Chapter 16 - silent embers
My blood ran cold as I read my mother's final warning aloud into the quiet room.
"The wolf within the crest..." Sterling murmured, his brow furrowing as he processed the cryptic words. "The Blackwood crest has always been a falcon and a broken key. Where does a wolf come into our heraldry?"
Catherine walked over to the desk, taking the yellowed paper from my hand to examine the ink. "Our family crest was changed in 1890 after the grand merger with the Vance estate. But before the merger, the original crest of the founding branch—the branch that settled in Boston—was a grey wolf standing over a crossed sword."
"Isabella's maiden name is Vance-Cross," I realized suddenly, a chill running down my spine as the full depth of the conspiracy began to reveal its terrifying face. "She isn't an outsider who randomly met Arthur in Europe! Her family is the cadet branch that was cut out of the original land charter a hundred years ago!"
"They didn't just want the money," Catherine whispered, her face pale under the library light. "They wanted revenge. They spent three generations planning the total destruction of our direct line."
Before Sterling could speak, the landline phone on the desk rang. The sharp, mechanical bell sounded unnaturally loud in the silent house.
Sterling picked up the receiver, pressing it to his ear. "Hello? Yes... this is Arthur Sterling."
As Sterling listened to the caller, his face slowly drained of color. His hand gripped the plastic receiver so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"What is it, Sterling?" I asked, stepping closer to the desk.
May you like
Sterling set the receiver back on its cradle with a slow, mechanical movement. He looked up at Catherine and me with old, terrified eyes.
"Arthur has just escaped from police custody," Sterling said softly. "The transport vehicle was rammed on the highway two miles from the precinct. He was taken by three armed men driving an armored black sedan."
