There are certain known facts about vampires. They revile change. They are obsessive-compulsive. They are illogical. They are cursed. They will burst into flames in sunlight.
They are dying.
With less than a hundred vampires left in the world, Yas...
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"I didn't know you could drive." Sakura exclaimed with small admiration, leaning towards Naihe like a shark circled floundering prey. Unlike a shark, however, she was smiling like a cat with a secret—a veneer meant to shroud the anxiety that bubbled under her pale skin.
For an answer, he shrugged, peering out a side mirror for oncoming traffic. He tapped the onboard GPS, which informed him that their destination was half an hour away.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Min-ho asked from the back seat with a scowl. "The ACSS is there. They might ambush you." That he bothered warning them showed his insecurity, more than anything else.
Neither Naihe nor Sakura dignified him with a response, but the younger vampire's comment did set Naihe's mind reeling.
"What are you doing?" Both Sakura and Min-ho asked, as he slowed the vehicle, pulling it to the shoulder.
He made a gesture to Sakura, then another at their hostage. Come with me and stay. Min-ho, still bound by the Yinglong's golden chain, pursed his lips and pouted.
Naihe climbed out of the car, crossing to the passenger side to wait on Sakura. He would have asked her to let him open the door, but he understood her need for independence eclipsed his desire to act chivalrous. Now, of all times, he wanted her to feel strong.
With a short bow, he swept a hand away from the car, towards the trees that lined the narrow, mountainous highway. The night was warm, but the bite of mountain air prevented it from feeling oppressive. The dark shadows that clung to the forest seemed thicker and larger, and in the distance, a cloudy moon illuminated the silhouette of mountain peaks, capped white with the promise of snow.
