Page 23 of Dark Souls

Huffing, I stormed back into my room, grabbing the holdall and realising that this had actually given me a perfect excuse to get away from the palace without causing suspicion.

“Well, it’s decided.” I threw my hands to my sides. “I am moving out. There is no chance I am spending one more minute in this room. To think I could have been asleep when that thing…” I shuddered.

“Darling, that is ridiculous. You know what your brother is like. It was just a joke, no harm done and it’s been dealt with,” Mum started, but I had already slung my holdall over my shoulder. I gave her a hard stare.

“I know it’s dealt with, but I’m pissed. He knows spiders are Satan to me. Just let me be dramatic about it, alright?”

“Okay, fine. Stay at Grandpapi’s tonight, and I’ll have the room thoroughly searched and sterilised for you tomorrow.”

“You’ll be better off grenading the shit out of this place. Just blow it up, honestly. I won’t be coming back until I have at least given Leif a piece of my mind and who knows how long that will be? He’s only done this because he knows he’s safe from me in another realm. For now…”

Mum shook her head but smirked. She blew me a kiss before turning to head back to her room. I hesitated, suddenly worried about whether I was doing the right thing in still not telling my family about Heathen yet.

“Mum?” She glanced back over her shoulder expectantly. “If… uh… any other strange objects appear in my room, call me, yeah?”

She chuckled, “You mean if Leif sends you any more of his gifts? You sure you want to know about them after tonight?”

“Oh, yes. I need to keep count of how much suffering I will need to subject him to when he’s back.” I smiled. Really, it wasn’t just gifts my warlock brother may send me that worried me, but a certain mysterious supernatural who had a fetish for removing hearts.

I transported myself to my grandpapi’s castle in England and breathed out a sigh of relief at the dark, melancholic aesthetic of my attic room that was always set up for me to crash whenever I wanted. The castle itself was a majestic sight with its foreboding pointed arches, gothic architecture and the gargoyles looming ominously over the landscape of neatly kept gardens. Many centuries ago, this place had been the heart of the British vampire clans, its imposing presence warning away those who dared to approach it. Although vampires from the Romano clan still lived there, my Grandma, who loved regal opulence and finesse, had redecorated and modernised the interior, making it much more inviting. She ruined it, if you ask me. Which was why I chose the attic as my sanctuary. It was the only part of the castle she hadn’t touched and still had its faded grandeur and baroque charm.

I dropped the holdall onto my towering four-poster bed draped in black and deep purple silks. Even though I’d refused to let my grandparents renovate the attic space, they still ensured it had the most gorgeous bed, black oak furniture and ornate decorations. A room fit for a dark princess, as my grandpapi says. Another reason I love it so much up here is because this once used to be his room as a young boy. I knew he didn’t have the luxury they provided me with, but he told me he’d spent a lot of time in his childhood years up here, staring out of the round window at the moon each night.

I set about lighting the ridiculous amount of pillar candles I had clustered on the uneven floorboards and on every surface of furniture. When I was finally done, I walked over to my bookshelf and selected the classic‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’before flopping back onto my mattress to relax in the hope I might drift off to sleep.

After a short time, it became clear that the task was pointless. My mind was too restless to focus on the words on the page and instead, I went over everything that happened tonight and wondered how long it would be until Heath found me. He said he’d only give me information if I impressed him. But I was impatient. I wanted to know things now. And how long in hiding would be long enough?

The exposed rafters above groaned and shifted with the wind. Normally, the sound would soothe me, but tonight, it only kept me alert. Any unfamiliar noise and my heart rate would spike with adrenaline. The feeling was addicting as well as infuriating. Giving up on sleep, I grabbed a black oversized hoodie and shut the heavy oak door behind me, making my way down the labyrinth of winding stairs and long corridors until I ended up in the library.

Settling down into my snug area on the sofa, I pulled a fur blanket over me and stared up at the arched window as the rain pounded against the glass. I drifted off to sleep, lulled by the calming sound, but minutes later, girly giggling and husked voices woke me. Frowning, I sat up and peered over the sofa, noticing two shadowy figures at the far end of the dark library. They were pressed up against the bookshelves down an aisle, and from how close they were and the way they were acting, I could tell what was about to happen.

“Before you go any further, you should know you are about to traumatise your granddaughter!”

The taller figure of my grandpapi stepped back from my grandma and took her hand. I heard a groan, whispers and then a flirtatious giggle from Grandma made me roll my eyes before they made their way over to me. I slammed my hand over my eyes just in case they were naked, which with them two, you could never be too sure.

“Are you decent?” I asked as Grandpapi chuckled deeply.

“Of course. You think we walk around the castle naked when everyone goes to bed?”

“No. But I know you weren’t in here for some late-night reading, so you can’t blame me for being cautious.”

“It’s not a public library. It’s our library in our home.” Grandma laughed when I removed my hand and peered up at them both. “And we weren’t doing anything naughty.”

“Yet,” Grandpapi muttered under his breath but smirked because he knew I heard him. I groaned.

“Do you know how depressing it is to know that my grandparents have a more adventurous sex life than me?”

“And let’s keep it that way.” Grandpapi winked while my grandma slapped his chest with disapproval. “Are you staying the night?”

“Yeah, if that’s alright. I might stay for a few nights, actually. Leif sent me a very unwelcome present from Heroux that I did not appreciate.”

“Hide out here as long as you like, hunny. You know you are always welcome.” Grandma leaned down and kissed the top of my head before squeezing my hand because she was the most affectionate person I knew.

“Thanks.” I smiled, relaxing back into the soft cushions as they turned to leave. My body jolted when I remembered I wanted to speak to my grandpapi aboutThe Undergroundand now might be the perfect time. “Grandpapi? Can I ask you about something quickly?”

He nodded, pecked Grandma’s lips and gave her a lingering look. “I’ll meet you upstairs, Little Wolf. Be ready for me.”

“Always am!” She winked, striding off with sashaying hips.Christ. Sake. Not a visual I needed.

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