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ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 481 Object That Belongs To Someone Else
"Noah, we have some bad news," James told him. "I just found that my reservoir for the mermaids and sirens was destroyed by someone. Not just damaged, but there was blood on the ground, and the creatures are missing from there. This has raised concern from the authorities on what has been going there."
A look of surprise appeared on Noah's face, and he asked with concern, "What?"
"The reservoir in the East, Noah," James's previous anger appeared on his face, and he didn't look happy. He said, "I cannot believe that something like this could happen. You know how important these treasures are. Mermaids and sirens, and to think I have been waiting for them to mature so I could take a look at it," he huffed.
"How did it even happen?" Noah asked, while acting ignorant about what he had done.
His uncle looked frustrated and said, "That fucking magistrate must have let someone see. He must have not taken care."
"Even if someone entered the place, there are guards guarding it. Maybe the magistrate had something to do with it," Noah blamed the magistrate, who had been eager to eat the mermaid meat when he met him. "He seemed even hungry to take a bite from one of them."
"Fucker," James cursed, and one of his eyes turned gold, while the other stayed black as he couldn't see from it since he was blinded. "I will go take a look at what happened myself. And also make sure the other reservoirs are safely holding the mermaids and sirens. To make sure that they are of use."
"How about I come along with you? Or do I take care of it?" Noah offered, and James gave it some thought before he said,
"Maybe that can be done. The golden moon is approaching nearer and it will show the true nature of that special sea creature whom I have been looking for. All I need to do is drink her blood until the very last drop," James sneered, and he said, "It seems like the Sullivan's have been having bad luck. First the butler and now this news. It must be related. Both of them are related."
Noah should have known that his uncle would figure things out sooner as he wasn't a dumb person. The man has been trying to find the siren-mermaid for some time now.
Noah asked, "How are you going to find her? There are plenty of fish in the sea."
"No matter what, the prophecy says that we Sullivans will meet her. She is bound to die," James said, clenching his jaws. "You are the last descendant of Sullivan. You are meant for great things, Noah. The creature will be put in use."
Noah watched his uncle leave his side, walking inside the mansion, while he continued to stand there with an expressionless face.
He knew that time to choose was approaching quickly, and no matter how much he had tried to keep things peaceful, he wouldn't be able to continue to do it. Was there a way to stop his uncle from causing any harm and breaking the family...
He had successfully freed some of the mermaids, but there was more than one pond where his uncle held the mermaids and sirens. He had always thrived for peace, without any conflicts, and he would find it if there were a way to it.
Walking inside the mansion, which seemed quieter than usual, he went to his room. When he was done washing his face with the cold water, he remembered something. With water still dripping from his face, he walked to his closet and searched for something.
When he didn't find it, he looked unsettled and asked himself, "Where did it go?"
Someone knocked on the closed room, and he said, "Come in."
The person was none other than his mother, who held a quizzical look and asked, "Are you looking for something, Noah?"
Noah murmured, "One of my coats seems to be missing from my room."
"Hm? Which coat? Maybe it has gone to wash," Lady Hilda replied, coming to his side and placing a kiss on her son's cheek.
But the coat had been missing for quite some days now, Noah thought to himself. He then asked, "Did you need something?"
Lady Hilda smiled at her son's question and asked, "Can't a mother come to meet her son to spend some time with him? You have been so busy the past few days. Even missed meals with your family. I was worried that you are overworking yourself."
"I am fine, mother. Work just happened to pile and I have been trying to finish it before the deadline," Noah leaned forward and returned his mother's kiss on her cheek. "There's nothing that you need to worry about."
"Of course, you are my amazing son," Lady Hilda smiled, as she stared at him. When a sliver of worry moved past her expression, he said to her,
"You seem to hold something in your mind."
Lady Hilda shook her head, "Nothing big. I was just worried about what happened to our butler. To go missing so suddenly, and it has left a worry in my heart."
Noah placed his hand on his mother's shoulder and assured her, "There's nothing to worry about, mother. I am sure we'll find him soon, so you should rest easy."
"Mm," she nodded, "You are right. Since the Chambers's family left, the mansion has turned quiet and back to how it has been since the beginning. It is a pity that you both couldn't make it work."
"She will be happier where she is now, that she would be here," Noah replied calmly.
Lady Hilda didn't remark on it, but she then said, "I came to hear something from Lady Marge. That you walked Anaya's friend down the aisle. Didn't know that you were close to her too," there was a slight hint of curiosity in her eyes as she looked for answers, wondering when her son had found the time to be close to the woman.
"She didn't have a male relative and as Anaya was close to her, Anaya wanted me to walk her down," Noah lied through his teeth, and he could tell that something was going on in his mother's mind. "It gives you a good reputation, when you try to help people in public."
Lady Hilda's smile grew and she agreed, "That is true. It is all about the appearance and how we carry ourselves, that brings in respect and power that we yield. But we aren't close to the Moriartys... not particularly nice because of who they are."
"I thought you didn't mind if they are vampires or werewolves until they are from high status," Noah remarked, walking across the room as he picked up a shirt from the closet.
"Oh, I don't. It is just that the Moriarty family leaves a bad taste in my mouth," Lady Hilda replied, taking a look at her son's room and then said, "I hope to see you at supper tonight, Noah. It isn't nice to be missing family time. Hm?" offering a smile to him, she stepped out of the room.
Once his mother left the room. Noah walked to the door and locked it so that no one would come to disturb him. He needed some time for himself to think.
