Van Deloney: To My Dearest Emma [[BOOK ONE]]

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑿𝑰𝑰𝑰

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NOTICE OF CONTENT TRIGGER WARNING

This novel contains harsh descriptions of heinous crimes, violence, gore, swear words, and disturbing scenes, and other issues that may be considered inappropriate for younger readers. Parents are advised to exercise caution when determining whether this content is appropriate for their children.

BLACKPOOL'S VERMILION SHARPSHOOTER

November 25, 1882

AT THE moment of stillness in the quiet night of Blackpool, the crack of a gunshot sounded loudly. Lucien, who was nearby, shouted Charlotte's name with worry and fright. "CHARLOTTE!" Relieved, as Charlotte was still alive, her outstretched arms blocked her path with her shaking body as the raven from the sky plummeted to the ground dead due to being shot.

Fortunately, due to Lindice standing directly in front of her as a protective barrier, the hooded figure sporting a long braided crimson hair and bearing a long shotgun was halted from advancing any further.

It was quite a spectacle to behold as the scythe and shotgun were shaking vigorously whilst being brandished together. In addition, the scythe's exceedingly sharp blade began to gnaw at the gun. Upon a sudden moment, the figure bearing the shotgun also noticed something on the chest part of Lindice with a hidden mark on it, as they quickly jumped out of their way. Lindice took notice of the situation and yelled at them, "Lord Lucien, please take Charlotte away from me." Though Lucien did acknowledge her words, he engaged in a unique course of action instead.

Lucien was quite inquisitive when he asked the figure who was lurking around their vicinity, "Who are you?" But the figure remained silent and unresponsive. A second time, Lucien uttered the question, and it was again interrupted; this time, by Lucien witnessing something that the others failed to see.

With lightning-Quick reflexes, Lucien sprinted toward Charlotte, rapidly gripping her arms, and proceeded to carry her away from the area as far away as he could. Suddenly, the hooded figure snickered and exposed their fingers with metallic rings adorning each section. In turn, this figure proceeded to position their digits in a certain manner, causing three individuals; Lindice, Argentum, and Vladimir, to be restrained through the strands of an invisible string.

"What a strange occurrence! What in the world is this?! How did this come about?" exclaimed Argentum as he made futile attempts to extricate himself from the invisible restraint that was holding him firmly in place. Meanwhile, Lindice demonstrated her proficiency, promptly escaping the restraint with ease and retrieving her scythe that ended up dropping to the ground earlier.

She promptly hastened toward Argentum and terminated the invisible strings that were restraining him. However, as she was preparing to go to Vladimir, the fog seemed to become even denser than they expected; it was more difficult than anticipated to clearly view Vladimir's location.

Lindice shouted to Vladimir, "Head Butler!" in an effort to alert him of the danger in their vicinity. Soon after the words left her mouth, a shadowy form was swiftly spirited away; this person was Vladimir. So, Argentum and Lindice immediately ran after him in an attempt to rescue him, yet it was too late. Argentum inquired, "Where did they head to?" as he looked up above with a sharp gaze, hoping to catch sight of the elusive figure.

As they sprinted through the woods, Lucien and Charlotte abruptly paused. She withdrew her hand from his wrists and continued to shake, her anxiety levels still elevated. She remained in a state of disbelief after witnessing the previous events that occurred before her very own eyes.