Charlotte's consciousness returned amidst a pounding headache and a burning throat, the remnants of her ordeal. Her mind raced with questions: Where was she? How long had she been unconscious? She struggled against the darkness, only to realize she was blindfolded.
Look, she's waking up," a voice exclaimed from the corner.
Frantically trying to free herself, Charlotte thrashed and screamed, feeling someone pulling her by her hair. "Let me go!" she cried out, her heart racing with fear.
"Stop moving," a voice commanded, but Charlotte continued to struggle, hitting her captor in desperation.
A fist collided with the side of her face, and she tasted something warm and metallic in her mouth.
blood.
When the blindfold was removed, Charlotte found herself facing a red-haired woman conversing with the innkeeper, alongside a man whose face triggered a vague memory.
Roger or was it Robert?
Then it clicked: he was Reuben, the councilman who had confronted Master Lucas.
He was working with them too.?
Their underground surroundings, illuminated by candles and lanterns, added to her confusion. The conversation around her revealed tensions, particularly regarding promised payment and the chaos caused by the vampire's interference.
"I was promised 30 gold coins, so why are ya giving me 20 instead?" the innkeeper protested.
"You were asked to deliver the girl, but you didn't," Reuben countered.
"you were asked to deliver the girl but you didn't."
"that vampire attacked me" she justified
"exactly. Due to your weakness and incompetence, the girl almost got away"
"Watch your tongue, girl. Do not forget I'm older than you. I almost died," The innkeeper sneered, his voice laced with venom.
"Unfortunately," Reuben added in a whisper that echoed through the room, ensuring everyone heard his disdain.
Before Charlotte could react, the scene before her turned chaotic. The woman, whose name she learned was Roselyn, moved with swift brutality, ripping out the innkeeper's neck in a single, vicious motion that left Charlotte stunned. The transformation of the innkeeper's body into a grotesque creature further heightened her shock.
"At least the hag knew she was old," Reuben remarked callously, a cruel joke in the face of death.
Charlotte's stomach churned at the gruesome display, but there was no time to dwell on it as the focus shifted back to her. The councilman's question hung in the air, a looming threat that Charlotte couldn't ignore.
"What do we do with her now?" His voice was calm, belying the danger lurking beneath.
Roselyn corrected him sharply, asserting her authority. "You mean you. I have things to attend to, so do yourself a favor and don't let her out of your sight."
Charlotte's heart raced as she realized she was now under Reuben's watchful eye. His mischievous expression sent a chill down her spine, a silent promise of trouble to come.
"Well, won't this be fun, girl?" Reuben's tone was mocking, filled with anticipation for the torment he had in store.
For him, probably.
For charlotte? Not so much.