Chapter 251: Tools and partners
Edna tugged a little at the shawl wrapped around her neck for more cover as she walked the narrow streets of KasselMoon.
Her eyes lingered on some folk while skipping others. There was no way around it, Katherine’s twisted face still haunted her every waking moment. Her sleep too... But it was worse when she was conscious.
Cassandra offered to accompany her, but Edna rejected it and not so kindly, at that. She’d always chased away every and any soul that ever tried to help her, it’d almost become a talent of hers.
More so a running joke among the people that whispered behind her back.
If only she’d put more effort into honing a skill, any skill at all, they always said.
But the blonde cared very little about the maids and butlers. There were only two people under the roof she lived in whose opinions mattered to her.
Lady Persephone never had much time to chat. Well, she did have time, just not for her.
Meanwhile Silas avoided her like the plague. No matter what she did to put herself in their good graces, luck was never on her side.
She just wasn’t as lucky as that wench that had no issue taking what was never hers to grab.
"You haven’t been returning my... I mean our messages," the masculine voice practically whispered a little too close to her ear.
The blonde leaped back and spun around to meet the one she already considered a bother.
Her lips along with the rest of her features curled at the sight of Lauden.
"That’s simply because I have nothing to say to your lot," she pulled her coat tighter around the chest.
"My lot?" he clicked his tongue against his palate, "You offend me," he feigns offense.
"Good," she said dryly before turning around and walking away.
Lauden did not take it well and flashed before her in a blink, "You know, you’ll make no friends if you keep behaving this way," his smile somehow managed to reach his eyes, but Edna cared very little to see it.
Taken a little aback, the blonde jolted and her first instinct was to make sure her neck remained covered.
That gesture did not go unnoticed by the vampire, "What’s that?" the amused air on him had seemingly evaporated.
"What’s what?" she hissed, drawing further back from him.
He did not relent one second and got in her personal space before, not so gently, pulling the shawl down.
She immediately slapped his hand away and winced, "You’re hurting me!"
"That wasn’t my intention," he said, the glare still directed to the bruises around her neck, "How did this happen? Who did this to you?"
"Like you care," Edna pulled away once more and shielded her neck.
"I’ll have you know, I do care about my partners," he tried to reach her neck again, but she slapped his hand off... Again.
"Tools," she spat, "That’s what we are to each other. Don’t ever make the mistake of believing I hold any respect or loyalty towards you, much like I know you hold none for me so don’t even try that nonsense with me," she skipped no beats and never broke eye contact during her speech.
"Fair enough," he said, "I just want to know how you ended up with those marks, that is all,"
"Nothing that I didn’t cause," she raised her chin and walked around him.
"You tried to strangle yourself," he half asked, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Not exactly, but sort of,"
The irony wasn’t lost on her that she’d been the one poisoning Katherine and ended up taking the brunt of her lunacy.
Although Edna bid her time, believing her efforts would be greatly rewarded in the very end.
After all, she was still alive and Katherine was out of the way for that time being so that must have counted for something...
"Who hurt you?" Lauden trailed behind her, that time around choosing to simply follow.
"You are hurting me just by following me around like this. Someone could see us and ruin everything," she spared him not a glance.
"I simply wish to know who did that to you and then I promise I’ll be on my way,"
At those words, she halted and spun around to meet his gaze, "What would it change? What would you do if I told you?" she had that... Daring look on her. Almost taunting.
"Perhaps you should consider transferring to the Dragomir’s care," he suggested.
"Right, why don’t I work for the men I had the goal to call dung bags so many times? What a genius idea! Do you have many other genius ideas like this one?" she scoffed.
"You know, you are a beautiful young woman," he approached her slowly, "Life could be a lot easier for you if you just stopped making it harder on yourself,"
"See?" she sneered, "You do not care nearly as much as you pretend. You’re already blaming me for what happened,"
"Technically, you blamed yourself," he stopped inches from her.
"No, I admitted I may have caused it, I did not for a second blame myself. There is a big difference between the two," again, she turned around and left him there.
"I am being serious," to demonstrate just how serious he was, Lauden grabbed her by the arm and forced her to look at him.
"So, you don’t like that someone gave me bruises before you did or what?" her eyes glared at the hand wrapped around her arm.
The vampire loosened his grip and cleared his throat, "You should seriously consider coming to work for us,"
In response, Edna first chuckled before the giggling took over, "Honestly, I wonder how you’re still alive with how stupid you are," she ignored the twitching of his eyebrow, "Do you believe with your heart of hearts that Lord Dragomir would just open his doors for me?" she let out another chuckle, "The only reason you and I met was because your boss needed me to be exactly where I am right now, which is nowhere under his roof,"