I almost want to laugh at the absurdity of her plea, as if I would ever hurt Dani by taking away the last of her family. I hold Damon steady, my gaze boring into his. "Not today, little vampire," I snarl. "Where is your sister?"
The scent of her blood lingers on his lips and courses through his veins, igniting a primal urge within me to rend him limb from limb.
Damon gasps as I loosen my grip on his throat, tears streaming down his face. "I-I attacked her," he sobs, his body shaking uncontrollably. "I-I couldn't stop myself." He takes a shuddering breath, his words tumbling out in a rush. "She-she was taken by some... woman. I don't know. What the hell is wrong with me? Am I—"
I release the fledgling with a firm shove, my mind churning with the revelation that someone has taken Dani. White-hot rage surges through my veins, but I force it down, focusing. "Indeed, you are a vampire now," I state, my tone as unyielding as bedrock. "And I strongly advise that you refrain from sinking your fangs into anyone, lest you find yourself on the wrong end of my blade."
I turn back to face Damon, my gaze intense and unwavering. "Describe her appearance to me," I insist, my voice carrying an undercurrent of barely restrained fury. I stand ready to unleash the very fires of hell upon those who dare to harm the Little Huntress.
The sound of Lucian's groan reaches my ears as he starts to regain consciousness, a stark reminder of the turmoil that engulfs us. Time is of the essence, and we must obtain the information we seek post-haste. Dani's very existence is at stake, and I'll be damned before I allow her to be taken from us without moving heaven and earth to bring her back. She's become my sister, and it is my solemn duty to safeguard her as such, come what may.
"I-I don't know, it was dark," Damon stammers, his eyes darting around as he tries to recall the details. "She was... strong." He swallows hard, his voice dropping to a whisper. "So strong."
I clench my fists, my mind racing with possibilities. Who is this mysterious woman, and what does she want with Dani?
Lucian's voice cuts through my thoughts as he staggers to his feet, Seraphina fussing over him like a mother hen. "Well, that was a wild fucking ride," he quips, rubbing his head. He saunters over to me, a grin on his face despite the gravity of the situation. "How's it hanging, bro? Still got all your bits and pieces?"
I inhale deeply, trying to keep my cool in the face of Lucian's incessant bullshit. "Lucian, now's not the time for your wisecracks," I rumble, my patience growing thinner by the second. "Dani and Rhyland's whereabouts are unknown, and it is imperative that we locate them with all due haste."
Lucian holds up his hands in mock surrender, a smirk on his lips. "Alright, alright. Don't get your leather panties in a twist, Erik." He turns his attention to Damon, snapping his fingers in the fledgling's face. "Hey, baby vamp! Focus up. The woman who took your sister—I need deets, and I need 'em now. And don't give me that 'it was dark' crap. You're a vampire now, kid. Your eyesight's better than a fucking eagle on steroids."
Damon blinks, taken aback by Lucian's intensity. "I... I don't know. It all happened so fast."
Lucian leans in closer, his eyes narrowing. "C'mon, kid. Dig deep. You're telling me you didn't catch a single glimpse of this chick's face? Not even a passing glance? A fleeting moment of eye contact before she went all Xena: Warrior Princess on your ass?"
Seraphina clears her throat. Her angelic presence starkly contrasts Lucian's chaotic energy. "Perhaps a gentler approach might help gain better results," she suggests, her voice soothing like a lullaby.
Lucian scoffs, waving her off. "Please, Cupcake. We don't have time for hand-holding and kumbaya. We need answers, and we need them yesterday."
I pinch the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache brewing behind my eyes. "Lucian, enough. Let the kid think."
"She had long fire-red hair and, she... she had green eyes. Piercing green eyes that seemed to glow in the dark. And her face... it was like porcelain. Flawless and pale."
The description slams into me like a battering ram, stealing the breath from my lungs. Beside me, Lucian goes rigid, his eyes wide with a horror I've never seen in him before. Seraphina, ever attuned to his emotions, rushes to his side, her angelic face etched with concern.
"What? What is it?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lucian remains silent, his mind no doubt reeling with the same terrible realization that grips my own. Seraphina turns to me, her golden eyes searching mine for answers, but I have none to give.
It can't be.
Not her.
Not our Maker, the one who brought us into this cursed existence only to harm us with her sick and twisted ways.
Memories of her flood my mind, each one a searing reminder of the vileness, the evil, and the utter lack of humanity that defines her very being. I feel myself sway, the weight of the past threatening to crush me where I stand.
Emily's patience snaps like a twig underfoot. "Oh, for fuck's sake, you two!" she explodes, "Just spit it out already!"
Lucian meets my gaze, and in that moment, we both know. The name falls from our lips in perfect unison, a whisper that carries the weight of a thousand nightmares.
"Lilith."
Rhyland and I had dealt with her presence eons ago. What in the seven hells is she doing here now? And more importantly, how did she manage to escape?
The atmosphere grows heavy with tension as if the very fabric of reality is holding its breath in anticipation. Seraphina's eyes widen, and her delicate hand flies to her mouth in a gesture of profound horror. Emily looks between us, confusion and fear warring on her face.
"Who the hell is Lilith?" she demands, her voice shaking.
