Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 170: Within the Pureblood Town

As embarrassed as Ruelle had been after the examination, she was relieved it was over. No one brought it up, as if it had never happened, and the seriousness of the Slater mansion was something she found herself quietly grateful for.

Right now, four of them approached the carriage as they were heading into town, to the seamstress’s shop. Ruelle climbed in first, followed by Lucian. Dane had come along as well, and before getting inside, he turned and offered Peyton a polite smile that stretched longer.

"Apologies, but the interior seats are only for family. You don’t mind sitting beside the coachman, do you?" Dane asked her.

Peyton stared at him for a brief moment, then glanced at Ruelle before making her way to the front to sit beside Claude.

Ruelle frowned slightly as she watched Dane climb inside and close the carriage door. Upon noticing her gaze, he tilted his head.

"She’s only doing her job," she murmured.

"I know," Dane replied with a sly smile. "I thought she might appreciate a bit of fresh air outside."

Was this about Peyton pointing out they weren’t siblings? Ruelle wondered. Dane didn’t strike her as someone who cared for such social distinctions. Soon the carriage lurched forward, the wheels rolling into motion as the horses pulled them away from the Slaters’ mansion.

"By the way... about Caroline," Ruelle spoke, looking at Lucian. "If what you said is true, shouldn’t Ezekiel be questioned?"

"He will be if he turns up to speak with Caroline," Lucian replied. Ruelle’s eyebrows drew faintly together. "Let us visit your sister later."

"You want to meet her too?" Ruelle asked him.

"I have some questions of my own," Lucian answered.

Dane exhaled lightly before speaking, "I couldn’t trace any suspicious movement between Sexton and the village where the body was found. If he’s the one, he’ll either run away... or stay and hope no one looks too closely at him. Even though we shared the staffroom, there wasn’t anything particular we talked about," he chuckled. "Any new bodies?"

"Not the ones related to this case. Clifford’s was the last," Lucian responded. There was a possibility of bodies rising again depending on what would happen to Ruelle’s sister. "But there is a rise in Halflings’ death."

"I thought Halflings had better luck of the two kinds. Looks like a change in balance," Dane hummed in thought. "Again?" he asked, the look in his eyes turning serious.

"The timing is a little too convenient," Lucian said. "Gaile is taking a look at it."

And while Lucian and Dane spoke about the cases, Ruelle tried to remember instances of Ezekiel, if there was a time when his crimes had peered through the cracks. Most of their interactions had always been brief, even in Sexton. It was probably the last two weeks that had turned messy.

She turned her gaze back to the window, watching the passing snow-covered trees turn into a blur.

After a while, Ruelle’s gaze fell on the approaching large stone wall ahead of them. Her mind calculated the distance and speed with growing alarm. Weren’t the others seeing it? She said,

think we are going to crash into

slow down. But as the carriage neared the wall, it passed through a dark tunnel before there was light

the pureblooded vampires," she heard Lucian explain. "A

hidden through magic?" Did that mean if a human was kidnapped here, the person wouldn’t be able to get out without a pureblooded vampire’s help? The

by one of the old pureblood family members. As a refuge, before

carriage finally rolled to

women appeared refined, belonging to the high-status as

couldn’t fathom, and luxuries like animal

of wolves when people

no mind," Lucian remarked,

shop. Inside, the ceilings were higher than most of the shops she had seen, though the path between the tables was narrow, lined with fabrics and garments. The place was warm with a

take your coats?" asked

her scarf along with her coat, as the seamstress

Sunday then," came a female customer’s voice from the room inside before the person stepped out. "I didn’t expect

go speak to the seamstress before she gets occupied," and with that

eyes fell on Ruelle and she added, "And your guest. I was going to visit the Slater mansion to hand the

polite. "I’m afraid we’ll have to decline—we have other matters

that so," Lady Stelaris responded, a

and the youngest Slater. The eldest would have been the obvious choice... if not for the rumours that circulated, even among their own kind. Her gaze then shifted back to the young human’s neck and her brows

had heard Sexton concluded its bidding. It seems you’ve been bought by a master. I did tell you couldn’t

the hostility Lady Stelaris had shown her after Dane’s birthday. She met the vampiress’s gaze with a faint smile.

a soul bond. Lucian

faltering before she

Azriel had told her that he would consider her daughter. Taken aback, she asked, "I

who arranged it," Lucian said. He stepped past her. "You’ll

their last exchange, the vampiress looked tongue-tied as if

word, she turned and made her way out of the shop. While not

pleased." Ruelle watched the woman storm

the front room. "A lot of families like to have their children married into equal or higher status. For the

over her shoulder where the minister’s assistant walked behind them with a blank expression. "She said if the

Lucian muttered dryly with a hint of annoyance underneath his

to the seamstress—who looked like a man. But the seamstress had long brown hair which moved past his waist and he

bride, hmm," the person hummed long. "She seems

apologies, I didn’t mean

my looks," the person chuckled lightly. "I was