Truth be told his father was dead and with him went the deal that kept them safe until now. But it was forgotten and no one had expected that the last of his children, his bastard would dig up such a thing and ravage a whole district.
" Let's hurry this. We still have the houses to clear ". The impatience and grave annoyance in Edgar's tone startled Elvin. His wife was dead and his death was near. As long as it was Edgar's doing, he knew, nothing, absolutely nothing could be done to change his fate.
" Can you give me time to bury her? ". He sighed.
" Then who will bury you? ".
His eyeballs were stock-stilled and his lids hook. As he looked straight ahead without seeing anything. His daughter came to mind. Primrose had not come back from the manor, and if she doesn't, it would be better. So, therefore, there should and would not be a burial for his wife. Taking her body to the manor would risk Primrose's safety. He could only hope that Primrose be safe to give her mother a proper one.
" Do it ". He agreed. " —do it as quick as you can and drop my body besides wife. Your father would be disappointed in the son you are ".
Elvin dropped his wife from his hold and stood to face the vampire leader. The eye patch was the first thing he glimpsed and the fangs were the second and last.
" My father ". Edgar began as he held Elvin's neck. " —would be pleased with the man I have become ".
In the blink of an eye, his fangs were thrust into Lord Elvin's neck.
•
Caroline hid in the basement far away from the market square. Primrose was after her head and the fear of being beheaded secured her in the hideout. Roaches and rats pulled their races across her feet and around her. Tiny insects squeaked.
The window high up streamed orange light into the room giving her the awareness of where she was situated; on an untidy, dusty floor that looked unscrubbed for decades. The torch and the two pieces of stones laid beside her, assuring her of her safety. There, no human or non-human could dismember her. These could be used as a weapon or a source of light to help through her escape.
In one of the houses of the manor, Primrose dashed out from one of the rooms and entered another. Under the bed was where she went to, first. One of the lessons she learned in the last hours was to check cautiously and carefully.
She couldn't afford a repeat of what happened, so the longer she stayed there, skimming through, she imagined herself in Caroline's withered shoes. Where would a messy, pesty, nasty, nuisance of a maid hide?. The cupboards were where she went next.
She flipped each door open and in haste but very carefully, she groped till her hand was a pile of dust.
" Argggh ". She screamed her irritation and for the umpteenth time, Primrose slammed her beautiful and meticulous fingers against an object. Bruises and dried blood from past wounds embellished her hand. Gone was the innocent and quiet girl— well, she was never of innocence or quietness in the first place. And when she got up from there, she exhaled. Now, she was not going to look for Caroline haphazardly, she would go for the clues, hints, and trails. She was going to search expressly with her senses and not just with her hands.
She searched the entire house and found nothing— not her presence or a trail of her. Primrose kept on from house to house till she got to her uncle's house. She sniffed the air, it carried Caroline's scent. It was the last house she was approaching and for her to have searched the previous ones it stroke a jackpot to think that the maidservant would be hiding in the house. A relaxed smile appeared on her face as she pushed open the door.
The cracking sound of it became the first to welcome her than a blanket of dust. Her nose trickled and she did sneeze till all was settled. The scent lingering in the air took her feet first to the fireplace.
•
Edgar had his men hunt the houses while his eyes focused on the manor up the hill. His sources had informed him that Lord Elvin lived in it with his family and sometimes with his relatives.
They had also informed him of his blissful home with a daughter and servants too— male and female and a beautiful maidservant that tended to his sick daughter. He had heard of her fairness from his Comrades as they all wished for a night with her and a taste of her.
She was fairer than the young Lady of the Elvins, with her red hair as of fire and whiteness of skin as of fresh milk. He had not seen any of their bodies amongst those on the festival ground, nor had he seen the Elvins' household bracelets that were usually worn when they are out for occasions, on any of the ones his men had dragged out from the houses. No red hair, no blonde hair, no white skin as of pure milk. Surely, the girls hadn't attended the festival.
" My Lord… ".
" Keep searching, I have something to deal with ". Edgar kept his eyes fixed on that manor as he spoke and after sensing the air behind him empty as the man who approached had leaped away, he leaped too, landing on the iron gate that doth protected the manor of Lord Elvin.
He inhaled the air. A fine mix of fear and of ferocity. Of beckoning fright and of propelling anger. A tinge of blood, fainted, dried, and covered with dust.
He strained his ears; heartbeats— one faster, one very faint. Steps being climbed carefully, things being shifted slowly, feet dragged on the ground to silence.
" A game of hide and seek. Very interesting. Why don't we play the cat and mouse. That sounds more fun ". He chuckled to himself and then leaped.
His body and senses took him to that one house. The moonlight provided as much light as it could to light the way into the house, the heavy darkness did not hinder his superhuman sight. The girls may know the way through the house through their past experiences, he could because he could aee the inside as it would be on the brightest of day.