Insatiable Desires ~Mattheo Riddle~ Book 2

Chapter 20

Clarissa's POV

My dress fanned out behind me as I ran up the spiral stairs of the tower. Each step taking me closer to my father. He thought he had been able to slip away but he wasn't quick enough. I followed him through the halls and up the grand staircases till he slipped through the door to the tower. I could have waited for Mattheo, I probably should have but he was busy with the guards and I couldn't risk Robert escaping. Not with the ring. 

I reached the last step and pushed softly on the wooden door in front of me. The hinges cried to be oiled as it opened and I waited for any movement on the other side. None came but I knew that my presence was known. There was no denying that the sound of the door wasn't heard. Stepping through, I noticed the small circular room was bare. At the far end, there was another door leading to the small wooden balcony and it was open. 

Cautiously and slowly, I made my way to it. Peering round the worn wooden frame, I saw that the balcony surrounded the circumference for the tower. The wood of the baluster and top rail were rotting away. The results of poor upkeep against years of harsh weather. 

My father stood in front of it, leaning against the top rail and causing it to creak under his weight. As I edged closer, the decking groaned under my feet. He raised his head, looking up at the dark sky. Clouds were blanketing the stars, only allowing the light of the moon to shine through. 

'I would often take your mother up here' He said quietly, not moving his gaze away from the moon. 'We would sit for hours, looking up at the stars' He bowed his head again and sighed deeply. Part of me wished it was a sigh of regret, but I wasn't going to be fooled. 

He slowly turned his body towards me and I halted a few feet away from him.

'She would talk endlessly about the constellations. She was so passionate about them.' His lips twitched up as if it was a fond memory. 'I was the only one that knew though. She couldn't share this information with her family. It wasn't deemed important in their line of work.' 

His eyes connected with mine and although he was relaying sweet memories, they were dark and soulless. 

'Did you know your mother was actually married. That is another reason that you was taken from her.' I brows creased together at the latest information that was given to me. I loved my mum but I knew she had her secrets. They were her secrets to keep though and I never pushed. 

'She was born a Black, married Rodolphus Lestrange as she was expected to by your grandparents. Keep the pure blood lineage. But then she met me. Our little love affair went on for years, unbeknown by many. When she fell pregnant, I was elated. The baby was sure to be mine, I had taken very specific care in making sure' 

I tilted my head. Didn't he tell me that he only found out about me when I was around five years old? Had everything that came out of this mans mouth been a lie? A sound from behind me made my ears prick but I didn't turn to it. It was just the creak of the floor boards. 

'But her parents found out' His eyes grew even darker. 'They knew that the baby wasn't her husbands but before they could shame her and convince her to kill her unborn child, I removed the problem. Both problems in fact' 

A grin twisted on to his face. He had killed my grandparents and by what he had finished with, I was pretty sure he had killed Rodolphus too. 

'I knew you were going to be special, I knew you were going to be powerful. I needed your mother to keep you safe while you were still growing inside of her.'

He held up his hand and reaching out for me, he ran his thumb over my cheek. I flinched away at his touch and he let out a light chuckle before lowering his hand again.