Chapter 3: The Vampire's Whisper and the Invitation to Aflety
The moon over House Rochel glowed blood-red that evening.
It wasn't an omen. Not entirely. Just… unusual.
Evan stood in the garden courtyard, watching the petals of nocturnal moonblossoms drift through the air. Nex lay curled near a tree, blending almost perfectly with the darkness, his golden eyes the only indication of life.
The letter from Aflety still pulsed faintly in his coat pocket—sealed with an ancient charm that only he could open. He hadn't read the second page yet. Something about the weight of it told him the real message lay beneath the polite wording.
But before he could reach for it, he sensed… something else.
A presence.
Sharp. Ancient. Cold, yet alluring.
He turned just as a ripple shimmered in the garden shadows.
From it emerged a girl.
She wore a deep crimson cloak trimmed with black velvet. Her silver-white hair spilled over her shoulders like frost. Crimson eyes met his with an expression unreadable, save for the slight curve of her lips.
Lilith Laistrygones. Daughter of the Vampire Dukes of the Northern Hollow.
And Evan's supposed fiancée.
"You're late," he said calmly.
She stepped closer, graceful and utterly silent.
"You're colder than I expected, Evan Rochel," she said, voice soft and smooth. "I thought the heir of the Serpent would at least greet his bride-to-be with a smile."
Evan said nothing. His silence said more than words.
Lilith tilted her head. "You don't remember me, do you?"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"We met when you were a babe," she continued, taking a step around him, circling like a predator. "At the Bloodline Banquet. You cried when I kissed your forehead."
"That does sound like me," Evan muttered.
She smiled.
"I came not just because of the engagement," she said, her gaze drifting toward the sleeping Basilisk. "Your beast… It's not just a Divine."
"You can tell?"
"I can feel it. Every noble with a shred of ancient blood can. That thing isn't just bound to you. It's watching us."
Nex's eye flicked open briefly. Lilith smiled at it. "Don't worry, serpent. I mean him no harm. Not yet."
Evan turned fully toward her now. "Why are you really here, Lilith?"
Her expression dimmed, and for a moment, the flirtation vanished.
"To warn you."
There it is.
"They're moving," she whispered. "The ones who call themselves The Black Nest. They sent an envoy to the Hollow last moon. Offered us power, blood contracts… even secrets of ancient beasts. My father refused."
"And?" Evan asked.
"They flayed three of our bloodservants alive and painted the offering sigil on our gate." Her voice remained calm, but her eyes had gone dark. "They're not a cult. They're not fools. They're something worse."
Evan didn't react.
"They know about your Basilisk," she added. "They want it. Or… whatever it's meant to become."
Nex stirred, and Evan's fingers instinctively brushed the mark on his hand.
"You're going to Aflety," Lilith said, breaking the silence again. "I'll be there, too. The Laistrygones have already arranged it."
"You're not coming to protect me."
"No," she said. "I'm coming to make sure you don't die before I figure out what you really are."
She stepped closer now, close enough that he could see the faint shimmer of blood magic etched like runes under her skin—bindings only high vampires possessed. Dangerous ones.
Then, softly: "And… maybe because I'm curious."
Evan didn't step back.
"Curiosity's dangerous."
Lilith smiled.
"So am I."
Moments Later – The Study Room
Evan shut the door behind him and broke the second seal of the Aflety letter.
This one wasn't meant for public eyes.
*To the Young Sovereign of the Serpent,
We do not fear your power.
We await it.
The Academy is no longer safe.
Not for those who awaken what sleeps beneath.
Come. Learn. Survive.
– Lord Gawain.*
Beneath the letter, a crest was burned into the parchment.
Three beasts. One eye. A black feather.
Evan's hands tightened around the edge.
Lilith was right.
They were watching already.
[End of Chapter 3]