NIGHTS OF HALLOW

The thick blanket of cloud that covered the kingdom of Vamlone with darkness slowly moved with the sky that loomed over the sleeping people of Vamlone kingdom.

The second hand of the clock ticked, turning into minutes and minutes into hours, and before everyone knew it, it was already morning.

The tower bell rang thrice in the various towns and villages of the Kingdom where they were stationed. The chirping of the birds and the coos of the owls helped to announce the arrival of the new day.

Like everyone else, the King of Vamlone, Sthena Acheron, woke up from where he rested on the couch.

His eyelids shot open, revealing a pair of dark red eyes that stared at the mirrored ceiling of his room that had his reflection and everything in the room.

He stayed that way for a while as if waiting for his body system to regenerate the lost strength of the previous day.

Teleporting from one place to the other did not only drain his strength, it also drained his blood. And not to add, the great amount of blood Perdita had drunk from him added to his loss of strength.

The act of going to different places through teleportation required the strength of the possessor of the special ability.

Each special ability possessed by any pureblooded vampire had its advantage and likewise its disadvantage. Right now, Sthena’s thirst for blood had greatly doubled, and warm blood from a human would do him a great favor of regaining his lost strength.

Sthena pushed his body upward and sat upright, his eyes taking in the things in the room before they landed on the still-sleeping Perdita.

Sthena stood up and cracked his head that ached from resting it on the headrest of the couch. His feet padded across the room and stopped near the bed.

He bent and touched Perdita’s forehead where the towel had fallen on the bed. He noted how her temperature had gone down, and it was remaining for her body to fully wake up.

Sthena took the small towel with him and walked into the bathroom to bathe. He came out in no time and quickly dressed for the day.

Sthena left the room and went to check up on Marco who was still recuperating from what Mr. Briggs made him drink.

Making sure Marco was alright, he headed straight to the drawing room where he sat behind his desk and began to review some paper works and also waited for Daemon who was yet to come back from the mission he sent him.

Thirty minutes passed and soon Daemon arrived and knocked on the door.

”Come in,” Sthena said knowing who it was.

Daemon walked in with a different attire that was not the guard’s clothes he had worn earlier. He bowed his head at the king in greeting.

”Sit down,” Sthena gestured his hand toward the couch in the room.

”Thank you, Milord,” Daemon responded and sat comfortably on the couch.

”Everything you asked me to do has been successfully accomplished,” Daemon reported to the King.

”What about John and Clayton? Did your deal with them accordingly?” Sthena questioned, his eyes still on the papers he was reading and signing.

”Yes, Milord. I did as you ordered me and very soon, you’ll hear of its results.” Daemon replied with an evil glint and smile on his lips.

”Good,” Sthena praised. ”Let them consider it as my little warning to them,” Sthena replied nonchalantly, not caring about what his little warning will do to his rival.

The thrill of what Daemon had done the day before was still making his blood boil in anticipation of what will happen next. Daemon thought in his head as he recalled what happened in the evening of the previous day.

•~•~•~•

The evening of the previous day,

It was the time of the evening in the village of Woodbridge when the church members were conducting the census for the village in the inner part of the village.

While in another part of the village, just before one would reach the forest of Woodbridge village walked Daemon and another man he dragged behind him. This man was none other than Clayton.

According to the words and order of the King to Daemon, he was going to use Clayton as a trap and also a warning to the master of John and Clayton.

Daemon dragged a weak Clayton with him and on reaching the place where John stood, probably waiting for the church members to leave before he proceeded with his plan, he whistled to get the attention of John.

John unaware of the approaching Daemon turned startled on hearing the whistle from Daemon. He sharply turned to see who it was, all ready to snap the person’s neck.

John’s red eyes under the hood he wore fell on the unknown man and his hand holding his dagger tightened around it. His narrowed and suspicious eye widened in realization when he recognized the second man who was with the unknown man.

That was Clayton, his colleague. John thought.

”Who are you?!” John demanded in furry but at the same time, he was cautious of the man who wore a guard uniform.

Didn’t that church member tell him all the guards have been taken care of? So why and what was this guard doing here and with his colleague? Did that church member lie to him? And also, was Clayton not held by the red-haired King? John questioned in his mind.

Wait...

This is not one of the guards, this man came from the king! Immediately realization dawned on him, John was quick to draw out the dagger he had been holding from his coat pocket.

He pointed the sharp tip of the dagger at Daemon who clicked his tongue and shook his head disapprovingly at John.

Daemon said with a taunt, ”Drop your toy, boy. I’m not here to play with you.”

The words of Daemon infuriated John the more as he marched forward to fight Daemon. He barked, ”What do you think you are doing? Release him at once!”

”No, Your Highness.” Daemon sarcastically replied. This enraged the already furious John and he rushed to attack Daemon only for him to move away while throwing the weak Clayton at him.

Clayton clashed with John’s body making him stagger backward before he got his footing.

John held the weak Clayton and glared at Daemon with fury blazing in his red eyes. He demanded, ”What the hell did you do to him?!”

”You can go to hell and find out.” Came the quick and calm reply from Daemon. He grinned, his sharp fangs pecking out of his lips. He saw the veins in John’s hand pop out because of his stronghold on the dagger. He warned, ”Careful with that, boy. It is not for young boys like you and it can terribly injure you.”

”I’ll kill you!” John raged with gritted teeth and again charged at Daemon.

Daemon took some steps back and spoke with a disapproving look, ”I don’t want to be held responsible for killing a weak boy. I’ll advise you to go back to your papa. Besides, your friend needs your help rather than staying here and wasting the small energy you have.” Daemon continued to taunt with a sly smile still plastered on his face.

”Send my warm greetings to your Master, John,” Daemon stressed John’s name to let him know that he and Sthena were in every way one step ahead of them in the game he and his master thought they were playing.

Daemon after speaking didn’t wait for John to respond and swiftly turned on his heels and left from there while feeling the red angry eyes of John drill holes on his back.

Back to the present,

Daemon still had his sly smile on his face as he recalled everything that happened. How he badly wanted to congratulate the king for thinking something so evil and also interesting.

John would think he had rescued his colleague, not knowing he had brought home a big disaster. And very soon, what Sthena injected in him would have its effect once they arrived at their Master’s place.

Daemon made to speak but Sthena beat him to it when he said,

”Perdita’s brother is in a dire condition. I want you to look after him for now. Do not give him anything even if he wakes up and demands for it.” Sthena instructed and stood up while on the other hand, Daemon turned confused. He voiced out his thoughts,

”I thought everything was in control and order. What happened?”

”It was, before some foolish man did something stupid,” Sthena responded to Daemon’s question.

”What about Perdita?”

”Still unconscious,”

Daemon nodded his head in understanding. He noticed the king had been in a sour mood since he arrived, and when he answered him this way, it meant the king was not ready or in the mood to explain more. Or that he was hungry for blood.

Whoever it was that angered the king must be saying their last prayers. That is, if the person was not dead yet, which he doubted he would still be.

Daemon and Sthena walked along one of the hallways of the castle after leaving the drawing room.

The maids and servants all bowed their heads deeply and respectfully at them, especially the King whose face looked irritated and angry.

After a while of walking in silence, with their shoes clicking sharply on the marble floor, Sthena spoke,

”Get a maid to my chamber.”

”Okay,” Daemon mouthed, knowing what the King wanted. He had been right all along that he was hungry for blood. He prayed he wouldn’t devour the maid before his anger and thirst dissipated.