Lethal Beauty

LIV - Undead Redemption

Mika stood steadily atop the roof of the West Wing Tower of Saint Constantine, silhouetted against the twilight like a large feline with her brilliant pale green eyes. Behind her were loyal adherents, those she called children with crimson eyes and alabaster skin. Suddenly, another indistinct figure floated from the air down to the tower and in front of her. She was as pale as the others with white hair flowing behind her slender figure and bright yellow eyes...

Her name was Cassandra Yrsa Sybyl, a pureblood and a messenger of Sethawat Phobos Nova, her father.

...and although she appeared like a child, she was over a thousand years old.

For some time now, her position in the House of Elders had been questioned assiduously. Once upon a time, she was but a little girl in search of her goal. The very purpose of her existence. She wanted to make a name for herself, not a name attached to her father that the other purebloods would compare. Yet, their tiny weakness kept her kind and her own from innovating. Even without dreams or desires, laboring under the weight of immortality and control, purebloods had to eat and humans were their primary source of food. Exterminating this world of the existence of the mortals wouldn't be beneficial to any single vampire. Thus, with the birth of shtriga, they were obliged to swallow their pride and cast aside the last vestiges of their shame, and reach out to the mortals.

The introduction of the shtriga also shed light on her extraordinary skill. It was she who led the siege and laid waste to an army of shtriga at the southwestern sea. For the first time, her family turned their attention to her differently. Yet despite her many contributions, the rest of the House of Elders swatted her aside as a precocious outsider. She was the youngest of the Nova brood and her mother was only forced to give birth to her in order to have a representation for the new generation. Grinding back her teeth, she recalled the day Radomir Aston Frösén ignored her in front of everybody.

Gavril's father was a legend and among the first of the first. He was once called the "Charisma" of the pureblood vampires, which explained his friendship and alliances with the eminent leaders of the World Government. Yet Radomir didn't feel the need to associate himself with the likes of her and in his eyes, she was nothing but a child, and this behavior felt like a hard slap on her face. It worsened with the birth of Gavril for the same reason, for their clan to have a representation of the current generation. Only that Gavril wasn't treated the same way and in fact, his every endeavours were celebrated and rewarded by the House of Elders.

"Yrsa," she uttered as she faced the girl in front of her. "It's an honor."

Mika was taller and yet Yrsa raised her head and gazed down at her from her aristocratic nose. "I came here to represent the House of Elders at your behest. We received your request. I trust this visit would make this worth my time."

"I am the Head of the Laiho Clan and one of the members of the councils. Certainly, I am worth your time."

The girl smirked. "Indeed. However, it has come to our attention that this conflict was personal and between you and that dhampir. Nevertheless, her army of shtriga is considered a high-grade threat. Therefore, we agreed to send you an army to assist in getting rid of this world of the woman and her creation. No one shall be spared. In exchange, we want you to let go of the purebloods you held hostages, specifically, Dike Laiho, Gavril Frösén, and the Gallen siblings."

Theintensity of the stare Yrsa had given her was toxicity in itself. A sarcastic or biting comment would have been more welcome, if not appropriate. To put it simply, the council decided to give her a chance only because of her hostages, they do not care what happened to her after, whether she succeeded or not in ridding this world of Eve.

...neither her father, mother, or even her siblings would want to support her.

Farfrom it, Mika was completely ridiculed, disheartening at best. She narrowed her eyes in anger, yet she couldn't do anything. Yrsa made no attempt to lower her gaze adding more insult to injury that she unconsciously clenched her fists. But even for someone like her, attempting to fight Yrsa would be a risk that she couldn't afford at the moment.