Prologue
UN NEFER
My feelings right now—more than two tablespoons of sadness, a rich dash of bitterness, and heaps of pain.
Just earlier, I followed and watched her as she walked on the sidewalk and strode into a fine restaurant. Her vanillic daffodil scent teased my senses, and I loved to sniff it so much that I closed my eyes and basked in its fragrance, setting aside the other scents that tried to taint it. This scent—it made me feel so alive after two thousand years.
I thought my heart had long forgotten to beat, and yet it seemed to be resurrected inside my chest. It was beating so fast and hard, almost wanting to destroy my rib cage.
No, this can’t be. My wife is dead. A long time ago.
But here she was, in flesh and blood, walking and talking to a young man whom I didn’t recognize. I balled my hands into fists and gritted my teeth. My fangs grew larger and longer, piercing my lips, and I tasted my own blood.
“I want her,” I whispered into the air. I could feel myself go rigid. Just by watching her while sitting in the backseat of my limousine had aroused me.
“Your Greatness,” my vampire butler and driver said, bowing his head slightly. Still sitting behind the wheel, he dialed someone’s number on his phone and instructed them to get the woman I loved.
I, on the other hand, watched through the restaurant’s glass walls. The lights inside were bright, seemingly blinding, as her great beauty alone lit up the entire place. But seeing her clinging to another man’s arm made me seethe. She shouldn’t do it. She was mine and mine alone.
I watched as screams of panic and fear filled the air. The diners were attacked by hungry and aggressive vampires. Tables and chairs were upturned, creating a series of crashing sounds. Food, drinks, and utensils were scattered everywhere, and fresh blood splashed on the floor and glass walls.
Slowly, the corners of my lips lifted into a smile. “Habibti,” I whispered, calling her with my favorite endearment. “Just when did you learn how to fight?” I continued to whisper in the air. Exhilaration and excitement bloomed in my chest as I watched my beloved woman fight against my sires’ sires.
My eyes narrowed when I noticed that the young man she was with was no less a warrior. He beheaded a few vampires using a chopping knife in his hand. The knife was stained with dark red blood in no time.
I ground my teeth, wanting to join the party and take my wife myself. I opened the car door and stepped out. For some reason, the chopping knife got through the glass wall and was heading fast towards my neck. My butler hissed when he caught the knife just an inch away from my neck, his fingers cut and falling to the ground. I roared in annoyance while my butler grunted in pain. My fiery red eyes darted at the young man that my wife was with. Clearly, he saw me standing outside his restaurant, and our eyes clashed.
Silver arrows wheezed past me, cutting the immaculate sleeve of my black trench coat, prompting an expletive to escape my lips. The arrows embedded themselves in the car door behind me. Had it not been for my vampire speed, they would have pierced my flesh and bones.
“Your Greatness, we must go!” my butler advised urgently, pushing me back into the black limousine.
I scanned the surroundings and noticed several shadows of vampire hunters surrounding the restaurant. Ibn al Kalb (son of a dog)! Why were they here? Were they working with this pack of dogs? Were they protecting my beloved wife?
I swallowed and retrieved the knife from the ground. With a swift motion, I hurled it back towards its owner. Fortunately for him, he managed to dodge it. Was he lucky or merely as agile as those hunters?
The limousine accelerated, leaving the scene as more vampire hunters gave chase. I cursed under my breath. How dare they separate me from my wife!
