Ebony released a deep sigh and spoke, "Unfortunately, I was unconscious the whole time and I never saw the face of the person who shot me with the arrow. When I opened my eyes I'm already inside the manor owned by the vampire who bought us," she said.
Mende's hands formed into a fist. "I will kill those bandits!" she said, seething in anger.
Ebony patted her sister's shoulder. "Calm down. I think they will try kidnapping women again in other places. I just realized that this place is no longer safe. It's now time to leave this cave and live in a much safer place..."
"But where is that safe place?" Mende asked, confused.
"In the manor, owned by the vampire guy who bought me from the slave market. He offered me that if I have another family members, they can also live with me in the manor. He won't mind if we live there together. We can live there, sis! That place is located at the outskirt of the town surrounded by many houses, the bandits won't come in places like that, they would always look for their next victims in far away villages," Ebony said.
"I'm not afraid with those bandits!" Mende declared bravely.
Ebony released a deep sigh, remembering well that she was not able to protect herself because she was taken by surprise by the sudden presence of the attacker and she just crumbled there helplessly in the middle of her vegetable garden. The place that she believed safe is no longer safe. "I'm going to live in the manor, it's safer there than here..." she declared.
"And I'm going to continue living here!" Mende said defiantly.
Ebony took a deep breath, feeling annoyed with her sister's refusal to come with her. "Come with me to the manor! That place is much safer than here!" she said trying to convince her sister.
"You trusted a vampire guy so easily? What if he has an ulterior motive?" Mende asked suspiciously.
Ebony shook her head. "What else could there be? He showed us the house and it does need a caretaker because the property is huge. He's telling the truth, besides he will provide food supply weekly. He told us that we can cultivate the land inside the property to plant crops and vegetables. Any proceeds from the harvest are ours to keep. Isn't that great!?"
"Great indeed! Too good to be true!" Mende agreed.
"Do you still refuse to live with me in the manor? Why don't you try to live with me in the manor for at least one week and see if you like it..." Ebony said, trying hard to convince her sister to go with her.
Mende sighed heavily. "Jut live there on your own. I won't leave this place!" she said adamantly.
"Even if it's dangerous here?" Ebony said getting irritated by her sister's stubbornness.
"I'll kill the bandits before they have the chance to kidnap me!" Mende insisted.
"Okay fine, if you don't want to live with me in the manor then I won't force you but just come with me to my new home so that you can see the whole place and you know where to find me. In case you change your mind one day, you're welcome there to live with me," Ebony said.
"Alright, I'll go with you so that I know where to find you, but I'm not gonna live there," Mende agreed.
"Okay. I'll pack my clothes and I will leave the rest of our belongings here," Ebony said and began packing her stuff. She put them in the bag made of Abaca.
A few minutes later, Ebony finished packing. She looked at her sister. "I'm done. Let's go!" she said.
"Okay, lead the way," Mende replied.
Ebony clasped her sister's arm and initiated the teleportation process in her mind. In the blink of an eye, they vanished from the chamber.
A moment later.
They appeared at the manor inside Ebony's room.
"Were here!" Ebony said.
Mende's eyes roamed around the room. "Nice room. It's the same with Evelyn's room!" she commented casually. Speaking of Evelyn, she needs to go back to her friend's place and just look at her from afar.
Ebony looked at her sister after she mentioned Evelyn's name.
"I need to visit Evelyn in her house!" Mende said.
Ebony sighed. "No need to go there!"
"But why I can't go there?" Mende asked.
Ebony took a deep breath. "After the life changing events, I went there a few days later to check if Evelyn didn't listen to my advice and they returned to the property, but their manor was already burned down when I arrived there. I think it's done by her lover Rigor out of anger due to their separation. When I also went back to the church, Evelyn and her families were no longer there in the church and the caretaker of the church told me that he was shock to find several people inside the church the following morning. He told me that the people left the church after eating breakfast and he heard that they were talking about going to the capital to live with thier relatives house," she said.
"But why you didn't tell me about this? I could have said goodbye to my friend!" Mende said furiously.
Ebony put her finger on her lips. "Shhh...lower your voice. My human companion might hear you!" she warned her.
Mende breathed deeply and lowered herself on the bed.
Ebony sat beside her sister. "It's best that you will lose contact with Evelyn from now on," she said.
