After dinner, when Lily and her husband returned to their room, she watched him stand on the balcony. Oscar held a cigar, his silhouette framed by the night as he looked out from the patio of their suite. She approached him with quiet, hesitant steps, trying not to disturb his thoughts. However, when she was only a few paces away, Oscar reached out and grabbed her hand. He pulled her firmly against him so that she faced the balcony wall; he rested his chin on her shoulder and wrapped his arms securely around her waist.
"Is it necessary?" she asked, feeling him pull her closer.
"What?" Oscar replied, his tone nonchalant, though he knew exactly what she meant.
"Oscar, I mean making the children fight," Lily said. Her voice wavered despite the brave face she usually wore for others. "Anything else would be fine, but a vampire? They are fast and cunning."
"It is necessary, Lily," he insisted. He turned her around to face him, meeting her eyes. He could see the conflict of trust, worry, and fear swirling within her. "They must learn to face these threats. If not today, then in the future. It is better they learn under my supervision, where I can intervene if things go wrong."
As her hand moved toward the wound he had received during the fight in Firestark, he caught her wrist. "Don't. The last time you tried to heal me, you collapsed from exhaustion. I cannot risk you. Lily, I may never be able to give you the exact place in my heart that Alice held, but that does not mean you don't matter. You matter to me as much as our children do."
He pulled her into a deep kiss that lasted several minutes before pressing a final, tender kiss to her forehead.
"I know," she whispered, resting her head against his chest. "And I love you more than my own life, Oscar. Please, just let me help you."
He hugged her tighter, shaking his head. "It's alright. I will be fine. I won't be traveling to other towns for work right now; the King has summoned us to deal with our products, so I shall be staying home for a few days." The news of the King's summons was a relief to Lily, especially given what she knew of the Prince's inner circle.
In a nearby room, Floria had just finished a long, hot bath to ease the discomfort in her body. She dressed in a simple, single-layered gown over silk undergarments and stockings. For two months, her body had been accumulating a natural toxicity—a biological cycle that occurred as she aged. The last time she had been with men, they had died, unable to cope with the poison her body produced every sixty days.
As a hybrid, her physical needs were more intense than those of a pureblooded vampire. her body required a partner stronger than herself to truly claim her; despite her past encounters, she remained a virgin, her body instinctively rejecting anyone who did not meet the requirements of the Merman marking rituals. Her mother, Lily, had studied these cycles and concluded that Floria's body would likely remain "intact" until she found someone capable of surviving her.
Dressed and ready, Floria headed to the basement. Her brother, Jace, and her father were already there. The butler was making his rounds of the mansion to ensure no one was eavesdropping.
"Now that everyone is here, let us begin. I hope you are both prepared," Oscar said as he descended the stairs. Jace had removed his waistcoat and cuffs, appearing in just his shirt and trousers. Floria followed, her gown reinforced with an extra binding of cloth over her chest for the fight. Oscar's own clothes were slightly ruffled, several buttons undone.
In the center of the room, a blonde-haired vampire was bound to a chair. His fangs were bared and his eyes glowed red, marking him as an average but dangerous predator.
"You bloody piece of shit, I'll suck you all dry!" the vampire snarled. Oscar approached him, staring into the creature's eyes. The vampire's expression shifted from rage to a strange, vacant calm—he had been manipulated.
"Ready? Go!" Oscar commanded.
Suddenly, the vampire was released and lunged at Floria and Jace with inhuman speed. Floria knew she couldn't use her own manipulation powers on him, as it would break the compulsion her father had already set. Instead, she and Jace engaged in a brutal physical struggle. They used a combination of martial arts and their elemental control over water to hinder the vampire's movements. Jace manipulated the water within the vampire's own system, forcing his circulation to move in opposite directions. The creature fell to his knees, gasping. Jace finished him by conjuring a blade of ice to snap his head back, while Floria used her sharpened nails to tear out his heart.
Oscar watched with grim satisfaction. He walked to a table and picked up a sword, gesturing to his son. "Jace, dear, why don't you take a seat until it is your turn?" Jace obeyed without a word.
