Mallory's Point of View
The night had grown darker and I couldn't help but glance at the clock hanging above the door of her bedroom. All the houses were shut and afraid in the darkness. I could feel their fear, a fear that had been ingrained and awakened within them. If King Augustus were still alive, Vladian would surely be a beautiful country. Maybe I could see children playing outside, selling refreshments and other things. It must have been wonderful to live in a state like Vladian back then, peaceful and without chaos.
Only two houses stood near the high walls of the Coven. Damien's house, which had the blessing of the Cardinal, and his neighbor Aling Menchi's, who only hid her identity. There was a house a few meters away that I could easily locate with my senses, and I could detect the presence of mortals even if they were far away.
Aling Menchi was already immune to sacred things, just like Damien's house. She could enter without worrying about her condition. She must have done something that made her like a mortal. I was interested to know and hear about the disgusting truth that was hiding in Aling Menchi's identity.
"Will Steve come?" Damien asked. I could sense his disgust in the name he mentioned. I swallowed and pretended to cross my arms.
"I'm not sure because I don't have his schedule," I replied frankly while giving him a stern look.
He was lying on his bed, sitting up. His bedroom was dark, but that didn't hinder my sharp and clear vision. I'm a vampire, right?
"Hmm... How long have you known each other?" he asked.
For some inexplicable reason, I gave him a serious look. I noticed his change in mood. It was as if he suddenly became interested in my personal life, but it was okay with me because nothing would be lost if I trusted him even just once.
"Who?" I asked because I didn't know who he was referring to. I know a lot of people here in the Coven. Did he think that Steve was the only one I knew? He was too much.
I saw him roll his eyes. I secretly smiled. To be honest, I didn't have a low opinion of him because having a sharp mind was inherent in his nature. He's smarter than other mortals.
"I—Is Steve your boyfriend?" he asked, stuttering.
I quickly turned to him in surprise, and I saw his gaze lowered to the ground. I furrowed my brow at his question. I became interested in playing with him.
"Why do you ask?" I asked gently.
He didn't see me grin, but it quickly disappeared when he suddenly lay down and covered himself with his blanket. I pouted. Damn! He's such a killjoy!
"Just wake me up when Steve is here..." he ordered, and he didn't move anymore. I rolled my eyes in annoyance. This mortal idiot was even making me do things for him! If I get annoyed with you, you'll see!
From the dark corner where I was sitting, I looked up at the thick curtain. I pulled it aside and peeked outside. I saw three vampires suddenly appear in the middle of the street. I saw them investigating the area. I didn't know them, but Steve might know them.
"Where is that old man? He should be here by now because he knows there's a letter that was sent to me. He knows because he was informed before it reached me," I thought.
"Grand Elder Steve had given me this..." the lady spoke as she raised her right hand which was holding my ruby necklace.
My necklace was powerful because it could guide its owner. It was a gift from my mother, and Steve told me that it had been passed down from our ancestors through generations.
I quickly hid when the necklace suddenly lit up and floated as the female vampire held onto its strap to prevent it from falling. But why were they holding my necklace? And why did Steve give it to them? Shit! He didn't tell me he sent them here, did he?
"The necklace is telling us to follow it. Wherever it leads us, Mallory Dawson is surely there..." the larger man they were with said.
I looked at them again so the ruby could glow and point in the direction of Damien's house, where I was currently located. I heard Damien move, so I quickly approached his bed and covered his mouth with my palm. He struggled, but he quickly relented when I spoke in his mind.
"Just fucking calm down, Damien, or else they will locate us!"
I shouted in his mind out of annoyance. But instead of speaking inside my mind, he immediately became aware of my presence because of my voice. What's so annoying about my voice? My voice is beautiful.
"Okay! Okay! Now, leave my mind alone!"
He shouted back in his mind. When I confirmed that he had calmed down, I removed my palm from his soft mouth. My heart was racing, making me feel different. It was weird.
"Her necklace keeps on pointing its direction here... This house is blessed by the Cardinal and it is also protected by sacred metal that drives out vampires. It's impossible for her to be here."
The two men nodded in agreement with what the woman said. I didn't know why I didn't feel exhausted. It's called exhaustion when a vampire accidentally enters a place with blessings or sacred objects. What happens when an ordinary vampire goes there is that their life force is sucked out, even if they are immortal.
