Chapter 2

Mallory's Point of View

It was already half past three in the afternoon when Steve and I reached King Augustus' palace. We prepared ourselves before entering the council chamber because we knew we wouldn't be able to leave if they found out our true intentions. In truth, I was the only one with a good purpose here in the kingdom. I smirked secretly.

I heard that there was going to be a meeting here, and since Steve held a high position in the Coven, he decided to bring me along to observe, as no one else knew me except for him. In fact, he had no choice but to bring me.

I am Mallory Dawson, a pure-blooded vampire. Aside from me and King Augustus, no one else can use the power of the mind - telepathy. I can read a creature's mind, communicate, and even move things using only my mind. Steve knows about my ability, and he warned me not to reveal it to anyone.

Steve is much older than me, but he doesn't mind me just calling him Steve. He told me that it's not a big deal. He looks young and has a youthful physique, but staying in this form and state is just one of the characteristics of vampires.

"Steve," I spoke inside my head.

He was sitting next to me, but he didn't look at me to avoid suspicion, especially since the Elders who were with us were very observant. From what I know about Steve, he is different from the others. He has a sense of humor and, above all, he is recognized as the highest Elder in this council.

"Don't give yourself away, Lori. I won't be able to save you if they find out what you can do!" Steve angrily replied in his mind.

"I know, Steve. I just want to know why we're here in the conference room. Shouldn't we be in the sanctuary?" I asked, causing him to gulp.

We are all seated here, and the silence is deafening. From where I'm sitting, I can see the seven Elders on the opposite side, as well as on both ends. Steve is seated at the end because he is the highest Elder, while Elder Yttria is seated at the other end. We are all wearing thick hoods. Actually, my hood is different from all of them because I am not part of the council. I am only Steve's disciple. Yes, I am his gorgeous apprentice.

He sighed heavily. "I have already explained it to you why we can't go there, right?" he said, and then his mind went blank.

That's what he told me before, that even the Elders were not allowed to go there. The sanctuary is guarded by the highest-ranking members of the Coven. They were trained to protect the sanctuary, and according to Steve, they cannot be touched. I don't know why, and it bothers me every time I think about it. What kind of touch does Steve mean?

Ever since I was a child, Steve has been bringing me here. He is the family I know, like a second father, but he never gave me the chance to call him 'dad.' It's not his nature, and he doesn't seem to like the responsibility.

I even laughed when a young lady came to his mansion, trying to persuade him to marry her, but he closed the door on her before she could finish her sentence. My grandfather was acting coy.

"Steve..." I called him again using my mind.

"Hmm?" he replied.

"I'll just step outside."

He frowned. "And where will you go?"

"I just need to pee!" I replied in a sassy tone in his mind.

His forehead creased even more, unsure if I was joking or not. Little did he know, I was just playing around.

"Pee—what? Can you behave, Lori?" he answered, getting annoyed. He treated me like a dog. Since I am a great rebel, I stood up and bent to everyone to show respect.

"I'll step outside," I politely said and didn't wait for their response because I didn't care. I only care about Steve because he is my family here.

As soon as I got out, I heard Steve's reminder in my mind. "Don't wander too far from the conference room. The ranks are strict today, especially with the ongoing meeting..." he said seriously.

"I understand. I'll just peek..." I replied while giggling and quickly left the room.

I didn't listen to the rest of what he said because I knew it would just deafen me. I am too old to be dissuaded. How many years has it been since I reached womanhood? Yes, I am already 242 years old, and I don't care if I still don't have a boyfriend. I don't need one!

King Augustus' palace is vast, and it would take more than a day to visit all the rooms here. I still remember the way to the sanctuary. The guards weren't as strict back then, but when someone tried to steal the sacred chalice, security became tighter.

As vampires, we have the ability to live forever. We are immortal. We have unnatural strength and speed. Vampires can move faster than the human eye and heal rapidly from any physical injury.

Those are just some of the common abilities that ordinary vampires possess. To differentiate vampires from one another, you can see it in the color of our eyes.

