A little later in the night, I opened my door to Le Comte's knocking, Sebastian right behind him. Bewildered, I stepped aside to let them both enter.
"I'd like to apologize," he said. I didn't really know what he was referring to, and why there was a need to apologize in the first place.
"Why do you apologize? Nothing happened."
His eyes softened, and Sebastian coughed as if in surprise. "It's quite a large secret, and I wish you had come to find out in a gentler manner."
I scoffed. "And what exactly would you have said? 'The residents are vampires and so am I?'"
"Precisely."
I smiled, and Comte pulled up a chair as I sat on the bed. He spoke of the people in the mansion before he brought them back as vampires, spoke of them having a dying wish, and how he had brought them back so they would fulfill their regrets. "Sir Isaac, for instance, wished for a quiet place to continue his research. Vincent wanted to paint more."
I considered this. In that regard, it wouldn't be hard to understand why everyone else wanted a second chance at life. Wolf—Mozart, I daresay—probably wanted to compose more songs. "Then what about Arthur? Did he want to write more books, or chase more women?"
"The latter," answered Sebastian.
I believe my smile at that moment was nothing short of amused.
"If you don't wish to remain at the mansion, my offer to find you a place in the city still stands," said Le Comte, his gentle voice telling me there were no strings attached.
"You all being vampires doesn't change anything. I would like to remain here."
Sebastian and Comte shared a glance. "Just to be fair, I'm human."
I gave him a skeptical glance.
'He speaks the truth,' said a voice in my head, and I felt the finality of those words.
"Is there any way I could repay you for your hospitality?" I asked, pushing the voice out of my head. A vague feeling of annoyance rose up from it, but I pushed it back down.
"Well..." started Sebastian.
"There's no need for that," interrupted Comte.
Sebastian's face was a mask hiding obvious disappointment, and I had a feeling I knew why. "Perhaps I could help around the mansion with Sebastian and Kiyomi?"
Sebastian's face brightened for a fraction of a second and I knew I had hit a jackpot.
"You would do better as Arthur's assistant, I believe," said a slightly amused Comte.
"I can't hold a candle to him." I shook my head, knowing a perfect memory and extreme observation skills were very different things.
"Why don't you play a game with me and find out?" came a voice from the door. The three of us turned around to see Arthur saunter in.
"Interesting. I thought you had gone out," I said, a slight accusation hidden in my words.
"Why go out when we have a pretty skirt as a guest here?" he said, catching on to what I was implying.
"Arthur," said Comte. That was the first hint of exasperation I had seen from the mansion's owner. I wondered if only Arthur could elicit that reaction out of him.
"Right. So, what do you say we play a game of chess?" he asked. I would've agreed, but something under his smile reminded me of light glinting off a razor.
YOU ARE READING
Winged Dagger
FanfictionMina ends up in the streets of 19th century Paris, with no knowledge of how to she got there. When a young gentleman and his butler save her life and offer her a place to stay, she learns that there's more to that mansion than meets the eyes. With n...