Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 194: Beaten and Baked

Mr. and Mrs. Belmont had taken to walking through the village of Brackenwell, their steps slowing when they stopped in front of the small gates of the house they had once called home. But now, it was bare and covered in snow.

"To think we lived here not so long ago," Mrs. Belmont murmured. When her husband pulled his arm from her grasp, she frowned. "Where are you going?"

"To take a walk. I will be back," he answered, already stepping away from her.

Ezekiel was growing irritated. The way Megan clung to him reminded him too much of Caroline. His steps quickened as he took the street that curved back towards the cemetery, towards Ruelle.

But before he could get far, two men approached from the opposite side. One of them stopped him with a hand to his shoulder.

"What?" Ezekiel questioned.

"Harold Belmont," the man spat. "Where do you think you’re going when you owe me money?"

Pushing the hand off from his shoulder, he said with a sigh, "Go to the courthouse. They will pay you double what I owe. Now scram."

The words only made the men angrier and one of them swung at him. Ezekiel moved easily, dodging before driving his knee into the man’s stomach hard enough to knock the breath from him.

The man folded with a cough. "Get him!" he wheezed.

"You took the money when you needed it, and now you are trying to scam us again? Wearing clothes like that and I saw the carriage you came in," said the second man, and when the man caught sight of his fellow men, he shouted, "Look here! Harold Belmont has returned to pay the money."

A third person came and barked, "You bastard! My brother-in-law died trying to collect from you!" Two others grabbed thick logs stacked beside a half-cut tree and joined in.

Even in Harold’s body, Ezekiel still carried the strength of a half-blood. More than enough to break them and when the first two rushed him, he struck fast. One fell and then another. But they got back up.

"What the hell? I thought you said he had broken hands, how is he this strong for an old man?" demanded one of them who took the hit. "Where’s our damn money?"

A lot more crowd were beginning to gather and they had begun to murmur amongst themselves. And from the corner of his eye, he saw Mrs. Belmont running towards them, her face pale with shock.

Ezekiel gritted his teeth because if he kept fighting like this, someone would notice. Harold Belmont was a weak, cowardly man. So he let it land and be over with it.

TWAK! Another blow landed across his back, then another. Blood ran down the side of his face, dark against the snow.

"AHH!" Mrs. Belmont screamed, rushing forward. "What are you doing?! Let go of my husband!"

The same man who had taken Ezekiel’s knee to his stomach raised the log again and brought it down against Ezekiel’s back.

Ezekiel’s eyes stayed open which had turned red, and beneath the pain, fury churned. He cursed Harold Belmont for the miserable life he had built. He grit his teeth.

"Stop right there! Back away!" The two guards who were with Ruelle shoved through the crowd at last, forcing the men back. "You are under arrest for assaulting an innocent man."

"Innocent?" the man barked a laugh. "Like hell he is! Three men from this village disappeared after they went to collect what he owed! No one knows where they went. And this bastard walks back here dressed like a lord?"

Ruelle’s mouth went dry at the sight of her father crumpled in the snow, blood darkening his clothes. For some time now, she had imagined him brought low for everything he had done. Yet the sight of him bleeding in the snow did not bring satisfaction. Only a strange hollowness. His hand trembled in the snow and he extended his hands in her direction. Even now, bleeding and broken, he still reached for her as if she belonged at his side. As if his pain erased the memory.

One of the men kicked Mr. Belmont’s side and a groan left Ezekiel’s mouth.

"Carlos," Mason stepped forward, hands raised as if to cool the fire. "This isn’t the way."

But it didn’t sit well with the debt collectors, and one of them demanded, "If you are going to side with him, pay his debt."

Mason laughed at once and he asked, "And why would I do that?"

Mrs. Belmont pushed past first, dropping to her knees beside him. She cradled her husband’s face and cried,

"Look what you’ve done! Guards! Arrest them! Throw them into the dungeon!" Her fingers brushed his bruised cheek and he winced. "We need to get you treated, Harold."

