Blood Thirsty

Ch. 23: For my next test

The wicked never sleep, and neither did Anthony Ventura. He never took anyone's word for it. If he didn't see it, he couldn't believe it, and the "what if's" of the world kept him awake at night. Anthony woke up early, as he didn't sleep at all, and started at the top of the castle to make sure Johanna had sealed every tunnel. Johanna followed him halfway up. "Anthony, you don't have to do this."

Anthony didn't slow down. He wore joggers, a simple sweatshirt, and his most comfortable running-up-the-stairs-kind-of-sneakers. They also helped Anthony outrun his mother-in-law. Anthony explained himself, "I would never doubt your capabilities, your majesty. I'm just a crazy person and I have to see it for myself."

His phone in his pocket buzzed again, and he glanced at it, assuming it was another text from Knox, asking about Anthony's whereabouts. To be fair, Anthony did sneak out of bed last night to avoid waking him fiancé up. Knox needed rest, sleep, and comfort. Anthony didn't provide any of that. Anthony was too busy worrying about Knox to think about the soreness in his muscles and exhaustion weighing down every step.

As the danger magnet, Anthony didn't want to make anything worse.

"Just so I can sleep better," Anthony said, turning into one of the hundreds of rooms he'd visit today, and Johanna stayed at the door, crossing her arms, and just watching him go to the fireplace and attempt to open it. He knew now that they could pull the sconces by the fireplace forward and the hidden door would open up. "I'd like to know without a doubt that nothing is going to sneak into our room."

"Our room?" Johanna grumbled, making a face. Not dressed for adventure, Johanna wore her typical fashion of a black dress suit, heels, and a look of general disdain for Anthony.

"Sorry." Anthony smirked a little and pulled the sconce down to find resistance, as if there were no secrets to be revealed at all. It all seemed to be wielded shut, but Anthony pulled a little harder, using a little more of his actual strength, and still couldn't open it.

Dropping her arms, Johanna sighed. "No. I can recognize how silly I'm being, but I'm Knox's mother. I will always be his mother first and a part of me will always see him as a little boy. No matter how many decades pass."

Anthony paused, frozen by the memory of his mother of the late nights when neither of them could sleep, sitting in the library and quietly reading. Not together, but side by side with Anthony wrapped up in her arms as she caressed his hair and just stole smiling little glances at him.

"Your Majesty," Anthony said, "Apologies in advance, your majesty, I don't wish to be impertinent—"

"That's never really stopped you before."

"Your brother-in-law, Maurice, would there be any explanation for him just watching us fight? I don't think he ever intended to join the fight."

"I won't pretend I know what's going on in that man's mind," Johanna said, collapsing into a velvet armchair. "It could be several things. Lots of plausible deniability. Maurice is free to say he was just being a coward, or maybe he thought we already had a handle on the situation, so there was no need to step in." She shrugged with a look like she hated it just as much as Anthony did. "I don't know if he's ever seen one. He could've been in shock."

Anthony shook his head, remembering that smile on his face and the look of recognition in Maurice's face when he saw Anthony's eyes, but a gut feeling wasn't proof of anything.

"I've heard him speak to Knox before about his opinion of how this coven runs."

"Well, this family has never been shy about sharing their opinion."

His temper slightly pinched and twisted, Anthony sighed. He wanted to be taken seriously. He said, "It sounds like he's not happy with the way Knox runs it and who do these monsters continue to target? I don't want to insinuate—"