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Chapter 26: Marked
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2023-08-18 14:10:21Related chapters
In the October Wind Chapter 27: The Final Lesson
Charlotte was escorted out of the room by Lord Eclaire, who insisted she come with him so that she could hear the conclusion to the story. She complied quietly, but couldn't help to look over her shoulder. Her mind was swimming with everything that had just happened. The brief discussion she had with Lord Hunt on his feelings towards her and then finding out she had been marked. It contradicted itself in the sense that if she was only there to replace a memory or if he had real feelings for her. She almost felt like he did it out of jealousy. Those thoughts she would have to push to the back of her mind. Charlotte had already decided that she would first learn the rest of their past before she tried to make sense of anything going on between herself and Lord Hunt. That meant that she needed to focus on figuring out the rest of this mystery instead of her own personal thoughts or feelings. A task that was proving harder and harder to do the longer she spent time in the castle with Lor
Last Updated : 2023-08-18In the October Wind Chapter 28: Fit of Jealousy
"This would go a lot faster if you'd stop interrupting," Lord Eclaire responded. He turned to Lord Hunt, finally sounding irritated after all the threats he'd been given. "I came because you've had enough time. It's getting late," Lord Hunt growled. "But I can see I've made a mistake. Step away from her." "Jealous Rodrick? Maybe you should have done a better job at claiming her, but you're so stuck in the past you couldn't do that, could you?" Lord Eclaire snapped back. He had stepped away from her, but remained facing Lord Hunt. "What's happened between us is none of your concern. If my way of living bothers you so much, you could have left at any point in time," Lord Hunt replied, his glare more intense. Charlotte stood watching their argument unfold. She could tell that a fight was on the brink of breaking out. Never in her life would she have imagined two vampires arguing over her. It wasn't flattering for her though, not in the slightest bit. The way that they talked about
Last Updated : 2023-08-18In the October Wind Chapter 29: An Apology
Charlotte was able to get Lord Hunt back inside and to his room with the help of a couple castle staff. She wasn't sure she'd be able to help him all that way when the hours had just ticked away and left her more sleep deprived. It had to be late in the night by now, which probably put dawn just a few hours away. By the time they arrived at Lord Hunt's room, Charlotte was starting to feel the exhaust from the day's events. It was too soon to go to sleep yet, she still intended to tend to his wounds. At least that might stop or slow the bleeding while they healed. "How long do wounds this deep usually take to heal?" Charlotte asked. The staff members settled him in one of the armchairs near the fireplace, at his request. She had just rounded the front of the chair to get a better look at the wounds. "It will likely take about four weeks to heal completely. He got me pretty good. if he'd done more damage, I might be out of commission even longer," Lord Hunt replied. His speech was st
Last Updated : 2023-08-18In the October Wind Chapter 30: Confronting a Murderer
After she finished bandaging Lord Hunt's wounds, she helped him to the bed. An easier feat for her, considering the distance was considerably less. Sleep came quickly after she got settled into the bed next to him. It wasn't until after she laid down that she realized just how tired she was. By the time she woke the next afternoon, Lord Hunt was soundly asleep next to her. She knew that he would be out for the next several hours, perhaps longer since he was wounded. There was no doubt that she had missed the first meal of the day and possibly even the morning maid that had stopped in to clean up the mess from the night before. Charlotte noted by the fact that the basket was gone from where she had left it beside the chair. She quietly slipped out from under the sheets, careful not to disturb Lord Hunt. It would probably be a good idea to go and see if she could at least have lunch since she hadn't eaten since the night before. The words that Lord Hunt spoke to her the night before
Last Updated : 2023-08-18In the October Wind Chapter 31: The True Story
"What did you just say?" Lord Eclaire asked. His eyes were set on her and his voice dropped. "That's what happened, isn't it? You killed her because of Lord Hunt's betrayal," Charlotte said. She was standing her ground despite knowing that he could easily kill her. Charlotte knew she was playing with fire by confronting him on her own. She felt that if he knew someone had figured him out, he might be inclined to take his leave, if she kept her mouth shut. Bargaining with a vampire was dangerous work. They were much stronger than she was in every sense of the manner. Even if he was injured, she didn't doubt that he could still snap her neck like a twig. The laws protected signed servants and humans from killings, but that didn't mean there weren't vampires that broke those laws. She wanted to do something though, if only to keep Lord Hunt from another fight. Lord Eclaire slowly stood from the bed and his glare only became more intense. At the moment he stayed where he was, which w
Last Updated : 2023-08-18In the October Wind Chapter 32: A Time for Mourning
