“In the Japanese language, a –dono is a form of honorific that has similar meanings to lord or master in English?”
“Yes,” Zach said.
“Miro-dono, eh?” Uncle George asked. “You said she’s most likely a shifter from the east?”
Zach nodded. “Undoubtedly. She has the features. I also felt her life qi during the interrogation.”
Jeremy nodded in agreement. “I did, too. It was strong.”
“Another word… powerful?” Uncle George asked.
Zach nodded. “Very.”
“What type do you think she is?” Jeremy asked his cousin.
Zach thought for a moment and then said, “Considering her features: small chin, large eyes, oval face…”
“And golden hair that isn’t dyed according to the current fashion trend,” Jeremy added.
Zach nodded. “She’s most likely a golden fox.”
Uncle George whistled. “And why would she be in London? Isn’t her kind treated like gods in the Far East?”
“Yes, that is true, but the military are hunting her kind for the sake of war.”
Jeremy said, “Having these Sacred Beasts under the military’s control can change the outcome in combat. There’s no doubt about that.”
Zach said, “Regardless, we can only be grateful that she and Mr. O’Neill didn’t make a fuss during the interrogation. If they had, I can only imagine the worst possible scenario.”
Uncle George asked, “I surmise you have your strategy in place, then?”
Zach’s answer was a nod of his head.
Uncle George seemed satisfied with this. Then a moment later, he asked, “Where is your brother?” He frowned with concern. “That rascal has been missing ever since I arrived. I do hope he isn’t going around making himself useless again.”
By that he meant Connor behaving like a rake and spreading his seed around London, which Uncle George had always disliked. In his opinion, a man should only love and bed one woman, a woman he loved with his heart and soul. Furthermore, Connor was not only a powerful noblesse with the gift of Mind Manipulation, but also a blood alchemist with a strong Claymore trait. To accidently produce a child while unwed would surely complicate things, as very little was known of how these powerful, deadly abilities were passed on from one generation to another.
George himself was neither a noblesse nor a blood alchemist. He was merely a normal man with too much interest in paranormal beings. His beloved late wife, however, had been a blood alchemist, and when their son Jeremy came into the world, neither he nor Elizabeth had known the boy had inherited her ability. Not until they had been out hunting during Jeremy’s fifth birthday party.
“He’s out at my request,” Zach said and chuckled lightly. “I can assure you, Uncle, that Connor isn’t doing anything useless.” Of course, he did not tell their prim and proper uncle that Connor had an eccentric taste when it came to lovers.
“On your request, eh?” Uncle George murmured under his breath. “By the way, Jeremy mentioned we’ll be having guests staying over soon?”
Zach said, “Yes, very soon.”
“Mind telling me who they are? If this plan is going to go ahead, I need to know the ins and outs of it. Not to mention those who are parading around in the house. I cannot have people barging into my laboratory and messing up things, you know. My work is precious to me, especially the new gadget. I tell you, if the prototype works, it’ll make your life a lot easier.”
Zach couldn’t help but smile at his uncle. The elderly man was indeed passionate where his research and inventions were concerned. “There will be a variety of people. Namely actors.”
Uncle George stroked his gray beard and looked rather thoughtful. “Are you going to be putting on a show for all of London to see again?”
Zach chuckled. “Again? Dear Uncle, what do you mean?”
“Ba! Stop pretending, Zach. We all know you are a shrewd young man with too much ability, influence, and intelligence for his own good. You enjoy strategizing and putting plans into action. Indeed, even more so, you enjoy luring your subjects of interest into your trap, making them think they’re in good hands, only to find out later they’re doomed.”
Jeremy laughed. “Father, you make it sound as if Zach is the very devil himself.”
“He is,” Uncle George said, beaming with pride. Technically speaking, he had been Zach’s private tutor in the science and study of blood and its history, and that gave him a role in nurturing Zach’s talent.
“Here on earth and in London, at that. I tell you the queen is damned lucky to have him as one of her Elite.”