Remembering something, he walked to one of the walls where a painting was fixed. He pulled the painting, behind which was a little vault. Turning the knobs, he opened it and pulled out the documents that were the papers of the town of Brokengroves. The lands there belonged to him, and he wanted to return it to Eve. The house that she once used to live in.
Noah went to his desk and started to write on a fresh parchment, and once he had filled in all the details, he put them in an envelope.
Far away from Skellington and Woodlock, and farther in the West, Anaya Chambers had reached her mansion with her parents a few days ago.
"Milady," two servants knocked on her room door, and she turned and saw them carrying a trunk.
"Finally it is here. I thought the trunk was lost with the carriage. The shoes must be in there," Anaya said, standing up and ordering them, "Bring it in."
The servants stepped inside the room along with the trunk before placing it on the ground. One of the servants opened the trunk and started to look for the shoes before finding it.
"There it is," Anaya said, "You can keep them in the corner. And also have the rest of the things placed back in the cupboard."
While the two servants started to clear the trunk, Anaya's eyes fell on something that didn't belong to her. One of the servants said, "Milady, Mr. Chamber's coat is in here."
Anaya frowned and replied, "That's not father's coat..." Her maid must have thought it belonged to her and had packed it in the trunk before they left. "Give it to me."
"Yes, milady," said the servant before handing the coat to her.
Anaya walked to the other side of the room with the coat and released the breath she had been holding. It was Noah's coat. The coat that he had offered her the night of the soiree, and she had failed to return it.
Though days had passed since she had left Woodlock, the Duke continued to haunt her. Though they had nothing between them apart from the acquaintance-ship which might have turned into being friends, she missed him. But as much as she wanted and had hoped for the man to one day return her affections, not now but at least in the future, she realised it would just be a dream.
Yet at the same time, it was hard to move on with her day, where the memories with him refused to leave her mind.
Anaya gingerly ran her hand down the fabric, feeling the softness under her fingertips until she felt something hard. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she turned the coat around before her hand fished into the pocket. When she pulled it out, she noticed it was a small music box.
"What is this doing in his pocket?" Anaya asked, wondering if it belonged to the Duke, and her lips pursed.
Far away from the borders of the West lands, in the town of Darthmore where the Council was located, Vincent pushed the door open to the Head Council's chamber.
Clayton, who sat behind the desk, remarked,
"Wasn't expecting you to clock into work this soon."
"I am not here for work. Not the one's for the Council at least," Vincent replied and stepped inside the chamber. Clayton's eyes fell on the little shadow that followed the pureblooded vampire. "This is Timotei, my cat."
"I am not your cat!" Timotei snapped back before covering his mouth with his paw.
Timotei had turned into a heavy sleeper that he didn't know when they had reached Skellington and when his majestic self was taken to Darthmore. As he had woken up, he had ended up following Vincent.
Clayton's eyes narrowed, "I didn't know you had a pet. Not one that spoke."
"It's from my previous life," Vincent replied in a nonchalant tone, and Clayton turned slightly confused. "I have a request to make. I need access to the royal castle."
"I can arrange it. Meeting the King and the Queen?" Clayton asked, while his eyes followed the black cat that jumped on the desk and settled as if it was here to discuss with the Head Council.
"Need to dig out a grave and take a look at it," Vincent offered a bright smile, and Clayton wondered what the pureblooded was up to this time.
"I feel I will regret it, if I were to ask you what you are planning right now. Hopefully, everything that is under the law?" Clayton asked Vincent, who nodded with a look of indifference.
"You have such expectations and hope on me, that is very admirable," Vincent remarked, and Clayton's face soured.
"I am even surprised people still have hope on you," Timotei muttered under his breath, while he looked in the other direction.
Clayton looked uncertainly at Vincent and said, "I have a feeling you will be spending your time in the dungeon up in the North."
"Doesn't sound that bad. It has been a while since I last spent time in the dungeon, especially one that is directly handed by the royal family," Vincent joked, and the small looking vampire grimaced.
While Timotei was looking the other way, Clayton had pulled out one of the gloves on his hand and touched the black cat's tail.
"Hey!" Timotei exclaimed with horror on his face and pulled his groomed tail to his chest, "Nobody touches the tail!"
Clayton looked unfazed by the cat's words and said, "There's a touch of sea in him. Is that where he got his voice from? From a sea creature?"
Timotei even though offended, he looked impressed and said, "For a small boy you catch up quickly."
Before Clayton would decide to swing the black cat out of his chambers and Timotei caused a scene, Vincent said, "The earlier the access to the royal castle, the better. I will be travelling up North soon." He stepped out of the chamber with Timotei quickly jumping down from the desk.
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ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 482 Timotei’s Next Aspiration
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When Vincent made his way through one of the corridors, some council members were quick to offer him a bow until he walked past them. But it was when they noticed a black cat tailing behind the pureblooded vampire that their eyebrows rose.
One of the councilmen murmured, "What is a black cat doing in here? Less following him."
"Haven't you heard that black cats are uncommon because of the mass death that had been ordered many years ago after the witches caused problems? They are signs of bad luck," the other councilman to the one who first spoke said barely above a whisper, while standing at the end of the corridor and behind the pillar.
Vincent didn't pay attention to the remarks, but Timotei didn't like how he was reduced to bad luck because of the glorious colour of his fur!
