49: 49 Hide and Seek (AVOT)

49 Hide and Seek (AVOT)

In the quiet of Rhain's chamber, Daisy's world began to spin and distort. Rhain, her mysterious husband, had disappeared without a trace. Despite the efforts of the diligent household staff, there was no sign of him anywhere on the grounds, and his loyal steed, Onyx, remained confined in its stall. Why had he vanished so abruptly, especially after such an intimate moment between them? Had she somehow displeased him?1

As the day wore on, confusion twisted into worry, looping back into puzzlement. Her mind churned with unanswered questions, circling relentlessly around the unnerving revelations she had begun to uncover. The chilling portraits, the spine-tingling tales of the night creatures, Rhain's peculiarly cold skin, his atypical diet, the mysterious claw marks on her chemise, the glow of his eyes... And most haunting of all, the inexplicable event of that night when she was running from Philip, he took her to her home, to her room and he lied about it. 

Reluctantly, her thoughts began to converge toward an ominous conclusion.

Seized by a grim curiosity, Daisy reached for the book on mythical beings she had been reading lately. Her heart pounded in her chest, echoing the rhythmic drumming of the rain against the windows, as she scanned the texts.

Claws, crimson eyes, pallid skin, a diet of blood...

She halted abruptly, a cold shudder rushing through her. No, it was impossible! The idea was downright ludicrous!

A burst of doubtful laughter bubbled up from her. Alone in the room, her laughter echoed around her, sounding eerily like the cackle of a madwoman. As the laughter gradually subsided, her mind spun back into motion, pulling together more fragments of observations, and linking them with the sensations she had been suppressing since the day she met him - the primal urge to flee, to hide.

But from Rhain? From her own husband? It seemed preposterous.

Rhain had always been gentle, compassionate, and...hungry. A shiver of dread traced its way down her spine as she recalled the particular intensity of his gaze on certain occasions. And now, she was beginning to understand what that hunger truly signified.

Her thoughts were abruptly shattered by a sudden crash of thunder from outside. She hadn't noticed the gathering storm clouds until now, the day's events having completely consumed her. 

The rain hammered relentlessly against the windows, echoing the turmoil in her heart. Rhain was still absent and he had no horse to ride back on. Her worry for his safety immediately clashed with the realization of his true nature.

Vampire.

A bone-deep fear began to creep in, spreading its icy tendrils around her heart.

Abandoning the disturbing book, Daisy decided to investigate whether he had returned without her knowledge. 

Emerging from the room, she was met by an eerily dark mansion, with only a sparse scattering of candles casting long, dancing shadows against the cold stone walls. A chill wind whispered through the echoing halls, extinguishing the weak flames and plunging the mansion further into darkness. Where could it possibly be coming from?

Her heart pounded in her chest as she made her way to the servant quarters, her footsteps echoing in the quiet. The rooms were deserted, an ominous silence hanging heavy in the air. Unease knotted in her stomach as she continued her search in the kitchen, only to find it similarly devoid of life. It was dinner time, and yet there was no bustling activity, no simmering pots, no busy cooks.

Her frown deepened. Something was amiss.

"Armand?" She called out tentatively as she moved through the dark corridors, her voice sounding small and vulnerable. The mansion echoed with her call, the only reply the rumbling thunder outside. A chill of foreboding coursed through her veins.

"Armand!" She tried again, her voice trembling despite her efforts. Panic began to simmer in her gut as she hurried through the rooms and corridors, finding them all desolately empty.

Then, the grand entrance to the mansion creaked open, a cold gust of wind seeping in and amplifying the sound of the downpour outside. She froze, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest as the grand doors slammed shut with a resounding thud.

The echo of measured footsteps rang through the mansion, the distinct click of boots on stone growing louder with every passing second. Daisy stood rooted to the spot, her heart caught in her throat. Could it be Rhain?

The footsteps halted abruptly, causing her heart to thud violently against her ribcage. 

"Daisy," Rhain's voice echoed through the hollow expanse of the mansion. His tone was unsettling, with a strange, excited edge to it that sent a frisson of terror down her spine. "Daisy," he called again, and she could almost hear the anticipatory grin in his voice.

Though they weren't in the same hall, she instinctively retreated, her breath hitching in her chest.

"My sweet bloom. Where are you hiding?" His voice was eerily playful, a disturbing contrast to the fear bubbling up inside her.

Oh, Lord! Turning on her heel she tiptoeing down the corridor, away from him.

"Are we playing hide and seek? I love it." His voice echoed throughout the mansion, chilling her to the bone. 

Hide and seek?  He was ruining her favorite game. 

What was he doing? She swallowed hard, her feet continuing their panicked journey through the darkened halls.

The echo of Rhain's boots on the cold stone floor reverberated through the manor, each ominous click causing her heart to race faster.

"Shall I give you some time to hide?" His tone was teasing and terrifying all at once.

Daisy froze momentarily, her mind spinning. Was he serious, or was this some twisted game? She had loved such playful challenges as a child, but they were imaginary, harmless. This felt dangerously real.

Spotting a sliver of light at the end of the hall, Daisy realized it was the door leading to the gardens. Without a second thought, she broke into a sprint, her footsteps echoing in the deadly silence. Upon reaching the door, she yanked at the handle with all her strength, but the door remained stubbornly shut.

She fumbled with the lock, desperation lending her strength, but to no avail. The door refused to yield.

Rhain's chuckle reached her, sending a shiver down her spine. "Oh, Daisy. It is hide and seek, but we can play cat and mouse too if you prefer." His voice was eerily close, yet she couldn't discern his exact location.

"A combination of both would be most intriguing," he drawled, his voice oozing with amusement.

Ignoring his disturbing commentary, Daisy struggled with the door once more. When it remained unyielding, she sprinted towards the next door she could see, only to find it locked as well. Her attempt at the nearby window was equally fruitless.

Rhain laughed again. "It is raining outside, dear wife. I don't want you to get sick." His omniscience sent a chill down her spine.

How could he possibly know her every move? She scanned the darkness, but he was nowhere in sight. His voice, however, carried an eerie nearness that set her teeth on edge. What did he want from her? Blood?

His footsteps echoed again, faster this time. "I am quite famished," he declared, his voice huskier than before. "I want a taste of my wife."

A taste? What kind of taste? 

Tuning her ears to the sound of his voice, Daisy veered in the opposite direction. This was a nightmare. She had to wake up soon! But despite her desperate self-reassurance, she snatched a knife from the elegantly laid out cutlery as she passed the dining hall.

Her body was shaking uncontrollably as the reality of her situation set in. What was she thinking? Could she really stab her own husband? All she knew was that she needed to escape! She tried window after window in her frantic flight, her heart sinking a little more with each unyielding latch.

"Are you hiding well, Daisy? If I find you sooner, I'll savor more than just a taste." He sounded a bit more impatient this time. 

The sound of his footsteps quickened. 

No! 

Blind panic overrode her rational thoughts. She ran, heedless of her destination. Her instincts were screaming at her to flee, even as her mind struggled to come to terms with the chilling reality - she was running for her life from her own husband. It was a contradiction too jarring to fully comprehend.

Her breath was coming in ragged gasps, and she could hear the drumming of her own footsteps mingling with the pattering of raindrops outside. The cold steel of the knife was a grim reminder of her dire situation as she continued her desperate flight. 

She raced to the end of one corridor, then turned right, then left, then left again. She was losing track of where she was.

Rhain laughed in time with a sudden crack of thunder outside, which made her scream involuntarily.

Horror washed over her as her hand flew to her mouth. Oh no!

"Oh, I heard you, Daisy. Now where are you?" 

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