Hematophagous

Chapter 24: Deadly Letter

We were all sitting at the table to eat. The day had been hard enough and getting me into bed could only make it worse, leaving me wanting even more to go back and hide between the sheets. "How could they be so comfortable?"

Hilaria's mother, Isabelle, came back into my room to wake me up. She seemed quite happy and she always seemed happy. "How could she always be like this?" Unlike Victoria's parents, who always tried to force a smile.

Folke hadn't returned, for which he was heartily grateful. She didn't want anything to do with him, especially after that horrible nightmare. Hilaria and Victoria tried to help me, as soon as they saw me, to make those memories fly from my head, but they just couldn't. The mere thought of that person managed to give me goosebumps.

"Aren't you hungry?" Isabelle asked me, who was in front of me at the table.

-Not much.-I answered head down looking at the plate.

Not that it looked bad, but the person who had cooked it looked like they had never done it before.

"Is it bad?" Elizabeth asked.

-If you want we can ask the cook to prepare something else.-Pierre proposed with a low smile.-I don't understand human food, but we can tell you something.

-No no.-I repeatedly denied.-It's not necessary.-I dared to take the first bite to my mouth, before all eyes. The meat of dubious preference reached my taste buds in a not very pleasant way.

"You don't have to pretend." Victoria whispered in my ear. Getting her to give me a little short. "We can get you something else." She looked at me pleadingly as she placed one of her hands on my leg, squeezing it in the process.

-It doesn't matter.-I answered nervously.-But thank you.

-Yes, that...-Hilaria was interrupted by some shouts from the corridor.

"Do not you understand?!" I quickly knew that voice.

"I have to go inside, Maia is my friend."The door opened revealing a guard from Victoria's. The nonchalance on his face chilled me.

"What's happening in my castle?" Victoria asked, upset.

-A young man asks about the lady.-he pointed at me without looking at me.

-How young?

-Calling itself...

-Take it away.-Thomas passes almost brushing the soldier's shoulder, making him give him a death look.-Maia.

"What's wrong?" I asked confused.

"Can we talk?" I agreed. "Alone."

-Young man.-Gaspard called him.-It's not manners.

"I'm sorry sir, but it's life or death" he apologized, lowering his head.

-Calm down, Father. He is Maia's friend.-Hilaria assured him.

"Maia?" Thomas looked at me pleadingly.

-I'm going.-I got up from the table.-Sorry.-I apologized walking towards Thomas.

We walked to the next room, which looked like some kind of living room filled with books.

-Can you tell why you entered like this?-I asked once I closed the door behind me.

-We have a problem.-he said in alarm.-Do you remember that we didn't find anyone at the base when you had to return to Hilaria's castle?

-Yeah?

"That we thought they would be sleeping." He tried to bring that memory to my mind.

"I don't know what this is about, Thomas." I told him once I had managed to remember.