Chapter 237 Lady Of The Night (61)

(Outskirts of Forest Elerifn- Hidden Location)

(Castle Blackmore- Throne Room)

"I must say Antonio… you really know how to treat a guest," a soft feminine voice purred.

A gorgeous pale-skinned woman with long reddish hair smiled darkly as her hand squeezed the neck of a dying human.

She wore a green dress that had been adorned with jewels from around the world. Dazzling sapphires, vivid emeralds, bright rubies and large diamonds.

It was a display of opulence and decadence in equal measure.

Sitting across from her was a handsome man in his early forties with similarly pale skin and dirty blonde hair that fell over his crimson eyes.

He stared at the beautiful woman with barely concealed annoyance in his gaze.

Princess Esme pretended not to notice the tense atmosphere as she extended her fingernails and dug into the flesh of the human in her iron-clad grip.

The blood slave died without a whimper as his neck was messily severed. Blood spurted out of his corpse and fell on the two vampires.

Prince Antonio scowled as the crimson liquid stained his black suit while princess Esme merely smiled.

There was a brief moment of silence until finally Antonio was forced to say something to break the awkwardness.

"So… to what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from the esteemed blood commander of House Mornt?" Antonio politely spoke.

"Can't I just want to meet with an old friend?" Esme teasingly whispered as she licked her lips with a seductive aura around her body.

Despite her attractiveness… Antonio was not fooled.

This woman was a viper, a schemer and one of the most powerful vampires alive.

"Don't worry… I simply came to lend you my strength," Esme laughed softly as a confused expression flashed across Antonio's face.

"I understand that all your attempts to take the mage's life have been unsuccessful so far."

"That is quite the accusation… I have made no such moves," Antonio quickly denied as his fingers twitched nervously.

Esme smiled again and then continued to talk as if Antonio had not said anything.

"Now… now… is that any way to behave when I'm the one who gave you the anti- magic runes?"

"If I knew that your attitude would be this bad… perhaps I should have worked with Samuel."

"Fine… yes, the attempts have not gone to plan. I believe that it is the fault of the humans assigned to work with my assassins," Antonio reluctantly replied.

"On that front I have good news," Esme quietly whispered as she snapped her fingers.

The shadows inside the room lengthened and began to wriggle slightly as if they were alive.

Soft incomprehensible whispers filled the room in the language that was both familiar and strange at the same time.

"Have you heard about the new Sun-born?"

"Yes… rumors… but…" Antonio's voice trailed off as he realised that the princess sitting opposite to him had a serious expression on her face.

"The rumors are true. Her name is Lily Brooks. She has fully awakened and will be more than a match for Camilla," Esme spoke with a bloodthirsty glint in her eyes.

"I believe that she is currently working in a team that includes the hybrid son of yours. My connections in the Hunter Association are willing to give them a new assignment."

"All I need is your men to help in the attack and… Camilla will die."

Antonio leaned back against his chair and numerous thoughts ran through his mind. Why had Finley not contacted him about this development?

A Sun-Born…

Antonio had only become a prince because the head of his clan had been killed by one of those monsters a few thousand years ago.

He had been a young vampire then and over the years, most memories would blur and fade with the passage of time.

Still… he could not forget what he saw that day.

A being surrounded by a golden glow… a sword composed of blazing fire… and the screams. The screams of his kin burning away to ash.

Allying with such a creature could easily go horribly wrong. It was akin to a wolf being invited to an alliance of sheep.

"What do you need me to do?" Antonio finally spoke.

Esme playfully winked at the handsome vampire and then opened her mouth to detail the plan,

"The attack on Castle Eden will proceed in the middle of the day when she at her weakest. According to our information… there is only one other vampire servant in the castle."

"I have discovered a rune capable of temporarily disabling the wards inside the castle, but they will only last for two hours."

"The human squad will attack from the front while I will transport a small team of high-born vampires inside the castle itself."

"And of course… I have a hidden card…"

Antonio listened carefully and a tinge of fear appeared in his heart as Esme began to detail further information about her plan.

He always knew that the leader of House Mornt was a wicked schemer but this…

Camilla would have no chance to survive.

"So… do we have a deal?" Esme grinned and her sharpened fangs gleamed under the dim light coming from the fireplace.

"Deal. We will target Samuel after Camilla is disposed of and then the two of us can be the sole rulers of the vampires," Antonio promised solemnly.

He stretched out his right hand and used his left to cut a small wound across his wrist. Dark blackish blood dripped out of the wound and fell on the table.

Esme mimicked his actions and also opened up a vein in her right hand. The two vampires shook hands and their blood mixed from one injury to the other.

"I look forward to working with you," Esme smiled sweetly as she leaned forward and used her uninjured hand to lovingly stroke Antonio's cheek.

.

.

.

.

(Outskirts of New Atlantic City- Unnamed Forest)

A raven loudly cawed as it flew towards a figure dressed in tattered brown robes. It circled around the humanoid figure for several seconds before landing on their shoulder.

The figure threw back the hood of the robe to reveal a youthful man of eastern descent. He had dark black hair that was unkempt as well as a beard that was overgrown and scraggly.

Dark runes had been carved across every inch of his face making it impossible to properly make out his facial features

His body was unnaturally skinny and underneath his robe one would be able to see bones protruding against his fair skin.

This man who resembled a beggar was the third prince of the vampires. Prince Samuel of Clan Sundry.

The raven nuzzled against the vampire's cheek and began to caw.

Samuel nodded along as the raven continued to cry out as if he could somehow understand the shrieks of the bird.

​ "Everything is proceeding according to my vision," Samuel muttered quietly as his eyes turned towards the castle in the distance.

One of his eyes was crimson while the other was cloudy and unfocused.

Somehow despite possessing the healing factor of high-born vampires… he was blind in one eye.

A price that one had to pay for dabbling in secrets that were best locked away.

Runes that were strong enough to cancel the wards of the greatest blood mage in the history of vampire kind required a sacrifice.

Princess Esme may believe that she came across that ancient text by chance but truthfully, she was a puppet dancing on the palm of his hand.

They all were.

Samuel coughed violently and tiny flecks of blood fell on the ground. His cloudy eye shook slightly as he received another vision.

He could see the future.

The attempt on Camilla's life would fail but she would be forced to fully awaken the gift left behind by the first ancestor.

She would then be reborn as the ultimate lifeform and lead the vampires to finally extinguish mankind.

The only variable in this future was that in his vision, there were no servants or clan members present in her castle.

However, one single vampire would not be enough to stop what was coming.

Prince Samuel chuckled darkly, and his giggles echoed around the empty clearing. He could not wait to see his vision come true.