The Shadows of Blood

Incident Two: The Marchioness's Murder

'Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd little waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like.'

--Lemony Snicket (A series of unfortunate events)

01: STOLEN

'The cat's dead.' Saffi said as they sat on Alina's bed later that day, sorting out old papers.

'I know.'  She mumbled.

There must have been something in her voice that made Saffi look up suspiciously. 'And?'

'And what?' Alina tried to force a look of innocence onto her face. 'I don't have any idea of what killed it.' She said hurriedly, glaring at him.

'Well,' He sighed, and Alina couldn't help noticing his brow unfurrowed. 'That's a another unexplained incident then, like so many others in this castle.'

Alina nodded silently. She did not speak, but her mind was working feverishly:

Was she the one who had killed the cat, in her dreams? This wasn't possible, a small voice at the back of her brain whispered, you were asleep in your own bed. Was it a coindence? Did it mean that she was a murderer now? Questions rushed to her head as unnerving thoughts pushed their way into her skull.

She shivered as though a pale of icey water had been poured over her head.

'Saffi?' She had to tell him, this wasn't natural.

He sweeped his hair out of his eyes and looked up as though expecting this to happen. 'Yes? Did you want to say something about that unfortunate incident?'

Alina was instantly tongue-tied, when she had opened and closed her mouth several times, she gulped and said. 'Yes, I was...'

The door crashed open right at the moment, cutting her off in midsentence. 

'Elijah.' Saffi looked alarmed at the sight of the fully armed man in his mid-thirties. 'Was there another death in the castle?'

Elijah grimaced, his lip was trembling as though he was afraid of what he was going to say.

'Spit it out.' Saffi advised.

'The crystal pendant has been stolen.'

The color drained out of his cheeks, his face went gaunt. 'Excuse me?'

'Stolen.'

He swung his legs over the bed and slid off, shooting one suspicious look at Alina, he hurried from the room, Elijah at his heels.

02: ANOTHER UNWELCOMED DREAM

The moment Saffi was out of the room, Alina began to pace up and down. Was he going to guess who had stolen it? Was he going to ask her to return the pendant? What had she done? What was so terrible about the pendant that she was still holding in one hand?  Unnerving questions flooded into her mind as she walked the length of her room again and again.

Finally tireing herself out, Alina slumped down on a beanbag that had been shoved into a corner. A stream of blazing sunshine weaved through the curtains, spilling into the room. She sighed, gazing out into the blazing sunset, letting the scent of the salty ocean breeze fill her nostrils, willing her mind to relax. It had been a devasting day, with her frame still aching, her heart still pounding as though expecting an attack at any moment. Forcing herself to calm down, she pushed her worries away and closed her eyes under the sunset.

With the crystal pendant still in one hand, Alina drifted off.

She was sitting in a room that not was hers, with its curtains drawn and a merry fire blazing in the hearh. The room was silent except the crackling of flames in the corner. 

She turned, hoping for something to do. But there was nothing in the room that could entertain her--its bookshelves were empty and laidened with dust, the walls were plain, and there was only one single window set high into the plain walls casting shadows into the gloomy room.

She stood up, pushing her chair to one side. The only piece of furniture standing in the center of the room was a double-sized bed covered with silk linens. That's when she noticed the hump in the middle of the overs, someone must be asleep with the blankets pulled over their head.

Silently, she tiptoed to the bed and saw instantly that something was wrong: The covers were dotted with spots of blood, still fresh from the victim's veins. With trembling but curious fingers, she lifted the hem of the fabrique. 

Alina felt a scream leave her lips that shattered the gloominess like glass on china. 

There, under the bedsheets was a woman. Her face sickly and bloodless, because her neck been severed cleanly off with a trickle of blood still on her throat. Her empty eyes seemed to gaze straight into Alina's.

The Marchioness had been murdered.

Alina's scream seemed to reverberate around the room even after her mouth had closed in terror. Now, she felt another scream leave her throat, this time for help.

'Once you leave, there will be no return.' The soft hissing voice filled the room again, and a shadowy figure steped into the room, the blade of its knife glinting.

03: A CONVERSTATION

'Alina!' 

She jerked awake, her mismatched eyes bright with fear. Staggering upright, she backed into the corner with her hand stretched in front of her, like this might help her ward of evil.

'That's quite a reaction.' He could not hide the surprise in his voice.

Her arm slackened as Saffi turned on the lights. 'Why are you in my room?' She shot.

He raised his eyebrows coldly. 'You were screaming.' 

There was a pause during which they locked eyes.

'Where is it?' Saffi asked.

'Where's what?' Alina tried to tuck away the fear that was ebbing into her voice.

His eyebrows went higher. 'You know perfectly well, Alina.'

She was too astonished to react, but at the same time couldn't bring herself to asking how he knew. Hand shaking, she showed him the crystal pendant, its silvery glow as bright as ever in the dim room.

'The Marchioness has been killed.' She gasped, unable to controll herself.

Saffi paled, he swallowed. 'Killed?'

Alina gulped down some air, and made a gesture at her throat. 'Throat slitted.'

'Are you sure?'

How could he not understand the terror she felt?!

'I saw it happen! I was in her room! I was the one who saw the spot of blood on the covers!'

'So you were the muderer.'  Said a cold voice behind them.

The Marquess had stepped soundlessly into the room.

Alina stared at him, at his avid face, at his snarling features. 'What?' She asked blankly.

'You murdered my wife!'