"Okay fine," Mende replied to humor her sister and stood up, she went to the window.
"You can't see much of the areas around the minor during nighttime. You can sleep her for tonight or come back here tomorrow and explore the whole area on your own in your invisible form," Ebony suggested.
"That's a good idea! I'll go back to the cave and sleep there tonight. I will return here tomorrow to explore this huge property," Mende said. "I'll go now!"
"Okay. Take care of yourself," Ebony spoke.
Mende vanished from the room in the blink of an eye.
She didn't appear in the cave, instead, she teleported to Evelyn's place.
When she arrived there, her heart was broken into pieces after seeing that the once grand manor was no longer standing where it used to be. It's now reduced to rubble, the whole manor was destroyed by fire. Her sister spoke the truth!
By just one simple mistake on her part, people's lives have changed drastically in just a few days!
The sadness and guilt gripped her heart once again. She hoped that wherever part of the capital Evelyn and her family are hiding right now, Rigor won't find them. Or else, her grandmother's sacrifice in saving Evelyn will fall in vain.
With nothing else to see in the place, she teleported back to the cave to rest for the night.
She arrived in the cave and entered the chamber. She's not in the mood to prepare anything for dinner. She went to the wooden bed and began munching on the bread. Done eating the bread she drink one glass of water.
She went back to bed and lie down staring at the ceiling of the chamber.
Thick silence engulfed the place.
She slowly feels the loneliness of living alone, her sister was no longer around to comfort her.
What she's going to do now? Live with her sister in the manor or continue living alone in this cave?
She still has two weeks to decide... no need to rush when it comes to her decision.
She finally shut her eyes to sleep.
...
The following day, after eating breakfast.
She went back to the forest approximately one kilometer away from the location of the cave.
She found an abandoned hut there, still in good condition. There was also a stream nearby the house, it was hidden in plain view by the thick vegetation and towering trees surrounding it.
She lowered herself to the ground and entered the house. It's still the same... nothing was changed inside and outside. For some unknown reason, she likes the house and its hidden location.
Done checking the hut... she teleported back into the manor, her sister's new home.
She landed outside the gate. She saw a woman busy sweeping dry leaves on the front yard.
"Psssssst...Pssssssssst....Psssssssst!" she said.
Anastasia heard something... she spun around and noticed an old woman at the gate beckoning her to come closer. She walked towards the gate. "What can I do for you, Grandma?" she asked.
"I'm so hungry and thirsty, child. Can you give me some water please?" Mende begged.
"Sure, no problem, Grandma. Let me get some water from the kitchen," Anastasia said and walked toward the house.
Ebony was in the kitchen during that time.
"There's an old woman outside the gate, asking for water and some food because she's hungry and thirsty. I will give her some bread and water," Anastasia said.
Ebony's brows furrowed. "Did you say, old woman?" she asked.
"Yeah... she's waiting outside the gate," Anastasia replied.
Ebony left the kitchen and exited the main door going to the gate. She saw the old woman and it's no other than her older sister Menedelia!
Mende smiled broadly at her sister. "Hello sister!" she said.
Ebony didn't open the gate. "I told you to come here in your invisible form!" she reprimanded her.
"Just tell your companion I'm your, Grandmother!" Mende said.
"What if she will ask why my grandmother suddenly knew that I was taken here! We need proper planning for your arrival!" Ebony said exasperatedly.
"Alright, I'll come to your room! Wait for me there!" Mende said and walked away, going in the direction of the trees nearby.
A minute later, Anastasia arrived at the gate holding a glass of water and bread in her hands. "Where is Grandma?" she asked in confusion.
"I don't know. When I arrived here, I didn't see the old woman anymore. Maybe she left already?" Ebony suggested.
Anastasia sighed. "Why she didn't wait for me? I told her I will give her water and some food."
"It's okay, maybe she will return here some other day," Ebony said.
"Okay. I'll just return the bread and water in the kitchen," Anastasia said and went back to the house, afterward she resumed sweeping the dry leaves in front of the house.
Ebony went to her room upstairs.
~~~0~~~
Authors note:
How's everyone?
Hope everything is good at your end.
I'll give 9 readers 100 coins each today... Enjoy...redeem the code...and reply on the comments section if you got it. Thanks and take care!
Stay safe always!
Redemption code: AB9NYST2KG9SKUTZA