Lethal Beauty

XLII - The Escape

"I am not sending a whole group of vanguards in pursuit of my brother, Ulrik. As soon as you get a hold of either Iris or Lux, you take them home by whatever means possible." Dike said as the Elder Vanguard followed him in walking through the hallways of Saint Constantine.

As their steps echoed through the marbled floor and students passed by to go about their errands, Dike took an abrupt halt and waved his hand to dismiss the gigantic guard. Ulrik bowed low and retreated, turning to another corner, leaving Dike to face the shadow approaching at the end of the hallway.

"Good morning, Dike," said Civet. He was dressed in a long coat and hessian boots; his fashion was a reminder of an older nobility. "Mother wants to speak with you. I'm sure you know why."

⛧☾༺♰༻☽⛧

Dike silently entered the Grand Hall down at the basement of the Willow Vale Manor where a beautiful woman with deep stern sensual eyes sat at the end of the long table. Her silky black hair was long and she wore a stunning dress and a small tiara adorned her head, like the queen she was meant to be.

In spite of her majestic appearance, Dike only promptly bowed his head, as what was expected of him, but when he lifted his face, there was nothing in his gaze but pure disdain. Seeing this, her lips twisted in a mild smile. Civet moved to stand behind her as she beckoned Dike to come closer.

As she reached out a hand, Dike stared at it for mere seconds before obliging himself to take it and plant a brief kiss that didn't even touch her skin. "Where is Iris?"

"With the human, as you ordered him to be."

"I supposed Lux is with him too."

"Naturally."

"Both of them missed the class, isn't that unusual? Where is this human?"

Their gazes met in the dark. Dike considers his situation for a moment, though inside the four corners of this room, it was only her with Civet, but both were strong and powerful. If he retaliates now, there will be no victory. Suddenly, the door opened and Gavril emerged in high spirits followed closely by Raviel.

"Delighted to see you in Saint Constantine, dearest cousin!" He strode to the room and moved past Dike who was glaring at him questioningly.

Raviel remained standing by the doorway, his hands behind his back, watching the act with a blunt expression.

"Come now, stop looking like a statue," Gavril simply said and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "The human has to make an emergency visit to a relative. Since you appointed your son to keep a watchful eye on him, I make use of the service that you offered and let him accompany our mortal guest."

She raised an eyebrow. "I was told that Milo, Lexus, and even CC followed. Why is that?"

Gavril sat on the nearby chair and plucked a grape from the bowl of fruits on the table. "They are friends with him. He probably wanted to introduce them to his relative. You do not need to worry about a thing, Mika. I myself mingled with the human race and no one could even suspect I'm a lamia. We're purebloods. We look more human than the children of Lilith."

Mika lightly frowned at the connotation. "Very well. I will not ask anymore. But if within three days, and neither one of them has returned to the university, I will send someone to retrieve them, by force if needed."

The chairman of the Saint Constantine merely shrugged. "Sure, I'll even lend a hand."

There was a brief silence, as her gaze flickered past Gavril to her second eldest son. Dike didn't seem intimidated by her and met her equally intense stare, weighing one another's thoughts. Gavril continued to feign ignorance but deep inside, he was hoping that she would let this one slide---and she did.