As if someone had splashed water on her face, Eva snapped out of her trance. Composing herself quickly, she bowed slightly.
"Welcome to Bennett Mansion. My name is Eva Kingsley. I am the keeper of the house and the tomb."
The man nodded silently. Eva returned the gesture and turned to Mrs. Jones.
"Show them to their rooms."
Turning back to the group, she added, "There are over thirty rooms. You may choose any of them. Please freshen up—breakfast is ready in the dining room. Let us know if you'd prefer it to be sent to your rooms."
As the guests followed Mrs. Jones toward the west wing—where guest quarters were located—Eva turned and headed east to her study. Once inside, she immediately activated the protective barrier, a golden turtle artifact from the tomb. Feeding a bit of her energy into it, she secured the room against any magical or psychic eavesdropping.
"Uncle Marcus, where is our army? They should've arrived before the Salvatores."
Marcus made a quick call. After a short exchange, he hung up.
"They're twenty minutes away."
"Good, good..." Eva exhaled, then looked up.
"Now tell me you know who they are. I didn't ask earlier—I didn't want to offend them. So please, tell me you recognized them."
Marcus nodded.
"Yes. The blond man is Mike Lancaster, from the vampire family. He has the power of hypnotism. His wife, Monica, is a Salvatore; it was said to be a love marriage. The other woman is Sara Clarke, the Clarke's have the power of air. And the man with them was Josh Walker—like the name, his family holds teleportation abilities. Of the two who arrived last, the driver is Magnus Adley—healing magic runs in his bloodline."
He paused before finishing.
"And the last one... that's Lucian Salvatore. He's the heir of the Salvatore family. I am sure that he is the leader of the group. All of them are heirs, except for Monica and Sara."
Eva groaned and lightly thudded her forehead against the desk.
"Tell me, Uncle Marcus. Would any heir of a Circle family come all this way for a Grade-A herb instead of sending a general?"
Marcus opened his mouth, but she answered herself.
"Let me answer that for you, 'No ONE'. They're here for something else. We need to find out what."
Just then, a knock echoed from the door. Eva adjusted the turtle barrier, allowing access and said, " Come in."
Mrs. Jones stepped in and bowed.
"The guests are settled. They'll be at the dining table in thirty minutes. Anything else, Young Miss Eva?"
"Yes—just a reminder." Eva stood.
"Please warn the staff. Around the guests, I'm Eva Kingsley. No 'Young Miss,' no slips." Eva has known Mrs. Jones her whole life. She was a very quiet and cold person, but still cared about Eva and nursed her when Eva was a child. All the staff that Eva has are her personal staff who go wherever she goes. They are more than just staff—they are family. All of them know her real identity.
Mrs. Jones nodded and left. Eva watched her go for a moment before turning to Marcus.
"Once the army arrives, they'll be on high alert. That gives us a window. Go into town and see if the Salvatores have more men stationed. Check the borders and assign surveillance. And one more thing—visit that hotel. I want to know if that rat infestation was a freak accident or part of their setup."
Marcus gave a crisp nod.
"Let's be careful and ready for any of their attack."
Just then, Eva tensed. A subtle, foreign energy pressed against her barrier.
"Shh," she warned Marcus, quickly pulling down the barrier. Marcus picked up the cue and began rambling about unimportant matters while Eva watched the power retreat.
When the sensation vanished, she scoffed.
"Stupid."
Marcus laughed at her words. He also agreed—that was a stupid act. Were they trying to tell everyone that they were spying? That girl, Sara Clarke, truly overestimated her power.
At the dining table
By the time Lucian and the gang came down to eat, Eva was already waiting for them. As she is not a part of the Circle at the moment, she stood beside Mrs. Jones and invited the guests to breakfast.
Mike watched Eva closely. Seeing her stand beside the staff and wait on them, he frowned. As a gentleman, he asked,
"Miss Eva, please join us."
Eva looked surprised at him, but she smiled and politely declined,
"Thanks for asking, Mr. Mike, but I am not eligible to eat at the same table as the Heirs of the Families of the Aurion Circle. It would be a disrespect."
Mike nodded in understanding.
"Huh, I understand. But that is if I don't ask you—and I am asking you to sit with us to eat."
Sara Clarke frowned at Mike, not understanding why he was asking a mere servant to sit with them. But looking at Lucian, she held her tongue, remembering the sharp rebuke from her friends after her earlier misstep. Lucian's glare had been enough to silence anyone.
Eva took a deep breath and sat in the middle of the table, not close and not far. The servants quickly served the food, and they all dug in. Mike nodded in satisfaction at the delicacy of the dish.
"Good food, it's delicious, Mrs. Jones," he said.
"Thank you, Mr. Mike," Mrs. Jones bowed her head in response.
"So, Eva, which family do you belong to?" Monica asked while sipping her coffee.
Eva smiled and said,
"I don't belong to any well-known family, Mrs. Lancaster. I am just a keeper here."
"Just a keeper, you say? Then you must have great power to be a keeper of the sacred tomb of the Bennett family," Josh spoke, carrying a hint of taunt in his tone.
Ignoring his tone, Eva shook her head and said,
"I don't have any such great powers, Mr. Josh. My bloodline power is just Nature Control. As you know, we are not that powerful. I am very grateful for the trust Elder Bennett has in me. I just keep an eye on things. All the work is actually done by the generals and the Head Guard, James."
As she finished speaking, her eyes went to the head of the table. Just then, Lucian looked up while sipping his tea. Eva quickly looked away.