[Vladimir's POV]
"Are you determined to ruin my reputation, my lord?" Kayla slinked to his side the moment he joined the crowd again. Everyone was busy dancing and drinking, making him loathe the humans even more. Here they were, frolicking and drinking away, plotting against one another, not knowing that some people here were capable of ending their lives and draining them of every iota of blood.
Apart from his family and staff, and Kayla's family, no one was from his kind.
"Whatever did I do?" He asked with a feigned smile, wanting nothing more than to free her arm around his left forearm.
"You ran behind that lowly servant girl the moment our dance was over. Do not think that I am blind, my lord," she whispered against his ear, letting a finger trail down his chest. Even if people would perceive them as being romantic, the words were anything but. He caught her finger and brought it to his lips, lightly brushing his lips against his knuckles.
He looked at her and so lust in her eyes. Women are so easy, especially the ones like Kayla Burton. Even if she was a pureblood vampire, having walked on earth with humans, made her fickle like them.
"Apologies, my lady. I needed to confirm something," he murmured, pouring scary sweetness into his voice, and relishing the way his betrothed's lips parted like she wanted nothing but to spread her legs for him, not caring for the audience.
"My lord…" she whispered. Her pupils were blown and he knew at once that his enchantment had worked.
He took this opportunity to disentangle her arm from around his and signaled at Artemis. The butler who was standing not far away from them, came at once. "Take Lady Burton to the guest room, she is not well."
Artemis bowed in acknowledgment and guided Kayla who willingly went with him. He kept his smile intact until he knew Kayla was gone. Her family consisting of his father, stepmother, and stepbrother, were too busy to care for their only daughter.
His smile dropped and his eyes began searching for that girl. She hadn't yet returned.
'I told Lucian, what is taking them so long?' He wondered.
His mind was filled with so many questions at the moment and he wanted nothing more than to sift through the books in his study, and hopefully get answers.
"Master, His Majesty is asking for you," Roger, Alfred Mercei's attendant said, pulling him out of his thoughts. Vladimir frowned before realizing that it was probably about Lucian. It was always about Lucian.
He nodded contritely. The man bowed and walked away. Vladimir glanced around the room once more before swiftly walking upstairs.
Alfred Mercei sat on a high-back leather chair. The room was always his. The room screamed of his father's possessions and his personality.
"Father," Vladimir said and kneeled in front of him. His father put down the glass of wine he was having on a circular stand beside the chair and placed his hands on the arm of the chair.
"I spoke to Lucian." Vladimir kept his eyes lowered and mouth shut. He hadn't forgotten the whip, the pain, and the misery that brought on him.
"He wants to be with a human girl I hear," he said in his husky and calm voice as if discussing the weather and not talking about some important information.
"Did you know?" Vladimir clenched his teeth, knowing very well that either of the answers would inevitably bring him pain.
"Which girl, my lord?" He asked instead.
"You do not know." This was more of a statement than a question.
Vladimir did not answer. His resentment towards Lucian was now breaking all the brink, overflowing and becoming murderous.
"Find out about her and if need be, kill her," his father ordered in the same indifferent tone.
Vladimir looked up, not because his father said something like that but because he was astonished at how the older man had let him off the hook so easily.
"Lucian gave me his answer of coming back only if something major happens, and that major can be this. Be better at your task next time." The former duke said and stood up. His laid-back tone, so condescending made Vladimir feel ten times more than when he had been whipped by the silver whip.
"I will be better," Vladimir replied, trying to keep his voice level and not letting his anger show. But by then the former duke and one of the elite vampires had disappeared from there.
Vladimir's fists clenched and shook with anger. The urge to destroy something or someone was more than anything. He stood up and silently left the room. He went straight to his study and closed the door. He needed answers.
He stepped into the secret room that consisted of all the scrolls that their kind had written to document new actions, reactions, and powers that vampires might acquire and face later on.
But where would he begin?
The girl's blood tasted so sweet that he felt like biting her neck when they were close. He couldn't enchant her when she was close to him, why? Lucian had given her that necklace to keep her safe from their kind. Disgusting. Where did he get something like that? Vladimir had pinned her to the wall only because he was suddenly overtaken by the need to protect her from the evil spirit of that woman whom he had killed that week. But how did she remember her?
He sifted through all the scrolls but he found no answers to this. He clenched his hands from harming the scrolls like ripping out the documents. He left the room in anger and walked towards the Ballroom with purpose. He needed to find that girl and ask her again.
As he was crossing the corridor, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a familiar figure standing, blocking his way.
Belinda, the witch extraordinaire and the reason behind his distratous life, or lack of it.
Today was his worst day. After so many decades… why did she plan to visit him now?
"Did you miss me, Vitya?" She asked as she walked up to him while he remained frozen in his place. A primitive fear coursed through him.
She hadn't changed, looking the same as she did all those centuries ago. Her green gown shimmered as she moved, her black hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her black eyes shone with mischief.
"Why…?"
Belinda smiled and even though the smile would look pleasant to others, he knew that it was a smile that brought on countless problems and tragedies for him.
"I missed you though," she said with a pout.
"Why are you here?" He asked, cutting the chase.
Belinda's smile widened. "Can't I visit an old friend?"
"No," Vladimir replied promptly. "You cannot."
The witch laughed and then said, "Vitya, my dear Vitya, this time," she leaned closer, "This time I came to give you a warning. I am helping you this time."
She stepped back, while Vladimir looked at her warily.
"Beware of Celia Heart. If you want to live peacefully this time," she murmured, but she vanished before Vladimir could ask more.