The Harvest of Souls

CHAPTER 53

ASTURIAN ISLAND

19.02.8462 - 11:00 AM

The day had started busy in the Asturian Manor. Nair was running back and forth in the kitchen, which had received four new stoves the day before, taken from the storeroom next to the garage. She masterfully commanded her helpers, who had arrived the night before and were greeted with a feast Nair prepared. The old lady used the banquet to present the assistants with the dishes they should prepare the next day. Some of the meats had been marinating for three days. The next day's lunch, on the other hand, was something quick and concise, a variety of pieces of bread brought from Ástur and cold cuts that the helpers nibbled while they set up the mise en place, cooked the beans, desalted the dried meat, among other preparations.

The only time the Royal Yacht of Asturias went to sea was when a large number of people were invited to the Island. Richard sent news to Nair, telling that the Yacht had already arrived in Ástur, and the guests were embarking on a journey of just over three hours. The Regent of Asturias himself was the commander that sought his guests in a port north of Ástur.

"Hosts!" Nair shouted to the kitchen through the mezzanine. "I need that at two PM all of you move to the Port of Asturian Island to welcome our guests. As soon as guests arrive, a small breakfast with bread and cold cuts will be served. You will take with you the retractable tables, benches, and the food that will be served on the harbor beach. The arrival is scheduled for a quarter past fifteen; everything needs to be ready by three o'clock. Got it? Excellent!" Continued Nair. "As we said, the guests were distributed. All of you have the information on where each guest will be hosted. After twenty minutes of the reception, five of you should take all guests to the Villa via the island's subway. The others will take the tables and the food and bring back to the manor using the minivans."

"So we're going to the port in three hours, we set up the whole structure, people arrive, eat, and take the subway to the Vila?" Asked a boy in his early thirties who wore a name tag written Talis Gheorgiy.

"That's right, Talis..," Nair said, giving up on pronouncing the boy's second name. "At night, an hour before the party, you will be under Nayane's supervision, any problems or questions, report to her, ok? You can go back to what you were doing, please."

Nair loved all that mess, loved having hundreds of people on the island, she was also happy that her family was coming to the manor. Richard had instructed that the Manor would be for the exclusive use of family members and Lélia. Nair had already prepared the rooms for Lélia, Marta, Mila, Scarlet, and Mário. Lélia's room was the one that gave less work since she was visiting the Island every weekend. Nair had been so moved by the care Lélia was demonstrating by supporting Vaughan at that moment.

"I need to check on Van," she said remembering Vaughan, as she left the mezzanine to the main hall.

Nair climbed to the fifth and last floor of the Asturian Manor, entering the main corridor of the west wing and then passing through the Atrium and proceeding along the Side Corridor of the West Wing. Nair knocked on the bedroom door and had no return.

"Van," she cried out. "Are you there?"

Nair knocked on the door again, and still, with no return, she tried a third time. After five times, her heart started to race. She began to remember the day she had found him almost lifeless at the hotel in Kotakahuana, and her hands began to shake.

"Van, I'm entering," she said, opening the double doors.

Nair came across Vaughan: all dressed in black, a long skirt and boots. He was wearing sunglasses and was lying on his bed with red and golden sheets. Nair went to his friend to observe that beneath the long black hair was a brown headphone. The relief and anger at the fright were so great that Nair tore the headphone from Vaughan's head and screamed.