Stone Cold

Chapter 23

"The witch who turned Ares into stone, was me."

Her grip on the door handle tightened, turning her knuckles white. She chewed on her bottom lip, brooding over the current situation. 'Should I listen to her?'

"Don't you want answers? Don't you want to know the full story?" Ruth continued to ask rhetorical questions.

Blowing out air through her mouth, Faith turned around in one swift motion. She stared apprehensively at the witch before opening her mouth to speak, "Don't try anything. Ares will know."

The woman gave her a reassuring smile, "I won't. Who would want to stand on the receiving end of vampire king's wrath."

"Vampire.. king?" Faith asked in a small voice.

"Ares is a pureblood of royal origin, the son of previous vampire king. His father's death lead to him inheriting the throne. His subordinate Henricus handled everything, not letting anyone know about Ares' condition. He told the court members that Ares doesn't wish to have any connections with Rome. And since Ares had been exiled from his country, they believed Henricus' excuse."

She gaped at the witch after hearing her revelation. 'Is she telling the truth?'

"Sit, child." The lady mentioned to the chair Faith had been sitting in previously.

Faith seemed reluctant to comply. Countless questions were roaming inside her mind, "If you're the one who turned him into stone, how are you still alive? Why didn't he capture you?"

The lady let out a humorless laugh. Faith could detect a hint of sadness lying underneath its empty surface.

"He doesn't know it's me who deceived him. He thinks it's you." The lady looked straight into her eyes as she spoke those words.

Her head shot up, "What do you mean me? I never deceived him. How can I ever?"

The candle's light flickered in the old lady's eyes. "This is why I invited you here-to answer your questions."

Faith took a step forward before she noticed a movement from her peripheral vision. The lady had raised her hand, her lips moved to form incoherent words. Suddenly, the chair was behind Faith. She fell into it with an oomph as the chair flew back into its original place, opposite the old lady.

Faith gripped the table stabilising herself before she ended up falling down on the floor. She looked at the old lady with accusing eyes, "What was that?"

The witch seemed amused, "You were taking too much time. I just helped you."

Straightening herself, she gave the woman an annoyed look. The lady coughed, turning serious in a matter of seconds, "Let's get to the point. I can show you the past. Take you back to where it all started in the first place. Do you trust me, Faith?"

Her response came abrupt, " I don't."

A smile tugged at the corner of Ruth's lips. "Just like your husband."

Blood rushed to her cheeks hearing the woman address Ares as her husband. "He isn't my husband."

"Uh huh."

Faith felt herself getting agitated at the woman's nonchalant comment. 'Why does everyone around me talk in riddles?'

She watched as Ruth grabbed the rusty iron box she had retrieved from behind the curtain. The witch inserted a small key inside the lock, rotating it in clockwise direction. The lid opened with a pop. The woman's hand disappeared inside the box before reappearing with some things held in it. She placed those things carefully before Faith.