My Vampire Thralls

Chapter 25: A View Worth Every Penny

The invitation was undeniably exquisite.

Seraphina flipped it over, her eyes tracing the address embossed on the back. Her twin brother, Silas, the Third Seat of the Hunter Association, was missing—and quite possibly dead. Between that and the recent Hunting Day at Eli Academy, she knew a target was likely painted on her back by more than a few vampires.

She had already planned to reach out to the Association; having them come to her first was a stroke of luck.

After changing into a high-collared shirt to hide the bandages wrapped around her neck, Seraphina grabbed the invitation and headed out. In the elevator, she ran into a familiar face: her neighbor from downstairs.

This morning, he was dressed in a crisp uniform adorned with tactical straps—likely designed to keep the fabric from shifting during a fight. Her neighbor, Alaric, possessed a completely different allure compared to the vampires at school. While they were ethereal and haunting, he was a masterpiece of rugged, silent masculinity. In the uniform, his broad shoulders and narrow waist were accentuated to a lethal degree, radiating a tension that was practically palpable.

Seraphina’s gaze flickered over him, and she instinctively moved her hand to cover her nose, desperate to avoid an embarrassing nosebleed.

Alaric gave a slight nod in greeting.

Terrified she might actually lose more blood if she kept looking, Seraphina tilted her head back, staring intently at the floor numbers as they descended.

Perhaps to avoid the public eye, the Vampire Hunter Association was tucked away in a remote suburb. The taxi ride alone cost her over a hundred dollars, a sum that made Seraphina’s heart ache as she scanned the payment code.

When she finally stepped out of the car, she saw her neighbor again. It wasn't that she was stalking him; he was simply the only other person in sight. He was walking ahead of her toward the address on the invitation, and her eyes naturally settled on his back.

What are the odds of running into him here?

Lost in thought, Seraphina didn't notice when the man in front of her stopped and turned around. She walked straight into him, her forehead slamming into his chest.

Alaric had to be at least six-foot-three. At Seraphina’s height, her face landed right against his sternum.

A single thought flashed through her mind: Generous... very rich and generous.

“Why are you at the Hunter Association?” Alaric asked.

“I received an invitation,” Seraphina replied, slightly dazed. Then she added, “Are you a hunter?”

Alaric nodded, making no effort to hide it. “Yes.”

She had assumed he was a police officer or something similar. Had she known, she would have asked to carpool and saved the taxi fare. “What a coincidence. My brother is one, too.”

“I know,” he said simply. “But I can’t discuss it.”

Seraphina realized her neighbor had a unique talent for killing a conversation. Before she could respond, a girl ran out from the revolving doors of the main hall.

The girl locked onto Seraphina immediately, her cheerful expression faltering into something more reserved the moment she spotted the man standing next to her.

Alaric took his leave and headed into the building, allowing the girl to finally scurry over to Seraphina’s side. With Alaric gone, her enthusiasm returned.

“You must be Miss Seraphina! I’ve been waiting for you! Please, follow me.”

As they walked inside, the girl began giving her a tour of the Association. They passed a corridor lined with photographs. Seraphina paused, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the wall of wanted posters.

“Something wrong?” the hunter asked.

The wall looked like a twisted yearbook. Every face was familiar.

The hunter followed Seraphina’s gaze. “Ah... those are the high-value targets. Especially those with unique abilities. They’re usually handled by the Ten Seats. They don't have much to do with ordinary hunters like us.”

The girl was a talker. She explained that she worked in intelligence and didn't know much about the front-line combatants, but she knew everything about the vampires on the posters.

“These vampires are extremely dangerous. They’re young, bloodthirsty, and unpredictable. If you see them on the street, just run. Don't try to be a hero,” she warned. “Some have terrifying gifts—they can charm humans into becoming willing ‘blood bags.’ We’ve lost colleagues that way.”

Seraphina doubted she’d ever be a willing blood bag, but she knew the danger was real. She had just barely escaped those lunatics during Hunting Day.

She looked up at the posters for a moment longer. Xavier’s bounty was five million.

Well, she thought, at least he’s worth something.

“Why do these wanted posters look like fashion magazine covers?” Seraphina asked.

The portraits of Micah, Xavier, and Demyan could easily be used for high-end editorials.

The hunter’s eyes darted away awkwardly. “Well... vampires are naturally attractive. We have to walk past this wall every day, so we figured we might as well pick the best-looking photos. It makes the workday more pleasant.”

Seraphina understood, though it made her worry slightly about the organization's priorities.

