The Great Escape

Chapter- 4

Ada woke up early in the morning the next day. She, along with all the other maids, was ordered to look more presentable than usual and she knew that her marred face would require more help than anyone else's. She thought of waking up Sarah and Misa but knowing they were up till late hours prior night, she decided against it.

The sun was yet to rise when she reached the community bathroom. It was made on the outskirts of the private estate near the extensive forest, for the maids to bathe.

Two female guards, both half-blooded vampiresses, stood stationed at the entrance. Adorned in a green dress shirt and golden armour, their light red eyes surveying the area, with sharp spears in their hands.

Ada gave a quick bow before entering the bathroom.

It was a massive room with a large bathtub made of stone. The bathtub itself was divided into many sections by slabs of stones. The supply of water was from the river stream nearby, hence, it was immensely cold.

Ada dipped her finger into the water to check the temperature and shivered from the coldness the liquid possessed.

"To hell with bathing," She mumbled and turned around to leave but then she remembered Mrs. Smith's harsh glare and the thin stick she uses to strike anyone who does not obey her.

Gnawing at her lower lip, she looked at the water secured by the stone walls with a frown.

An idea popped in her head.

Looking around to make sure none of the guards were peeking, she put her hands on the nearest stone wall of the tub and murmured, "Nomine Priscellam vocat ignem."

She could feel her hands tingling.

Energy started to run down from her shoulders to her hands in the form of red thread-like structures. Her palms felt warm as the fire was summoned and the stones were heating up. Little bubbles started appearing at the bottom of the tub and soon thin tendrils of steam filled the air.

Ada withdrew her hands with a smile and quickly stripped off her clothes. Placing the eye patch on the slab, close and at ready if she needs to wear it suddenly, she stepped into the water.

The balmy water caressing her skin felt delightful as she cleaned herself and stepped out of the tub, making sure to drain the water of that section in which she had bathed.

She wished to stay a little longer but did not want to risk getting caught sitting in a tub filled with bubbling water when there was no resource to do so in the community bathroom.

Questions would be raised and even if she managed to escape them somehow, suspicion would house in everyone's mind and that can never be an ideal situation.

"An innocent-looking offender fends off way better than a suspicious-looking innocent." She could hear her grandmother's voice loud and clear in her head.

By the time she reached her room, everyone had been up and dashing towards the community bathroom. Ada sighed in relief to have bathed way before the rush.

She brushed her dull shoulder-length hair, tufts of strands interlinked with each other tangled with her fingers. She lightly touched her head, before raking her fingers through the blonde mop.

She needed no mirror to know that she was losing hair, unnaturally so.

With a sigh, she dressed up and changed her makeshift eye patch. Her mind reeled back to the days when she lived with her grandmother. Her grandmother used to oil her hair almost every second day, despite her regular protests.