Chapter 80
“There is a midnight play tonight which we both would have enjoyed but unfortunately we will have to wait for it the next time,” Alexander said as they walked towards the entrance to see Martin in view with a mix of black and dirty brown coat made of fur in his hand, walking towards them the butler helped the Lord to put on his coat.
The Lord then spoke to the butler while straightening his coat, “Have someone else cover her work until tomorrow.”
“Yes, milord,” the butler bowed his head.
Confused Katie looked at Lord Alexander, “But I have no plans. Why would I need the day off?”
historical
“Your cousin would be here. I thought you would like to catch up and spend some time with him,” he said making her dawn.
“Thank you for being thoughtful about it,” she said and then asked him curious, “Where are you going?” It was hardly an hour since he returned back to the mansion.
“For a walk in the woods,” he said to which he leaned forward, placing a lingering kiss right on her lips, “Be a good girl and stay out of trouble.”
The butler walked past her without a word nor a change in his expression like he saw nothing.
When Katie went back to her room, changing herself into fresh clothes she found the book ‘Moon Signs’ lying at the headrest. Malphus must have kept it for her before going out, she thought and climbed on the bed. Settling herself comfortably she opened the book to read.
As she went through the book, she noticed there were markings on few pages like someone was noting down things for reference. The moon signs were in detail unlike the one Corey had found and consisted of ten signs. Each sign was fascinating in its own way with good and evil in it. Along with the signs she had come across previously she found new ones like chameleon, fox, stag, hyena and crow.
Reading through she found that the butterfly wasn’t a sign but a generalized term for a human woman. Malphus sure didn’t read the book properly, skipping important lines, thought Katie. The humans were categorized into four divisions one of which was butterfly. It was evident that the book was solely made for the night creatures while the humans were hardly mentioned in it.
Reaching the last page of the book, she saw that the writer of the book had made rankings based on the signs regarding to intelligence and cruelty. The vulture, spider and the tortoise were the ones that she found intriguing.
Once she was done reading it she leaned at the side, pulling the drawer and placing the book inside. She remembered how Corey had said that humans weren’t allowed to read it or had no access on the information on the nightly creatures. Most of the books were either locked or burnt down to ashes.
Going to stand near the window she caught sight of a carriage in front of the mansion. They were here!
Hurrying out of the room and running down the stairs she saw Martin picking up someone’s luggage and Oliver, Lord Alexander’s second in command walked past through the door and not far behind him Ralph walked in.
“Ralph!” she called out. Hearing Katie’s voice Ralph looked at her with a wide grin.
“Kate!”
Reaching where he was, Katie hugged him which her cousin returned back.
“You seem to be doing well,” he said pulling back to see her.
Seeing him after so many months brought tears in Katie’s eyes. He was alive and here with her.
Katie took Ralph up to her room and they spoke which seemed like an eternity since the last time they had time to catch up. She learned from him that during the night of the Winter’s celebration a fire had broken out in the entire vicinity, chaos took place in every part of the town while the witches came in view killing men and women without mercy.
“I didn’t know what to do,” Ralph whispered and Katie heard him with a grim face, “Father and mother were already dead when I reached home. Blood splattered on the walls and floor. I tried thinking quickly and thought of saving the woman I have loved but it turned out that she was a witch herself.”
Katie squeezed her cousin’s hand. She hadn’t know either until Lord Alexander showed the witch’s dead corpse. None of them knew witches lived in their town, they believed their town to be safe. Trusted the witches thinking that they were humans like them.
“Nothing hurts as much as when you realize that the one you wanted to protect was the one who was trying to get rid of you,” he said his voice carrying sadness in it.
“She died, Ralph,” and his eyes met hers.
“Did she now. I hope it was a good death,” he said and Katie knew he was hurting deep down.
Apparently after the town was set on fire and the massacre took place, young children were taken and Ralph had tried stopping but was unsuccessful with few other men. There was mark right under his eye like a knife had grazed.
