The night settled faster than I expected. The ride had been smooth, almost peaceful, and we had crossed a fairly large mountain before the caravan stopped to set up camp in the forest. I kept quiet about what I heard earlier. There was no point in stirring trouble. If I told the caravan leader about the two men plotting to ambush me and Elira after their mission, I would probably be treated as an enemy for knowing something taboo.

And honestly, I never expected them to let us ride all the way to where the Qillin bones were located. They would likely drop us off somewhere along the way or force us to wait inside the wagons while they handled the dangerous part.

Whatever their plan was, I only cared about one thing. In the end, I intended to be the one who profited.

There was also a good chance they would try to kidnap us the moment the job was done. With the way I dressed and our matching light-colored hair, I could already imagine them fabricating some story about "contacting our noble families for ransom money." Right. As if that would ever go the way they hoped.

At the very least, I wanted to get some sleep tonight. I kept wondering how long it would take before we actually reached the place they were heading. I still had six months to complete my quest, but if I was honest with myself, I wanted to reach the Shadowlands in one. I knew exactly how far away it was. The holy lands were enormous, a region formed by twenty ancient kingdoms that had once united to fight off the demon crusade.

Back then, the kingdoms used to fight each other for glory, slaughtering fellow humans for scraps of land, bathing the soil in blood for the sake of pride. Everything changed when the demon legion began to rise. The holy lands had once belonged to the most sacred order of ancient monks, a place woven with peace and discipline. But one day, she arrived.

Lyssandra.

She swept through their temples and sanctuaries and tore them apart. She slaughtered the monks and twisted countless humans into the monsters people now called demons. Nobody knew when she first appeared or how she entered this world. All anyone knew was that the demon legion had been rooted in those lands for more than twenty thousand years.

Was there a demon emperor before her? Was she the first, or did she usurp someone older and far more terrifying? Nobody could say. Even the most respected historians agreed on only one thing: most of what people believed came from rumors and scraps of forgotten scripture. Lyssandra was the only one anyone truly knew by name.

And in the book I read, even that part had been left blank. The author never explained her origins, never told how she rose to power, never filled in the centuries of history that shaped the world. It was one of the biggest plot holes in an otherwise popular story. Many readers said it was better that way, leaving the mystery untouched.

But I always wanted to know everything. Every secret, every hidden thread, every truth buried under the darkness she ruled.

"Beatrice, what are you thinking about?" Elira's voice drifted to me as I stared into the slow-burning fire. The flames licked at the darkness around our camp, giving the night a soft glow.

"Nothing. Were you saying something?" My mind had wandered so far I had missed whatever she tried to tell me earlier.

"Rovan said we should sleep near him tonight. The night is dangerous in these areas, and the others in the caravan… they are not very trustworthy." Her tone turned gentle as she spoke, a little wavering when she caught my eyes.

"Rovan?" I asked, puzzled by the name.

"Ah, you two have not introduced yourselves yet? Rovan is the man driving our wagon." She smiled softly, almost shyly. "He is polishing his blade over there. He is actually a really good person. I think he—"

"I am alright. You go ahead and chat with him. The two of you seem to be getting along well." I stood before she could take my hand. "I will excuse myself. Night is my second calling after all."

I stepped away from the fire, ignoring the way her fingers reached after me. Something twisted in my chest, sharp and unfamiliar. Sadness? Hurt? I wasn't sure, and I hated that I could not immediately understand it. I just knew I needed to walk away.

The cold air wrapped around me as I slipped between the trees. I needed space to think, room to breathe. I had too much to plan, too much at stake. I could not afford distractions or warm conversations. Not when my life was a thread waiting to snap.

I felt pissed. The anger sat in my chest like a stone, and I needed something to break before it broke me, so I slipped into the night and wandered deeper into the woods. The quiet dark soothed nothing inside me. If anything, the silence made the storm sharper. Then I heard familiar voices ahead.

"Did you see how hot that woman looked today? What was her name… something with a B. Betty? I don't remember. I just kept staring at her tits while we set the tent."

He burst into laughter.

"Haha, brother, I know exactly what you mean. I was tense all evening. I can't wait to get my hands on her. She's a damn beauty."

Disgusting.

Their voices mingled with the faint sound of water hitting leaves. They were peeing against a tree, perfectly relaxed, perfectly confident that the night belonged to them. A smile tugged at my lips. Let them feel brave for a moment longer. Since they wanted me so badly, I should at least pay them a visit.

I stepped forward, letting the change ripple through me. My body tingled as my wings unfurled, my fangs lengthened and sharpened, and my hair darkened into a deep black that blended with the night.

"Well, boys…" I called out softly.

Both of them jerked, fumbling to shove themselves back into their pants. They barely had a heartbeat to react before my acupuncture needles shot out. The thin silver lines struck their pressure points precisely, dropping them onto their backs, paralyzed and mute.

"I am here," I said, walking toward them with a slow, deliberate sway. "In all my body and flesh. So tell me… what will you do with me? Are you sure you can handle me? Because I love to bite."

A low laugh slipped from my throat, warm and mocking.

Their eyes widened with fear as I approached. The small torch they had stuck into the ground painted the scene in faint gold. My silhouette stepped out from the darkness inch by inch, and the two of them whimpered like frightened pups. Pathetic, really.

I knelt beside the one who had insulted me the most. His breath shuddered, and every vein in his neck begged me not to come closer. After everything he said earlier, after all those disgusting little fantasies… how could I resist?

My breath brushed along his throat, and I felt him tremble under my lips. I pressed my tongue lightly against his skin, tasting the heat of his pulse.

"Goodnight," I whispered.

Hunger stirred in my stomach, quiet but sharp.

Then I bit down.

When I finished with both of them, I left their cooling bodies where they fell. Whether someone found them or not was none of my concern. I wiped my lips, shifted my form back into its innocent shape, and circled around the camp. I emerged from the opposite side, stumbling out of the shadows with a distressed expression, as if the darkness itself had frightened me.

By morning, they were discovered, pale and drained. The rumor of a vampire roaming the area spread through the caravan like wildfire.

And not a single soul suspected me.

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