wholesome meal in the household of vampires, Eve thought. She placed her things on one side of the room. When she came near the table, Allie jumped out of the chair and jumped to hug Eve’s legs because of her height.
Eve was slightly surprised by the small vampiress’s action. She placed her hand on the girl’s head, gently stroking it and asked, “Did something happen?”
Allie didn’t move for a few seconds and whispered something that Eve didn’t quite catch at first.
“I was worried,” said the little one.
Eve wondered if Vincent had told Allie about what happened and, if he did, how much he had shared with the girl. She assured the girl, “You don’t have to be worried about me. I am here standing in front of you now.”
The young vampiress pulled away from Eve while dropping her small hands to her side.
Eve saw Allie craning her neck, where the small girl’s worried eyes met hers, as if to ensure Eve was alright. The action was enough to warm Eve’s heart. Allie’s eyes shifted to look at her governess’s neck, which was now covered by her collared dress. Seeing the small frown on the small girl’s face brought a smile to Eve’s lips.
This caught Allie off guard, and she looked at her governess in question.
“We should get some studying done now, Miss Allie. What do you think?” Eve asked Allie, who quickly complied as if her governess’s words were absolute.
While teaching Allie, Eve tried to keep her mind occupied. After some time, the two men of authority, Lady Camille’s butler, Alfie and Vincent, appeared in front of the door. Vincent knocked on the piano room’s door and smiled at Eve,
“Ms. Barlow, these two gentlemen here want to ask a few questions.”
Eve nodded, standing up and facing them. She offered them a bow.
The man in the brown coat introduced himself, “I am Walter Holmes and this is Adrian Parker. We are here with questions that concern Lady Camille Wright. Have you met her before?”
“I have. I am acquainted with her niece. Rosetta Hooke,” Eve answered the question.
“Did you meet her yesterday or see her?” Came the obvious question Eve was expecting.
Eve had gone through the scenarios so many times in her mind that she was now calm and shook her head. Yes, she said in her mind.
“No, I didn’t.” Buried her body.
While Eve was questioned and she answered the basic things, another man’s eyes fell on the little vampiress in the room, and he said to Vincent, “I would like to ask your sister questions.”
For the men to want to make a thorough check here, it meant only two things. Either the men were covering all grounds, or the butler had his suspicion focused here.
Vincent nodded, “Go ahead. As you know, my younger sister isn’t too fond of speaking to strangers, but you can ask simple questions with yes or no. She’s more cooperative than her elder sister,” he smiled at the men, where one of them grimaced as if they had just met and inquired with the Viscount’s first daughter.
“Miss Allie,” Walter asked the young vampiress, “Did you see Lady Camille in the mansion?”
Allie shook her head.
“I see. It looks like something happened between Lady Camille’s house and yours, Mr. Moriarty,” Walter said to Vincent.
Lady Camille’s butler said worriedly, “Do you think someone kidnapped her?”
“It could be one of the possibilities. But who would ever have the audacity to kidnap a woman from Skellington? Less when she’s the Marquee’s sister,” Vincent looked appalled and asked, “Did she have any quarrel with anyone recently?”
The butler pursed his lips, staring at Vincent, “I don’t think so, Sire.”
Vincent said, “Isn’t it odd that something like this happened after Marquee Hooke left? Maybe it is someone who was targeting him?”
Walter sighed and replied, “Nothing can be told right now. Lady Layla said the carriage had been stationed since last evening, and hasn’t moved from there. Some people found the coachman next to the carriage until late at night and then he disappeared with no trace. If we find the coachman, we would be able to get answers on where Lady Camille is.” He then turned to look at Vincent and said, “Thank you for your help, Mr. Moriarty. We would like to take our leave.”
“Always a pleasure,” Vincent offered a charming smile to the two men.
“Mr. Moriarty,” the other man bowed and stepped out of the room. Vincent turned to the butler, who quickly bowed and followed the men to lead them out of the mansion.
Eve let out a sigh of relief. She was sure the two men would bombard her with questions, but they didn’t. Technically, she was an outsider, and it wasn’t easy for her to be the prime suspect.
“You don’t have to be bothered with it now. I told you I got everything covered,” Vincent remarked with a crooked smile. He walked to where his younger sister was and patted her head. “You did well,” he praised.
That was right, Allie had seen Lady Camille with her in this room, yet she had denied seeing the woman.
