NIGHTS OF HALLOW

Author’s Note: Please, dear readers, I deeply apologize for the last Chapter. I copied the wrong Chapter and uploaded it yesterday and I didn’t notice it until now. Please accept my deepest apologies. I’m truly sorry for the inconveniences it might have caused.

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”We are in the castle,” Sthena answered with all seriousness and at the same time gauging what the next reaction of Perdita would be.

Perdita was not expecting such an answer at all. The answer she had been expecting to hear was that they were in the town of so, so, or so. Or that they were in the mansion belonging to him or even Daemon’s. So hearing ’we are in the castle’ was the answer she never expected.

Was he joking and pulling her legs? Perdita questioned in her mind, though at the back of her mind, the castle had somehow been ringing in her ears and head.

Perdita stayed silent for a while still processing what Sthena told her. She stared at him with the, ’are you kidding me?’ look.

Sthena stared back at Perdita with a relaxed expression on his face and he made no attempt to correct what he said, knowing that whatever he told her afterward will not convince her that he was saying the truth.

Perdita saw the serious look on Sthena’s face and knew he was not joking as she had thought earlier.

It was as if something got into Perdita at the way she suddenly scrambled out of bed and made to rush towards the window of the room only for her legs to wobble. She felt a sharp pain hit her head and she held her head and grimaced from the pain.

Sthena was quick to hold her arm to keep her steady. He chided in an almost annoyed voice, ”I asked you to rest but you refused to listen. You’re still weak from all those smells you inhaled ”

”I’m fine, thank you,” Perdita muttered feeling embarrassed at her clumsy behavior.

When next she moved her feet, she walked with slow steps and made her way to the window. And with slight nervousness that crawled into her mind, she swung open the heavy black curtains that draped the window open.

Her green orbs were greeted with the vast and beautiful view of the castle’s garden. The flowers, the well-trimmed fields, and trees were a sight to behold.

Perdita’s jaw dropped open at the breathtaking scenery and her mouth opened with no words coming out. The castle was even more beautiful in the day than in the nighttime when she had attended the Hallow ball.

Sthena joined her beside the window and commented, ”You can see for yourself that we are in the castle.” The amusement in his voice couldn’t be denied as he stared at the baffled woman beside him.

Perdita couldn’t explain how she felt at that moment. The questions and feelings she had all mixed together to create more confusion and tension in her body.

Without thinking she exclaimed in a loud voice, ”How?! I mean, how did you bring me here? Did nobody see you? Won’t we be killed b...by t...the—”

”By the king?” Sthena completed her question and chuckled. He said, ”Do not worry about the king. He is a very good friend of mine.”

”You work for him,” And not friends with him. Perdita pointed out and added the last part in her head.

”Yes? Can someone not be friends with their master?” Sthena asked with a raised eyebrow.

Perdita felt speechless again. It was not what she exactly meant. But in a way, it was the thought that was also in her mind.

Sthena worked for the king. So there was no way the king would be his friend. The king was rumored to be a dangerous man. So evil that he could kill someone because of any mistake. Be it a small mistake or a big one.

And Sthena said he was a friend of the king. How authentic and true was that? She found it unbelievable. The king could kill them both if such words reached his ears and she feared and was worried for the lives of her and Marco.

Sthena stared amusingly at the stiff shoulders of Perdita without uttering a word.

The worry in her eyes and the way her brows furrowed deeply were enough to tell him that she didn’t believe his little lie.

He didn’t want to tell her his true identity. That he was the king who even though she acted brave, she still feared because of the rumors of him spreading in the kingdom.

At least for now, he would keep it from her until he was done with what he wanted to do. He prayed that Perdita would not be there when other people in the castle would address him as the king and that was likely impossible. One way or the other, she would eventually find out. The thought made him wonder what she would do when that day arrived.

Would she put on her brave face or would be shocked and then distance herself from him? The latter thought made Sthena unconsciously clench his hand.

Sthena waited for Perdita to speak or ask more questions which she didn’t do as she was lost in her thoughts. He decided to break the silence. He said,

”You shouldn’t be worried or be scared of the king, especially now you and your brother with be staying here.”

”Staying here?” The last words of Sthena immediately caught Perdita’s attention and cut her away from her thoughts as she questioned in bewilderment

”Yes, stay here.” Sthena affirmed and saw Perdita’s eyes widen more than they were already with a ’are you trying to get me and my brother killed?!’ look.

Sthena bent his head to his left with questions in his eyes. He asked, ”You were not expecting to go back to the village of Woodbridge now, do you?”

”Uhm...yes, I mean no. I was not planning on returning there, at least for now. But I do not plan or had even dreamt of staying anywhere in the castle.” Perdita said while shaking her head in refusal.

”Well, you have to start planning it now. Because you and your brother will be staying here from now on.” Sthena deadpanned with a serious look.

”No!” Perdita asserted with a shriek.

”Yes,” Sthena replied. ”You are sick and even your brother too. Staying here in the castle will be a good place to recuperate for now. It will also be the safest place for the both of you. Unless you have another place to stay in which I doubt you have.”

”Or you wish for the church members to discover and then capture you two? You can always choose between the two options.” Sthena explained, allowing Perdita to make her decision which he already knew what her decision would be.

He made it look as if he was giving her a choice, meanwhile, he had already planned everything in his head and knew that it will all fall into place. This was one of the reasons why he had interfered in the exorcism ritual and had saved them. He needed the siblings for something, especially Perdita.

”You have all the time to think about it.” He continued and switched the topic, ”I was thinking you will ask me more questions concerning what happened yesterday and what you did.” He said with a serious face. Gone was the playful smile on his face and this alarmed Perdita. But deep down, he was smiling in his head, patiently waiting for what her reaction would be when she remembered that she had drunk his blood.

As he had expected, the alarmed Perdita shrieked, ”What I did?!”

”Yes,” Sthena answered. ”Don’t you remember anything at all?”

”No,” Perdita negatively shook her head. ”I don’t remember anything aside from when the ritual started and I perceived the smell of the exorcism ritual. Aside from these things, I don’t r—” Perdita paused with a thoughtful look on her face before something clicked in her head.

She exclaimed, ”Ah! I remember now,”

”You do?” Sthena questioned almost immediately. The expectancy in his voice and the look in his eyes couldn’t be denied by Perdita that he had been eagerly waiting for her to remember it.

Perdita’s eyes fell and she nodded her head in embarrassment and muttered in a voice barely above a whisper, ”Yes. I do. I...I” She stuttered and swallowed a nervous lump as she struggled to get the words out of her mouth.

From the corner of her downcasted eyes, Perdita saw Sthena lean his body slightly towards her as if he couldn’t wait for her to spill the words.

Was this how much he badly wanted to hear her say what she did? Perdita questioned herself and bit her lips feeling his unwavering gaze that never left her and it made her more conscious and embarrassed because of what she had done.

She continued to speak because Sthena didn’t want to let go.

”I...I am sorry,” She began, ”I truly apologize for drinking, uhm I mean almost biting and drinking Mrs. Perkin’s blood.”

”I didn’t mean to do something so stupid that is so unlike me. I was still in a daze because of the ritual’s smell.” Perdita went on to explain while internally smacking her head. She didn’t notice the disappointed look on Sthena’s face.

He scratched his head and said, ”Ah, Mrs. Perkin. I’d almost forgotten about the woman had you not mentioned her. But aside from that, don’t you remember anything more?”

”No,” Perdita answered and cautiously asked, ”Did I do something other than that?”

Sthena knowingly rubbed his neck where Perdita had bitten him and peered down at her. He questioned back, ”What do you think?”