Morgan's eyes narrowed, her mind racing with the implications. "How so, Baroness?" she asked, her voice low and even.
Ashkat's gaze never wavered. "I overheard some of our people talking, Morgan. They're growing restless, eager for a taste of human blood. We've been here for three weeks, building and guarding and gathering unnecessary information. They're starting to wonder when they'll get the chance to indulge."
Morgan replied "I see and don't you think that the humans would notice if we allowed our men to go into the city and bring back people? We can't just start abducting citizens without raising suspicions."
Ashkat's smile was cold and calculating. "Oh, I think we can, Morgan. I think we can make it look like an accident, a random attack in the night. And even if they do suspect something, what can they do against us?"
Ashkat's eyes seemed to glaze over, remembering the past, her voice toke on a distant quality as she spoke of the beasts that roamed their world. "You see, Morgan, for as long as we can remember, we has fed on the creatures that inhabited our realm. The beasts are numerous, their flesh and blood sustained us, but...the taste was lacking, to say the least."
Her nose wrinkled in distaste, Ashkat continued, "The blood of the beasts is stale, like milk left to spoil in the sun. It's a poor substitute for the rich, velvety taste of humans provide effortlessly. But, it's all we've had for so long...until Kent and his people intervened."
Ashkat's gaze snapped back into focus, her eyes locking onto Morgan's. "They discovered a way to biologically modify the blood of the beasts, to give it an artificial taste that mimics the real thing. It's wasn't perfect, but it's...acceptable."
Her voice dripped with disdain, Ashkat added, "if not we'd still be drinking the stale blood of the beasts. But, as it stands, we had a pale imitation a substitute that barely satisfies our hunger"
Morgan's expression was calm, her voice even, as she replied, "I know all that, Baroness Ashkat. You don't need to lecture me on our history. I'm well aware of the sacrifices we've made."
A minute of silence passed, a slight tension growing between them. Then, Morgan spoke up, her words unexpected. "We do not need to invade and decimate these mortals."
Baroness Ashkat's eyes widened in surprise, a hint of disbelief flickering across her face. She thought that after all this time, the Duchess of all people would have grown bloodlust, would be eager to indulge in the feast that lay before them. But Morgan's words suggested otherwise, and Ashkat's expression betraying her confusion.
Morgan continued "True and you do make a point." She was about to continue, but then her gaze drifted towards the glass wall, her ears perked up, as if catching a faint sound.
"Can you hear that?" she asked Ashkat, her voice laced with a hint of concern.
Ashkat seemed confused, her brow furrowing, and replied, "What is it, Lady Morgan? I don't hear anything."
Morgan's eyes continued to scan the snowy landscape, her gaze sweeping across the snow, her senses on high alert. "Listen," she urged, her voice barely above a whisper.
As they stood there, the silence was palpable, but then a faint rumble echoed through their highly sensitive ears. Morgan's eyes snapped towards the sky, her gaze locking onto a small black dot that was faraway still approaching.
Ashkat's eyes followed Morgan's, and her expression changed from confusion to alarm. "A bird? A beast? No, a ship... It's a plane, a helicopter!" she exclaimed.
Morgan's face set in a grim mask, "They've found us," she stated, her voice firm and resolute, her eyes never leaving the approaching aircraft.
Morgan gazed at her hand, her eyes fixed on the black ring adorning her middle finger. The tiny runes etched into its surface seemed to gleam lightly in the dim light. This ring was no ordinary trinket - As long as its supplied with essence it allowed her to bypass their fatal flaw, the vulnerability to sunlight that could rapidly burn their skin to ashes. Apart from the king, only the 31 other highest-ranking vampires, possessed this ring, making her and Ashkat the only ones capable of venturing out during the day.
As she pondered the approaching helicopter, her mind raced with the implications. If it was indeed headed for their fortress, they couldn't take any chances. The guards and others were safely tucked away in the lower floors, behind the protective walls, which means she and Ashkat were the only ones who could do something about it.