"Men are no less to women when it comes to gossip," Timotei muttered under his breath, while he wanted to show those pesky men what bad luck actually went with the power of his claws. But he was more curious about where Vincent was walking off because the carriage was parked on the opposite side. "Where are you going? We are supposed to go back to Skellington so that I can eat," he said before increasing the speed of his paws to come to walk next to the pureblooded vampire.
"There's something I need to take a look at," Vincent remarked in a low voice where his lips barely moved. "Consider it to be bonding time. Not everyone gets to work with me."
"Does this mean I will be appointed as a councilman?" Timotei asked in excitement, as they stepped away from the main building and walked towards another building.
"Sure," Vincent replied in a nonchalant tone and Timotei raised his head to look at him in suspicion.
"Why does it feel like you are lying to me? You said sure, that means you should keep your word! I first thought I would be a good priest, but now that I think about it, I will be a better councilman. Imagine the fame I will achieve!" Timotei stated with an air of superiority. "Timotei to the rescue!"
Timotei still had a hard time understanding how Vincent had ended up being his owner because of his foul attitude. Not to mention, there was something very unnerving about the pureblooded vampire that turned the black cat wary and docile in front of him.
Once they reached the other building that belonged to the Council, they walked down the stairs to the underground floor. Vincent picked up a lantern in his hand before making his way through the collection of books and other records that were stored for the use of the Council.
Timotei sneezed loudly when he felt himself inhale the dust around the place. He sneezed one more time, while his eyes turned watery.
"What do you plan to find here?" Timotei asked Vincent, when the pureblooded vampire walked forward, moving between the racks.
"When the reign of King Gauntlet and his successors came to an end, a lot of the things were captured by the Council. Though most of the belongings to the royal family were thrown out, one of the men of that period recorded details of what he saw and heard. The records are somewhere in here," Vincent said, as his eyes moved to look at the names written on each section of the racks.
Vincent then pulled a few books, reading a few pages before putting it back where it was.
Timotei, deciding to help, jumped on one of the rack spaces for the box to fall on the ground with a crash and awkwardly laughed, 'Oops'. He then said,
"Why do people even keep books that speak about the relationship between the night creatures and what kind of pet they need to adopt? The people from the Council aren't too bright, are they? If I was a vampire, you would see me closing cases like this," he snapped using his paws.
Vincent's eyebrows furrowed. He walked to where Timotei was, and said, "A lot of things in here won't make sense unless you turn the pages."
"What do you mean?" The black cat asked in curiosity.
"To hide things from the people, the ones who preserved the book wanted to make sure they didn't fall into the wrong hands. Information is not used the same by everyone. A camouflage," Vincent said, and after turning ten more pages, he finally pointed, "The information should be somewhere in this rack. Look," he turned the book for Timotei to step forward, taking a closer look at it.
"That's the royal castle..." Timotei murmured, feeling a headache starting to form on his head as if something that had been suppressed was trying to push through.
Vincent started looking through the books before his hand fell on the book, which contained the information he sought. He read the writings in the book with the lantern burning bright in that section where they stood,
"When the Sea Goddess didn't return for long, her daughters came to the land to bring her back. One a mermaid, and the other was a siren. Considering the nature of the two, the one who was favoured was the mermaid, while the siren was of no use to the royal family. The mermaid was promised to be married to the King's favourable son, but it was the siren who fell in love with that son. Like two souls that were meant to be together."
Timotei shook his head as if he suddenly turned confused, and he said, "I thought the siren was trying to kill you because you killed her sister and mother?"
"There's only half information in here, not the depth that we are looking for. Seems like another half information," Vincent replied with a frown. After going through many other books, he came upon something with his lips set in a thin line and a foul mood coming to surround him.
Timotei, on sensing it, asked, "Anything regarding the dagger?"
"Yeah," Vincent replied, and he placed the book in the inner pocket of his coat. They left the Council in the carriage and soon the carriage rode away, heading in the Moriarty mansion's direction.
Once the carriage stopped in front of the Moriarty mansion, Timotei was more than glad to be home and quickly went to the kitchen to see what delicious food was being prepared for him. While on the other hand, Vincent made his way to his room. On opening it, he stepped inside and noticed Eve not in there. But he turned his eyes to the other side of the divider when he noticed his wife in the bathtub.
Eve wasn't just sitting in the bathtub; her body was submerged, and her fish tail had turned to her dainty legs, with the knee sticking out of the water surface.
Vincent walked around the wooden divider and caught Eve immersed in the water. Her eyes were closed, and he sat on the side before his own hand dipped into the water and touched her face. As if alerted, her blue eyes opened in shock and she quickly sat up by getting her head out of the water.
Eve took a deep breath, and Vincent apologised, "I didn't mean to startle you."
"No..." Eve inhaled, shaking her head, and said, "I didn't realise when I fell asleep..." How long was she in the bathtub?
When Eve stood up, Vincent picked up the bath towel and he wrapped it around her body. He tightened the end, watching drops of water trailing down from Eve's head downwards to the white fabric of the towel.
"That is fine," he said, "We had a long journey and water is your home. You must have felt comfortable and more at peace staying in the tub."
Vincent pushed the wet strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Did you just return? What time is it?" Eve asked him as she stepped out of the bathtub.
"Mm. "The hour is closing to six in the evening," Vincent stepped away and noticed the scales on Eve's arm that hadn't disappeared. "Did you not use enough bath salts?" His eyes fell on the bathtub, and he could smell the slight waft of salt in the air.
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ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 483 The Other Person Involved
Eve turned to look at her arm and ran her fingertips on the blue scales. A small frown appeared on her face, and she said, "I did. I used more than I usually do."
