Chapter 41

The Mercedes AMG GlS swung around the curve towards the small town of Eguisheim in the hills of Northern France. The scenery was idealic even though it was crisp in the late evening air, the rich purples and oranges of the last vestiges of sunlight drappling the forests beyond.

Nick was on the phone and spoke in Russian to his brother, Igor saying, 'I know I'm asking a lot but I need to know about this Helix character. Pages are missing from the book of the Pureblood deaths during the Romane Wars and he was the last person to look at the book before this damage was caused...'

I couldn't hear the other side of the conversation but Nick's pheremones and power fluctuated dangerously as he growls, 'You have already stopped me on the inquires about the A ranked during this period and it is making me more suspicious of your...'

Sweat beads on my forehead as his tone goes icy and I can no longer concentrate on the scenery as he switches to the old vampur language in its husky predatory tones, 'We may have been brothers Igor, but rest assured I will give you no more information about what I find regarding the Phantasma if you...'

He is cut off again, and I glance over at his face. It was stoney as he stares out the window before continuing, 'I know we have worked together well and I mean no ill will against ths Night Hunters so don't you dare threaten me, but when you start withholding information I need to further my own line of inquiry I have no other choice but to withhold.'

So Igor was trying to threaten him, I knew that was never a good thing and now I stare at him openly, even as my breath shallows from the strength of his power and the acrid scent of his pheremones. He turns and looks at me as he listens to his brother speak before saying, 'Thank you Igor for understanding. I know the Night Hunters only have our interest at heart and I will share more as it comes available. So long as you keep your word and send me the files on what you know of Charles and the other names I sent you.'

With that he ends the call and asks, 'Is there something on my face?'

'No, but you should never irritate a Night Hunter, especially to the point of which they threaten your life.'

Nick's lips twitched as he pulled back on his pheremones and murmurs, 'Brothers threaten each other all the time, it is no different for me myself and Igor. No need to worry about it.'

'You might have been brothers, but you know as well as I do that once your brother became a Night Hunter he stripped himself of the Dracul and took up the mantel of the Oath of the Night.'

Nick just stared at me as I continue, 'What if he makes good on his promises one day?'

Slowly Nick looked out the window and says, 'Ian, could you explain to Ms. Simmons why the Night Hunter's won't attack the Dracul clan despite their threats?'

Quickly, I turn and look at the poor driver. He was a small man, vampire for sure, with grey eyes and brown hair, unremarkable and lookinv a bit in dread over explaining to me the logistics of this world I was unfamiliar with. But he quickly clears his throat as he says, eyes still on the road, 'In the politics of rhe vampire culture, the Night Hunter's know that should they attack a Royal Pureblood clan it would lead to certain death. Though the clans fight amongst each other, should the effective police of our society attack all the Purebloods would descend upon the Night Hunter's like the fires of hell.'

Nick nods and cuts in, 'So though we respect what the Night Hunter's do, they do not have absolute power. We contribute too much to the Night Hunter's

and they realize their power is only strong with the help of the Royal Purebloods.'

'But with how Purebloods are dropping like flies, doesn't it strengthen their threats, making them akmost have absolute power?' I ask, looking at Nick.

His blue eyes flash towards me and he says coldly, 'Careful clanless, you are treading on thin ice.'

'But so are you if I'm right.'

Nick turns and looks at me, cold eyed boaring into me, and says, 'We shall see about that.'

Just then the driver, feeling the tension building says, 'We are here your highness.'

Slowly the car winds through the cobbled stone streets, filled with people, some tourists with their cameras and tennis shoes, others natives in their regular wares. The place seemed fine, I couldn't tell anything was amiss. The driver pulls into a parking spot, and we step out.

People were talking and laughing as they made their way through the touristy town, with its mideavel homes. The lamps were blinking on as the streets darkened from the lack of sun, but strangely it felt off. Nick tells the driver as he starts to get out, 'Ian, stay in the car.'

'But your highness.'

'I'd rather not have a car stolen, so stay with the car.'

Several kids run past, brushing against me as they do, one boy yells back in French, 'Pardon!'

Something was definitely off, the bakery down the street was full of people, but I couldn't smell the wonderful scent of bread. The air was stale, not rich with the scents of life and people. In fact, it was lifeless, cold, and though many people were herr on the streets, it felt empty. Nick comes uo beside me as i say, 'Something's off.'

'Yes, there is,' he murmurs, his eyes searching the crowd before saying, 'This will be painful.'

Then almost like a bomb had been dropped beside me his true power is unleashed. I slam to my knees, air punched from my lungs, as i lift my eyes up to Nick, hands clutching at my throat, desperate for a breath. Realization seizes me, Nick had never revealed his true power, and his was just a taste as he looked around.

My eyes turn to the street expecting to see all the people had dropped dead from his power, but to my surprise they were uneffected! Eyes rounded I look back up at Nick as he growls, 'I've found you.'

The sounds of people disppear abd I look back, eyes watering, and I blink in surprise. The street was empty, everyone having vanished luke a mirage, the streets weed filled, and the once clean shop windows dusty, benches covered in leaves, unused.

'Stay here,'Nick says, having looked down at me, seeing his eyes slitted as the predator, then he disappeara instantly, leaving only a small cliud of dust from where he had been standing.

His power released me and I pull in a breath, gaspung, and coughing as I look around for him. Nick's powers were unnerving, as I stand up and dust off my pants. I could still smell his pheremones, richly poweful as I slowly walk towards the bakery, door hanging open.

Just as quickly as he was gone, he was back and growls, 'They got away.'

Looking up at him, I say matter-of-factly, 'It was a powerful vampire.'

'Yes, either an A class with projecting power or a Pureblood.'

'Do you think it wad the leader of the Phantasma?'

Nick shakes his head as he steps into the bakery, which had leaves littering its tile floor, and says, 'I can't see a reason for a leader of the Phantasma just projecting normalcy in a small city to seem normal. I think it was likely an underling doing it to keep humans away. They can feel the unnerving quality here and leave.'

I find a calendar behind the front counter and whisper softly, 'December of last year, Nick I think the Phantasma took this townsfolk.'

Nick nods again, looking out of the window and says softly, 'Something tells me we will find similar things at the other two places your imp mentioned.'

'I fear the same, it said the population here was well over a thousand,' I whisper, my mind going back to the mansion, stomach clinching just thinking about all the ghouled that seemed to bubble out into the hall.

Shivering, I continue, 'Nick, you need to tell Igor about this. The Nighter Hunters are supposed to protect both the human and vampire, they need to know.'

He nods and steps out of the bakery towards the Mercedes, phone to ear as he did so. I look back at the calendar and shiver at what this town had been through. Where were all the citizens? Why hadn't anyone noticed or cared if their family members were missing? As i step out behind the counter, I see if out of the corner of my eye, a playing card... and Ace.