It's been 12 years since the Darkflame family came to Garside Grange. And four years since Ingrid wreaked chaos on Stokely. But Kalinda is going to have to watch her back when it comes to all of this.
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Things haven't changed one bit around here. I'm still desperate for revenge against Malik. Me and Vlad are still married. Bertrand is still dead and all we could do is avenge him. I'm drinking my sorrows in blood at the table while I feel The Count's worried glance towards me from his throne. I'm okay, but I know what I have to do for my family.
"Still pinning?" said Renfield, sitting on the opposite side of me. "Never mind. I'm still here, Master. Oh, I love a game of chess, me!" He then proceeds to tip out a box of all the right pieces you need for the game. I drag my bottle away from him. "Your move, Master." He grins. The chess pieces were clustered around the chessboard. When he realizes that The Count isn't interested in going first, he picks up a pawn. "I'll go first." He places the pawn on a black square. I used to be amazing back at home, and Tariq hated that, so I stopped playing chess. Suddenly, Malik whooshes into the room. He holds a large red file and passes it to The Count, who gets out of his chair at Malik's arrival.
"Father, Bertolini's file," said Malik. "There's nothing incriminating."
"Bertolini," said The Count, slapping the file on Malik's chest. "Must have a weakness."
"Have you ever thought maybe he is just as perfect as McCauley thinks he is?" The Count looks at him in an offensive manner. "I guess not. Why don't you just dust him?"
"Because breathers have an unfathomable sentimentality for the dead. He will live in Mrs. McCauley's heart, and I'll..." said The Count, shaking his head. "I'll never get a look in." If Vlad died, it will not just be breathers, who will pine over the dead.
"Not if he dies a fool." Here we go. "Make it, so that it's some stupid accident of his own doing." The Count smirks at this idea.
"Sit, sit, sit." said The Count, making his way to the table. Malik does as he is told and sits down right to the opposite side of Renfield and next to me.
"Hey."
"Hey." I said, glaring back at him. I'm so not glad that he's here.
"Chess always helps me think." said The Count, leaning on his knees and placing his arms to lift his upper body weight onto the table. Renfield doesn't like it when he plays with Malik.
"No, no, no." said Renfield, fumbling with his words. "Winner stays on."
"Oh, yeah?" said Malik, grinning at him. He stretches his fingers before using his powers to quickly erase Renfield's moves and places each figurine in their positions. He then motions for him to go first. Renfield shakily places a pawn on a square. Malik places one of his pawns in front of Renfield's pawn. He makes another move as well as Malik. "Checkmate." Wow! It is a good thing that I didn't forget about chess. Renfield decides that it's time to go.
"Well, I'll leave you to it." said Renfield, getting out of his chair and heading straight for the door. The Count whooshes right into his chair. They then begin putting the pieces back in their spots and say in unison, "After you."
