Claimed by the Prince of Darkness novel Chapter 212

Chapter 212: Night Of The Theatre

In the middle of the deserted road, Edward had his hands placed on his hips. He stared at the damaged wheel as though glaring hard enough could repair it. On the other hand, Caroline had stepped away from the carriage. She murmured, "This is bad luck." Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her skirt and she whispered, "It’s happened twice now."

Standing beside Caroline, Sawyer tilted his head and asked her,

"Are you suggesting we’re all about to die here? Or perhaps this was all just a ruse so that we could kill you, just as you guessed," he grinned.

Caroline’s eyes widened before she instinctively took a step farther away from him in horror.

Edward turned to the coachman and snapped, "You. Didn’t you inspect the wheels before we left? Do you want your head off your shoulders?"

The coachman immediately lowered his head into a deep bow.

"I did check, Your Highness! Three times. I checked every wheel and even inspected the horses’ hooves before our departure."

"Were you doing it in your sleep?" Edward narrowed his eyes and the poor coachman paled. The prince clicked his tongue before casting a glance towards the dark stretch of road disappearing into the forest ahead. The first two carriages were nowhere to be seen. He glared and demanded, "Well? Stop staring at it and get on fixing it."

"Y-Yes, Your Highness!" The coachman replied before hurrying back to the damaged wheel with beads of perspiration already forming across his forehead.

Caroline instinctively flinched when the wind stirred the branches above them. The rustling leaves seemed far louder in the darkness than they ought to have been, making her glance nervously towards the trees. Instead of finding danger, she found Hailey glaring at her.

"What?" Caroline asked with a huff, putting on a brave face.

"This is all because of you," Hailey muttered, folding her arms across her chest. "At this point, I don’t think burying you here would be such a terrible idea."

Hailey continued grumbling under her breath, too caught up in her own misery to notice the frightened look she was receiving. If not for Caroline insisting on travelling together, she would have been sitting comfortably in Mr. Hawksley’s carriage by now. They could have spoken during the journey and perhaps, if fortune had been particularly kind, even laughed together.

Instead, she was stranded on the side of a dark road. Perhaps it was the universe letting her know it wasn’t going to happen and she sighed. Suddenly, a dagger was presented in front of her and she blinked.

Hailey slowly lifted her eyes and she saw Sawyer standing next to her. He asked,

"Have you hunted before?" Before Hailey could answer, he lightly touched the side of his own neck with a finger. "The vein runs here. Or better, just go from ear to ear and it will do the trick."

Silence settled over the road.

Caroline stared at him and then at the dagger before her face drained of colour. Without another word, she let out a startled cry before she bolted down the road as fast as her legs would carry her.

"You idiot!" Hailey scolded Sawyer, feeling vexed. "Look at what you did?!"

Sawyer watched Caroline disappear into the darkness before a quiet laugh escaped him. He admitted,

"I wasn’t expecting her to run," and hid the dagger back in his coat. His gaze then shifted towards Hailey. "You should probably bring her back before something else finds her. Besides, you did suggest burying her first."

Hailey stared at him in disbelief.

Edward let out a long, exhausted sigh and waved his hand dismissively and said, "Go after her, Hailey. We’ll stay here until the wheel is fixed."

These men...! Gathering the front of her skirt, she went after Caroline, shouting into the darkness, "Get back here! Caroline!" The winter wind whipped past her as she muttered under her breath, "And if you’re planning to die, have the decency to do it somewhere else!"

At the theatre, Ruelle and Lucian’s carriage slowly came to a stop. Fire burned in the tall fire pits around the entrance. Their flames swaying gently with the evening breeze and bathing the stone building in a warm amber glow. Polished carriages rolled to a stop one after another as coachmen hurried to open their doors for the passengers.

Once Ruelle stepped out of the carriage, she placed her hand on Lucian’s arm. She noticed how lively the place was compared to her last quiet visit, which was during the day. Most of the women were vampiresses, though a handful of elegantly dressed human women walked beside the men who wore tailored coats.

"Mr. Slater."

A neatly dressed attendant stepped forward the moment they entered, a rolled parchment resting in one hand. Offering a deep bow, he said, "Allow me to escort you to your private gallery. This way, please."

Lucian gave a slight nod and they followed the man through the entrance hall.

The moment Ruelle stepped inside, a gentle melody drifted through the building, the soft notes of a pianoforte floating above the quiet murmur of conversation. Crystal chandeliers suspended from the high ceiling cast a warm golden light across walls and floor, while countless candles burned on the sides.