Ordinary vampires have dark red eyes, while High-Ranking members have bright red eyes. Noble vampires have golden eyes, and they possess immense and immeasurable power. Only the late King, who had this eye color, has been recognized as the strongest vampire in the history of Vladian.

When I reached the last turn, I stopped at a large post, hid there, and peeked to see if there were any guards at the large door of the sanctuary. When I saw that there were guards, I realized that Steve was telling the truth. He hated liars.

There were two guards stationed there, wearing thick black cloaks. I grimaced in frustration. I hadn't even taken a step towards the sanctuary, but I felt like I was losing my strength. However, I would still try to see how far I could go. I grinned at the thought.

I straightened myself up and put my cloak over my head, pretending to be a part of the council. I walked straight ahead and couldn't make any mistakes. They immediately noticed my presence and both turned their heads with a frown. They were vampires, so it wasn't new to them to have a sharp sense of perception. I could also feel their strong aura.

They immediately blocked me when I stopped in front of the huge door of the sanctuary. I ignored the trembling of my knees. Their presence was overwhelming, and I felt like I was going to explode if I submitted to them.

"Who are you? And what is your purpose here in the sanctuary? Don't you know that it's forbidden to enter here? And do you know that we never let anyone in just like that?" the one on my left side said in a baritone voice. I swallowed hard when they both placed their hands on the door, blocking my way. I raised an eyebrow.

I cleared my throat. "I'm L-Lori..." I stuttered and tightened my grip on both of my palms. "I am the apprentice of Grand Elder Stevenson Queency," I introduced myself, and they immediately saw the disappearance of their doubts about me.

They looked at each other and nodded. I just grinned as they removed their hands from the door of the sanctuary and one of them took out a golden key from his pocket. He opened the lock to let me inside.

I couldn't help but be amazed when the golden light emanating from the sanctuary's altar shone through the gap. It was the cursed goblet of King Augustus. It was called that because it held his immeasurable power, waiting for the next person who would possess it.

"You can enter inside if you're accepted by the goblet. Do you see that strand of golden light? It came from the cursed goblet of King Augustus, and it will only recognize the next Overlord sent to possess it," explained the dwarf-like, low-ranking member whom I didn't know.

"If I'm not the one the goblet is waiting for, it's fine. I'm not seeking power, and I don't aspire to be the replacement for King Augustus on the throne. I am out of his league. I cannot surpass what he has done for the country," I replied, and the two guards just turned their heads and let me enter the sanctuary.

As soon as I took a step inside, the golden strand of light scattered around the room. When the door closed, the golden light immediately swirled around my body as if it was examining me. I didn't know why, but I felt relieved. Apart from that, I didn't feel anything else. I just felt relieved when the golden lights flew inside my body and never came out.

The bright strand of golden light disappeared, but the goblet still shone brightly. I ignored what had happened because I didn't know if it still mattered. What was important to me now was to see the goblet up close.

I was amazed as I gazed at the goblet, especially at the red crystal in the middle of it. I could see details etched on its body, which made my gaze more intense. It felt like I was being enchanted because I couldn't help myself from moving closer to it.

I was just a few steps away from touching the golden goblet when the massive door suddenly opened, and the two guards grabbed me tightly.

"What are you doing!?" I shouted at them angrily.

However, I didn't hear any response from them. Instead, they became aggressive and dragged me forcefully. These two idiots are High-Ranking ordinary vampires, and their only advantage is their strength. It's nothing compared to what I can do. I secretly grinned.

It was already late afternoon, and I was sure they were becoming aggressive again. They were holding my arms tightly, and it hurt me. I was seething with anger.

"I'm asking you, what are you doing!?" I repeated my question in anger.

They brought me out of the sanctuary. I was already nervous as they led me to an unknown room. I didn't know where in the palace it was, but I remembered where we came from.

"Let me go!" I screamed furiously.

Because of my strength, they were thrown in opposite directions.

"Damn!"

"Shit!"

They cursed at the same time, their eyes turning red as they glared at me evilly.

"You've messed with the wrong vampire," I sneered.

