After The Funeral

All the cousins were sitting in the living room late at night; the few oil lamps were poured some oil in them by the loyal housekeeper. The moonless night along with the gloomy atmosphere in the living room make it look like a graveyard. All were sad about the incident that happened and ruined everything in this beautiful mansion. 

"Where is Jesse White? Why didn't he show up at the funeral?" Julia was thinking about it but kept to herself, perhaps he was informed late or he was not in the Town.

Jesse White belongs to the White family and he was known for his temperamental behavior, he was given charge of few social rules made by the Alastair Calum and the Lord Court to imply in the Town. Most of the Vampire families living in the Town were aware that Jesse White disliked the rules and also the way he was forced to become in charge because of Alastair Calum.

Alastair Calum only wanted him to learn how to live peacefully with other human colonies so he proposed this idea to the Lord Court.

The housekeeper who was done his job stopped at the mention of Jesse White. "Master Jax, I ask for your permission to relate something important." the housekeeper stood there and spoke. "Speak." Jax spoke in the same fallen spirits.

"Master Jax, Mr. White was here before the murders and he had some disagreement with Lord Calum then he left after quarrel." The housekeeper related what he witnessed. Jax immediately stood up, his cousins also got alarmed but they stopped him from doing anything without a proof. 

"We will ask about him in the morning and question him in front of his family." Julia gave a suggestion. They cannot blame someone without concrete proof especially when the crime was this big and brutal. The Calum family has many other families trusted and secured.

Inside a small room, Lala was trying to cover her feet; the cold was harsh since she was not given anything to save from it. No warm cover and sheets for a broken bed. Soon she started shivering and hugged herself in the corner to bear the cold. Her real grief was the behavior that Jax used to her.

It seemed Jax suddenly forgot that the girl existed. She was alone, frightened of the future and a pitiful present.

If she could not prove her innocence or Jax did not believe her she would be killed mercilessly. All because of her misfortune and the black shadows which perhaps also wanted the same thing to happen. If she was destined to be hunted by the shadows then why they took this long time to plan, it all started four years ago.

Her sister disappeared, she tried to search her but failed, the police could not find her too. Someone slightly knocked and entered her room, "I brought this soup, if you remained empty stomach in this cold you will die." a girl with blond silver hair who worked in the kitchen took pity on the condition of the girl and came in the middle of the night with the warm soup.

"I wish I could die but you should not throw yourself in my troubles." If Jax happens to know he will get mad again, he was no more the Jax previously known to her. "I am going back." the girl left after placing the soup there.

The night ended but the black and grey clouds of the sky of Dusk Lake remained there. The council sent few officials in the Calum mansion in the morning. The Lord Alastair was no more and someone should take his position as the position should not be left vacant.

Foster Grace received the guests and sent someone to inform Jax. The Council men were sent by the Lord Council and they were here to handover the new stamped papers.

Jax Calum was little unfamiliar with them because the previous four years he was in the human city and studying his graduation. He once visited in a month or two but not regularly.

"Mr. Jax, Lord Court sent us, we are greatly sorry for the incident and Lord Court has personally issued orders to investigate the matter, also he sent these papers according to the announcement you will be the next Lord of the Woodland Town." The council man handed him the papers to take a look, these papers clearly defined how he should take care of the Town and all the rules which he was supposed to imply on the people.

Jax read through the document, he wanted to decline immediately but after rationally thinking, the position of Lord of the Town could help him freely investigate the murders of his family and find the culprit so he signed those papers and handed back.

"I wonder where is Jesse White these days." Foster Grace, his cousin, found this chance and asked the council men.

"He informed Lord Court yesterday that he was going out of the Dusk lake for a week or two." the council man replied who was there when Jesse White asked this permission.

"I see, does the honorable council know that Jesse White visited Alastair Calum before the murders?" Foster Grace asked very calmly but he wanted to tell them that Jesse White was among the doubted and if they found a single clue then he would be considered among suspects.

"We were not aware, and we will inform this to the Lord Court." The council men stood up to leave. They were obligated to tell the court now.

It was great news that Jax Calum was announced as the next Lord but because of the gloomy incident, they lost their happiness. They could see how Jax was feeling. He lost his parents and they were brutally killed yet the culprit was hidden.

For Jax one of the culprits was now his slave and he would send her for death sentence as soon as he found enough evidence to prove in front of the court.

The Vampire court was not biased against the humans also Jax didn't want to regret anything in the end so he wanted to make sure that what he witnessed was not half truth.