Eve asked Vincent, “You told her?”
“Allie came to me this morning. She saw Camille’s body with your feet through the gap below the door yesterday. Next time drag the body to the corner,” Vincent explained in a nonchalant way. He said, “Hamster is good with secrets.”
Eve noticed Vincent pat Allie’s head. This got the little girl to close her eyes slightly as if enjoying it with a small smile.
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ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 205 Folklore of the sea and land
Eve and Allie had moved to the mansion’s library to read a few subjects in depth, where the reference book was present. Right now, the small vampiress was reading a book at the table, while Eve wandered towards the book racks.
Wanting to find out if there was anything about the mermaid’s eyes changing in these books, Eve’s hand reached for a book. But she was quick to pull her hand away when she heard the clicking sound of shoes approaching the room.
It was Marceline.
The vampiress had let her black hair down with two braids-like headbands that went on top of her head. Eve offered a bow to the vampiress from where she stood.
“I thought I heard the sound of pages rustling in here and wondered who it was,” Marceline offered a sweet smile while her eyes scrutinised Eve.
“The advanced book Miss Allie wanted to learn was here. Mr. Moriarty said it was okay to study here than the piano room,” Eve explained to Marceline, who continued to look at her and where she stood.
“Is that so,” Marceline stepped inside the library, her shoes softly clicking, “You must be excited to be here as this room is open only to the people of high status.”
Marceline belittled her without using actual words, and it didn’t go unnoticed by Eve. She smiled at the vampiress and replied,
“It is surely a treasure for people who seek to know more about the world we live in. You never know when it might come into use.”
Marceline hummed, “But what is the point of knowing things that you will never see, touch or talk about. People from the lower and middle class don’t have the slightest of idea,” Marceline walked near where Allie sat, looking over the little girl’s shoulder to see what she was reading.
“You think having more knowledge is bad?” Eve politely asked Marceline, who turned to look at her and smile.
“Not necessarily bad. But a person will waste time knowing something they will never discuss with another person, because it doesn’t matter. It is like knowing about what a stranger does every day, which is of no concern to me,” replied Marceline.
Seeing Eve not reply to her, Marceline was irked by it, but she continued to smile.
People outside the mansion and the servants were always quick to agree on what she said, yet here she was, where a mere human governess wasn’t willing to agree to her words.
Marceline disliked women like Eve. Someone who acted pure, and kind, spoke to people in a soft tone. The human’s nature made her uncomfortable. And it was because those were qualities that didn’t belong to the vampiress.
The smile on Marceline’s lips didn’t quiver, and she said to Eve, “You have finally found someone whom you can talk about things with, isn’t it? So silly of me. You should settle down, when you still have the opportunity, Ms. Barlow.”
“Thank you for your concerned words, Lady Marceline. How about you?” Eve reversed the question. “Has any man caught your interest?”
Marceline touched the table’s surface with the tips of her fingers before pulling away. She said,
“Mm, there are many eligible bachelors, sending me letters and gifts. Some handsome, some smart, some wealthy. I find it hard to pick one without breaking the rest of their hearts. Is there anyone you think is suitable for me?” She asked Eve’s suggestion, while fishing for the right answer.
Eve already knew the reply Marceline was expecting to hear. She replied, “Unfortunately, I never took a look at the eligible bachelors to give you a proper answer, Lady Marceline.”
“What a pity. I know just the right men, whom you might find to be in your interest,” Marceline remarked. She then asked casually, “How well do you know Lady Anaya Chambers? I heard she has excellent designs for clothes and would like to get in touch with her.”
“Not much. We have met only twice, but she appears to be a pleasant woman,” Eve replied, and Marceline nodded.
“I see,” the vampiress murmured as if deep in thought before smiling. “I should get going now,” Eve watched Marceline walk away from the library. The sound of the vampiress’s footsteps receded.
With Marceline gone and Allie busy reading the book, Eve returned to the rack and pulled out a book containing information about creatures that belonged to the sea. She came upon sea folklore.
‘Once there lived, the beautiful and kindest Goddess Nerhys. When her son fell ill, the mermaids and mermen looked for a cure but didn’t find it. Nerhys decided to look for the cure on the lands, despite her husband, Anchor’s protests.
