“A week is too long, Ms. Curtis,” Nicholas commented with a bored tone, sitting on the couch comfortably.

  “The Lord is right. I don’t think we can give you a week. I believe only travelling up and down to Woville and back to Bonelake will require a total of four days,” Warren handed back the letter and after thinking for sometime, he sighed, “Alright. You must be missing your family. It is only fair to comply as they are your family and you must also be homesick,” he said with a smile.

  “Thank you, Mr. Lawson- I mean Warren,” she thanked him.

  “It is unfortunate that we wouldn’t be able to celebrate the Hallow together. The Lord was going to visit the Valerian empire for the grand celebration,” she heard Warren speak to which she gave him a troubled expression, “Do not worry yourself. We can celebrate them the next year,” he assured her. Warren was really a good man, wasn’t he, she thought to herself. She felt fortunate, knowing she would be marrying him.

  Warren then turned to his cousin and gave a small bow before turning back to face Heidi, “I assume you are going to retire to your room for the day? Let me see you until there.” Heidi herself made a quick bow and followed Warren of the drawing room.

  “I am apologize for making you leave the drawing room so abruptly.”


  “Oh, that’s alright. I was going to turn in early today. I should have waited until morning, I wouldn’t have interrupted if I knew……” she trailed as they walked through the dark, narrow corridors.

  She noticed that this side of the mansion was always dark. Not because there was no windows on either side of it but because there were scarce amount of candles lit on the dark uneven walls which were probably carved from big rocks. She wondered if the same narrow passages led to the Lord’s room as it wasn’t where her room was. She had no clue where Warren’s room was either. Now that she thought about it, she had no neighbours next to her room.

  “Careful, milady,” Warren said when she stepped on her own dress.

  Heidi found it to be pleasant to talk to Warren. The man was level headed, who asked her questions on her well being and answering her queries on her stay in the Rune’s mansion before getting wed to him. If someone would ask her to describe him, she would explain the still water which was quiet with unchanging emotions whom at times she found to be serious. And on the other hand, there was the Lord who was like rippling waves that never knew when to stop teasing her. Somehow she found it very strange thinking she would be related to Lord Nicholas as family.

  As being from a human household, there were many things that couldn’t be taught with books when it came to the vampire world. Heidi understood that with time she would have to learn to stand by as a vampires wife. Thinking about it, she bit the inner side of her cheek. She couldn’t help but worry of what the future was going to bring. Her past was something which no one was aware of and the outcome of what might happen if anyone caught the whiff about it scared her, which without a doubt would be revealed in the coming weeks. She glanced towards Warren to see his eyes set forward as they walked and when he caught her looking at her, he smiled. Heidi wasn’t sure if the man would welcome her past. No matter how good the man appeared, people and their families were not welcoming when it came to marrying slaves and she was one before entering the Curtis’ household.

  It was in the past before she ran away from the establishment, the evidence still remained in her body which could never be erased.

  When the time finally came to leave for Woville, Heidi was escorted with one of Lord Nicholas’ guard. The ride was long and it gave her enough time to think in the quiet carriage. It had been around four weeks since she had left Woville.No matter how joyous she was at receiving the letter from her family at the same time worry marred her features knowing deep down it wasn’t going to be a simple visit.

  “Heidi, welcome back home!” She heard Nora greet her at the front of her gate, engulfing her with a hug which surprised her.

  “Nora……” she murmured a little taken back at the unexpected hug. May be she had only been over analyzing in her mind and her family actually acknowledged her absence when she was at Woville. But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she heard Nora whisper in her ear, “Did you know how peaceful it was when you weren’t here. You should just disappear quickly.”


  “Ms. Curtis, where do I place this?” the guardsman asked holding her luggage.

  “Please keep it inside,” Nora guided him inside the house and keeping the luggage in her room. Until the guard left the house, her family treated her with utmost care to make sure the guard didn’t go back to report anything ill about them. At night, Heidi had gone back to wearing her old clothes as Nora had taken all her clothes for herself from the luggage she had brought along with her.

  During the time of evening c, when Heidi was brushing her hair standing in front of he mirror she heard a knock on her room, to reveal Nora at the door. Getting in her sister closed the door behind her.

  “You must be having a ball at the mansion, isn’t it?” Nora stated looking at her sister.

  “I am,” Heidi replied back with a contended smile and Nora’s eyes only narrowed at her words.

  “Don’t get smart with me, Heidi. Don’t forget that if it weren’t for us you would still be on the streets. You owe our-”


  “This is the last I will be owing because after this there won’t be anything to settle,” Heidi spoke calmly keeping the brush down on the stand to look at her sister in the eye.

  “Haven’t you got brave,” her sister tutted her, “Have you already sided with the vampires? Or have you told your woes to your fiance like a damsel in distress. But don’t forget that old Howard’s life now depends on you,” she said as if it was nothing.

  How could her sister turn so despicable? She had known her sister to be churlish but to have no heart about someone she knew for years was something to be worried about.

  They had grown together yet they were so different.

  “Dinner will be ready in few minutes,” Heidi murmured moving past her sister.

  Lord Nicholas had only reached the Delcrov’s mansion as the Lord of Valeria was hosting this year’s Hallow. It was one of his favorite time of the year. Nicholas enjoyed the very air of it. Skeletons of the dead, scary pumpkins, cobwebs and the attire. What was there not to love about? Like many others who had covered their face with masks, Nicholas hadn’t bothered to use one.

  Stepping inside the mansion with his black suit and a pair of horns, he looked nothing less from a charming devil who had come to bait a soul.

  People greeted him and bowed at his presence which he returned politely. As he continued to talk to people, his eyes fell on the girl who had caught the Valerian Lord’s attention. Katherine Welcher. The first time he had met her was few years ago when she was a little girl. She had lost her parents and had come to stay at the Delcorv’s mansion. As he approached her, one of his brow raised when he noticed that both the girl and the Lord had worn similar color of clothes.

  She was yet to notice his presence as she had her eyes on Lord Alexander who was currently dancing with a woman.

  “You look good,” he spoke to her, to see her head jerk up with a startled expression.

  “Lord Nicholas!” Katherine bowed.