I suddenly yanked my arm out of his grip.
— Stop this nonsense! And don’t talk so loudly—someone might hear you. — My voice trembled with nervousness. — If anyone finds out what we’re talking about, you won’t end up in prison. You’ll be locked in a mental asylum. And neither of us wants that.
The man watched me with an unreadable expression. That cold, steady gaze he always gave me whenever I did something irrational.
— Our family has served the vampires for millennia. — His words were calm, but their meaning sent a chill down my spine. — Their existence has never been in question. In today’s world, the real surprise is that it’s still a secret. We don’t kill. We never have, and we never will.
— Then why did they die? — I asked sharply.
My uncle remained silent for a moment, as if weighing how much he could reveal.
— My supply ran out. — The words left his lips slowly. — They wanted fresh blood. Not something that had been sitting for months, or even a week. We couldn’t get any from the hospitals, and my contacts wouldn’t have been able to provide any until tomorrow. They got angry…
— And for that? — I stepped closer, my face flushed with anger. — For that, they staged an accident? That’s why my friends are dead? And me? Was I not fresh enough? Was my blood expired, or what the hell? Was I not on the menu?
— It was a warning.
— A warning for what? — My voice dropped to a whisper. — That if they don’t get fresh blood, they’ll slaughter everyone around us?
My uncle looked deep into my eyes.
— Lucy, they have existed far longer than we have. You have no idea what they’re capable of. We are not innocent, but we are not heartless either. You know I would never do something like this.
A sudden knock shattered the tense silence.
— Sir, they’re at the door.
My uncle looked straight at me.
— Watch their eyes. Look for the gleam.
That statement raised more questions in my mind, but there was no time to dwell on them.
I took a deep breath and opened the door.
— Thank you, Hilda. You may go.
The two officers were already seated in the foyer, waiting for me.
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— Sorry for the wait. How can I help you? — I asked, trying to mask my unease.
One of them leaned forward.
— I’m sure you’ve heard the news. Four young people lost their lives…
I clenched my jaw.
— And I was one of them.
— We know. And you have our deepest condolences. — They stood up. — Did you experience anything unusual that night? Anything that might help the investigation?
I should have told them.
But my uncle’s words echoed in my head: Watch their eyes.
I looked at the officer who had spoken. For a split second, I thought I saw a glimmer in his gaze. A cold shiver ran down my spine. Was I imagining it? Or was it real?
My heart pounded, but my lips formed the words before I could decide what was true.
— I don’t remember anything. The last place I was… was the hospital.
The officer nodded.
— We heard about what happened at the hospital. It must not have been easy for you.
The other man remained silent, just watching.
They asked a few more questions, then stood up and said their goodbyes. My uncle never stepped out of the living room.
I watched through the window as the officers left. For a moment, I hesitated. Had I made the right choice? Should I have told them everything?
But even in the worst moments, there’s an instinct to protect family. Even when… maybe you shouldn’t.
Taking a deep breath, I turned to my housekeepers.
— Hilda, Rosy, Eva, Clara. — My voice was clear and firm. — You all have the night off. Don’t come home until evening.
Murmurs of gratitude filled the air as they fetched their coats.
And I stepped back into the living room, where my uncle was waiting.
—Thank you.
I heard the man’s quiet, calm voice. He was sitting in the living room with a glass of cognac in his hand, as if nothing had happened.
“Tell me one thing,” I spoke softly, but my voice trembled with emotion. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t regret protecting you.”
My uncle slowly lifted his gaze to me.
“I’m telling the truth,” he replied evenly. “You know I would never lie to you.”
I laughed—a sharp, bitter sound escaped from my throat.
“But you did lie. Even if what you say is true, it was still a lie because I didn’t know about it. And if it’s not true, then it’s obviously a lie. No matter how you look at it, you lied to me.”
My uncle took a sip of his cognac and then placed the glass down.
“I had my reasons,” he said quietly. “And you know that very well. Our family never acts without a reason.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Yet you always seem to have a reason to sit here and sip cognac while everything falls apart around us.”
His gaze darkened.
“If it wasn’t you, then why do you have the blood?” I demanded. “Answer me.”
Silence. That was all I got in return. My patience ran out.
“I’m asking once,” I continued. “If they truly exist, where are they now? I want to see them.”
A barely noticeable smile tugged at my uncle’s lips.
“I’m afraid we’ll be meeting them much sooner than you think.”
I was just about to respond when a composed, unwavering voice broke the silence.
“Here.”
Two shadows moved across the room so quickly I could barely process it.
Two men stood before me, motionless, dressed in black. Their suits were elegant, yet something about them felt… unnatural.
They were bodyguards. But not human ones.
From outside, I heard the faint crunch of gravel. I turned toward the window.
One car. Two. Three. Four.
An entire convoy pulled into the estate.
The blood in my veins turned to ice.
How did these two get in unnoticed? And why are they looking at me like that?
Their eyes… they glistened in the cold winter light.
My body tensed. Instinctively, I stepped back toward my uncle, who was already rising to his feet.
With trembling hands, I reached for his.
I expected shelter. Protection from these creatures.
But deep down, I knew—if they were who I thought they were…
Nothing could protect me now.