Of all the attendees, the highest bidder left with the widest smile and greatest satisfaction. He was the center of envy as he claimed the rarest item for that night. Good for him. At least he could die happy.
God of fortune blessed him with his prize, but Lady Luck chose my side tonight.
My "master" was giddily drunk and was more than eager to rush home with his newest fancy. The carriage ride was much too short for any advances and so happens, he was the new lord of the house to succeed the neighboring household to the Dietrichs. Things couldn't fall any more to my favor. Perhaps the Goddess of the Moon is really watching over Ralphie and making this mission of mine as smooth as it can be.
As soon as we found a bed, the young lord sat down and pulled me onto his lap. In response, I began to undo my corset as fast as I could. He ran his nose around my neck and was so excited to dig his fangs into my nape when I pulled out my lucky charm and thrust it into his chest. With my fist, I hammered it in until streaks of blood spilt from the corner of his mouth.
The helpless lord tried grasping my neck with his hand but I pushed upward with Ralphie's sharper-than-a-knife tooth and repeated the same action with full strength and determination.
A few more seconds later, there was no more movement in the room.
Although it wasn't my first time killing a vampire, he was the first one I murdered on Vampire Territory. Sadly, he was not a high noble. Otherwise I could go back and meet Diane right this instant.
It was only a matter of time before someone discovered the corpse so I snuck out from the backdoor in his room. These noble lords always have some kind of escape room or hidden door. This one so happened to hide his underneath his priceless heirloom of a rug made from the skin of the werewolves that his ancestors hunted down.
Had he been more humble about it, I wouldn't have such ease in escaping. As soon as I pried open the wooden door, I slipped myself into the darkness and headed towards the direction from where the wind was entering. The exit led to the back gardens of the Dietrich household—somewhere I could navigate blindfolded.
It was almost as if fate wanted me to come back this way. There was no place in the castle I knew better than here. Making my way in and out would be easier than I thought given that the security hasn't changed from back then. But it did and not in the way I expected it to.
There wasn't even anyone making patrols at night! Before, there were at least one or two servants circling around the area covering even the odd hours to ensure the manor was well protected—though it was mainly just for show since no one actually dared infiltrate the his residence. Well, except for Lord Perrot who once or twice thought it amusing to sneak in to raise havoc and then brush it off as a petty joke.
If I were to recall, though security used to be much stricter, it was also a bit more lively. Now, the night seemed eerily quiet and the branches too heavy to want to sway with the wind. No leaves danced or celebrated the fresh breezy air that ran through the floral maze that at least looked the same. At least that part of this place I once called home was the same.
As much as I remember to have hated life within these prison walls, my heart can't help but reminisce the small fragile memories that came with the place. I could recreate those fragments that once defined the climax of life—the very moments that I learned to love and care for the species that humans were trained to fear and succumb to.
It was in this very garden where I first met him. From the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew he was different from the rest of his kind. It wasn't his colossal stature nor his graceful elegance, not even his silver blue eyes or his wicked handsomeness, but something about him intrigued me. He was shrouded in mystery with a heavy dose of aloofness and as much as I feared him, I was piqued with curiosity and attraction to him.
Of course I hadn't expected much as I knew well the sole reason of our fated meeting. In fact, from the moment they figured out I was the one with the blood they were looking for, he and I were destined to meet. Bluntly put, our marriage was something I anticipated all my life. The Elders raised me with the duty of bearing the child of the highest noble in the land to breed. Unlike normal humans who mate with vampires, our child wouldn't be just any other halfling, it'll be a Pureblood—the once every half-millennia phenomena.
At first, it was clear that we were both in on the act to fulfill expectations others had of us. Then something started to change between us.
A pained smile crept its way onto my face before I finally ordered my feet to unglue itself from the ground and start making use of the limited time I had to infiltrate the castle.
