THE HEIR OF BLACKTHORN

CHAPTER 6

6. THE FIGURE

"Did you pray after the nightmare?" she asked, looking at me like I was a business deal she was trying to figure out.

"Yessss, of course, Mum. Why wouldn't I pray?" I said, rolling my eyes. My Mum could ask ridiculous questions at times, like who wouldn't pray after having such a scary nightmare?

"Don't roll your eyes at me. I'm just making sure," she said, giving me a strict don't-mess-with-me face.

"Hope you aren't scared," she said.

I moved my head in no manner. Of course not, I wasn't that scared.

"I'll pray about it too, okay?" she said reassuringly.

"Of course, Mum," I said.

"I'm hungry. What did you make?" I asked, heading to the counter before she could continue more.

"Roast beef with Yorkshire pudding," she said, giving me an eye.

Of course, she knew that I wouldn't be eating any pudding or York-whatever, only the roasted beef. I don't know where you got your taste in food from. It's so not healthy and discouraging.

I dished myself some roasted beef and went to the main dining room to eat, to avoid any further questioning from Mum or any glance of concern, as B would say she gives her.

I sat down, about to call Emily, as Dad's call came in.

"Mum, B, Dad's calling," I shouted from the dining room.

I picked it up.

"Hello, Dad," I greeted after putting a slice of beef in my mouth.

"Hey, Princess. How are you doing, my angel?" Dad asked me, as I heard B running down the stairs.

"Dadddd!" B screamed as she entered the dining room, proceeding to take the phone off my hand.

I rolled my eyes as I gave it to her.

"Wassup, Barb?" Dad asked. I don't know, he sometimes uses slang, or should I say male words, with her. I guess it's because she's a little wild.

"I'm good, Da......no, I'm not. Mum made me feed the dog, Ruper, because of Ixy," she complained, trying to form the pity card.

I rolled my eyes, waiting for Dad's response.

"So Mum asked you to feed the dog as a punishment, and you're making a fuss? Do you prefer washing the dog?" Dad asked.

I could imagine him cracking up as I burst out in laughter. Of course, Dad's my favorite personnnnn. I laughed so hard my belly started to hurt. I could also hear Mum chuckling in the kitchen.

"Daddddd, that's not fairrr!" B complained, stamping her feet on the floor.

"I would have loved it if it were Zain I was asked to feed," she said, pouting.

"Ooh no, not my dog."

"Why? So you could poison him?" I said, making her roll her eyes.

"You did wrong, and you were punished, Barb. That's how it's meant to be. You don't get to choose punishment when you are at fault, and you aren't asked to choose. So you have to be well-behaved and good to avoid punishments. You're all grown up now. You're 14, okay?" Dad advised.

"Yes, Dad, I will.....buh when are you going to be home?" she asked.

"Sooner, okay??" he assured us.

"Okay, Dad," we chorused.

"We love you. Bye," we said again.

"I love you too, my babies. I'll talk to your Mum later. I'm sure she's busy," he said.

"Okay, byeee. Love you," we chorused.

"Byeee," he said as we cut the line.

9:58 p.m. ♧SOMEWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES♧

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

That was the only noise you could hear echoing in what seemed to be like an abandoned office. It would have looked more like a room if there was a bed, or any single thing cozy about it.

But rather, it looked really dark, for even a bat to see. Its air was really toxic. It didn't smell like fresh air at all. A living human wouldn't survive in this room, 'cause they'd be inhaling more carbon dioxide than oxygen.

There was nothing that could be considered a source of light in that toxic space.

But there was a presence in that room, which seemed to face a large, huge curtain, made of black only. Its material quality would have shone so bright if there was a light being reflected at it.

The figure didn't seem to be affected by any toxicity, with how patiently it sat there, staring at the curtains covering the window.

Tap.....Tap.....Tap.....Tap.

The sound kept going, and suddenly, a chair started to swing, making a creaking sound.

Then, all of a sudden, a door creaked open, the door that was the room's entrance. A tiny ping of light seeped through the door, making the presence within the room squeeze its face.

The figure that opened that door stepped in, bowing to the unknown presence in the room.

"What happened.......Raven?" the presence in the room asked with so much authority that it could kill a person.

"I asked for my sleep not to be disrupted," it said, tapping what it held in its hand twice on the chair.

Although, with its attitude or voice, you would think that it was impatient. But the presence was so calm, like it had all the time in the world.

"I'm sorry," the figure [Raven] said, bowing down with utter respect, although he wasn't that scared compared to an average person.

"But it was urgent," he paused, waiting for what might seem to be an approval.

Buh who he was talking to didn't react in the slightest.

"Ezra reported in, a few days ago, about the manor we acquired in the UK," Raven said, and the chair squeaked a little.

"He said that the manor was on private property, but it still had people living around it, and particularly, a family living beside it."

"There would be no one living around the property, you said," the presence reconfirmed a statement Raven made a few days ago, tapping fingers against the chair.

"Yes, that was the information we got from our housing agent over there," he said, trying to justify his statement.