Ruelle barely had time to blink before one of the debt collectors struck the guard, and the men crashed into each other in a mess of fists. Whispers broke around the crowd as the fight began again, which was barely contained.

Unlike before, Claude stood quietly beside Ruelle. After the last time he had gotten into a fight and lost her, he had learned his lesson.

Belmont crying and the guards barking orders.

That must have frightened you. It isn’t safe for you to

on the guards shackling the debt collectors,

will head there," she

to support him with the guard. When Ruelle looked at the

Belmont was barely standing. Mrs. Belmont climbed in first, helping him onto the seat

enough space for

voice carried from inside

settled deeper and Ruelle’s boots were wet from the snow. She could still smell iron in the air and

"It seems Mr. Belmont wants you with him. I

suggest sitting next to

didn’t sit right. But Mrs. Belmont snapped at once, "What are you

had to stick to where the coachman could see her. Hesitantly, she

said, "You should have let Lucian pay

covered her face with her hand, shaking her head. "To think they came right when

Ruelle felt her father’s eyes shift to her. He

his bloody gaze lingering on her.

too fast? Or had she been too willing to let it happen? The thought

the cemetery," she said quietly, trying to smooth over the thought before it deepened. But it was obvious that her father was

this was going to happen. Which was why the shock wasn’t the

Mrs. Belmont leaned over him at once, panic returning and she leaned forward to kiss her

in his eyes flashed so quickly that Ruelle would have caught it if she hadn’t turned to look outside. She instead saw the glass slightly fog

stretched between them for a while. She sat with her arms crossed, staring out the

Mr. Belmont. Those men shouldn’t have gone that far. There are other ways to settle debt," he shook his head as though he were still troubled by

"Poor Ruelle must be shaken. Back then, even the sight of blood made

brows twitched at those words. Mason then said, "Why don’t you help me make her agree to return to me? After all, she’s once agreed

asked in a

asked, "Why? Didn’t you see me back there? I handled myself just

She had seen men in Sexton tear each other apart in the underground dungeons. Compared to that, Mason swinging his fists at nothing was hilarious. Leaning back against her seat, she

for and you lost your moment. Frankly, it would do you good if you stopped it, unless you have a wish to be

once, and Mr. Belmont was half-carried out of the carriage, looking crumpled in every possible way. Blood had dried at the corner of

Belmont said breathlessly as the young

far her life had

rested over his sharp and broad shoulders instead of worn

eased. It had barely been hours since he had pinned her against the stall wall, and yet seeing him now made the heat return beneath her skin as though her body had kept the memory warm

noticed Lucian. He spoke through gritted teeth,

plain

had something to do with it," he snapped, his voice hoarse with pain and fury. "I want to see the ministers right away! I’ll tell them

are you talking about, Harold?" Mrs. Belmont frowned, looking between

beat me!" Ezekiel barked, trying to push himself up but grimacing when

them. Could it be possible? The last

moved to where Lucian stood unbothered by the words. His gaze rested on her father the same way one might look at a barking

But that is quite the accusation. Especially when all I have been doing is bringing back your second daughter, Caroline. We finally

relief washed over her stepmother’s face and her hand flew to

the formalities are done," Lucian replied and Mrs. Belmont nodded, having forgotten what her husband accused

my husband’s words to heart, son-in-law. The debt collectors must have hit

the direction of his coachman. "Claude, bring the physician... and inform Carnifex that

Harold Belmont’s

with the help of the guards. But before

as he came to stand behind her and leaned forward, resting

find

she replied, "I

over hers, turning her bare fingers in his palm as though checking how cold they were. He remarked, "I’ll

eyes fell on Mason. The same time, the warmth

waiting for permission to leave?" Lucian asked

his eyes lingered on the pureblooded vampire’s hand around Ruelle. "I am from Brackenwell as

tightened around Ruelle. Heat climbed into her face with how easily Lucian could make people disappear with