The Tormented Goddess (5 page)

They opened the door, Edward was leaning on the wall, when they stepped out of the doorway he stood back up and made his way towards them. “There you are, I was begi
nning to think you forgot Me.” e
xclaimed Edward.

“We wouldn't want you to spend the night here wouldn't we Venus?” Mr. Dubois and Edward looked at Venus's face, with a pale face her forced smile rapidly faded away.

“Edward, we sho
uld go back to the hotel now!” s
aid Venus in a hesitating voice.

“But we only got here less than an hour ago; we don't even have all the information for our research yet.” he argued.

“Yes we do it's all in that case your holding.”

“Yes but coming all the way from England for something that could easily have been mailed is simply ridiculous.”

“We will come back tomorrow...” Venus concluded “... till the next time Mr. Dubois.”

Mr. Dubois replied in a snaky fashion “Indeed, till the next occasion my dear.” Venus dragged Edward out far from he
r
so called
friend;
she then came to a sudden halt.

“Edward look at me, never come here without my company, never.” She warned him.

“What are you talking about, it's a museum?”

“Promise me Edward.” She said as she grew paler.

“You look seriously worried Venus, what's the matter?”

“Never mind, let's just leave now.”

“Is it that man, because he surely doesn't seem like the reflection of innocence if you want my opinion?”

“No I do not want it.”

“Want what?”

“Your opinion Edward
…
”

“What was he talking
about;
I just overheard something about tonight.
”
Ignoring him Venus made her way towards the carriage at a fast paste, with Edward following her trying to have his say. “This too you probably do not wish to here, your terribly irritating.”

After hearing this as climbing onto the carriage she turned brusquely around having her face less then foot away from Edward's, and stated in a melancholic tone
“Oh really!”

As brutally silenced was the carriage ride towards the hotel, they arrived promptly in the
mid-afternoon
hours slowed down by the dense traffic of the
world’s
jewel city. Once in their suite, exhausted by the long voyage Edward rapidly found the first armchair in view to sit down. He reached for a new paper and relaxed. Venus seeing his momentary moment of peace hurried over to hand him the content of the wooden box to occupy him, hopefully keeping him busy enough not to wonder of her absence. The sun seamed already to set faster
than
usual, but doesn't it always? At that note she came up with an alibi for her coming disappearance. “Edward...” she started “...I am meeting
someone
later at the reception, it might take some time. So don't come looking for me, you need some good merited peaceful sleep.”
Making her way to her chamber she opened up one of her luggage crater and took out an exquisite black dress, enrobed by gold thread and accompanied by a daring décolleté. She harnessed a new corset and brushed her cheeks with her signature perfume, rose water. Once in the tight non breathable garment she made her escape.

Edward hearing her chamber door open turned around for a clarification on one of the documents but to his surprise she was dressed for no simple rendezvous. Thought unseen Venus hurried out the suite and made her way down to the lobby. Edward puzzled by her overdressed fashion wondered what she might be up to and though he presumed that she might be off to one of her lovers, a highly probable possibility considering her divine beauty, he decided to follow her anyway, besides what harm is there in getting a cup of good strong coffee in the café after he saw where she was up to. The problem was that she did not halt her trip in the reception, no embarking a carriage he took
a taxi
and commanded it to follow Venus's carriage. The fearsome black stallions roared through the night sky, Edward then realised that he was on the route to Versailles. Outside the palace gates he stopped his horseman indicating him that he will continue afoot. Though he had probably no right to follow her in such obsessive manner he wondered
what she was up to in the place she forbid him to go on his own. As he stepped o
ut of the carriage he
handed over the drivers pay
. The old man warned him “B
oy
beware
, the palace is haunted by the old court, some say that who goes in after a full moon never comes out.”

“Thank you for sharing that sw
eet piece of information sir.” a
dded Edward in a troubled confident tone.

“All the better to keep you safe.”
s
aid the horseman, instantly after he whipped his dark beauties and galloped away into a lightless alley.

Edward made his way into the castle through the gardens, the way he learnt that very morning, hoping to draw the least attention as possible. One in the palace he started walking towards the ballroom when all the sudden he heard multiple weathering scream, the cries of a woman begging for her life and then silence. Frozen by the horror of those sounds he stood still as stone but when the noise of footsteps approached he took refuge behind the long velvet drapes that covered the windows. Leaving a creek for his eyes he saw two filthy looking servants dressed in ragged suits from the
seven
teenth century aristocracy carrying a corpse covered by white linen on a mat out of the ballroom. When he thought that he could finally escape from his hiding spot the piercing voice of Mr. Dubois haunted the hallway. As the man walked his voice magnified. Muted by fright Edward did not even dare to breath as Mr. Dubois voice approached him dangerously, the man started commenting on his meal.
“That was succulent!”
e
xclaimed Louis.

“That was a repulsive murder.” Edward immediately recognised the voice, it was now Venus who spoke, but what in the world was she doing with this murderer, thought Edward.

“Well it's not my first.”
l
aughed Mr. Dubois.
“Why are you in such a hurry to perish anyway, you have eternity in front of you, without even needing an energy source.”

