Seeing the tall figure hiding in the shadows would terrify any normal person but for me seeing his tall

ass after ten years was both intriguing and slightly anxiety inducing.

“You know your presence scares the living shit out of normies right” I say walking to Herbert, as his watches the blue butterfly, in fascination, walking along his long skeletal fingers before fluttering off. We start heading towards my car, both of us slipping in before the rain started.

“Yes I am aware, but unfortunately your presence is needed at the castle. Things have changed since you left, and not for the better I’m afraid” he replied shifting in his seat, the more I looked him the more I noticed how unkept and tired he looked. Herbert was a gentleman in his human life always prim, proper and neatly put together, he carried that on into his undead life. But now standing before me he wasn’t the Herbert I remember.

“Herbert, how bad are things?” I ask, the annoyance I had at seeing him, turning to deep concern.

“When you left things were fine, business as usual and to be honest I would check up on you every now then and seeing you happy reinforced the decision that you in deed needed to have a normal life. But then out of nowhere, just recently, souls started to go missing from the ledger, shadows creatures started appearing and there’s this darkness that is looming and the others where trying to keep you out of it for as long as we could but Lucien has gone missing….and Lily she tried fighting off one of the creatures that started attacking the castle but she didn’t make it” tears slide from his sockets as he finished.

Anxiety started to slowly set in after years of being ok, I knew leaving and wanting nothing to do with the dark lands was something I wanted as a scared fifteen year old who struggled with excepting her abilities. But now I can tell I should have excepted my responsibilities.

“I’m starting to think the decision I made ten years ago was a mistake. I’m so sorry about Lucien and especially about Lily I know how close the both of you were” I leaned over to him and hugged his tall frame, his long boney arms wrapping around me returning my hug. After a moment we both let go giving one another a small reassuring smile.

“That decision wasn’t a mistake, every one of your ancestors we worked with was your age now and confident in their abilities. You my dear were a terrified child and we as a council…as a family should never have asked you for anything till you were ready” he replied clasping my hand in his. I let and go and started the car,

“Well I think I’m going to need some supplies before we leave” I told him, it was time no more running.