Walking with the Vampire |COMPLETE|

20. Secret between three

Fauna was the one to open the door.
And Nicholae followed a second after.

The outward appearance didn't do the inside of the shack justice at all.
The walls were a lavender color and the floor a light cedar wood.
Fresh herbs hanged on wooden rods while the window sills carried pots of other herbs and flowers.

'Honestly, not what I expected.' Nicholae said touching the satin drapes.

'What were you expecting?' The witch asked from the second floor.
She leaned against the wooden rails when she was done tying a pink ribbon to a potted tree.

'Rats and roaches scurrying across the floor playing tag in their own shit and a cauldron in the fireplace boiling their brothers and sisters. And to top it off, an ugly old hag mixing the brew.' He replied.

'Sorry I didn't meet your expectations. However, I do have a cauldron in the back but isn't boiling anything at the moment.'

'You haven't completely disappointed me. You got the ugly hag bit down.'
Fauna gawked at his unexpected behavior.
She quickly whispered in his ears.

'My lord we are here to solicit her help, not antagonize her.' She warned him.

'Oh, Fauna we can do both.' He replied in a similar manner.

'The ugly would soon be rectified.' The witch smiled foxlike.

Nicholae didn't let the confusion show on his face. He simply watched the old hag climb down the stairs and then he walked to her.
He offered his hand to help her down the last few.

'For someone who looks your age, you are strong.' He said after he felt her solid grip on his hand.

'It's all in a healthy diet.' She laughed.

Fauna couldn't hide her confusion in time.
'Is something wrong, darling?'
The witch asked her.
She quickly answered with a shake of her head.

'Where are my manners. I didn't even introduce myself.'
She looked at her two guests in feigned shock.

'I'm Ginger. But you must already know who I am since you walked into my store. And I know who you are.' She said smiling at Nicholae with her crooked teeth on display.
'Lord Nicholae.'

He was genuinely surprised she knew of him.
'There are a number of my relatives who are far more important and much more impressive. So how did you come to know me.'

'Honestly, it's because of your little eh... should I call it, stunt some odd years ago.'

Nicholae stood stunned. A hand full of people knew about the short period when he went off the rails. It was approximately right after Valentina's death.
And it was because of Valentina's death that he'd gone on his drug-induced rampage.
It had been brief and dark and in the shadow of a much larger event, so no one took notice of it.
His family covered it up never to speak of it again.

Apparently, the secret had gotten out, somehow.

'I see I made you speechless my lord.'
His blood boiled.

'Don't get used to the feeling.' He smiled back at her.
'We're aren't here to dig up skeletons from the past. We're here for you most famous poison.'

'I make a lot of poisons my lord. Each of them famous in their own way. Could you be specific?'

She went over a purple chair and made herself comfortable.

'Kiss of death.' He plainly spoke.

'I don't know where you heard that wild story from. But I've never made such a concoction. The witch council frowns upon it.'
She slid the mask of innocence in place, but she wasn't fooling him.