“I'll just lie down here for a bit,” she babbled as her eyes started to close and she could no longer feel her body. Everything started to fade to nothing. A gushed sweetness and headiness – all what Violette felt as her eyelids became so heavy, she couldn't keep them open any longer.
Chapter 18
UNDER THE VEIL OF A DREAM
Violette opened her eyes – only stone walls around her and darkness of an empty room. Standing up, she looked around. Her eyes found a door and as soon as she took a step in its direction, a heavy sigh followed by a sob reached her ears. She snapped her head at the way the sound came from. At the darkest corner was a man sitting on the cold floor with his head down. Violette froze on the same spot and looked closely at the stranger. The dark reigning over the room and the twilight outside made it difficult to see his face. But then her heart quailed. This stranger actually seemed very familiar. She took a step closer. It was only an assumption but…
“Dante?” she breathed.
He raised his head and a deep exhale, filled with a heavy burden, left his lungs. The horror swept over Violette’s face. She tripped over her own leg as she faltered back but someone’s hands caught her before she'd hit the ground. She turned her head around – the familiar vampire with the mask on his mouth was looking at her, his gaze piercing, framed by furrowed brows. She bolted a glance at the other vampire still sitting at the wall. Instead of the mask, his mouth and chin was covered in blood, down to the neck…his collar stained in burgundy stains. His tortured appearance shocked her to the deepest of her soul but the blood on his face was not his at all. And there was something peculiar in his eyes, similar topain.
“You never listen, right?” Dante snarled, still holding her.
Violette finally stood on her own feet.
She stared at him for a bit with fully rounded eyes. He must have taken the powder too after she knocked out but to see two of him at once seemed like a shocking experience, especially since one of them didn’t have an imprisoned mouth.
“We have to go,” he said, ignoring his other-self on the ground.
Violette jolted her head to the vampire on the floor again. His face looked horrific and yet…looking at him her heart faltered. He looked so exhausted and sad, almost frazzled.
“Are you going? We have to find the witch.” Dante already stood near the open door leading to the hallway. He took a step out of the room. Violette’s eyes lingered on the vampire at the wall before following him, a strange pang pierced her chest.
The corridorthey walked through looked like a big hall decorated with portraits in golden frames with intricate patterns. The green long carpet on the floor was leading them to the wall with an arched pass.
“How come you know the way?” Violette suddenly asked, nearly whispering, still startled by the witnessed picture in the room.
“I was there, as you could notice,” he said coldly, rushing himself through the hall like he wanted to escape this place as soon as he could. Well, she partly understood why…This place didn't hold great memories for him as she saw.
Butthat didn't explain him knowing this place so well.
“You seem to know this place a little too well,” she said, her eyes gliding over the walls and its oil paintings.
Dante didn't say a word, keeping striding forward.
Violette wanted to inspect the paintings, the surroundings, to find out what kind of place they were in. But Dante was in too much of a hurry, and they didn't have much time, but everything seemed so interesting and unusual. She'd never seen such beautiful decor and exquisite sculptures. Without noticing it, she slowed down, studying the portraits.
Here hung images of great nobles, at least that's the conclusion she came to. After a few more steps, her eyes rose to a huge gilded portrait of a beautiful woman, starting almost at the floor and ending nearly at the ceiling. She was struck by a strange feeling like she'd already seen this woman once, something familiar was in her features. Her gaze rose to the lady's eyes and then to a gorgeous painted crown in her hair, a glorious stone flaunted with blue tints in the middle. She stared at the painting fully enchanted until Dante's hand grabbed her.
“We don't have time, Little Witch. We can wake up at any moment.”
“Yes, you're right. Sorry,” she blurted, rushing through the hall.
Finally they reached the archway. Violette looked up – the twisted staircase led into absoluteunknown, so high that she finally wondered how high they were already.
They'd walked quite a bit when the echo of female voices entered the air. The higher they rose, the louder they became, and finally, they came across their owners – two women in identical outfits, apparently maids.
“I don't think it's a good idea,” said one of them. “It's not a good time.”
“I don't know, it seems the Queen and King want to cheer people up a little bit with this ball,” the other commented.
The woman frowned, her voice filled with bitterness, “Yes, while people are dying because of some monster.”
“I think they are fully aware of this, Charlotte. Anyway, we have a lot of work before the event. Did you see Loisa?”
“No. Actually, I haven't seen her since breakfast. She was supposed to work in the East Wing today.”
Violette noticed how Dante immediately lowered his eyes to the floor. He looked different, like he–Oh…The realization hit her.They were in the East Wing today. The blood. The vampire on the floor.They will not find Loisa…or will find her gutted somewhere in the castle.
