Threat
As soon as Dana informed me that my room had been broken into and that there was blood, my immediate concern was for Lulu. Lucien had caught her in the forest and brought her back alive then gave her to me as a sort of get-well gift. Her eyes were that lightish kind of green like his so I named her after him. I asked, “Dana, is Lulu okay?” She nodded, “She’s fine, it wasn’t her blood. The scent appears to be that of a pyrio.” Dana was a lycan/pyrio hybrid so she could smell what type of blood was in the air quite well. I sighed in relief that my little pet bunny was okay. I heard Jess sigh in relief as well, she was also attached to the little thing. Jess took care of Lulu until I woke up. She told me that the Lulu had likely sensed the wolf in her and shied away at first. It didn’t take the little bunny long to warm to her, she likely sensed that Jess was a gentle soul. We walked into the house and I started to make my way to my room but Derek stopped me, “I would like to check it out before you go in. Just in case.” I didn’t want to be intimidated so I shook his hand off of me and made my way to the stairs again. Jess yelled, “Wait!” My eyes widened and I turned to look at her. Jess never spoke very loudly so the hear her shouting was a shock. Derek was shocked too because he was staring at her with his eyes wide open. She blushed and strode up to me, “I think you should listen to Derek. If not for yourself but as his friend. You wouldn’t want him to get another punishment because of you. Right?”
I inhaled then nodded and turned to Derek, “You can go check first. I don’t want to be the source of your punishment as Jess says.” He started to walk towards us and patted his hand on Jess’ shoulder and said, “Thanks Jess. Truly.” She blushed and looked down, “It’s really nothing.” I saw the look on her face and it immediately registered that perhaps Derek was the guy she spoke about in the carriage. I was curious to find out but I didn’t want to press her until she was ready to tell me. Jess wasn’t the type you could prod for information; she was very good at keeping secrets. We waited for Derek downstairs in the foyer. Sebastian had popped out shortly after Derek disappeared upstairs. He stretched and started to sniff the air, likely smelling the blood smeared in my room. He started to go up the stairs but I picked him up, “No boy, I don’t think you should go up there right now.” I was worried that if Sebastian went up the stairs and found blood in my room coupled with Derek being in there, it might not end pretty. Derek and Sebastian had not met yet so he would likely have seen him as a threat. The little pup stared up at me regarding me with his golden eyes.
Derek finally appeared up the stairs and sure enough a growl came out of the pup. I patted him on the head, “No, Sebastian, he’s a friend. Look.” I carried Sebastian up the stairs in my arms and gave Derek a small half hug. Sebastian jumped down from my arms and started to sniff Derek then started to climb up his leg but about halfway up he turned into a shadow. He swirled around his leg and up his body until he reached Derek’s shoulder and reappeared there. It was like Derek had his own parrot but instead it was a small black puppy. Sebastian further sniffed his face then licked him then jumped down into my arms again. He passed out in my arms once he was sure Derek was no threat. Derek smiled down at him, “He’s a good little protector but I don’t know if I was so intimidated by him.” I giggled, “You just don’t know how wrong you are for not being scared of him. Even as a puppy he’s probably the most dangerous creature in Vellum.” He gestured at the small pup in my arms, “That? That small little puppy is supposed to be more dangerous than a dragon?” I nodded, “Remind me to give you the book on shadow dogs so you can be read up on your new colleague. He can get much larger than this, he chooses to be small right now.”
He looked at Sebastian with what looked like respect and then looked up behind me where Jess was joining us, “Jess, why don’t you double check the room. I would feel better if you swept it too.” She said in a small voice, “Okay, I’ll be right back.” She disappeared into my room while Derek turned to me, “I don’t know if you should see your room before the maids clean it up. It would likely be upsetting to you.” I shook my head, “I think I need to know what I’m being threatened with. I don’t want to be ignorant to them.” He sighed and placed his hands his hips, “Okay but I’m just warning you that you won’t like it.” A short while later Jess appeared looking pale and horrified, “I think it’s safe but Xan, I don’t think you should go in there. I can get Lulu for you and we can put you in another room until they can clean yours up.” Derek shook his head, “I already asked her not to go in there but she’s being stubborn." Jess furrowed her brows, “I know you want to see what you’re up against but I’m not sure you can handle it. I barely can and I’m not even the victim.” I sighed, “Can I go in there now? I understand it is upsetting.” I pushed past them and Sebastian jumped down and strode in the room before me. I could hear him growling, likely at the scent of the pyrio blood that was smeared on the walls. I walked in to find on the wall next to my bathroom smeared with blood. I walked up to read what was written in blood, “Leave Vellum or die.”
I turned to look at Lulu sleeping in her large cage that we had made for her and I pulled her out to check her over for any injuries. I know Dana said she was fine but I wanted to make sure, with my own eyes, that she was okay. I put her back in the cage and grabbed it’s handle and strode out of the room. I looked at Derek, “I think we need to send word to both The Council and the Citadel what happened here. They will want to investigate, I am sure.” He nodded, “I will report directly to the Citadel and they will inform The Council. Would it be possible to borrow the carriage or a horse?” I nodded, “You can have either one you feel would be best.” He nodded and started to go down the stairs as Dana came up with two maids with rags and buckets. I pulled my hand up in a stop gesture, “That will have to wait until the Citadel and The Council can investigate.” Dana nodded, “Shall I prepare another room for you Your Grace?” I nodded at her, “That would be great. Thank you, Dana.” Jess spoke, “We can put Lulu in my room and we can hang out until they are done.” I nodded at her and we walked into her room with Sebastian following along.
I long while later the investigative unit from the Citadel and a representative of the Royal Guard came and conducted their investigation. One of soldiers came to me and said, “I don’t want to upset you, Your Grace but we need to take a sample of your blood. It’s standard procedure so that we can rule out that this was an inside job. We don’t want people to think you set this up yourself to get attention. I hope you aren’t insulted.” I shook my head, “I understand and gladly give it.” He pulled out a needle and vial then took a sample of my blood and thanked me. After the unit and guard left, Derek knocked on Jess’ door a short while later. She let him in and he was furrowing his brow, “Lex, did they ask you for your blood?” I nodded at him, “They said they wanted to make sure they could rule me out.” He clenched his fist at his side, “That’s not entirely true Lex.” I looked at him confused, “What do you mean?” He sighed, “One of the unit members said that when they took your blood it smelled a bit like the blood in the room. Their initial thought was to rule you out but they suspect now that you set the scene up. Doing so comes with serious punishment to be decided by The Council.”
