They say you must not stare into a witch's eyes. Don't shed a drop of blood near a ghoul. Don't approach shapeshifters without Springthorn leaves in your pockets. And never, ever, strike a bargain with the Dark Fae.
Those were the words vulnerable humans whispered among themselves in quiet conversations.
Elain's aunt, Cynthia, never ceased warning them about the dangerous creatures living among humans.
And because of what had happened the night before, Cynthia announced over breakfast, "With the authorities conducting an investigation and the danger the escaped ghoul poses, it would be inconvenient for us to extend our stay here. We shall return to the capital this afternoon."
At least once a year, the Blythmor family spent a week or two at their countryside estate. Only the ladies usually made the trip. Elain, her aunt, and her cousin, Rory. Her uncle often claimed he had too much work to attend to and refused to leave the capital even for a few days.
However, this time, a week had not yet passed, and they were already forced to leave due to the ongoing investigation in the vicinity.
A couple of hours after they finished dinner the previous night, Captain Keith and his group of Deviant officers from Jade Hall arrived for an inspection. According to the captain, a ghoul prisoner had escaped from a prison in a nearby town and had fled in the direction of the estate.
That morning, Elain saw through the window that several officers were stationed at the far end of the estate grounds. They appeared to be making rounds, which meant the ghoul prisoner had not yet been caught.
"Why is Jade Hall handling this case? Shouldn't it be Orion?" Rory asked, stuffing a piece of pancake into her mouth. After the inspection the night before, she had not stayed long enough to listen to Cynthia and Captain Keith speak. She had been too sleepy to bother.
Cynthia replied, "Captain Keith and his men happened to be visiting Eylwood's magistrate for another case when the prisoner escaped. Since they were already present, the captain volunteered to apprehend the prisoner while waiting for Orion's people to arrive."
Elain quietly continued eating.
From what she knew, Jade Hall and Orion usually did not meddle in each other's affairs. But Captain Keith was one of the few who didn't mind breaking that unspoken rule.
Jade Hall served as the law enforcer among human magic wielders, or what they called Deviants. Orion, on the other hand, was an order of supernatural beings governed by its own laws, established to keep their kind in line.
Both had been founded to serve the empire's best interests. To maintain balance between humans, deviants, and the supernaturals in Liandel.
Later that afternoon, Elain was packing her things when someone suddenly barged into her room.
"Mother agreed!" Rory exclaimed, half running towards Elain, which made her almost trip. "She has agreed to let you join Halcyon!"
Elain's eyes widened.
Rory jumped giddily in front of her. "Can you believe that? I finally convinced her!"
Elain couldn't believe it. Halcyon was the biggest celebration in Liandel every year. It was celebrated for seven weeks, with revelries held in different noble houses.
She had lived with the Blythmors since she was eight, and she was rarely allowed to attend such festivities.
Edwin Blythmor, Rory's father, was her paternal uncle, and though Elain was a Blythmor by blood, she did not carry the surname.
How could she? She was the illegitimate daughter of Edwin's older brother, Erikson Blythmor, the former lord of the Blythmor household, who had been dead for more than a decade.
As irresponsible as her father was, Erikson wanted nothing to do with his bastard, so Elain lived with her mother until she died when Elain was eight. That was when Edwin and his wife, Cynthia, took her in, two years after her father's death. She wasn't in his will, not even a penny in her name, but the couple was kind enough to offer her a roof over her head, clothing and food.
Cynthia, who took it into her hands to raise Elain, set four rules for the young lady.
First, she must not tell anyone she was the daughter of the late Lord Blythmor.
Second, she must remember she was living with the Blythmors as Edwin Blythmor's "distant niece" from the countryside.
Third, she was not, by any means, to make any trouble for the family.
And lastly, once she was of marriageable age, she was to marry the man of her elders' choice.
She was being treated as a family member, but she was to stay low-profile to avoid unwanted attention, which was the reason why she wasn't allowed to attend most social functions.
"How did you convince Aunt Cynthia?" Elain asked Rory. She had never insisted on attending Halcyon in the past, but Rory had been trying to convince Cynthia these past couple of years to allow her to come.
She kept telling Rory to stop doing it, but her cousin was very stubborn.
