The Crown's Obsession (WN)

"Cal." He heard Madeline call him, and he made his way to where she was, "Before you arrived, I saw the creature in here. Salvate Mortem."

Calhoun's eyes narrowed, "Did it try to talk to you?" and he saw her shake her head.

"No. It didn't speak to me, it stepped out of the room," Madeline had a frown on her face. She had been worried when she had seen it in here, a visitor whom she hadn't expected to see nor was she interested in meeting. When the creature had stepped out of the room, she had felt relieved at the thought that it had left the castle, not realizing it could have gone to Beth's room.

Suddenly turning alert, Madeline quickly crawled out of bed, and said, "What if it went to Beth's room?"

Calhoun's eyes narrowed, and he asked, "Who is there with her?"

"Raphael. He said he would be looking after her."

Both of them left their room, making their way towards the quarters where Beth was in. Calhoun had reached the door before her, and when the door did open, Madeline's eyes frantically looked at the bed to find Beth sleeping, while Raphael, who was sitting on the chair that was next to the bed, looking up at the couple who stood at the door.

"Did you leave the room, Raphael?" questioned Calhoun and Raphael didn't know if he was supposed to leave the room. Something looked amiss as the lady's eyes had turned wide as if she had come running here.

"No?" came the careful answer from Raphael.

"Mr. Sparrow, did you see anyone in here?" Madeline demanded the answer from him, and the man shook his head.

"Not that I remember," he picked up the book to show them what he had been up to, "Is everything alright?" With Calhoun in here with Madeline, Raphael believed it was something serious.

Madeline's eyebrows had knitted together, keenly observing the quiet room, staring at Beth's bed. Calhoun's lips that were set in a thin line, said, "It's the Salvete Mortem. Madeline saw one of them enter the room and leave."

"Greetings from the death?" Raphael had heard about it, but he had never seen one. Considering how Madeline was a dark angel, he didn't appear to be too surprised by hearing that she could see it. "Their presence never brings good news. If I may ask, have you seen them before?" The question was directed to Madeline.

"Today. It was next to her bed," whispered Madeline and a subtle frown appeared on the card reader's face. "But I think the one I saw minutes ago, was a different one. It had an axe in its hand."

Calhoun looked at Raphael while thinking. He asked, "Do you know what it means?"

Madeline walked near Beth, checking her temperature to see if her sister had caught a fever or if her leg had started to bleed again. The last time, when James had touched her in the dungeon, his body temperature was hotter than the average temperature of a person. She had read some books and had come to find that werewolves did have a higher body temperature compared to the other people who walked in this realm.

Raphael answered Calhoun's question, "There are different representations when it comes to death. The first one with nothing in its hand. It is nothing less to a greeting for a possible death that might arrive at the person's door. The second Salvete Mortem with an axe means it's preparing for a kill."

"Someone's going to die?" asked Madeline. There was already enough blood and death, she thought to herself, she didn't want more.

Calhoun asked, "Does the death take place the very time when it appears? How do we get to know when a person is going to die?"

"That is a little hard to say," Raphael pursed his lips. "In this world, most of the things runs on three counts. First, is the greeter of death. Then is the guard who makes a place where the person is going to die, and then is the third Salvete Mortem comes with blood in its hands. It takes away the soul with it."

Madeline wondered, if the creature had entered the room, Raphael possibly couldn't see it like the maids, who had seen nothing but walls and other furniture when she had asked them if they could see where she had pointed.

"It's not possible to know when those creatures arrive and leave, but if they are here, it means people need to be alert," stated Raphael, and Madeline bit her lip. Beth looked fine, but if the Salavete Mortem was here for her sister, that would mean two of the warnings had been received, and if the third one arrived, it would take Beth's soul from this world.

"Beth will die," whispered Madeline, goosebumps forming on her skin at the realization. "How many times have people in the past been able to deflect them away?"

"The information about Salavete Mortem is close to non-existence because it is a creature not everyone sees," said Raphael.

While they were speaking, Beth groaned, and Madeline's attention fell back on her sister, "Beth?"

"Ugh, my….leg...it hurts...feels heavy," came the words from Beth who was opening her eyes.

Noticing how Beth was regaining conscious, Calhoun ordered the servant who had been positioned outside the room, "Get Lady Elizabeth's food in here."

"Yes, milord!"

Wide awake, Beth pulled out the blanket that hid her leg. She started to remember the werewolf biting her leg before she was able to escape out of the carriage. Just thinking about it and feeling the pain strike her leg, tears formed in her eyes.

"I am going to turn to a werewolf! AHHH!" Beth cried.

"It's going to be okay, Beth," consoled Madeline, taking a seat on the bed.

Calhoun turned his back and pinched the bridge of his nose. If Beth wasn't Madeline's sister, he would have killed her by now for more than one reason. But at the same time, the girl looked like she was changing her behaviour for the better. Unless she brought harm to Madeline, he would ignore the girl for her past deeds. He knew Madeline's heart would break if something were to happen to her sister Elizabeth.

"Did Lady Monique receive any information from her men?" asked Raphael, and Calhoun sighed. And here was another reason to keep the girl alive.

"Yes. Monique said her men have found the cave and will find out if the antidote exists. They will send the antidote through the bird. It will be the fastest." Calhoun had spoken to Monique right after supper about her receiving any news from her men as she had sent a letter through her loyal bird to her men who stayed close to where the mountain of Belmount was situated so that they could verify about the antidote's existence. In the past, many had gone in the hunt for the antidote, but none of them ever returned the same.

Calhoun had himself thought to fly there, but he didn't want to leave Madeline unattended here as it would take time for him to reach back to her. To Calhoun, first came Madeline, and then came the rest.

Both Calhoun and Raphael moved to the side, and the card reader said, "If the antidote really exists, we need to give it to her before the end of tomorrow's night as it will be a full moon's night."