This wasn't the first time where her scales had appeared even after the use of the bath salt. But it was only because her body was craving for salts when she was young and until now she had better control over it.
"The siren side in you has been contained in you for a long time and seems like it wants some time out too," Vincent pointed, noticing the golden outline around the blue scales.
Sensing the seriousness in Vincent's words, Eve asked him, "Is there a way to shut that side permanently? To choose to be a mermaid and not a siren?" She was grateful to her mother and she respected and loved her, but she doubted being a siren was good. Especially when she had almost stabbed Vincent in her subconscious state.
"There is something you need to know, Eve," Vincent said, pausing for a second before he continued, "Let us get you dried and clothed first and then talk about it."
Once Eve was dressed and her golden blonde hair was drying up, Vincent sat her on the couch and took a seat next to her. She said, "You are worrying me, Vincent. Did you find something about the dagger in the Council?"
"The dagger is a gift from the Sea goddess Nerhys to her daughters," and silence fell after Vincent's words.
"So there's more than one dagger?" Eve asked him, and Vincent gave her a nod. They had one dagger, so where was the other dagger?
"That's right. But to be precise, there were two daggers, one given to each daughter. One to the mermaid, one to the siren," Vincent replied to her, and Eve's eyebrows furrowed. He continued, "King Gauntlet had promised his favourite son, a marriage to the Sea Goddess's daughter. The mermaid. These daggers, don't kill just the King's bloodline, but is also a means to destroy the one who possesses the dagger."
"Nerhys gave her daughter's weapons that could kill them?" Eve asked Vincent in surprise.
"Seems like it. Or that was what the person who wrote it. It could be a misinterpretation, but that is what I have found. The good news is that King Gauntlet's favourable son was from the Moriarty bloodline."
Eve felt a sigh of relief. This meant if she was truly the reincarnation of the Sea Goddess's daughter, she was promised to marry Vincent, and she smiled. They were destined to be together and her heart warmed. But then her smile fell as she rewinded what Vincent said. She asked, "You have bad news too?"
Eve stared into Vincent's eyes, wondering what else he had found out about. She then heard him say,
"It is about the mark that I have left on you. The reason why one of the wings keeps disappearing is because of the siren daughter. She was marked by the other son, as she couldn't have the one her sister was going to marry."
For a moment, Eve was too stunned to speak a word. She asked, "W--what does that mean? I mean, if there are two sisters, I am a different person and the other... the siren..."
"They were twins, Eve. The siren and the mermaid sisters," Vincent revealed to her and Eve's face turned pale. "In some weird, twisted sense, the mermaid as well as the siren came to take the same vessel. Which is you."
"Oh, God..." Eve whispered under her breath.
Vincent pulled out the book from his coat that he had brought along with him from the Council. He opened a particular page and handed it to her. Eve stared at him for a second before her eyes looked down to read the book. She heard Vincent said,
"If you read the third paragraph, it says that the siren was the last one to die. And before she died, she swore to take revenge for the pain and anguish that was caused. For stealing the love from her."
"So the siren side... is the other sister. And the mermaid is another sister..." Eve murmured, wondering where it left her own identity. She asked him, "Why water though? The mark disappears only when it is underwater."
"It is often said that the sirens belong more to the water than the mermaids do. Mermaids are favoured on the lands, because of their docile character. It is the siren's way of telling that you don't belong to me, but that she belongs to the descendant male of the Sullivan family."
"But it doesn't make sense... I mean, I have spent time with Noah before, but the siren side never came up to greet him," Eve reasoned.
"It is possible that the siren side has been dormant until now. Until I marked you as my own, that has woken up from her long slumber, and though she exists in you, she hasn't taken over your. Only unconsciously until now," Vincent explained to her. But that meant there was a possibility that the siren could take over her senses. He said, "We will head to the royal castle tonight. There's no point wasting time, because it speaks about the golden moon. It is the time when witches and other entities draw energy to create sacrifices. Right now, we are racing against time."
"Maybe we should talk to Noah about it?" Eve asked Vincent with a look of worry in her eyes. Noah was her dear friend, and Vincent was the love of her life. If things could be solved through words, they could avoid future disasters.
Vincent replied, "I visited Woodlock before coming home. Noah hasn't been home since noon and the servant said he didn't know how long it would be before he returned. Without telling where."
In Woodlock town, the sun had set, and a curtain of darkness had been drawn on the sky. In one of the room's of Sullivan's mansion, the burning logs in the fireplace could be heard crackling.
The door opened to the quiet room, and in stepped James Sullivan. He said,
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"Someone stole the mermaids and the sirens from the pond. The magistrate has no clue and none of the guards were left alive. All dead."
"I told you that you should finish it sooner," said the person who sat on the couch in front of the fireplace. "What happened to being meticulous?"
James walked towards the couch. He said, "I didn't expect it. It won't happen again. I have sent Noah to take a look at the other place where the sea creatures have been caught, and I will be going to the West myself."
"I was hoping to have supper with Noah, and now I will have to wait. The Moriarty's boy was here today," Lady Hilda said, taking a sip from the glass of her wine. "Asking for Noah. Saying he had to speak about the document that Turner wanted him to look at. The last time he somehow made it alive. Even though I sent the best men of mine, they were all killed. Butchered in pieces. We cannot take a chance."
James sat on the couch, taking the glass from the woman and sipping it. He said, "I will take care of it."
