Under the vampire Lord's protection
Chapter 234: For the best

Chapter 234: For the best

Silas only agreed to take Arabella with him to the dungeons after she’d gotten dinner.

Tugging at the thick cloak around her shoulders, the young woman pulled its edges closer around her neck to rebel against the unapologetic cold occupying the underground levels of the manor.

Neither of them exchanged a word all the way down, leaving it to the crackling of flames to fill the void.

The clacking of their feet against the solid stone beneath them also rose to mingle with that sound.

Unlike Remus, Katherine was kept in one of the first cells from the entrance of the dungeons.

The vampiress had ignored the comfortable chair provided to her and curled up in the very corner, face buried in her knees.

"Katherine!" Arabella ran ahead and clasped the bars separating them.

Katherine’s head snapped up at once after what, she scrambled to her feet and hastened to face Arabella, "Why did you come down here? It’s too cold for you?" her eyes skimmed the young woman’s figure, focusing on the coat wrapping her.

"Please, don’t worry for me. I’ll live," Arabella shook her head, not once breaking eye contact with her friend.

"Stand away from the bars," Silas ordered calmly, but sharply.

Katherine voiced no protest and immediately unhanded the bars, consequently breaking the skin-to-skin connection between herself and Arabella’s hands.

The young woman did not complain either. Katherine wasn’t to be fully trusted after her latest stunt, but her heart ached still to see her in such a pitiful state.

"Speak," a new, dry demand came from Silas, "I did not ask many questions yesterday, but I’d rather hear the details of what happened from you,"

Katherine’s eyes traveled down, her frown tragic. Although, eventually, her lungs syphoned the deepest of breaths before she finally spoke, "Yes, of course," her voice meek at first, it learned to be steadier and stronger along her next sentences, "I only remember marching down the hallway and spotting a familiar figure, but that is all," she bit on her bottom lip until it turned white, "The next thing I recall is... You, Master. After you’d stopped me and Allegra right behind you shielding Edna who cried on the floor," her shaky hands rose to cover her face.

"I see," he started, "The previous doctors and witches did you no good,"

"They managed to stop the pain," Katherine said hurriedly.

"Morgana’s efforts might yield better results,"

For a moment, nothing but the chiming and rattling of metal chains was heard for their voices all went mute.

That was until Arabella’s brittle tone arose, "Does she have to stay in this cell until then?"

"Yes! I do!" Katherine answered first, her features twisted.

"Unfortunately, she is right," Silas elaborated in his usual calm demeanor, "She cannot be trusted as she especially threatens the safety of humans,"

"I understand," in a murmur Arabella relented, "May I stay for a bit longer?" she turned her pleading face towards Silas.

In response, he gave one, slow nod.

"You shouldn’t," the utter defeat in Katherine’s voice brought their attention back onto her.

"I want to," Arabella’s features hardened, her eyebrows slightly knitted.

Katherine looked away momentarily before focusing on Silas, "How is she? Edna I mean,"

"As good as she can be considering what happened," he said.

The vampiress stepped back until her back connected with the wall against which she sank to the floor.

"Please don’t worry, Katherine," Arabella clutched at the metal bars once more, "Edna is strong. She’ll bounce back in no time, and everything will return to the way it used to be before," the young woman did not believe a single word in that sentence, but the steadiness in her voice came from the solid rhythm of her heart and so... Neither Katherine nor Silas questioned her sincerity.

When it came to strength, Arabella hadn’t the foggiest idea as to how resilient Edna was, but the one thing she knew was that the blonde kept her grudges alive for the ages.

Edna would forever hold it against Katherine. Well, until the day of her demise, at least.

She’d most certainly retaliate in ways none of them would have expected.

A new pair of feet approached them from the upper levels. It wasn’t long before the echoes brought a face along.

Allegra held a tray that carried a single water pitcher. Except, it clearly didn’t hold water, but a thicker, crimson liquid instead.

"Pardon the interruption," she curtsied before Silas, "But it’s already been two weeks since Katherine has fed. May we have a moment, please?" at that question, she mostly stared at Arabella.

A bit reluctantly, the young woman let go of the bars and stepped back, "Yes, of course," she whispered sheepishly.

"We may return in some time," Silas ascended the stairs first as Arabella trailed behind him.

"No, I believe it is best to let the sisters have their moment without rushing," her tone was on the lower side, dragging its weight against the floor just like her eyes did.

"I will summon Morgana right when I get my hand around a quill,"

"That will be for the best. Thank you, Mas... Silas," she corrected herself after clearing her throat.

The vampire had no noticeable reaction for he tightened the leash around his own muscles and everything that affected them.

He accompanied her to her room, assuring her that if Allegra took too long to join her, Ada would come up.

"But Ada’s shift is over," she grimaced, "Please don’t make her come here. She’d force herself even if you give her the choice,"

"Would she?" his head tilted ever so slightly to the side, a strangely distant air on him.

"Ada and I aren’t exactly identical, but we share similarities in many aspects," she nodded.

"Be that as it may, I believe if given the choice, she’d run here in a heartbeat,"

Silas’ diamonds traveled all over her and lingered more on her hand. On the spots his own hands had grazed earlier that same day.

Although he did not attempt to pick up where they’d left off, concluding the time wasn’t for such affairs.