Black Blood
Chapter 8

I push a chair back and stand up straight on my heels. Not once do I look at the table as I walk towards the door.

As quickly as I can, I make my way to one of the public restrooms, open the door, and lock it.

I make another attempt to calm down, but it doesn’t help. I feel the contents of my stomach coming up. My esophagus starts to burn from the acid leaving my body. The disgusting taste of vomit fills my mouth and makes me even more nauseous than I already was.

Just when I think my stomach must be empty, another part of me is expelled.

Eventually, my body seems empty and it stops. Exhausted from everything around me, I slide down against the wall, panting from the preceding events.

Normally, I can replace a glimmer of light in the darkness, but now it has completely vanished.

That thought reminds me of the envelope in my cleavage.

With the last bit of strength I have, I bring my hand to the envelope and pull it out of its hiding place. My fingers glide over the black seal with the drawing of a dragon, the seal that only Nora, Tristan, and Viko possess.

Somewhere inside me, I fear the contents of the paper, but my curiosity wins.

My fingers glide over the paper before I make the effort to read it. My eyes briefly wander to the white wall, wondering if I want to know the contents.

With a sigh on my lips, I refocus my attention on the paper and read the words.

00:00, your bedroom, third door on your left-hand side.

I let the words sink in, completely amazed.

Many questions race through my mind with those few words. The timing is strange, the message unclear, and the location vague.

I try to imagine the contents of the rooms, to replace some logic.

The idea of Nora being in the castle is one that I push away quickly. It would be a mortal sin, both for her and for me.

I let my eyes scan the letters one last time before tearing the paper into dozens of pieces. In three laborious attempts, which I attribute to my fatigue, I ignite the pieces in my hand and burn them away until nothing is left but ash. Together with a bunch of toilet paper, it ends up deep in the ground.

Despite my exhaustion, I stand up. If I stay away any longer, Christiaan will start asking questions that I don’t want to answer.

Slowly I open the toilet cubicle and am shocked by the unexpected appearance of Diana.

A quick glance at the toilet bowl, checking that all the pieces are actually gone. My gaze goes back to Diana when I am sure that nothing is showing. Without saying anything to her, I walk over to the sink and start washing my hands.

‘Congratulations.’ Surprised, I look at the woman. She has a smile on her face that I can’t place.

‘With what?’ I ask in surprise.

‘You are sick, which can only mean one thing: you are pregnant.’ My heart seems to stop for a moment, wondering if she is right.