Raven | 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 16

***

Alexandra stared ahead without blinking, until the man slowly turned around, his gaze falling upon his granddaughter. He was tall and rather handsome for his age. His white hair was covered with an expensive-looking yet old-fashioned top-hat, his hand holding onto a black wooden cane.

       "Hello, Alexandra," said Marcellus Starling, his lips twitching up into a faint smile, though there was no sign of feelings in his light blue eyes.

      But Alexandra said nothing and only gaped up at him, her heartbeat speeding up. What was he doing here, after all those years which he'd never showed up. What was he playing at?

       "And who is this young man?" asked Mr. Starling in fake-amusement as he walked toward where Mike and Alexandra were standing.

      "I-it's Mike Williams, sir," said Mike in a stutter. "It's an honor meeting you, sir."

      Mike raised his hand for Mr. Starling to shake politely, but then man only glanced down at it, raising a brow and then looking back at him with his cold eyes.

       Mike had never met Alexandra's grandfather in person before and had only heard of him from what Alexandra had told him about. Over the years, whenever Alexandra told Mike how scary her grandfather was, Mike assumed that she had just been exaggerating.

      But now, as he stood in his tall and stern presence, Mike came to realize that 'scary' was just an understatement when it came to Marcellus Starling.

       Mr. Starling smiled once more, though there was something in his smile that made Mike fear for his life. There was no emption across his face as he looked down upon Mike.

       "Muggle-born, are you?" Mr. Starling questioned calmly. He hadn't raised his tone, nor had he said it in a harsh manner. But there was something in his silk voice that made Mike shiver. Or perhaps it was his cold gaze.

       Alexandra watched the scene anxiously, her heart pounding inside her chest as she looked between her grandfather and Mike.

       After a long pause, Mike finally lowered his hand awkwardly, throwing down his gaze and gulping. But at that exact moment, Mr. Starling's smile disappeared completely from his face, looking as if his lips had never laughed or smiled his entire life.

      But Mike suddenly froze on his spot when Mr. Starling took another step toward him and hissed in a dark tone, "Stay away from my granddaughter."

      And with one last deadly glare at Mike's direction, Mr. Starling turned on his heels, saying louder, "Come along, Alexandra."

      Alexandra hesitated at first, but then she turned to face Mike and mouthed, "I'm sorry," before following after her grandfather and leaving.

***

Once Alexandra got home along with her grandfather, she started to feel depressed again. There was nothing good and cheerful about the house they lived in. Maybe because its enormous halls were always empty and quiet.

The only thing that made holidays at least a little more tolerable for Alexandra was her old nursemaid, Edna, who was a half-elf. She'd been there for Alexandra all her life, raising her like a daughter of her own.

But still something didn't make sense. Why would Alexandra's grandfather come after her this year, while Edna was the only one who ever did so.

The first irrational thought that came into Alexandra's head was that something bad had happened to Edna. But then it hit her and she finally realized what the real reason could've been.

Marcellus Starling was probably afraid that now that Alexandra had finally found out the truth about her parents, she would want to run away.

      As night reigned the sky, the two walked down the lane which led up to the Starling manor house and walked through the iron gates. Alexandra hugged her cloak closer to her body against the shivering cold as she followed her grandfather behind, glaring at the back of his head.

      She still hadn't dared to utter a single word. She had no idea how she was supposed to start. And even if she finally got enough courage to ask him about her parents, there was still no guarantee that he would tell her the truth.

      But her heart was suddenly lifted up when Alexandra sighted Edna from afar, awaiting them at the doorway of the house.

      "Edna!" Alexandra exclaimed in happiness, running forward and leaving her trunk behind. When she reached the short and old woman, Alexandra dropped to her knees to level up with her before bringing Edna into a warm hug.

       "Get her trunk up to her room, Edna," Mr. Starling ordered coldly, walking past them and stepping into the house.

     "Yes, sir," Edna nodded weakly, snapping her fingers together and making her trunk vanish, only to appear upstairs. She then smiled at Alex, saying, "I better go up and unpack your trunk. Dinner is already made."

      "I — I'll come with you," Alexandra muttered, watching her grandfather disappear up the stairs to go into his study, where he always shut himself up.

      "Oh, I can't believe how much you've grown!" Edna sighed happily when they were finally upstairs in her room with the door closed and the trunk was neatly packed away.

     "Edna, I've only been away four months." Alexandra giggled.

       "Well, look how much you've grown in four months!" Edna sniffed, wiping a tear away. "It seems just like yesterday when you were a little baby, grabbing my finger and pulling at my hair."

       Alexandra chuckled, but it soon faded when her thought wondered away once more.

      "What is troubling you, Miss Starling?" Edna questioned apprehensively, her kind brown eyes watching her carefully.

       "My parents," Alexandra said after a pause, finally looking up at Edna as they were sitting at the edge of the bed. "I want to know the truth."

      But with those words, Alexandra saw the color drain from Edna's face and she gulped, looking nervously away.