"Are you sure about this?" Shelbrooke watched the end of his cigarette crush from the fire that burnt it to ashes. The orange glow indicated he needed to trash the stick and get another one. His eight stick in a row this evening.

"I am quite sure. Reyns told me about Luana and how she had managed to capture one of us. She has him in the prison, probably torturing him and asking him to confess."

"This woman is testing my patience!" He gripped the cigarette in his hand, crushing the ashy object. His eyes were reddening already. 

Shelbrooke used his little finger to scrape the speck of tobacco from the corner of his mouth. "It's been years, Gorge. Even if someone as powerful as Luana crossed your path, you should never retreat. I'm just waiting for the right time."

"You always wait for the right time. Just kill her and get it over with." 

He worked his mind for a few seconds. It worked like a stamping machine, uncoiled and poorly maintained which was now malfunctioning and had gathered lists of trash in its cogs, producing little results.

"The thing is," he said finally, shaking his head. "One truthful thing is, in this battle, if you don't work with time, time will work with you. Learn that, Gorge, and you'll never fail."

"I thought you had the chance to talk to her. Ask her to join us."

"We tried. Chloe tried even though the two of them are more like enemies." Shelbrooke answered. He took a stick of cigarette, the ninth one, flicked the lighter over it, and took a hard drag. A patchy burst of smoke once more exploded from his lips. It was evident his mind had now caught the groove and was ready to work efficiently. "I already planned everything. If she refused to join us, some weeks from now, we'll have no other options than to strike Vampire city."

"And within those weeks, how do you intend to convince her to join us? I mean, by then she would have fished out all of our spies."

"The heart grows weary when it can't get what it wants. It does off when the light of hope is extinguished. We need to crush her hope." Shelbrooke replied. "Reyns wanted to step in and he hasn't gotten back now. I wonder if he has done a good job or not."

"Reyns?" Gorge inquired. "What did you do?"

"Just a little game of shape shifting and convincing. For Luana to go home." 

He imagined Reyns dressed as Luana's most trusted Knight convincing her to go back home. A book rested on the table, a pair of dark-rimmed glasses, and a pack of cigarettes.

It occurred to him that if Reyns or Rob was caught with objects such as those, his cover might be blown. Better to be on the safe side. And when he had set his eyes on the woman for the first time on the war front, he knew what she wanted. Why she desired. To win her Father's Love.

"She seemed to have changed since she met Zeidan. More reasons why I have to hope right now that my plan works."

"You don't even know her really. So I can just say, 'looks like Luana is going back to her father's house.' Luana isn't a fool. She will know about it sooner or later. I mean, she told you, 'this isn't the end.' And you think she'll forget how you've been wanting to attack her for a long time and agree to join you?"

Shelbrooke had forgotten all about that. Their enmity and how much of an impact it will have on how he wanted to build a relationship between the two of them. So, to win her trust, there's one thing he has to do. Let her see him as the only hope. 

"I know what to do. Inform me when Reyns is back. We have so much to talk about."

★★★★★★★★★★★

"Miss. Gillian, you have visitors from your workplace, as they say."

Gillian looked up at the smiling nurse and wondered who that could be. Behind the nurse, Zeidan, Lyne, Marianne, and Dan walked in, holding each of them a bunch of flowers. 

"Hey?" Zeidan called as he moved to her side and kissed her forehead.

Lyne saw her flinch as if she was terrified of them but she still smiled anyway. Zeidan had been right when he said it would be hard for humans to comprehend their ways of life. Gillian is a living witness, as she sat down on the hospital bed, her face belying fear. 

"How're you feeling now, Gillian?" She turned to look at Lyne who asked and she could swear she saw a glint of fear pass through her eyes. 

"Very well, thank you." She replied quite faster and sharper. 

"I'm very sorry you had to see that." There was silence. They all didn't think she could muster the courage to mention what had happened that night. But the earlier she addressed it, the better. She drew in a deep breath.

"I think I have a lot to explain to you. Like the Wolf, Zeidan's disappearance, how much we have to catch Mysteria..."

"Nice name by the way," Marianne commented and she chuckled, her eyes meeting Zeidan's.

"What I'm saying, Gillian, is that you need not be afraid of any of us. I don't know how to start explaining but I do hope you understand that we meant no harm. Zeidan and I, that is. Marianne and Dan are normal people."

Marianne cleared her throat and Lyne had to look at her as this was the second time she would be interrupting. 

"Marianne, are you okay?"

She asked and with the way her smile was wavering, she could tell this woman is far from okay. 

She let out a shaky breath and dropped Gillian's hand. 

"Your brother. Who is he?"

"He...he is...you can understand but trust me, he is only here for our own good. And for your information, he's not my brother. I am normal but he's not."

"Who is he?" Gillian asked.

"What is he?" Zeidan corrected, as he laid emphasis on the 'what'. 

Marianne looked at Lyne and with a sigh, she decided to let it out.

"Roderigo came for Chloe."

"How do you know Chloe?" Lyne asked.

"Who's Chloe?" They all turned in the direction of the question and they saw a lost, Dan.

"Chloe is my soldier. An archer as well in the Vampire city." Zeidan explained.

"Vam...what?"

Gillian retched and she rushed to the toilet to let it out. Lyne kept clenching and unclenching her fist. Indeed, no human was suitable enough to treat her sickness. But first, she would need to find out where they are. The south Jungle or somewhere else.

"Chloe is also like a guardian angel for Lyne, am I right?" Marianne asked and she nodded. Chloe had turned out to be her guardian angel many times and much as she tried to think of why she just couldn't lay a finger on what. 

"She has helped me many times before but how do you know her?"

"Let's just say, Roderigo, is kinda related to her husband."

"Husband?" Lyne frowned but then she remembered the night she went to sleep in her room and the masculine interior designs had bothered her. "So, she was married. She kinda mentioned it though."

"Her husband was Roderigo's son and from what he told me, his wife is still alive and she is ready to destroy a lot. Including you, your Highness." Marianne's gaze was fixed on Zeidan who looked up at her.