Back on Earth, Cane and his fellow Seekers gathered near the ocean's cliffside, where they had tracked down Kai's scent.
"His scent vanishes at the cliff," one Seeker reported to Cane. "He must have jumped into the water!"
"Keep searching!" Cane ordered sharply.
Upon his command, a group of Seekers immediately leaped from the ledge and dived into the ocean's depths. Behind them, several more soared off the cliff, each scanning the water's surface to uncover any specks of Kai's unknown whereabouts beneath the ocean's far expansion
Atop the cliff, Cane smirked triumphantly, fully satisfied with his ploy to send his fellow Seekers on an endless goose chase. After granting Chester the clearance to depart, Dave, a Vampire Covenant messenger, disguised his appearance and scent to mimic Kai's. Born as a Chameleon species, Dave's first gift also granted him extraordinary speed compared to most vampires.
After Cane, the trustable Seekers, and a few Messengers strategized a plan to deceive their untrusted fellow Seekers, Dave led the unsuspecting crew on a futile chase to catch him. Every time they closed in on his trail, Dave's unmatched agility outran the group of Seekers just enough to avoid being captured by them.
As the seekers dispersed to search for whom they believed to be Kai, Cane felt a vibration in his pocket. Retrieving his phone, he glanced at the caller ID before answering it.
"Hello," Cane answered discreetly, holding the cell phone to his ear.
On the other end, as he cautiously observed his surroundings, Edgar quietly inquired, "Did it work?"
"Yes, the plan worked perfectly. They're browsing the ocean for Kai as we speak. Chester successfully escaped with his army," Cane replied softly, ensuring he wasn't overheard as he warily surveyed his surroundings.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the call, in Paris, Edgar sat in a sophisticated French restaurant with his wife, Nala. While he made this call, Nala read the menu quietly as the murmur of the other conversations enveloped them. Candlelight softly flickered on the tables, bathing the restaurant in a romantic glow as it set the scene for an intimate evening. Dressed in black and white uniforms, the waitstaff attended to the evening diners with attentive service. Their offerings of fine wine and cuisine only enhanced the upscale ambiance in the dining room.
"Do the Collins know you're working for me?" Edgar asked, glancing fondly at his wife.
As Nala set the menu aside, her soft eyes met Edgar's with a fragile smile as she patiently awaited for him to end the call. Her golden waves framed her face with elegance as the black diamond pendant around her neck shimmered on her delicate tan skin. Adorned with exquisite gems, a teal-tinted mermaid gown draped her figure as the dimly lit restaurant lighting cast a warm glow upon her face.
"No, I've kept Chester in the dark," Cane replied with his eyes scanning the distant horizon from the cliff's ledge.
"Excellent," Edgar murmured, and a sense of relief showered over him as he confirmed that the Collins remained unaware of his involvement in helping them.
In secrecy, Edgar had assembled a cadre of Vampire Covenant Seekers, Messengers, and Guards, all of whom had pledged their loyalty to him and his allies within the Vampire Covenant. Behind the scenes, with his allies' assistance, Edgar did all that was necessary to save Victoria. Yet, uncertainty still lingered. Nobody could be confident that their efforts would be enough to spare Kai however much time he needed to handle the Rebellion.
Apart from that, their assistance had to be kept a secret. Edgar couldn't afford for anybody outside their group to know the truth about their interference, which included the Collins. Otherwise, they risked detainment for aiding the Collin Coven.
"Keep in touch," Edgar asserted.
"Will do," Cane replied before disconnecting the call.
As Edgar slid his cell phone into the pocket of his suit jacket, he shifted his attention to his wife, seated elegantly across from him at their table.
"Did the plan work?" Nala inquired, lightly touching her cherry-painted lips to the rim of her stem wine glass.
Throughout his call, she eagerly awaited the news on whether their ruse had successfully deceived the untrusted Seekers into believing they were chasing after Kai.
"The Seekers took the bait," Edgar softly affirmed, relieving some of her anxiety.
After swallowing a swig of delightful wine, Nala remarked, placing the glass down, "I hope the Vampire Covenant won't find out about it."
With a genuine smile, Edgar reached out, gently grasping Nala's hand, adorned with a sheer black lace glove.
"If Morbius can sway some of the members in the Vampire Covenant from voting against Orlando's detainment alongside Kai, then I can certainly do what I can to help the Collins," Edgar reassured her, yet a gloomy frown remained sulking on her complexion.
"Yet, none of us can do anything to ensure Victoria will receive enough of her votes when it finally counts," Nala whispered as the sorrow from her heart mirrored a reflection in her gaze.
With a somber tone, Edgar replied, "Unfortunately, no. If Victoria survives until then, not even Morbius will be able to intervene. We can only hope to spare Kai enough time to find somewhere to hide her."
Despite his gentle delivery of those words, his eyes reflected the gravity of the situation.
With a loss of hope, Nala added as a sense of dread dampened her voice, "If it's not already too late for the girl."
"The Allegiance has three days to make a difference," Edgar strongly affirmed, refusing to accept that Victoria's fate has reached its end.
Before Nala could respond, a waiter approached their table with a pen and notepad in hand, "Are you ready to order?" he asked politely, addressing the lovely couple.