Chapter 13(On the verge of beginnings)

Eloise stepped into the balcony, clutching her chest. She looked down the balcony to find several men horse racing down the field. She took in quick breaths, trying to wrap her head around what just happened. For all she'd been through because of him, she walked right into his arms.

Why Eloise, you stupid idiot! You never learn, do you? She scolded herself.

She wasn’t surprised though, she was still in love with him. Even if it was a younger version of himself. It wasn’t like she could forget how it felt to love him or be and be loved by him.

Don’t try to justify this Eloise, this was all shades of wrong and you know that, her mind screamed at her.

She sighed burying her face in her palms. Cole had a hold on her, she knew that and so did he.

She wondered if he knew who and what she was. Did he know what he'd done to her in the future?

He probably did. He had a sister who could see. A sister who was terrified of him. So was she.

Eloise groaned pacing up and down the quiet balcony. She didn’t even know what it is she felt. One minute she was terrified, another minute she longed to be in his arms.

“My Lady….” A voice called from behind. She turned to find Lucy standing in the doorway looking at her with a worried look.

Eloise panicked. Lucy saw them. She saw Cole and her.

“Do not worry, my Lady. I can be very discrete… occasionally. But this is an exception” she assured her. Eloise gave her a feeble smile and then settled in the chair closest to her.

“How long have you and Lord Chamberlain... “

“We are not and that wasn’t supposed to happen, ” Eloise said abruptly.

Lucy settled in next to an agitated Eloise, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Whatever happened there, my Lady, should not be repeated. It would be a huge scandal if word was to come out” Lucy's voice dropped to a whisper.

“And you know the Lord is good friends with Lord Chamberlain, do you not? He will be….” Eloise abruptly interrupted her.

“I know, I know, Lucy. You aren’t making this any better,” Eloise groaned running her hands through her hair.

“Forgive me, my Lady. I was only pointing out the obvious” she said in a whisper.

“What is obvious?” Wrath asked. He stepped into the balcony with Corianne next to him.

Both Eloise and Lucy stood up quickly.

“Nothing to concern yourselves with. Are we leaving already?” Eloise asked in a composed tone with a small smile.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Wrath asked Eloise once they were seated in their carriage.

“Surprisingly, I did” She replied quickly. She was enjoying herself until Cole decided to show up.

Wrath noticed her smile slowly disappear. He sensed her nervousness even down she tried to stay composed.

“So where is the portrait you bought?” she went on to ask.

“Do you like it?” he asked her in turn with a narrowed look.

“I... Yes. I think it’s a brilliant piece of art. I’ve only seen such great animation on computers. But to make paintings move, more unless look so realistic is…..” She paused, noticing the look on Wrath's face.

“What is wrong?” she asked him.

“Computers? What are computers?” He asked. Eloise cringed, this was the second time today she'd blurted something she wasn’t supposed to.

“Er… They are like machines… machines to used to…” she began.

“What kind of machines? Tsk… you say the oddest things, Eloise” He turned to find her quiet again.

All he sensed from her now was chaos.

“Do not worry, I like odd” she heard him say. She looked to find him staring out the window.

“I bought it for you. The painting” He said quietly.

“You did? Why would you do that?” she asked.

“Do I need a reason to gift you something, wife?” he turned to her asking.

“No…Thank you” She replied. He smiled at her and turned away from her. They sat silently throughout the ride to the manor.

“Welcome back, my Lady. How did you like the Solaris?” Elric asked, taking Eloise's coat from the foyer.

“It was lovely” Eloise forced a smile.

“I am glad to hear that. Is there anything I can get you?” Elric asked.

“No, Elric, and thank you. I will be in my chambers,” Eloise told her. She looked over her shoulder to find Wrath heading toward his study. She headed up the stairs with Lucy quietly, thinking about what had happened.

“Whatever happened back there?” Thorne asked, standing in the doorway to his study minutes later.

“She met with Cole” Wrath replied with his back facing him.

“Did he hurt her?” Leonard asked from the couch.

“No, that is the most important thing. Is it not?” he responded. He turned to his brothers with a black raven in his arms. He caressed its head and tickled it.

“You had her followed,” Leonard said with a chuckle.

“You do not need me, to tell you how wrong that is, right?” Thorne asked.

“We both know I crossed the line between wrong and right, many lines ago. As much as I will love to talk about my wife all day, we have work to do. Any news from Miles?” Wrath asked in a quiet tone. He sat at his desk with the raven in his arms.

“Not yet. He is still following a lead Scourge gave him on the disappearance of fairies” Leonard told him.

Both Wrath and Leonard glanced at Thorne, who cocked a brow.

“What the bloody fuck are you looking at me for?” he said with a raised brow.

“I was not aware Scourge was back from retirement” Wrath retorted with a smug look.

“I heard from Heath. There has been a little trouble at the lower city in Tussletown. He is staying there a few days until the matter is solved” Thorne quickly changed the subject.

“Very well. There was another massacre, last night. At Pitsbellow. Another incomplete sigil was left at the center of the town” Wrath began. He went around his desk and pulled out a file. He threw it to the desk and Leonard picked it up.

Leonard glanced through the file, stopping at a hand sketch of the incomplete sigil. He passed it on to Thorne he schemed through it to the last page.

“This is different from the ones found in Howlsville and Oaken town,” Thorne said. He glanced at the image quietly.

“Different but similar in some ways. The whole town was burnt to a crisp…overnight” he told them. Both Leonard and Thorne turned to him with pointed looks.

“You think I did this?” Wrath asked in a somewhat amused tone.