While the training continued in the basement, a different sort of work was being done in the guest room where Lillian slept. Lily Saipon stood with the butler, Ethan.
"Start the ritual, Ethan," Lily commanded.
Ethan raised his hands, chanting a spell that created a protective shell around the young witch. Lily began the arduous process of drawing out the darkness from Lillian's soul, funneling the corruption into a glass vial. The strain was immense; Lily spat blood as the ritual taxed her very essence.
"Mrs. Saipon!" Ethan cried as Lily sank to her knees.
"I am fine," she panted. "Let her sleep. Do not let anyone see her until morning."
Ethan understood the instruction. He knew his master, Oscar, was a cunning and ruthlessly powerful man who had only agreed to let the girl stay under specific conditions. Ethan helped Lily back to her room, then returned to lock the guest room and clean the basement, removing all traces of the dead vampire. He knew "raw products" were often brought in by carriage, but he hoped this wouldn't bring trouble while the Council was conducting inspections.
The following morning, Jace went to visit Lillian. He hadn't seen her the previous night, having nearly lost consciousness during the final bout with his father. His face and hands were wrapped in bandages; even as a Merman hybrid, he was not yet a match for Oscar's strength.
Lillian's room was on the same floor as his, near Floria's suite. Using a spare key he had kept since she moved in, Jace entered at six in the morning. He found her standing on the balcony, still in the clothes she had arrived in. A beautiful olive silk gown sat on the table, likely prepared by his mother. He leaned against the wall, watching her. She stood with her eyes closed, her wavy brown hair dancing in the wind, looking lovely and fragile.
"Lillian," Jace murmured softly.
She startled, turning to see him. She had woken up to a knock from the butler earlier, who had provided the dress and told her to be ready for breakfast by seven. Her mind had been racing with fear—she remembered sleeping in Jace's arms in front of his family. Did they know she was a witch? Would they burn her? But Jace's presence calmed her. He looked handsome as ever in his black trousers and waistcoat.
"Jace... morning," she said, her eyes scanning his bandages.
"Morning, little squirrel. Did you sleep well?" He stepped closer. She reflexively backed away, but he caught her by the waist. "Any further back and you'll fall over the railing."
He stared into her olive eyes with his own icy blue ones for a few seconds before letting go.
"Jace, I think I should leave. I'll be alright on my own," Lillian said, looking away. She felt embarrassed and didn't want to be a burden or a "vicious witch" seeking sympathy.
But Jace had no intention of letting her go. He stepped forward, caging her against the railing with his arms. His eyes darkened at the thought of her leaving. "And how will you be alright? By running until someone catches you and burns you?" He leaned down to her height. "I told you I won't let you run. I don't care if you're a witch. I love you, Lillian. I have for a long time. You are safe in this house. I won't let you go where I can't protect you. Stay here. Stay."
Tears welled in Lillian's eyes. They stood in silence until a soft throat-clearing interrupted them. Lillian tried to push him away, but Jace held firm. "Do you love me, Lillian?"
She looked into his serious eyes and nodded. It was all the confirmation he needed. He smirked and kissed her cheek, chuckling at her flustered, red-faced reaction.
Lily stood nearby, having come to help Lillian get ready. She saw the scene and smiled. Her son was "marking his territory" by ensuring Lillian felt bound to him through affection and guilt—a tactic he had clearly learned from Oscar.
"Thank you, Mom, for helping her," Jace said, sensing his mother's presence.
"How could I let my future daughter-in-law suffer?" Lily replied warmly. "Go now, she needs to get ready. I'll handle this."
Lily helped Lillian through her morning routine. She guided the girl to a warm bath and helped her into the green silk gown. As she combed Lillian's hair, Lily offered a comforting ear.
"You can tell me anything, dear. If Jace ever troubles you, I'll pull his ears for you," Lily joked, making Lillian giggle. "I want you to stay. The world is not safe for a woman alone... there, you look gorgeous."
Lillian turned toward her, touched by the beautiful braid Lily had woven. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Saipon. I don't know what I would have done without Jace and Miss Floria."
