A MAZE OF GREED

Bidding the Welbys good night, Thea, her parents and Ruth sat in the carriage to leave for the Greens' home. The night was good, and everyone enjoyed it.

Rees's parents invited Ruth again and told her to visit them whenever she pleased. Ruth was happy to meet them. They both were very different from Thea's parents. But she liked them nonetheless.

Mrs green could not stop talking about the delicious food and how generous the Welby's were to give everyone gifts.

She received a crockery set, Mr Green got nice cufflinks buttons. Thea got a beautiful earring pair. Ruth was yet to open her gift.

She recalled how Rees said that it was a special gift only for her.. She knew Mr Welby had his eyes on her the whole time. He did not object, nor he looked displeased when Rees pulled her for a hug.

But what confused her was what he whispered in her ear.

*"Be careful Ruth. I will always protect you!"*

She knew Thea also heard him as she stood right beside them. But when she looked at her friend questioningly, she pretended that she did not notice anything.

'Why is everyone acting strange aroune me?' She questioned.

Soon they reached Thea's home. Ruth wanted to go back to her home and meet Mr and Mrs Payne. But they assured her that they would be fine and she should live a little.

So she agreed to stay at Thea's house for the night when her friend asked.

"Girls, do not stay awake till late in the night and sleep early. I do not want either of you to fall ill. And Thea, don't you dare tell Ruth your horror stories.

Or poor girl could not sleep the whole night." Mrs Green warned her daughter.

"She tells horror stories?" Ruth asked in surprise.

"Yes, Ruth. She scared her cousin and after that the boy has never stepped a foot in this house again."

"Father! I was ten years old at that time." Thea groaned, rolling her eyes at her parents.

"If she does anything stupid then do not hesitate to call me." Mrs Green whispered in Ruth's ear, then hugged her wishing her goodnight.

Mr Green also wished the same, and Thea sighed after her parents retired to their room.

"Come now." She called Ruth, who stood in the living room checking her gift box.

"Thea, do you know what is in this box?"

"No, I do not know! Did not Rees told you?" Thea shrugged shoulders.

Ruth shook her head. "No. He only said that this is a special gift only for me. But he did not tell me what it is."

"You can not know if you do not open it."

Thea tossed a nightgown towards Ruth and went into the bathroom to get changed out of her dress.

Ruth tore the paper which was used to wrap the box. She then opened the lid of the box to reveal a locket inside.

With parted lips, she took out the locket from the box. It was a beautiful locket with a blue stone enclosed in a metal cage. The cage was surrounded by a crescent moon that had an intricate design in it.

That silver-coloured locket mesmerised Ruth. Her hazel eyes twinkled with excitement and sheer happiness.

"Thea! Thea come fast!" She could not contain her happiness.

She had never seen such a beautiful piece of jewellery before. She got no gifts except the times when her mother gifted her toys and dresses. It was the first surprise gift she had ever received in life other than the life throwing problems at her face.

"What is-" Thea's annoyed face changed into a surprised one.

She knew what was in that box, and she also knew who had sent that gift for Ruth. But she had not seen the locket herself before. And now that she had seen it, she could not take her eyes off of it.

"Oh My God! Ruth, this is gorgeous!" Thea ran and grabbed the locket from Ruth's hand.

"Is not it?! But what is this blue coloured stone in it?" Ruth asked curiously.

Thea knew what it was, but she did not know how it would work.

" I do not know Ruth. How can I know?"

"Rees must have mentioned it to you. Try to remember." Ruth urged her friend.

"Ruth! Stop fussing over nuisance things. Whatever the stone is, it does not matter. Come on, turn around. Let me put it on for you." Thea turned Ruth around, so she was facing the mirror.

Ruth pulled her hair up and Thea tied the locket securely around her long neck. Leaving the hair down, Ruth stared at her reflection in the mirror.

She could not help but admire the locket again and again. It was not only its beauty, but something about it enchanted her.

"Rees was right that it is only for you, Ruth!" Thea commented with a smile.

Ruth smiled back. "Where he might have found it. It looks like he has spent some time finding this locket."

Ruth wondered why Rees gave such a beautiful gift to her and not to Thea.

"I do not know where he found it. But I think the buyer must have spend a bunch of time looking for it."

"Buyer? You mean Rees has not bought it?"

Thea realised how she let her tongue slip from the track.

"Ruth, I am very tired. Go get freshen up and come for the sleep." Thea scampered away and crawled into her bed.

Ruth shook her head at her friend. Before leaving for the bathroom to change her clothes, she could not help but brush her fingers on the pendant.

"This is the most beautiful gift I have ever recieved till now. Thank you!"

The only thing Ruth did not know was she was thanking the wrong person.

*

*

*

Edwin tossed and turned in his bed. Its softness that was nothing less than heaven for many was not comforting enough for his restless mind.

His mind kept wandering to only one woman with hazel eyes. He waited anxiously to hear from Rees. He wanted to know if Ruth received his gift or not.

'Has she liked the locket? Has she wore it?' He wanted to know.

After Lester opened his eyes that Ruth could be saved, and Edwin had to find a way to protect her from his archnemesis instead of weeping around, he again asked Rees to bring him the Black book.

The book had an answer to his every question.

He then ordered that special blue coloured stone and chose the pendant design by himself. He did not only wanted that locket to protect Ruth, but he also wanted it to remind her of a part of him. That was why he requested the addition of the crescent moon in the design.

The blue coloured stone was a powerful mineral that he got from a clan of witches. They prepared the stone with their ancient rituals and ways. It had the power of keeping the other supernatural creatures away from her.

Especially the Vampires.

He could not have someone to keep watch on her always. He needed something to protect her at the least till he came to her rescue if the time comes.

His mind was all over the place. The dark clouds did not budge from their place. The moon and the stars had disappeared behind them.

Edwin took the brown cloth again and kept staring at it.

~"Master!"~

Edwin felt Rees's voice knocking on the doors of his mind. He opened it to let his mind get connected with his.

~"Rees! I am listening.~" Edwin did not want to sound desperate, but he knew he had clearly failed.

Rees recited the whole incident of the dinner at his house. Edwin listened to him carefully. He especially paid attention to the details that were related to his mate.

He could imagine how beautiful she must have looked in that light green dress. Her toffee brown hair, her hazel eyes, her cupid's bow-shaped lips- everything was so vivid in his memory that he could see her smiling in front of his eyes.

~"Have you given her the locket?"~ Edwin asked.

~"Yes, Master. I gave it to her."~

Rees deliberately did not explain further. He wanted his master to ask first. He could enjoy a little tease, could not he?

~"Well?"~ Edwin did not want to show his eagerness to hear more, but his bodyguard was a foolish man who was enjoying his awkwardness.

~"Pardon?"~

Edwin could imagine Rees smirking, and he decided to wipe that smirk off his face the first chance he gets.

~"Did she liked it?"~ Edwin asked carefully.

A victorious grin stretched on Rees's face. ~"I do not know Master. She did not open the gift in front of me. She told that she will open it after reaching home."~

~"Home?"~ Edwin nearly jumped out of his bed.

How could be she so dense to walk her home this late in the night? She was supposed to stay at Thea's home, then why-

~"I mean Thea's home, Master."~

Edwin sighed hearing that. He wanted to know how she liked the locket, but it seemed that he needed to wait to know that.

~"Okay. I will see you tomorrow and remind me to wipe that smirk off your face. Good night!"~