“First of all I have my studies to return to, and second of all I feel like a thousand years is long enough for one life time.”
r
eplied Venus.

“That's ridicules, your
century’s
in advance in comparison to those pathetic professors.”

“Stop praising me, it won't change anything between us. Besides my friend you forget that they are older
than
me naturally thus brighter then I, being eternally young
prevent
s
me from attaining such wisdom reserved for the old.
”

Mr. Dubois
sniffed the air giving himself a peculiar smile upon his blackened teeth “And...” he started “...what about your relationship with that Charleston boy?”

“As I told you, he's a classmate of mine nothing else.” Replied Venus, at the mention of his name Edwards blood began to rush madly within him, the little air behind the curtain became suffocating, as he gasped for air with little success he still managed to over here the
conversation. Venus continued to speak “Are you jealous? You know very well that I never loved you, that I am incapable of loving anyone. You have nothing to be jealous of!”

“You love
d
, it just happened not to be me.” Answered Louis, following what he said gave birth to silence, bored by the absence of amusements he reminded himself of the persistent fresh smell in the air and said, “That's quire, it's as if I can smell his flesh at this very instant, I presume it must be imprinted in your clothes my dear.” Knowingly aware of what he was referring to which never took place,
Edwards’s
presence washed her face into a blank expression. Trying to mask the horror of what could take place if he would be found she forced a pitiful smile and stepped into his office.

In the dead kings study Louis handed over to Venus her treasured map, acquired during the dark ages of the medieval times. Holding the map which leads to the island unknown to men with a firm grip she walked out leaving the heartless demon behind in his study. Closing the door behind her she looked around in hope to find Edward, investigating behind every window till suddenly she was pulled behind velvet drapes, the heat was infernal, when her eyes acclimatised to the darkness she saw whom she was looking for. He held both of her arms tightly locked within his grasp and asked her
“What are you doing here?”

“A reciprocal question, b
esides it's none of your business.” She whispered in vain.

“Pardon me but did you not see the corpse they transported, it seemed the woman's fate was worse
than
death.”

“You saw that.”  She said in voice full of sorrow.

“Not only did I see it, I heard the woman's piercing screams till her end.” He said. “In fact your conversation with that so called friend of yours seemed as absurdly unhealthy. I heard Venus.”

Hoping to convince him to flee she tried to lecture him once again on his defiance. “Listen to me, I told you not to come here Edward I warned you, please leave before anyone sees you. I beg you.”

“Seriously Venus what's happening?” He asked her, but seeing her helplessness in her eyes he tightened his grip and hushed loudly “Answer me!”

Time may seem endless for some but that very instant seemed as if it was eternity. Venus finally gave in. “Edward if you wish to know the truth, never will you be able to sleep again, never will you look upon me the way you did, with your innocence, and never will you believe me. What does death mean to you? What your imagination dares to create to frighten your conscience, it's all true, every piece of it; dragons, witches, demons, all. But Edward you cannot stay here another instant or your loved ones will never have the opportunity to see you again. Believe me, for I care for you and desire no harm to come to you, go.” Noises were beginning,
they accentuated.
“Go Edward!” She repeated. He started off, then realised still holding her that she wasn't moving thus wishing him to go alone, he looked at her divine face a rushed away.

Edward Charleston raced out of the palace gates in hope to find a cab outside, but all he met with was a deserted road. The light poste flickered and then died into the darkness of the night leaving Edward only the moon. His heart accelerated in the pitch blackness of the nocturnal face of the worlds most praised city. Slowly but surely he made his way afoot in hope of find his hotel before dying of fright.

C
hapter
Six

Edward finally arrived when the morning sun beamed in full bloom. Passing the reception the Maître d'hôtel welcomed him. “Good morning Mr. Charleston.” The twittering birds could still be heard from inside the hotel.

“What time is it?” Asked Edward, wondering how long his escapade took him.

“Six o'clock sir, you know I didn't see you leave this morning, it's as if you were out all night.” Laughed the man, but the grim exhausted face of Edward told everything. He smiled and nodded his head in courtesy, mounting the stairs towards his suite he began to wonder what will he tell Venus, a detail he hadn't the time to think of while he was the victim of the obscurity of the night. Opening the door prepared to speak he discovered Venus asleep on the couch holding a document, beside her was an untouched breakfast tray. Taking the papers from her he read the title:

OXFORD UNIVERSITY REPORT

FRENCH REVOLUTION

With her hand blackened by ink, and still dressed in her ball gown Edward realised that she has worked on the report all night. Of course he felt betrayal but this act of devotion for their trimmest assignment eased his urge for an explanation. Sleeping like an angel he could simply not bring himself to wake her up just yet, thus he decided to have his breakfast in his room as reading what she wrote. The whole suite was chilli so before leaving her he took the initiative to throw his coat on her so she wouldn't freeze.

In the late afternoon when everyone had had a reasonable amount of sleep Venus went towards Edwards room, she knocked softly three hits on the cheery wood door. “Come in!” said Edward. She went in as she made her way closer to him, he stated “The report is brilliant!”

Venus sat on the chair beside him and began with “Edward what do you remember of last night.” Tears began forming on her cheeks
“Do you remember what I told you before you left?”