"We need to find the siren-mermaid quickly. Time is very little," Lady Hilda said in a dull voice. "Something isn't right James. How did the butler disappear so easily without a clue? It's as if someone knows."
James placed the glass to the side and raised his hand to hold the woman's chin, "These are little setbacks, which we were unprepared for, darling." Hilda stared into James's eyes, and then pushed his hand away from her chin. He asked her, "What's the matter? Jeffry isn't home."
"I am not in the mood, James. First you bring me bad news, and then send Noah out when I made plans with him. He feels distant lately."
James softly chuckled and replied, "It is probably because of Anaya's missing presence in the mansion. I will go find it myself, see what the Council is doing to help find our missing butler. The Sullivan's will have power, Hilda. We were meant to have it," leaning forward, he kissed her lips before getting up and leaving the room.
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ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 484 Long Ago Unfortunate King’s Home
Once Vincent and Eve finished supper with their family, their trunks were loaded for the journey, and they left in the carriage with Mr. Briggs riding the carriage. Right now, Eve laid her head on Vincent's shoulder, staring outside the window at the darkness offered by the forest. The light fell from the lantern that hung on the sides of the carriage.
When the cold weather slithered into Eve's body, she shivered despite wearing a thick coat. Vincent remarked,
"You should wear my coat too, you will feel much better with it. The cold doesn't affect me as much as it does to you."
Eve pulled her head away from Vincent's shoulder and said, "I am fine." And she put her hand around his arm, hugging it and feeling a sense of bliss and safety.
Vincent kissed Eve's head and said, "My dearest Eve. I have other ways to warm you, if you are willing to."
A hint of pink spilt on Eve's cheeks, and she whispered, "We aren't alone." Her eyes fell on Timotei, who had accompanied them, as he was a vital key to the mission they had taken upon themselves. The black cat had fallen into a deep sleep, with his body curled and holding his tail with his front paws as if he let it free, someone would steal it.
"I can always have him ride in the front with Briggs, or have Briggs pull the carriage so that we can stretch our legs in the woods," Vincent said with such seriousness that it stirred Eve's desire for him. "Just say the word, and I will make it happen."
Eve smiled at Vincent's offer. Craning her neck, she kissed his cheek, "You should get some rest too. You have been able to rest since we returned to Skellington."
"You forget that I don't sleep much, and don't need it, as much as you do. How about we make a little adjustments now," Vincent suggested with a grin, and Eve wondered what he was talking about. He picked her up and placed her on his lap, while her legs rested on the seat. "You can place your head more comfortably on my chest, rather than on my shoulder and get an ache later. Go ahead."
"When did you turn this sweet," Eve murmured, staring into his red eyes.
"Somewhere after I met you. When you are in love, the person can bring out the best and the worst in the person," Vincent said, wrapping one of his arms around her.
"What are the worst things that I bring out in you?" Eve asked in a soft voice so that she wouldn't wake up Timotei. But her voice was mostly numbed down by the constant moving wheels of the carriage and the horses' hooves.
Vincent took a second before he replied, "Fear. There was a time when I didn't care about people, not as much as I care about you. Of course, I will do my best to protect you and I know you can hold your ground until I come to you now, but things come in the most unexpected way. Don't you want to know the best ones?"
"We have all the time in the world right now," Eve replied, which brought a crooked smile to Vincent's lips. He said,
"You believe in me. You accept me the way I am, and that's not a little thing. I know I have an odd side to me, but you have trusted it. Laid down in the dug out grave for someone else."
A chuckle escaped from Eve's lips, and she said, "That was something. I would have been more weirded out if I hadn't killed Lady Camillie. Not to mention, you helped me from not getting back to the dungeon."
"Mm, you wouldn't have survived the second time in there and I didn't want you in there. If you think about it, you were something to me before you confessed. Even though it wasn't labelled to what it was," Vincent tucked one piece of Eve's hair behind her ear. "You are my world, Eve. I won't let any harm befall on you."
"And you are mine," Eve leaned close enough for their lips to touch. The kiss was sweet enough to spread heat to her body like a fireplace. Once they pulled away from the kiss, she asked him, "Do you know when the golden moon is going to appear?"
"In two weeks," Vincent answered, bringing a deep frown to her forehead.
"That's too close," Eve murmured. She said, "Do you think the siren sister will come out that day... to finish what she couldn't before?"
"To kill me?" Vincent asked, and Eve nodded. "I don't think she will be successful with it. And there's not just me, but Noah on the 'to kill list' if my feeling isn't wrong. And the golden moon is not for her, but for me and Noah. For us to make use of. The siren or the mermaid can be used as a sacrifice, to complete what King Gauntlet couldn't finish. To gain full control of the sea and its creatures, and ascend to a higher being."
"Why didn't he kill Nerhys if he was trying to achieve it?" Eve asked him.
"A sacred power is wiser to be acquired when it is given willingly than being given, than by force," Vincent explained it to her. "Rest now, little girl. Have a good sleep, while I watch over you. You have nothing to worry about," Vincent let her head rest on his chest and hugged her.
The carriage continued to move through the forest path, heading toward the North land, where the royal palace was located. It took more than two days of journey for them to reach the place at noon. For the very first time, Eve could finally take a better look at the palace made of white marble walls. This palace was bigger than the Moriarty mansion in Holy Oak, and she was left in a daze. The large gardens surrounded the palace, and guards were at every pillar.
Timotei peeped outside the carriage using the same window as Eve and remarked, "This brings back some nostalgic memories. I used to sleep there, and there, and then at noon on that tree... wait where did that tree go?" He sounded excited to revisit the places which he once knew.
