I frown at Nora. "Did you already forget what I told you?" She eyes me but is silent. I sigh and put her down. Before I crouch in front of her once more I pull out the remaining straps of leather that still stick in my skin. "Lyall, you need to be careful with this one.", I look at him seriously and pointing at Nora. "She is a strong one." Lyall chuckles. "What are you talking, Butcher?" Nodding at Nora I show her my index finger.
"We need to show him.", I tell her and she grins showing me her right hand. Nodding once more to assure her she gives me a little push on my shoulder and I let myself fall back on the ground, not moving anymore. Nora's laughter sounds like ringing bells and the rustling leaves tell me that some more beasts came to see what is going on. I'm still not moving.
"Wow, you knocked him out!", I can hear Lyall laugh and Nora starts to head over to my head. I can smell her breath as she seems to crouch at my head. "Demon?", she asks worriedly. Oh, she keeps on calling me like that? I maybe should have told her my name instead. "Try to kiss his cheek, sweetheart. That always works with men.", I can hear Celeste and if my eyes would have been open, I would roll them now. It takes a few more moments but I feel Nora peck my forehead and I open my eyes. This time she doesn't run away but grins at me and I have to smile too as my heart seems to swell.
Getting up I point at Nora. "You see what she's capable of? I just can't beat her, I need to obey.", I tell Lyall and Nora wears her big grin like a shield. She looks exactly like Henriette. I get up completely, dusting off the dirt of my clothes. "Still, Cassy, why is she here? I thought we had an agreement.", I ask and she smiles at me. "I can only repeat myself. It wasn't me who wanted to see you so badly, darling." I take a look at Nora and she steps closer to hide behind my leg. I sigh. "You can't stay here, little angel. You need to go with Miss Lavertu. It's not safe here and you know what your sister said, don't you?", I scold her but she keeps her eyes tucked to the ground.
"She told me that your name is Demon. How come I'm not allowed to call you like that?", Celeste smirks. "Well... at least she doesn't call me an angel anymore.", I murmur and Lyall chuckles. Placing my hand on Nora's head to stroke along once I give her another moment to hide. "I bought the orphanage, Ethan.", Celeste all of a sudden says. "You did buy it?", I raise an eyebrow and she nods.
"It was a shame how so many pretty girl's faces were that dirty. It had no style and no flair and I recently got a bit of an inheritance from her father. Trust me, I will make it shine.", she chirps and I give her a smile. I don't remember ever smiling at her that genuine.
"Thank you, Celeste.", I say before I gently push Nora away. "Do what Miss Lavertu says and you will not only be the bravest and strongest but also the most beautiful angel. Can you do that for me?", I ask and reach out my pinky finger. "I'm already beautiful.", she pouts and I grin. "Yes, you are right. How dare I? Still... will you do what she says? Do you promise?" She nods and links her pinky finger with mine. I also nod before straightening out.
"Lyall, the Mountain...", I turn to Lyall and his amused look changes to a serious one again. I know that he only did that for Nora, but I really need to talk to him. "We would need to talk. There are things you need to be aware of."
"Ladies first, right?", Celeste interrupts and Lyall looks at her. "Sure, I don't care." I can't overhear that annoyed tone and while Celeste and Lyall still exchange looks, Naveena sneaked up to Nora. A silent growl of warning from me and Nora is holding my foot tighter. Naveena takes in Nora's scent as I pick up Nora once again protectively.
Nora, on the other hand, looks at Connor who is still standing behind me. "Your hair needs combing.", she all of a sudden says to him. "Auntie says if you do it regularly it doesn't hurt anymore.", she continues. An idea strikes my mind. "Nora? Would you like to take a little tour with Connor? I really need to talk to Auntie and Lyall.", I smile at Cassy's new nickname.
Connor looks irritated first but seeing Lyall shrug he grins. "Of course, come on, let the adults have their boring conversation and I show you where we have fun." The way he puts this let my eyes flash up. I reach out to hold his neck, dragging his ear close to my mouth I whisper so silently that only he will hear it, "If you do or say something inappropriate while Nora is with you, I will make you regret every single moment in your life."
He pales at the obvious threat, but then I release his neck and Naveena also comes to stand next to Connor and Nora. "I want to join!", she smiles at Nora and I can see Nora completely fascinated of her. Lyall nods to Naveena and the three of them leave to the other clearing. I can't help but keep looking after them for another moment. She shouldn't be here. I have a bad feeling about that.
I can feel Celeste running her hand along my back from one shoulder to the next and coming to stand in front of me with her hands at my neck. "Now, daddy, when did you get so soft?", she asks smugly and I get rid of her hands. "Don't call me like that."
