Chapter 94

The count's wine glass was still in his hand when a frantic voice rang out from outside the door.

"Count! There's something I need to tell you!"

"What's going on?" Bill called back, looking up in alarm.

"Sirs Ulrich and Sylas… they're meeting in the garden!" came the reply.

"What?" Bill was so startled that he dropped his wine glass, shattering it. His heart pounded. Just recently, one had poisoned the other, and now they were meeting again?

His lingering buzz vanished instantly as he sprang to his feet and rushed toward the door.

"Out of my way! I'll see for myself!" he commanded, moving past the servants without hesitation.

Once Bill had departed, Max, who had been watching from a tree near the window, dropped down and hurried toward the garden, mimicking the call of a crow. The caw echoed through the trees, reaching Toby's ears.

"My lord, when will it be all right for us to enter the garden?" one of the servants asked anxiously.