Chapter 97
“Why didn’t you tell me about this, Aunt Priscilla?” asked Leonard to find his aunt sighing as she looked at the mansion that stood tall.
Aunt Priscilla spoke, “We didn’t find about it until we received your letter about Mr Wells thoughts. Charlotte spoke about the boy for the first time. I never knew anything about it, I doubt anyone did,” the vampiress frowned her words soft and feeble due to the loss of her daughter, “Her father didn’t approve of it when she brought it up. He…he hasn’t seen the humans in the eye after what happened with Julliard and the others. He was trying to protect her,” her words trailed which was filled with pain.
Leonard quietly listened to his aunt speak and then asked, “Did she run away? Did she run away from the house?” not receiving an immediate answer he repeated his question.
“Before Duke Harrison came to give us the news, our caretaker found her bed being made as if she were still sleeping. Some of her clothes are missing from the closet,” Leonard closed his eyes at the unfortunate thought of it. He rubbed his forehead with his fingers. Knowing his cousin, he was sure that she had definitely planned to run away especially with the clothes missing and bed made to fool a person if one were to enter the room in the middle of the night to check on her. He then heard her say, “Maybe if we didn’t force her she would still be with us,” Mrs Easton sniffed, dabbing the tears before they could fall from her eyes.
“She would have,” he answered bitterly, “Who is the boy?” he asked her and then asked Vivian, “Did you see him?”
Vivian nodded her head, “I don’t know when does the memory belong to, to say if she met him…”
His aunt spoke, “He lives not far from here. His name is Rory. The same village where they found Charlotte. Duke Harrison said it must be the humans who did it to her.”
“We will find out only after we speak to the boy. Vivian, stay here. I will be back soon,” though Vivian wanted to go along with Leonard she nodded her head.
Reaching the village, Leonard walked to the tree when Duke Harrison mentioned about finding the young vampiress hung on the tree. Surveying the area both the Dukes walked through the forest, looking for any possible hints that would have been missed by the village guards and the councilman three days ago.
Dried leaves crunched under his leathered boots. Twigs snapping as he walked in the forest, red eyes scanning meticulously to find nothing around the village which only added fuel to his anger.
It was when they walked away from the village, Leonard continuing his walk did he find clothes and objects near a tree which would have belonged to a male. Going back to the village along with it, Leonard asked about the whereabouts of the boy named Rory before heading to his house.
Knocking on the door an old man opened it.
“Could I speak to Rory?” Duke Harrison asked the old man as he squinted to look at the two vampires.
“Ah-Rory. Rory isn’t here,” the man shook his head.
“Where can we find him?” Duke Harrison asked at the thought that he must have gone out somewhere and would return in some time.
“I don’t know. When we woke up in the morning he wasn’t there here,” the old man’s gaze fell on the clothes which Duke Harrison had and he commented, “What are you doing with his clothes?”
“These are your son’s clothes?” Duke Harrison asked to confirm his words. Leo’s hands balled into fists as his temper came alive.
“Yes,” seeing his neighbour, he asked the man, “Where is your boy, Kenneth?”
“Haven’t seen him for three days. Don’t know, just took off early in the morning three days ago,” the gruff man answered, who had a mug of water in his hand, taking a sip to gargle and spit it in the corner, “Must have been upset seeing the dead body displayed for everyone as he left right away,” he smirked before getting back inside.
Leonard’s hands turned white as his fists clenched at the remark. He wanted to the beat up the man for passing comment on Charlotte as the ‘dead body’. Even though that was what was left he didn’t like hearing it.
Duke Harrison and Leonard walked away from the houses to stand where Duke Harrison spoke, “Doesn’t it seem suspicious to have the boy vanish the same morning when they found Charlotte here? Not to forget the other boy too with his clothes.”
Vivian had mentioned she wasn’t sure if she had seen Rory with Charlotte the time before she was murdered. His Aunt had told him that her clothes were missing from her room which would mean she would have thought to run away but why would she run away alone?
She must have made a stop to meet him. Would they have run together and if they did why were his clothes found in the forest? There was blood on the clothes when he found them in the forest, the blood of a vampire.
