Chapter 6 - The Shadow in the Corridor
"Hold her, sir," the boy said quietly, backing further toward the arched doorway leading to the outer gardens.
"Wait!" Victor commanded, standing up instantly while keeping one protective hand firmly on Chloe’s small shoulder as she wobbled happily beside him. "Who are you? Where did you get that medallion?"
The boy didn't answer. He turned on his heel and vanished into the shadowed corridor with startling speed.
"Julian! Watch Chloe!" Victor barked at his elder brother, who was standing nearby, looking remarkably pale. Before Julian could object, Victor took off in pursuit, his leather dress shoes slapping loudly against the polished stone floor.
Victor bolted out of the bright, warm ballroom into the dimly lit, cool passageway that led toward the private estate gardens. The scent of soot lingered in the air like a trailing thread, guiding him through the maze of oak-paneled hallways.
He turned the corner near the library just in time to see the heavy oak garden doors swinging shut with a dull thud.
Victor threw the doors open, stepping out into the damp midnight air. The moon was partially hidden behind dark, low-hanging clouds, casting long, twisted shadows across the manicured lawns and marble statues.
"Stop!" Victor called out into the darkness, his voice echoing off the stone walls.
A few yards away, standing beside the shadow of a tall stone angel, was the child. But he was not alone.
Standing in the deep gloom beside the boy was a tall, slender figure wrapped in a heavy, dark woolen cloak. As the clouds shifted, letting a single beam of pale moonlight filter through the trees, the cloak parted slightly.
Victor stopped dead in his tracks, his breath completely catching in his chest.
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The woman standing beside the boy had pale, familiar features, dark brown hair pulled into an elegant bun, and a deep, jagged scar running from her left ear down to her collarbone—a burn mark.
"Eleanor?" Victor whispered, his knees trembling beneath his emerald velvet trousers.
