NIGHTS OF HALLOW

”If they don’t comply, tie and drag them to me!” Was the last order the pureblooded vampire gave John before he saw the glass finally break in his master’s hand. The pieces of the broken glass pierced into the man’s hand making him bleed, but the man was unfazed by the pain and blood that was coloring the marble floor red. He looked fearless and undefeatable with blazing dark red eyes.

Following the order of his master, John bowed his head deeply and stood from his kneeling position, and went out to carry out his new mission.

Walking in the deserted and empty forest that led to Woodbridge village with a hood over his head, he saw something move in the corner of his eye. John stopped in his track and sharply turned to see what it was but he found nothing there. His red eyes scanned the forest again before he started walking again.

When John walked a considerable amount from where he had stopped, someone emerged from behind one of the trees in the forest. The person stared at John with an amusing smile on his lips. This person was none other than Daemon who had been following John for the past three days according to the order of Sthena, the king.

The chirping sounds of the birds and the small sounds of the small animals jumping from one tree to the other accompanied by the howls of the owls seemed to slow John’s footsteps as the snow reduced the pace of his movement. His boot plowed and left footprints on the freshly fallen snow on the forest floor as he tried to quickly reach his destination.

John soon reached the village of Woodbridge which was now deserted as the village men and women had retired to their homes.

Quickly reaching the house of Perdita, John knocked on the wooden door. He heard the muffled voice coming from inside the room on his first knock. He knocked the second time and then the third before the door was slowly opened and the green-eyed lady stepped out of the house.

John noticed how she cautiously stared at him from head to toe unblinkingly before questioning him, ”Who are you?” He could hear the annoyance in her voice as if he had interrupted her from what she was doing. And wasn’t she afraid that a man with a hood was standing at her doorstep at this time of the night?

Though it was not late to be called the hour of the night creatures, he knew it was late for one to be standing on someone’s doorstep now. Perhaps it was because she was a vampire that made her not to be afraid. Well, it was better this way. He would deliver his message and get this done over with. John thought to himself.

John removed the hood covering his head and some parts of his face before he answered, ”I am Samuel.”

There was a minute silence as Perdita regarded the man who introduced himself as Samuel. She wondered what the man was doing at her doorstep by this time. Did he miss his way or was he another monitoring spirit? Perdita wondered and asked in a hard tone,

”And?”

John who introduced himself as Samuel was shocked again at the hostility and authoritative voice the lady exuded when she spoke. ”As I said, I’m Samuel, and I am from the king,” John replied and noticed the changed expression of the lady in front of him. Her eyes widened before they squinted suspiciously at him.

Perdita stared at Samuel with widened eyes when he said he was from the king. What king? Did he mean the king of Vamlone kingdom, their kingdom?! But why would the king send someone to her when they didn’t know each other? Did he perhaps know about what she and Marco did and have come to arrest them? No, there was no the king will be looking for us. He doesn’t even know we exist. Perdita thought with so many questions swirling in her head one after the other.

Perdita’s brows furrowed with a deep frown that marred her face. She questioned the man, ”Did you say the king? As in the king of Vamlone kingdom, our king?”

Samuel nodded his head in affirmation of what Perdita asked him. He said, ”Yes, I came from the king, our king. I have an important message from him he said I should let you know of.”

”The king has an important message for me? What message is that?” Perdita asked in utter surprise and confusion.

What was this man babbling about? She questioned herself again. Did he know where he was or did he miss his way and came to the wrong house?

John who was posing as Samuel nodded his head in confirmation again. He noticed the lady was still apprehensive of him, and when he mentioned he came and have a message from the king, she still appeared to be cautious and surprised. Was she pretending not to know the king?

He had never done this before. Trying to convince someone to believe him was sure, one of the hardest things he had done. His master would have allowed him to capture the lady once and for all than go through the process of questioning and answering her. She looked like the stubborn intelligent type who wouldn’t believe anything he said to her. But he had to do this before his master killed him even before he could make his report.

Trying to convince Perdita, Samuel began with his story again, ”The king sent me to deliver a message to you, my lady. He said I should tell you that the day after tomorrow the church would arrive in the village for the exorcism that would happen in the village. He also said that because he doesn’t want you and your brother to be exposed, he had prepared a carriage for you to travel with when the exorcism starts. He also mentioned that a house where you two would stay was ready and waiting for you in the Cuckooland town.”

John spoke hastily so he could quickly leave before anyone saw him speaking with Perdita. Because a few days ago, he noticed that there was someone always following him around and each time he tried to find out who it was, the person would disappear. He didn’t want to fail another work of his master and get punished.

”The king? A carriage? And a house in Cuckooland town?” Perdita repeated the words of Samuel in question, wondering what all the information she was getting was all about.

This time, Perdita concluded that the man had surely missed his way. There was no way the king who many had not seen would suddenly come out of nowhere and send someone to her and Marco saying that the church would arrive in their village and a carriage was also arranged for them to travel with to the town of Cuckooland where a house was also prepared and waiting for them.

When the hell did all this start? When did the king know them? They have never seen each other and have never spoken to each other to even talk about the church and the exorcism that would happen in her village.

Was this some trick and ploy to get her and Marco in trouble? No one knew they were vampires except Daemon and Sthena, and then Mr. Perkin and Mrs. Perkin who were currently in their custody. So what was this talk of king and exorcism? Carriage and a house in Cuckooland? Perdita questioned herself in thought.

It was definitely not Sthena that would have sent this man because one — she hadn’t seen him, and two — she haven’t discussed anything about the exorcism with him for him to send and prepare a house for them to stay in while the church conducted the exorcism. And three— He was not the king.

Or wait! Perdita paused in her thoughts a thought clicked in her mind. Was this working of that churchman Theodore to confirm his suspicions? This must be it! No one could pull such a thing if not that man. He appeared mysterious and quiet with bloodred eyes that were lazily looking at her that day. He wanted them to take the bait and accept his offer so he would then catch them. No way! This was not happening. Perdita had a firm resolve in her heart.

But then, on second thought, if it was not also churchman Theodore and was truly the king that sent this man to deliver this message to someone who was probably not her and Marco. Were there other vampires like them that still had their human eye color? Well, it could only be this. Perdita reasoned as this was the only plausible thought she could agree with. She then decided to play along with Samuel to get more information from him.

”When did the king tell you this?” Perdita asked and crossed her hand across her chest.

”I came here immediately after he ordered me to tell you this,” John replied, happy that Perdita now believed him not knowing he made the mistake of saying the king sent him. He didn’t know that Perdita didn’t know Sthena as the king, but as the king’s worker.

Perdita nodded her head in understanding. He said to the man, ”Tell the king, I am truly grateful to him for his assistance. My brother and I will follow his words as he instructed.”

”I’ll relay your response to the king, my lady. I’ll be on my way now.” John bowed his head and quickly left the house of Perdita.

Perdita watched as the man who said he was Samuel walk away as if he was in haste. Something is not right here and I must find out what it is, and if someone was playing with me and my brother. Perdita thought and went inside, closing the door behind her.

Daemon who had taken a comfortable seat on the roof of Perdita’s house as he listened to everything John and Perdita spoke ran his tongue on his sharp and clean fangs. He muttered, ”Someone is courting death.”