I remember again Steve's story to me about the first war that happened. Sacred Heroes against Vampire Heroes. That is why Vladian appointed a King to embody the whole country and to strengthen everything and to make it agreeable.
The first king who ruled here in Vladian did nothing but make use of his power as an advantage. He only added fuel to the fire of different races to make his fellow vampires rebel against him. The battle happened, it was not recorded as the second war because it was only vampire against vampire, but almost ninety percent of Vladian's land was still destroyed.
Until the duty was passed on to King Augustus. During his reign, Vladian was peaceful for a long time, but with his disappearance from the throne, the conflict also returned and what's worse is that other races are getting involved in the chaos of the mortals and vampires of Vladian.
Until now, the throne is still unoccupied, and if the time for his reign comes, I hope his goal is not far from the goal that King Augustus has accomplished.
"If Miss Mallory is in this house, how will we know if we don't feel her presence?" One of the men said. The shorter one. The one who is chasing after me is different because unfortunately, Steve is facing them. They were long gone.
"Steve told us that she has this ability that she only possesses," the girl said while scratching her chin.
I gritted my teeth when I heard what the woman said. Damn it! Did Steve really tell them about my ability?
"Miss Mallory..." the woman called.
Damien stared at me with a furrowed brow. He wanted to stand up, but I stopped him because I didn't want him to make noise. Even a little noise can be heard by any vampire. That's how sensitive our hearing is. How many times have I told them about that?
"Maybe what we're looking for is not here because even though her presence is not felt," one said.
"Because you're getting old..." the shorter man mocked, causing the woman to laugh.
"Hey!"
"Hey! Are you really going to fight here?" the woman scolded them.
"But this midget was the first one!" The taller man angrily shouted at the shorter one.
"Damn it! Why did you have to come with me? Don't wait for me to lose sight of you," the woman threatened, making them quiet and back off.
They couldn't get close to the door because of the silver metal and the blessing of the Cardinal. It's impressive that I'm still alive even though the blessing of the Cardinal and the sacred things are forbidden to us. I need to ask Steve about this.
Later, I stood up and closed my eyes. I tracked her mind. The woman they were with outside. Because her mind was open, it was easy for me to enter it. I made it clear that I was inside her mind and I wasn't surprised because she knew I would do it.
"Hello, Miss Mallory," she greeted me with a sarcastic tone that I could hear in her voice.
"What are you doing here?" I asked inside her mind.
"Steve commanded us to fetch you up," she replied using her real voice.
"Why would he command you to do that? For what reason?"
"He's too busy managing the council and fixing the ignominious you made," she straightforwardly said that made me embarrassed.
She didn't intend to hurt my feelings. I could read that in her mind. She was just saying what was true and what was ordered of her. I shook my head because I realized something. They are under the council's order. Even if she didn't tell me, I knew they were under the council. But I didn't know which Grand Elder ordered them to come here.
When I realized their true purpose here, her mind immediately darkened. She's blocking my way out of her head. She's trying to trap me inside her mind, and I can say that she's successful because my mind and body are weakening. It's like I'm cramping up. I also feel like my soul is separating from my body.
She doesn't have telepathy, but she knows my weakness. Her black magic is trying to manipulate my mind and using an illusion to sow tremendous images inside my mind. I can feel my mind swaying in the darkness. I can also feel the physical weakness. It is too late to move out inside her mind because upon entering she already deceived.
"Who is this woman? How can she use that kind of power? Only one can possess illusion magic, and only that person holds that soul weapon..."
Where she got the information about me may be because of her ability to deceive. She must have put Steve under her power if not just trying to deceive me.
"No. It should be done, Mallory. The council needs your power, just like mine. They need our power..." she foolishly whooped inside my head.
Before I completely lost my mind, I felt someone pulling me. They were pulling me out of the illusion that I was in. From a corner, there was a small gap of golden light, and I immediately saw a hand made of golden light waiting for me to reach it.
I gathered the remaining strength I had and reached out for that hand, and in an instant, I returned to my body. I returned to reality, but what caught my attention the most were the bruises on my body. I weakly lifted my head to the person who helped me.
"D-Damien..." I sobbed when uttering his name.