Bloodlines Legacy Arc 1 Eternal Night

Chapter 10: The Edge of Secrets

Violet stormed through the long hallways of the Blackthorne estate, the weight of the large book in her hand. Her mind raced with questions—questions that only one person could answer. She had to know what her father was hiding, what he wasn't telling her. The missing page, the ancient power, the growing unrest in the vampire world—it all pointed to something bigger, something Cedric wasn't sharing.

As she reached Cedric's office, she didn't bother to knock. The heavy oak door swung open as she stepped inside, her eyes locking onto her father seated behind his massive desk. He was on a speaker call, his voice low and measured, but something in the tone caught her attention. There was a tension in his voice that she hadn't heard before.

"...yes, I understand. But we must be careful. I won't risk exposure," Cedric was saying, his sharp blue eyes focused on the papers scattered across his desk.

Violet took a step closer, trying to make out the voice on the other end of the line. It was deep, gravelly, and unfamiliar to her. She couldn't make out what the man was saying, but it was clear that this conversation wasn't one Cedric wanted her to hear.

As soon as Cedric noticed her presence, he abruptly ended the call, pressing a button on the phone with swift precision. "We'll continue this later," he said, his tone clipped.

Violet's eyes narrowed as she approached the desk. "Who was that?"

Cedric leaned back in his chair, the cool mask of calm already settling over his features. "Oh, that? Nothing to concern yourself with, my dear. Just a possible investor for EternalCorp. We're always expanding, you know."

The explanation felt rehearsed, too easy. Violet didn't buy it, but before she could push further, Cedric spoke again, his tone shifting into something more jovial. "But enough about that. Why am I graced with an unannounced appearance from my beloved daughter?"

Violet's grip tightened on the book, her frustration simmering just beneath the surface. She held it up, the aged leather cover practically glowing in the dim light of the room. "I found this," she said, her voice sharp. "The book you have on the original vampires. There's a page missing."

Cedric's expression didn't change, his calm demeanor unshaken. He glanced at the book briefly before offering a dismissive wave of his hand. "Oh, that old thing? It's been read and handled thousands of times over the centuries. Pages get lost. It's nothing to worry about."

Violet wasn't satisfied with the answer. She had seen the way the page had been torn out, not simply lost or worn away. Someone had deliberately removed it. "A page that just happens to be about the original vampires? You're telling me that's a coincidence?"

Cedric's eyes flickered with something—annoyance, perhaps—but his voice remained steady. "Yes, Violet. Books wear with time. Not everything is a conspiracy."

Violet slammed the book down on his desk, her frustration boiling over. "Then explain the part about the power to drain the life from a human—leaving them nothing but a husk. The bodies we've been finding, they match that description exactly."

Cedric leaned forward in his chair, his fingers steepled in front of him, his expression calm but calculating. "Ah, yes. The old ways. Back when we were still learning to control our powers. All five of us had that ability—the power to drain life completely. It was a crude, barbaric method of feeding. But over time, we learned a more... civilized way to sustain ourselves."

Violet listened intently, her heart pounding in her chest.

Cedric's smile grew faintly, but his eyes glinted with something deeper. "Of course, not all of us were able to move on from the old ways so easily." He paused, letting the weight of his words hang in the air. "Take Ivan, for instance. He struggled for centuries. Relapsed, more than once. It took him a long time to master the self-control the rest of us had already found."

Violet frowned, her father's words sinking in. He was pointing her in Ivan's direction, subtly placing suspicion on the Russian leader. Was Ivan still using the ancient power? Was he responsible for the deaths?

Cedric's voice was soft, almost conspiratorial. "But Ivan eventually managed. It was a difficult road, but he overcame it... mostly."

The words felt carefully chosen, deliberate. Violet's mind raced, her instincts telling her that Cedric was guiding her to suspect Ivan. But why? Was this just another one of his games, or was there truth in his warning?

Cedric's voice broke through her thoughts, his tone soft but firm. "You should leave the past where it belongs, Violet. Dwelling on it will only bring more questions than answers."

Violet stared at him, trying to read the emotions behind his carefully guarded expression. But as always, Cedric was a master at keeping his true intentions hidden. She could feel the tension in the air, the unspoken words that lingered between them.

"Why do I get the feeling you're not telling me everything?" Violet asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Cedric sighed, leaning back in his chair once more. "There are things about our world, about our history, that you're not ready to understand, my dear. Not yet."

Violet's frustration mounted, but she knew pushing further now would get her nowhere. Cedric wouldn't give her more than he wanted to, and she had to play the game carefully. Still, the missing page, the ancient power—it all pointed to something bigger. And she was determined to find out what it was, even if it meant going against her father.

Without another word, Violet turned on her heel and left the office, her mind swirling with unanswered questions. Cedric watched her go, his expression unreadable as the door closed behind her.

As Violet made her way down the hallway, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was on the edge of something far darker than she had ever imagined.