"Fine. Then tell me - Ethan, the butcher - why did you lie to me? She seems to know you very well.", she crosses her arms in front of her chest. I roll my eyes. "Do you really think it is good for her to announce me as her father?", I ask instead. She smirks. "I think, you owe me something for not being honest and as far as I can see you have no money anymore. I guess you can only sell your body now. How about a kiss?", she licks her lower lips.
With a fast movement, I have her throat in my custody and run my nose along her jawline. Lyall is just about to step in as he realizes her reaction. She laughs out amused. "I'm so glad to see that you didn't lose your temper, my dear." Her hands once more running through my hair. "They didn't manage to break you, hm?"
"Don't test me, Celeste.", I snarl and let go of her again. She still smiles. "Oh Ethan, we both know that you need me for our little daughter. You will play your role as the father that can't come home. She obviously needs you, too."
"Me?", my eyes flash up once more. "It's not that I told her that you only do that out of pity. Why did you reveal yourself to her if you didn't want that she remembers at all."
"I was weak.", I stare into her eyes and I can see that I got her off guard. I sigh and Lyall lays down a hand on my shoulder. I twitch at the sudden touch but drag away my shoulder. "I think both of you need to hear what I have to say, but Celeste..." I stop for a moment and she wears that false smile I hate so much. "If you tell this story to anybody else and I find out, you won't be able to tell any kind of story anymore at all."
This time she rolls her eyes. "Oh darling, if I would have gotten a penny every time I heard you saying that I would be a far richer woman now." I nod seriously. "Lyall, you asked me if I really did what they accused me of. Well, it is a bit more complicated than that."
"I figured, but you really think I will believe you just because some time passed by?", his tone getting colder with every word. "That's up to you."
"If there is one thing I learned about this handsome guy here, it's that you should listen when he finally tells something.", Celeste interrupts once again and she then suggests to get to sit down somewhere more ... silent.
Her way to ask for some privacy, but I already know that even in the main cave, privacy is nearly not existent. As all three of us sit down at the table where I also had my first conversation with Lyall I frown at the upcoming memories. It's not easy to tell that now, but I weighed in my options and Lyall knowing what is about to come gives us the best chance to survive.
"It is true, that I'm a brute and a monster. I don't deny that I killed that maid, but I never enslaved her or forced her to stay with me in any kind. It is also true that I hurt her, but in fact, she was the strongest person I've ever met.", I eye Celeste as she narrows her eyes at me. "I don't know about her past, but the way her life ended, I'm sure I didn't lie to Nora when I told her that she is back in heaven."
This is the moment Lyall connects the dots. "The girl is the sister of the human you killed?", he wants assurance and I nod. Avoiding both of their looks I start to tell them about what I found out months ago.
~~~~ The night Henriette McDonnelly died ~~~~
"Henriette? It's me, I know it's late for you, but we need to talk.", I say through the closed door and after a few moments, I can hear a sigh. "Mister Vinge?", a fainted voice. "Yes, I'll come in now.", I warn her before opening the door.
My eyes grow wide first at what I see and it doesn't take long for them to fully glow. "What happened?!", I want to know and she sighs once more. She is lying in her bed and her throat and neck show wounds that look like someone has bitten her several times; not only today but alarmingly harsh. There is also the old fracture I gave her a few weeks ago. Next, to the bites, a bruise started to form on her cheek and her wrists look also wounded. She is bleeding out of several of the bites. With a few steps, I'm next to her taking her hand and getting on my knees to look at her face. "Who did that?", I want to know but she just sighs once more. "Oh, Mister Vinge...", she coughs. "I'm a horrible person.", she starts crying and I am just puzzled.
"Why do you say that, little lady?", I was the one being rude to her. "I need to get you to Erwin. He will know how to fix this.", I say but I am not so sure, to be honest. She is bleeding out of several wounds and looks pale. I can feel her heavy breathing and I don't know how long she is here already. Without waiting another second I grab her and lift her into my arms. "No, no don't, please...", she starts but has to cough once more. "Please just listen to me... Mr. Vinge. Please.", she begs me and I sit down on her bed, placing her on my lap and holding her. "Speak fast woman, I won't let you die here.", I nearly command and a sad smile appears on her face.
"Mr. Vinge... it was me. I did betray you. My brother... my brother...", she sobs and I remember why I wanted to come to her in the first place. "Henry,...", I start but she shakes her head. "I know he's dead.", she gulps and tries to get rid of the steady flow of tears on her cheeks. "He wasn't a good man, he got what he sowed.", to hear that from her makes me blink but I let her speak. "He wanted to become a vampire, to get closer to the Lord and then... this happened.", she moves her fingers over her throat and I know that she means what I did to her. "I didn't intend to betray you, Mr. Vinge. Please believe me...", I can see her struggle and try to understand while taking her cheek in my hand.