Charlotte spent the rest of the afternoon trying to figure out how she was going to tell Lord Hunt the truth. She felt that he deserved to know what killed Lady Bennett after all this time and after he had done nothing but try to keep her memory alive. It was a sad and lonely way to carry on for that many years. There was another part of her that hoped it would tear down the wall between them as well, but she wasn't sure if that would ever happen. At least, she told herself, she would have sought out the truth to her job as a historian and told the real story of The Mystery of Willow Creek. She did not bother to try and visit Lord Eclaire again, hoping he would stay true to his word and leave once sunset arrived. Charlotte knew that if he was still in the castle when Lord Hunt woke, more conflict would arise. He was right when he said she didn't want him to get hurt anymore physically. His wounds would not kill him but they would take even longer to heal if he overworked himself. V
Last Updated : 2023-08-18In the October Wind Chapter 33: Dissolving Contract
There was no telling how long Charlotte held Lord Hunt. By the time he stopped trembling, it felt like hours had gone by. The whole time, he kept his face buried into her shoulder and his arms wrapped around her as though his life depended on it. She hadn't planned on trying to move away from him when he needed the support, but that didn't change how desperately he clung to her. This was something that he had waited so long to do. It would be hard, she was sure, for some time. At least he would be able to start healing now that there was some closure. When he finally managed to stop trembling, Lord Hunt loosened his grip around her and slowly sat up once again. He looked even more tired than he had before. The only real evidence that he had been crying was the glossy look of his eyes. The entire time he shook and wept into her shoulder, he hadn't made a single sound. It would have been impressive if it wasn't such a tragic circumstance. Charlotte's heart ached for him. She wished she
Last Updated : 2023-08-18In the October Wind Chapter 34: The Vampire King
The next few days were spent in a routine that Charlotte had unintentionally set. In the morning hours, after she woke up, she would leave Lord Hunt's room and after eating, would head to the library to work on putting together the story of The Lords and Lady of Willow Creek. When the afternoon came around, it would be lunch and then she would tend to the gardens until sunset. After that, she would spend the rest of the evening and night with Lord Hunt. The first tasks were always changing his bandages and allowing him to feed. They would spend the rest of the night just enjoying each other's company before retiring together. Lord Hunt would talk freely to her about his life in Willow Creek before the tragedy and when he became emotional over the stories he told, Charlotte would comfort him as she had done on the first night. It was a cycle and a slow moving one, but Charlotte felt that she was more content now than she had been at the start. The confusion had cleared and while they
Last Updated : 2023-08-18
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In the October Wind Chapter 50: Farewell
The next afternoon, around noon, all of the castle staff was asked to wait in the entrance hall. The request had been made by Rodrick early that morning, after speaking briefly with a maid that stopped by the room to check on him. Just like it started, Rodrick approached the staircase right around the time he requested to find the hall packed. At the moment, he stood alone on the staircase, figuring it would be more impactful this way. Especially since the staff wasn't the only company he requested that afternoon. Vincent was pulled from the room he chose to occupy for the night and asked to stand in on the announcement as well. The other vampire stood near the bottom of the left staircase and looked less than amused to be there. At least, he could say that Vincent didn't give him any trouble when he was the last to arrive among the staff that afternoon. It really did seem like he was trying to bury the hatchet so to speak. Rodrick wasn't going to ask what Serina's ghost said to hi
In the October Wind Chapter 49: An Eternal Promise
Those spoken words were all she needed to pick right back up where she left off. After flashing him a quick smile in return, Charlotte found herself locked back into his embrace. Their lips meeting more passionately and tenderly than they had ever done before. She imagined that if it were still possible, it might have been enough to take her breath away. It wasn't a feeling she was missing out on though because she had become so aware of everything else around her. The touch of his skin under her palms while she smoothed her hands up his chest no longer seemed chilling to her. It felt just like her own and now she was able to fully enjoy every curve of the muscles he hid beneath his clothes. His alabaster skin was so perfectly flawless and carefully chiseled. It didn't stop with the touch of her fingertips. Charlotte eventually moved her eager kisses down to explore his body. Every touch sent her senses wild. It went beyond the tingling she used to feel from his touch. She was so a
In the October Wind Chapter 48: Awaken
Charlotte woke up confused. The last thing she remembered was having a knife pressed to her throat. Shortly after that, everything got foggy, both literally and figuratively. Her memory faded once Rimidal's fog settled in. There were glimpses that she saw in her mind where she thought she saw Lord Hunt there beside her and holding her in his arms. Everything after that went completely black. She had no idea when they arrived back to Willow Creek or for how long she was out. That wasn't the strangest part for her though. It was when she came to her senses in Lord Hunt's bed. Her clothes were different and the way they felt on her body was different. Now dressed in a deep red satin nightgown that only came to her thighs, the smooth material felt cool against her skin. That was not the only thing she noticed that felt odd, it was the sounds. From somewhere nearby, she could have sworn she heard her name being said even though Lord Hunt was the only other person in the room. Then the
In the October Wind Chapter 47: Awaiting the Unknown
