Our gazes held for a while before Rafael stepped forward and leaned over the table. "Now that that's settled, let us discuss formations"
Dragos shifted to face the table, staring down at the map of the villa. He dragged his finger across it.
"Azrael. We need you at the forefront to hold back as many of them as you can while Rafael tries to find out where Variel is. As Azrael said, since this relic is the reason behind their extra power, the leader has to be close"
"He would be somewhere in the villa" I muttered.
"Yes. But he could be anywhere." Darcia remarked "This villa is massive, covering over three thousand hectares of land. There are countless plots and unexplored places. Variel could hide anywhere"
"There's only so much ground he can cover if they arrive tonight. I'll find him" Rafael said confidently.
"You're forgetting he'll have enhanced speed," I said quietly.
Rafael winked at me "...and I'll have enhanced determination" he replied with a sly smile. "Variel may have speed, but I'm more familiar with this place"
"Glad to hear that," Dragos said. He turned to his mother "Mother, you shall remain at the grounds to take down those that manage to escape Azrael"
She nodded.
"Dawn and I shall stay at the east wing, here, till I hear from Rafael"
"How do you intend to hear from him?" I asked, raising a brow "I don't suppose you'll both have the luxury to be making phone calls in the heat of the moment" I remarked.
Rafael tapped his temple, a faint smile playing on his lips. "We'll be communicating telepathically," he said. "Who needs phones when you have a direct mind link"
He sat on the table "It's even better 'cause he's my sire. The bond is stronger."
Darcia glanced at Azrael worriedly. "Are you sure you're fine being alone at the forefront? That blast you took, the other day..."
"Mother, I am fine" he smirked, replying with a cocky grin. "I can handle a few vampires"
"Alright," She nodded, then turned to face us. "Everyone, get some rest and prepare yourselves. We have only a few hours before sunset, and tonight will be a long and fierce night. May the spirits of Andrei and the dark lord watch over and guide us all."
†††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††
AZRAEL
Night had fallen, and I had taken my position at the forefront of the mansion. Silently, I watched twenty vampires of the Arpád clan breach the villa, moving with malicious intent as they scaled the giant walls. Just as they began to head in the direction of the mansion, I chose to announce my presence, starting with the very distinct sound of my sword scraping against the gravel path.
The sudden noise arrested their attention, causing them to halt in their steps.
It was a mind game. A subtle art of mental manipulation, one taught to me by my Uncle Geta.
"A hărțui" (To haunt)
A way to announce your presence without revealing yourself, to make your enemy wonder and fear. By scraping my sword against the gravel path, I was sending them a clear message that I was there. I was watching and I was waiting.
It was a tactic meant to unsettle, to make them question their own senses and second-guess their every move, and so far, it was working.
Heads swiveled all at once, eyes searching for the origin of the noise, when I emerged from the darkness, slowly dragging Bane against the ground.
I stood, feet apart, positioning my sword in front of me, hands resting on the hilt... a very intimidating stance of confrontation.
I'd left my long hair unpacked that it fell over my shoulders.
It was a Vlad tradition. When we went to war, we let our hair down— a way of leaving behind our well-mannered facade.
We were refined beings. Graceful. Suave. Seductive. But when we let our hair down, we were letting go of that polished nature and embracing a different one. One that was untamed and unbridled.
We were abandoning the classiness that defined us.
As my hair blew in the wind, I felt the transformation take hold.
"Welcome," I declared coldly. "We've been expecting you"
The Arpad vampires hissed in response. I could feel their hatred so intensely, that I could almost taste it.
"Why the sudden change of heart, O, Wild One?" Leceries, the second-in-command, spoke up, stepping forward. "You now protect the one you once swore to kill. Why is this so?"
Before I could respond, Vorathar, a large, all-brawn-and-no brains vampire, answered. "Perhaps, she has bewitched him as well. Used her dark magic on all of them"
My paranoia had once led me to consider it... that she had enchanted Dragos and now I was in the same situation. But this was no spell, it was purely my own foolish heart betraying me.
