Chapter 79: Why Isn’t She Waking Up?
When the sky continuously darkened as night approached, the grand doors of the Palace swung open with a haunting creak, revealing the imposing figure of the vampire Lord, Ivan. His stoic countenance remained unchanged as he stepped into the opulent entrance hall, the air, once heavy with an eerie silence, only to be broken by the soft echoes of his footsteps.
The servants in charge of the entrance hall stopped what they were doing to bow at Ivan who barely took notice of their presence as he made his way through the stairs and disappearing through the labyrinthine corridor. The servants, after confirming he was out of sight, couldn’t help but share a look of amazement at his sudden return.
"He is back so early." One of the male servants whispered to a female servant who had stopped dusting the ornate shelves. "Did he perhaps forget something that was important?"
"That is unlike him." The female servant shook her head in disapproval. When they saw Claire standing at the top of the stairs, watching them chit-chat while they were meant to be doing their duties, the fear that coursed through them at that moment was so automatic, they barely knew how they separated since they were back to cleaning.
"Fools." She muttered in disgust, but then her curious gaze moved in the direction where Ivan took, her brows creasing in puzzlement as she looked back at the main door to see everyone else walk in.
"Didn’t he leave with Uncle and Tobias? Why is he the only one who returned?" Claire asked herself, but when she couldn’t get the answer, she followed in the direction where her brother had taken.
Ivan on the other hand kept climbing through stairs and taking different corridors. He had gone to the slave establishment to see things for himself as he planned, but his main purpose for leaving so early was so he could handle the slave establishment and also make it on time to Lady V’s kingdom since her Father, the King was holding a moon ceremony that he needed to attend with them as a form of courtesy, but while he stayed there, he couldn’t shake off the subtle unease that gnawed at the edge of his consciousness.
It was a feeling he had never experienced before, a strange sense of concern that kept tugging at his otherwise impassive heart. He had spent his time interacting with Ivy and her Father, but he couldn’t stop thinking about his little lamb no matter how hard he tried, as if he could sense his little lamb was not doing fine by herself.
Alistair and Tobias had agreed to cover up for him while he left the ceremony a bit earlier than he originally planned. Now that he was back in the Palace, his unease only grew instead of deteriorating.
Reaching his private chamber, the young vampire pushed open the ornate double doors, revealing a sanctuary of darkness and decadence. The flickering candle lights danced upon the wall, and everything was just as it should be except, one thing was noticeably amiss.
His crimson gaze fell upon the empty space where his little lamb usually sat waiting for him. A flicker of confusion crossed his face, and it was quickly replaced by a rare display of concern.