Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
T he days were blending into one. I didn’t usually mind being kept in the manor, but lately I was going mad. I wasn’t allowed to see Dorian let alone even contact her, the staff were scared the attacker would intercept the note. Going as far as forcing a fetched lie when I demanded to know why. My every waking moment spent under watch and my every sleep monitored.
I needed to get out of here. If not for a day then at least for an hour. Anything would do at this point, a minute alone would be a well craved blessing.
Winter was on its way and the roads would soon be too slick to travel on. One wrong move and death was certain. The idea blossomed to life in my mind. That’s it!
“Victor!” I called through the halls. Maaier had taken leave for the day leaving me feeling at peace.
Victor’s head popped out excitedly from his doorway.
“You called?” The young medic having a day spare from his apprenticeship.
“Come.” I held out my hand. “I want to go for a walk.” The weather outside clear and seemingly dry.
Victor smiled, happy for my interest in him as a protector. My own joy still shimmering through me.
Victor took my hand in his the moment we stepped off the front entrance stairs. We walked in content silence down the outskirts of the forest in the driveway. Tall trees reaching up for the last embrace of the autumn’s sun. A cool shift near. Birds sang as the wove through the branches, chirping merrily to each other.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” He asked softly.
“I needed a break from the manor. It’s starting to become suffocating.”
Victor huffed. “I’m surprised it’s taken you this long to admit that. I was growing worried about you.”
I furrowed my brow.
He continued “You never seem overly happy there in the manor. Like you are content but not overly satisfied with your life.”
I stilled beside him. I had never considered it that way.
Maybe I was content, but maybe there was a part of me that wanted to know more than basic anatomy. Maybe I could be the first female doctor for our town. A laughable thought. The towns folk would burn me for simply trying. My gaze flicked to Victor.
Maybe he could teach me some things. He was training to become a doctor himself after all.
“Maybe you have a valid point,” I mumbled, kicking my skirt as we headed further up the garden path.
“We could always run away together.” He teased, knocking his hip into mine as we continued down the path. I chuckled lightly.
“And where would we go on our secret runaway?”
He remained silent for a while, considering his options. His brow furrowed in thought.
“Rome.” He smiled, “I think that would suit you well.”
“Doubt the attacker would find me there.” I joked with a light hearted shrug.
Victor’s smile turned to a frown, dropping instantly. “Vespera,” He said my name ever so softly.
I turned to face him. The breeze blowing my hair over my face.
“Do you trust this Maaier fellow?” His voice low despite the solitary surroundings, his eyes focused on mine.
“I honestly don’t know.” I admitted. The memory of seeing him at my mothers piano like ash on my tongue clashing with how peaceful he looked in the sunrise.
“Me either. Something seems off about him. Like a darkness lingering around him.”
“The entire manor is filled with darkness.” I shrugged again. Victor squirmed on the spot. As if he too felt it.
“Almost makes me regret moving in,” He mumbled under his breath. I stilled, pulling Victor back to me.
“You moved into the manor as well? I thought they were kidding.” I all but gasped. Victor’s warm gaze searched mine. He nodded slowly. I could feel a sudden hesitation closing in. A familiar need to pull away. No one who stayed in the manor was ever normal again. Dorian stayed once but even that was enough to twist her already twisted mind further. People seemed to be plagued by something lurking in the dark. Unwilling to stay but unable to leave.
“Your uncle thought it would be a good idea considering how much time was intended for Maaier to be around you. Arthur thought it would be easier to keep an eye on you if I remained there,” He explained. His hand grazing my shoulder, a warm touch intended to sooth.
“Victor, you have to leave,” I whispered. My shaking hands rose to grasp his shoulders. The slight muscle tensing beneath his shirt.
“I’ll be fine-”
”No you won’t.” I cut him off. My eyes pleading with him. My hand squeezed tighter as I continued. “The darkness in the manor will consume you. Haven’t you noticed that all the maids bar Mary are old and withered? It’s because they can’t leave. They’re trapped. Once you enter the manor Victor, you can’t ever leave. You can run from its halls but it will always lure you back. Always.”
Victor stilled as if made of stone as he listened to my words. The rising and falling of his chest the only movement.
“Your father left and is yet to return.” He countered after a moment of heavy silence
“My father was already driven mad by the manor. Please Victor, please believe me. You need to leave.”
“I won’t leave you, Vespera,” He said softly.
“You must. I can hold my own. And if I can’t then I will meet my mother at the gates of heaven once more.” I admitted, a weight lifting from my chest.
Victor released a sigh, “It’s not that easy.”
“How? You can just run!” I raised my voice, the tone now shrill with desperation. It was as if he was lost, trying to find where he fit in. An insecurity I hadn’t felt in a long time. My heart ached for him to leave to be safe. Something was lurking in the walls and I didn’t need Victor falling prey to the darkness of the manor as so many before him had.
“I have nowhere to go.” He hissed, his shoulders drawing tight. Apprehension sparking in his eyes. “I have no family back home. No house. No one. Nothing.”
A hard lump rose in my throat. I swallowed thickly, dislodging my sudden emotions. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. I needed him to trust me and leave.
“I’m not just staying for you. As selfish as that sounds. I am staying for myself as well. You are not the only one who has felt death Vespera.” Victor’s voice grew daringly low.
It was never even a thought that crossed my mind. I was a selfish fool. Thinking I was helping him when all I was doing was turning him away to a life of nothing. A place he seemed so familiar with already.
“Victor, I am so sorry.” I managed.
He shrugged, turning his attention back to the road.