My Master (intersex x woman)

Chapter 7 - V for...

The queen released a breath, eyes wondering the gruesome scene before her. Men lay deceased with black blood leaking from their wounds. She could sense that the young blonde was nearby, and shortly after called out to her. Emily stood, now fully visible from whatever hiding space she'd been in.

After introductions, Annabelle welcomed the witch hunter to her not-so-humble abode. It was unsettling, watching Tristan's eyes give the blonde a double take. So unsettling in fact that she had to fight the urge to gouge the mans eyes out.

"Why do you never listen? I asked you to stay put." she whispered, studying the girl's petite form. Although she was covered in specs of the disgusting, black blood, a smile tugged at her lips at the thought of what they'd done earlier that morning; before it all went to shit.

Annabelle felt herself wishing she was back in bed, where things seemed almost perfect. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay." the blonde whispered back as Tristan trailed close behind them.

"Don't mind me, I cant hear a thing." The witch hunter whistled, glancing at the well decorated walls of the wide Victorian era hallway.

Emily's cheeks were red, embarrassment flooding her senses at the thought of someone else hearing her little confession. She avoided the hybrid's gaze, eyes stuck to the floor as she walked.

They arrived at the doors of the study, Annabelle stepping aside for Tristan to enter. She gave a glance behind her at the petite blonde waiting eagerly to be let in. The woman sighed, allowing Emily to stroll into the room. It was much colder in the study than she'd remembered. Annabelle's eyes drifted to the open window; a brow raised in question. It was unusual for the window of her study to be opened at all.

The thoughts were chased from her mind when Victoria barged in, Geoffrey trailing behind her.

"Where the hell were you?" Annabelle asked her brother with arms folded.
"I was...indisposed."
"You were indisposed while you sister, and your queen was being attacked?" she scoffed
"Well, I was obviously not aware. Apologies." An attitude was thick on his tongue.
"You've seen what's been happening around here, is it really the time to be gallivanting around?"
"Do you really want to get into whose been gallivanting dear sister?" his knuckles cracked as his hands balled into fists. "The one who has been entertaining this rat of a human under the castle roof for weeks now?" he sneered.

Annabelle reached for him, her hands grasping at the air beside his cheek when Victoria stood between them. "We really don't have the time for in-fighting." She dead panned.

It surprised Victoria to see the queen's reaction to her brother's dig. IT was a statement Annabelle would have made about any human herself, but it seemed to have struck a nerve. She'd noticed the small changes in Annabelle, a little more affection, a little more kindness. The small glimpses she caught almost reminded Victoria of how Annabelle had been in the beginning.

It made her jealous, but it also gave her hope that perhaps the mean, miserable woman Annabelle had become was just a stony exterior. That the kind, funny, romantic was still somewhere in hiding.

"Well," Tristan broke the silence. "How about a drink?" The man pulled a small, silver flask from the inner pocket of his coat, taking a large swig of what smelled like strong spirits. "Nothing like a shot of gin after killing possessed werewolves."

Emily's eyes widened. Was that what it was? Possession?

"So that's the actual conclusion now?" Victoria quipped. Tristan fingered a map that seemed to have been folded a million times and unravelled it, laying it out on Annabelle's desk.

"Based on what you've told me, and what information I managed to gather on my way here. I've found a pattern."

The map had circles around different areas. He grabbed a pen that lay on the table, drawing a circle around the castle's location on the map. Emily's hand moved, seemingly on its own, taking the pen and connecting the dots in a pattern.