Chapter 8-- The Midnight Secret

I can't stop thinking about what happened in the stables. I keep wondering who messaged Damien and why his entire demeanor changed.

He wasn't present at lunch or dinner. I had to sit in the silence of the dinning room with my thoughts.

My eyes darts towards the clock on my nightstand.

11:20am.

I tried to sleep but gave when I couldn't shut my brain up. I stare at the ceiling trying to calm my thoughts.

My breaths the only sounds in the quiet night.

Is he okay?.

What was in that letter?.

Did something happen to Cassian?.

Is he hurt?. Is he dea–?’.

No, I can't think like that. I need to calm down.

I breathe in and out. Repeating the process for ten seconds.

My eyes flutter close and drift off to sleep.

‘Elara’. Mother calls.

‘Yes, mother?’. I reply.

‘I’ll be gone for a while’.

‘Really?’. I turn facing her.

Her blonde hair falling freely on her shoulders.

Blue eyes staring back at my brown ones.

‘Can I come with you?’. I ask, excited to go on an adventure.

She smiles sadly.

‘No, I have to go alone’.

She gets up to leave without saying goodbye.

Tears well up in my eyes.

‘Don’t leave me alone, mother!’. I scream as her back turns on me.

‘Elara, What have you done?!’. My father voice says behind me.

I turn, tears running down my face.

‘Father, Mother is leaving’. I cry.

But he isn't looking at me, he's looking at my hands.

I follow his gaze. My hands are filled with… Blood.

Blood flows from my hand. I don't feel the pain because this is not my blood.

My body trembles in horror.

I look in front of me and see my mother's body on the ground with blood flowing from her stomach.

Her head turns slowly to face me. Her once vibrant eyes devoid of life. Then she screams;

‘WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, ELARA!’.

I wake up gasping for air. I bring my hands in front of my face.

No blood. It was just a dream.

I breathe out a sigh of relief calming my racing heart. I wipe the sweat on my forehead with the back of my hand.

I check the time on my nightstand.

1:45am.

Could the morning come any faster?.

I hear hurried footsteps in hallway.

Who would be walking around this late?.

I put on my morning coat and head towards the door. I poke my head through the door after opening it.

No one seems to be in the hallway. I begin to shrug it off when I hear a door opening at the far end of the hallway.

Could it be one of the servants?. I skake my head.

Why would one of the servants be in the mansion around this hour?. They'd probably be in the servants quarters not here.

I might as well go and check it out. Someone could be in danger.

I laugh at my curiosity trying to justify itself.

I open the door wider, stepping out of it. I hear the faint sound of the door closing.

I follow the sound to the iron door Damien warn me about. The last time I was here, I was having a heated argument with him and I don't want a repeat of that.

I turn to leave when I notice the door is slightly ajar. It won't hurt to take a peek.

Even if it takes risking another heated argument with Damien.

And besides he isn't even here.

I grab the door knob, pushing the door open. I step inside, the room is filled with shelves and on those shelves are tiny vials with substances in them.

I approach one shelf grabbing a vial. The substance in it is dark and red.

Realization hits me.

Is this blood?. My eyes widen on horror.

I look around me. There are more of these.

I put the vial away not wanting to be contaminated with whatever is in them.

I walk deeper into the room where I come across a table filled with documents. Each document bearing the symbol I saw on the door in the attic.

I try to read some of them but don't understand what I'm reading.

I give up and continue searching the room when my eyes spots a hidden door.

I open the door and come face to face with a long table with someone lying on it. Damien stands before but his back is facing me.

It looks like he's tending to whoever is on the table. I look around the room. It's filled with scientific apparatus like a physicians study.

No vials filled with blood this time.

‘My lord…’. The person on the operating table croaks, trailing off.

I look towards whoever it is and see that their watching me.

Damien turns around sharply and freezes. His face etched with horror.

‘You shouldn't be here, Elara’. He says, unmoving.

‘What is this?’. I ask.

My eyes trails down to his blood stained gloved hands. I think I'm going to be sick.

‘What are you doing?’. I ask feeling nauseous.

‘You shouldn't be here, Elara’. He repeats more sternly this time.

He removes his blood stained gloves and walks toward me. He grabs my wrist, I try to yank my hand free from his grasp but his too strong for me.

‘Let me go, Damien!’ I yell as he pulls me towards the door.

We exit the room, he leaves the iron door open and he leads me towards my bedroom door.

When we reach it, he let's go off my wrist.

‘What were you thinking, coming in there, ‘Elara?’. He asks looking directly at me.

‘I was thinking what was in the room that you forbade me from entering’. I shoot back.

He runs a hand over his face, so unlike himself.

‘I gave you a rule to not enter that particular room. Is that so hard for you to understand?’. He asks, waiting for an answer.

I cross my hand over my chest defiantly.

He let's out an irritated sigh.

‘Go to your room, we'll talk about this tomorrow’. He says annoyed.

I want to say something, to not back down. But I know he needs to help whoever it was on the operating table.

‘Fine’ I grumble.

I open door to my bedroom and step inside, closing the door behind me.

I hear his footsteps disappear down the hallway and then the sound of the door closing behind him.