Walter de Ville's Advocate

Chapter Twenty-Two

It was a small relief, but Lucy had helped Viktoria succeed at the wedding ceremony so I wasn't exactly jumping up to trust her.

"And what could you need from us, my deceiving wife?" I hissed from the confines of my prison. I, of course, knew that Lucy was likely being tugged along by Viktoria, but eventually enough was enough and she needed to grow a backbone. This behavior was moving from meek innocence to outright negligence.

"Don't talk like that! I tried to tell you!" she yelled in a low voice. "Viktoria is always a step away from me, so I tried to find times when we might be alone, but you ignored me in favor of Evie. You didn't even come to my rooms at night," she groaned. "Now I sound like the jealous wife."

"Because you are," I replied flatly.

"Because it's expected," Evie added sardonically. "Be honest with yourself, Walter. How many people really want to share their beloved?" She had said the last word with distain.

I didn't care to respond to that.

"This is not why I came down here," Lucy said. "I—I don't know if Viktoria can be convinced to continue with our plan – well, the part I added when she finally told me what she'd been planning all these years." Years? "Evie, I think Viktoria means to kill you. I'm only able to tell you this because she's finally left me alone so she could go out for the afternoon, but I don't suspect she'll do so again anytime soon.

"You see, we've been stuck in this house for so long, wishing to get out again, but after a century it's a little . . . daunting."

Evie scoffed, and I was sure it was directed at me based on how Lucy phrased the statement. Of course, no one here would mention that I kept my wives home to protect them. Fine then! Go on and run about, get yourselves killed, and then I can just move on to my next bride!

"I really am sorry, Evie," Lucy said, but her voice was further away, like she'd walked towards her coffin. "I had hoped that maybe things would've been different, that Walter might've heeded my warning, or that Viktoria's seemingly futile seize of power would have actually been just that, but if you know what she plans now, maybe you will have the upper hand? You could escape and live out your eternal life in secret."

That . . . was an idea.

Though I didn't think Lucy's vague plan accounted for any of the unpredictabilities of such an escape.

"Lucy, my dear," I strained against the chains and locks binding me. "Could you happen to locate the key, or some tool to free us? Then Evie could leave now instead of hoping to best Viktoria while in a weakened state. She's never even fed!"

She didn't respond right away, and the waiting frustrated me. Without the space or energy to move, my body had fallen into a soporific state these past few weeks that only my emotional anguish could thwart. If the opportunity arose where I'd have the chains and makeshift stake removed from my chest, it would take the blood of about three adults to be much of a threat to anyone. At least right away.

"I'm still hoping she'll go along with my plan first," she finally said. "You know I enjoyed spending time with Evie, and that we were going to travel."

Evie laughed, "You all are ridiculous. These are the things on your mind when you were plotting how to get me to your estate, and accept your asinine proposal to become a literal, bloodsucking monster?"

Lucy didn't answer her, but I could hear her feet shuffle.

"My dear, don't take her words to heart. She's been without blood for at least as long as Emmaline had been, and you know how crazy that can make one of us," I paused for a moment. "Well, actually, since she's never fed, I'm not sure about her mental state. She could be the same Evie we knew or she could be very different once her bloodthirst is first satiated."