"You are nothing but a bane to our existence," the familiar hostile voice forced Solana to open her eyes slowly. "You deserve to die, Solana! Die!"
Horrid images flashed before her mind's eye, causing her to quietly extract herself from Julian's possessive hold. She glanced at his sleeping form, envious of his ability to forget the world for a while and get lost in another where everything was possible.
Reaching out, she caressed his cheek, causing him to stir. Not wanting to wake him up, she sighed, carefully but hastily getting out of bed. She then grabbed her silk robe from the chair by the window and slipped out of the room.
Memories of the past still haunted her, a constant reminder of a life she used to live but could no longer go back to. She breathed deeply, letting the salty air fill her lungs. She had seen too much and lived too long to be bothered by whispers of who and what she was.
"That woman is long dead," she scoffed. "Buried, forgotten."
Tonight, the moon cast a silver glow over the house's terrace. She padded barefoot, making her way to the edge of the balcony, and rested her hands on the railing, fixing her gaze on the shimmering trail of moonlight across the ocean.
Listening to the sound of the waves lapping over the shore, she absentmindedly reached out toward the sky, desiring to touch the moon. However, her ludicrous ambition was beyond her capability. Clicking her tongue in disgust, she dropped her hand.
That was when she noticed the sharp edge of a blade glinting in the dark, causing her to tilt her head to the side. A small knife sailed past with a silent whoosh, missing her cheek only by a fraction. Had she delayed jerking her head to the side, that knife would have grazed her skin.
"Tsk," she muttered, turning to face the intruder. She narrowed her gaze toward the bright blue eyes that shone from the shadows, fully hidden by the large trees surrounding her. "Nice try, Caden."
"You never fail to amaze me, Solana," came the deep, guttural reply as a silhouette of a man emerged, making its way towards her. He stopped a respectable distance away, a smirk forming on his bloodied lips. Without breaking eye contact, he licked the raw crimson away, letting her know what he had been up to.
"Even after a millennia of blood abstinence, your senses remained as sharp as ever. And your resistance against sunlight, ah, what a blissful life it must be."
Solana remained stoic, her gaze briefly darting toward the open door behind her unwelcome visitor. He immediately caught on, chuckling in response to her unspoken threat.
"Protective of your puny mortal?" Caden teased, shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't understand what you have seen in him, but don't worry, I meant him no harm."
She clicked her tongue, folding her arms over her chest. "Compared to you? I have a lot of things to say. But you're not here to talk about that. So, stop stalling and tell me what you came here for."
Instead of giving her a direct response, Caden leaned forward, studying Solana's somber expression.
"Your eyes are losing color, Solana. Soon, you might even lose your powers."
Solana pushed him away, narrowing her gaze. She stood defiantly, challenging him to take another step.
"I don't see why that has anything to do with you or whoever sent you. But for once, mind your own damn business, Caden."
The latter smiled, giving the lady two taps on the head. It used to be a brotherly gesture. However, things have changed, and Solana no longer considered anyone of her kind to be family.
"I am always on your side, Solana. I hope you never forget that," he murmured, pocketing his hands afterwards and clearing his throat. "You're right. I came here under the prince's orders."
At the mention of the vampire prince, she became even more unenthusiastic to keep listening. But for civility, she decided to stretch her patience a bit more.
"And what, pray tell, did he want from me?"
"The High Council demands your presence in the upcoming lunar full moon."
Solana snorted, showing blatant disinterest.
"And if I decline?"
"They will see to it that you come."
Solana couldn't help but laugh at his response.
"That would be quite an entertainment. I could barely count how many times they threatened me with that, and yet, they wouldn't even dare trespass my territory. So, what makes you think that I will do as they say?"
Caden took the time to respond. He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly before finally breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"Because the time is at hand," he spoke, his expression turning dark. "Although most are opposed to the idea, no one can argue that you, Solana McKenzie Austridge, is the only living vampire strong enough to stand against him."
A soft breeze whistled in her ears, giving Solana an excuse to be at a loss for words. She was struck by a rage of emotions, those that she had sworn never to feel ever again.
"He's waking up sooner than we had anticipated. It's your choice to stay stubborn. But be prepared to lose everything and everyone you cherish. You and I both know, he won't spare anyone. Especially mortals."
This revelation made her uneasy, bringing back a torrent of emotions she had buried eons ago. It left her numb, unable to fathom how her world was about to turn upside down all over again.
Realizing that he had won the argument, Caden snickered. "I shall tell them of your arrival when this... vacation of yours is over." He paused, stealing a glance at the door behind him. He shook his head before focusing back on her. "Consider yourself warned, Solana."
Fulfilling the task he was given, Caden gave her a mock salute and disappeared, leaving her troubled and uncertain. When she was finally alone, she looked toward the dark horizon, her insides churning with anger and dread.
"So, you want war?" she asked no one in particular. "Alright, I'll give you war, one that you will never forget nor live to tell, you bastard."