Hidden Truths - Ethan

23 - The Prelude

The ritual couldn't be less of a farce. As the minister of ethical affairs, I need to sentence Charles Holmwood into banishment. My speech is official but there is little I can say about his deed, about the loss he feels maybe.

I hand over the word to the Frog and he announces the banishment of the second criminal tonight before I step aside and start my path to Eve. She stands in front of the rows of guards we brought with us. Unbuttoning my uniforms jacket I can see her raising her eyebrows in confusion. The only people who know about the second criminal are the council members and Lyall.

I take off my jacket and lay it over Eve's shoulders, giving her a warm smile. I really hope she will be fine and that I was able to teach her enough to stand her ground against so many men.

"Ethan?" she asks silently, but I only drag her into my arms for a short but necessary hug.

"Take care of Tristan," I whisper into her ear before I let go of her with her mouth half open. Nodding to Lester and Lloyd behind her they come to stand on her left and right.

"It's about time. Don't disappoint her," I tell them and both of them nod in understanding. They are my best men. Who else would I choose for protecting Tristan and her?

I light myself a cigarette before rolling up my sleeves and finally coming to stand next to Mister Holmwood. Taking my stance as a guard I puff up and take a look at the guy next to me.

"Guess we share more than the two of us thought," I keep on smoking, while the Frog finally starts his speech.

"Our second criminal tonight is Ethan Vinge. He is sentenced for his crimes against humanity and as a consequence of neglecting his duties. He got caught in the act of enslaving, torturing and finally killing."

While the Frog keeps on talking I recall the happenings in my head.

***

Celeste opens her door and welcomes me before she heads back to the open wardrobe. She is still dressed in her night gown but she already readied her ginger hair into a bundle of locks on the back of her head.

"I guess you are not just here to see me, darling," she mentions before she slips her gown over her shoulders, showing me her bare backside. I have to roll my eyes.

"I can't tell you too much as of yet, but there are some rogue vampires in the city," she says rummaging around in her closet.

"There always has been at least one," I smirk and take a step into the room. "There is really nothing you can tell me?"

"We have a thread to follow, but it's pretty thin," she sighs. "I found out about some missing crewmembers and passengers on two boats that arrived in the last couple of weeks. One is the clipper 'Queen of Nations' and a Dutch fluyt by the name of 'Utrecht'. The Dutch use the funniest words, don't they? It even was detained for quarantine for some time and both of them had a route that just led them back from the West Indies."

The smirk slips out of my face. That's not nothing, but also not too concrete information. "Cassy, did you look through the passenger's lists and find Charlotte or that Charles Holmwood?" I take another few steps closer to her, not caring about the fact that she is not fully dressed.

She turns around, hiding her naked body leisurely behind two dresses. "Not yet, I will get the lists tomorrow but one man is on the road to Liverpool. I'm not sure he will be back at the same time. Now – tell me, green or yellow?" switching the dress in her right hand with the one on her left and giving me a glimpse of her body.

"Green," I say automatically but slightly shake my head irritated after my intuitive answer.

"You know that they probably used different names, right? Eventually, I will need to check every name on the lists and that includes finding out where those people vanished after they left the ship."