Mr. Briggs pulled the reins of the horses and stopped the carriage. He got down from his seat and opened the carriage door.
"Vincent!"
Eve heard someone shout when they got down from the carriage, and soon her eyes fell on a young man with curly blonde hair, who quickly made his way to where they stood. The man wore expensive clothes and appeared in his late teenage years. The young man stepped forward, ready to throw his arms around him, but Vincent sidestepped for the man to end up hugging the air in front of him.
"Rude even now," he muttered before a bright smile appeared. The young man said to Vincent, "I heard that you got married. To Marquee Hooke's daughter."
"Not to her," Vincent corrected the mistake and said, "Prince Tobias, I would like you to meet my wife, Genevieve. And Eve, this is the youngest prince."
"Fifth!" The young man said, raising his hand with a bright smile to show the number. He picked her hand and kissed the back of her hand before praising her, "Wow you are very pretty. Where did you find her, Vincent?"
"In the fair," Vincent replied, half-truth and half in humour, and the prince looked surprised. The young man murmured, "I didn't know you could..."
Vincent then asked the prince, "Did you receive the Head Council's letter?"
"I believe big brother did, but he isn't here nor are the others. They have gone to the East lands," Prince Tobias informed, who seemed fond of Vincent and, right now, couldn't get his eyes off of Eve. But when his eyes fell on the black cat that the woman carried, he softly harrumphed, "You have a black kitty as a pet, how exciting. I keep telling the family we should have a black cat, but they say it will bring bad luck. Because so many old portraits of King Gauntlet has a black cat in there."
Eve held Timotei firmly so the cat wouldn't jump on the young prince to scratch him as the little fur shook.
"Black cats can be troublesome. You never know when they will attack you," Vincent remarked as they climbed the long white stairs outside.
Prince Tobias laughed as if he was trying to imagine it in his mind. He asked, "What brings you here? Do you need something signed or did you come here to introduce Lady Genevieve to the King and the Queen?"
"It is about King Gauntlet. We would like to pay a visit to the graves of his and his family's graves," Vincent said with ease, and the young prince nodded.
"It seems like King Gauntlet still holds the same name as when he and the others were alive. "It was only last month that one of the Duke visited the palace, wanting to see what was left of King Gauntlet because he was keen on finding artefacts," Prince Tobias stated, raising his eyebrows.
"Was it Duke Sullivan?" Eve asked him, and the prince nodded his head vigorously.
"Yes, I think that was the name. I met him for a brief moment," said the young prince, and he then said, "As it has been more than six or seven centuries since King Gauntlet's reign, everything has been locked so that it can be preserved as historical information and things."
"Was there anything specific that the Duke was looking for?" Vincent asked, wondering what Noah would have come here for. Maybe to find answers like they were here?
Prince Tobias shrugged his shoulders, "I am not sure actually. He entered the old cellar for barely five or ten minutes before he left."
Vincent and Eve shared looks at each other, but didn't comment on it. What did Noah take from here? The second dagger? It was possible, Eve thought in her mind.
Prince Tobias raised his hand and snapped his fingers at one of the maids, "Prepare the dining room room. The Viscount's son, Vincent Moriarty and his wife will be having lunch with me."
The maid offered a deep bow and hurriedly walked to pass the order.
"In the meantime, let me take you to the cemetery. So that you can take a look. Though I must tell you that it is strange to go honeymooning with your wife to the cemetery. But Vincent has always been since I last remember," the young man murmured with furrowed eyebrows.
"You don't have to go through the difficulty of showing us. We will take a look through the servant's help," Vincent politely said to the prince.
The prince waved his hand and said, "It isn't like I am busy right now, and I prefer walking around than sitting and listening to the number of possible suitors drawn out for me by my mother." He led them to the back of the huge castle before entering the forest through the back of the palace.
There were twelve cemetery buildings, which were where King Gauntlet's family members resided. Some members shared the cemetery building, while a few had their individual space. As they finished visiting all the buildings, and when Prince Tobias turned to speak to Vincent, Timotei whispered to Eve,
"Is it my eyes that are deceiving me, or was there no grave made for me? I am appalled by this!"
Timotei was right, Eve thought in her mind. There was no mention of the black cat or a grave for it. Was the skeleton buried somewhere else or... thrown somewhere as if it was of no use? But a black cat that was significant enough to be painted in the portraits people remembered, there was no way his dead body was discarded.
When they stepped away from the place, Prince Tobias excused himself briefly, leaving the three of them to talk in the dining room. Eve said in a hushed tone,
"There's no mention of Timotei anywhere in there."
"How dare they not build a cemetery in my name!" Timotei hissed in anger.
"Maybe you weren't as significant as you thought you were in your past life. Just a regular cat," Vincent poked at the already wounded cat, who looked more offended than ever.
"I am worthy enough to have a shrine built in my name. I am a small body, how much space and work is that going to take?" The black cat huffed in anger.
Vincent thought before saying, "People are often buried with things they held value when they were alive. Some take their clothes, some jewels. Maybe the cat is in one of the graves."
"All the cemetery buildings are locked," Eve reminded him because they had got to see the tomb through the windows without entering it.
Vincent nodded before remarking, "Then we shall break into it when everyone is asleep."
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ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 485 Quiet Promise I Mean To Follow
Music Recommendation: Cold Shivers- Myuu
--
During the night, when everyone in the castle was fast asleep, Vincent, Eve and Timotei made their way towards the back forest before standing in front of the cemetery that held King Gauntlet and his family's graves.
