The Baroness Misbehaves
Chapter 79: Visiting Fancy Leaf Inn (2) a dreading info

Chapter 79: Visiting Fancy Leaf Inn (2) a dreading info

Once alone in the room, Geoffrey offered both men a glass of water with an apologetic smile. "Sadly, this is what I can afford to offer you both for now." He explained with a nervous laugh that hinted his hesitation. "If I had known you’d come see me, I would have gotten something prepared sooner."

"We would have told you, but then we couldn’t take the risk of telling you either." Cassian asserted firmly, handing his untouched glass of water to Orson before going straight to the point of their visit.

"I told you I was going to find you, so let us continue from where we stopped, shall we?"

The smile on Geoffrey’s lips faded after hearing how formal the young man was with his words, and he had to admit that he was very astonished to see the young man at his door, except he wasn’t expecting to see his eyes blindfolded like someone who had eye problem, and he could easily guess those vampires showed him no mercy.

If he wanted to be hundred percent honest, this is the first time he’s seen someone escape from the clutches of those heartless vampires, and alive too.

With his unflinching presence and the stern gaze of the other boy he recognized very well, it brought memories of how he got shot in the ear by the very same person standing before him, and if he refuses to speak this time, he knew the young lad wouldn’t hesitate to use that trick again, or even worse, he might request for his money.

Luckily, Geoffrey didn’t have the intention of keeping silent today.

Suddenly, he snapped his fingers but very softly so the sound wouldn’t be audible, yet Cassian’s instincts kicked in as his head turned to the hand that was getting ready to be snapped for the second time.

"Your senses are Keen to hear even the softest sound." He listed before letting his eyes rake the young lad who had grown confused. "Rapid healing is also one of the signs."

"What are you talking about?" Orson, who appeared confused, chose to let the question roll off his tongue, and Geoffrey was more than willing to respond as he stuck his fingers out to list the indications he knew.

"Thirst for blood," he began. "Hypersensitive senses, red eyes, sharp fangs, rapidity in healing, all these are signs that your friend here was bitten, and is likely to be one of those creatures."

"The fuck!" Orson muttered under his breath as his gaze shifted to Cassian who wasn’t surprised to hear this, and Orson eyed the young lad in disbelief.

Getting themselves settled as they sat on the carpeted floor, Geoffrey continued with his information as he dropped a symbol that represented a star in front of them, and he lifted his gaze before speaking.

"There has been a long history of bloodsucking ghouls in folklore stories, making it difficult for one to actually pin if the stories told these days are true or not, but in this case, the night creatures are real." His tone came out audible in the silent room. "The night creatures have roamed the streets of Carmarthen for ages to come, lusting for human blood and hiding in the shadows while patiently waiting for their next prey, yet very few are aware of their presence."

He inhaled deeply before shaking his head, and then he continued. "Those who knew had chosen to rid them of the streets of Carmarthen by becoming the vampire slayers, as I’ve heard, but since no one is aware of how to completely get rid of the mastermind behind the vampire thread, it led to many unforeseen..... deaths, and those who are still aware of their presence aren’t safe, like you and me for example."

"Hold on." Orson agitatedly interjected as he tried to understand what was being told here. "The missing people case started about two years ago, and many have failed to find the culprit who orchestrated the whole thing. Are these so-called vampires linked to the missing people case?" Asked Orson as he waited for Geoffrey’s response, and it took a while before he gave his answer.

"A lot of people have gone missing even before the case was made. It only got discovered two years ago. But one thing you should be aware of is that Vampires are known for enslavement." Geoffrey elaborated cryptically. "If you become one of them, you act like them. If you fail to become one of them, you become their slave, and they feed off your blood till there is none left of you, and in order to do that, they capture the ignorant ones who still walk in the dead of night."

"But there’s one amongst them, his name is Elijah and he wears a different colored cloak from the rest of them." Cassian described from what he knew. "Is he not the leader?"

"That’s when this symbol comes in." Geoffrey patted the star-like pattern drawing he had placed for Orson to see. "The colors of their cloak is a symbol of ranks between the Vampire clan, and this star-like symbol is a representative of their clan."

He went further to explain. "A red cloak, they’re the lowest of ranks, difficult, but not impossible for humans to kill, yet easier for their own kind to get rid off. The black cloak defines strength and abominable power, making whoever wears it a master to the lower ranks as he consumes more blood than them."

"Elijah is not the leader?" Cassian was very much surprised to hear this, and Geoffrey explained with careful words.

"He is a leader to the red cloaked vampires, but even he has his own leader whom he takes orders from." His tone turned grave at the mention of the other leader. "I have never seen that one, he’s mostly shadowed and doesn’t come out. No one speaks of him, not even the vampires themselves."

"How do you know all this??" Orson was surprised, yet suspicious of that man’s broadened knowledge on how they do things, and Geoffrey understood his doubts.

"I have been quite a companion to the vampires when I made those swords for them. I know too much, which is why I have a feeling that I might not live long. No matter where I go, they will come looking for me, so I’ve decided to enjoy the life that I couldn’t while being a bladesmith. Even if I have to die, I must tell someone as I do not wish to carry the secret to my grave."

"What secret?" Cassian and Orson asked in unison. Silence reigned in the room as they waited for Geoffrey to continue, and after pushing aside the limits he said he wouldn’t cross, Geoffrey finally revealed to them.

"There is only one person who has met with the mastermind behind everything, but that person died many years ago, and couldn’t reveal what he knew."

"Who is this person?"

"The vampire with a red cloak is more than capable of answering that question, not me." Geoffrey hinted as he shoved the star-like pattern into Cassian’s grip.

"How do I find him?"

"You’re on your way to becoming a vampire." Geoffrey reminded him. "You don’t need to go to him, he’ll come to you."