Feast of Saint Valentine Ⅲ

The outer gardens of the Rowle Manor were in dismissal state, but at least the glass conservatory held some large, but carefully kept gardens. In a dark corner of the conservatory, Bogdan devours the luscious lips of his wife Lysithea, before reluctantly pulling back. "I shall enjoy you again tonight, vixen," he promised to lean over to caress his wife's waist with one hand, before placing one last lingering kiss on her plump, kissable lips.

"We have already tarried long enough, Bogdan," Lysithea sensually said as she delicately adjusted her clothes and fixed her skirt. She did not miss how her husband's voice caught in his chest and a hungry gaze began to burn again.

"The most tempting of morsels," Bogdan said as stepped closer and pulled his wife's sensual body to be pressed fully against him feeling her curve. "I simply can't ever get enough of you," he murmured bending down to place a biting kiss on her grace swan-like neck.

"No biting, Bogdan," Lysithea teasingly reprimanded her husband as her body shivered in delight at the possessive kiss. "No leaving red marks, for now, my valiant stallion," she purred slowly caressing the masculine broad shoulders of her husband.

Bogdan let out a reluctant sigh, before taking his wife's hand and pressing a kiss to it full of sinful promises. "Hurry and make your rounds," he ordered, "I will have you again later tonight."

"It will be as my lord and master desires," Lysithea eloquently replied knowing full that would ensure that her husband was not distracted by any flirting courtesan in attendance at the ball.

An exasperated groan full of yearning slips from Bogdan before he reluctantly stepped back. "Hurry," he growled forcing himself to turn away from his exquisite wife and lover.

Lysithea's lips curl like the cat who ate the canary. She delicately bends down to pick up her discarded white gloves from the ground. She frowns at seeing the white gloves slightly wrinkled. She deliberately in a slow fashion slides the white gloves on when the windowpanes of the glass conservatory begin to tremble.

Glancing up at the dark sky lit up by the full moon, Lysithea frowns glancing over at her husband, Bogdan, who stands at the exit of the conservatory intently peering outside of the frosted windowpanes. Lysithea opens her mouth to speak when something dark, humongous, and massive swings toward them. There is no time to scream as the glass shatters around them causing Lysithea to crouch and cover her face from the glass shards.

Instantly the cold air plunges into the ripped-open glass conservatory causing Lysithea's breath to catch in her throat and goose pimples to creep across her flesh. Unease creeps through her as Lysithea glances up only to feel the breath catch in her throat at the horrifying revelation that stands directly under the light of the full moon.

A large humanoid creature stood there with bestial features of protruding sharp molars. The giant's beady malicious eyes ruthlessly opened its large mouth ignoring the useless screams and shouts of Bogdan. Seconds later a loud crunch is heard as the upper half of Bogdan's body simply vanishes as the giant loudly chews.

A shrill scream erupts from Lysithea's chest but is only muffled by her trembling limbs that clamp firmly over her mouth. If she was quiet, she was more likely to survive. She had survived and outlived her brute of a father by acting docile as an empty-headed vain beauty. And unlike her mother and sisters, she had gone on to marry and live well. She would not let all her suffering and hard work go to waste.

Barely breathing, Lysithea remains hidden in the dark corner of the glass conservatory with trembling limbs clamped over her mouth lest a scream escapes from her mouth. The silence of the night is only broken by the sound of the giant's loud chewing and the crunching of bones. Occasionally the giant will spit out bits of clothes covered in chewed flesh until he consumes the tasty treat. Still hungry for more, the giant licks his fingers and mouth clean of any delightful morsel left behind.

Satisfied, the giant lumbers away, but Lysithea remains still and quiet. Yet despite her silence and lack of movement, she is unable to shake off the growing feeling of unease. Slowly she draws her wand from her dress when the ground begins to shake again. Without turning around, she feels a large presence draw closer and closer from behind. Not one to take things lying down, she shouts, "Bombera," blindly casting the spell behind her.

The glass and area behind her explode as Lysithea runs blindly forward pulling up the skirt of her gown in one hand to keep from tripping on the train. A roar of pain is heard from behind as she rushes through the conservatory. Without hesitation, she sets off the Caterwauling Charm causing an impossibly loud high-pitched screaming alarm to go off. She knew that the spell would even affect those inside Rowle manor and hopefully summon help in time.

Yet Lysithea did not count upon being attacked from behind. A cutting, slashing spell hits her back causing her to cry out in pain and fall to the ground bleeding. Falling onto her knees, she gasps in burning agony turning to gaze back into the night.

There standing under the light of the moonlight is a long, pale twisted face grinningly sadistically at her. Lysithea furrows her brow at spotting the dark-haired, broad-shouldered muscular wizard that had attacked her. There was a distinct feeling of familiarity, but she could not quite place him.

"Well, if it isn't the most infamous slattern," Dolohov ruthlessly said as the crushed glass beneath his feet crunched loudly in the night air. "A late-night rendezvous in the conservatory, how cliché."

"Filthy blood traitor," Lysithea spat out in hatred upon recognizing the arrogant voice. "You betrayed your kin to follow a lowly half-blood."

Dolohov's eyes fill with rage as he raises his wand to attack, but the whore had already cast a wordless spell, "Lacarnum Inflamarge," igniting Dolohov's robes on fire. Swearing Dolohov puts out the flames only to see the slattern underhandly attack him with "Descendo". Immediately the ground becomes soft like quicksand instantly causing him to be sucked into the ground as the ground hardens all around him up to his chest.

Lysithea raises her wand to finish Dolohov off before a giant hand carelessly backhands her. Her body flies through the air before crashing violently into one of the supporting pillars inside the conservatory. She raggedly gasps feeling blood drip downing her nose from the impact and tasting it in her mouth. She tries to push herself to her knees but feels a white-hot pain in her abdomen and back. Something had broken inside her, she could feel it.