Eris made her way to the second lab while letting Aleksi lock up the couple. She took advantage of the fact that wandering around the house at night was forbidden and, without any trouble, reached the location in record time.
Her breathing was fast and nervous, her heart pounding wildly.
With trembling fingers, she turned the doorknob to the left, and a secret opening revealed a small compartment beside the door. There it was—the bottle she had worked so hard to create for her brother. She grabbed it and applied the perfume, more than necessary just in case. She needed it to work, needed everything to go as planned. The fragrance spread across her skin, causing a slight itching sensation and confirming that it was working. She quickly returned the bottle to its place and closed the hidden mechanism by turning the doorknob.
She pushed the door open, entering what seemed like a common, luxurious room. The lights were off, making it look even more eerie than usual. To any outsider, this was her brother's room, but it was just a front. He didn't sleep here. In fact, he was in another room, with Sabrina.
Eris cast aside the last shred of doubt and began moving carefully. Every step echoed in her ears like a frantic heartbeat, the only sound in that empty house. She approached the wardrobe, fully aware that one slip-up could cost her everything. She opened the door to find her brother's clothes, accessories, and other items, but what caught her attention was the mirror on the door. She felt around for the switch. When she found it, a soft click sounded, and a panel in the wall behind the curtains moved, revealing the key she needed. She grabbed it quickly and headed for the bathroom.
If she opened the door normally, nothing would happen. But if she used the key… the bathroom would transform into the secret lab. How was this even possible? What kind of being could hide an entire laboratory inside a bathroom? She didn't know, but her brother had always claimed the house came with all these secrets when they moved in—a story he'd never explained in full.
The soft click of the lock echoed in the stillness of the night, and the door to the second lab opened, revealing the hidden mystery within the house.
She wasted no time. She grabbed the lantern next to the interior door. She couldn't risk turning on the lights and waking the beasts in their cages. This was where her brother and his associates gathered to experiment on living creatures, creating monsters, testing perfumes and addictives. All the forbidden and dark things were here.
She briefly imagined the carnage that would unfold if Aleksi found this place. In every vision she'd had, he always appeared after her brother and his men had already "cleaned up" the lab, but tonight was different.
Maybe it was better not to show him the lab now.
Eris moved forward, and as soon as she stepped inside, she felt the eyes on her. They knew she was there. Every pair of eyes felt like a weight on her body, their intentions to devour her clear. Those beasts understood her body language, her fears, her intentions, better than she did herself. She tensed, controlled her breathing, and picked up her pace. She couldn't show weakness. She couldn't hesitate.
The blood seal was on the table. She grabbed it, along with a couple of needles. Then, she heard the rattling of the cages, the growls and roars. The beasts were starting to stir, to struggle, trying to break free.
She was a feast for them and that's why she could never enter there without Kyle and Sabrina hiding their presence or threatening the beasts. They feared them.
Eris ran toward the door. She was about to close it when the noise intensified. The rattle of the bars, the thudding of the walls, the sound of creatures desperate to break free. She fumbled with the key, locking the door with trembling hands, closing the mechanism harder than she wanted. If they got out, it would be the end for everyone.
Once inside the room, she collapsed. She sank to the floor, exhausted by the tension she had endured. Sweat drenched her forehead, and her mind felt clouded with fatigue. But she couldn't rest yet. She looked at the blood seal in her hand. It was now or never.
With a heavy sigh, she filled the syringe with her own blood. The crimson liquid traced the lines of the seal, drawing dark paths on the stone. The stone trembled beneath her hand, acknowledging the transfer of power.
She wouldn't be stupid enough to postpone this moment. She couldn't risk her brother escaping or commanding his servants to hold her back or call for reinforcements.
When she reached the underground prison, Aleksi had already done his part. He'd tied the couple up with precision, even placing a gag on Sabrina and blindfolding her to prevent her from using her siren powers.
If Kyle hadn't stepped in before, rescuing Sabrina from the slavers and helping her control her magic, Eris would have sworn Sabrina had enchanted him. But she knew Aleksi had taken precautions as well. He protected himself with perfumes.
Now that she thought about it, was it really necessary to protect herself from her great love if he was as sincere as he claimed? Eris shook her head. Now wasn't the time to question anything. The only thing that mattered was finishing the seal transfer.
"Did you get it?" Aleksi asked, furrowing his brow.
"Mmh." Eris didn't dare look at him; she still felt uncomfortable around him.
"I want to see the laboratory," he demanded, not taking his eyes off her.
"Later," Eris replied, moving closer to Kyle. She rolled up his sleeve and began drawing blood with the needle. Halfway through, he woke up, his eyes wide with surprise and fear. He started to struggle and attempt to speak, but she had already finished.
"Is it really that easy to transfer the seal? Don't you need the traffickers' password?" Aleksi moved closer, distrust in his gaze, studying her closely.
"I don't know," she replied curtly.
"Or did you have control, too?"
Eris stopped what she was doing and looked at him steadily. For a moment, she forgot he was a fierce wolf and only wanted to silence him. She took several deep breaths, trying to formulate a logical response.
"Kyle used to mix my blood with his frequently. I'm just trying to replicate the process, gradually shifting the proportion to mine until he accepts me."
"And why would he do that?"
"I don't know. I suppose it was some sort of safeguard in case anyone tried to force the servants' release. I was a prisoner too, so I don't know much."
Aleksi didn't seem convinced by her answer, but Eris continued what she was doing, rushing before Simon showed up. She didn't have time to explain to Aleksi how her brother loved experimenting on any living being, including herself.
However, shortly after, a sinister cold filled the air, a harbinger of the presence lurking in the shadows behind her. Aleksi didn't notice it in time, until she already felt the pressure of a hand gripping her neck.
Eris clung to his arm while showing him the seal.
"You're too late. The transfer is already complete, Simon," she said calmly.
Aleksi let out a dangerous growl that made both of them shiver, but Simon didn't say a word. The man with pale skin, an eagle-like nose, coppery-colored curly hair, and crimson eyes simply inspected the seal before releasing her and bowing. Aleksi took the opportunity to push Eris away and almost strike Simon, but she stopped him with a gesture.
"He's the butler of this mansion."
"A vampire?"