Lucian remained silent, his gaze lingered on the floor. The silence between them stretched until he rose to his feet... Halcyon's hand lifted, hesitant… Reached, then retreated. His jaw tightened, he refused to meet her gaze.
She was trying to help. While he wasn't seeking any.
They both knew the truth… a vampire's survival hinged on blood… human or otherwise. But Lucian wasn't just any vampire. And right now, the mere thought of drinking blood both thrilled and twisted his stomach.
It's impossible to drink blood at this moment. Even though it would hasten my recovery, I choose to let my body heal on its own… like a human.
"Sunny… like I said, nothing's wrong. I'm handling something." Lucian muttered.
He had called her that out of habit, a name he gave her from something she did for him as a child but also her personality.
He turned to face her, brows furrowed. "Besides… I know you're hiding something. You were at the Castle when I left. How did you get here? Did he let you go… or did you escape?"
Halcyon looked away, brushing her hair behind her ear. Her heart even fluttered just being called Sunny finally. She exhaled slowly, as she met his gaze.
"I handled the Malgrith," she said softly, but serious. "You know what that means."
Neither of them wanted to unpack that truth. Not yet. So instead, they carried off the questions, to dance around the consequences… just like with the Malgrith. Still, they both felt knot formed in their guts.
Lucian hadn't fully considered the aftermath. The magical link they severed… and what killing a bonded Malgrith meant in the eyes of the Crimson Order. She was puzzled, why he won't leave and felt paranoid for him.
He didn't answer. Instead, he removed the rest of his bloodied clothing, exposing his pale skin marked by bruises and dried blood.
"There's no stopping it now," Lucian said. "Whatever they're after, they would've came anyway."
Halcyon's eyes flicked to his chest, then away… quickly fast. Her fingers brushed her cheek. Despite, having seen him naked countless times since they were teen, something about now made her look away.
"Then. I suggest you take my advice and leave." She said her voice soften without meaning to.
"No…"
She shiveled her hair. "No? What do you mean, no? The moment the Order finds out, this place will collapse into chaos."
Lucian remembered, that the bond of the Malgrith wasn't ordinary magic evil magic. It was ancient, rare, and feared by all species. It was tied to the higher powers of the Crimson Sanctum… they didn't care about the member, but killing a Malgrith wasn't just a crime. It was a declaration of battle.
Who would create something so evil… and call it a bond? Is it suppose to be good or bad?
The thing was, his relationship with the higher powers had never been good... He wasn't very accepting of them. Because, beside their evil deeds, they did worst destroyed everything… starting with a church, then even a high empire.
"This is where it ends," he said. "As long as he's on the search for relics, I'll be hunted."
And I can't let her be caught in the crossfire… How can I get her to leave Ebonhaven?
"Won't you let it go?" Halcyon asked. "Can't we just go back to the path we knew? Like we always did?"
Lucian spread his arms, his lips formed a bitter smile. "I'd love nothing more. But I'm weaker now. I don't have the strength I once did. I need to rebuild. One way is to find what they're looking for before they do."
She stepped closer. "Lucian… I know you vampires… feel things more deeply than we do. That's why you push people away. Isolate yourselves. But you've had us… me for years. Why now?"
Lucian's remained silent, his silence answered her better than words.
She inhaled sharply, frustration building in her chest. "Fine. I'll stay longer. I'm sorry, But I can't keep bailing you out. I've got my own struggles to fight."
Lucian didn't argue... He never did when it came to her. They had always been each other's shadow… quietly keeping one another from falling apart. And yet, something was different now. There was a wall between them.
It was a unspoken bond. She's not just a comrade in arms… she's someone who sees through his façade of self-reliance and knows he's hiding something.
What part of her can't let go of Lucian, even when it's killing her? If she dies without telling him the truth, what will she regret most?
Lucian turned and entered his washroom.
"Shhshhshh!"
She heard water flowing, the sound echoed through the house as he cleaned off the blood from battle.