Though Vincent and Eve carried lanterns in their hands, they were unlit and cold to avoid bringing attention to them.
"How are we going to enter the cemetery buildings? Did you get the keys for it?" Eve asked Vincent in a hushed voice.
Vincent raised his hand, holding a key bunch and replied, "I have got it covered."
Timotei, who walked next to them, commented, "Even if you didn't have the key, I would have used my claws to open it."
"I didn't know you had the ability to do that," Eve responded to the black cat.
"I am a cat of many fur. There is literally nothing I cannot do," Timotei huffed, raising his nose that pointed to the sky.
"Maybe the next job you can try is to be a thief," Vincent taunted, and Timotei laughed.
"You are just jealous of my skills," Timotei's tail moved back and forth.
Vincent ignored Timotei's words and spoke to Eve, "Let us start with King Gauntlet's sons' graves. If Timotei was my cat, he might be buried with me," Eve nodded to this.
"To imagine our skeletons have been spending time with each other for these many years," Timotei shivered at the thought.
Walking past King Gauntlet's cemetery building, they walked in the dark before standing in front of one of the cemetery buildings, which was built for the King's son 'Acheron Gauntlet'.
"Here lays my first life's master," Timotei spoke in a murmur.
To Eve, it was strange to think that this grave belonged to Vincent's past life. She watched Vincent walk in front of the door, pulling the barbed creepers away from the door. He matched the key number with the door number and pushed it into the door's keyhole. But after five seconds, seeing how the door didn't open, she asked,
"Is it the wrong key?"
"The keyhole must be rusted and jammed," Vincent said with a slight frown as he tried to turn the key, but it didn't move. Stepping back, he turned to Timotei and said, "Looks like it is time for you to show us your skills, my past life cat."
Timotei blinked at Vincent. He then reached the door and brought one of his sharp claws out before trying to turn it around. They heard a snap in the keyhole, and the black cat's eyes widened in horror. When he pulled his paw away from the door, everyone noticed the claw had broken and was no more sharp.
"My claw!" Timotei cried, and Eve shushed him so he wouldn't draw the guards' attention.
There were no guards as King Gauntlet's family graves were old and barbed, with no access to the keys. Most surrounded the castle, which was more precious than the dead people.
Vincent said, "If his skeleton isn't here, we will need to break through the other cemetery buildings, and check the other graves to be sure." He then said, "Step back." When Eve moved, and Timotei was still in shock as he stared at his blunt claw, the pureblooded vampire raised his leg and forcefully kicked the door open.
Though the door opened, it fell with a thud on the ground. Timotei said, "We are going to get caught and be hung by the royal family for breaking into these places that they think are of value."
"If they were of value, there would be guards guarding around it. Get in," Vincent said and stepped inside the building. Eve and the black cat quickly stepped inside, and once they were in, Vincent placed the door back where it belonged, making it appear as if no one had touched it.
The nearby guards, who heard the thud sound coming from the forest, turned to look in the direction, and one of them said,
"Did you hear that?"
"Probably an old tree fell in the forest," answered another guard.
In the forest cemetery and the small building, Eve's eyes fell on the person's tomb with the help of the light that came from the moonlight. Timotei coughed and complained, "This place needs to be cleaned. Ah! Spider!" The black cat quickly climbed on one side of Vincent's pants before hugging him.
Eve, who had brought the two stones with her, said, "I will turn on the light," and sparked fire by clicking the two stones against each other. When a spark was produced, the oiled cotton touched the fire and soon started to burn. She kept it on the ground, and Vincent used his strength to push the tomb's lid so they could look inside it.
Once the lid was slid away from the top, all three of them took a close look and only found the person's skeleton in there. There were pieces of fabric that appeared to be a cloak that had been put around the prince's body before being placed in there.
"I am not here either. Did they really not bury me? Me?," Timotei asked, standing at the tomb's edge. His paws slipped, and he fell right inside the ribcage of the skeleton.
Eve turned to Vincent and asked, "Did you have any memories like Timotei when you arrived here?"
"I have visited this castle many times before, but not once have I dreamed or remembered about anything from the past," Vincent let her know, and he tilted his head, staring at the skeleton that belonged to his past life. He picked the black cat by its scruff and pulled it away from the skeleton, putting it on the ground. "Timotei's skeleton isn't here. Let us go and look at the other coffins," he suggested.
"Vincent," Eve stopped him when his hands reached the tomb's lid. "Do you think it will be alright for me to spend some time here?"
Vincent stared at Eve and remarked, "That is something I have never imagined you would have asked me. Will you be fine by yourself?"
Eve nodded, "I will be fine."
"Alright then," Vincent said, "I will take the cat with me and take a look at the other tombs."
Timotei looked surprised, "Take me? I think it would be best for me to stay here with Eve. To protect her of course!"
"I think all of us can agree that you will cause more damage where you are, than where you aren't," Vincent rolled his eyes because this black cat was the definition of bringing trouble.
Eve watched Vincent and an unwilling Timotei approach the door and push it away. He turned to look at her and said,
"We'll be back soon," and when she gave him a nod, they finally stepped out of the cemetery building and closed the door by placing the door back in its place.
[Music Recommendation: Solitude- Colossal Trailer Music]
Silence fell in the cemetery building Eve stood, and scarce light spilt from the lantern, where she had adjusted the brightness so that the light wouldn't be seen coming from the dull and dusty windows of the cemetery building.