“It is good to see you here, safe,” Katie squeezed his hand again, “What’s happened is happened. Now we have to look what is in front of us than dwell in the past.”
“You’re right. I’m glad you went to the Winter’s Celebration. Else I don’t know what I would do knowing my entire family was killed,” he replied with a small smile, “If it weren’t for the young lord we would have all died.”
“Young lord?” asked Katie.
“Yeah, the Lord’s son named Silas,” Was he speaking about Silas Norman? “We were taken in by the witches, our hands and legs bound. Days passed by and we were starved for weeks until Lord Silas and his men came to rescue us who were passing by the swamps in the edges of the forest. I’m grateful to him and the hospitality he provided.”
“I’m sorry that you had bear with it,” Katie looked down at the floor.
“Don’t be. It wasn’t your fault but the dark witches. Because of them now the entire towns in south are on a lookout. Women and young children are checked everyday to make sure they aren’t witches. The south Lord has made patrolling as a priority to ensure safety of the people who reside in the south.”
“I don’t have to worry about Annabelle then,” Katie said with a sigh of relief.
The way she had heard about the south Lord, nothing seemed right with the way he waned to divide the vampires and humans. But with what Ralph had to say it looked like he was looking out for the welfare of his people.
No matter how many decades had passed with the peace truce that took place between the vampires and humans, they weren’t in peace. If not one then the other was fighting for power of domination. Every story had two sides.
“What do you mean you don’t have to worry about her?” Ralph questioned her titling his head, “After knowing that you have been living here I thought of getting you myself. We’ll be going back to the south empire.”
Somewhere she knew this was going to happen but she hadn’t prepared herself for it.
“Ralph why not stay here? Valeria isn’t bad. We can ask Lord Alexander to give you a job or we can find one in the town,” Katie offered the solution and the man let out a small chuckle.
“I understand your fascination towards the Lord but Katie you can’t live here forever working as a maid. You are smarter and more qualified to stay as maid in a mansion,” her cousin said before getting up from the bed and walking towards the window with his back facing her, “You need to understand that the nightly creatures and we humans aren’t exactly coexisting.”
“Yet we are,” Katie pitched in her thoughts, “Even though there’s a lot of things going on, it doesn’t mean the nightly creatures are wrong. We humans have an equal share of fault with what is made of today.”
“I didn’t say they are wrong. We are in the land and empire of the nightly creatures...War might break in with the tense situation going.”
“And they are caused due to the dark witches. You needn’t worry about the safety. The council and its jurisdiction are keeping things in control right now. I assure we are really safe here,” said Katie.
She heard flapping of wings and saw Ralph stretch his arm out of the window. Furrowing her brows she got up wondering what he was doing to see a raven sit on his arm. Bringing it close he took the little rolled paper from its leg. She had never seen birds deliver messages and asked him,
“Who is it from?”
Ralph had a frown as he read the contents but then smiled, “It’s a friend who is in the center town of Valeria now. How far is the town from here?” he asked.
“Less than half an hour if you take the carriage.”
When the time of dinner arrived Katie sat next to Ralph along with the others at the long table in the dining hall. Lord Alexander as usual sat at the head while Sylvia and Eliot sat beside one another. Normally Katie would have her food with other maids at the common underground hall for the servants of the mansion but as Ralph was a guest tonight she had been asked to join them.
Lord Alexander and Elliot spoke to her cousin asking about the time he spent after her towns people was killed. It was evident that Ralph was intimidated with Lord Alexander’s presence. The usual talkative cousin of hers hardly spoke except for the time he was asked questions.
“I’ve asked the butler to prepare a room for you for the night,” she heard Lord Alexander say as he finished his meal, picking up the clean white napkin.
Elliot who was still working on his meat with the knife in his hand slowed down hearing the Lord speak to the brown haired man. Staying with the Lord for so many decades he knew the man had a way with words. If one wasn’t listening carefully then he or she would miss intricate details. Right now he was testing if the man was spending only one night at the mansion or would stay here forever by working under the Lord’s name.
“Thank you for you hospitality,” the man thanked him.