"You may go," Vincent ordered the servant away. What problem could Derek have when he was just sent to deliver a ssage to the man Harold? He made it back ho so what was the need for him to go outside of the gates? "Continue with the apples."
"Shouldn’t we be going to see what Derek wants? It must be sothing important for him to send a ssage instead of coming here on his own. And his ssage said that it is important that I co along. Let’s go, Vincent," Aurora stood up ready to leave but Vincent caught her hand and pulled her back down to her seat. "It must be important and you know that."
"Yes but I am not taking you anywhere outside the gates at this ti of the night. It’s too dangerous," he took up the first slice of the apple she made and placed it in his mouth.
Aurora stood back up again disagreeing with staying here. "Then it’s all the more reason to go and help Derek before he encounters danger. If you won’t take , I will find a way to sneak out and get there myself. Isn’t it better to go with to make sure I don’t get into trouble?"
"I’m thinking it’s a better idea to tie you up and leave you in your room. And I’m going to kill Derek for whatever problem he brought back with him. Fine," Vincent sighed. There was still so light in the sky and the lanterns lit around the community would offer more light to watch out for danger. Derek better had a good reason for why Aurora needed to tag along. "John," he called to his butler who stood in the shadows away from him and Aurora.
Aurora was surprised to see a man appear behind her. "Has he been there the entire ti? Has he been ho with all day?!" She exclaid.
"He was there when we had dinner yesterday. John doesn’t like to be seen and does his job quietly. He also cannot speak," said Vincent as he took a coat from John for Aurora. "John, send a ssage to Jane to et at the gates right away. Go now."
Aurora looked around the ho to see if there were any more people hiding in the shadows and what else she had missed. "I can’t believe I missed a whole person just standing there. Is there anything else I should know about?"
"I prefer surprising you," Vincent said as he placed the coat on Aurora. He had forgotten to ntion the butler in the house but figured John and Aurora would’ve crossed paths by now. "After you," he said, opening the front door.
"I don’t like surprises," Aurora mumbled, fixing the large coat to fit her better. A lesson learned she needed to pay better attention to her environnt or the next surprise might be the one to cost her life.
Vincent left Aurora alone for a mont to go get his horse as a walk to the gates would be a long one. He quickly returned to Aurora and helped her get onto the horse, then hoisted himself up, and set off to et Derek.
When the two of them approached the gates, they were still wide open but the ti for them to close would be here in a few minutes. Vincent handed the horse to a guard and held Aurora’s hand to lead her out the gates.
Aurora being the curious person that she was, took this ti to inspect what outside the gates looked like as she had been asleep the first ti when Vincent brought her through them. Lanterns were strategically placed to light up every inch of darkness near the gates. Guards walked back and forth keeping their eyes on the outside and appeared nervous now that Vincent was here.
She followed behind Vincent as he sniffed the air to follow Derek’s scent.
"Over here Vincent," Derek called from behind a tree. His palms were becoming sweaty and his body prepared for death now that Vincent was here. "Hello, again Aurora!"
"Take them back," Vincent said without greeting his friend. He sensed two tiny humans nearby and he liked to believe Derek had not forgotten the rules.
"Take what back?" Aurora asked, confused by what Vincent ant. She looked at Derek and saw him with nothing.
"Well, I was sent to do a task in the human town and upon leaving I happened to save so children. When I tried to leave they kept following and now..." he pointed to the young girls peeping at them from behind a tree.
"You’re an idiot," Vincent scolded him. It couldn’t have been that hard for Derek to send the girls sowhere instead of allowing them to follow him.
"You’re the bigger idiot for sending to the town when you don’t trust ," Derek replied to Vincent’s insult.
"Are they hurt?" Aurora asked leaving Vincent’s side to check on the girls. She approached the tree the girls were hiding behind and got down at their eye level to greet them. "Hi. Are you two hurt anywhere?"
"No," the older girl shook her head and pushed her younger sister behind her. "Are you nice?"
"I like to think I am. My na is Aurora. What are your nas?" She asked while looking around their bodies to see if they were truly okay. They were in need of a warm bath and food.
"Why on earth can’t you be more like her?" Questioned Derek, watching Aurora being a saint to the two children while Vincent wanted to send them back. "I heard sothing pretty interesting about the Hamiltons and children when I saved them. The man I killed said he was hired by the Hamiltons to kidnap children. He has no idea what for but I have a feeling it’s not for them to help save the children."
"Hmm," Vincent agreed with Derek. He found it odd the Hamiltons were taking children. He watched Aurora speaking with the two young girls and rembered sothing. "Get the entire history of the Hamilton family. More than what we already have."
"Why? Do you think it has sothing to do with why they want the children?"
"Just a hint that we’ll find sothing if we look there. When do you plan to take back these children? The gates will shut soon and you’ll have to leave right away to have them back by the morning," Vincent said, not changing his mind about the children being welcod.
As the leader, he needed to ensure everyone followed the rules and there was no favoritism. "You have two minutes before the gates close. Are you taking them back or making them walk back on their own?"
"How can you be so heartless?" Derek truly believed Vincent had no heart or soul. How could he suggest the children walk back on their own?
"Why did you need Aurora to tag along when this has nothing to do with her? You’re getting her involved in unnecessary things. Don’t do it again," Vincent warned his friend. He allowed her to co this one ti but going forward he’ll stick to the tie her up plan. It was just entertaining to see her thinking sneaking away was a threat to him since she could not go too far without him finding her again.
"Technically, you didn’t have to bring her along and I didn’t think you would. I said to bring her so that you won’t hurt with her around. Smart right?"
"No, because I am on the verge of strangling you so don’t push your luck. I invited soone to do the job for . You have so explaining to do to her," Vincent stepped forward leaving Derek to sweat now that Jane was here.
"Why are you outside the gates Derek? Shouldn’t you have been ho a long ti ago? Why are there two human children here?" Jane asked after getting a whiff of the air and slling the girl’s scent. It was then she noticed a tree was blocking the children from her sight.
"Well, you see the thing is-"
"He brought back two children with him," Vincent said since Derek was having a hard ti saying what he did.
"Didn’t you step away to give the two of us so privacy? Can you please mind your business, Vincent?" Derek asked Vincent knowing he was taking joy in seeing him nervous in front of his wife. It wasn’t easy to tell her that he ssed up but at least it was to save children. Jane liked children.
"I hope those are random children and you didn’t bring back any children you fathered when you were sent to the human towns," Jane started looking for any similarities between the children and her husband. Why else would he break the rule to not bring humans to their ho?
"The second option is a possibility," Vincent spoke up to help dig Derek a deeper grave. Derek ruined his evening and now he was returning the favor.
"Vincent," Derek whined because of how evil his friend was. "You’re going to get killed. I swear on my life Jane, these are not my children."
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