Eve stared at the skeleton that continued to lay in the open tomb and took a step closer. There was a gold chain with a red pendant around the skeleton. She could only believe it was a royal family thing. Taking a deep breath, she stretched her hand and allowed it to contact the Skeleton by placing her fingertips on the skull. She felt the coarseness on her fingertips and the dust that stuck to her skin.
Her blue eyes trailed along with her fingertips as she moved from the skull to the shoulder and then the ribcage.
Nothing happened, as if the skeleton refused to spill secrets, and she continued to trail down the end of the spine. Only when her hand touched the skeleton's hand did a rush of images come in front of her eyes, and for a second, it stunned her.
"I found the point," Eve whispered to herself and felt goosebumps rising on her skin. Bracing herself, she slipped her hand into the skeleton's hand, holding it firmly as if it was alive, and fog started to fill around her.
A moment later, Eve was no more standing in the cemetery building or holding Acheron Gauntlet's skeleton hand. Light started to fill around her, and soon she stood in one of the castle halls.
"What do you think you are doing there?"
Hearing the deep male voice, Eve turned and noticed a handsome man with eyes that were as red as blood. Though he didn't look like the exact copy of Vincent, she could pick the resemblance. There was blood smeared on his clothes and on his face. His eyes narrowed, and when he started to walk towards her, she felt her heart pick its pace.
"I am sorry, I was using my ability to read," Eve bowed at the person.
But the person didn't stop when he reached her and continued to walk past her, passing right through her.
"Acheron, what is going on?" A sweet voice came behind Eve, and she turned around and saw a woman.
The woman had golden blonde hair that radiated like the sun. She was young, maybe younger than Eve herself. And this time... she saw her own reflection. The woman's blue eyes. The view left her stunned, as she hadn't expected to see a spitting image of herself from the past.
Acheron replied in haste, "I thought I told you not to come out. It isn't safe for you, not what you are, Marina."
"I know, but I couldn't sit there. I am worried... after what happened to my mother... I should take my mother's body back to where she belongs," the young woman said to him.
Acheron's eyes held a pain, as if he wasn't ready to part with her. He asked, "And leave me?"
Marina stared at him for a moment and then said, "I will come back to you. You will see. Even through the worst tides, you will find me, Acheron. But right now, I need to take my mother back... Nerissa has been acting strange since we arrived. Let me go and find her, talk to her so that she comes with me. Will you help me take my mother's body back with me? Do you know where my sister is?" She asked.
"I will go and find her and bring her to you. Can you stay inside until then? There's bloodshed everywhere, and if something were to happen to you, I wouldn't forgive myself," Acheron said to the woman in his arms.
When he placed his hand on her cheek, Marina leaned to his touch, while her eyes closed to absorb the little warmth she felt. Eve could tell that both of them were very much in love with each other and were trying to keep their ground. From a distance, she could also hear the screams and yells, objects being thrown or crashing against the walls.
"Go! I will wait for you," Marina said, walking backwards while not breaking eye contact with Acheron.
Suddenly Marina's image in front of Eve started to blur before it disappeared. She turned and noticed Acheron walking away from there.
But when she took two steps forward, everything turned black, and she saw Acheron now standing in front of the same room as before. And when he opened it, he said, "I looked for Nerissa, but she--What are you doing?" He frowned on noticing Marina standing with a similar dagger that she and Vincent had found in the mansion of the Holy Oak.
Wait, Eve thought, looking back and forth as if she had missed something important and had jumped forward to an important scene. It was because Marina looked pale as a ghost.
"I know how to stop this. Mother had given me and my sister similar daggers because she knew that one day it would be needed to be used and the time has come," Marina said with a hint of sadness. She brought the dagger to her chest and pushed its tip inside.
A small cry escaped from the woman's lips.
"Marina!" Acheron shouted, and he quickly reached to her side before her knees turned weak. Catching her in his arms, he sat with her on the ground. "What did you do?!" He grit his teeth.
The young woman smiled, placing her hand on his face, and whispered, "I am saving you." Not a moment later, the dagger pierced her chest, disappearing in thin air as if being blown away by the gentlest wind in the room. "Now there's one less dagger to worry about. Find the other dagger Acheron, and use it on Nerissa."
"She's your sister," Acheron looked confused, as he didn't understand why she was telling him to kill her sister. The sister with whom Marina wanted to leave the land and get back to the sea.
Suddenly a clatter was heard right outside the window, and Eve heard receding footsteps. Before she could look at who it was, the person had already disappeared. When she returned to the couple, she heard the mermaid say,
"She's my other half, so you need to complete it. Before your brother kills her. With me gone, she's less powerful," a tear slipped from the mermaid's eye, and it slid down before falling on the ground as a pearl. She whispered, "F--forgive me..."
The prince quickly picked one of the mermaid's hands and bit into her, drops of blood spilling on the ground.
Eve's eyebrows furrowed, and it was only a second later, did she realise what he was doing. He was leaving a mark on her during the last seconds of her life. A similar wing was created to what Vincent had marked on her, and before another wing could be created on the woman's skin, the mermaid turned limp in the prince's arms.
He pulled back from her wrist, with his lips dripping blood, and stared at her with a painful expression. After a few seconds of silence with the dead woman, he got up.
Eve felt her vision turn blurry. When she blinked, the next moment, she was on the ground, staring at a man's body far from her. She couldn't get up, and she realised she was seeing this through Acheron's eyes and felt her eyes grow heavy.
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