She was killed, her body hung on the tree when there was no whiff of the boy. Coincidentally, another a boy had gone missing from his village without a word. Did they have a hand in her death? Because if they didn’t why would anyone leave only a body up here hanging with no trace of the man named Rory.
“It appears that she was killed by one or two humans who belong from this village,” said Leonard hinting the men who were not here.
There was too much hate between humans and vampires in the land of Mythweald. Anger took place, replacing rational thinking with the series of the loss his family had come to experience.
“What would you like to do, Duke Carmichael?” asked Duke Harrison, waiting for his word. On one side Charlotte was Leonard’s cousin sister while on the other, she was the bride to be of Duke Harrison even though he didn’t know she liked another man and had tried to elope with him.
“Kill both their families,” Leonard ordered the man who looked taken aback. Surely he wanted revenge but killing both families was too much, the most he had expected was to torture for answers, “Are you not capable to do it?” the blonde man asked, his eyes appearing to have lack of warmth in it as the sunlight fell on his handsome face.
“Consider it to be done, in the night.”
But Leonard had other plans, “I want it in an hour,” his words were firm, “Do it so that everyone can see it. To know what will happen if you kill a pureblooded vampire. It should set an example,” vampires and humans here often killed each other. Humans being the ones who usually gathered to sabotage the life of the night creatures in the land of South.
Vivian couldn’t help but wait outside for Leonard, her heart filled with anxiety as she tried to fathom the death of Charlotte. Charlotte had been a dear friend of hers, the last time she had arrived at the Carmichael’s mansion she wanted to talk to her but hadn’t mustered enough courage as the Carmichael’s and her brother had only passed away. She wished she could have spoken to her, to know if she was doing well. At least write a letter may be to ask if she was alright. A few tears began to gather in the corner of eyes, filling it up before she wiped them quickly even though there was no one to see her cry.
Guilt began to seep into her mind for not reaching out to her.
After Leo had left to the village, Vivian didn’t want to step inside Easton’s mansion at the probability of being asked to stay outside.
She didn’t know how long she sat outside waiting for Leonard when the carriage reappeared through the gates to stop in front of the mansion.
Seeing her stand, Leo frowned, “For how long have you been sitting here?” he asked, placing his hand on her which felt warm and hot.
“I thought sitting under the sun for some time would do me good,” she gave the reason knowing that he would see through her words. He didn’t comment on it and instead led her back inside where it to her a few seconds to blink away the darkness and adjust to the lack of light inside the mansion, “Did you find Rory?” she asked him, holding in her breath and waiting for his reply.
“Rory and another man are missing from the village. They killed her,” he answered, and her footsteps halted in confusion.
“What?”
That couldn’t be true. For a fact she knew from what Charlotte had told about the man, they were both in love. Why would he kill her?
“We found some of his clothes with Charlotte’s blood on it. A report will be filed in the council to find the two men,” Two? Thought Vivian to herself.
The Easton’s had held back the funeral so that Leonard could see her. With Rhys and other family members who were already present, the Easton’s decided to hold the funeral for their daughter behind their mansion which was spacious. They didn’t want to bury her in the cemetery of vampires. There was no telling when the humans would destroy it.
After the quiet funeral took place, Leonard said his goodbyes taking Vivian along with him. To go to Bonelake, they had to pass the village which Leonard had visited with Duke Harrison. Vivian who had been looking outside the window, giving Leo his space, she caught sight of six people who were hung on the trees with ropes around their neck.
Blood drained down her face, her hands suddenly turning cold at the unmerciful death that was undoubtedly passed by the Duke who resided here. Her head turned to look at Leo who was looking outside his side of the window with his legs that were crossed and his back relaxed.
Did he ask for it to be done?
As if realizing the horror that she felt by looking at the hanging corpses, she heard Leo ask, “Are you afraid, Vivi?” he turned his gaze from the scenery to her.
“Did you…?” she asked softly not daring to complete the sentence.
“Am I responsible for hanging them?” he asked her. She saw him sigh, “People should know of what fear means when they hurt people whom I care for. To know the pain of someone losing someone dear. Blood will be avenged by blood. Nothing less or more.”
