Chapter 81

Finishing dinner Ralph wished Katie goodnight but not before telling her that he would be heading out early in the morning tomorrow and would return late in the evening.

Seeing Ralph walk across the corridor and disappear in one of the guest room Katie walked up to her room.

In the morning , Katie woke up late as she had nothing to do with her day off from the duties in the mansion. She had planned to spend her time with her cousin but now that he had gone to the town she decided to go visit her relatives graves.

Seeing Lord Alexander at the hall with Martin, she greeted them both with a bow.

“Good morning Lord Alexander. Good morning Martin.”

“Good morning Ms Welcher. Excuse me,” and he went inside.

“Good morning, Katie. Planning to go out somewhere?” Lord Alexander asked her and she turned to look at him.

“Ah-yes. I was going to visit the graves.”

Lord Alexander asked the little boy, Samuel who was walking near by to get the carriage ready.

“That won’t be necessary,” Katie said quickly, “I will be fine walking until there. I wouldn’t need a carriage.”

“Silly fool, I will be accompanying you to the grave.”

“Why? Do you have relatives there too?” she questioned him to which he smiled.

“I wouldn’t say relatives. More like someone I knew in the past, an acquaintance. I have been meaning to go visit but never found time,” he replied making her nod her head.

Reaching the graves Katie paid her respects to her parents, aunt and uncle. Knowing she would be coming here again with Ralph she made her conversation short and turned to see the Lord standing in front of one grave before he began walking towards where she was.

On the way back Katie spoke,

“Lord Alexander?”

“What is it?” he asked moving his eyes from the scenery to the girl sitting with him.

“Who was the person-the one you visited now?” she asked him curious but seeing him not respond she said, “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“When I was young boy, I had befriended a commoner of my age. He was a scrawny little boy,” she saw him smile at the thought of it, “I had Martin feed him up nice whenever he would visit the mansion and no more than two months he had turned too a chubby boy. His family was a poor one, with no mother and an ill father.”

“He was too shy in the beginning but he then changed. I should have noticed but emotions turn you blind,” he chuckled, “Men tend to be greedy.”

“What happened?” she asked him in a quiet voice.

“The boy was being paid to get information about my family, trying to sell it out to someone without having an idea of what he was doing. If it is something I didn’t tolerate. It harmed my family and I killed the boy,” she heard him sigh.

He killed the little boy? She didn’t know what to say.

“It was that time my hate for the humans rose. I don’t trust any Adam’s sons or daughters because in the end they are all greedy and selfish,” he said his voice turning cold and for a moment she felt worried.

Seeing the look on Katie’s face, Alexander raised his hand to brush the hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear.

“You look frightened,” he said leaning forward, “You aren’t like that so you have no need to ponder about it. I would never hurt you,” his voice turned to a whisper and he pecked her lips, turning it into a kiss.

When he bit her lips, she flinched leading her to grab his overcoat. After a few seconds he pulled back to look at her breathing labored.

Katie felt the Lord run his thumb over her lower lip which he had bit and he kissed it again, this time it was a lingering one.

She noticed that they had returned back to the mansion when Lord Alexander turned the door open.

At night Katie went to visit Ralph in his room who was sitting on the chair and staring at space. He looked tired and exhausted with the journey.

“Ralph?” she called but he didn’t hear it, “Ralph?” she called out again and his eyes suddenly snapped to look up where she was.

“Kate, when did you come in?” he asked straightening himself up.

“I just got here. How was your trip to the town? You were awfully quiet today during dinner,” Katie said and heard him sigh.

“Sit down,” he said and she did.

“What’s the matter? You’re scaring me,” she asked him. He had been fine last night and happy but now he looked tensed and edgy as he tapped his toes on the floor.

“I found out who is behind the massacre, who killed our parents who is helping the witches,” Ralph said running his fingers through his hair with a frustrated sigh, “I-I had been to the town to meet Silas Norman and as we spoke he told me the facts of what the council hasn’t revealed yet.”

“Who is it Ralph?”

“It’s the Valerian Lord.”

Hearing this Katie’s heart dropped, “What? No, that can’t be true. That’s absurd!” she outright denied it but Ralph shook his head.

“I know it sounds absurd but it is the truth. At first I didn’t want to believe it either but what would Lord Silas get from lying?”

“Lord Silas must be lying. The south Lord is full of lies,” she said.

“And how do you know that?” he questioned her with a frown.

“Because I know it. Lord Alexander and Elliot have told me about him.”

“And how do you know that they aren’t feeding you lies? I know you have affections towards that man but please see things without it. Lord Norman is trying to divide the humans from the vampires because he wants to save them. Do you know how many bodies are found dead with their neck punctured. I-I just saw them before coming here, the bodies that were dumped mercilessly in the forest in Valeria. Everything points it to him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Years ago Lord Alexander’s mother was killed by humans on a suspect that she was a black witch but she wasn’t. Do you think he would show mercy to us beings? He has conspired against the humans all along with the witches in helping the massacre takes place.”

“He would never do that. Lord Alexander and the others aren’t like that. There must be a misunderstanding because they are helping the council in catching hold of the witches-”

“Handing few unimportant witches isn’t that difficult for a person like him. It doesn’t make a difference when you take a few drops of water from the sea. The vampires have been feeding on the humans and throwing them like it’s nothing. Bodies that are entitled for a respectful burial. Why would so many bodies be present there then? Why isn’t the council doing anything? Because they are scared of the man. He isn’t the man he poses to be. We are merely puppets,” he then whispered, “He is trying to unite all the empire’s under his rule and he won’t stop at it. He got mother and father killed, Katie. Mercilessly,” his voice trembled and she hugged him.

She was shocked and stunned by what her cousin had to say. Was it really true? Had Lord Alexander really killed her family?

She tried recollecting any events that looked suspicious but found nothing. But then she realized something and she felt the ground been pulled off her feet.

No...it couldn’t be true yet the truth was right there.

Malphus. The Lord of Valeria had brought back a dead man, a ghost alive where people could see him again. No one could do it but for a witch. He had a witch help him with it.

If what Ralph had told her was the truth then she didn’t know what to do anymore. The more she thought about it the more her hands trembled. The man she had given her heart had murdered her relatives gruesomely.

“Ralph...” she whispered looking at his eyes that had turned red due to holding back his tears.

“Lord Silas said he would help us get out of here. I cannot let the murderer live peacefully without doing anything,” he stated walking towards the bag under the bed, “Lord Alexander has taken an interest in you and his guard would be lowered which is of convenience for us. I want you to help me with something.”

“What?” she asked feeling her heart beat so loud that she could hear it in her ear seeing the object in his hand.

“We need to kill him,” he said placing a black short knife in her hand to which she raised her brow.