‘In…’ Lauralee rubbed the back of her neck, telling this was risky, but the girl deserved comfort. ‘In one of my moments of clarity, I reduced the poison’s dosage for him, just enough to give you more time. I wanted to believe this could end well.’
Syline crushed her in another embrace, the air left Lauralee.
‘Thank you.’ Tears dropped onto Lauralee’s shoulder. She felt Syline’s lips press to her cheek. She didn’t know what to think of that. ‘Thank you.’
‘You should get going, Syline, your family’s waiting for you,’ Lauralee said, gently trying to ease from the hug.
‘Right, right.’ Syline released her, rubbing her eye. ‘If you… If you’re ever looking for work, let me know, I’d make sure my family gave you whatever role you asked for.’
Lauralee smiled and waved for her to go. ‘I’ll keep that in mind, thank you. Now go.’
Syline nodded one last time and set off at a run. Stepping outside, the chill didn’t touch her as much as she feared it would. In fact, the snow seemed to sizzle away right before it touched her. Perhaps some of Ioann’s powers remained. The thought that he’d always be with her in a way left her grinning as she ran into the night, finally moving through her beloved home city without fear for the first time in what felt like years, despite having only fled days barely a week prior. Despite the moon being high in the sky, it felt like the dawn of a new day.
Chapter 20
Lauralee watched her go. Some part of her, buried long ago, almost wished she could accept that job offer. To live a quieter life, with a mistress she had much in common with. To escape the dangers of her new existence.
But it was a small part. She knew full well how close she’d been to killing Syline, or being sent to, numerous times in Syline’s adventure. She would have, as well, if it was what the Mother’s Hand required. Some part of her wondered if it was Jane’s instability that had saved the girl. At the very least, if not for that, Syline likely would have been in exile now.
But none of that mattered now. She could be quietly pleased for Syline within her own thoughts, but now her focus had to lie on the next task ahead.
She looked around, the hall was largely empty. So many of the maids were likely already fleeing this place. That was going to be a pain. She’d need hands to help her load the carriage. A small sigh left her as she set off at a quick walking pace to find Gerhman. He remained where she’d left him, sat by the fire in his own study. Staring into its flickering depths. The man looked hollowed out, being under domination for so long could do that to someone. He was so used to having a presence within his thoughts, now that it was gone, his mind felt as if it lacked something, some integral part of it. He didn’t look up as Lauralee entered, quietly closing the door behind her, he just sat, fingers wrapped about the head of his cane.
‘I’m going to be leaving tonight, before the sun rises.’
‘Oh? Is that right?’
He hadn’t really heard her. She approached, lightly placing a hand upon his shoulder. He looked up, his eyes dancing with the firelight.
‘Did you hear me, Sir Petrov?’
He seemed to blink slowly back into reality. He knew who she was, what she was.
‘Oh, yes, yes, my apologies, Miss Lauralee, not quite feeling myself. Leaving, did you say? What will that –’ He cleared his throat. ‘What will happen to the staff and I now, then?’
Lauralee looked around his study, stepping to a cabinet, she poured the man a glass from the bottle of brandy hidden at the back. She knew it to be his favourite, only pulled out for the special occasions. She placed it in his hands, before sitting down in the armchair across from him.
‘Oh dear. Must be bad then,’ he said with a grim little chuckle to himself, taking a gentle sip of the drink, before looking back up at her.
‘All of you have suffered plenty, Sir Petrov, and I have no wish to be a cruel woman. Jane was… mad, even by our standards. But knowledge of my presence cannot leave this household. If it does, it will create… problems. Problems you won’t like our way of rectifying. Who knows of me as more than just her assistant?’
Gehrman turned back to the fire, taking another gentle drink of the brandy. He took a long time to respond, long enough that she almost tried to drag his attention back to her, but right before she did, he spoke.
‘Not many, thankfully. Until the end, Jane was cautious about that sort of thing. Plenty of the maids may know she was a vampire, I expect all of them, depending on what they can remember from.’ He waved his hand vaguely. ‘But I believe only myself and those you fed on would know what you are. Jane didn’t allow them to speak of… that sort of thing.’
She let out a small sigh of relief – that made her life much easier.
‘Good. Good. I’ll be taking them with me, in any case. I will need attendants on my way back home. So, it’s only you I have to worry about.’
He looked at her in a solemn, sad sort of way.
‘That’s it then.’ He took a deeper pull of the brandy. ‘Do be gentle about it, if you can, dear.’
Lauralee stared at him for several moments, the smallest smirk quirking her lips.
‘You’re a braver man than I thought, Gehrman. But no. Some others would definitely kill you, but that would be,’ she paused, ‘unsubtle. Syline saw you before leaving. She would know something had happened to you, that you had not been killed during the battle.’
‘Ah.’ He drained the rest of the brandy. ‘Well, that’s fortunate. What then?’
Lauralee could not use magic. She would never be Jane, nor even Syline. But her condition, her bloodline, did come with certain abilities, nonetheless. Her mother’s speciality, and so also hers, was control. Lauralee found it distasteful and did not use it if she could avoid it, but it was likely that natural inclination that had allowed her to resist the pull of Jane’s mind that night. She stood up, placing her hand on Gehrman’s chin, and guiding him to look up into her eyes.
The man looked as if he might blush. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, she had to maintain eye contact.
‘Promise me, Gehrman. No, swear to me, on your life. Swear to me that you will forget all about me. If anyone asks, I was a simple aide, and a distant cousin of yours, nothing strange about me. Your half-sister’s daughter, brought here to learn business at your side, then take under Jane’s control upon my arrival. After Jane died, I returned home to my family and to my country. I hired the maids to come with me and had to leave in a rush, so they could not say goodbye to their family. Swear it.’
He went to blink and found he couldn’t. His voice came in a slow drawl. Terror wrapped around his heart, claws gripping tight. All he could think was, not again.
‘I swear it.’
She felt it take hold. The mantle of her will settling upon his own, the expression of her focus feeling like a weight pressing down upon her soul. She was inexperienced and that feeling would likely linger for some time. That clouded look that had been over Gehrman’s eyes when she entered, had returned. She released his chin and his head drifted back towards the fire. She stood and watched for long moments. The clock behind her tolled loudly and his head drifted back to look at it, pausing to focus on her.
‘Lauralee? I thought you’d already left.’
‘I just came to say goodbye, Uncle Gehrman. Take care of yourself, alright?’ She smiled, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek, giving him a gentle hug. The old man returned it, patting her on the shoulder.
‘I will, dear. Give your mother my best, alright? Take a book for the road, it’ll be a long journey home.’
‘I will, Uncle.’ That was a good idea actually. ‘Your bell is on the desk. Remember to call a maid if you need anything.’
