Chapter 24 #2
I hurried through the corridors, glancing at couples tucked away in corners, sharing intimate moments, groups of friends laughing, and people dancing around the estate. I finally reached a door at the end of the hallway and pushed it open.
My jaw dropped at the scene before me. Two women, adorned in flowing silk dresses, straddled a man who was sprawled across a couch, their sensual movements in synchrony with each other.
Initial embarrassment flushed my cheeks at intruding on such an intimate scene, but a wave of horror washed over me, freezing my limbs in place.
I clamped my hand over my mouth to stifle a scream as the reality of the scene became clear.
The two women were not riding the man. One of them delicately kissed the man’s lips, while the other greedily drank from a wound on his chest. His expression was twisted in perverse ecstasy.
The champagne glass slipped from my trembling fingers, shattering against the floor.
Within a blink, the women were staring at me.
Crimson trails running down the front of their chins.
I turned, slamming the door shut behind me as I fled the scene.
Every part of me screamed for an escape.
My instincts urged me to find safety, to find Draven, and to flee this nightmare before it was too late.
Tears blurred my vision as I ran; the memories of that fateful night along the river rushed back to me. Colliding with Vail in the hallway, I rushed into her embrace, burying my face in her hair.
“Rosie, what had happened?” Vail asked, holding me and stroking my hair.
“There are Blood Hunters here. I saw them in that room.” I pointed toward where I had just fled.
“Rosie, you need to breathe.” Concern was evident in her voice as she gently wiped away my tears.
“Do you feel better?” she asked.
“A little.”
“Good.” Vail turned me around. “Which room was it?”
“Are you mad? We must find Draven and leave at once!” Panic rose within me.
“No, I must see if there are more Blood Hunters here. It is not safe for anyone.” She opened the door, and I flinched, expecting the Blood Hunters inside to pounce. But the room was empty.
“I swear, Vail, there were two of them here only a moment ago,” I insisted through my trembling voice.
“I believe you,” Vail reassured me, stepping into the room and scanning it.
She pulled me inside and shut the door behind me.
She made her way to the couch, and she placed her handbag on the table and retrieved bottles of what appeared to be dried herbs, along with vials containing dark liquids that I couldn’t identify through my tears.
“What are you doing?”
She retrieved a small handwritten book from her purse, and I recognized it from the occasional glimpses of her grandmother using it.
“I’m going to track the Blood Hunters.”
“That sounds like a horrible idea. I think we should find Draven.”
“Draven can handle himself. He is stronger than you believe him to be.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“He told me about his ailment,” Vail said, rubbing her hands together with dried herbs between them.
“He told you?” I was surprised, especially given how long it took him to share that with me.
“He told me because I asked him. I questioned him on why I had never seen him before,” Vail explained, her focus shifting back to her task. “If you could be quiet, I need to concentrate.”
Vail began muttering under her breath, repeating a chant in a language unknown to me. A glowing purple butterfly materialized and started fluttering around the room. It was the same butterfly that had guided me when I rescued the little girl from the fire.
“Let’s follow it,” Vail instructed before I could thank her.
“Hold on,” I said, recalling a passage from my father’s journal. Grabbing a nearby chair, I swung it over my head, smashing it onto the ground. The legs splintered, and I picked up two jagged pieces, handing one to Vail.
“Good idea.” Vail nodded, taking my hand as we opened the door. The butterfly flew around the corner, down the long hallway, and up the stairs.
We followed it through the maze of hallways, passing other guests spilling in and out of various rooms. As we neared the end of the hallway, the butterfly flew into an open door.
Draven emerged. His jacket was gone, his sleeves pushed up on his forearms, and his hair was disheveled. When our eyes met, he pushed his hair out of his face, his expression widening in surprise when he saw me.
“Draven,” I began, but he interrupted, sweeping me up into a tight hug.
“Rosalia, I have been looking everywhere for you,” he exclaimed, setting me down and eyeing the chair legs that both Vail and I were holding. I moved mine behind my back.
“I was trying to find you. There are Blood Hunters here.”
“That is not possible,” Draven protested.
“Do you not believe Rosie?” Vail challenged.
“There could not be any Blood Hunters here, not unless they were invited inside,” Draven reasoned, closing the door firmly behind him. “Let us return to the festivities.”
“I witnessed it with my own eyes! Two of them were drinking from a man,” I insisted.
