The Girl who hunted Night

Chapter 11

I did not inform the order on my plan to kill Lucas Martello. I knew they would disclose the idea, or get overly involved, and possibly ruin my plan. In my own mind, I thought it better to do this alone. Quickly, quietly, cleanly.

Over the next several days, I made plans. I increased supplies of holy water, prepared stakes, and sharpened my sword. Katiana. I did not name the sword, but it had been given to me as a present on my fifteenth birthday by my father. As an only child (his other siblings died young), he inherited the sword, it had been in my family for generations, stretching back to the orginal slayers. The name, Katiana, was the name of one of the original slayers, my ancestor.

I planned to attack during the new moon, when the vampires powers were weakest. Vampires could draw power from the night, and during a full moon their power was strongest, but it waned as the moon did, and during a new moon, they were at their weakest.

A knock on the door interrupted these preparations. "Who is it?" I asked.

"Abbey, Miss" replied the voice.

"One moment!" I called, hastily stuffing the weapons and manuscripts under the bed and into trunks. Breathless, I opened the door. "Hello"

She looked uneasy. "Miss Warden sent me to see what you are wearing to the ball next week"
"Tis' a week away, it can wait" I said.

"But, Miss, she was quite insist ant that-"
"I'm sure she was," I interrupted, "but at this moment I have more important things to worry about, thank Miss Warden for her concern, but do remind her the ball is next week, and not urgent"
The girl nodded, ducking her head and scurrying away.

I got out my weapons and looked at my dresses. All far to inconvenient to fight in. They would not do, not for something this dangerous. Digging under piles of clothing, I found what I was looking for; breeches and a fitted shirt. The shirt was made of linen, and the breeches went to my knees. They had gone out of fashion in recent years, but were ideal to fight in.

I planned to travel to Lake Gosling that day and scope out the surrounding areas. It was vital should I complete the impossible task. The sun was still low in the sky, it was morning, it had not yet reached it's peak. I put on my black dress, the simple one, it was not elaborate but ideal for moving in. Leaving the house, I hastily informed them of my leaving out of courtesy before stepping out into the street.

I left the house quickly and summonsed a cab to take me. The carriage bumped along the street and over the cobbles, the sound of spinning wheels and clattering hooves blending into the noise of London. Soon, the busy streets faded. The houses became less compacted and sparse, the countryside beginning to form in front of me. It was difficult to comprehend that I was only a mile out of the city.

After nearly an hour and a half, we arrived at Lake Gosling. It was surrounded by fir trees, and the water looked clear and cool. The sky was overcast, clouds blocking out the sunlight. I made my way through the trees carefully, my right hand hovering over Katiana, concealed beneath my coat.

I walked round the corner till I found what I was looking for. It was quite literally a castle, made from thick stone, complete with turrets and very few windows. I stayed hidden in the trees and tried to get closer, treading over the forest floor lightly, stepping over fallen branches, hoping over patches of leaves. The door was large, and seemingly impenetrable. Looking again, I found the place deserted. The vampires in residence would be in the deep slumber they resided in during day time hours, and any humans would be dealt with swiftly and brutally. We did not show mercy to sympathisers.

I circled the castle, it seemed unaccessable. However, after a second attempt, I found a grate, it must have led down to an older part of the castle, perhaps the cells. The metal screeched as I tried to prise it open. Checking again, I continued till it came loose, coming away with a final howl of metal being forced to move despite years of rust built up around the edges.