The person who had invited her was waiting on the top floor. Seraphina took the elevator up and entered a conference room where she saw Lillian.

About seven or eight people, all roughly in their thirties, sat around a large table. At the head was a woman in a sharp suit who clearly held the most authority. They had just finished a discussion as Seraphina walked in. Several sets of eyes sized her up, evaluating her.

“I heard you’re a survivor of the Hunting Day,” one of them said. “And that you killed a vampire from the Wild Rose Clan.”

Seraphina didn't flinch. “I did.”

The group exchanged glances, unable to hide their surprise and excitement.

Seraphina stepped forward and slid the silver nameplate she had found in the forest across the table. “Do you know what happened to my brother?”

The room went quiet. One man glanced at the plate and said in a practiced, clinical tone, “The Third Seat... he was one of our finest. We are truly sorry for what happened to Silas.”

His nonchalance grated on her. “You sound like you barely knew him,” she said coldly. She crossed her arms. “I want to know which vampire he was hunting when he failed.”

No one answered.

The woman at the head of the table spoke up. “Miss Seraphina, I am the Secretary General. Some members of the Ten Seats rarely appear at the Association, and their missions are classified even to lower-ranking staff. We cannot give you those answers yet.”

She dismissed the others, then pulled a chair close to Seraphina, maintaining a distance that suggested a sincere, face-to-face conversation.

“After Lillian returned and explained the situation, we looked into your family history. Aside from Silas, your ancestors were all vampire hunters. We suspect your parents' deaths may also be linked to the vampires... but those files are sealed. Only the Ten Seats or the Chairman can reopen them.”

In other words, she either had to climb the ranks to the Ten Seats or find the answers from the vampires themselves.

Seraphina stood by the table, lost in thought. She unconsciously traced the name Silas on the metal plate.

A family of hunters? She couldn't take the Secretary General's word for it; she needed to ask her grandmother.

The Secretary General then explained the Association's current predicament. “You saw the posters on your way in. To be honest, the vampires’ power has been growing steadily. Despite our Ten Seats, the gap between us and them is widening.”

The balance had shifted, and the humans were losing.

The Secretary General knew she was asking a lot. Seraphina was already a target as a human at Eli Academy; adding the title of 'Hunter' would only increase the danger. But few hunters could infiltrate the Academy, and Seraphina’s survival of the Hunting Day made her a rare and valuable prospect.

Seraphina considered the offer. It was obvious they were trying to recruit her. However, she wasn't about to let family sentiment cloud her judgment.

“What are the benefits?” she asked calmly.

The Secretary General blinked. “Excuse me?”

“The pay,” Seraphina clarified.

The woman hesitated. “Full insurance, a generous pension fund, and a monthly salary of 50,000—excluding bonuses for successful hunts. There’s also a daily meal allowance of 150 dollars, which can be added to your paycheck if unused.”

The Association might be bureaucratic, but the perks were excellent.

Seraphina cleared her throat. “And my duties? I won’t accept forced missions. Also, I’m only available to contact the outside world on weekends.”

The vampires at school were annoying enough. If the Association turned out to be incompetent, she’d rather work alone... even if it meant fewer resources for self-protection.

The Secretary General spoke rapidly, as if afraid Seraphina would change her mind. “I can set you up as an 'external operative.' Just stay on standby at the Academy and report on any new vampire activities. If you want to earn points to reach the Ten Seats, you can pick up other missions on our internal network at your own discretion.”

Promotion was based on a points system, with the rankings updated monthly. The turnover rate for the Ten Seats was high—mostly due to fatalities—so the benefits were vastly superior to those of ordinary hunters.

Seeing Seraphina waver, the Secretary General pressed her advantage. “You haven't had formal training yet. I’ll arrange for one-on-one coaching immediately. You need to know how to actually kill a vampire.”

Seraphina felt a bit overwhelmed. Classes Monday through Friday, training on weekends... her schedule was officially packed. But help from the Association was better than relying solely on the vampires while she searched for Silas.

“Fine,” Seraphina said. “When do I start?”

The Secretary General rubbed her hands together, looking relieved. “If you’re ready, I’ll register you in the First Department right now. Their members are the elite. Under the leadership of the First Seat, they recently took down a Prince of the Crossed Swords Clan. Hunters in this department promote the fastest and have access to the best equipment.”

Next Friday was a public holiday, and Eli Academy would be closed.

“If it’s convenient,” the Secretary General added, “just show up then to introduce yourself.”