The room fell silent, everyone struggling to grasp what Sylvia had just revealed. The only sounds were the low rumble of thunder and the steady patter of rain against the roof—until Julius finally broke the silence.
"Isn't there anything we can do? Surely there must be a way?" he asked, his voice low and uncertain as he cleared his throat.
Sylvia closed her eyes, drawing in a slow, steady breath. "There is… but it will take more than ordinary senses," she said softly. "I'll need to reach out with my mind—to feel where she is. As long as she's somewhere within the forest, I might be able to find her. My power is bound to nature, and its reach doesn't extend far beyond it."
Kevin tilted his head. "Why only there?"
Sylvia opened her eyes, her tone calm but distant. "Because my bloodline is bound to the Green Veil—an ancient pact between my ancestors and the spirits of the wild. It grants me sight through the living pulse of nature—the roots, the wind, the rain. But outside it… I am blind."
Julius swallowed hard. "So… if Ryak is hiding Penelope in the forest, you'll be able to find her?"
Sylvia nodded, drawing another long breath. "If she's anywhere nature still breathes… yes."
Kael leaned forward, his voice low and dangerous. "Then do it."
Thunder roared overhead as Sylvia closed her eyes once more. She raised her hands, murmuring ancient words that sounded like the wind whispering through trees. The air thickened—cool, electric—and faint streaks of green and gold shimmered across her skin. The guards stared in disbelief; a glowing human wasn't part of what they'd signed up for. Then again, neither was a vampire.
Outside, the rain slowed. Leaves rustled though no wind stirred.
Her lips parted. "I see it…" she breathed. "A house—hidden deep within the forest. It's cloaked, veiled from mortal sight. Only those with psychic perception can find it."
Julius's eyes widened. "You found her?"
"Yes," Sylvia whispered, lowering her hands as the shimmering light faded. "Her whereabouts."
A murmur of hope rippled through the group.
"What do you mean, her whereabouts?" Zac asked, not blinded by the sudden joy that gripped the others.
"I thought you'd found her," Julius added, raising a brow.
"I've found where she is," Sylvia explained, her voice strained. "But the veil around the place disrupts my vision. To break it, I'll need to be there in person."
Kael's jaw tightened as he rose abruptly, his expression darkening. "Then let's go," he said coldly.
Zac shook his head. "Not tonight. These men are human, Kael—they need rest. And you… you need to calm down."
Kael's eyes gleamed with fury. "I just want to kill that bastard," he muttered under his breath.
"You can leave first thing tomorrow," Zac said, placing a steadying hand on his son's shoulder. "But for now, you're going nowhere. Anger won't help."
Kael said nothing. His silence was heavier than thunder. He turned sharply and strode up the stairs, his presence leaving a chill behind.
"Come on," Zac said with a small smile turning to face the guards. "Let me show you to your rooms for the night." He gestured to the door
The guards exchanged uneasy glances. Sleeping in a vampire's home was unsettling enough—but near Kael, it felt almost dangerous. Julius noticed their tension and offered a faint, reassuring smile.
"Don't worry," he said quietly. "He's loyal… in his own way."
Still, a thought lingered in his mind—a question that refused to rest.
Kael loved someone he had never met. His devotion was fierce, almost frightening. It comforted Julius to believe Kael would never hurt her… or them.
Or would he?
The next morning came quickly, though none of them had truly slept. Kael hadn't closed his eyes for a second; his mind burned with thoughts of Ryak—how he would crush his skull, how he would make him pay.
Some of the guards hadn't slept either, but at least their minds were on survival, not revenge.
When dawn broke, the group except for Zac set out for the forest, their determination heavy in the air. The path was damp from the night's rain, the mist curling around their boots like pale smoke.
As they reached the familiar part of the woods, Kael's eyes scanned the area, his senses sharp and restless.
"We've searched this part of the forest before," he growled. "I knew something was off. We've searched countless times and never found a thing."
His jaw tightened. "Clearly, we were looking with the wrong eyes," he muttered, a dangerous edge in his tone.
"Shh," Sylvia hissed softly. "I need silence and complete focus, or the spell could go wrong."
Everyone nodded. Kevin even made a zipping motion across his lips, earning a pitying shake of the head from Vesper.
If Sylvia hadn't warned them to stay quiet, Kevin would have asked why Vesper always picked on him—and Vesper would have asked why Kevin was so stupid.
Sylvia stepped forward into a small clearing.
Raising her hands, she whispered a low chant, her fingers weaving glowing patterns through the air. The forest stirred in response—leaves quivered, shadows twisted, and the air thickened with power.
Then, slowly—almost painfully—the outline of a house began to shimmer into view.
A faint outline shimmered into view: a small, elegant house, surrounded by trees so thick and enchanted that they seemed to move with a life of their own.
Everyone was stunned, but Kael was angrier than the rest. He clenched his fists so hard they went white from the halted blood flow. Sylvia, finished with her chant, saw him and reached to take his hand, but he ripped away and strode into the house with a deadly, cold look on his face. If even a fly crossed him, he would tear it apart as a lion shreds an antelope.
The others followed cautiously; the guards drew their swords. Julius, stern and determined, leaned forward and whispered, "We're coming to save you, Princess."
The house was unnaturally still, as if it had been waiting. No one seemed to be home, but traces of people who lived there lingered — a dagger left on the couch, a glass on a side table filled with something that looked like wine but was not.
On a small table in the living room a framed photograph caught Kael's eye. He picked it up and froze. Ivy smiled warmly in the picture, affection radiating from her posture. Ryak, however, looked distant and annoyed, his gaze drifting as if the camera irritated him.
Kael's fingers tightened around the frame until the glass shattered across the floor. He had never seen Ryak's face before, yet he knew instantly — this was him. And Ivy… she didn't understand the consequences of what she'd done. She had crossed a line she could never uncross. He snatched the broken picture up, rage coursing through him. "He'll pay for this," he growled, eyes burning, pressing the shards to his palm to memorize the face.
Sylvia stepped closer and placed a light hand on his arm. "Kael… don't touch anything else. Not yet. We don't want to leave traces."
"But what about our scent?" Vesper asked. Sylvia turned to him with an expression that asked, doesn't scent count as a trace?
Kael, meanwhile, paused. Something familiar rode the air — a scent he knew as surely as his own heartbeat. He followed it, nose leading him down the corridor.
"Penelope!" he called.
Everyone turned. The guards all knew that sound; they recognized it, too. That lingering fragrance — moonlit vanilla and thorn — was impossible to miss.
Kael continued down the hall and pushed open a door. The sweet notes of vanilla orchid, night-blooming jasmine, silver musk, and the faint, thorny trace of rose flooded his senses. He stood there a moment, certain.
Vesper called the others over; they swept into the room and turned everything upside down. "Leave no place unsearched," Julius ordered.
Still, amid the chaos of overturned cushions and scattered belongings, Kael felt… nothing. The rush that usually hammered his chest when she was near never came. No sweat, no pounding heart — just emptiness. Sylvia must have noticed; she said quietly, "She's not here."
Everyone stopped. Confusion and alarm tightened the group. "What do you mean she's not here?" Julius demanded, eyebrows drawn together. "If she's not here, then where is she? You brought us here."
Kael slammed a fist into the wall. The impact tore a jagged hole in the wall . "That bastard," he hissed, teeth clenched.. "I will find you — and when I do, you will regret this."