When they arrived back in Willow Creek, dawn was just on the horizon. There was no life in Charlotte's body anymore. It was just shortly after they started their long drive, that Rodrick felt the last of her faint breath. If she didn't come back from this as a vampire, then he would have lost her. For the time being, Rodrick was remaining composed while he clung to the glimmer of hope that he had done enough to complete the change. While he was certain he gave her enough of his blood and venom to start the change, he wasn't at all sure if he was too late in giving it to her. All there was left to do now was wait to see if she would rise again in twenty four hours. A painful wait to know if he had lost someone he only just accepted his love for. Rodrick wasn't sure if he could go through another loss like that again. Vincent trailed into his castle behind him while Rodrick moved as swiftly as he could to carry Charlotte up to his room. The castle staff that caught sight of him ascen
In the October Wind Chapter 46: Last Chance
The sounds of Charlotte's shallow breathing and the scent of blood were near. Rodrick was certain that he was getting closer to her. He just needed her to hang on long enough for him to reach her. Before he could get to her, however, another shadow appeared in the fog. This one was of Rimidal himself. His glowing eyes cut through the dense cover. Rodrick could barely make out his features, his form appeared so dark as though he were merely a shadow of himself. "This is your last chance, Rodrick," Rimidal's voice echoed through the fog. "I will not allow another, if you wish for closure with your lost love." Rodrick stared at the shadowy form of his master. He knew that this was a test of life or death. In this case, the life that would be lost would be Charlotte's instead of his own. Why Rimidal chose to take her life and not his, he wasn't sure. Rodrick knew that if he allowed himself to get lost in the fog with the ghost of his past, Charlotte would die. Time was running out for
In the October Wind Chapter 45: Ghosts of the Past
Rodrick's eyes moved from where Charlotte was standing with Beatrice, over to Rimidal. "What do you want me to do?" he asked. "No, don't! He'll kill you!" Charlotte choked out, tears streaming down her face. "Quiet now, I don't want to hurt you," Beatrice said to her. Despite her words, she didn't move the blade away from her throat at all. Rimidal smiled at him, his eyes only seemed to take on a glow. The lights in the chandelier above flickered then, as though a breeze had somehow touched the flames inside the lamps. Then, without explanation, they started to go out one by one until the room was completely black. There was a collective reaction from everyone else in the room. A clamor of confusion at the sudden darkness, unsure of what had caused it. Just as quickly as the lights snuffed out, they all lit up at once again, this time their flames were a low, flickering blue. It gave the entire room an eerie glow. To make matters worse, once the flames relit, Rimidal had vanish
In the October Wind Chapter 44: A Warm Welcome
It took them a little over an hour to walk up the steep, winding path through the cliff until they reached the large front doors to the castle. Once they arrived, they stopped together to take it in. For Rodrick, being back at this place was a strike of nostalgia to before things had taken a dark turn. In a time before he had even set foot into Willow Creek, he spent a lot of his life at this castle. It had even served as an inspiration when he designed his own in Willow Creek. Ever since Serina passed away, the relationship he had with Rimidal deteriorated. Rodrick effectively cut everyone out of his life and isolated himself inside his own castle. He knew that everyone that was in touch with Rimidal likely knew what happened to him and why he had suddenly stopped coming around. It felt a little bittersweet on that note, to be here like this. With the possibility that his once close friend and master might be attempting to end his life tonight. There was no going back now. Rodrick
In the October Wind Chapter 43: The Master's Castle
By sunset the next night, Rodrick was already out of his bed and carefully pulling a shirt over his shoulders. His stab wounds were still present and they had his body sore with too much movement. The hit he took to the head when he went through the wall had left a visible gash just at the top of his hairline. These were minor things, he told himself. He could not afford to wait around to heal at this point. There was no telling what Rimidal might subject Charlotte to if she was left in that castle for too long. Just as he was finishing readying himself for the night, the doors to his bedroom suddenly flew open. At no surprise, the culprit behind the jarring interruption was Vincent. Of course he looked like he was already prepared. Unlike Rodrick, all signs of their fight the last time he was there had healed. Another fact that came to no surprise for Rodrick, he hadn't been the one that pulled a knife. "For someone so determined to get his lover back, you're moving awfully slow,"
In the October Wind Chapter 42: Know Your Role
"Lord Hunt, I have heard of him," the redhead said. "My Lord mentioned him a few times. About how shameful it was to watch great Lords fall stagnant." Charlotte's smile faltered to her words. Another truth that Beatrice told. Everyone who belonged to Rimidal knew about Lord Hunt and how time stopped for him. She wondered if Lord Hunt realized how well known his story was. At least that chunk of it without the details. Maybe he didn't care if they knew or not. It sounded like all that mattered to him was staying in his continuous time loop. Until Charlotte stepped into his life to disrupt it. "Yes, he's only just started to recover," Charlotte answered quietly. Before their conversation could carry on anymore, the wooden doors to the room were suddenly thrown open. The echoing sound had Charlotte jump and turn towards the door. The other six just gathered together and watched as Rimidal led two people into the room with him. He brought them over to one of the lounge areas and invi
