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nBefore escaping the slave buildings and its walls, she had been subjected to too many needles stuck into her body. There were things that took place behind those large walls which people outside the walls weren’t aware of. It was a place for the unfortunates. Thinking about it, she couldn’t believe that she had escaped from the slave establishment. It felt unbelivable like a dream which she didn’t want to wake up from.

n“You don’t have to worry about attending the soiree that my mother has arranged. So please do rest well,” he said helping her with the glass of water she had tried reaching for at the side table.

n“I am sorry for not able to make it. I should have been careful.”

n“You didn’t know that the ground was dug few days ago, with mud pushed back in place. Nicholas has already asked the townsmen to place a warning to avoid a repetition of it. Right now you need to concentrate on recovering your health and I am sure mother will understand it,” he assured her, though Heidi doubted his mother, Lady Venetia would take her absence well.

n“Will you be going?” she asked.

n“To the soiree? Yes,” Warren replied, “We have few important people visiting us tonight. You could say they are my mother’s far relatives whom I haven’t met in years. Nicholas and I will be away for the night, and will return early in the morning. The butler has taken responsibility of making sure to take care of you until we return back.”

nWhen Heidi fell asleep and woke up again after Warren left the room, she turned to look outside the window from her bed. The sky had turned dark even though the clock still showed it was the time of evening. Alone in the room, she twisted and turned in her bed, from left to right as she felt hot and then cold again. The haziness still lingered in her head. It was only a matter of few minutes before the sky began pouring rain heavily accompanied by thunder and lightning. Sadly her room wasn’t furnished with a fireplace. She shivered in cold, pulling the blanket closer to her body and covering every side such that no air reached her. Having no appetite to eat, she had sent the maid away while faking to be asleep but she couldn’t avoid the butler.

n“Ms. Curtis, you need to eat something if you want to get better,” he tried convincing her.

n“I am fine. I just need to sleep,” came the muffled voice under the blanket which she was in.

n“How about one bowl of soup? You can finish it quickly and then go to sleep. Master wouldn’t be pleased if he heard that you haven’t eaten anything. The night is cold. You will need something to sustain this weather. Please Ms. Curtis,” hearing the plea from the butler, she slowly peeked out with watery eyes which the butler mistook, “Are you in pain? Do you want me to get the doctor?” he fretted.

n“I think my eyes are just burning due to the fever,” she said while shaking her head at his question, “I am sorry for giving you a hard time,” she apologized, sitting up on the bed.

n“That is fine. It is very rare for us to have sick people in the mansion except for the servants of course as master usually invites vampires at the mansion. Master did fall sick once though,” he muttered the last line.

n“Does he not like humans then?” she asked him curious, seeing Stanley place a small stool over her lap.

n“I wouldn’t say that,” he replied with a quick smile before placing the bowl of soup in front of her, “The soup is hot. Please be careful with it.”

n“Thank you,” she murmured taking the spoon and dipping it in the bowl to take half spoon of the hot liquid in it. Blowing the spoon she drank it and remembered something, “You mentioned lord Nicholas had fallen sick. Was it when you had turned him into a human?”

nThe butler who had been touching the long strands of his pony stopped moving with a shocked expression, “How do you know about it?”

nHe still remembered the day vividly. His master was furious with him and he had been scared for his life but after a few minutes he had started laughing like a crazed man. Stanley was glad that he hadn’t lost his life that day. Sure, the lord promised to put him in the confinements with the wild wolves forever but when he returned back, he had a pleased look. Instead he had made him spend a night with wild wolves as the butler had slipped in the drink without knowing what after effects it held on a pure blooded vampire. The wild wolves were not easy to live with. They were usually starved to the point where if they found any living, moving object, it would be pounced and torn.

nHeidi smiled at the memory and spoke, “It was the first time I met Lord Nicholas. He was injured and needed medication.”

n“It was you,” the butler whispers with a frown between his brows.

n“What?” Heidi looks up as she finishes another spoonful of the soup.

n“Master did say a human saved him,” the butler replies and takes the empty bowl out of the room. As he closes the door close, he pauses looking at the empty bowl and then turning to see the door.

nThe door to the wide endless cell opened for him to get out. Seeing his master standing next to the cell, he bowed his head, “How was your trip to the human land, master?”

n“It was entertaining, except for me getting shot by the thoughtless humans,” Lord Nicholas replied with a curt voice.

n“Let me help you dress it,” Stanley offered immediately.

n“That won’t be necessary. A woman in the town gave me necessary medicines to stop the wound. Naive, foolish human,” the lord had one side of his lips turned up as he spoke about his saviour, “You should thank her for having an early release from paradise.”

n“Yes, master. Was your visit successful?”

n“It was more than successful. It seems like my guess was right. I want you to deliver a message to the head council personally. Before they make a move it would be wise to implement our plan. Warren has already complied and I see no reason to wait.”

nDue to the after effects of the drug, Lord Nicholas had fallen ill before turning back to be a pure blooded vampire. It was the same time the truce for human and vampire relationship betterment was offered. So his lord and lady Heidi had met before in Woville, thought Stanley.

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