I dropped down low by the grass as I crawled under the bushes toward the entrance to the garden. Scurrying through the gates and slipping in through the narrow space, I led myself into the little square cove that served no clear purpose other than shelter from the rain. Most people miss this spot of the castle, but I know it by heart.
It was here when he first kissed me in public. Though it may seem trivial and not even count as a public kiss when no one knows this place exists, it was as public as can be for a high noble vampire to be caught in broad daylight with a human nobody.
Before any flashbacks try to cloud my focus, four maids rushed out of the tall double doors leading into the residence. I didn't clearly think it through when I held my breath and dashed across the field to slip through the doors before they slammed themselves shut. I just knew there was no way for me to pry them open myself once they were closed.
I lifted my head and sprinted through the foyer before any other servants had the chance to show up or detect me. There were always a few rare moments in the household when the foyer was completely empty before the maids and butlers became bumblebees again.
The marathon up the stairs and a sharp right turn eventually led me down the corridor that could trap a thief for an entire week. Good thing I was no thief and was well-versed in this maze of rooms as I often found myself running around in these very halls once upon a time.
If I head up another flight of stairs to the end of the hallway, I'll arrive at my destination. It almost seemed too easy. Was the castle vacant? How could the creaking wood beneath by human footsteps not alert anyone? Perhaps I was ahead of myself when a voice broke the deafening silence.
"Who's there?"
It was a female voice—not Evelyn's though. Suddenly, I could hear that individual making her way in my direction as her footsteps grew louder. My grasp around Ralphie's fang tightened as I readied myself to face a possible foe. As her shadow grew bigger and the distance between us closed, I raised my weapon slightly above my chest as I counted the remaining seconds before I was discovered.
Three...two....
"What are you doing?" a male voice whispered from down the corridor. "Get back to your room!" he ordered with more desperation and concern than anger.
The female vampire stood still, seemingly unwilling to obey orders. "I heard someone."
"Idiot! No one is allowed to show up or make a sound tonight."
"But I heard someone..."
"Go if you don't fear hell."
Whoever that guy was to convince her to turn around, bless him. As soon as I heard the two doors click, I continued with confidence that luck was on my side tonight. Maybe, just maybe, that luck would last a little longer.
When I reached the third room to the end, I creaked the door open and slid my body through the tiny crack I opened. I prayed to hear a voice, but was only greeted with silence.
As I made my way to the window where the light of the moon illuminated the room, my heart sank. The vase that once held fresh roses, was bombarded with sticks of withered stems and fallen petals. The humble little desk by the corner was decorated with a thick layer of dust that you could draw on. Even the window handles were coated with the same white coat evidence of abandonment.
I didn't know how disappointed I was until two rivers of tears rolled down my cheeks. My shoulders slumped and I knelt forward as I bit down my lips to stop any sound of grief from escaping. Evelyn was my only lead and this whole time, I bet on the fact that she was safe and sound back in this castle.
It was then it daunted on me that maybe Evie never made it back here alive...because of me. I could feel my lungs tighten and not want to take any more air in as I cupped my mouth with my hands and squeezed my eyes shut.
What do I do now? What is there for me to do? If Evie isn't here, then there's no one who would help me.
I could've stayed there the entire night crying if I didn't see the fang in my hand glisten under the moonlight.
What's going to happen to Ralphie?
Scrambling to my feet, I wiped away the water from my eyes and headed out of the room once more. Perhaps Evie was safe in Emberwind with Lord Perrot who was always oddly fond of her.
Just like that, my mind persuaded all the energy to return to my body as I exited the room and made my way down the hallway only to stop midway when it hit me that there was always a stash of vials inside the study room where the strangest of items were kept.
Any other time I would've opted out this detour, but the fact that the halls were empty somehow prompted me to be a bit riskier. I had no problem identifying the study room and slipped into the dark room with equal amount of ease and was about to head over to the shelves when the sight of a very familiar silhouette standing by the window struck me senseless.
"Alvena?"