Seven
752 Words
“Lucas, you have a secret. A deadly one that no vampire must know, how you were able to destroy the empires. One you unleashed. One that can destroy you. You don’t want that exposed… do you?”
Lucas had traveled to meet the oldest vampire that had ever lived, a being who resided deep within the mountains, feeding off the bodies of humans Lucas transported to him every week without fail since he became king.
The vampire who knew the secret buried deep in Lucas’s heart.
A secret no kingdom knew about.
Not even his own.
The moment Lucas had stepped out of the halls after the meeting, the message came swiftly, the spinning of air around him and the whisper of his name.
“Lucias.”
His real name.
The only person who still called him that.
The man who had lived for over 10,000 years.
Lucas hadn’t even visited his room. Instead, he spun into the air and disappeared into thin air, becoming invisible to anyone who might see him.
He moved across the mountains with terrifying speed, the strength of a vampire pushing him forward until he stood behind where the old man sat crouched, staring over the dark sky.
The old vampire was always in that position.
He only left when he wanted to feed.
“You are Lord Lucas… and you must be ruthless!”
The old man turned sharply.
Lucas instinctively took a step back.
The energy inside the man, the one who partly made him who he was, pressed heavily in the air. The old vampire forced the memory into Lucas’s mind the moment their eyes met.
“I am ruthless,” Lucas replied immediately.
The old man, Daies, nodded slowly.
“Yet… you keep a mere human safe?”
Lucas frowned.
He knew information had already reached him about Isabella.
But he calmed himself.
Daies turned his neck toward the dark hills, his right hand gripping his staff tightly.
“Rule number one of the vampire law, kill every human you come across. They carry our meal. You are defying vampire law, Lucas. You are putting Outrus kingdom at risk. You shouldn’t be seen as weak.”
The warning came heavy.
Yes, Lucas was powerful.
But the vampire before him was ancient, older than kingdoms alive. The one Lucas had sought when he needed help conquering the twelve deadly empires.
“Outrus is my kingdom,” Lucas began quietly.
“I sacrificed my life to be crowned king. Therefore… they live by my orders.”
His voice was quiet.
But commanding.
“Lucas. By bloodline… Outrus isn’t yours!” Daies scolded, his face shaking with anger.
“Don’t do something stupid.” His finger trembled as he pointed at Lucas.
“Outrus is my kingdom. I sacrificed my life to be crowned king,” Lucas repeated, more firmly, his eyes piercing into Daies’.
“So therefore… they live by my orders. And that includes you.”
Daies froze in stupefaction.
His brows lifted.
Then slowly… a curve formed on his lips.
“I see… power has gotten over you.”
Lucas nodded slowly.
“More power than you could ever imagine having.”
“Falling for a human is forbidden, Lucas!” the bald old vampire snapped.
Lucas was shocked.
He hadn’t even thought about why he was doing all this for one human girl.
Why he felt the urge to protect her.
He rolled his eyes and began walking away, chanting the incantation in his mind to disappear back to his kingdom.
He was done.
“Lucas. Your secret… I hold it. I could tell. You don’t want everything you’ve worked for to go away. Remember… you were once an ordinary vampire begging for provision. You don’t want to go back to what you were.”
Lucas stopped mid-step.
The incantation halted.
“Follow the vampire law. Kill the girl.”
Lucas slowly turned back.
“I won’t,” he said softly.
“You have no right to order your king.”
Daies scoffed.
“I made you that king.”
“And you are still alive because of me!” Lucas shouted, his anger finally boiling over.
All because of the human girl locked in his room.
Protected by his powers.
“The next time you call me for this… I will kill you.”
Lucas meant it.
Daies saw it in his eyes.
Lucas vanished instantly.
Leaving the ancient vampire staring at the empty air…
His ancient mind already plotting.
- Writer
