Bloodlines Legacy Arc 1 Eternal Night

Chapter 20: The Mark of Truth

The cityscape of New York blurred past the windows of the black SUV as Violet sat in silence, her mind swirling with thoughts. Sergei, Lucian, and Hugo sat beside her, their faces grim as they prepared to lock Ivan Molchalin away for eternity. They had made it back to New York without incident, and now, Ivan was in their custody—weak, subdued, and destined for the Blackthorne estate's dungeons.

"We'll handle this," Sergei grunted, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. "No need for you to get involved, Violet."

But Violet shook her head. "No. I need to be the one to bring him to the dungeons. Alone."

The car grew quiet. Lucian arched a brow, clearly surprised by her request. "Why?"

"I have questions," Violet said simply. "There are things I need to know, and Ivan is the only one who can give me answers."

Sergei frowned, about to argue, but Hugo placed a hand on his arm, shaking his head. "Let her. It's not like Ivan can put up a fight in his current state."

After a moment of tense silence, Sergei grunted in agreement. "Fine. But make it quick."

Minutes later, Violet led Ivan down the cold, stone steps to the dungeons beneath the Blackthorne estate.

Ivan shuffled weakly, his head bowed as he struggled to keep up with her. The substance Cedric had injected him with had drained him of his strength, leaving him barely able to stand on his own.

As they reached the bottom of the staircase, Violet pushed open the heavy iron door to the cell and guided Ivan inside. He slumped onto the small cot, his eyes dull and defeated. Violet locked the cell behind him and leaned against the bars, her eyes narrowing as she studied him.

"I have some questions for you, Ivan," she said, her voice quiet but firm.

Ivan lifted his head, his eyes meeting hers. "You're going to lock me away forever. What more could you possibly want from me?"

"I need to know what you were really doing in New York," Violet said, her tone serious. "Why were you coming here so often?"

Ivan let out a bitter laugh. "You think I was murdering humans for sport? No, Violet. It's not that simple."

"Then explain," she pressed.

Ivan sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "I grew bored of my life. For centuries, I've been the head of the Russian branch of EternalCorp, managing everything from the shadows, doing the same routine over and over again. I started coming to New York to escape—to feel something again."

"What kind of escape?" Violet asked, her voice hardening.

"I sought excitement," Ivan admitted. "Gambling, women, men... it was all just to break the monotony. To remind myself of what it was like to feel alive, even for a moment. I had no interest in harming anyone. I grew to love the humans I spent time with. They were free in ways we never could be."

Violet's expression softened slightly. "And the murders?"

"I had nothing to do with them," Ivan said, his eyes flashing with sincerity. "I swear to you, Violet. I may be guilty of a lot of things, but I didn't kill those people. I didn't even want to feed on them. After years of gambling and mingling with humans, I wished I could be one of them again. To live without the weight of our world on my shoulders."

Violet watched him closely, searching his face for any sign of deceit, but found none. Ivan's words rang true, and as much as she wanted to deny it, she knew deep down that he was innocent.

But if Ivan wasn't responsible for the murders... who was?

Violet's mind raced with possibilities. Could her father, Cedric, have set this up? It seemed plausible. Cedric's love of power and control would make him the perfect candidate to frame Ivan and take over his part of the company. But Cedric's unwavering commitment to keeping the vampire world hidden from humans made him an unlikely suspect. Cedric would never risk exposure, not even for more power.

Then her thoughts shifted to Alistair Monclair. Alistair had been outspoken about wanting to return to the old ways, enslaving humans and abandoning synthetic blood. His suggestion of human farming during the meeting had sent chills down her spine, and now, she wondered if Alistair's argument against exposure was just a ruse. Perhaps he had orchestrated everything to get rid of Ivan and return to a time when vampires ruled over humans.

Violet's hands tightened around the bars of Ivan's cell. "If you didn't do it... someone framed you. But why?"

Ivan's voice was soft, resigned. "I don't know, Violet. All I know is that I've been used as a pawn in someone else's game."

Violet stepped back from the cell, her mind swirling with suspicion and doubt. She had her suspicions, but nothing concrete. And until she had proof, she couldn't act.

"I'll be back," she said quietly. "But for now, you're staying here."

Ivan didn't respond, his gaze fixed on the stone wall in front of him as Violet turned and made her way back up the staircase.

Outside, the night had fallen over New York, casting long shadows across the city.

Violet stepped out of the estate, her heart heavy with the weight of everything she had learned. Ivan was innocent. She was certain of it now. But the question remained—who was behind it all?

As she climbed into the SUV, she knew what she had to do. Olivia deserved the truth, and Violet needed someone she could trust to help her figure out who was behind Ivan's downfall.

She started the engine, her mind set on her next destination: Olivia's apartment.

If Olivia couldn't be trusted, Violet could always erase her memories. But deep down, she had a feeling that Olivia was exactly the ally she needed.