The Blood Painted Cage

I watched nervously as Dana paced back and forth through the lounge and with so much vigour my mind vaguely feared for the carpets life. However my thoughts were mostly filled with Blackburn. There was more too him that meets the eye we all knew but how we were going to find out what had happened to him we did not know. And we only had two days left.

My hand was tightly laced with Viorel’s as he still shook slightly. No doubt Blackburn’s madness had forced nightmarish memories to resurface, something I had hoped would never happen. Livia was standing by the arm of my chair with a troubled expression over her gentle features while Sonia had her arms folded and standing with an air that told me she was more than ready for a fight. But Dana, my eldest maid and most brightest, was pacing like a maniac as her brain whirred. We all knew to let her think. Her words were the voice of reason and very rarely did she make stupid suggestions.

I blinked slowly while I waited and as usual she stopped abruptly, whirling to face us now her thoughts had processed.

“Something is not right with him.” She announced.

“Well we know that already seeing as he went around killing random people.” Sonia muttered darkly.

Dana shot her a glare. “But why did he do that?” She hesitated then sighed heavily. “The Lady was right.”

I smiled while Sonia spoke up again. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that the Lady was right in trying to get to the source of his killing spree. If he is going to have a fair trial, which he probably won’t, the Elder’s would have most likely decided that he is to have the Second Penalty and are just having the trial out of tradition, then we need to find the reason behind his madness.”

“There is no madness other than his actions.” Sonia retorted.

“There is more than that. He was calm if a little defensive when the Lady was tending to him. However the madness that followed was sudden. He changed Sonia. His aura was like a parasite down there.”

“But that’s impossible. The Blackburn’s are virtually pure bloods.”

“It is true though Sonia.” Livia said gently. “He showed signs of being a Grey blood.”

“But he can’t! He is a Red blood. He was born a vampire, not turned.” Sonia snapped, her tone become stern.

“I know Sonia.” I said, silencing her instantly. “But there is something very wrong with Blackburn and we must find out what it is.”

Dana nodded her head glumly. “It is vital that we do.”

“And how are you planning to go about it. He is being taken in two days.” Sonia said grudgingly but accepting of what she had been told.

“I will speak with him.” I said. “I will try and get him to confide in me by gaining his trust or get him to unblock his mind. I will need to be alone with him though.”

This didn’t go down well with any of my maids or charge and instantly launched themselves into a loud disagreement, so much so I flinched at the volume level and covered my ears.

“I must be alone!” I said loudly and firmly, silencing them. “To show that I want to help him and trust him I need to be alone with him. I will leave when I feel threatened and will use my abilities if I must.” I gave each worried face a gentle glance and smiled warmly. “You forget that I am strong. I can take care of myself if I need to.”

All stared at me with an expression torn between concern and acceptance. I refused to use my abilities to control, needle out information or harm people. However when it came to defending others I would use the abilities without thought although I did not really do much in taking care of myself.

Livia nodded slowly, letting a gentle sigh escape her mouth. “It will be done Lady if that is what you wish.”

“It is what is needed Livia.”

“I will go along with it Lady,” Dana said and crossed her arms firmly over her chest, her face still scrunched up with irritation. “But Sonia and I will wait outside and if we hear anything, and I mean anything Lady, we will come in and take you out.”

I nodded in agreement. “I do not know if I will get anything out of when I confront him but I have to wait.” I said reluctantly as I felt the thick raged filled air and leaning back heavily in my comfortable soft sofa with a frown on my face. “He is still lost at the moment.”

“Well why don’t you go tend your garden, Lady. You have not seen to them yet and I am sure it will take your mind off Blackburn for a little while.” Livia suggested, noticing my sudden dip in mood.

I looked up at her and gave her a small smile. “Yes I think I will, Livia.” I replied and slowly pushed myself onto my feet. “I will go get dressed first however.” I stated and turned to face Viorel who was still planted on the sofa, his expression blank but his face was paler than normal. “Viorel, do you want to come help me?”

He looked up at me startled for a moment then shakily nodded his head. “Yes, Eva.”

I smiled and pulled him onto his feet before telling my maids to rest. If they were to protect me from Blackburn they needed to be as awake as possible. After much arguing they eventually agreed to have a cycle of sleeping, leaving at least one of them awake to watch the house and the door to the dungeon. All though I was not overly happy with it I could not argue against them. Once they stop arguing with one another and agree on something I had no chance of swaying any of their minds.

Instead I left them to care for Viorel and went to change rapidly, throwing on a pair of tatty old jeans and a baggy shirt, flicking my scruffy white plait over my shoulder as I rushed back down the stairs once again. Livia and Sonia were missing when I came to take Viorel outside leaving Dana to guard the house, just as I had expected. Dana was normally the one to take first shifts. She was the far more imposing and if she felt she should be doing something then she will take control. No one bothered to argue with her.

Gently I took Viorel outside, making sure Dana was standing a fair distance from the door before I pushed back the thick curtain and opened the dark tinted glass door. I felt the hammering of rage lift almost instantly when I stepped outside into the warm afternoon breeze. The air was fresh and the sky was clear which instantly lightened my heart and brought a smile to my face. I felt Viorel relax, his fear thawing a little but not completely. However I knew that it would fade without him realising when he began work on the garden. Just like myself, he enjoyed tending to the flowers and plants in our garden. He always had an interest since he was younger and liked watching me work and later help.

I took him to the rose bush, the one he had been nursing for a year now and let him begin to tend the flowers with care. My heart was soothed when I felt his fear slowly ebb away as he worked. I calmed my own nerves slighty as I worked, crouched over a flower bed not too far from Viorel, pulling out weeds and making myself impossibly dirty in the process. But my mind was open, feeling the house for danger and poking at the swirling aura that was contained within the thick walls.

It didn’t calm and the more time slipped by and the more work Viorel and I did in the garden, the more my concern for Blackburn grew. Something was very wrong with his mind. It was as if there were two personalities to him, two sides. Both dangerous but one far more stable and intelligent than the other. One Red and one Grey.

The sun was sinking when we finished our tending and decided enough was enough. I took Viorel inside and, after scrubbing my mud covered body down and getting rid of the leaves, twigs and petals that had become entangled in my white hair, set to work in organising some food for him. While Viorel was quite capable of doing it I decided I wanted to take up the task. I knew a particular omelette I made would calm the small quivers in his nerves, smothering out that last shadow of fear that had died down throughout the day.

I hummed gently in the large kitchen with Viorel reading at the table and Livia pottering about as I put together some tea for myself and Viorel And as I worked I constantly felt about the aura. Even after hours had gone by the insanity was still there, still thick and strong. I did not know how long it would take for Blackburn to settle. I could only hope it was sometime soon.

Absentmindedly I watched Viorel eat and with a faint joy when the last of his fear faded. I sighed lightly and finished my tea, listening to Livia re clean the immaculate kitchen. Time seemed to be flitting by but at the same time it was moving slowly. Waiting for the chance I could approach Blackburn again was torturing me and I was running out of time.

I stayed up for as long as I could, reading my well used novels and books well into the early hours of the morning but eventually exhaustion claimed me and I gave in. With Dana fussing over me, I returned to my room to sleep the rest of the night away, hoping that Blackburn would be calm tomorrow as that would be my final chance to find out what was happening to him.