Halcyon watched the bathroom door for a moment."I didn't return just to watch you fall apart, Lucian. I came back because if I'm going to die… I needed to see your face one last time."
Without another word she left. She stepped outside into the chilled air.
However, she suddenly froze.
"Kem!"
A cough escaped her throat… it was wet, sharp. She covered her mouth.
As she looked down, her fingers were stained with a strange mist-like blood, it had a blend of crimson and violet? It caused her heart to drop.
Her heart thundered in her chest, drowning out every other sound.
I don't have much longer…
I finally found him again… after all this time. Just one moment, one breath, one stolen hour to remember what it's like to feel together agin. But the past doesn't forget, and his… his is the same warnings mine screams. Still, even if the world tears us apart again, I'll fight for this sliver of peace… just this once, I won't let anything stop me.
She didn't have much time left.
She had something, that she knew was destroying her from inside… so she was torn between that and Lucian.
It seemed whatever was effecting her... attack all through her body.
Was the cost of saving him going to be her own life?
As she turned to walk away, unaware of the blood she had left behind. She didn't see nor fell at the time, a figure watched her from a inside a house of a shadowed window across the street.
6
The figure, clad in all black, gaze traced her pressed his two fingers to their temple. "The target appears weakened. Shall I proceed?"
A cold voice echoed in their mind. No. Wait. Let her fall further. Alone, desperate… Let her beg for help.
The figure nodded, stepped back and melted into the shadows. It seemed that, Halcyon had some passed enemies that was catching up to her?
…
Elsewhere…
Lightning split the night sky behind a massive dark fortress, its spires rising like fangs from the mist. Thunder rumbled. A castle loomed above the clouds.
Inside, the darkness of the fortress.
Footsteps echoed… Heels against marble, then as it stopped. A voice, respectful, vibrated in the air.
"My Lord… there's been a set back at the Ebonhaven Underworld. The Thralls, along with the Malgrith were… eliminated."
Whoever the person spoke to, they didn't answer they only heard the knocking, against wood… echoed all around the room.
Then from the shadows, a voice answered. Smooth, deep, and colder than death.
"Last I checked. No one dares kill our people in the open. Someone's grown bold… or foolish."
The thing we'll know about the Crimson Sanctum… It's one of the world's most feared organizations, that wasn't known for mercy. While, they secretive and also a bit open. Once, in a single night, they erased every enemy from the map. No warnings. No survivors.
It's reputation caused them fear, from humanity whom knew the dark side of the world, but scarred the more dark side to never attack there people.
Even if it was neutral from, there ideals and dealing of the world, one agitation that made it know, of why stay away from them was when they first appeared. The first eliminated, was those who caused them trouble in the past… something very close to home.
In fact, those who join the Sanctum undergo harsh conditioning from the moment they are turned. This process strips away much of their previous selves, turning them into cold, calculating soldiers.
Even the vampires Lucian faced were no mere vampires. Despite, being lower rank in the Sanctum as Thrall… They were enhanced by the Vesack Potion and trained without pity, they were monsters bred for war.
This gave them a hardened edge, making them more dangerous than most normal vampires in the world.
Even people had previously questioned. Why do so many join them, knowing the cost.
"Send a Red Fang this time," the voice ordered.
"Yes, my lord." The messenger bowed and turned to leave.
"Whatever happens next you know your role," they said before continuing. "And. Find who had the nerve… make them regret it."
…
Back at Lucian's house…
The water stopped. And Lucian stepped out, toweling off… when she suddenly paused?
His nose twitched.
Blood.
He could recognized it wasn't his, the alpha Sam nor Crimson Sanctum, Thralls blood…
This was something else. Something sick.
He decided to investigate… He moved toward the scent, cautiously. He cracked opened his door and peered outside… He made sure it wasn't a ambush…
When his gaze settled on a blood smeared on the stone ground. He crouched down, touching it…. Then brought his finger to his nose.
His head tilted, he noticed that it smelt unnatural?
Whoever passed by here, must have been carrying something dangerous… and it was starting to take its toll. Curse? Poison or something worse.