Chapter 325: Little relief
It was all too quiet for Arabella. Silas had the ability to hear through walls, but she was always in the dark as to what to expect next.
Although, upon seeing what lay behind that door, she breathed a sigh of relief. Well, it was a little sigh as nothing bad was going on but a silent, defeated looking Katherine who happened to curl on her bed and press herself against the bedframe behind her.
Her first instinct when seeing Arabella enter was to recoil further from her as though not trusting her own senses to behave.
"Katherine?" Arabella whispered with as little voice as her cords managed.
"Why did you come here? I can’t be trusted," the vampiress whispered back, her words somewhat muffled since she buried the lower half of her face in her arms.
"She did not come alone," Silas stated coldly.
Katherine’s features mellowed before twisting again, announcing the fountain of tears that threatened to spill.
"Please, Katherine, how are you feeling?"
Katherine cleared her throat first then tried to straighten her pose, "Physically, I feel better than I should,"
"Don’t say that!" the young woman’s feet started moving, cutting the distance between herself and Katherine, but both Silas and the vampiress reacted.
Silas held an arm up to stop her and Katherine pressed her back harder against the bedframe.
"I am really sorry. It’s just...," Arabella looked down, "I’ll do better to contain myself,"
Right at that moment, Katherine and Silas’s eyes flickered towards the door. Arabella understood from it that someone or a group of people were heading their way.
Sure enough, after a few seconds, the knob twisted and the door cracked open to allow Allegra inside.
Allegra stopped in her tracks and halted all movement upon noting Silas’ and Arabella’s presence.
She immediately flung her eyes to the floor and acted as though they were too heavy to lift again.
"My apologies," her lips drew a thin smile on her. One that fought to reach her eyes, "I was too busy in my own head to realize someone else was here. I will just leave this and go,"
By "this" Allegra meant the tray between her hands which carried a glass jug that harbored a crimson liquid inside.
"No, it’s alright, Allegra, please don’t feel that way," Arabella waved her worries off and smiled back in an attempt to defuse the palpable awkwardness.
"Hasn’t she already fed?" asked Silas.
"She did," Allegra bowed between sentences, "But the doctors advised feeding her for the next three nights instead of waiting for the week or two weeks’ mark,"
Arabella eyed Allegra, doing her best to remain discreet about it. The young woman wondered whether her senses were the only ones to pick up on the vampiress’ strange attitude.
Or perhaps Arabella was reading too much into it? Perhaps Allegra was simply still upset at what happened... As she should have been! After all, she too had been used by Edna to reach the end of her scheme.
"We will leave you to it then," Arabella blurted before anyone else could speak.
"No, no, no! Please, you may stay. I didn’t mean to interrupt you," Allegra rushed to place the tray down and started racing for the door.
However, Arabella quickly spoke again, "No, it is me who should apologize. I insisted on coming here knowing full well Katherine is still recovering and needs her resting time. It was selfish of me,"
Throughout it all, Silas merely stood to the side and observed the trajectory of their conversation.
"No, wait!" finally, it was Katherine that chimed in, "Stay for a bit longer. I know what I said before but, I did wish to speak with you,"
The vampiress had uncurled, unwrapping her arms from around her legs to sit more properly.
"Goodness! I don’t mean to be this unwelcoming or disrespectful," she tried to push a chuckle while patting the skirt of her dress downwards, "You know...," her voice cracked at multiple syllables.
"You have nothing to apologize for," Arabella shook her head and looked straight into Katherine’s eyes.
Arabella pulled a chair, making sure to keep her distance from the vampiress in order not to trigger her anxiety.
Silas stood by her side whereas Allegra exited the room as quietly and discreetly as possible.
"Like I said, physically, I am alright. I can stand on my feet again," Katherine nodded, eyes focusing on a particular spot on the floor, "I just need one more night or two to... I don’t know what for exactly, but I am not ready to go back out there and socialize just yet,"
"Taking time is for the better," Silas had a hand on Arabella’s shoulder, "There is no reason for you to rush yourself anyway,"
"Thank you," Katherine murmured.
Nothing was said in the few seconds that followed until Katherine broke the stifling silence.
"I was told that she... Edna...," she trailed off.
"She is dead," Silas declared dryly.
Arabella’s gaze snapped up towards him before clearing her throat, "Well, yes. It happened out of sight,"
"I knew she was up to no good all along but... For some reason I just couldn’t bring myself to say it," the frown on Katherine was heart wrenching, "Even when I had my hands around her throat, the words just wouldn’t come out. It was like something, or someone didn’t want me to expose her doings," the first cries escaped her.
"From the conclusion we’ve already reached, she was responsible for poisoning you throughout the past month,"
Hearing those words wrenched more sobs out of Katherine, louder and stronger ones.
"She is gone now. She can no longer hurt you," Arabella tried to soothe her.
"What sort of poison or potion was it?" Katherine straight up ignored the last sentence and asked.
"We have yet to know that," said Silas.
"You said that she was killed out of sight," there was more resolve in her voice, more volume, "So you have no idea as to who might have done it?"
"No," he replied.
More crying was done. Although he didn’t know whether it was out of relief and gratitude or anger due to the fact that she couldn’t punish Edna with her bare hands.