Jeremy cocked his head to one side and asked, “And she’s not lucky to have me?”
Uncle George brushed off his son’s query with a wave of his hand. “Mediocre. Mediocre. All you have is your brute strength and your honesty.”
Jeremy laughed wholeheartedly. It may have sounded as though his father were putting him down, but he knew better. When it came to his own son, Uncle George found it hard to give compliments.
The men departed and retired to their rooms a few minutes after that.
In his bedroom, Zach, after finally having his much-needed hot and relaxing bath, got out and donned a bathrobe. Standing before the full-length mirror, he stared at his naked torso, at the side where he had been stabbed on the night of the incident—three days ago.
There was nothing there now. No scar. No evidence of the severe wound caused by a dagger slicing across his skin.
Since he had gained full control of his power and increased his life qi, his healing and regenerating ability had improved tremendously. Of course, he was nowhere near their Uncle Lucian Pendragon, but then again, the man was immortal and viewed as almost a god within the Militia. As for Zach himself, did he one day wish for such a power?
He shook his head at the thought. There were too many burdens, darkness, and loneliness, as he had seen in those brooding eyes of the reclusive man. Zach certainly didn’t want that, not for himself, nor for those he cared about.
“Uncle Lucian.” He murmured the name of the man who had patiently tutored him in the art of Sight Manipulation and so much more in terms of being a noblesse. The man was a second father to him.
That reminded him; he would have to write to the man soon, in their secret codes, of course, to inform him of what had been transpiring here in London and his plan.
Ah, my plan indeed.
He only hoped everything would go smoothly and without complication when he was able to put it into action and his play finally debuted. But of course, Zach knew, as with any mission in the military, not everything went according to plan. Hence, he would have to prepare backup and exit strategies and, of course, improvise on the spot when they were out of options.
He turned from the mirror and headed to the armchair by the brightly lit hearth. There he sat and relaxed. Slowly, he inhaled and then exhaled as his mind cleared. This was how he meditated, how he revived his memories. This was how he fit the puzzle together, how he scanned through the library of scenes of his daily life and rearranged them to form something marvelous, something extraordinary.
From deep within his subconscious mind, in the profound pool of darkness, emerged scenes of incidents he had encountered. They flashed before his mind’s eyes like the flow of calming water in a stream, feeding him with endless possibilities and ideas. He picked a series of the flicks, one in particular dated 17 May, 1883.
* * *
17 May, 1883
It was morning, and Zach was having breakfast with his younger brother Connor, their father, the earl of Middlemarch, and their cousin Jeremy Anderson. As usual, Connor looked extremely bored, while Jeremy was entertained with reading the paper and their father was quietly preoccupied. Zach did not have any doubt their father was worried about the party and wanted it to be a success, especially since King Francisco II was attending.
Nothing eventful happened during the meal as they conversed about the current aff
air highlighted in the newspaper—King Francesco II’s visitation. This was followed by politics and the ongoing war that raged through the European nations, across the peninsula.
Once their father left the table, Connor said, “I will certainly die of boredom if this keeps going.”
This comment drew Jeremy’s attention from the newspaper. “Bored? Today of all days, when it’s Uncle Stephen’s birthday party? And the king of Darnia is the honored guest?”
Connor chuckled. “You know my meaning.”
Jeremy nodded. “Of course. It’s too quiet for my liking, too.”
Zach couldn’t help but agree with his brother and cousin. Nothing had happened in these past three months. Well, nothing of importance that required their input within the Militia, which Zach found rather suspicious.
After breakfast, Zach went out riding in Hyde Park, where, once again, nothing of interest was happening. He encountered and politely greeted various well-known individuals within society.
Later in the afternoon, Zach was getting dressed for his father’s birthday party with the help of his valet Walter.
“You look rather bored, my lord,” Walter said as he tied Zach’s cravat into the perfect knot.
“Do I?” Zach asked.
“Indeed,” Walter said, finishing the final touches. “It looks as if you particularly need some entertainment.”