"Flattery." Rory rolled her eyes, grinning. "Like a great deal of flattery."
Elain narrowed her eyes.
"What did you bargain for, Rory?"
"Come on, don't worry about it. I only cut my book expenses for a month."
Elain's lips parted. "Oh, what have you done?"
Rory chuckled. "Only for a month! I can buy new books after a month, and that is totally fine with me."
"How about Eden Herschey's new titles releasing next week?"
Rory looked stunned for a second, as if she hadn't thought of that when she made the decision, and was reconsidering it now. But she started grinning again.
"Fret not. I can definitely borrow Lorelei's, if I am discreet enough."
Elain shook her head, still unable to believe what was happening.
She had only heard how amazing the balls and soirees of Halcyon were, and to be able to attend… oh, she had been dreaming of it since she turned eighteen, the minimum age of a participant allowed to attend. Now she was twenty-two, and she couldn't help but feel immense excitement.
"In times like this, I can't help but love you, Rory." Elain smiled at her cousin, teary-eyed.
"Well, if I hadn't forgotten Eden Herschey's new titles releasing next week, I wouldn't have—" Rory grinned when she saw Elain's little frown. "I am only teasing you, alright! You know you are not only my cousin but also my best friend. I want to experience the best things with you, and Halcyon is one of the best things in Liandel."
Someone knocked on the door, and they found Mrs. Cobb, the housekeeper, standing at the doorway.
"Lady Rory, the carriage is ready. Mrs. Blythmor is waiting for you downstairs."
Elain gave Rory's hand a squeeze. "Thank you, truly." She smiled. "You should go now, unless you want Aunt to scold you for making her wait."
"See you at home, then!" Rory giggled before heading out of the room, half-running.
They traveled in two carriages, but the one Elain had been using broke down. The coachman had gone to a nearby village to have it repaired. Her aunt and cousin would have stayed behind with her, if not for a meeting Cynthia had already arranged with her sister, Mrs. Gibson, at the Gibsons' estate five miles away.
Elain couldn't go with them either. Cynthia and Rory's carriage was already filled with bundles of gifts Cynthia planned to give Mrs. Gibson, leaving no room for her. Besides, Mrs. Gibson and her family had nothing to do with Elain, and in the past, when she had tagged along, she only felt uncomfortable and out of place.
So Elain assured her aunt that she would simply remain at the house until the coach returned. After all, the housekeeper was there to keep her company.
She stood by the balcony as she watched Cynthia and Rory's carriage move away.
A whip of thunder made Elain jolt. She looked up at the sky and noticed it turning grey.
It was going to rain.
She went back to the room and picked up the book she had been reading earlier.
An hour later, Mrs. Cobb came, looking a little worried. "Lady Elain, I just remembered I need to take care of the dried fruits from my cottage. I was initially planning to get them around this time, but there was the incident with your carriage. Is it alright for you to come with me and stay in my cottage while waiting for your coach? I fear that the incoming rain would wash the dried fruits away."
Mrs. Cobb's cottage was along the road and not very far, less than a mile away. Even if the coachman wasn't told beforehand that Elain had left the Blythmors' house, it would be hard to miss the carriage approaching.
The older woman knew that Elain was not like other noble ladies who were arrogant and did not like stepping foot into places of the lower class.
During the Blythmors' stay in the countryside, Elain would even help Mrs. Cobb in the greenhouse, not minding the dirt from the plants. She had already been to Mrs. Cobb's cottage too.
Elain smiled at the housekeeper. "Not a problem for me. I can accompany you."
A few minutes later, they were downstairs. Though Mrs. Cobb offered to carry Elain's trunk, Elain didn't let the older woman carry it, saying she was very capable of doing it herself. The housekeeper did not insist, knowing well the young woman's humble attitude.
While Mrs. Cobb locked the doors of the house, Elain stood by the gates, noticing an approaching carriage, which she could tell was not hers.
This one was black and very posh, pulled by four black horses, and speeding fast, as if it were catching up in a race.
As it rode past her, she saw a glimpse of darkness through the carriage's glass window, and in that fraction of a second came a splatter of red liquid on the glass just before the carriage went out of her sight.
Her eyes widened in horror.
Was that… blood?!