While Lily attended to Lillian, Floria retreated to her own sanctuary. She sat in a spacious, round bathtub filled with hot water, allowing her true form to emerge. Her scales were not a singular color but a mosaic of shifting hues, ranging from the mossy amethyst of a coral reef to the deep, burning sunset found in the ocean's trenches. They caught the light in a thousand glimmers, sparkling like scattered emeralds and sapphires.
Translucent wings, etched with intricate, delicate designs, complemented her pale skin. Her nose, lips, and the tips of her ears were flushed a soft pink. A sharp, straight fin ran down the length of her spine, trailing into a powerful tail. As she soaked, the warm water began to turn black, absorbing the poison that had accumulated in her system. She looked like a rare treasure, something meant to be admired from a distance, far from the eyes of any predator. After twirling back and forth for several minutes, her tail finally shifted back into human legs and her wings retracted. She stepped out, wrapping herself in a robe before dressing in a sky-blue gown and white undergarments.
She knew that tonight, the biological pressure would be too much; she would have to visit a motel.
Later that morning, the family gathered for breakfast. Oscar and Lily sat opposite Floria, while Lillian sat beside her, with Jace occupying the seat next to the young witch. Jace stole frequent, subtle glances at Lillian, trying his best to remain inconspicuous.
Floria maintained a polite smile as her father spoke. "Lillian, dear," Oscar said, his voice firm yet welcoming. "We have been trying to locate your mother. I am truly sorry for what has happened, but as you have no other relatives, you will be staying here with us. As Lily mentioned, it is not right for a young woman to live on her own. I am certain Mrs. Cameal would want her daughter cared for in her absence. You will be under Ethan's guidance, just as Jace is. Ethan, see to it that her belongings are moved to the third room in the family quarters."
Oscar's words sparked a flicker of guilt in Lillian's heart, even as they warmed her. "Thank you, Mr. Saipon," she whispered. The butler served the food and, once the plates were full, Oscar dismissed all the servants except for Ethan.
"Lillian, is there anything you wish to bring from your house?" Lily asked gently. She had spent the morning helping Lillian realize that all creatures had a right to live, slowly coaxing the girl out of her shell.
Lillian nodded.
"Jace, I want you to accompany Lillian while she is out," Oscar commanded. Jace agreed immediately, a look of genuine happiness crossing his face. "Of course, Dad."
Once she finished her meal, Floria stood. "I am done. I'll be taking my leave for the library."
Oscar nodded, but Lily looked troubled, knowing her daughter was still masking her physical discomfort. "Flor, please excuse us for a moment," Lily said. Floria gave Lillian's head an affectionate pat before leaving the room with a polite smile.
"Take care, Sister Flor," Lillian called out.
Lily led Floria to a locked room and opened it with a silver key. Once inside, Lily moved toward a cupboard. "Are you going out today?" she asked. She knew Floria was old enough to handle her own affairs, but Alice's old warnings about people seeking Floria remained a constant weight on Lily's mind.
"Take this," Lily said, handing her a charm stone. "I have crafted this to create an illusion over your face and aura." Lily had been making these stones since Floria's first need to release the poison arose. If the toxicity wasn't expelled, it would eventually kill her. The poison acted as if her soul refused to bond with anyone but one specific person—a phenomenon seen in rare cases where souls were "marked" by lovers in a previous life. Even when memories are erased, the mark remains.
"But didn't you say such a charm would make people suspicious of us?" Floria asked, sensing her mother might be hiding something.
"Do not question me, Flor. Just wear it, and ensure your collar is high enough to hide it."
"Yes, Mother. I will be visiting Natalie at noon. Please send Ethan with the carriage to her house at seven." With that, Floria departed.
At the library, the air was thick with the scent of paper and ink. Floria checked the registration books and spoke with the staff—Marianne, Saleen, and Clara—before heading upstairs to find Ivan. The silver-haired High Elf was surrounded by parchments concerning soul energy and rebirth.
"Your soul is marked," Ivan told her flatly. He explained the types of markings: lovers' pacts, sacrifices, or energy exchanges. "Given how your body rejects everyone, the lover's mark is the most likely. To ease the poison, you would eventually need to be with the one who marked you."