Zach chuckled. “Am I that obvious?”
“Indeed, sir,” Walter said. “As is Master Connor, who, by the way, has gone to the Red Light District again.”
Zach smiled. “There’s no helping it. He did say he’s bored.”
“What is this?” Connor’s voice came from the door, causing Walter to jolt in surprise in his spot. “Servant talking behind his master’s back, Walter?” There was a twinkle in his eyes as he teased the man who had been serving the family since before Zach and Connor had been born.
The elderly man chuckled and politely said, “I sincerely apologize, my lord. I was just stating a fact to his lordship.”
Connor came to sit on the sofa and made himself comfortable by crossing one leg over the other. “I was bored so I went to the place that eases my boredom. Wouldn’t you do the same?”
“Fortunately, I don’t get bored, my lord,” Walter replied. “My job as Master Zach’s valet is fulfilling enough. Every day for me is indeed a blessing.”
Connor clucked his tongue. “You need to expand your horizon a bit more, Walter. I’m sure serving Zach is the most boring job I could ever imagine.”
Zach eyed his brother through the mirror. “So? Has your boredom been eased?”
Connor chuckled. “Indeed, brother. I found a lovely flower I rather enjoyed teasing.”
Walter noted this was a signal for private talk. “I will dismiss myself now, my lord.”
Zach waved for the valet to leave, and once the door was closed, he came to sit on the sofa opposite his brother. Crossing one leg over the other, he asked, “So what did you find out?”
Connor rolled his eyes. “There’s no hiding from you what I’ve been up to.”
Zach chuckled. “You said you were bored. Nothing entertains you more than masquerading yourself and blending in with the crowd within the depths of the dark world itself. Tell me what’s happening. Why is the Militia so damned quiet these past three months? Are there really no cases or threats to the nation?”
Connor shook his head in the negative. “That’s not the circumstance at all. Rumor on the street is there’s a serial murderer on the loose. More than a hundred bodies were found thus far. They were immigrants, so it’s not surprising they weren’t reported.” He clucked his tongue in disapproval. “These policemen are rather lax in their job, wouldn’t you say?”
Zach asked, “How were they killed?”
Connor thought about this for a moment as he narrowed his eyes, his mind piecing together snippets of information he had heard from the streets. “Some said the bodies were eaten… Bitten… Gnawed by some wild beasts.”
“Here? In London?”
Connor chuckled. “That’s what the rumor is on the streets.”
Zach stared long and hard into the brightly lit hearth. A moment later, he replied, “We’ll have to enquire into it later.”
Connor nodded in agreement.
Later in the evening, when gaslight lamps along the streets glowed enigmatically against the dark backdrop of London, Zach came down the stairs to find servants rushing madly about, trying to get everything ready for the arrival of the guests. The atmosphere had a sort of anticipation and excitement to it, which Zach couldn’t explain. Then at six-thirty, he, Connor, their father, and Jeremy began receiving guests.
It wasn’t long before the king of Darnia, King Francesco II, and Alessandro Creco, conte of Acquaviva Plataniat, appeared on the doorstep, along with a hoard of their Darnian bodyguards. Once his father and Jeremy escorted the two most important guests into the house where the party was in full swing, Zach and Connor were left with the butler and footmen to greet the rest. Soon, the Gascoyne family arrived.
Lady Sara Gascoyne was beautiful and, as expected, turned many heads. To this prominent party, she wore a rich pink gown and her hair was coiffured high on her head. Expensive jewelry adorned her ears, neck, wrists, and fingers, which left no doubt in anyone’s mind that her family was very wealthy indeed. In contrast, her sister Melissa Gascoyne did not wear any jewelry. She preferred instead to wear a simple gown in light grey. Even so, the younger girl looked enchanting, just as outstanding as her older sister.
“The air was wonderful this morning in Hyde Park,” Lady Sara said to Zach once her parents and younger sister had gone inside the house with Connor, leaving her alone to converse with the most eligible bachelor in all of London. Indeed, the catch of the season.
