Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 199: Why Peyton?

Ruelle’s fingers slowly curled beneath the table. Even though the fire burned on the side in the fireplace, she felt an icy chill crawl through her. How did he find out?

She forced herself to keep looking at Elder Minister Carnifex, afraid that even the smallest flicker in her expression might tell him he had struck the truth. She had been careful and there was no way Peyton had known.

"There’s no need to be hostile," Elder Minister Carnifex remarked, and his eyes shifted to look at Lucian sitting beside her. The black tendrils of smoke had quietly spilled across the polished floor, spreading outward until they swallowed the ground beneath them. "If I truly intended to make an issue of her being a witch, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Would we, Lucian?"

But the black tendrils didn’t retreat.

Ruelle’s fingers tightened in her lap before she found herself asking, "Does that mean... you’ll still allow the treaty to continue?"

The man drew in a slow breath before answering, "Yes."

At that, Ruelle’s face brightened with a smile and relief. She bowed, "Thank you. Thank you for it." She hadn’t expected kindness from the Elder Minister, least of all towards a witch, Ruelle’s smile only widened.

The black tendrils creeping across the floor remained exactly where they were, as though Lucian had yet to decide whether the answer was enough.

She heard Lucian remark, "The treaty has already failed once. A second failed treaty would destroy any chance of him pushing one in the future. The Council wouldn’t be completely in support."

It wasn’t like she had underestimated Carnifex. If anything, the more time she spent near him, she saw how he didn’t reveal anything while always wearing that frown on his face. Curious, she asked the Elder Minister,

"How did you know?"

Elder Minister Carnifex’s lips pressed together for a brief moment before he lifted his own hand and tapped the back of it. He said,

"You had a scar here when you left Minister Sylvan’s chamber earlier. When you returned, it was gone."

Ruelle’s eyes instinctively dropped to her hand and though the scar wasn’t there, she couldn’t help but hide it under the desk.

The firelight caught the wrinkles around Carnifex’s eyes as he continued, "You will have to be careful from here on. Especially after your father’s death has already been attributed to witchcraft. Once people learn there is a witch connected to the Belmont family... it isn’t just the treaty that will fall apart."

Though Ruelle was aware of the danger that came from the kind she belonged to, it hadn’t crossed her mind that her father’s death could be connected to her.

Lucian leaned back in his chair, one arm resting against it and his fingers tapped against the armrest before he stated,

"There was something wrong with Harold Belmont. He refused to let the physician examine him last night, as though he feared something would be uncovered."

"Harold Belmont isn’t a witch," Carnifex clarified.

"Right," Lucian agreed, before continuing, "But why would he be worried and run out of the house? There was no forced break in. He should have stayed dead the first time, but he came back and was fine. Isn’t it odd that—"

"...what?" Carnifex blinked as if he had heard wrong the first time, while Ruelle shifted in her seat, not expecting Lucian to drop the news like this with such a composed expression. For the first time since entering the room, the older vampire sounded genuinely caught off guard.

"What do you mean he should have stayed dead?" The Elder Minsiter’s eyes narrowed while they stayed on Lucian.

"It was only the first time. The second time was by a witch," Lucian clarified, looking at Carnifex with a straight expression.

The chamber fell silent and Carnifex pinched the bridge of his nose while the nerve on his forehead popped. The crackling from the fireplace suddenly seemed far louder than before.

Ruelle watched the Elder Minister close his eyes for the briefest moment and he then spoke,

"Peyton..." He seemed to be lost for words before he said, "Get the medicine and some refreshments."

"Yes, Sire," Peyton offered a quiet bow. The doors closed softly behind her once she left, leaving the room quiet.

Carnifex looked into the fire for several moments before speaking again with a hardened voice,

"Lucian Slater. You violated the one condition that mattered," his gaze angry. "You killed a member of the bride’s family. And sharing this, you expect me to conceal it?"

didn’t so much as flinch. "Would you rather have buried the bride?

only he could see. He then looked beyond the window as if deep in thought, before his eyes moved to Lucian and he asked, "Did you not

a lot too," Lucian explained with a grim expression. "Dane said when

the older vampire’s lips and after much thought, he said, "I will put the case under Gaile so that you can take over it. Though chances are that

seems life has

he were validating her hardship and she didn’t expect the man to do

been kinder recently," she answered. "I am

He instead said, "Your father was a fool, and it made your mother’s task

Belmont was a smart woman, Ruelle agreed. She then said, "I think she will eventually find some relief once she

shifted from Lucian to Ruelle before he corrected, "I wasn’t referring to your stepmother. I was referring to the woman who

vampire, trying to understand if she had heard him correctly. "Mirabelle?

"Yes."

simple admission sent her

searched for scraps about the woman who had given birth to her, and now there was someone other than her dead father who knew about it. If the minister knew her mother, then did he doubt that she was a witch when the treaty came

a tray in her hand. It carried water and some other refreshments, which were placed in front of them. She then handed

"Please help yourselves."

the glass when her line was cut, with Lucian picking it up and taking a

find it suspicious that you are sitting down and talking about it

witch and she didn’t

associate her mother with. Did her mother

him, "How

reached for one of the biscuits on the plate before taking an unhurried bite. His eyes briefly shifted

entered the Sylvans’ household. It was several years before that, I was very young and travelling through the northern forests when I was caught by a hex." The minister’s thumb absently traced the edge of the teacup as he said, "Had she not found me, I wouldn’t have survived. When I saw her again years

being a witch? Because he owed

whatever debt remained between them... she found herself quietly grateful for

and she leaned forward without realising it. A moment later, she caught herself and quietly apologised. "I’m sorry. My father... he never liked speaking about my mother." Except to remind her that she had taken the woman’s life by being

eyes, as though he wasn’t looking at Ruelle anymore

a smart woman and very graceful. You resemble her," he

ever told her she resembled her mother had been Harold and he had always spoken it with resentment. But the minister didn’t say it in anger. But she wanted

chamber. And the door opened. As the footsteps came to

right back at

didn’t enter my chambers to be part of the furniture,

seal," Minister Griswold

lightly over the inside of her wrist, as though checking for pain he

"Does it hurt?"

him brush the side of her wrist. "Not anymore..." while she felt Griswold’s eyes on her again. But even the minister in front of them

usual grim expression towards Griswold, who shook his head. "No? Then go." The man reluctantly bowed before

One who valued rules above people and expected everyone else to do the same. Looking back, perhaps she had only ever seen him

Carnifex in a short span of time for them to be seated here. The moment the door swung open, a courthouse guard nearly stumbled inside, his breathing uneven

his breath before forcing the words out.

"Speak."

returned... Mr. Henley was gone. There are drops of blood on the floor. Officer Wimbley believes someone may have taken Mr. Henley, much

in the courthouse aren’t able to keep a simple eye?" Elder Minister Carnifex closed his eyes for the briefest second, the lines around them deepening. It was

else could, he ordered, "Every entrance is watched through the

immediately lowered

couldn’t help but silently question if it

tightly beneath his nose. Every few moments, he pulled it away, only to watch the blood spread

and the smell of iron clung

glanced back uneasily. "You don’t look well. The courthouse has a physician if you’d like me to

response was quick from Ezekiel. He folded the stained handkerchief before the man could see how much blood had soaked

to happen. The moment he had returned to his own body, he had expected everything to return to normal. Harold’s body had begun rejecting

His jaw tightened.

carriage rolled to a stop and before the coachman could offer a hand, Ezekiel stepped down and made his way towards the crooked cottage. Outside, the crows perched along the roof let out harsh cries