"Henry, why did you betray me? What did you do?", I suspect something very badly but refuse to believe it. "I... Angus forced me to spy for him. I told him everything I saw and what he wanted to know. He wanted to turn both of us...", her lower lip starts to shiver. "He was working with some strangers to start a revolution in London. They used me to reach their goals. I'm so stupid, I didn't know that Angus will go that far, but that night we got back from the forest I tried to tell you; to ask for help... The man who works with him just killed that Doctor in front of me, Mr. Vinge. This man...", she struggles with breathing again and I can't believe what I hear. "... He said he knows you well and what you did. He wants to see you suffer and therefore exchanged the corpses. He could have killed you that night. I didn't know what to do...", she starts to repeat herself a few times before I stroke along her cheek to calm her.
"They found Nora, Mr. Vinge. I don't want her to be dragged into this. Please, she is too little for all that. Angus was such a fool. He sold the souls of his sisters for the promise of power..."
"Who are those people, Henriette? What do they want? Do you know where they hide?", I start to worry. If they infiltrated this headquarters already and I was playing a big part in it I'm definitely the wrong guy to protect this whole reign anymore. How did I not see that?
"I didn't tell them about the way you like Lord Blackwood. I don't want them to hurt you, Mr. Vinge. I don't know who they are; they only talked to my brother, besides that one night in the forest... and tonight.", she coughs once more and I can see the blood in her hand after she tried to hide it. If she is spitting blood it's not only the bleeding on the outside that should worry me.
"It's about time; we need to head to Erwin now. You can tell me the rest later.", I'm about to get up again but she shakes her head. "I got one more order, and I'll tell you because I don't want them to hurt you, or Nora or the Lord. They are wrong and they won't win because of me...", she grabs my shirt collar. "They want you to turn me, Mr. Vinge.", she says and I look at her. That's actually not the worst idea to save her.
"I choose death this time, Mr. Vinge. Please don't do it.", she keeps on begging and I'm not sure if she just read my mind. "I know you would do it. Please don't doom my soul.", she reaches up her hand to touch my cheek as I keep on staring into her face. What is wrong with her? What is wrong with me? Why do I feel so anxious about the fact that she wants to die? "It's for Nora. They will never stop leaving me alone and they will always be threatening her to get me to do things that hurt you. I don't want to live like that... You protect everybody, but who is protecting you?", she says pretty calmly. She must have thought about that very long already. "I don't need protection, little lady.", I say softly.
"Mr. Vinge, I know I'm not allowed to ask you for anything, but please make sure she is safe. Nora.", her voice is getting more silent and I nod. Tears start to form in the corners of my eyes. "Why don't you just let me kill those people for you, little lady? You don't need to die. No matter what they have in mind for me, I'll take it if it's necessary. You said you want to live and I did my best to make that happen for you. Just because it gets complicated I won't stop doing that.", I try to convince her to change her mind, but she just shakes her head.
"I saw the nightmares, the struggle that all of you try to hide. I'm not that stupid, I don't want to live forever and I don't want to do more harm to others than I already did. I want to go to heaven and find my parents. I want to...", another cough and I press her against my chest. "What if I don't allow you to decide that on your own?", I say and can hear a desperate and bitter laugh. "The man who killed the guest doctor said that I don't have to worry if you refuse, he forced me to drink something... I just should make sure you are the one taking responsibility...", she looks at me and I narrow my eyes. "Was it red and tasted like iron? Was it blood?", I want to know and she nods.
"This means you will turn if you die, no matter whose blood you got. You will become a vampire, little lady.", I'm not sure if I'm glad or should feel bad about it. Seeing her starting to cry heavily I can't stand to see her like that. In fact, it's my entire fault. They used her because she was close to me, and she only was close to me because I wounded her. As a result, I didn't only hurt her collarbone but doomed her the moment I saw her in the storage room for the first time. I gave them a happy accident that they were able to take advantage of and they used it well.
I take a deep breath. I'm responsible for all of that and it is her choice what happens next. Isn't it? "Henriette.", I start and my voice cracks before I can clear my throat. "There is a solution, but it's not... noble. Are you sure, that you don't want to become a vampire and we will figure it out? Also for your sister?", but she shakes her head still crying and sobbing. Her whole body is trembling now and I don't know how long she'll be able to stay awake. "Don't you want to live? For your sister?", I try once more.