hat was it. There had been no more attacks and now
they were stood outside Damien’s castle, weapons in hand, ready for what lay behind the castle doors. Or at least they thought they were ready but there were surprises waiting for them. Hidden deep inside the creature they seeked lay secrets that had been kept for hundreds of years and soon they would know everything. Scarlet felt like she had walked right into a history book.
Towers rose high into the sky, making her tilt her head back to try and see the tops of them. She was surprised there was no moat and drawbridge to cross to reach the doors. The old stone walls of the castle were crumbling and lights from candles flickered in the higher windows, casting shadows of the monsters lurking inside.
The thought of the monsters up there watching her made her skin crawl. Knowing even a single creature was looking at her was worse than standing and speaking in front of all the people in the tunnel.
The metal doors in front of them were tall but Scarlet supposed they had to be so the keeper could get in. She pulled on the cold silver handles and the doors opened straight away. It was strange that there were no guards on the door but it was even stranger that the door was unlocked so anyone could walk in, if they dared. Unfortunately for the three of them they had no choice. There was no turning away from this building and going back to their normal lives for them. They were there to kill Damien and they were not going to give up.
The moment her foot touched the floor everything she had been distracted from came rushing back to her. The feel of blood was back and this time it felt like she was drowning in it. The guilt was the next thing to crash over her. She had killed and her conscience was screeching at her in the deadly silence of the hall.
The taste of copper filled her mouth and she finally realised she had been biting her lip. There was something about this place, something that made her uneasy and highlighted her weakness. She fought to stay standing and added a sarcastic comment to try and break the silence in the hope someone would reply and distract her again.
"Is this guy so confident that he can beat us that he just lets us walk in?" Scarlet said, not even trying to keep calm, she figured anger would help with the fight ahead of them.
"He probably thought we wouldn't get this far so he isn't prepared," Nate said trying, and failing, to stay optimistic.
"Maybe," said Scarlet wondering if it was possible. "But it just doesn't add up, I mean the keeper left us alive because Damien wanted him to."
She had figured out that the only way that the keeper would have left them alive was if Damien had sent for him.
"And then Damien sent the werewolves after us and thinking back they had a million chances to get to us, but didn't."
Scarlet eyes scanned the room taking in the coffee colour of the walls and the shine of the floor beneath her feet. They passed several large wooden cabinets holding nothing but books with the odd candle on a holder in the walls creating moving shadows on the floor as the light swayed in the air blowing in from outside.
Two staircases with polished banisters and deep red carpets curved from each side of the room up to the large landing looking over the whole room. Scarlet half expected Damien to be stood up there looking down on them as they dared to enter his palace but there was no one. Between the staircases stood two large white doors with intricate swirling patterns carved into the painted wood.
"If Damien wanted us killed, why are we still here?" said Ryan
"He obviously wanted us here for something but why send the werewolves if he was going to let us get here?" said Nate.
"Or the biggest question of all," Scarlet said.
"What?" asked Nate and Ryan.
"Damien's a vampire that would have heard us walk in from anywhere in this castle, so where is he?"
Nate and Ryan thought about it. They had been walking for at least five minutes now and Damien should have devoured them already. They reached the ballroom doors. The door handles had even more detail than the door itself. They looked like real raven feathers only they were made out of silver. Scarlet didn't want to touch them. They looked too real, too delicate. She knew they weren't real, they couldn't be, but she pushed on the door instead of the handle anyway.
The ballroom was amazing. The floor was a cream colour and polished as if the room had been cleaned for some sort of special occasion. It had the same pattern as on the door only this time the pattern was gold. There were pillars in a circle all around the room stretching all the way up to the ceiling each with its own golden candle holder covered in white wax that had dripped as the candles had melted.
Scarlet, Nate and Ryan stood in the centre of the room, a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling high above their heads. Scarlet couldn't help imagining this room filled with dancing couples in formal suits and elegant ball gowns, back when the castle was owned by some kind of royalty.
Damien remained seated in the chair at the end of the room, he was facing the door so he looked at them as they entered. He stood up as Scarlet and the others walked further into the room.