The Sanguine Seraph

Chapter Three - Hunting in Shadow

"Miss Katharine, we are here."

She blinked away the haze of sleep and glanced up. Walter stood outside her door. He held it open, waiting for her. "Oh, sorry."

She grabbed her bag and stepped out of the limo. Her suitcase sat next to the car as though she had slept through their arrival as well. When she took it, Walter gave her a sympathetic smile. "Please allow me. You seem exhausted, and besides, I still need to show you to your room."

Kat shrugged and let him carry the case. She noticed he walked with a slight limp, but it didn't seem to bother him. After glancing around the darkness, she realized they were standing on a packed gravel drive under an archway. The house always had reminded her more of some ancient castle. Two large French doors stood before them like the gate to some forbidden fortress. Marble lion statues stood as the sentinels near the entrance and at the corners of the arch. Each illuminated with their own spotlight from the ground before them.

They resemble the lion on the wax seal, Kat thought.

In the distance, she could hear a trickling fountain as it bubbled out in the courtyard. She didn't remember that part of the manor, and it didn't help ease her anxiousness about returning; in fact, it only solidified the notion to hurry back to her dorm once the legal hearings had finished. She had considered the place her home once she'd left to join the academy, but everything seemed too bright and polished to be considered a home. Despite knowing they had done some renovations to one of the wings, it appeared to make it more like some stoic museum than anything a person should live in.

"Are you ready?"

Kat spun to see Walter holding open one of the doors.

His mouth had spread into a pleasant smile. "I see you like the newly renovated wing. We just finished it last summer. I think you will find it most accommodating."

"I don't doubt it. I can't wait to see it in the daylight."

"Do you need any refreshments before bed this evening?" Walter closed the door behind her as she entered the corridor. Large framed paintings and delicate wooden tables lined the entryway. The polished wooden floor was covered by a trailing red rug that ran down the length of the room.

"No, I'll be alright," she said as he led the way.

"Should you need anything in the night, you may call me or if you prefer to get it yourself, you may. The other maids are gone for the evening, but they will be back in a few hours to tend to the house and garden. The stable hands should be arriving soon to tend to the horses if you desire a morning ride."

"You know I haven't been gone that long. I remember the drill." Kat glanced through an opening to see a large kitchen. It was complete with a two-tiered oven and multiple stovetops. "Nice."

"Oh, this is the new guest kitchen. This one will be closer to your room if you wish to use it."

She nodded.

Another opening further down the corridor revealed a large study. It was complete with antique wooden shelves filled with books and an enormous oak desk at the center of the room. The house, while mostly unused, was free of dust. Even the corners of the rooms and baseboards seemed to sparkle.

After a few more twists and turns down multiple hallways, and up a flight of stairs, Walter paused at one of the heavy wooden doors and opened it. Kat entered the massive room that was the size of her college apartment. A large four poster bed sat centered at the back wall draped in soft fabrics. Two large windows rose at either side of the bed that looked out into a courtyard. Outside, small lamps encircled the pathway that maneuvered through the flowerbeds.