Aamir says, "Ha, well… it was a very good fight indeed."
He adds with a grin, "Well, Lord Zalmic, you sure are a strong ruler."
Zalmic lets out a deep chuckle, shaking his head. "Well, Lord Aamir, I'm not even close to your strength."
While these two laughed together like old friends who had just shared a grand spar, there were others who weren't smiling.
The vampire lords—usually arrogant and unreadable—now stood frozen, eyes darting between the two warriors.
Clicy's face darkened, her lips tightening. She leaned toward another lord and whispered, "Did you see that? He didn't even break a sweat… and yet Lord Zalmic is—" she glanced toward him, still watching his chest rise and fall rapidly, "—panting like he's been running for hours."
Her gaze slid back to Aamir, and a cold shiver ran down her spine.
"He's a monster… and now I feel stupid for thinking my actions back then meant anything against him."
