Below, the few surviving vampires knelt trembling, their foreheads pressed against the ground, afraid to even breathe too loudly.
Fu Ling finished the sugared petal in his hand, dusting his fingers lazily. His eyes swept across the kneeling survivors.
"Your third prince was ambitious but stupid," he drawled softly, voice cutting through the silence. "If any of you feel inclined to follow in his footsteps… don't." He didn't want to waste any more time on unrelated people.
The words were spoken without force, yet they carried a quiet weight that made shoulders stiffen and heads bow lower.
Cain asked lightly.
"Where is she?"
Several soldiers flinched, exchanging nervous glances. No one dared answer.
Fu Ling shifted against the railing, his tone deceptively casual. "Come now, don't all scramble at once. You heard him. Where's the girl Ryker took?"
Finally, one trembling vampire raised his head slightly, though he didn't dare meet Cain's eyes.
