Chapter 36
THIRTY-SIX
For a fleeting moment, my life felt peaceful.
Now, each morning, I awoke with a whirlwind of unanswered questions swirling in my mind.
I had to learn more about Draven, yet the thought of confronting him again was unbearable.
I craved space and time to sort through my thoughts and reach my own conclusions.
The locked room behind the tapestry at the end of the hall lingered in my mind; perhaps it held the answers I desperately sought.
Quiet as a mouse, I approached the door, fully aware that it was locked.
Nevertheless, I resolved to attempt opening it.
I could ask Imalda for a key, but I was not ready to explain my motives.
Extracting a hairpin from my coiffure, I meticulously straightened it to the best of my ability.
Satisfied with its makeshift form, I inserted it into the keyhole and applied gentle pressure, twisting and maneuvering it with careful precision.
After what felt like an eternity of delicate wiggling, I was astonished when I heard the faint click of the lock disengaging. A surge of pride swelled within me as I realized I had successfully picked the lock. Without hesitation, I pushed open the door.
I froze at the sight before me. I saw an ancient nursery, untouched by the passage of time. Dust danced in the soft rays of sunlight that filtered through the aged curtains, casting shadows upon the worn wooden floorboards.
A faded rocking horse stood in one corner, its paint chipped and weathered, while a cobweb-laden cradle lay silent and still.
Toys adorned the shelves, their colours muted and faded with time.
The room appeared as if it had been preserved for over a century, every object bearing the patina of age and neglect.
I stepped farther into the room, my footsteps echoing in the hushed stillness of the nursery.
A sense of melancholy washed over me, and a lump formed in my throat as I stood in the nursery.
The weight of questions pressed down on me.
Who did this room belong to? Draven was a Blood Hunter, did this room belong to him?
How old was he? What other lies was he hiding from me?
I had to leave. I could not stay in this house any longer.
I fled the room, not bothering to close the door behind me.
I wanted to leave and to never return. Rage simmered within me as I returned to my chambers.
I looked around and a sudden realization struck me: I had nothing, no possessions to call my own.
Nausea churned in my stomach as I shed my garments with trembling hands. Who did these dresses once belong to?
A wave of dizziness hit me as I approached the tub, filling it with scalding water. I craved a fresh start, longing to wash away the weight of everything I’d been carrying. I scrubbed my skin until it felt raw and lathered my hair thoroughly.
Once I was clean, I contemplated my next move.
I would dress and head to Vail’s house for help, but a surge of shame gripped me.
How could I face my dear friend with the fact that I had married the same monster who killed both of our fathers and my mother?
I felt na?ve and foolish, the sting of my choices heavy on my heart.
No more lies and deception, I thought.
With trembling hands, I gazed down at the wedding ring adorning my finger—a symbol of a love built on falsehoods and hidden truths.
I tore the ring from my finger and flung it across the room, the sharp clang of metal echoing in the chamber.
In that moment, I despised Draven with every fibre of my being.
His betrayal burned within me. How could he have kept such dark secrets from me?
Why did I ignore the signs and marry him?
I lay in the bath and closed my eyes, wishing to disappear.
Once the water turned cold, I wrapped a silky robe around my shivering body, my wet hair dripping down my back. I stepped out of the room only to be engulfed by darkness.
A scream escaped my lips as a fabric bag was thrown over my head. Before I could react, strong hands shoved me forcefully, sending me sprawling to the floor with a painful thud. The impact knocked the breath from my lungs, leaving me gasping for air as panic surged through my veins.
I struggled as my arms and legs were being tied together by a coarse rope. I screamed again loudly.
“Quick, Jeffrey, silence her. Her screaming is going to wake him up,” a familiar voice ordered.
Tears streaked down my cheeks as the fabric was yanked from my head, revealing the grim visage of Dr. Montgomery, as he swiftly bound my ankles together. Beside him stood a towering figure, muscular and imposing, undoubtedly Jeffrey, who callously shoved a wad of fabric into my mouth.
I recoiled, my tongue pushing against the intrusive gag, but Jeffrey’s firm grip only forced the fabric deeper into my mouth. Panic surged within me as I choked, my attempts to scream muffled.
I thrashed and kicked violently, my movements wild and erratic as I rolled away from my captors. But Dr. Montgomery was relentless, his grip on my ankles unyielding as he dragged me mercilessly across the floor into the hallway.
