"Come on, Celeste, tell me what you are able to get out of him," Viktor's voice was laced with impatience as he scrutinized his daughter's expression.
Celeste hesitated, her mind racing for an excuse to divert her father's attention. "Father, I think we have forgotten that today is Ethan's birthday." The words slipped from her lips almost involuntarily, a feeble attempt to shift the focus away from the damning truth she just uncovered, and isn't willing to tell anyone.
Viktor's brow furrowed in confusion. Birthdays held little significance in his world, but he sensed there was more to Celeste's words than met the eye. "Yes, so what does that have to do with anything?" he inquired, his tone tinged with skepticism.
Celeste inwardly cursed herself for the slip-up, yet she couldn't deny the truth of her words. Sixteen years ago, on this very day, Ethan had come into the world, a fact that seemed to have slipped everyone's mind until now. "I am... we didn't even say happy birthday to him. That is just sad," she responded, her voice tinged with genuine remorse.
Viktor's patience wore thin, his penetrating gaze fixed on Celeste's face. "You are deflecting, my daughter," he observed, his voice betraying a hint of frustration. "And that means one of two things; you've found nothing, or you found something and you don't want to tell me. Which is it?"
Celeste nervously scratched her shoulder-length blonde hair like she had a mild itch there, summoning a poker face to mask her inner turmoil. "I found nothing, father," she lied, her heart sinking at the thought of disappointing him.
Viktor's disappointment was palpable, but he made an effort to conceal it, this is due to fact that knows Celeste's true potential and this was beneath her. He moved closer to Celeste, his gaze unwavering. "Honey, I understand," he began, his voice softer now. "You feel like you have let me down, which you have, but it happens. Sometimes those beasts like Taran can be needlessly difficult."
Celeste breathed a silent sigh of relief, grateful that she wouldn't have to endure the guilt of spying again anytime soon. She maintained her facade of sadness, masking her true emotions beneath a veil of deception.
As Viktor prepared to leave Celeste's room, his next words sent a shiver down her spine. "It is now going to be the guards who will get the information out from him with every aggressive, painful method possible," he declared ominously.
Celeste's eyes widened in shock, her mind reeling at the thought of such brutality, is her father really going to let such a thing happen to anyone. "And so will Ethan," Viktor added casually, as if it were an afterthought.
Confusion and concern flooded Celeste's mind. "Father, what do you mean by that? What has Ethan got to do with this?" she demanded, her voice tinged with fear.
Viktor's expression hardened, his gaze piercing. "Your brother will be tested for magic," he explained, his words laden with ominous implications. "We need to know what he truly is."
—-------------------
As evening descended, Viktor accompanied Gerard to Lord Eric's Castle, their mission clear: to ascertain if any progress had been made in apprehending the elusive vampire. Along the journey, Gerard relayed a detailed account of the day's events, including the interrogations conducted and the meticulous search of Gabriel the trader's house. Amidst Gerard's recounting, one detail seized Viktor's attention – the interrogation of Gabriel's guests. "I imagine you took great pleasure in that, considering your longstanding curiosity about that house," Viktor remarked, probing the depths of Gerard's emotions. To Viktor's dismay, Gerard's response was laced with disappointment. "Sadly, no," Gerard lamented, the weight of unmet expectations evident in his tone. He harbored a fervent desire to uncover damning evidence against Gabriel, vindicating his suspicions to those who doubted him.
Sensing his friend's somber demeanor, Viktor deftly shifted the conversation. "What of the inns in Blackwood? I have a strong intuition that the vampire may be lurking within one of them," Viktor inquired, redirecting their focus toward their ongoing investigation. Gerard nodded in agreement, affirming Viktor's hypothesis. "Indeed, we share the same suspicion. Guards have been dispatched to the five inns in Blackwood, and upon our arrival at the castle, we shall learn of their findings," Gerard confirmed, a glimmer of hope mingling with the underlying tension of uncertainty.
Viktor and Gerard arrived at Lord Eric's Castle, the imposing structure looming over them as they were ushered into the grand hall beneath its towering walls. Lord Eric, seated regally on a high green chair, commanded attention as Viktor scanned the surroundings. The hall bustled with activity, filled with guards and hunters who were supposed to be in Ipsich, fighting and killing those damn vampires.
"Viktor!" Lord Eric's voice boomed, drawing Viktor's focus. "This is a celebration. We have just defeated the vampires in Ipsich. Those who didn't perish fled." A smile tugged at Viktor's lips as he responded, Gerard also couldn't help letting the smile bubbling under to come out to the surface. Viktor said, "Congratulations, my Lord. This is wonderful news." Cheers erupted from the assembled crowd, jubilant over the recent victory.
Lord Eric raised his hand for silence. "I know how tirelessly you all have fought to safeguard Blackwood from vampires," he declared. "I appreciate each and every one of you. However, we have discovered that there is a vampire in our midst."
A hush fell over the hall, anticipation hanging thick in the air. Three guards dragged forth a battered figure in a black hood, his appearance showing signs of a brutal beating, but yet he still appeared half asleep. Lord Eric's voice carried authority as he continued, "This man bears the mark of Seraphina, the Queen of vampires. Though he is not a vampire himself, he was sent as a spy or messenger. The guards found him at John and Bertha's Inn, but he was not the occupant of the room. It appears the true vampire used him as a decoy to evade capture."
"We will not rest until we apprehend the vampire responsible," Lord Eric declared, determination etched into his features. "All points of entry to Blackwood will be sealed, and each of you will aid in the search for this bloodsucking creature."
The mention of Seraphina's name triggered a flood of memories in Viktor's mind. Vadaloz was his home before the vampires seized control, flashed before his eyes. His family's flight from their ancestral lands echoed in his thoughts, his parents died leaving him and his sister, this fueled by his burning desire for vengeance against the vampire queen.
Lord Eric's gaze found Viktor, and he beckoned him closer. "My son, I need you now more than ever," he said, his voice laden with urgency. "Return home and prepare for tomorrow. The guards and hunters will commence their patrols tonight, and we will convene tomorrow to take that werewolf off your hands and test your son for magic. Go now, rest up."
With a nod of acknowledgment, Viktor and Gerard left the hall, leaving behind a throng of guards and hunters reveling in their hard-won victory. As they departed, Viktor's mind churned with thoughts of the looming confrontation with the vampire threat and the long-awaited opportunity to reclaim his homeland from Seraphina's grasp.