As two party guests emerged from a room to our left, Draven lowered his voice. “I fear you have had too much to drink this evening, Rosalia. You are causing quite a scene.”
“Of course I am! I saw two Blood Hunters tearing into a guest’s neck, and I am terrified. That could have been any of us. Draven, we must leave. It is not safe here.”
“I can escort her home if you want to stay,” Vail offered Draven.
“No, I will bring her home. It is late,” Draven replied. Turning to Vail, he asked, “Do you wish for a ride back to Elmcross?”
“I arrived with someone. I should check on them, ensure they are well,” Vail said.
I had overlooked the fact that she was accompanied at the party, but I chose not to inquire further, as I was ready to return home.
I would ask her about it later. We walked Vail back to the ballroom and bid her goodbye.
Once inside the carriage, the tension building in me began to ease; however, a new emotion took its place. Anger. I was angry at Draven for not believing me when I told him about my encounter. It felt like a betrayal, a breach of trust that left me feeling hurt and frustrated.
I removed my mask, placing it on the seat between Draven and me. I found myself leaning away from him, resting my head against the cool window as we made our journey home. The rhythmic clatter of the carriage wheels against the cobblestones provided a backdrop to my swirling thoughts.
I remained silent, lost in my thoughts as memories of Draven and Vail dancing together washed through my mind. It bothered me more than I cared to admit, especially knowing that Draven had confided in Vail about his disease. Why hadn’t he told me sooner? Was there something he was keeping from me?
I had eagerly anticipated this evening, hoping for a night filled with joy and celebration, but it had proven to be anything but.
Instead, it was tainted by fear, suspicion, and a growing sense of unease.
As the carriage rolled on toward home, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things between Draven and me had changed, and not for the better.
When the carriage stopped moving, I wasted no time stepping out, eager to get to bed. I made my way through the garden toward Thornwood; the night air was cold against my skin.
Draven’s footsteps were close behind me, and moments later, I felt his fingers brush out to touch my hand. I halted and turned around to face him. His concern was evident in the gentle furrow of his brow.
“What is the matter with you?” he asked, his eyes searching mine for answers.
“Nothing, I am tired,” I lied. How could I explain to him how insignificant he had made me feel? At that moment, I did not want to be near him. I simply wanted to get out of my dress, let down my hair, and be alone.
“Are you angry with me for questioning you about the Blood Hunters at the party?”
“Yes, I am. Now let’s go inside,” I replied.
“That is not all, though?” he insisted, gently pulling me toward him. His hands slid under my chin, lifting it to meet his gaze. “What else angers you, my heart?”
I averted my gaze, feeling tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. I didn’t want to admit to him how insignificant he made me feel, how his actions had stirred a storm of insecurity within me.
“You can tell me anything.”
“I saw you dancing with Vail.”
Draven chuckled softly, the sound causing a pang of frustration to course through me.
“Do not laugh at me,” I protested, attempting to push him away.
“Is that the only reason?” he asked, pulling me closer into his chest. “My heart, are you jealous that I danced with your friend and not you?” His voice dropped an octave as he whispered into my ear. “Do you wish to dance with me now?”
“In the garden?”
“If you are worried about the cold, I will hold you close. The cold will not touch you,” Draven reassured me, taking my hand and placing it on his arm while his other arm slid around my waist. “Close your eyes,” he instructed, and I complied.
He began to guide us in a slow dance around the garden.
Without the music, the dance felt surreal.
Although the way he held me and moved with such grace made me feel weightless, as if I were floating in the air.
The worries and frustrations of the evening melted away, replaced by the melody from the ball as we danced beneath the moonlit sky.
“I like Vail,” Draven said after a moment, breaking the silence.
“I like her as well.”
“I know you do. I am well aware of how much she means to you and how you feel she is the only family you have left.”
I felt my cheeks warm.
“That is why I asked her to dance with me. I wanted to ask her something.”
“What did you ask her?”
“I asked her to allow me the permission to marry you,” Draven planted a kiss on my forehead.
I stopped dancing, my breath catching in my throat as his words sank in. “Pardon?” My heart pounded in my chest; my hands felt damp with shock.
Draven bent down on one knee before me. “Rosalia, will you marry me?” He took my hands in his, kissing my palm, and then placed a silver band topped with two pearls into it.