He dragged me down the stairs, my arms useless, held by the tight bindings, my head striking against each step with a sickening force. A sharp pain blossomed around my eyes and warm blood ran across my face, as a gash opened on my eyelid.
“Do you reckon he will make his appearance, sir?” Jeffrey’s voice echoed in the grand foyer. As he swung open the front door, sunlight flooded the room, and I blinked rapidly from the blinding sun, trying to clear the blood from my eyes.
“Certainly, we have his stolen bride,” Dr. Montgomery sneered, his grip on my ankles tightening as he continued to drag me across the marble floor.
Dread coiled in the pit of my stomach, a sickening realization dawning upon me. I was nothing more than a pawn in their twisted game, a bargaining chip to lure Draven into their trap.
Desperation clawed at me as I struggled against the bindings, but the effort only left me feeling lightheaded, my head throbbing mercilessly from the violent descent down the stairs
They dragged me out into the blinding daylight, the harsh rays burning my eyes as I squinted, adjusting to the brightness. With a hollow thud, Jeffrey closed the massive doors of the mansion behind us, sealing me off from the safety I had known.
My gaze fell upon a carriage stationed a few yards away and, in that moment, a surge of frustration and helplessness washed over me. I desired for the strength to overpower these two men and tear every limb from their bodies piece by piece.
“Lift her by her arms, and I shall take hold of her legs,” Dr. Montgomery ordered Jeffrey. Just as they were about to grab me, the front doors of the mansion burst open with a violent force.
Draven stormed in, an angel of death.
He emerged into the sunlight and as I tried to call out to him, my voice was muffled by the gag in my mouth, and I could only watch in horror as he charged toward Dr. Montgomery with a ferocity I had never witnessed before.
Draven seized Dr. Montgomery and dragged him into the shadows of the mansion.
“I warned you never to touch my wife again!” His voice thundered, raw with anger and fury.
He sank his fangs into Dr. Montgomery’s neck, blood spraying in all directions as the man let out a visceral scream.
Draven gripped the sides of his head and twisted.
A sickening sound of bones breaking filled the air.
I closed my eyes, unable to bear the gruesome sight, but I reopened them when Draven’s own screams pierced the air.
Jeffrey stood behind him, a large wooden stake plunged into Draven’s back, driving him once again outside into the blinding sunlight.
My heart twisted with helplessness as I watched Draven’s skin blister and sizzle under the sun’s rays.
Bound on the ground, I could do nothing but witness his suffering.
In a desperate act, Draven turned and plunged his hand into Jeffrey’s chest. I stared in horror as he ripped Jeffrey’s heart from his body. Then his body fell to the floor, motionless next to Dr. Montgomery’s.
Tears welled in my eyes as I remained bound.
Draven turned and looked at me his face barely recognizable under the charred skin.
He fell to the ground, his dark blood welling from beneath the wooden stake.
I was unable to help Draven, and I knew Imalda and the other housekeepers probably were hiding, unwilling to interfere.
Desperately, I turned my gaze to Dr. Montgomery’s lifeless body and the gruesome sight of his half-ripped-off head lying on the ground.
My heart pounded with fear and adrenaline as I noticed a knife tucked into his belt.
I crawled toward it, struggling to grasp the hilt.
I managed to secure the knife and sawed through my restraints, feeling a surge of relief as my hands and legs were freed.
With trembling fingers, I removed the gag from my mouth, gasping for air.
Draven had taken a life to protect mine. The weight of his actions hung heavy in the air, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the lifeless form beside me.
Crawling toward Draven, every movement filled with urgency and dread, I reached his side.
His body bore burns, searing his flesh, and the stake was still embedded in his back.
With trembling hands, I grasped the wooden stake and pulled it out, wincing at the sight of more dark blood oozing from the wound.
Rolling Draven over, I felt my heart sink at the sight of his lifeless form. His face appeared even more drained of life than before. Dark veins snaked along his neck, a stark contrast against his ghostly complexion. I reached out and gently touched his cheek.
“Draven?” I pleaded, my voice choked with emotion. “Please, Draven, wake up.”
