A MAZE OF GREED

Darius was strolling in the garden of the Garfield mansion. Today the Sun shone in the sky, its warm rays made the atmosphere pleasant. The garden was a spacious space, designed in detail.

Darius nor Ambrose was a big fan of plants and flowers, but Aurora loved flowers. This garden was not a part of the mansion before. But for likings of his wife, Ambrose later added it about hundred and twenty years ago.

Darius ran to this garden every time he had arguments with his parents. This place was his gateway of escape from reality.

Since he had returned from Ripon's oath ceremony, his mind was all over the place. He had many new queries and also new probabilities.

The most surprising fact was Edwin O'Dell was as cool as cucumber, even after seeing Darius. He knew that man loathed him, and given the other circumstances, he would not have thought twice before separating his head from his body.

Then why was he silent? He even seemed... worried.

-"She must be hungry too. She has not eaten anything in a long time."-

Darius was sure that Edwin was talking about some woman. Who that might be?

Edwin's strained relations with his uncle and aunt were not a surprise anymore. Darius had witnessed enough to know that Edwin would care less even if his aunt die due to hunger.

Then was it Eloise or Elsie?

Darius plucked a rose from a nearby plant. Smelling its fragrance, he rolled the flower's stem between his fingers, careful of the sharp thorns.

He scoffed at the possibility of Eloise not eating food. A couple of times, that Darius had met that woman, she always had something stuffed in her mouth. She was unlikely of her not eating food.

Then only one woman remained who was most important for Edwin amongst them. No matter how indifferent Edwin behaved, everyone who had kept a close tab on him knew how much he loved his younger cousin. She was his bias.

"Hmm... that made sense." Darius mumbled while playing with the rose in his hand.

Edwin must be talking about Elsie, Darius concluded.

He then again lifted his hand up to inhale the sweet fragrance of the rose when something struck him.

The previous night of the ceremony, when Darius met Lester, he did not find Edwin around. In the early morning, when Darius again did not find Edwin with Lester and Lord Augustus, he sneaked into Lester's bedroom.

He did not have anything particular in mind, he just wanted to check if he could get his hands on something crucial.

But all he got were someone's dirty clothes. Darius was disgusted by the fact that people actually wore such dirty clothes. But why were they in Lester's room?

Darius was about to leave when he smelled something. Something flowery and as sweet as honey tasted to human's taste palate. It was human blood. Darius was sure about it. He picked up the shirt and sniffed it to his heart's content.

His fangs came out, his hunger grew bigger and bigger by that scent. Before Darius could lick that blood, he felt someone's presence around. He threw that shirt again on the floor where it previously was and sneaked out of that bedroom in search of food.

He discarded hat memory, thinking those must be Lester's clothes. He was too drunk last night and might have fallen on his way back to his room.

But now that Darius thinks of it, he had two questions on his mind.

One- Whose blood was that and, how does it come on those clothes?

Two- What was Edwin doing wearing those clothes.

Yes, Darius was sure that they were not Lester's but Edwin's clothes by the size of the shirt!

He smirked, looking at the rose in his hand. Maybe he should not let this thing side away.

Feeling content, Darius's mood uplifted drastically. He walked towards the mansion and took the way that led to the room of his most favourite person.

Darius opened the door without a knock on it. As expected, the curtains covered the windows, not letting in any light. He found Lisa sitting on the bed, her back facing him.

She did not read, did not engage her mind in anything. She sat alone all day in the dark, lost in her thoughts. Every time Darius asked her what was going on in her mind, her answer was- Thinking about the ways to kill you.

He had stopped asking her after getting bored of hearing the same asnwer.

For Lisa, anything that may distract her mind from her goal was dangerous. And her goal was killing Darius Garfield.

Darius walked to her and snaked his hand around her chest. He kissed her temple intensely. Lisa did not feel anything. No tingles, no fear, no lust. She had become numb to any of those emotions.

The only thing that reminded her of aliveness was her hatred for this monster.

"Why do you keep the curtains closed? You should open the windows. It is pleasant outside." He said while rubbing his nose on the length of her neck.

"I do not want the light to seep in. The darkness is better and soothing." She replied monotonously.