“I had a lovely walk with Melissa.” Then she sighed in dissatisfaction. “But she wasn’t very entertaining, always going on about her interest in the paranormal creatures and such.”
Zach asked politely, “Was she now?”
“Yes.” Lady Sara continued. “Honestly, my lord, how will she ever find herself a husband if she keeps spending her time in the library and burying her nose in books about such vile creatures that do not exist in reality?”
Zach nodded. “But it interested her, no?”
“Well, yes, but that is not the way of our world,” Lady Sara said with a lovely frown on her beautiful face. Then she changed the subject. “But let’s not talk about dear Melissa. The weather, I am sure, will be lovely again tomorrow. I was hoping for a more entertaining walk…”
That was when something interesting happened. Zach caught the glint of gold jewelry against the light, which attracted his attention. He flicked his eyes in that direction and found himself fascinated.
Thin gold chains intertwined with one another, embracing a Jade stone in the shape of a sleeping fox, which was dangling, adorning a slender neck. When Zach let his gaze drift to the face, he felt a sense of warmth caressing his chest, particularly his heart. Something in that unique face fascinated him, and Zach wasn’t sure why. The longer he stared, the more he was intrigued, and indeed, words from Lady Sara flew past him without substance.
Why did that face captivate him so? Was it because the boy was a half-breed? Indeed, a mixture of the east and west was a rare thing. And Zach had always been interested in rarity.
“Lord Yang?” Zach heard the footman ask.
He watched as the boy nodded, causing the earring to dance along with the delicate action.
“Father is not very well, so I came in his place,” Zach heard the youth say in what he knew was a forced Chinese accent. “This is the custom of the English, too, yes?”
Suddenly, Zach felt he wanted to burst out laughing as the boy pretended to look innocent. Clearly, his footmen were falling for the amateur act.
Then Zach’s gaze drifted to the youth’s companions. A beautiful Japanese enchantress wearing an exotic kimono was standing to the youth’
s right, her arm linked with the lad's. To the left stood a Japanese boy who couldn’t hide his excitement at being in such a place, surrounded by such lovely creatures, because his eyes kept drifting toward the various debutants who had just had their coming out that year.
Zach sincerely prayed the boy didn’t encounter his brother Connor, because he knew things were bound to get interesting. But then again, knowing Connor, he’d pick the boy out from the thick crowd in an instant.
Then, of course, there was that bear of a man standing behind the youth like a bodyguard. Dear Lord, did the man know that most of the footmen and, more importantly, the guests kept glancing at him nervously? That they feared he might pound on them at any moment now?
Oddly enough, Zach knew without a doubt that this big man was the least of his worries where this small troupe was concerned. The man might be enormous and intimidating, but Zach felt there was a sort of innocence about him that was hard to miss, almost like a child or a pup. Indeed, there was no threat whatsoever from the man’s life qi, though he couldn’t say the same of the enchanting Japanese woman. She, without a doubt, was powerful and dangerous.
“My lord?” Lady Sara’s voice brought his attention back to her.
“Hmm?” Zach queried the beautiful young lady while he kept an eye on the half-bred youth and his companions.
“Were you listening?” she asked.
Zach could sense the annoyance in her tone and bowed politely. “Would you care to accompany me for a walk tomorrow morning, then, my lady?” he asked with a smile on his handsome face.
Lady Sara brightened up immediately at the proposal and clasped her hands together in delight. “Yes, of course, my lord. That would be marvelous.”
As Zach raised his head, his eyes followed the youth into the house. He quickly returned his attention to Lady Sara. “Shall we enter?”
Lady Sara nodded. “Of course, my lord.” She eagerly took his offered arm, and the pair entered the foyer with the throng of grandly dressed guests.
“I see the party is a success already,” Lady Sara said a moment later, her eyes bright as she looked around with excitement.
The Blood Alchemist Chronicles Page 10