"Sleeping with someone isn't hard," Floria mused, "but how do I find a man who might be a higher hybrid I cannot manipulate?"
Ivan gave her an indifferent look. "Perhaps you will find him, Lady." As she turned to leave, he warned her to keep her "ears open," a cryptic sign of his concern.
Meanwhile, Jace and Lillian had finished their morning studies. Lillian had been learning about spells and soul energy, while Jace was being taught like an ordinary human—leading her to believe he was exactly that. They arrived at the Cameal residence to collect Lillian's things.
Lillian stood in her old home, clutching a box her mother had left her. Tears fell as she remembered her mother explaining that the box was locked by magic and would only open when Lillian's powers were strong enough.
"You will do it, Lillian," Jace said, wiping her tears. "You'll become excellent with your magic, and Ethan and Mom will help you."
"Jace, thank you for loving me," she whispered.
He kissed her cheek. "I'll always love you, my little squirrel. Remember when you chased me because I took your doll?"
Their laughter was cut short when Jace heard voices outside. "...Felix, find the girl. She must have the stone. Check the rooms!"
Jace reacted instantly, pushing Lillian into a large cupboard and shutting the door. He heard a vampire approaching. Jace moved like a shadow, grabbing the intruder from behind to prevent a sound. Using his powers, he manipulated the vampire's mind. The man walked back out to his companions and lied: "There's no one here. They must have fled with the stones."
"Damn it!" another man shouted. "Robin will kill us if we don't find her. Tell the others—we find her at any cost!"
To further hide them, Jace used his elemental power to draw moisture from the air, coating the walls in the heavy scent of wet soil to mask their natural aroma. When the vampires left and Lillian stepped out, she was stunned. "Water, Jace? How did it come from the walls?"
"Lillian, I have much to tell you, but we must move now," Jace said urgently. "Ethan is waiting at the west corner." They hurried away from her childhood home.
Back at the library, as the clock struck four-thirty, Floria went upstairs to change into a red gown with a detached collar. Ivan approached her and tied a thin thread around her wrist.
"You are wearing the charm stone," he noted, his eyes searching hers. Floria wondered if the High Elf's constant smiles hid a deeper affection for her. "This thread will help you contact me. Close your eyes and think of me if you are in need."
"I feel like a sacrificial lamb being sent to a lion," Floria joked.
Ivan chuckled as she departed for Natalie Glover's house. Later, sitting in Natalie's garden over tea, the two women gossiped about local scandals. Natalie confirmed that the dog Floria had seen belonged to a certain vampiress and discussed the rivalry between Mr. Warren Davies and his lost love, Miss Salvia.
After their chat, Floria activated her charm stone and boarded a local carriage, heading toward the capital city of Derefield to find a motel for the night.
At the motel in Derefield, the atmosphere was thick with the scent of roasted meat, cheap ale, and the sweat of a crowded room. Floria, her appearance masked by the charm stone, moved through the throng. Her hair appeared blonde, and her eyes sparkled with a rare, crystalline amethyst hue that acted like a beacon for every man in the room. Holding a glass of wine, she wove her way toward a group of men. The loud music and boisterous songs of the inn served as a perfect veil, preventing their secluded conversations from reaching the ears of commoners.
"It is such a shame that a beauty like yourself is alone on such a wonderful night," a dark-haired man remarked. He reached out, taking her pale hand in his and pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
"That shouldn't be an issue, as a gentleman like yourself is here to accompany me, isn't it?" Floria replied, a sly, predatory smile pulling at her lips.
"That is very true. I would never let a lady like you be bored, Miss...?"
True, because you will be dead after this, Floria thought grimly. Aloud, she provided a false name: "Selena Chamberlain."
As she spoke with the man, she was unaware that she had caught the eye of someone far more dangerous than a common flirt. Across the room, a man with vibrant red hair watched her. He noted the way the other men eyed her with blatant lust and decided to intervene. He was striking, with a sharp jawline and powerful muscles that peeked through a shirt left daringly unbuttoned at the top. There was something intense and slightly predatory about him.
Without waiting for an invitation, he stepped forward and pulled her toward the dance floor. "Miss, care for a dance?"
