Valerian Empire

Chapter 32: Hallow- Part 1

Stepping out of her clothes, Katie got into the tub that had warm water running on one side of it.

Taking the bar of soap she lathered it on her skin before scrubbing it vigorously as she repeated to herself that nothing happened and she was safe. She wanted to forget it like a bad dream.

Instead of getting out when she was done bathing, she sat in the tub and touched the surface of the water with her finger tips, drawing uneven patterns. The warm water soothed her like a cocooned nest.

Being a maid didn’t seem that bad now than ending up with a wrong person, she thought bringing her knees close to her chest. Few more days and she would get to know about her Ralph’s whereabouts. From there she would decide what to do, as she had a good education she could become a scholars assistant in the southern empire with the other humans.

The day of Hallow was approaching near which was in a week. Hallow was the day when the entire Empire celebrated Halloween.

It was a tradition that had been implemented by the council to accept the vampires and other creatures that haunted the humans initially when the first pure blooded vampires had emerged from the dark.

Katie didn’t know for how long she sat there feeling a little dizzy when she heard someone enter the bath,

“I broug- Oh dear God! What’s with this steam?!” she heard Daisy’s panicked voice and the woman walked towards the bath to turn off the tap that still ran hot water. The bath had turned foggy, “The Lord said you were sick so why did you get into the water when it is only going to increase your temperature.”

Katie looked at Daisy with a sheepish smile, “I am sorry,” she apologized getting out of the tub and covering herself with the towel she had placed on the side stand .

“You should be,” she scolded her gently like a child. Placing her palm she muttered, “And now you have a fever.”

“Yes, Daisy.”

“Now get dressed and into bed. I’ll ask someone to get your dinner up here,” she said leaving Katie in her room.

She managed to get herself in her night dress and wore socks as she felt her feet turn cold. Crawling on the bed, she pulled the covers and got inside. Minutes passed by and soon she was bored doing nothing but simply sitting on the bed. She pulled the book from the night stand that she had borrowed from the local library in the town. After reading a page she closed the book and placed it back on the stand.

She couldn’t say what time it was now as the clock on her wall stopped working. Both the minute and hour hand pointed at three while the second hand was stuck at twelve.

When her door was knocked she thought Daisy had sent Dorthy and she was happy for an instant but seeing the moderate height and the lean figure of Martin, the mansion’s butler she felt her shoulders sag down.

“Ms Katherine, your dinner is here,” he announced walking like a dead corpse across the room.

Martin wasn’t much of a casual talker. He spoke only if needed and it was understanding as he had to deal with dozens of people in the mansion. If he didn’t have anything to speak he would pass by like an unseen ghost.

When she had first come to the mansion seeing the pale skin on his lean figure and his slightly slanted eyes, he looked creepy.

Opening the container he had placed on the table, she opened it to see a slimy broth like liquid which was brown in color.

“Is this edible?” she asked looking at it warily. Seeing it, the little appetite she had had vanished.

“It’s made of herbs, ginger paste with crushed vegetables with little salt for taste. It’ll be easy to digest and provide you necessary energy for your body. Eat it up while it’s hot,” he advised.

Taking the spoon, she dipped it taking little sips into her mouth and in gaps she drank the water from the glass that was already filled.

“What time is it?” she asked glancing at the window. It was dark so it must be night.

“It’s past eleven.”

“How long have you been working for the Lord?” Katie asked him after sometime as she took another spoonful of the broth.

“Lord Alexander’s grandfather, Vlad hired me as the mansion’s butler, since then I’ve been serving them for more than two generations,” he replied promptly.

“That’s really long,” she thought out loud, “Does that mean you aren’t human but a vampire?” she asked him confused. Given that he looked pale she had always thought that he was a human until now because she had seen the family pictures on the wall that hung in some corners of the mansion and in those he looked a little younger.

“I’m a half vampire. I age faster compared to the vampires but slower when it comes to the humans,” he explained, “You must have heard how most of the half vampires who are turned go bonkers. I am one of the few half vampires who is still sane.”

Nodding her head, she completed eating and wiped her mouth with the napkin. Martin usually didn’t get food until and unless the Lord asked for him, usually it was the maids who brought the guests food when requested. She wondered if the Valerian Lord had asked Martin to do so.

Sliding down the bed, she pulled up the covers letting out a yawn.

Taking the tray in his hand, Martin wished her goodnight before putting off the light and closing the door behind him.

Her stomach now being full, she felt sleepier and in minutes she fell sound asleep.

Down in one of the closed cell in the underground dungeon, the Valerian Lord stood in front of Lancelot who was shackled to the wall with thick rusted chains around his hands and legs. His face bloodied with his cheek bone not in symmetry with the other side of his face anymore.

Alexander’s hand dripped with blood, blood that belonged to the man in front of him.

Apart from the two guards who stood outside the cell, he and the man were the only one’s in the cell.

“I heard you invited yourself for the tea party. You must be an unpopular lad, desperate to get attention.”

“Why am I here? You’re wasting your time,” Lancelot asked worn out with the amount of punches he had received.

“Don’t worry. Actually, I’m quiet enjoying myself right now,” the Lord commented chuckling darkly.

Lancelot didn’t miss the sadistic glint in Alexander’s eyes, hollow and cold.

“Why did you pose to be a nice man to get into a woman’s dress when there is a red district if you want to please yourself,” Alexander asked, “Speak.”

“There is no fun when the woman is like a docile doll which is dirty and used, not that all elite women are but when you find someone like her in the midst of it, you just have to pluck it. For her to call you today, you must have had her pretty mouth wrapped around your cock. Was she good? What about-”

The man received a punch immediately, fist colliding with his face. Blood splattered from his mouth and he coughed.

Alexander calmly walked towards the other side of the room to retrieve a small green bottle.

“Groot nightshade.”

Lancelot’s eyes widened seeing the Lord with the tiny bottle which was his, “How do you know about it?”

“A groot nightshade potion made of poisonous substance which is used to heal any being in less than an hour. A rare possession which dark witches try to get their hand on. You’re working for a dark witch,” he said ignoring his question, “If you are willing to co-operate, I can let you off. Tell me where the dark witch is and you go free.”

“I don’t intend to give any information. Your trickery won’t work on me. I hate vampires like you thinking they are superior than us humans and can do anything they want. I lost my wife because of one.”

“I’m sorry to hear it,” The Valerian Lord murmured a little taken aback to know the man was married.

“You don’t understand,” Lancelot laughed even though he was in pain, “One day when I came back from work, I found my wife with the Duke who was a vampire. Naked and wrapped in his arms in the heat of pleasure. I was a good man, a man who loved his wife and she said she loved me. Even after I had raised my hand on her some times. I loved her.”

“Therefore I took her forever with my hands,” he whispered looking at the wall, “I killed her.”

Alexander didn’t comment on it. The man had many nuts loose in his head, he concluded.