Vermilion

Chapter 31

On the third day of their journey back to London, Equetaph reached the Corbett House at dusk. The marquess and his sons poured out from the front of the mansion and met the carriage he drove. He pulled the horses to halt, went down, put down the steps, and opened the carriage's door. Cautiously, he helped Miranda alight.

"Father," Miranda said when she had thanked him.

"For Heaven's sake, where have you been?" the marquess boomed then turned to him, "you ought to explain!"

Not intimidated, Equetaph motioned the footman to gather the lady's portmanteau. "Lady Miranda must take her rest, please do wave her inside Lord Deverill."

With his thick silvery brows knitted, he glanced at his sons who tacitly led their sister inside. Matthew was left behind his father.

"My Lord Zachary Middleton asks for your forgiveness, Lord Deverill for his impudence of taking your daughter's hand without paying his addresses."

"Where is that man?!" the marquess asked impatiently.

"He is left to continue his sojourn in a distant inn. He sent the lady back for he deemed she is safer with his family than with him. If he is not to return alive within the month, my lord asks to deliver the news to his wife in a way that it shall not take toll on her delicate condition."

"I know that," the marquess snapped.

"Lady Miranda carries their child and needs not to be distressed. My lord asks for forgiveness," Equetaph ended and perfunctorily bid his farewell then drove the carriage out of the mansion's lane.

The news of his daughter's pregnancy completely took the mad words out of him. Matthew was as taken aback as his father. All they managed to do was to gaze on the carriage until it disappeared from their sight.

With no plans of dallying in London, Equetaph jumped up from the carriage he drove and cut through the wind. If he would not stop, he would get back to his son. He should be alert and arm himself for the armistice ends when he set foot near Zachary. Pelferous was already there and just waiting for him to come. The red-haired demon may be so volatile but the truce would hold down his urges to harm Zachary. The truce could protect his son temporarily.

His shoe touched a chimney and his suit changed into a cloak when he soared on the moonlit sky. He moved better with it than with the garments of mortals. The mortal fabric could hide their smell as demons but it would not conceal the distinctive nuance of their kind. Even in the streets of London, he knew some walkers noticed his movements, especially that he took off his mortal clad.

His situation was twice precarious every moment for he himself is a fugitive. He is still fortunate that no pure demon is assaulting him until to this moment.

Cariathe saw the swift shadow passed over the roof of the shop he had been in. He tipped his head to peek out from the carriage. The aura is tainted; it meant that it was the demon condemned by the Book of Laws. Unfortunately, he could not bestow judgment this night for he was about to attend a ball. Since his favorite red demon left, his nights went amiss.

***

"All of you, run out!" Zachary shouted as he leaned down on the rail looking down on servants and guests.

"Eh? Why m'lord?" the beef-beard sturdy innkeeper asked from below.

"If you wanted to live, vacate this inn," Zachary said with seething anger from the stubbornness. The people exchanged bemused looks and were silent. "Out with you!" he boomed to the people who were startled with his vehemence and they started to scamper out of the inn. He started on his feet to the stairs to descend.