NIGHTS OF HALLOW
Chapter 42: Caught in the Web (2)

Chapter 42: Caught in the Web (2)

It has been four hours since John and his colleagues went to bring Perdita according to the order given to them by their Master.

Mr. Malphus and his family tired from kneeling on the hard floor now sat with a stressed look on their faces. He didn’t know what his life will become from now on, and most importantly, that of his wife and young son.

His family had no idea the type of work he did, but now, they were all paying for the sins he committed. If he had known earlier, he would have informed his master about the visit from the red-haired vampire who shockingly was the king himself. But will informing him change anything? He doubted that.

What had he done? Putting his life and that of his family and also that of the siblings in danger. Not many people bought those pills because they found out that after taking them, not only did they fully become vampires, the hunger for blood they felt doubled thrice what normal vampires felt.

He had an inkling that those pills were no ordinary pills that were made from human blood, but they had a very dangerous substance that their master refused to disclose to them.

The determination and zeal to turn back into humans he saw from the siblings, especially from Perdita each time they came to buy the pills in the hope of something that was not true and was never bound to happen almost made him want to tell them the truth about the pills.

But then, this was a job he got money from to eat at least two square meals a day and also where he got money to provide the basic needs for his family.

He couldn’t stop selling those pills so suddenly without a valid reason which his master will surely demand. And also quitting was like asking for a death wish. Once you are in the business, there was no going back.

One of the things he discovered from those pills was the special effects they had on the person taking them. Like the heightened ability to hear, see, and smell. The hunger increase for blood.

These were the ones he had noted and verified. The other effects, he had no idea. Which reminded him.

Perdita and Marco had been his oldest and regular customers, why was it that the pills did not affect them? Not to mention, their eye color which was still a mystery of how they remained the same human color since they turned into vampires.

Their eye color should have immediately changed to red, but rather, they retained their human eye color. There was a time he remembered asking Perdita if they noticed any changes in their body and if he remembered correctly, her answer was a no.

How and why did they not observe or notice anything? Did she lie to him? If the answer was no, then what was wrong with them? Or perhaps, did they lie to him about being vampires so they could have access to the pills and information before reporting it to the king? This was the only plausible answer Malphus could form in his head. There was no way Perdita or Marco could have known the king if not for this reason.

Or was he also wrong with his assumptions?

So many questions swirled in the head of Mr. Malphus that made him doubt all the answers he was processing in his head. This was so confusing. He shook his head to get his brain working. He was thinking too much into this matter. Perhaps these was the symptoms of old age.

Should he report his findings to his master? No, he will not do that. It will complicate things more than they were complicated already. He will keep his findings and assumptions to himself and rather find a way to get his head out of this hell of a mess he created for himself and his family.

Mr. Malphus jolted out of his deep thoughts the moment the door clicked open and in came John and his colleagues.

He seized breathing at the thought that they have captured Perdita. He anticipated the worst that will happen any minute from now. But when the men knelt to the ground with their heads bowed with no sign of Perdita or her brother, he silently heaved a sigh of relief.

"Master," The men called with bowed heads as they announced their arrival.

The pipe their master was smoking was now replaced by a glass of thick warm blood that painted the rims of the cup and his lips red.

"Where is she?" He inquired without turning to face them. He stood in the dark room with his back facing them while he gazed at the nothingness of the floor-to-ceiling curtains used to drape the windows.

John acting as the spokesman slightly raised his head to look at his master’s back. Fear was evident in his eyes for a job they were not able to accomplish.

"Master, we...we were not able to capture her. There was a man that came from nowhere and suddenly saved her"

"Stupid! Always stupid and useless fools. You can never get a job done well. What do you think I’m paying you guys for? To drink those pills for nothing? Couldn’t you attack the man and bring the lady to me?!" Their master demanded in a terrifying fierce voice.

John bowed repeatedly in terror of what their master might do to them. He was not a gentleman if his job was not done to perfection.

"Master! Please forgive us, master. The man who saved her, according to the description of Mr. Malphus, I think it is the king, the red-haired vampire"

"Are you sure?" Their master questioned to clarify in his annoyed hard voice.

"Yes, master. I am very sure of who I saw. It was the king that rescued the lady"

"Damn fool!" He cursed at the king. Why couldn’t he leave him be? To achieve the one goal he had been harboring and planning his whole life? Why was he always the bone in his throat?!

His first plan and goal would have successfully been done if not for the king’s intervention that ruined his plans. Because of him, he had gone on hiatus and now he was back, the king won’t leave him and was still getting on his nerves.

He needed more power and wealth. What he had now was not what he was looking forward to having all his life.

First, he wanted the throne and everyone to bow to him, but that did not work with his first plan. Now he was back with these pills that are not known by many, he will take back everything he wanted.

Once he introduced the pills to the market of the pureblooded vampires, the kingdom was bound to break and all power and authority will belong to him only, but this so-called stupid king won’t let him have it.

But come what may, no one stops him from getting and achieving his goals. Instead, he will make sure the Kingdom turned into a living hell. Either they stayed and allowed him to rule or no one stayed at all. The option was there for them to choose from, but he was the judge to tell them what to do.

Why did the king have to be the one to save the lady? Who was she? From what Malphus said, she was also the one that informed the king about the pills. Why was he always with her? The man continued questioning in his mind. The anger inside him was boiling with each question that crossed his mind. He couldn’t take it anymore. He needed blood. He wanted bloodshed. If not his anger won’t go away.

He had sent his men in his stead to avoid being discovered, knowing the king will recognize him if he stepped anywhere near the castle, but still, even though he did not go and instead sent his men, the man still ruined his plans.

Such stupid and annoying fools who couldn’t get a job done. Even after he gave them the advanced pills that were responsible for their transformation into skeletons, they were still useless!

Was the lady that important to him? Maybe he should change his strategy and abduct her and see what he will do since he still had one of his men, Clayton in custody. He badly wanted to get rid of the king. But he should calm his horses. Any wrong move will destroy what he had been planning. Also about the church, he didn’t want them to know he was back. They were another hassle to take care of.

"Get lost all of you!" He bellowed to his men. The anger boiling inside him was evident in his tone of voice.

"Yes, master!" John and his colleagues chorused. They bowed before dragging Mr. Malphus, his wife, and his son away.

When they all left leaving the man alone in the room that was about to burst into flames because of his blazing anger, the door opened again and John walked in.

"What is it?"

"Master," John bowed and walked forward, stopping two steps away from the man. He said, "There is something Mr. Malphus is not telling you. I found out very important information about the Lady you asked us to bring to you"

John paused and watched as his master became attentive to what he was saying. He heard him ask, "What did you find out about the lady?"

"The lady..." John lowered his voice and told his master every detail of what he discovered.

After a while, the man sat down with a knowing look on his face. He then ordered "Change the plan. Do whatever you have to do and bring the lady to me. Unfailingly, before the end of the week"

"Yes, master" John bowed in obligation to his master’s new order.

A/N; Please vote for me!