A MAZE OF GREED

"Darius please tell me where are we going?" Lisa asked for the seventh time since he had told her to pack her things.

They were riding his favourite horse through the forest of the Kinsville.

The horse came to a halt, and before Lisa could ask anything, Darius jumped down it. Lisa was scared to sit alone on the back of that animal, but Darius did not care about it. He walked ahead for some distance and stopped at a tree.

Lisa did not understand what was he doing. Did he need to pee or something?

But to her surprise, a man stepped out from behind that tree. By his clothes and the way he carried himself, Lisa figured that he must be someone very respectable personality from the elites.

She saw both men discussing something with seriousness. She felt over conscious when the old man's eyes met hers for a couple of seconds before he turned his attention back to Darius.

The man patted Darius's arm in encouragement, and after then, he again disappeared behind the tree while Darius walked back to his horse.

After he mounted again on the horse, they began racing to get out of the Kinsville.

"Who was he?" Lisa asked.

"You do not need to know." Came Darius's curt reply.

Lisa had noticed how his behaviour was changing towards her. He was mean and heartless, cruel even. He had given her such deep wounds that she had pledged for his downfall at the price of her freedom and life.

But he was always attentive towards her. He was caring even at times. He liked to get on her nerves, talk to her for hours and listen to her too. But things had begun changing for some time.

Blame it on Lisa's jealousy or her instincts, but she could not help but connect this change with that hazel-eyed woman Darius had mentioned to her many times.

Lisa prayed that she was not someone related to Edwin O'Dell or worse, someone dear to him. Perhaps that was the real reason why Darius was so intrigued by her.

Whatever it was, she did not like the way Darius acted cold towards her.

She needed him wrapped around her little finger if she wanted to get him to his end.

Darius had his mindset on one thing. And he needed Lisa for that. Otherwise, he would never have involved her in his business, especially when his father was getting suspicious of his motives.

Hilton came to warn Darius about that only. He told that Ambrose was interrogating and spying on Darius's loyal. He warned Darius to be careful with every step he chose to take.

Ambrose Garfield was not the kind of person even the werewolves liked to mess with.

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By the time the crowd dispersed, and the O'Dell family went to their respective chambers, knowing well that the sleep was not going to come to them, it was already dawn breaking outside.

Thea took Ruth out by saying she would accompany her home, but she cleverly changed their path towards the old building.

Ruth did not question as she had a fair idea that Edwin would like to have a good conversation with her after the fiasco that had happened.

"Thea?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you mad at me?" Ruth asked after the silent treatment she received from her.

Thea shook her head. "I am not mad at you Ruth, a little upset perhaps. I do not understand how you find one way or another to land yourself in the middle of the storm."

Ruth sighed, rubbing her hands nervously. "I am trying to figure out the same but to no avail."

Thea knocked on the metal door of the old building, exactly following the same beat that Rees had taught her. The door was opened by a guard and the two women entered inside through it.

The guard told them to get on the second floor, where Edwin and others were waiting for them.

Thea knocked on the door before opening them. Lester, Rees and Edwin were inside waiting for them. Edwin had sent Elsie and Ida in the manor to keep an eye on Theodora, Augustus and other people.

Thea went to sit beside her husband, and Ruth had to sit in a chair that faced others.

"Are you alright Ruth?" Rees asked in concern.

She nodded her head. She avoided looking at Edwin. Why? She herself did not know.

"Look at me!" As if sensing her attempt, he demanded.

Ruth slowly looked up at him to find that cold facade again masking her man.

"You know what you have done right?" Edwin asked.

He could not understand if he was angry or worried.

Ruth nodded her head. "But I said the truth."

"But at a wrong place!" Lester added.

That Ruth had to agree. She could not keep on defending herself, knowing well that she was not thinking properly at that time.

"I... I am sorry!"

"Why did you go to meet the physician?" Edwin ignored her apology before asking.

"I... I found a small bottle under the piece of furniture. I smelled the yellowish liquid of it. That was gross! I found the physician's handwriting at the bottom of the bottle so I thought... I thought it belonged to him. So I took it to him. That's all!"

"A bottle?" Rees asked.

"Yes. I do not know what was inside it but it smelled pungent." Ruth made a face.

"What happened then? Was it indeed the physician's bottle?" Lester then asked.

"He checked the bottle and his handwriting on it. Then he came out of his cabin and went straight to the large shelf in the main hall. He opened the... erm... yes... fourth door from the right." Ruth recalled it correctly.

"Then?" Lester prompted.

"Then he searched through the rows of the bottles and stopped when he found an empty space. His face instantly paled. He looked terrified as if... as if he had seen a ghost.

I asked him about it, but he did not answer and thanked me before racing back to his cabin. I was confused and thought to go and try again. But then I thought otherwise and left. I do not know what happened after that." Ruth told the whole story.

Her story pushed the four people in thoughtful silence.

"Ruth did you notice anything out of place, anything that made you suspicious? Did he said anything like a word or a murmur to himself?" Rees asked.

Ruth tried recking her brain for any such details but found none.

"Other than the physician's instantly changed mood, I did not find anything suspicious."

After another minute of silence, Edwin finally spoke. "Alright! Thea take her back home. And Ruth... do not and I mean DO NOT say another word about it to ANYONE. And if anyone forces you then come straight to me. Do you understand?"

The gentle look in Edwin's eyes eased her nerves a little bit. Edwin could still see how badly she was impacted by the physician's death. He wanted to hold her, hug her and tell her that he was there to take care of things and of course her.

But at that moment, he was not her Edwin, he was Edwin O'Dell- the werewolf leader. He could not get his emotions to come in between him and his duties.

"Yes!" Ruth tried to smile, but that did not reach her eyes.

It then struck Edwin. He intended to ask Ruth why she could not sleep. Did she get another nightmare? Or was it another dream that could be an indication of the future?

"Come on Ruth. Let's go." Thea said before Edwin mulled over it more.

The two women left, and now the air in the room tensed again.

"Master, I am telling you. He was the one who poisoned you. And when he got to know that we were searching that issue, he got scared and killed himself. It is a plain suicide!" Rees said. The anger was evident in his voice.

"Rees, sometimes eyes fails to see the truth. We need to consider all the psosibilities." Lester remarked.

Seeing Edwin sitting in silence, Lester asked, "What are you thinking Edwin?"

"First we need to investigate and study the place, especially the shelf that Ruth has mentioned." Edwin said.

"Do you think that the physician had indeed poisoned you?" Lester then asked.

"I am not denying any possibility nor I am inclining to any one particular. I will make a opinion only after getting the proofs. But till then be sure that Ruth doesn't get a whiff about it." Edwin warned.

"Yes, Master." Rees then left, leaving Edwin and Lester alone.

"What are you thinking Lester?" Edwin asked, sensing that his mind was lost somewhere.

"Do you think that Mrs Payne knew about it?"

Edwin was silent at first. But then said, "I do not know. I hope she did not know because if she knew and did not tell us then it will cause her a great trouble."

Edwin said darkly.