As soon as Melody walked out of the room after the presentation of sheets, she let out a long breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The ordeal had been intense—humiliating, awkward—but thank the stars, Orionn had dismissed her.
Free to go.
She stepped into the corridor, where her personal maid, Amah, was already waiting.
"How did it go?" Amah asked.
"Don't ask me about it," Melody replied, clearly embarrassed.
They walked together toward the garden. After a moment, Amah asked again, "So… what are you going to do now?"
"I don't really know yet," Melody said thoughtfully. "But I think I'll check out the library first."
"The library?" Amah echoed.
"Yes. I want to find books about my… secrets," Melody said carefully, "and about vampires."
Amah looked surprised. "Vampires?"
"Apparently, this realm has books about them. There's absolutely nothing on vampires in Lyrius, so I need to learn more."
"I don't know the way to the library," Amah admitted.
"I'll just ask someone to direct us," Melody said as they continued down the corridor.
They passed through the garden and entered the main hall. As they walked, a man approached them from the opposite end. Melody hadn't seen him at the wedding, and he seemed to notice her curiosity.
He stopped in front of them. "You must be Orionn's wife."
Melody nodded.
"I'm Damon," he said. "Orionn's left-hand man. Nathan is the right-hand man. We run things together. I was away on important business and couldn't attend the wedding. I apologize for that."
"You don't need to," Melody replied. "I don't even know you, so you don't have to be sorry."
Damon smiled. "Fair enough. You look like you're headed somewhere. Can I help with directions?"
"I'm looking for the library."
"I'll show you," he said.
As they walked, Melody couldn't help but ask, "I assume you're a wolf too? For a wolf realm, I haven't seen anyone shift. It's odd."
"There are rules against shifting within the castle grounds," Damon replied. "And no—I'm not a wolf."
He didn't elaborate.
"Why?" Melody asked, intrigued.
"Because of the way things always turn out during the full moon," he said cryptically.
"What happens every full—"
"We're here," Damon interrupted.
They stopped before massive double doors.
"This is the library. Enjoy, my queen. It was nice meeting you."
"Nice meeting you too," Melody said.
As Damon walked away, Melody turned to Amah. "Shall we?"
Amah nodded, and they pushed the doors open.
The heavy wooden doors creaked shut behind them, sealing them inside an eerie silence. The air smelled of old leather and dust. Towering shelves stretched toward the vaulted ceiling, filled with books bound in dark leather and adorned with silver filigree. Flickering candlelight cast long shadows across the stone floor.
Melody's eyes widened as she wandered deeper inside, running her fingers along the spines. Some of the books felt ancient, their pages yellowed and fragile, whispering softly when touched.
"This place is… intense," Amah whispered.
Melody nodded. Her gaze settled on a section labeled Vampiric History. She pulled out a crimson-bound book, its gold lettering faded with age:
The Vampires
It lay buried beneath a thick layer of dust, as though time itself had tried to hide it.
On the very first page, faded ink read:
Vampires—immensely powerful beings said to be extinct.
Beneath it, written in a different hand:
Are they?
A chill ran down Melody's spine.
She turned the page. Then another.
Blank.
Every page was empty, as though the words had been stolen, leaving only silence behind.
As she moved to return the book, a slip of paper fluttered to the floor.
It was old, its edges frayed, tinted the color of forgotten years. On one side was a rough illustration of a castle cloaked in shadow, black smoke curling around its towers.
Her breath caught.
The vampire kingdom?
She flipped it over and found a poem:
Buried deep
Feared to rise
Extinct or not
Truth is lies
Shadows whisper
Who can tell
Knowledge is a burden
Some must bear.
The words seemed to hum, heavy and unsettling—meant for her alone.
Melody pocketed the paper and returned the book to its place. Her eyes scanned the shelves until another title caught her attention:
The Kingdom of Wolves
It felt fitting. To read this book as she was surrounded by wovles .
The book revealed that the wolf kingdom was the oldest realm in Devera, founded by the very first werewolf. Yet the account of how he became one had been torn out entirely.
Her brow furrowed.
Why was this book also incomplete?
A strange realization settled in her mind: the histories of vampires and wolves were somehow connected. Hidden. Broken. Guarded.
It was nothing like the open, orderly histories of the Fae.
Hours slipped by unnoticed. By the time Melody looked up, dusk had settled beyond the tall windows.
She closed the book and walked over to Amah, who was curled in a corner reading a romance novel.
"All done?" Amah asked.
"Yeah," Melody said, stretching.
"Find anything?"
"Yeah… and now I'm starving," Melody replied lightly.
'Same," Amah said. "I'll go to the kitchen. Want to come?"
"No,"Melody said a small smirk crossing her face.
"I'm going to find my husband, I have a request to make."