Chapter 6

Vincent spat out his morning tea for a second time in a week. This time it was the local news. The headlines blared that a demon had been seen at the fair the day before during the storm. Some locals even claimed that it caused the storm due to its hatred for humans.

The picture below this ludicrous headline was a sketchy drawing of the earl in midair, his back facing the viewer.

How in the blazes could someone have seen me in that weather?! the boy wondered. It's not possible! The whole town was in chaos! I thought I'd be safe if it was in a storm!

"Master," James' voice brought Vincent back to the present. "Are you alright?"

"Uh, yes, I am," Vincent said, shoving the paper under the table. James' caught sight of the paper. A look of worry crossed his eyes.

"Do you find the news very disturbing? You probably shouldn't believe everything on paper. These reporters tend to get things wrong."

Vincent smiled at the boy. James didn't talk much but he was a comfort in the household. Between the rest of the people in the manor, there was is Robert, who tended to just sit backstage through the commotion in the house; Alexander, who tended to blow a pot up or burn something in the kitchen every few days; Camille and Lucian's rivalry and the earl's own shenanigans; James was the only one who was practically normal. It' was good to have one normal person in the household.

"Thank you James. I'll keep that in mind," Vincent said gratefully. Just then an explosion sounded from the kitchen. James flinched at the sound.

"Uh, master, I think I should go see what that was-" he began.

"Just go help Alexander," Vincent sighed. And with that, the gardener boy bolted for the kitchen.

Peace and quiet is not possible for the Moore manor. The earl sighed and looked out the window of the dining room. Meg and Ed had just left for town this morning. They'll be back in the evening. That meant that he had the whole day to himself. He had already gone over the area's papers and the company's files and he had not been given a summon from the queen. He didn't have any lessons as the professor was sick. He was quite free.

Well, he thought. Time to work on my hobby.

In excitement he dashed to his room and bounded onto the chair. He piled the books onto the floor next to him and pulled out his drawing book and charcoal pencils. Time for me to draw out my life, he thought as he settled. For hours, one could see his pencil flying across the paper. By the time evening arrived, he had created six scenes of his life: Margaret and Edward happily talking to each other, Camille yelling at Lucian, who was cowering; himself, practicing his fencing; himself, in the darkness when he heard the malevolent voice; himself flying through the night and him with his family. All elaborate sketches depicting each detail perfectly.

When Camille walked into the earl's room for his dinner, she found him asleep at his desk, a seventh drawing just completed. A sketch of Vincent and his sister in Camille's loving embrace.

The maid smiled and lifted the boy into his bed and let him lay there at that. Around an hour later, the boy changed into his nightshirt and fell right to sleep again.

Around midnight, the balcony doors flew open of their own accord. Vincent awoke to a young woman with bone white hair standing in the moonlight, a dagger gleaming in her hand. The gleam in her blood red eyes was murderous.

"Wh-who are you?" Vincent demanded. The woman moved towards him with incredible speed and before another syllable could fall out of his mouth, she slashed her dagger at his face. Vincent let out a piercing cry of pain as the room around him slowly shifted into darkness. By the time camille and the others arrived, the woman was gone. All that was left was the master on the floor, unmoving, the blanket beneath him steadily becoming more red by the second.

Once again Vincent awoke groggily to voices, this time an almost blinding pain on his right cheek. He felt a person next to him, sitting on the bed. Once his vision cleared enough he recognised the person. "Doctor? What happened."

"Ah, earl. Glad to see you're awake. You had everyone very worried there. You fainted from blood loss, you see. Nothing too serious", the doctor reassured him.

"A woman," Vincent said, as the memories of the night before came flooding back to him. "A woman with white hair and a dagger attacked me. There's a bad wound on my face, isn't there?"

The doctor sighed. "Yes Vincent. There is. Being the earl must be dangerous if you are attacked like this. Please do try to keep safe.", the doctor got up to leave. "Avoid too many social parties, if you ask me. Goodbye earl. Pray I don't have to come back too soon again."

As the door closed, Vincent got up and walked over to the mirror. He slowly peeled off the bandage over the wound. He flinched at the size of it.

This is never going to heal properly, he thought miserably.