Chapter 298: The horror
She bit down on her lip so hard, her teeth almost drew blood, but choking the scream was worth that pain.
Arabella stood by the balcony stairs, ready to scamper up as soon as the gaping wound in her hand was closed shut.
Her eyes remained on the ever growing pool of her own blood down by her feet. She made sure not to get a single drop on herself, but as the edges of the world started blurring, getting sloppy at it turned inevitable.
With frantic swipes, she cleaned the dagger then sheathed it before quickly putting her lips to the vial that contained Silas’ blood.
As per its usual, one tiny sip was enough for the miracle to unfold.
Her gaze was soldered on the regenerating cells that grew one after the other, connecting with each other to reconstruct the perfect barrier that once stood there.
She immediately took off, running up the stairs the moment her palm was completely healed.
Her destination? The first floor balcony door that led outside the ballroom.
Crossing the hallways in a huff, Arabella reached the stairs and descended them in a crazed state.
Her heart and lungs begged for a break, but the young woman heard none of it. Pushing every need her body had in that moment to the very back of her mind.
One of her feet tripped on the skirt of her white gown causing Arabella to lose her balance right before saving her weight against the door frame of the music room.
A wave of relief, albeit a small one, washed over her upon noting that her plan had worked; Katherine was nowhere in the room.
Instead, two men and one woman stood inside. One of them with Arumina already in his arms while the other helped Ada back on her feet.
"Oh, Lord!" she cried and practically threw herself inside, "Ada, Are you alright? Please let me see," her tears cloaked her view but she managed to cup Ada’s cheeks.
Ada merely nodded off and on, somewhat out of it and so, the response came not from her but from the female guard supporting her weight, "Please, my Lady. She needs to be taken downstairs as you’ve instructed,"
"Oh! Astrid reached you then," furiously wiping at her tears, Arabella composed herself and returned a more fiercer expression.
"Yes, unfortunately, when we got here, Miss Katherine was already gone. The others have split up to look for her,"
"No need to waste your time," Arabella turned to the male guard that had just spoken, "Right now, you will find her in the ballroom. That is where she should be. Let us go to the trophy room, now,"
"How do you know if I may ask?" the guard carrying Arumina interjected.
"I made sure of it,"
The guard that had his hands free ran in the direction of the ballroom whereas the rest made their way to the trophy room where every other soul had gathered.
Arabella skipped the line of wailing maids and frozen butlers, reached the portrait that served as a portal and swiped the tip of her finger over the opening of the blood vial.
With that, she drew a line over the canvas that opened wide for everyone.
"Hurry, everyone! This is one of the only places around the manor where Katherine cannot reach," she stood to the side and ushered the people inside.
In the heat of the moment, she did not count the heads. Although even if the young woman did, there were many people that remained unknown to her.
"Thank goodness, Miss," Abigail took her by the hands, "You are alright, but...," the look of horror on her deepened, "You are bleeding!"
"It’s not mine, Abigail," Arabella shook her head, "Please, take care of Ada and Arumina for me,"
"Why? Aren’t you staying here with us?" Gloria stepped forward, her eyebrows furrowed all the way.
"No, Katherine is still out there, I have to make sure they do not kill her while attempting to get her under control and-" her breath hitched in her throat, eyes widening and darting between the faces in the trophy room, "Where is Remus?" she whispered.
"Oh dear!" Abigail slapped her forehead, "I’d completely forgotten that he’d gone searching for you only minutes after you left the balcony,"
After shutting the portrait on their contorted faces, Arabella ran back up to the ground floor in the guards’ company.
"I do not want her harmed, please," she broke the heavy silence between them.
"We will do our best,"
The two of them ran ahead of her, leaving her alone by the time her feet touched the ground floor.
The manor always seemed immense but that night, it felt like a whole different kind of gigantic.
So cold and quiet.
Looking down at herself, at her once perfect wedding gown... Stained red.
It was as though she was cursed. The second gown to be ruined in her care. Mr Kallum would surely be furious to see it.
Perhaps he’d already seen it but was too stunned to say a thing.
Arabella kept her tongue still in her mouth, as calling out Remus’ name may put them both in danger.
What terrified her was the idea that he too, with his advanced senses, might have followed the scent of her blood to the ball room.
That was one aspect of her plan she hadn’t really thought through.
The ballroom was empty. Aside from the clearly disturbed pool of blood she left there.
Footprints, handprints were left behind in it as a testament to the recent agitation.
There was commotion, but nothing concrete. Still, the calls of the guards to each other were all she had for indicators.
While running up the stairs again, a voice, a scream, a very recognizable one rose in the night.
The echoes reached her ears and froze her in place.
"Remus!" she cried.
Her muscles finally agreed to move and take her towards the origin of the scream for yet another horrific scene to meet her eyes.