Chapter 895: Bloodthirst (Ko-fi Bonus Chapter)
Later that night.
Adam sat at the study table inside the master bedroom on the second floor. Now that he was all by himself, he finally didnāt have to hide his true feelings.
There was a dark expression on his face at the moment. His eyes were narrowed, and a dangerous light was flickering in them.
He tapped his fingers on the table in a rhythmic manner as he sorted his thoughts out one by one.
Itās as I had speculatedā¦
Last night, I had felt a heavy aura of malice radiate from this city. Now that Iām finally here, I can feel it even more.
His brows furrowed, forming a tight knot as he wondered, Is it just me?
Or can the other Mana Vortex Magi feel it as well?
No, if that were the case, then Kaspar should have felt something. But other than being slightly intimidated by me, he seemed normal.
Then, why is it that I can feel it?
Can the Mana Core Magi feel it, too?
The sound of his finger tapping the table echoed inside his room, creating a tense and macabre atmosphere.
Enveloped in complete darkness with only the ghostly light of the twin moons shining on half of his face, Adam appeared truly menacing.
Is this a premonition of whatās to come?
Iāve never felt such a foreboding feeling beforeā¦ Has my recent advancement to the Mana Vortex Rank allowed the white lotus to unseal more of its powers?
This feelingā¦ something truly bad is going to happen in Ravenfell, and I do not like it one bit!
Adam couldnāt help but scowl. At once, he rose to his feet and started pacing around the room.
Then thereās the other thingā¦
Itās that same feeling again!
The one in Hannes Cityā¦ in Blackshoreā¦ Iām missing something, but I canāt quite put my finger on it.
Just what could it be?!
But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldnāt arrive at the truth. The more he tried to unearth it, the further away it drifted from him.
The truth stared him right in the face, yet he was unable to see it.
Such was the terror of the Forgotten Rune!
But of course, Adam knew nothing about this magical artifact.
Not yet, anywayā¦
Gritting his teeth, he cursed under his breath, āFuck!ā
He continued pacing around the room, his fists tightly clenched behind his back.
This is all the more reason to send Anna and the rest away.
The world can burn for all I care, but Annaā¦ No harm can befall her!
He suddenly stopped and turned towards a certain direction. His gaze seemingly passed through the walls and concrete, and landed at the door to his sisterās room.
Anna had made it clear to him that she wanted to stay in Ravenfell and not leave him until everything was over.
But how could Adam let that happen?
His dark eyes flashed with immense guilt.
Iām sorry, Annaā¦
But I must do this to ensure your safety.
He took a deep breath and turned away, pacing back and forth once again. He had already decided that heād send away Anna and her entourage, along with Rowan and his family, within the next few days.
Any more people, and it might raise suspicions. He could always come up with an excuse, should the need arise, of Anna and her entourage requiring Rowanās assistance during their travels.
After all, it was a widely-known fact that Rowan was a butlerāand quite a good one at that.
He conjured several strands of his hair from his earrings and looked at them with a peculiar gaze.
I should create contingency plans for their departure, he thought.
Being as cautious as he was, how could he not think about establishing several backups? Heād be a fool not to.
He then shifted his thoughts to the second matter, one equally pressing.
The issue concerning Halbert Dawson.
An ominous light flickered in the depths of Adamās eyes. His expression turned cold when he thought about what the man had said to him earlier that evening.
āI know what you did.ā
Those were his exact words.
Adamās eyes narrowed, and he couldnāt help but think of a possibility.
Does he know that I murdered Brigham Flynn?
Itās not beyond the realm of possibilityā¦
That night, when he had gone to the Flynn Manor to āapologiseā and gift the late patriarch the gourd of poisoned wine, he had taken into consideration that Brigham would likely consult someone to ensure that the wine wasnāt poisoned.
And there was only one other person in the city he could consultā¦
As such, after leaving Flynn Manor, Adam secretly hid in the shadows to see if his speculations were true.
And they were indeed.
That very night, Adam had followed Brigham Flynn to the Herbalistsā Guild. He had seen Halbert Dawson welcome the man inside through the back entrance.
Adam didnāt follow him inside the building, though. He was afraid that he might get caught sneaking around. After all, who knew just what kind of mechanisms were hidden in that building?
And now that Halbert Dawson had confronted him earlier today, whispering those cryptic words directly into his mind, Adam knew that his worst fears had come true.
His lips curled into a cold smile.
Old Flynn, even in your death, you continue to annoy meā¦
Just what kind of scheme did you and Halbert Dawson hatch together?
Yesā¦ now that I think of it, itās suspicious that he was sworn in as the Councilor to take your place.
For a brief moment, he considered killing Halbert Dawson and ending the matter once and for all. He had far bigger problems to deal with at the moment.
At such a critical juncture, he couldnāt afford to waste his time on petty annoyances.
But a moment later, he shook his head. He took a deep breath to calm down the deathly flower of bloodthirst blooming in his heart.
There must be a reason why Dawson wasnāt so blatant in his accusation, he mused.
Right, thereās something he must want from me. Yes, that is likely to be the case.
As for what Old Flynn and Dawson spoke about that night over a year and half agoā¦ I canāt be certain.
His eyes narrowed, and he came to a decision.
Thereās only one way to find out, he thought.
It was time to meet Councilor Halbert Dawson!
2/4 Bonus chapters! Enjoy š