I saw black veins appearing on their foreheads. They were both possessed by some evil spirit. My intuition was never wrong, especially at this level of power. They are being controlled!

"We have to kill her," the guy on the right said while the other one nodded.

So I decided to break the door we entered using my fist. I gathered my strength in my fist to do it, leaving some little strength for my escape.

I ran as fast as lightning, but they were still able to follow me. I didn't think of calling Steve because he might be busy now. With what I did, his name might be dragged down because of my foolishness.

When I came back to my senses, I noticed that the surroundings were dark as we left the palace, and they still didn't leave me alone. They were determined to kill me for a reason I couldn't understand.

During our continued pursuit, we quickly reached the town square. I hid for almost eight hours because they were chasing me even though they knew I was Steve's disciple. No house is open now because mortals are afraid of us, especially now that the whole country is being alerted to the rebellion of evil vampires. I'm not generalizing all vampires, but there are definitely vampires who kill mortals to quench their thirst.

I just went out of my hiding place in an abandoned town hall. I stayed there for eight hours just observing my surroundings. When I noticed that no one was following me, I ran as fast as I could, but when I reached the exit, they were already there with some other companions.

"You're dead, Lori," one of them said with a smirk from afar.

My hearing is not dull. I'm sure that's what they want to do to me, so before they could catch me, I immediately ran out of the Coven. When I reached the border of the Coven, I entered a small and dense forest. It was already nighttime, and fortunately, I have enhanced senses. My sense of sight is somehow useful.

When I passed through the forest, the first things that greeted me were two standing houses. I took a deep breath. I could sense that these two houses were blessed by the Cardinal. The divine blessing was evident, but I didn't think about it anymore. I can endure the pain but not death.

I tried to sense on the left, but I didn't feel anyone there, so I quickly approached the one on the right and knocked. Someone is inside this bungalow house. He just woke up. What time is it? I'm not sure. I kept knocking, but he remained in his place. He's hesitant.

"Help..." I said in his mind.

"Help! Please help me!"

"I hear you. Please, help me! I'm begging you! Hide me from them! Please!" I begged as they were getting closer to me.

I was encouraged when he made a positive decision. So when he opened his door, I immediately pushed it and quickly entered.

"Hurry up! Lock the door!" I commanded loudly and angrily.

He examined my face, but it was dark, so he couldn't see me. He's mortal, so I can smell his scent.

"Damn! We lost her!" I heard a voice outside the house. My companion immediately slapped his mouth.

"I told you earlier to finish her, but what did you do?" another man angrily spoke.

"Is it my fault that she's stronger than me?" the other one argued.

"I'm here," I spoke inside his mind. He searched for me, but he was looking in the wrong direction.

"Are you crazy? How will I know where you are if you don't use your voice!" he complained. He was right.

From my corner, I saw him turn his head towards me because of the light in my eyes. He looked like a scarecrow when he realized who he let inside his house. I smirked out of excitement.

"Damn! Did I let a freaking vampire enter my house!?" I heard him ask in his mind, which made me grin even more.

"Shhhhsss..." I hushed while covering his mouth. "Don't make any noise because we'll be in trouble if they find out that I'm here in your house. If I die, you'll die too," I added, noticing him gulp.

He couldn't speak, but I could hear what he was saying in his mind.

"W-who are you and what are you?" he asked, surprised and stuttering.

I grinned. "You might kill yourself if you find out who I am. To avoid that, I'll give you a different name. I'm Lori, and..." I intentionally paused to make him feel the intense fear.

"...I'm a vampire."

I showed him my fangs as proof that I wasn't lying. I leaned in to kiss him, but he suddenly passed out.

"I should have trusted my instinct. I should not let this sombre tryst be invaded with a bloodsucker like her, but it is too late. She already sucked all of my blood out of my virgin body! I didn't know that this would be the reason for my death!"

I chuckled softly after hearing that from his mind.

He probably thought he was dead. I laughed at his madness, but it quickly disappeared when I remembered the two ranks who wanted me dead. Steve must know about it. They must be punished for threatening my precious life!