The air itself smelled different. Beneath the familiar scent of beeswax and polished wood lingered something sweeter. It reminded her of perfume, yet there was a freshness to it that resembled ripe fruit, delicate enough not to overwhelm but impossible to ignore. She couldn’t remember smelling it the last time she had been here.

Glancing over the carved railing towards the stage below, Ruelle gestured her hand in the direction of the rows and said, "We sat there the last time we came. It was about a war hero who lost his limbs."

Very few people occupied the open seating below. Instead, elegantly dressed patrons disappeared one after another into the private galleries that circled the auditorium above, each hidden behind glasses that the other side couldn’t see, offering both an excellent view of the stage and privacy.

"Mr. Slater, a pleasure to be seeing you here tonight," the man greeted with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, his gaze sliding past Lucian to linger on Ruelle’s face as if to check something. A young woman in silk clung to his arm, her fingers twitching as if itching to be noticed. "And this must be—ah, yes, Miss Belmont," the man’s voice turned syrupy, his hand lifting as if to reach for Ruelle. "Balbor Brooke. I don’t believe we’ve been introduced—"

Lucian’s hand shot out and his fingers closed around the man’s wrist into a vise grip. "You have a remarkable memory, Mr. Brooke. But then again..." His fingers tightened just slightly, enough to make the man’s smile twitch. "So do I."

"My goodness," Mr. Brooke’s smile faltered. "It is good to see that a pureblooded vampire has been matched with a human. It would be odd for a treaty if it was with a halfling," he laughed.

It took Ruelle a moment before she realised what the man was getting on about. The rumour Lucian had slipped yesterday had begun to make circles.

When Lucian didn’t let go of the man’s hand, Ruelle cleared her throat and whispered, "Lucian." Her hand brushed Lucian’s arm just once and he finally released the hand.

The man took a hasty step back, rubbing his wrist and said "W–well! Enjoy the play!" and the person disappeared from the sight with the woman he was with.

Ruelle and Lucian then continued to walk, following the attendant.

"This is your assigned gallery, Mr. Slater," said the attendant, who stopped before one of the carved walnut doors and unlocked it with a polished brass key. Pushing it open, he stepped aside with a respectful bow. "Refreshments will be brought up shortly. If there is anything you wish to have changed in the room, please let us know."

Ruelle’s gaze wandered inside the gallery, which was spacious, and a plush velvet couch sat near the glass wall. Heavy burgundy curtains framed either side of the opening.

"It’ll do," Lucian said, and the attendant immediately bowed.

"As you wish, sire." Without another question, the attendant quietly stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him.

"Do you come here often, Lucian?" Ruelle’s voice was soft as she asked.

For a heartbeat, the corner of Lucian’s mouth twitched at her question. Then he crossed the space between them in three strides before sinking onto the couch beside her. Close enough that the heat of him seeped into her side.

"Not really," Lucian replied, glancing at the gallery below, where people in silk and jewels were moving towards their seats. "Mostly for work."

Ruelle turned to him, eyes alight with curiosity. "Work? Like..."

"People become careless when they’re distracted by their indulgences." Lucian’s fingers tapped once against his knee, a restless, predatory rhythm. He continued, "Drunk, amused, aroused. It doesn’t matter. The moment they let their guard down, they talk. And the right words in the right ears can open doors that would stay locked forever. Secrets come cheaply in places like this."

She turned to study Lucian’s profile. The sharp cut of his jaw, the way his dark eyes gleamed with a hint of amusement when he caught her staring. She then heard Lucian add,

"It also helped me with seduction technique classes."

Seduction technique class? Ruelle saw him stare right back at her. A servant knocked on the door and pushed a trolley of assortments. Lucian didn’t look away from her as the servant offered him a glass of deep, ruby-red wine. The scent of it drifted between them, and Ruelle found herself leaning forward before she could stop herself.

"I’d like to try one too," she said, her voice lighter than she felt.

Lucian’s eyebrow arched. The servant asked politely, "Shall I bring Vault twenty-six bottle for—"

"I want what he’s having," Ruelle interrupted, her chin lifting just slightly and the servant turned to Lucian.

"That isn’t meant for human consumption. It is too strong," Lucian warned her with a slight frown. He then murmured, "Curiosity has poor timing." He dismissed the servant with a wave of his hand, "Leave us."

The door clicked shut behind them, sealing the gallery away from the light bustle of the corridor. Ruelle looked around once more before turning to Lucian. She admitted,

"It does feel rather risky. But you are here with me so there’s nothing to worry about."

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