When looking for a cure, she came upon the King, who offered to help her but on two conditions. One, that she would offer her powers to his children. Two, the next daughter born to Nerhys would be married to his eldest son.
Wanting to save her son, Nerhys agreed to the King’s condition. The cure was found and handed to her, while Nerhys gifted the King’s children with rare abilities. When Nerhys moved near the shore, the King captured the beautiful mermaid for himself.
Nerhys’s son died, and her husband’s heart turned dark from grief, killing his kind and others. On receiving the news, the sea goddess turned sorrowful. She had already started to shrivel. Before her last breath, she cursed the King– For the pain and the promise you broke, your children will wither with their dark emotions as you.
Nerhys died, but with her death came the King’s death and his children. The peace between the land and sea was gone. The curse could be broken only if the–‘
With the page torn, Eve couldn’t read further on what happened. On a closer look, she noticed a whole page must have been torn next to it.
Eve wondered if Vincent knew about this story.
As hours passed in the library, she tried to find what the change of colour in her eyes indicated.
This morning, when Eve was in front of the mirror, she stared into her eyes for more than ten minutes. Trying to concentrate and bring out the yellow freckles, but all she saw was blue.
After some time, she returned to sit next to Allie.
A yawn escaped from Eve’s lips. She had come home late and woken up early, leaving her with less sleep.
When Allie left the library to have lunch, Eve laid her head on the table to get a quick nap.
Five minutes passed when Eve was awakened by the sound of a book falling from one of the racks. She opened her eyes and got up to put the fallen book back, but no book had fallen. Her eyebrows furrowed, wondering what the sound was.
Suddenly she heard one of the doors shut close behind her, making her turn, and she stared at it.
“Miss Allie?” Eve called the little vampiress’s name but received no response.
Hearing something creek from behind the door, Eve walked towards it. Placing her hand on the doorknob, she pushed it down and opened the door.
While the library was moderately bright inside, where light entered through the windows and candles were lit around the room, outside the door that Eve had opened, it was night. Before she could comprehend what was happening, she heard metal hitting the ground.
Her eyes fell on the men’s backs and hands that held shovels as they continued digging the ground, lifting the mud and throwing it to the side. And then her eyes fell on the person lying on the ground.
“Mother…” Eve whispered, stepping forward. When the men picked up her mother and placed her inside the dug-up ground, Eve’s lips trembled and shouted, “Stop!”
“Eve!” Vincent’s voice snapped her out of what she was experiencing.
Suddenly Eve was not standing in the forest anymore, nor was she standing in the gallery. She stood on the window sill. One more step and she would fly before her body would hit the ground next to the garden.
“Testing if fish have wings?” Vincent questioned with narrowed eyes. His hand wrapped around her wrist, and he pulled her to get her back into the room, “What do you think you are doing?”
Eve stared at Vincent, feeling her heart beating loudly. She said, “My mother is buried somewhere in the forest. I saw her.”
Vincent’s face held a grim expression, and asked her, “Do you know where?”
“It was near the oranges… similar to the ones we had been to yesterday,” said Eve.
“That’s not possible. It cannot be anywhere near the spot where we went. It is because the spots there are already filled. Many years ago, the place used to be a graveyard before the tombstones were cleared. Important ones were shifted, while the nameless were left behind… Only a person of authority would dare to bury it.”
There were plenty of orange trees planted in every town, and there was no telling if Eve’s mother was truly buried near the Council.
“And just because we didn’t get caught last night, doesn’t mean you won’t get caught the next time you walk there,” Vincent reminded her. “Do you remember anything more specific? Something that stands out, or the men’s faces?”
Eve shook her head, “They had their backs facing me.”
“Too little information to find your mother, Eve darling. It’s not even a needle in the haystack, but a drop of water dropped into the ocean which gets lost,” he stated. Looking at her eyes, he stepped closer and said, “Looks like the flecks are back.”
Eve blinked her eyes a couple of times for it to return to its original blue and heard Vincent say,
“If you have something more specific, maybe we can work on it.”
Vincent wasn’t too keen on digging the ground where he had buried most of the bodies and was resting peacefully. Some of the old skeletons were thrown out to make space for the new ones.
It seemed like his mermaid didn’t just dream in her sleep but also during the day. The flecks appeared only at certain times.
As Vincent stared at Eve, he had doubts of what she could be, but he wasn’t too sure. His eyes subtly narrowed.
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