"Why?"

Darius knew that her answer would not be something he would like. Yet he could not stop himself from asking her such questions.

"The light means hope, positivity. A hope of better tommorrow. And I do not want any hopes to born in me. The darkness keeps me reminding of my vengeance, the negativity that has grappled me, defeated every ounce of positivity in me."

Darius sighed.

"Do not you get tired of this negativity Lisa. You were not like this when I found you. You were that young girl with flowing enthusiasm and bright ambitions. What happened to that Lisa?" Darius asked, turning her to face him.

Her eyes that used to be so lively before, were now as still as stagnant water.

"You killed that Lisa long ago Darius. What you see now and relish as much as you want is just a corpse."

Darius was not remorseful. He did not know what that meant. He had never learned that in his entire existence. Ignoring her comment, he offered her the rose that he had plucked from the garden.

Darius expected a change of expressions on her face but was soon met by disappointment. That girl had lost any interest in such things.

She took it from his hand. Running her fingers on its red petals, she felt their silkiness under her skin. She brought it near her nose and inhaled a long breath, closing her eyes.

"This smells good!" She said.

At least there was something humane remained in her.

"It reminded me of you so I brought it for you." Darius said while playing with her long strands.

"I also reminded of someone else too, do not I?"

"I am in a good mood, Lisa. Do not spoil it and undress for me." Darius said, knitting his brows in the middle of his forehead.

"What made your mood good? Found another Lisa? Or another Grace?" She asked, raising her brow.

"Lisa!" Darius thundered, his dark eyes turning red.

She waited, she waited for him to do something... anything.

"I wonder why do not you kill me? I resemble Grace, but that can not be the only reason, right?"

Darius had spilt Grace's name in the heat of the moment, and Lisa had engraved that name in her mind. She was curious to know who Grace was and what happened with her? Was she another of his pet like her?

So to get the truth through his mouth, Lisa did not miss any chance of poking him. Besides, her interest picked up every time he gets disturbed by the mention of Grace's name.

"Should not you be thankful for that?" Darius's mood was already soured by Lisa.

"No. But I will make sure that you will regret it!" She said casually.

Darius fisted her hair and brought her face near him. He was always amazed how she had no fear in her eyes.

"What do you think about me Lisa? I want to hear the truth." He hissed, his red eyes piercing through hers.

"After all these months, you finally cared to ask me this?!"

Darius tugged at her hair painfully, but she did not flinch. She only glared at him, matching his hot gaze.

"I think that you are a useless prince of a rich family. You got everything served on a silver spoon. You do not have your own identity. Trust me Darius, not even that servant- Marcus- respects you.

You are still a child to them... a foolish kid. You will always live under the shadows of your parents. How sad it will be when the future leader of the Vampires act like a puppet in his parents' hands?!"

Lisa tsked tauntingly, then laughed loudly.

Darius shook in anger. She had hit him on the right spot!

He grasped her hand with his free one. Pressing her fingers onto the thorns of the rose she held in her hand, he smirked devilishly, showing his pearly white teeth.

"It does not matter what you think of me Lisa. Because soon you will reaslise that Darius Garfield is not someone to be meessed with."

"What are you planning to do?" Lisa scoffed.

Darius planted a kiss on the corner of her mouth. Pulling back from her, he smiled. "I have already began implementing my plan sweetheart!"

Now Lisa was serious. "What is your plan?" She asked with furrowed brows.

This time, Darius laughed loudly. As Lisa observed him, he looked harmless and even innocent at that moment. She wished he was not as evil as he was. She wished he was a normal person.

Perhaps then she might not have hated him. She might have even fallen for him. If only he was... normal!

"Sorry sweetheart, a magician never reveals his tricks. But trust me, the end of the man you admire is nearing FAST!" Darius whispered the last word to give it a dramatic effect.

Lisa was confused. The man she admired?

The wheels in her brain ran faster, and then it hit her.

"You mean Edwin O'Dell?"

Darius smiled brightly and pulled her on his chest, capturing her mouth in a punishing kiss.

"You are a smart girl, Lisa!" He mumbled somewhere in between the kiss.