While on one part of Devon in the castle where people were awake as the clock moved close to struck twelve, some other people were also awake at this hour of the night. In the dark forest where the light of the moon didn’t reach the ground because of the thick and lush trees, a body was being dragged by a man, and two more people followed the man closely.
The forest was quiet where even the owls and the crickets didn’t chirp loud enough for them to hear.
“How long is it going to take? We can throw her here, and no one will know about it,” said the girl who was following the man who was pulling the dead body’s hand which had turned out not only heavy but had started to smell.
“Far enough so that no one will find her,” said the man, “Niles, there’s a river not too far away from here. Push her over the bridge. The body will float to the next village, and it won’t be our problem anymore.” Niles, who was the family butler, bowed his head and continued to drag the body across the ground of the forest. The dead person’s body caught dirt on its back.
“But papa, why not bury her?” asked the girl to receive a glare from her father, “I was only asking…” her voice trailed to a whisper which was heard clearly by the butler and her father.
“Do you know what you have done?!” her father demanded, anger evident in his voice, “This is the second person you have killed. Have we not taught you better, Catherine?!” his eyes flared, and his daughter looked down at the ground. “Niles was in the mansion, and you could have asked blood from him. Servants are one thing, but you killed the Dutchess daughter! The last time you killed someone and it took a lot of time to hide it! Do you know how scandalous it would turn that you are killing people who are of high social standing!!”
Catherine didn’t look up to meet her father’s eyes. She was slightly ashamed, but she couldn’t help it. Miss Layla had it coming. The words the human had spoken had angered her.
It wasn’t that Catherine wanted to kill Miss Layla, who was the young daughter of the duchess who had come to the Barnes’ mansion.
‘I heard you are getting married! Is that true?’ asked Miss Layla. The girl had red bushy hair that was tamed down by many pins pushed in to keep it in place.
‘Yes, you must have seen him. James Heathcliff?’ Catherine reminded Miss Layla, who raised her eyebrows before questioning.
‘You mean the tailorman?’ Miss Layla looked as if she was confused, ‘I thought he liked someone else. What was her name?’ she tried to remember and then said, ‘Ah some Harris’ girl.’
Catherine had laughed it off, ‘You must have heard it wrong.’
‘No, no. I remember James telling me that he liked her a lot. And he wanted to marry her,’ Miss Layla then gave Catherine a look, ‘Is he marrying you out of his own will?’
The vampiress’ eyes narrowed.
Catherine had been in a bad mood because James was not paying her the attention she had been expecting from him. She had hoped that with the announcement of their marriage, which was in less than a few days, James would be more affectionate, but instead, the man was growing cold towards her. Catherine didn’t like it, nor did she approve of his behaviour.
Hearing Miss Layla tell James wanted to marry Madeline, it boiled her blood, ‘What do you mean?’ Miss Layla was a person who belonged to the higher class, but her family used to get along with the lower families. And James was a highly esteemed tailorman who was good looking. There were only a few who didn’t know about him.
Miss Layla smiled, ‘I know you, Lady Catherine. You are a good person, but stubborn. I think James likes her.’
Catherine continued to laugh, ‘The girl is marrying the King, Miss Layla.’
‘A pity that they cannot marry each other. So strange, isn’t it?’ When the human girl placed the teacup on the table, Catherine had attacked the human by draining every single drop of blood from her body. Before she knew it, the damage was already done.
“James is in love with that human girl. Madeline Harris!” Catherine burst out.
Mr. Barnes stared at his daughter, “I don’t think you understand the severity of the situation.”
“People die every day, papa. Vampires drink blood-“
“Catherina, you killed people! You are going to get married. Do you think people will look kindly at you? The bodies belonging to the high social standing people are not only hard to hide, but the High House notices it!” Mr. Barnes didn’t know what to do with his daughter for being so reckless. “Do you think the dutchess is not going to search for her missing daughter?!”
Catherine looked down at Miss Layla’s body, where the human’s eyes were still open. The colour of her skin had changed its colour. If the human had not taunted her, she wouldn’t have done anything.
“Why don’t you frame her?” asked Catherine suddenly, and her father looked at her, confused.
“Frame whom? The girl who is getting married to the King?” Mr. Barnes had an incredulous look as he gaped at his daughter, “Do you want both of us killed?”
Catherine parted her lips again to say, “How about burying the body in James house?”
“I do not understand why you are trying to bury the body close to where the family of the body lives, Catherina,” Mr. Barnes shook his head.
“James is being reluctant about the wedding. Why not frame him and then we ask the King’s help. This way, James will forever be indebted to us,” Catherine proposed to her father. “James’ father hasn’t been doing well in health.” If senior Mr. Heathcliff died, they would have no leverage against James anymore.
Mr. Barnes held his hand for their butler to stop pulling the body. It was true what his daughter was telling, but the old vampire questioned if it was worth the trouble. Mr. Barnes never wanted his daughter to marry someone so low, a human.
What if he did frame James and the man was executed? That way, his daughter would let go of the human instead of clinging on to him.
If it weren’t for the King, Mr. Barnes would have never agreed to this, “Niles, get the body back in the carriage. We’ll dispose it off in the village.”
“Yes, Sir,” the butler bowed his head.
Catherine was happy, hearing her father listen to her. This way, James would never be able to give her any reasons, and he would have to marry her. It would be just for a few days and then her father would help James in uplifting the false offence.
Back in the castle, Madeline was unable to fall asleep. Instead of staying in bed, she went to stand near the window. She had not been able to get her thoughts straight as they were all over the place since Calhoun had left the room after pleasuring her.
Her body continued to hum as it remembered the little details of what transpired on the bed. Her cheeks felt warm, and her eyes lowered to look outside and down on the ground of the castle. With one hand placed on the window, she leaned forward and she saw Calhoun’s wolves running around the land.
Madeline heard a creak and her ears were quick to pick on it as she was the only person in her room. Her eyes fell on the fireplace, but the sound didn’t come from there. When another creak was heard, Madeline’s eyes fell on her hand that was on the glass that belonged to the window.
Her eyebrows furrowed, and when she slowly pulled her hand away, she noticed the glass had cracked itself.
She didn’t know why this was happening. It made her wary at times to touch anything that was made of glass. Madeline, instead of being afraid, stepped forward to notice how the little cracks had formed under her touch. She raised her hand again, her hand hovering over the cracks.
Madeline placed one finger back on the glass to notice how the cracks continued to move towards the edges, and she quickly pulled her hand away from it.
