Bloodbound

Bloodbound: The Burden of Eternity 2

Elias moved quickly through the streets, his mind racing with thoughts of the journal and the ancient temple. The city buzzed around him, oblivious to the darkness that lurked in its shadows. Neon lights reflected off rain-slicked pavement as he passed through the more crowded areas, slipping in and out of sight like a shadow himself.

His thoughts kept returning to Lila. They had crossed paths a few months ago, a brief and tense encounter. She had known too much—about him, about vampires in general. That alone would have made her dangerous, but there had been something more, something unsettling in the way she’d looked at him. It was as if she had been waiting for him.

Lila’s involvement with the secret society made her an even greater risk. The society had a long history of monitoring, and in some cases, hunting vampires. They believed themselves to be protectors of humanity, but Elias had seen firsthand that their methods weren’t always noble. If they found out what he was after, they would stop him—no question about it.

But she was his only lead.

He turned down a narrow street, heading toward a district he knew well, the kind of place where people didn’t ask questions. His steps quickened as he neared an old bookstore tucked between two abandoned buildings. The store’s windows were grimy, the sign above it faded and unreadable, but the door was unlocked, as it always was.

Inside, the smell of old paper and dust greeted him. Shelves sagged under the weight of forgotten tomes, and the dim lighting cast long shadows across the floor. Elias moved toward the back of the shop, where the real business was conducted. A lone figure sat behind the counter, her head buried in a book, dark curls falling over her face.

Lila.

She didn’t look up when he approached, though Elias knew she had sensed him the moment he entered. She was like that—always aware, always ready. It was one of the reasons he respected her, even if he didn’t trust her.

“You’re late,” she said without looking up, her voice steady and calm.

“I wasn’t aware we had a meeting,” Elias replied, leaning against the counter. He studied her for a moment. She was younger than she looked, though her eyes carried the weight of someone who had seen far more than her years suggested. She closed her book with a soft thud and finally met his gaze.

“We always have a meeting,” she said. “You just don’t know when it’s going to happen.”

Elias smirked, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Is that how this works?”

Lila shrugged, her expression unreadable. “It’s how I work.”

There was a moment of silence between them, a tension that neither seemed willing to break. Elias knew she was waiting for him to speak first, to reveal why he had come. But he wasn’t ready to give away too much. Not yet.

“I need your help,” he said finally, his voice low. “I’m looking for something.”

Lila raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. “And you think I can help you find it?”

“I know you can.”

For the first time, a flicker of curiosity passed over her face. She leaned forward slightly, resting her arms on the counter. “What are you looking for, Elias?”

He hesitated. He didn’t like revealing his intentions, especially to someone as unpredictable as Lila. But he had no choice. If he was going to find the temple, if he was going to reverse the curse that had plagued him for centuries, he needed her.

“There’s a temple,” he said slowly. “An ancient place, forgotten by most of the world. It’s said to be the birthplace of the first vampire.”

Lila’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve heard of it.”

“Then you know why I’m interested.”

She studied him for a long moment, her dark eyes searching his face for answers he wasn’t ready to give. Finally, she leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest.

“The Temple of Blood,” she said quietly. “It’s a myth.”

Elias shook his head. “It’s not. I’ve found proof.”

“And what exactly do you think you’re going to find there? Redemption?” She said the word like it was a joke, something she had heard before, too many times to believe in it anymore.

Elias’ jaw tightened. “I think I’ll find a way to end this.”

Lila laughed, a short, bitter sound. “End it? Elias, you can’t change what you are. You’ve been a vampire for centuries. There’s no going back.”

“I don’t have a choice,” he replied, his voice hard. “I can’t live like this anymore.”

For a moment, there was silence. Lila’s expression softened, and she looked at him not with pity, but with understanding. She knew what it was like to be trapped in a world you didn’t want to be part of. Maybe that was why she hadn’t reported him to her superiors, why she hadn’t turned him in when she had the chance.

“There’s always a choice,” she said quietly.

Elias shook his head. “Not for me.”

Lila sighed, pushing her hair back from her face. “Even if the temple is real, even if you find it, you think reversing vampirism is going to be easy? If there’s a cure, don’t you think every vampire would be looking for it?”

“They are,” Elias said. “That’s why I need to find it first.”

She studied him for a long moment before speaking again. “You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

Lila leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. “Fine. I’ll help you. But we do this my way. You follow my lead, and if things go south, we pull out. Understood?”

Elias nodded. “Understood.”

“Good,” she said, standing up and grabbing her coat. “Let’s get to work.”