For the first few seconds, Mallory struggled to comprehend what was happening and what Hadeon had just said. Her heart pounded in her chest from the uncertainty. She voiced her confusion,
"What's going on?" Her eyes then fell on a rusty dagger lying near where her maid had fallen. "Hattie?"
Hattie, with an eerily calm expression, suddenly grabbed the dagger and lunged at Mallory. In an instant, Mallory instinctively apparated, reappearing behind Hadeon. The unexpected move stunned Hattie, leaving her momentarily frozen.
Hadeon didn't waste any time. He punched the maid in the stomach with such force that she was knocked unconscious and crumpled to the ground.
"What is wrong with Hattie?!" Mallory asked, disbelief and shock colouring her voice.
"Everything," Hadeon replied curtly, walking over to where Ivy's body lay. Mallory's mind raced with questions. Did Hattie kill Ivy? She watched as the pureblooded vampire crouched beside Ivy's body, inspecting her closely.
