Lethal Beauty

XLVII - The First

Faces blurred by the horror of the memory.

Lixue was inside the room with others but it seemed that her soul might've left her body. Well, it left her centuries ago when she surrendered her whole being to become one of the undead.

Still...

When she first met Sven, she thought she was the child she could never have. She took care of him. Nurtured him. Told him everything he needed to know as a vampire. Until he grew on his own. In a few years' time, he was an independent vampire of legends who roamed the streets of Rome, searching for his goal. Searching for his life's meaning.

They were ushered into the main hall, deep within the basement of the Willow Vale Manor. When she raised her head, she met the steely gaze of Alexandria Mika Nova Laiho. At some point in her life, she wondered if it was possible to hate someone so much and feared them all the same. Because the emotions she felt, even if it was akin to loneliness, were also filled with abhorrence. As if Mika took something from her that she could never have back...

Yet to Mika, Sven was just another one of those her kind created. He served no purpose but to populate the immortal race. He could easily be replaced and someone else could take his place in the coven. She meant nothing to him but he meant everything to Lixue.

All eyes fixed on her. Each one had a grudge on their own. But no one would dare touch her. Even when that man standing beside her wasn't there, Mika's power alone would be enough to put each one of them in their respective place.

Slender hands with long, nails painted in black, rings, and all exotic jewels adorned her from head to toe. Long, dark hair and a smooth pale flesh. She was dressed in Egyptian garb, and she was as calm as the morning breeze until her eyelids pulled back slowly to reveal pale green eyes staring directly at her dearest cousin--- Gavril Siegmund Frösén.

"You are upset," she observed with a gentle voice.

Gavril snorted. "What do you think? We have it under control."

"You do?" She smiled at him, scornful. "It didn't seem like it, cousin. You can't even hurt him."

"He was possessed!"

A green vein appeared beneath the marble surface of her skin. It seemed to be pulsating as the blood coursed through. They knew she had no heart. Yet, they could hear her heartbeat pounding louder and deeper...it filled their heads with violent thoughts.

"You lied to me," she spoke again and this time they stopped breathing.

Gavril refused to back down. He must exert his influence at this point before this bitch could take full control. "I don't care whether you think I lied to you or not. This is my university. My territory. I am still the Chairman of Saint Constantine. Therefore, you have no right to decide on who shall live and who shall perish in this land."

She didn't seem affected by this. Instead, she turned her face lightly to her right and Civet nodded, waving his hand to the vanguards standing behind Dike. Fear struck them but it was too late when the vanguards had gotten a hold of him, locking his arms to immobilize him.

Dike was stronger. It took five vanguards to hold him in place.

Ulrik moved but he exclaimed an order, "Stay!"

As Dike was forced to slowly sink down on his knees, Gavril made an attempt to save him but even Raviel held his wrist tightly.

Mika stood from her throne and slowly approached her son. She held him by his chin, forcing him again to look at her. "Dearest child, we have an agreement. You betrayed me."

"Mika!" Gavril gasped in horror. "Don't---"

"Do you really think I would hurt my child, cousin? Each and every one of them is precious to me. Connected to my bloodline. Something that she can never emulate. Now, I will ask my question and I demand an honest answer. We both know who possessed that young vampire. If that brat is still alive and so does his mother. But why would the exiles want to return to the place where they were enslaved and experimented on? Answer me."