SWNOVELS Chapter 30
Chapter 30
ANDREAS
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The ballroom below was alive with music, but as I explored the deeper parts second-floor hallways of the manor, the lively tunes gradually faded away. My senses heightened and my whole body alert.
The vastness of the manor was evident in the empty rooms, but as Dreyfus had warned, vampires lurked within. Their presence was palpable, and whether or not they were aware of my presence mattered little, as long as I remained on this floor, I could fight them.
My footsteps receded when I heard two individuals arguing. I concealed myself behind a wall and made my presence beyond their senses, discreetly listening. Wolves normally can’t conceal their presence or their smell but I have learned this during my time in the borders being a warrior.
“Were you out of your senses? This is all your fault!” one man hissed and then I heard a punch being thrown followed by a thud. “You knew Gale was unstable but your go ddam emotions got the better of you and you let
him out?”
“He was dying-”
“Do you
think they give a da n? They were there for a reason. Gale knew what he had to do when he agreed and he knew of the possible consequences. If he was dying then you should have left him alone. He was the one who agreed to do that.”
My hand played with the dagger concealed inside my coat.
“Now, he’s missing. We don’t know if he’s still alive.” Another curse. “Find him. If you don’t, you’ll take his place.”
And then I heard footsteps moving away. I took a glimpse of who was talking and it was someone I was not familiar with. However, I don’t sense him as a vampire but a wolf. Whatever the reason was that some of the wolves decided to work with the vampires, I needed to know.
And whoever this Gale they were talking about-he’s missing. The urgency in the man’s voice earlier hinted at the gravity of the situation surrounding Gale’s disappearance. They also mentioned something about Gale almost dying. What could be the reason?
The man who was reprimanded earlier walked out and I was left with more suspicions. More pieces to a puzzle
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I’ve yet to solve.
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When the hallway was clear, I decided to move. My movements were stealthy as I maneuvered the tricky hall. I still sense the vampire presence nearby and I knew I would see them today.
Dreyfus told me this is just some kind of ceremony but I feel like there is more. Whether Dreyfus knows about it or not doesn’t matter. I’m finding out what lies behind this grand ball.
I skillfully made my way down the hall without getting noticed. As I made a left turn, a hushed conversation and the brisk footsteps of several men prompted me to conceal myself once more.
Carefully peering around the corner, I identified one of the figures as Lord Theon, Lady Grace and Lord Herbert’s father. Initially, I hadn’t suspected his involvement when I heard about this ball from Dreyfus. It had crossed my mind that perhaps Lord Theon was unaware of the vampire presence within his manor. However, the sight of him striding alongside unfamiliar men, unmistakably vampires, dispelled my beliefs. Lord Theon was clearly
working with the vampires for reasons still unknown to me.
I followed them closely as they made their way to a room. Before they could close it, I moved fast, moving as fast as the wind until I managed to get myself inside.
Concealing myself in a nook, I observed the space. It was a spa ious room and judging from the empty shelves, I guessed it used to be somebody’s personal library.
But what caught my attention was the big round table in the center of the room that could easily seat thirty people. The room was dark but I could tell the seats were almost full. Whoever these people are, they’re up to something. The darkness of the room made it hard for me to make out who they were. One certain thing is that
Lord Theon is one of them.
“Is everyone present?” inquired the individual at the head of the table. His voice was unfamiliar to me, not only because I had never heard it before but also due to a deliberate alteration.
“Not everyone, my Lord. Unfortunately, Pris is absent,” responded one of the attendees.
“That’s alright. I made him not attend because it would be suspicious if all of us disappeared from the ball at
once.”
Seems like Dreyfus might be right.
“I heard about the one that escaped. Where is he?”
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A hush fell over the room, broken only by a man’s response. “One of my subordinates facilitated his escape, my
lord.”
“And I assume this individual faced consequences for his folly?”
Another silence settled in the room and the one who sounded like the one leading the meeting added, “As! suspected. Where is he?”
Then suddenly, one man from one of the seats stood and knelt.
“My lord, please forgive me-”
The man was n
not able to continue his words when someone from one of the seats pierced the man’s heart with her hands and pulled out the man’s heart.
The smell of blood filled the air.
A heavy silence settled in, and the man sighed before continuing, “You may be familiar with Andreas Marfori
Havilliard.”
I froze, and a palpable quiet gripped the room. The leader of the meeting pressed on, “He’s returned to the capital, and you’re well aware of his reputation. I urge caution, especially now.”
“He won’t pose a threat, my Lord,” reassured the woman who had earlier claimed another’s heart.
“You underestimate him, Heidi. He could be linked to the disappearance of one of our own.”
I remembered the man who attacked Henrietta. If that man is one of them, he could be the one they were calling Gale. The one who was dying and the one who was unstable and now is missing because I have him. Why was he dying in the first place? When he attacked Henrietta, he was fine.
“If ever you encounter him, run. Do not attempt to fight. You’re not going to win and you’re going to end up jeopardizing everything we have worked on so far.”
My back was pressed on the wall. I stopped trying to see their faces. The dark room proved to be impossible to give me some hint about what they looked like. However, I heightened my senses. Not all of them are vampires. Some are wolves. It’s rare for vampires and wolves to work together.
