Bride Of The Night

Chapter 27

### **Chapter 27: The King's Return**

The quiet hum of the sanctuary was a welcome contrast to the storm that had raged through Lana's mind over the last week. The weight of her confrontation with Morpheus still lingered, but there was a sense of peace in the air—fragile, but real. It had been days since the bond had snapped, and while she could still feel the remnants of his presence somewhere in the back of her mind, the oppressive pull that had once controlled her was gone.

Her newfound freedom should have been enough to allow her to breathe easier, but something still gnawed at her insides. A subtle, unsettling feeling.

She sat in the high-ceilinged library now, staring at the pages of a book that her fingers traced but her mind could not focus on. Emma had asked her to read, to keep herself busy as she worked on refining her control over her powers. But Lana couldn't shake the sense of something coming. A storm on the horizon.

"Lana?" Ian's voice broke through the fog of her thoughts.

She looked up from the book, her lavender eyes locking with his. He stood at the entrance to the library, his posture relaxed but his expression tense, as though he were on the edge of something important. Behind him, Emma appeared, her gentle smile a mask of calm that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"There's something we need to discuss," Ian said, moving closer to her with a level of urgency that made her stomach tighten.

Lana set the book aside, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What's going on?"

"It's Morpheus," Ian replied quietly, his eyes scanning the room as if to ensure no one else was listening. "We've been keeping track of his movements. We knew he would eventually come for you. But now—he's closer than we thought."

Lana's chest tightened at the mention of his name. She hadn't wanted to think about him. Not after everything. She had broken free from him, severed the bond that had once tied them together, and yet the specter of his presence still haunted her.

"Closer?" she asked, her voice tight with apprehension. "How do you know?"

Emma stepped forward, her normally calm demeanor clouded with concern. "There are whispers. The older vampires, those who still follow him—his loyalists—are preparing something. They're rallying behind him. Morpheus has been building strength, regaining control over territories he once ruled. And we've intercepted messages that say... he's coming for you."

Lana stood quickly, her heart pounding. "I won't let him take me again. I won't go back to him." Her voice was fierce, determined, and yet, there was a trace of fear beneath it. She could still remember the feel of Morpheus's grip on her soul. The way he had manipulated her, molded her, and left a mark on her that had nearly been impossible to erase.

"You don't have to go back to him," Ian reassured her, his tone steady but laced with gravity. "But we need to prepare. Morpheus isn't just going to let you walk away. He wants something from you. Something... more than just the bond between you."

Lana's breath caught in her throat. "What do you mean?"

Ian exchanged a glance with Emma, then turned back to Lana. "We've been doing some research. The bond that connected you to him wasn't just emotional or spiritual. It was also tied to something physical—something ancient. The bloodlines you're part of, the royal vampire lineage, have more significance than we initially realized."

"What are you saying?" Lana asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her pulse quickening with anxiety.

"Your blood, Lana," Emma said, her voice soft but full of weight. "It has power—power that Morpheus could tap into. And if he gets to you before we can stop him, he'll not only take control of you again. He'll take control of everything."