"The same dark magic in your leader's possession?" I questioned caustically, looking around.
The vampires were stunned by me knowing their secret plan.
"Where is he, by the way? Where is your master?" I strutted around gracefully, carrying my sword with me. "Oh, Variel" I called in a singsong voice. "You're not hiding away in some corner, are you? What sort of leader hides away while his clan faces apparent death?"
I fixed my gaze back on Leceries. "I know he carries the relic with him. Know that if he doesn't surrender it now, I will rip it from his corpse." I paused and smiled. "After dealing with the rest of you, of course. Leave now while you still can"
"How did you know about the relic?" Another vampire questioned.
"The walls have ears"
"The girl is a danger to our kind, how can you stand by and protect her?" Leceries asked bitterly.
"I serve the Alesul" I responded. "If he wants her alive, she stays alive."
"And you are just realizing this now?" Another vampire scoffed. "You wanted her dead a while ago, even when the Alesul wanted her alive!"
A grimace curved my lips. "Sorry to disappoint but I had a change of heart" I replied. "But look at the bright side. Death by my hands is far more favorable than death at her hands. You're in luck. I promise to be merciful"
Leceries hissed angrily, his voice, heavy with impatience "We've wasted enough time already. Find the girl and kill her." He commanded, signaling to members of his clan, and about ten vampires stepped forward, obeying their leader's command and breezing past me. "The rest of you, stay with me," he ground out, his cold gaze locking onto mine.
A wicked smile graced my lips as I raised my sword, wielding it deftly. "Just ten? Come on. You can do better than that."
"Oh, trust me, you have no idea what we have planned for you"
Leceries released a battle hiss and the remaining vampires fanned out, moving towards me while Leceries remained where he was, watching.
As the first vampire lunged at me, I warded off the attack and was about to strike when it cackled wildly and vanished in a puff of green smoke. Then suddenly, two attackers manifested in the air.
I snarled in annoyance, familiar with the trick, and faced both figures. In no time, I'd identified the original body and sliced through it, taking its head.
Vorathar, sensing an opportunity, lunged from the darkness with enhanced speed. But just as he raised his claws to strike, I spun around sharply and grabbed his hand midair, twisting brutally in the other direction, that the bone split skin.
"Fool!" I cursed loudly. "You should've stayed hidden"
As Vorathar opened his mouth to release a hiss of pain, I ran my blade through his mouth, silencing the nightwalker permanently, then slashed off his head.
Just as my brother held the title of Alesul and many others, and our father, The Ravager, I was tagged the Wild One due to the ferocity at which I fought, which mirrored my father's reputation on the battlefield.
In battle, I was ruthless, tearing through my enemies with a savagery that likened me to a rabid animal.
I moved again, swinging my sword skillfully and slashing through bodies with an unmatched strength.
The vampires, on realizing they were losing, commanded more illusions as I battled them, managing to land strikes and blows on me, but I was able to tell reality from illusion.
With my enhanced speed, I took down the original bodies, causing the illusions to shatter.
Leceries fumed and yelled out orders to an injured vampire who transformed into a bat and flew away to get reinforcements.
I noticed and cursed under my breath as I watched the vampire escape.
I would have finished it off if I wasn't occupied with fighting other vampires who pulled all sorts of tricks on me.
Just as I finished the last one, Leceries appeared behind me and swung his weapon— an axe but I moved out of the way, causing the leader to strike empty air.
He let out a frustrated growl.
"Come on now, Leceries" I goaded, a taunting glint in my eyes.
My face was spattered with the blood of vampires. "With all that power you still haven't landed a strike on me. How pathetic"
The leader bared his fangs and lurched forward again, swinging his axe which clashed with my sword.
I chuckled and sent a punch to his torso, causing him to stagger backward.
Just when I thought Leceries was going to come at me again, he turned and bolted in the direction of the mansion.
Without thinking, I gave pursuit, leaving the forefront vulnerable.