“Theon, how are the preparations progressing?” inquired the leader.
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“Everything is in order, my lord. The arrangements are complete. We can commence the ceremony at your
command.”
“We shall initiate it now.”
“Yes, my lord.”
And then the sound of chairs scraping echoed inside the room. Initially, I had thought they would be doing the ceremony inside this very room. However, I was surprised when they started to move out. As much as I wanted to get out, I couldn’t. Not without risking my presence.
So I waited for them to get out and made my way out as well.
The hallway was empty. There were no signs that they were here in the first place. They could be mingling with the guests in the party and I won’t have any idea who they were. But that doesn’t matter now. I am going to
catch at least one of them.
I made my way casually back to the staircase. I spotted Aiden holding a glass of wine. Our eyes met and ! nodded, giving him the signal. Then my eyes darted to Henrietta who was now standing a good distance from Lord Herbert. She was about to turn when Lord Herbert grabbed her arm. Aiden interefered in time and Lord
Herbert let go of her arm.
I searched the crowd, hoping to have a glimpse of those people inside those room. I found none. All of them are unsuspecting, looking like ordinary guests. One thing I know for sure is Lord Theon’s involvement. I just have to get him and I’ll ask him about it. Even if I have to squeeze the truth out of him, I’d do it.
Aiden and Henrietta reached the spot where I was standing and surprise was visible on her face when she saw me there. Then the surprise was replaced with indifference, as though she was not delighted to see me there. I know what made her like that but now is not the time for me to explain everything..
“Change of plans,” I said to Aiden. “You need to leave this party.”
She scoffed. “What a coincidence. Lord Herbert told me the same thing.”
My forehead creased and I paused, momentarily taken aback. As far as I can tell earlier, it was evident that Lord Herbert held a certain fondness for Henrietta. However, upon closer inspection, the flush on her cheeks and the heavy droop of her eyelids suggested she had indulged in quite a few drinks.
A small smile played on my lips, “Did he, now?”
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“I made him angry.”
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I raised my brow. I’ve known Henrietta for her delicate nature and aversion to causing offense. Strangely, a sense of satisfaction washed over me at the thought of her provoking Lord Herbert. A chuckle involuntarily escaped
my lips.
I
“Whatever the cause, I’m certain he deserved it. However, I urge you to leave, for something is about to happen, and I wish for your safety.”
Her eyes widened with alarm as she looked at me. “What…What do you mean? What will happen?”
“I’m afraid that’s all you need to know, my Lady. I’ll escort you home,” Aiden said and gave me a knowing nod.
“Are there vamp–” she began, but I swiftly moved in front of her, covering her mouth. Vampires possessed heightened hearing, and even though the music masked most conversations, we can’t be too careless. Her wide eyes locked with mine, brimming with questions. More intriguing, however, was how she knew about the presence of vampires.
My eyes went to Aiden who suddenly found the ceiling the most interesting thing. I put my hand down and she blinked, still surprised.
“Yes, there are vampires here and they might do something. I don’t think it would be dangerous but it’s better to be safe,” I said, almost whispering.
She swallowed hard. “What about the others here? Will they be in danger?”
“I’ve already alerted the soldiers situated in the palace prior to coming here. They will come once I give the
signal.”
She shifted on her feet, her face etched with concern. On closer inspection, however, it became evident that it wasn’t just worry; fear also cast its shadow across her features.
The night she got attacked must have been terrifying for her. Thinking about that, I guess I made the right decision to erase her memory of that night.
“I know you have a lot of questions and I will answer them once I am done here, I promise,” I assured. Her emerald green eyes looked at me with worry and I was tempted just to leave everything here and be with her. To protect her. But I have a duty.
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She nodded, albeit hesitantly.
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“Let’s go, Lady Henrietta,” Aiden urged and they both walked down the stairs. Henrietta paused and turned to look at me and I gave her a reassuring smile. As they weaved their way into the crowd, I made my way down to the party. When Aiden and Henrietta were finally out, the music stopped and Lord Theon started moving towards the platform, holding a glass of wine.
I stopped and the servers started to distribute wine to all the guests, I took a glass when Lord Theon started to introduce himself. He called on his son and his daughter to join him on the stage.
It was wise to disguise their plan underneath his daughter’s debut. How they would do their ceremony, I am not yet certain. But the man they call their lord told them they were starting. Have they done it? Or perhaps are they just about to do it?
Lord Theon raised his glass and everyone followed, including myself.
A sudden realization gripped me, causing me to freeze in my tracks. My gaze returned to Lord Theon, who sported a grin while savoring a long sip from his glass. As the truth dawned on me, I noticed everyone partaking in the ceremonial drink.
This was it.
Their ceremony. Dreyfus mentioned it was about drinking blood to strengthen their unity. The wine served as a medium. It was not in every wine but the wine made for the toss.
Pretending to take a sip, I scrutinized the wine’s aroma. Initially, nothing stood out, but with each passing moment, a subtle scent of blood became discernible.
They tampered with the wine.
I did not waste
found.
time and immediately went to the kitchen, taking the glass of wine and placing it in a small vial 1
One thing I know is that there will be no murder tonight. This is just going to be like what Dreyfus claimed.
For now, I need to have this wine checked.
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Chapter 31