A heart of the vampire

Chapter 21

Hours passed in silence. Serena sat by the window, watching shadows and the strange glow above the forest as she tried to ignore the growing unease clawing at her. Lucian was still gone, and each minute stretched into an eternity. Outside, the forest seemed tense, as though the trees themselves were holding their breath.

Raoul, his face pale from blood loss, leaned heavily against the wall, his eyes distant. Every so often, he winced as he adjusted the makeshift bandage on his arm. She had offered to help, but he waved her away, his jaw set with a grim determination.

Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer, she whispered, "Raoul... what do you think is happening out there?"

He glanced at her, the lines of pain etched deep into his face. For a moment, he looked as though he might respond, but he pressed his lips together and looked away. She wanted to shout at him, demand answers, but a quiet dread held her back.

The silence was shattered moments later by the distant sound of a scream, faint but unmistakable, carried through the night air. Serena's heart lurched as she turned toward Raoul, whose face had darkened.

"Raoul, what was that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

After a moment, he sighed, the weight of his exhaustion clear in his slumped posture. "That was from the nearest town," he murmured, almost to himself. "It's burning."

Serena's blood ran cold. "What do you mean?"

Raoul took a slow, shuddering breath. "Vlad and his army..." He shook his head, a strange, haunted look crossing his face. "They're destroying everything in their path. Killing indiscriminately. And..." He hesitated, glancing down at the bloodstained floor. "And that's why I must beg for your forgiveness, Lady."

She stared at him, confusion mingling with horror. "Forgiveness? For what?"

Raoul's eyes held a pleading intensity as he forced himself to meet her gaze. "I never wanted this... I swore my loyalty to Lucian, but Vlad—he gave me no choice. If I betrayed him, he'd have burned everything I hold dear." His voice shook, the weight of his words bearing down on him. "I had to make a pact with him."

Serena's heart pounded, disbelief and anger swirling within her. "You... made a pact with Vlad? You sold us out?"

Raoul clenched his fists, his face twisted with anguish. "I thought I could control it. I thought I could protect you."

She took a step back, her stomach churning. "You brought him here," she whispered, the betrayal settling heavily on her. "You knew this entire time that he was after us, and you... you led him right to us."

Raoul looked away, shame written across his face. "I thought Lucian could stop him... But now..." He gestured helplessly toward the distant town, smoke beginning to fill the sky, visible even from the window. "Now he's taking his vengeance, killing innocents to draw Lucian out."

Serena struggled to process his words, the horror of the situation pressing down on her. "And you thought Lucian would... what? Forgive this? Protect you, even after you betrayed him?"

His expression hardened, a flicker of defiance sparking in his eyes. "I made mistakes, yes." His gaze softened, almost pleading. "You have to understand. In this world, alliances shift. I did what I thought was necessary, because of my family."

She shook her head, backing away from him, her voice trembling. "You sold us out, Raoul. Innocent people are dying because of you."

Raoul's face twisted with regret, but he remained silent, his gaze lowering to the floor.

Serena felt trapped, the walls of the cabin closing in around her. Lucian was out there, facing unimaginable dangers, and she was here—stuck with someone who had betrayed him.