When Vincent's eyes snapped to look at Eve, she was quick to look away and at the front, unsure if her employer had caught her looking at him. She didn't move her eyes for many seconds, feeling the vampire continue to look at her. But it was hard not to look back, and when she did, their eyes met before she quickly looked at the mermaid.
Eve continued to count the seconds passing as if the minutes in her life right now were numbered and could stop at any moment. She had to leave right now, but without getting caught. The original floor, which was clean and white, appeared to look beige because of the reflection of light coming from the candles burning in the ballroom.
Vincent watched Eve with a curious expression. His ears singled out the sound of her heartbeat, which raced faster than the rest of the people's heartbeats. She looked paler than usual.
"Master Vincent, how does a mermaid's blood taste?" Alfie, who belonged to the lower-class vampire, had never been fortunate enough to sink his fangs into a mermaid's body until now. Even if he did come across it, it was only a vial or two of mermaid's blood.
"The texture of a mermaid's blood is smoother than a human's blood like you cannot stop at one sip. It has an element called Riber, which a mermaid's body produces and gives a delicate flavor, making it taste divine like you have never had anything like it before," Vincent explained to his butler. At the same time, his eyes keenly continued to watch Eve.
He was going to look back at where his family stood when he noticed blood smeared near the ground.
Alfie said with a nod, "That sounds delicious."
"Delicious indeed," hummed Vincent, and he said to Alfie, "There's something I need you to do."
"Yes, Master Vincent?" the butler was ready to follow the command, and he leaned his head closer to Vincent.
Back where Eve stood, the pain in her foot was turning unbearable, and if it weren't for the mermaid at the front, whose life was in danger, Eve would have been feeling far worse pain. She heard two guests in front of her speak within themselves,
"Do you sense it?" Questioned the woman, whose diamond earrings sparkling in the light.
"What?" The man next to the woman turned in question.
The woman's eyes were fixed on the mermaid in front of them, and she said, "It is as if I can smell the delicate blood of the mermaid from here. It makes my mouth water." She then ran her tongue across her fangs.
Eve softly gulped, and when she looked down at the floor below her, she noticed drops of uneven blood which disappeared under her dress. She held the front of her dress with trembling hands before lifting it and saw the blood seeping out from her injured foot.Â
"Maybe we can find one too," replied the man in a hushed whisper, "I heard that long ago a few mermaids, mermans and the sirens had once come to live on these lands before some of them returned to the sea and some were caught. Who knows if there are a few more left and have been hiding?"Â
"The thought sure sounds intriguing," replied the woman with a smile. She said, "Seems like the Moriarty's have evoked the hunger in everyone to find and have a mermaid for themselves now."
"Mhmm," hummed the man, who then took a deep breath and said, "You are right, it does feel like I can smell the mermaid's blood. The mermaids have the ability to awake a scent no other can. The most exquisite taste one can come upon."
A shiver ran down Eve's back as she knew there was no way she could remove the shard of glass from her shoe. She was left with only one way. That was dashing out of doors and bolting away from the mansion. But that would also mean she would have to take Aunt Aubrey and Eugene with her before fleeing as far as they could.
Eve turned to look at the double doors, which now looked farther than what she had hoped or thought.
Dread hung above her head. If she stayed here, she would be caught. If she was going to dash towards the door, she would still be caught as she would be the only one appearing to be uninterested in a mermaid, thought Eve.
She was about to move from there when her body collided with someone. She winced harder when she went to turn and see what or who she had collided with.
"What are you doing painting the floor red?" Vincent questioned her while slightly leaning his head and said the word such that it was only for her to hear.
Eve's eyes widened like it had never before, and goosebumps of fear rose on her skin. Vincent stepped aside and came to stand beside her, tall and proud. Her lips trembled while she clutched her dress tightly.
The mermaid on display cried, and more pearls fell on the floor when the servant cut the mermaid and collected her blood for the lady to drink.
Before Eve could form any word in panic, she heard Vincent say, "Now is the time to leave, Ms. Barlow. Unless you plan to die…" he turned and looked straight into her scared blue eyes. "Then you owe me your life."
Eve's blood ran cold, knowing Vincent had spotted the blood spots and drops trailing on the ground, which came from her. But he hadn't tasted the blood from the ground to know what she was. At the moment, no reputable guest from the elite family would lick the blood from the ground when they could drink blood from clean glasses. But the blood came from her…
"Can you walk?" Vincent questioned her, his eyes looking at the place where Eve stood.
The pain level she felt in her foot was too high to comprehend anything said to her or in the room. His fingers wrapped around her wrist and he said, "Let's hope you can."