Before she could even answer, he had his hand firmly on her waist and her hand pressed against his chest. He pulled her flush against him, his hand sliding down to the small of her back. As they moved, the sound of her heartbeat rang in his ears like a drum. He felt a primal urge to sink his fangs into her neck and drink her dry, but he forced himself to stay controlled. He had been searching for his "rabbit" for a century, and he wouldn't let bloodlust ruin this moment.
"So, is the lady here to have fun?" he asked, testing her.
"Yes, just like yourself, gentleman," Floria replied, her mind beginning to cloud under the mounting pressure of the poison.
"And what is your lovely name?"
"Selena... Selena Chamber," she whispered.
It was a lie. He had heard her say "Chamberlain" only moments ago. He looked into her eyes; the charm stone made them appear black, but he was no ordinary vampire. As a Dark Vampire of the highest lineage, he was nearly immune to such illusions. He could see the faint amethyst spark beneath the black, and he noticed the skin of her neck turning a tell-tale shade of blue beneath her high collar.
Floria's patience was fraying. The poison was reaching a breaking point. Sensing her distress, the man twirled her toward a darker, more secluded corner of the room. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her neck. Floria's eyes closed involuntarily, a sigh escaping her parted lips as she felt an irresistible pull toward him.
Taking advantage of her dazed state, he reached up and unfastened her detachable collar. Just as he suspected, her skin was mottled with blue—the same mark of the poison that affected his own kind. He had found her. After decades of searching, his little rabbit was finally in his arms.
Suddenly, Floria seemed to snap back to her senses. She shoved him against the wall, her pupils narrowing into slits, her eyes turning a stark white shot through with amethyst. "Look into my eyes," she commanded, her voice thick with a hybrid's power. "You will listen to me. Now, book a room in your name."
She was clearly in the throes of a dire, splitting desire. The man decided to play along; resisting her while she was in this state—and while he was feeling a growing heat in his own loins—was not an option. he booked a room and, ignoring her weak attempts at resistance, swept her into his arms and carried her upstairs.
Once inside the room, he locked the door and placed her in the center of the bed. She looked guarded, her breath coming in shallow gasps. As he reached for the lace of her gown, intended to free her from her clothes, she caught his hand in a iron grip.
"Don't you dare touch anything else," she growled, her voice hoarse and desperate. "Just move your little dick."
The man smirked. Wait until I have you agreeing to my every word, sweetheart, he thought. He followed her command, leaving her clothes intact but pushing her gown up past her thighs. He shed his own trousers, his desire fully roused. He pulled her closer by her thigh and entered her in one swift motion.
"Fuck," he groaned. She was incredibly tight—far more than he had anticipated. He felt a desperate urge to strip her bare and see all of her, but he knew he had to help her neutralize the poison first.
"Fucking hell," Floria groaned, her head tossing back. "You indeed don't have a small dick."
He began to thrust, his movements slow and torturous at first, driving her to curse at him in frustration. He kept his hands firmly on her thighs, refusing to touch her anywhere else as per her orders, even as she arched her back in a silent plea for more contact.
"Ahhh..." she moaned as he finally increased his pace. He drove into her with a rhythmic speed that drew a sharp cry from her lungs. When he felt her nearing her climax, he deliberately slowed down.
"Fuck! Keep moving faster!" she hissed through gritted teeth.
He obeyed, pulling nearly all the way out before plunging back in with a force that made her cling to his biceps. "Ahh... please!" she cried out as her body began to shiver and convulse under him. As she reached her peak, he didn't stop. He thrust a few more times before releasing his own seed into her, the act finally neutralizing the poison in her blood.
A loud, guttural groan left his lips as he tilted his head back. He felt her panting for breath beneath him, but his body wasn't finished. Despite the release, he remained hard within her throbbing core. He began to move again, his hands gripping her hips firmly. He could hear her heart thundering against her ribs. He increased his speed once more, his own head falling back in ecstasy.
"Ahh... plea... please... stop now... stop," she pleaded.
He gritted his teeth and forced himself to go still. He felt her hand travel smoothly from his arm to his face, and then to his forehead. Suddenly, his world went completely blank.