My eyes fell on his skin, blistered and swollen from the sunlight. Knowing that every moment counted, I summoned all my strength and determination. Gathering Draven’s arms, I pulled him with all my might, dragging him into the mansion.
I managed to haul Draven a few feet inside before my strength gave out. I reached out and pulled the heavy doors shut, enveloping us once again in the protective darkness of our home.
My plea grew frantic as I shook him, desperation clawing at my chest. “Draven, wake up, please! You cannot die! You cannot leave me as well,” I choked out, tears blurring my vision. But he remained unresponsive.
Refusing to accept his fate, I clenched the knife tightly, steeling myself against the pain. With a deep breath, I sliced a gash in my palm, wincing as crimson liquid pooled. Pressing my hand against his mouth, I watched as my blood flowed into him.
After a moment his lips closed around my hand, and he began to drink, each swallow flowed life into him. I watched as his burnt skin slowly began to mend.
His eyes fluttered open, pale blue orbs meeting mine, and I felt a rush of relief flood through me. Yet, his thirst seemed insatiable, his gaze held an intensity that I could not look away from.
“That is enough,” I whispered, attempting to pull my hand away, but he held on with an iron grip, his hunger consuming him. “Draven, stop.” The edges of panic creeped into my voice as I felt my strength waning with each passing moment. “You are going to kill me,” I whispered.
His eyes widened in realization, and with a final, desperate pull, he released my hand, his mouth stained with my blood.
Without uttering a single word, Draven rose to his feet and departed, his absence leaving me in the suffocating darkness.
It echoed the night my mother died, my clothes covered in blood once again.
I felt my limbs growing cold, my body tensing as the dread closed in.
In that moment I decided that I could no longer be frozen by fear.
Gathering what little resolve I had left, I walked through the corridors, my steps echoing in the silence of the mansion. My heart pounded with each passing moment as I approached Draven’s chamber. I knocked softly on his door, my voice trembling as I called out to him.
“Draven?”
I pushed open the door, revealing Draven standing on the other side. His eyes, once filled with an otherworldly hunger, now held a mixture of relief and uncertainty.
“Rosalia,” he murmured, his voice a whisper. “I did not intend ... I did not mean to cause you harm.”
I entered his room; I closed the door behind me.
“How do you feel?” I asked him softly.
“I shall be well in a few days.” Relief laced his tone.
“I am fortunate he lacked proper aim. He missed my heart by a considerable amount. Also, given the amount of sunlight I was exposed to, I am quite surprised to be alive. The trials Dr. Montgomery subjected me to appear to have strengthened my immunity to those rays. Most Blood Hunters would have died.”
He moved closer to me, his hand extending toward my cheek with hesitation. I nodded reassuringly, and he brushed a strand of hair away from my face, his touch gentle and comforting.
“What of you? Are you injured?" he asked.
“I am sore and scratched,” I replied. “I intended to depart this morning. That was when they ambushed me. I was furious, fully prepared to leave.”
“Why were you intending to leave?”
“I found the nursery,” I said.
His gaze sharpened. “I can explain everything, should you allow me.”
“I wish to hear it all,” I replied. “And I would like to remain. However, if I do, I must insist that you share every detail of your life with me. No more secrets. I am ready for the truth. I also have a request to make of you.”
“Anything,” he replied, his hand gently cupping my cheek, drawing my face closer to his.
“I cannot continue living this way, in perpetual fear,” I declared, my voice now firm.
“I promise, I shall tell you all that you wish to know,” Draven said.
“It is not that …I need ...”
I took a deep breath.
“I have decided. I will no longer be weak, and I grow weary of running.” I barely processed the gravity of my words until they had escaped my lips. “I want you to turn me into a Blood Hunter.”
“Rosalia,” Draven said his eyes wide in shock. “No. I cannot wish this for you. I do not want this existence myself. I am tired of living in the shadows each day. You deserve to live a normal life.”
“I believe you forfeited my chance at a normal life the moment we wed, Draven,” I said a weight leaving my chest.
“That was selfish of me. I was blinded by love and hardly knew what I was thinking.”
“I feel a sense of betrayal, yet I cannot deny that my feelings for you run too deep to simply vanish. I am still in love with you, Draven.”
“I love you, Rosalia, and I cannot bear the thought of you becoming a monster like me.”
Before I could utter another word Draven turned into a bat and flew away into the night.