"Stop it. You're scaring the children," Lucien said, leaning out from the wall and glaring at his partner, one of the Bloodbounds.
The vampire retracted his fangs, grinning at Lucien. "Well, it is fun."
Lucien stepped into the light where the children could see him. They all shrank back, eyes wide with fear.
"We won't hurt any of you," he said.
One of the boys blinked at him. "You're the devil, aren't you?"
Lucien stared at him. "Well…" He scratched his head. The boy had golden strands in his hair. The other three, all brown-haired, looked identical.
"Don't talk to him. He's dangerous," the one holding the golden-haired boy's hand whispered.
"I'm sorry for what my friend did to you," Lucien said.
He bent down, offering a small smile. "But I promise, I won't hurt any of you."
The boys seemed to ease through the fear. One of the brown-haired boys asked, "Then why are you here? Don't you live in hell?"
The other vampire walked closer to Lucien. "Well, it turns out the good ones among us don't end up in hell."
Lucien rolled his eyes, then turned to the boys. "It's dangerous being out here so late. You should all go on."
The boys nodded and dashed off—except one.
Lucien narrowed his eyes at the golden-haired boy. "Why are you still here?"
"Well..." He looked down at his feet nervously. "I want to know what you are. The princess wished for information."
"The princess?" Lucien's eyes widened slightly.
The other vampire chimed in, "Tell her we're night creatures that feed on human blood."
The boy stiffened.
Lucien shot him a glare. "You're scaring him."
"Well, sorry," he muttered with a shrug.
Lucien turned back to the boy. "If you're that curious about us, I want you to help me with one thing."
The boy nodded.
"What's your name?"
"Ezra, sir."
"Lucien. Call me Lucien," he said, bending slightly.
Lucien leaned closer and whispered something into the boy's ear. Ezra nodded, and Lucien handed him a small clock—no bigger than his palm.
"When night falls and you need to find me, turn the hand of the clock to twelve."
Ezra held the tiny clock carefully. He smiled, eyes lighting up. "Okay, Lucien!"
"Don't forget what I told you."
Ezra nodded eagerly. "Well, off you go."
A voice cut through the moment.
"Now, now. What's this secret you're whispering? Don't forget—I can hear you."
Lucien straightened, eyes narrowing. "Cassian. It seems our master isn't telling us everything."
Cassian blinked. "What do you mean?"
Lucien turned to face him. "The princess. She knows about us."
Cassian frowned, shaking his head. "Hmm... but she isn't one of them, right?"
Lucien turned the corner and walked down the darkened street. "Well, I hope not. Because there are only two types of humans who know about us—those who have seen us, and the hunters."
Cassian fell into step beside him. "Words from the young one? You believe what children say? So you think the princess knows about us?"
"Children don't lie," Lucien said with a frown.
"Then she must be a hunter, because I doubt she's seen any of us."
Lucien shrugged. "You can't trust humans, she could be."
"Yet you trusted that boy. You gave him your clock?"
"Yes. If the princess is a hunter, this is the only way to find out."
Cassian sighed. "What if the hunters don't even exist anymore? What if we're just walking on eggshells? No one's seen or heard of them in over a hundred years."
Lucien shot him a look. "When rumors start to spread, you don't dismiss them."
Cassian stopped in his tracks. "What did you hear?"
"The church. They've restarted it—after centuries."
Cassian ran a hand through his hair. "And because the church is back, you think the vampire hunters are too? Did you tell Master?"
"Well... yes."
"What are you thinking, Lucien? Our priority is to protect Master from harm, help him find the girl, defeat Lady Lenore, and save Nharion." He rubbed his eyes and glared at Lucien. "Please believe rumors only when there's proof."
Lucien frowned at him. "Well... I think he did find the girl."
"What?" Cassian blurted, baffled.
"He asked to search for Witch Elena—and he's been acting strange. He smiled for the first time in years since I've known him."
Suddenly, the sharp snap of a cloak echoed through the night. Smoke curled in the air, and the wind twisted around them, tugging at their cloaks like restless fingers.
"It's Master," Cassian murmured.
Lucien gave a nod.
In the blink of an eye, they stood on a rooftop.
Elias sat at the edge, his snowy white hair tousled by the breeze. His legs were crossed, eyes closed, face still—like a statue carved from moonlight.
He looked almost... serene.
"Wow," Cassian whispered as they approached. He glanced at Lucien. "You were right. He does look peaceful."
Elias's eyes snapped open. The amber depths blazed—lit with a fiery crimson.
"Any word on Elena?" His voice cut clean through the wind.
Lucien shook his head slightly. "She's vanished. None of the witches have been able to track her scent."
Elias stared ahead, expression flat, his voice low with disinterest. "I found the church."
"What?" Cassian stepped closer, then followed Elias's gaze.
There it was—a cathedral carved from stone, ancient and imposing. At its peak stood a cross, silhouetted against the night sky.
"So it's real…" Cassian muttered, eyes narrowing. "The humans rebuilt it? But why? We haven't harmed them in years."
Lucien sat beside Elias, watching him from the corner of his eye. "Sadly, humans always go looking for trouble… even while it sleeps."
"So do we invade?" Cassian asked.
Elias's voice dropped to a whisper. "No. We wait. We watch. Let's see what they're up to."
Lucien nodded slowly. He had pledged himself to follow this vampire—his King, the only one he would ever kneel to. But as the wind stirred Elias's hair and the old church loomed before them, a deeper question stirred in Lucien's mind.
Had he truly found her?
The girl.
The one he left his throne for… all those years ago.