“The incomplete sigil is a bit new. But a town burnt overnight, that does not ring a bell at all does it, brother?’ Thorne asked Leonard in a sarcastic tone.

“Oh not at all. Except for one burnt town, ah yes, I remember say two hundred years ago. Because someone threw a tantrum" Leonard replied. Both he and Thorne turned to Wrath with questioning looks.

“I am sorry to disappoint you then. It was not me. Do you recognize the sketch on the last page?” Wrath asked them while caressing the raven's head gently.

“A feather and a head… of a bird?” Leonard said with a furrowed brow. He like Thorne wondered where this was going.

“Not just any bird. It is a Phoenix. The runes from each sigil forms that shape when pieced together” Wrath told them.

“A Phoenix?” Thorne muttered as he looked at the sketch again.

“Mother Valerie has been collecting this information for over three months. And she is confident about it” He informed them.

“What about the runes carved in the sigil? I can see some old vampire language here. But the others are still… unidentified?” Leonard asked.

“I have a hunch but I need you to go have a look firsthand. Go to the scene, find out as much as you can and get back to me. I will send this to Damien. I will require him to have Serafine have a look maybe she could tell us more,” Wrath told the two.

“What about the growing unrest in the imperium? So far the topic has not been raised because of the massacres. Mainly because only witches are being targeted. You have to address it one of these days” Leonard said to Wrath as he stood to his feet.

“The Witch Reforms, it has everyone talking” Thorne conceded.

“Yes, I have heard. Lord Vladimir did well to remind me of that. I will tell you the same thing I told him. We will leave that for another day. You should head out now. I will send Draken to find Miles while you are gone” He told them.

“I have some things to prepare before I leave,” Leonard told them before he headed out of the study.

“So what did he want with Eloise?” Thorne asked once Leonard was away. Wrath turned to his brother with a narrowed look.

“You are concerned with my wife that much?” he asked him in turn.

“I care about her that much, so yes, I do” Thorne replied.

He'd never wrapped his head around his brothers' obsession with Eloise. Somehow they were all in love with her. They were all in love with her. He sometimes wondered how she did it.

Wrath sighed then turned back to the window.

“He kissed her,” he said flatly.

“He did?” Thorne mouthed surprised.

“He did and she did not resist. She remembers him but I was told otherwise. But it was bound to happen” Wrath said quietly.

Thorne noticed the slight confusion on his brows. As if his brilliant mind couldn’t wrap his head around the situation.

“You do not think she….” Wrath interrupted Thorne.

“I do not think she is lying. I only know she is hiding something. Something bigger… I presume” Wrath said quietly.

“What are you going to do about it,” Thorne asked him, only to find him with that devilish smile of his.

“Nothing. I will like to see how this plays out” he said in a dark tone.

Leonard strode down the hallway towards his study. There was a loud clang from the library that distracted him. He walked back to find the library door ajar. He stepped inside to find Eloise on the ground with several books on her.

“Eloise” He called out as he rushed to help her.

“Oh, Leo. Thank you” She said as she dusted her dress. Lucy run round back from the far section with a confused look.

“What were you doing?” Leonard asked Eloise while he bent down to gather the scattered books.

“Oh, I was only doing some research on time...” she trailed off as she caught a glimpse of the file in his hand.

“What are the Witch reforms?” Eloise asked abruptly.

Leonard glanced at the file and then back to her. He gaped at her as if planning on what to say.

“Is it a….” he paused.

“Leonard, we have to get going” Thorne's voice called from the hallway interrupting him.

He slowly rose to his feet with a sigh.

“We will talk about it when I get back. I promise. If time travel is what you are researching on, Wrath has more of that up in his private library upstairs” He told her and instantly turned to leave.

“Where are you going and when are you coming back?” she asked.

“I am…” He was interrupted by Thorne again.

“Time is of the essence here, brother” Thorne shouted.

“Imperium business. I will be back soon. Take care of yourself, Eloise” He said to her before heading out of the library.

“I apologize for notifying you this late. Initially, we thought we could handle the issue but I got out of” Mother Valerie said to Heath as they rode in a carriage toward the lower city.

“It is all well. I finished my business up here early, I do not mind giving a hand” Heath assured her.

“Well, this is more of a sensitive matter. She came knocking one night at the parish, weak and wounded. I took her in and after a few days, she was getting better. At least until she started talking about the man in flames. She fled a week ago. I thought all was well until we started getting news about theft cases at the lower city five days ago” She informed him. The carriage stopped and they stepped down to the Slave market.

The lower city of Tussle town was known as the largest slave market in all of Valeria. All kinds of creatures were sold on the market here.

“She was stealing? What?” Heath asked. They walked to a stop at an old stall where a man dressed in a blue cloak stood.

“Mother Valerie, Lord Valerian, this way please,” The man said as he led them inside the stall to an underground doorway.

“She was stealing fairies” Mother Valerie replied. They went down the doorway and stepped into a dark room. The man lit a torch and sparked light into the room.

He led them toward a cage shoved in the corner of the room.

“I apologize but this was the only way we could restrain her,” the man told him.

Heath stepped forward to find a woman crouched with her face buried in her palms. She was whispering in mumbling to herself. At the base of the cage were three dead fairy slaves.

“These three were already dead when we found them,” the man told him.

“Elvira?” Heath called her and her neck abruptly turned towards him. Her blue eyes were crimson with a deadly look in them. Her lips were smeared with blood and her shiny fangs sticking out. She cowered the instant she saw his face, recognizing him.

“Bloody hell!” Heath muttered in surprise.