CHAPTER 269: VAMPIRE HUNT 29

Selis took a step closer, planning to pester Lucian just enough to crack his stoic armor, maybe even push her luck to the point where he’d snap at her—without cutting her throat in the process, of course.

She’d done riskier things in her life . . . well, maybe not much riskier.

She was about to open her mouth when—

BOOM!

A deafening blast ripped through the air, so bright it turned the night into a burning dawn. The shockwave hit like a giant’s backhand, rattling her bones and making her teeth clack together.

"What the—?!" she blurted, but before she could finish, she felt a strong arm clamp around her waist.

Lucian didn’t even glance at her. His eyes were locked on the horizon, sharp and cold as steel. In the next instant, they were gone—vanishing in a burst of blinding light that yanked the breath right out of her lungs.

The world blurred. Wind roared past her ears. Her stomach dropped like she’d been tossed off a cliff, and every muscle in her body screamed at the sudden acceleration.

She wanted to shout, You could have warned me!—but her mouth refused to work.

By the time her vision began to clear, she caught the last thing she’d see before darkness claimed her:

The fireball blooming over the town like an angry sun. The charred silhouette of collapsing buildings. And—hovering in the distance, framed against the raging inferno—Salister’s face.

That cold, smug smile.

It was the kind of smile that promised nothing but pain.

Then everything faded to black.

====

When Selis came to, the world was dark and damp. The low ceiling above her wasn’t the charred remains of a building — it was rock.

They were in a cave, deep in a forest. The sound of dripping water echoed somewhere behind them.

"W–what . . . what happened?" she groaned, every muscle in her body screaming in protest. She pushed herself up, wincing.

Lucian sat a short distance away, leaning against the wall, eyes closed, his breathing ragged. His usually composed face looked . . . drained.

"The . . . Vampire Prince arrived," he said between breaths, his voice gravelly, "and burned the whole town to the ground."

"What?" Selis froze, her mind reeling. That freaking Salister! She cursed silently. Did he want me dead? What about our deal?

"What happened to the villagers? To Tess and the others?" she asked quickly.

Lucian took a long, shaky breath — the kind that made Selis feel like he’d aged a decade in the span of a minute.

"Some townsfolk survived. Others . . . didn’t." His eyes stayed closed, as if opening them would cost too much energy. "Tess and the rest are safe. We got separated. We’ll rendezvous in Floris after we . . . take a short break."

Selis blinked. "Short break?" Had she heard that right? Lucian — the man who would normally insist they regroup immediately to strategize — wanted to rest?

Her confusion deepened when she noticed the state he was in. His breaths were uneven. Sweat slicked his hair to his forehead. Yet when she reached out and touched him, she nearly recoiled — his skin was ice-cold.

"You . . ." she frowned, "are you having a fever or something? Wait — no, you’re freezing! That’s not normal."

Lucian’s jaw clenched. "G-go . . . away . . ." he croaked.

Selis’s brow furrowed. "What’s going on with you?" His voice was different — faint, strained. He was breathing like he’d run a marathon and his eyes seemed unfocused.

"Go . . . away . . . ," he repeated, more desperate than before.

"This isn’t the time for that," Selis shot back. "We need to get you to a doctor right now." She tried to haul him up — and promptly failed miserably. Seriously, how can a guy this short weigh this much?

"Oi, Lucian, don’t faint on me!" she barked. "Did the blast damage you or something?"

Before she could demand more answers, Lucian’s hand shot out, shoving her to the ground.

Selis stared up at him in shock. His face was flushed, beads of sweat trailing down his temples. His breath came in short, heated bursts that ghosted over her skin, and for the first time since she’d met him, his amber eyes weren’t cold — they were . . . pained. Desperate.

And then she saw it. The glint of moisture in his eyes. Not quite tears, but close.

"Lucian . . . ?"

He was so close now, his breath brushing her cheek. His voice was hoarse. "Selis . . ."

Selis froze, her thoughts tripping over themselves. Wait . . . what is this? Progress? Has he secretly fallen for me after all these months together? Really?

This was the great Lucian — the ever-serious, unfeeling captain who barked orders without blinking. Now he looked like a starving man staring at a banquet . . . and she was the main course.

"Uhm . . . this might not be the place for it," Selis said dryly, trying to mask the sudden heat in her own face. "But hey . . . I’m not picky—"

Her words died in her throat when she saw his teeth lengthen into sharp, gleaming fangs. His amber eyes flared crimson, the glow cutting through the dim cave like embers in the dark.

"Wait—" was all she managed before he closed the gap, his hand gripping the back of her neck with surprising gentleness as his fangs sank into her skin.

Selis gasped. The pain was sharp but fleeting, replaced by a strange heat flooding her veins. Her heart pounded, but not entirely from fear. The sensation was dizzying — like the air around her had grown heavier, charged with something she couldn’t name.

Her mind scrambled for words, for outrage, for anything, but the pull of his drinking was . . . hypnotic. She felt her knees weaken, her fingers gripping the fabric of his coat to keep herself grounded.

After what felt like both an eternity and a heartbeat, Lucian pulled back slightly, his lips stained crimson. His breathing had steadied, the strain in his eyes easing — but guilt flickered there, quickly hidden under his usual guarded expression.

Selis’s own breath came unevenly. "Well . . . that’s one way to say you’re thirsty."

Wait! This wasn’t the time to be saying that! Lucian is vampire?!