Three more hours passed in the dungeon. Eve, who had been standing earlier, now lay on the ground, on the side of her body. Her body was in indescribable pain that the guard Deacon had caused after using the leather whip on her back, arms, and legs.
She could hear her muffled screams of pain echoing in her ears while the prisoners around enjoyed the sight earlier of her being whipped by the guard inside her cell.
Another guard stood outside with Deacon and said, "She must be a trained killer. You whipped her to the point where her dress ripped on her beck and arms, yet she hasn't shed tears."
Deacon had noticed this too, which was why he now stared at her. The whips used on the supernatural creatures and the human prisoners differed in the dungeon; he had used the human whip on this woman.
"Looks like we have something interesting to look forward to. Unless she gives the name of the person who appointed her to kill Mr. Fowler, until then I get to whip her and see the proud woman break in front of my eyes." He then said to Eve, louder for her to listen, "I will be back later. Make sure you bring the name on those pretty lips of yours that time."
In the last three hours, whenever Eve tried to explain and asked for help by bringing Vincent or the Duke's name, the guard whipped her harder. It left a searing burn on her skin because of the lashes she had received. Some sides of her skin bled, and some were on the verge of bleeding with the skin peeled.
Eve didn't look where the guards were, but she heard their footsteps as if they walked away from her cell.
She tried to hold back her tears, trying hard not to cry and let anyone in there see pearls fall on the ground. Her mind had turned numb, and she continued staring into nothingness. Unable to keep herself awake, she passed out because of the pain in her body.
Two more hours passed, and Eve suddenly woke up to the harsh sound of a baton hitting against the iron rods.
When she tried to sit upright, she felt pain shoot up everywhere in her body, and she bit her lip. She crawled towards the wall, and with a lot of difficulty, she pushed herself up before letting her body lean against the wall. She tried to breathe, taking deep breaths.
Eve pulled her knees towards her chest, wondering if this was only the beginning of her time in her and wondered when it would end. She doubted she would handle any more whips because she couldn't tolerate any more pain on her skin. She closed her eyes when she felt her eyes prickle in warmth, and her vision started to blur, she tried to swallow the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.
Another guard came before her cell and took out her untouched food. Feeling thirsty as she hadn't eaten anything since she had been captured and brought here, she pleaded,
"W-water..."
But the guard didn't respond and left the front of the cell room.
"Seems like Deacon has taken quite a liking towards you," commented one of the prisoners. "He's whipped you all nice. At night, he will take you. At least there will be something to look at for all of us," and the prisoners snickered and laughed without pity in their eyes.
Eve didn't react but stayed quiet. How could she get out of here when she had no key to open the gate. Even if she did, the prisoners here would inform the guards before she would be punished even further.
But she had to get out, and she devised a plan without letting anyone know what was going on in her mind.
Away from Raven town, Lady Aubrey and Eugene met each other, where they still had no idea about Eve's whereabouts. Eugene suggested,
"Milady, how about we go to the Duke's place and ask him for his help? Miss Eve and the Duke share a good friendship with each other. He will surely help us."
Lady Aubrey shook her head, "I have checked and he isn't in his mansion either. I don't know where to look anymore or who to ask." The older woman rubbed her forehead in worry. "I don't think Eve's identity has been revealed. Otherwise we would have heard a wave of rumour about it. Where else can she be?"
While the two of them worriedly discussed the possibility of where else Eve could be, it never occurred to them that she was held in a dungeon. After all, it wasn't common to end up in the dungeon.
Far away from the dungeon, in Darthmore's official building's deserted corridor, the vampire who looked like a small boy stood with Vincent. He said, "Why do you refuse to join the inner circle?"
"To be part of the old group where everyone is a prude and has a stick up their..." Vincent smiled at the boy when the vampire narrowed his eyes. "You manage them well enough. What am I going to do there? Quite frankly I don't think they would like me being there."
The small boy frowned before replying, "You are an asset. What happened yesterday is only the beginning."
"Hm?" Vincent tilted his head, "Worried that someone will come after your head?"
"Some things don't change. People will always want to take over a higher position. Fowler wanted to dissolve the inner circle and the outer bodies with a reelection. Do you know what it means? More enemies than you already have," Clayton explained as his eyes moved to look at the deserted corridor. He continued, "Only a person with a pea-size brain belonging to the lower side of the society would try something like this. But there are many in here."
"Did you go through the reports?"
The vampire nodded his small head and said, "I couldn't find any overlapping activity of time. It's too clean."
"Did you expect the person who killed Fowler to not have a plan? At least we know it is someone with brains," responded Vincent, "Do you want me to take a look into it?"
Clayton shook his head, "I have ordered Cripps and he's already on his way. You don't have to waste your time on it," and as he said it, he gave a look at Vincent.
"Excellent," Vincent replied, watching the midget vampire making his way through before disappearing at the end of the corridor. When Vincent stepped out of the building, Patton ran after him,
"Sire! We have a new case of a dead body found in the forest," he appeared next to Vincent.
"When have we not found dead bodies, Patton," murmured Vincent as he continued walking towards his carriage. "Collect the reports and keep the people who found the bodies under question. I will go through it in two hours."
Patton nodded before frowning and asked, "Where are you going?"
"To Raven's town."
Patton's eyes widened in surprise, "Where Mr. Fowler died? W-what are you going to do there?"
"Have supper."
