A Love Soaked In Blood

chapter 15

I woke up early, had breakfast and went out. I honestly don't want to see Elias at the moment who was still sleeping when I left.
Agatha is at work so I decided to go for a walk and see if I can listen in to anything useful instead of just waiting till Sunday.
I pass by several men driving cars, kids playing around, many buildings -which Agatha told me that most of them are called shops- with signs I still don't understand so I avoid the idea of trying to go in one of them. I walk down to a route where kids took it as a playground, passing a ball among each other. One of the kids stumbles close to me and I kneel fast and catch her before she hits the ground.
"Woah that was close thank you big sister!" She says to me with such enthusiasm and smiling wide reveling an empty space between her teeth, a fallen tooth I guess.
"Yeah that was cool! You were so fast!" A little boy comes closer with a sparkle in his eyes sharing the same enthusiasm of the little girl.
"My turn! I'm going to fall catch me!" Another boy says, jumping his way to us.
I snort, they are funny.
"Mia! Are you okay?" A woman with black hair and hazel eyes rushes to us as the little girl stands up and dusts her pink dress.
"Yes mama! This big sister here saved me!" She points to me as I stand up as well. kids really like to overreact.
"Oh is that so?" She shifts her gaze to me and smiles "thank you young miss, would you like to join us for a cup of coffee?" She gestures to a table outside a cafe nearby where three women are sitting and chatting.
There is a slight possibility they might say something useful so let's go with it
"I'd like that" I say feigning a smile while hers is genuine as she hooks her arm with mine and leads me to her table, her child running after us after she bid the boys goodbye.
"New friend Camila?" A woman with blonde hair and blue eyes asks as I take a seat in one of the empty chairs.
"Well I think we can be friends though I just met her" she laughs and takes her seat beside me "I'm Camila by the way nice to meet you, this is Eleanor" she points to the blonde one who gives a nod "these are Helen and Beatrice" she gestures to the other two and they nod with a smile.
"Sylvia. Nice to meet you"
"She saved my life!" The little girl shouts as her mother seats her in her lap.
"Well if me catching you so you won't scratch your beautiful face is saving then yes we can go by that" this little one is cute.
"No! You're more beautiful!" She points a finger like accusing me of something and I can't help but chuckle, so are the others.
"Seems you're good with kids" Eleanor says, resting her face on her palm.
"She is. Mia already called her big sister" Camila laughs
"You're from the north? You got some unique dress, I didn't see something similar in any shop" Helen asks, looking me up and down "don't get me wrong it's beautiful" she smiles. She has ginger hair and beautiful freckles.
"Thank you, and yes it hasn't been long since I came, I'm currently staying with Agatha"
"Oh the doctor in the clinic right?" Beatrice tugs a curl of her short black hair behind her ear and I nod.
Eleanor sips from her cup "that poor woman, she is really a good one, too bad her sister got bewitched by a monster"
I curse
"Yeah" Helen sighs "although she said that Emily married someone from the north and had moved there, the people saw her appear out of nowhere near the woods in the south. Turns out she was lying to her own sister"
Stay calm stay calm
"I don't think it's her fault" Camila cuts in "she was bewitched by that vampire, the poor one didn't know what she was doing. I bet that monster is the one who manipulated her to kill those seven people, maybe even he was the one who killed them and put the blame on her"
Wait what?
"I still think the people shouldn't have killed her" she adds
"There wasn't anything they can do. Who knows what she will do if she stayed alive, she was a pawn for a vampire" that's from Eleanor.
"But did they really have to burn her? That's just too cruel" Camila glares at Eleanor.
"What has happened can't be undone so stop it you two" Beatrice says sharply, changing the subject "tsk as if vampires alone aren't terrible enough, of course werewolves had to exist too" she says with disgust "and both are able to heal any wound except a one in the heart that's really troubling"
"Sylvia are you okay? Your face is completely white" Helen says shifting everyone's attention to me.
"Oh I'm sorry it's just" I pause dramatically "my parents died in 1949 so I don't really like to remember what happened" keep talking you four and you will have a knife in your throats.
"I'm so sorry Sylvia" Camila turns to me, her eyes full of sorrow and a flash of pity that makes me want to pluck her eyes "we all lost someone last year but soon enough we won't have to worry about those monsters"
"I heard that Carlton is progressing fast" Helen grins before taking a sip.
Finally something useful.
Eleanor glares at her "be careful with what you say do you want to end up like Vanessa?"
Damn you already shutting her up? I'll push then.
"What happened?" I ask and their eyes fall on me.
"Right you weren't here" Eleanor rubs her nose "do you know him? I mean Carlton"
"I've heard some words"
"Well you can say that he is someone really important, you see the hunting troupes at night? They work by his command and report whenever they capture one of those beasts alive to his assistant" She takes a sip "I assume you heard about the club nights on Sundays right?"
I nod.
"He always picks a woman to accompany him during his meetings and of course she will listen in to everything will be said" Helen says, her tone is nervous "she isn't allowed to say anything of it to anyone"
"Vanessa was our friend" Camila says as she shifts her sleeping daughter weight on her lap "she only told her brother, the next day, both of them were found hanging from the ceiling of their house"
"We know it wasn't a suicide, Carlton for sure sent someone to kill them then made it look like they did it themselves and of course there wasn't any evidence against him. After that no one dares to bring up something about him" Beatrice utters a curse.
Damn that means I don't have any other choice but to seduce him if no one is willing to talk about him.
"He even doesn't take a no as an answer. When he asks a lady she doesn't have an option but to agree but as long as she keeps her mouth shut she will be safe. It's just one time anyway" that's from Eleanor.
"One time?" I ask, it's impossible for one meeting to list everything I need.
"Yes, that man is really a womanizer he doesn't dance with the same woman twice" Beatrice adds, not doing any effort to hide her disgust.
"I think that's enough talking about him" Camila stands "I'll take Mia to sleep, I'll see you tomorrow dears. Sylvia I hope you can join us again for coffee" she smiles
"And do open to us next time" Eleanor winks.
"And buy something" Helen laughs.
I stand up "of course I'll come whenever I can thank you for inviting me Camila but I have to excuse myself as well" I wave a goodbye then take my leave as they shout their goodbyes behind me.