Chapter 305: Strange silence
Ada kept on folding and unfolding one piece of clothing. The same nightgown Arabella had left there the night before the tragedy took place.
Her eyes wouldn’t rise towards Arabella’s body and her tears had long since dried up when Silas came back to his room.
"Tidying is no longer a duty of yours," he stood by the curtains.
"No, yes, of course," there was no energy in her answer, but her hands did not stop for a second.
The quiet that stifled the space around them was of a strange nature. Neither seemed to have the urge to break it, but both looked eager for it to end.
"May I stay for a while longer, please?" she practically whispered.
"It is unwise for a human to stay with a corpse for a prolonged period of time,"
Silas’s throat tightened at those words. Was he truly saying such a thing? A corpse? Was that what Arabella was reduced to after everything?
Only after a few seconds that seemed to stretch to an eternity did the vampire notice the effect of his utterances on Ada.
The woman was frozen in place, eyes wide open, finally on Arabella...
"Just a while longer, please," her voice dimmed further and quivered uncontrollably.
He wouldn’t even look in Arabella’s general direction and instead marched straight towards the window, giving his back to Ada.
"From the testimonies I’ve gathered, you were with Astrid and Arumina when it all started," he half asked, still facing away from her.
"Yes," she marked a short pause, "Astrid and I decided to descend back to the kitchens in order to see if our help was needed there, but then...," the words seemed to hitch in her throat.
"But then what?"
"We couldn’t find Madame Arumina and we heard the piano playing from the music room, so we followed the sound of it," Ada had a distant air on her as she counted the story.
"Katherine was playing the piano," Silas half asked once again.
"Hitting the keys would be more accurate as she followed no melody or even attempted to," Ada took a deep breath and crossed her arms over her chest before rubbing her hands up and down her arms, "When we finally got there, the scene that greeted us was horrifying. Miss Katherine was seated in front of the piano and pressed random keys without a hint of care or good sense. She was rigid and unresponsive, but the harrowing part was the fact that Madame Arumina lay on the floor right behind her," she went quiet after that.
Silas had to urge her to give him the rest of the events from then on, "Is that when she turned on you two?"
"When we moved closer in order to help Madame Arumina, yes. She grabbed me first so I yelled at Astrid to get away and call for the help of the guards since the barrier still stood, therefore there was no way to reach any of you,"
"I see," he sighed, "And did Katherine say anything to you at all?"
In response, Ada shook her head before speaking, "She acted like a non-verbal beast. The most beastly I’ve ever seen of her,"
"Then would you say, she was under the influence of something beyond her power?"
"Most definitely," she nodded.
The vampire turned to face the window again before yet another epiphany struck him, "And what about Grace and Allegra? Did you see them at all?"
"Not since they went into the medical wing to keep an eye on their sister, why?"
"I will find that out in due time,"
"When you do so," she interrupted his thoughts, "Would you tell me the truth, Master?"
He spun around to take a long look at her before answering, "Sure," was all that he said, "You should return to your room. I’d like a moment as well,"
Ada did not argue and exited the room, but not without stopping by the curtains one last time for a few seconds. She still did not look at her friend or... What was left of her.
Upon hearing the door clicking shut, Silas neared the bed and towered over her cold face. Arabella no longer looked like she was sleeping peacefully. By then the signs that she wasn’t coming back were already showing.
After one last look at her sunken eyes, the bluish and purple hue consuming her skin, his hands gravitated towards the brooch decorating her immobile chest.
As it was tradition, the brooch could not lie with her in the grave. It had to be unpinned and sheltered for the next time it’d be used.
His fingers shook a tad as he removed it.
Once the piece settled on the brand-new nightstand he’d only recently ordered, his diamonds fell on Arabella’s chest again. On the green Emerald adorning her mother’s pendant.
That one would definitely go with her, but curiosity still ate at him. Silas picked the pendant and opened it to reveal its content.
The neatly folded piece of paper fell out onto the floor.
When the sound of rustling paper finally ceased, the words on the page became more readable.
It was a letter. One that came from the heart. Their alignment made everything make sense. Namely the way Arabella always clutched the piece of jewelry for comfort.
It stood as the final reminder of her departed mother.
"My dear angel,
My dear Arabella..."
That was but the start, however, Silas had to put it aside when interrupted by a nighttime staff member.
Indeed, night had fallen faster than it should have. Or at least, that was the feeling he’d gotten from it.
The butler brought news that a vampire going by the name of Victor stood at the gates, begging and pleading to whomever would listen just to see Katherine.
From what Silas understood, the so-called Victor was intimately involved with Katherine and the news of what had happened the night before had spread around.
It wouldn’t be long before the condolences and good wishes would come flooding in.