Chapter 77

Igor hadn't seemed as eager to take me to the ancestry part of the library, but he nodded. I followed along beside him as he took long strides that ate up the ground. Thankfully I was tall and my own long legs could keep up the pace, my heels clacking on the old marble floors.

A large doorway ahead decended further and I could see that the marble stairs had been well worn as I ask, 'I believe it is safe to say the ancestry is important to the vampire.'

Igor doesn't answer as he walks down the spiral staircase, disappearing from view for a moment. Following behind, I ask, 'Is it required for study?'

'For the highborn yes.'

'Purebloods?'

'Firstborns yes, as for the other houses both A and B they can opt to learn about their ancestry should they desire to.'

'Did you learn?'

He glances back at me, but then says as we pass floor after floor, 'Enough, it wasn't required of me by my father and mother. However, as the Leader of the Five, I am required to know all ancestry.'

'I heard you say that before, leader of the five. What does that mean?'

'It means that at the Night's Templar, I am the top ranking officer, there are five in total, and I was voted to be the leader of the five at a young age. That is what that means.'

'So you are a ruler in your own right.'

He stops suddenly and I almost bump into his back. The void of him seemed to expand and I felt fear burn in my throat but I hold back as he says, not even looking at me, 'No, I am a servant. I serve the Night and that is all. I have no true power and thus hold no true position as a ruler. Do not mistaken my title as something of value.'

Though his words were monotone, I could feel a cutting edge to them that left me staring at him. Those black emotionless eyes turned away, and he started walking again. My eyes were trained on the back of his head, the long ponytail swinging slightly as it flowed down his back. It looked like a long raven's feather. He was nothing like Nick, but somehow seemed more terrifying in every aspect. My guard was always up with this phantom.

My mind churned over his words, a leader with no power. What did that even mean? Everything about him was a finite control that told me to be wary of him. Not a single movement was wasted, not a word spoken without meaning. This man was not to be taken lightly and his mind worked at a higher level than mine ever could.

Igor finally turned towards one of the floors and the smell of musty decay. It felt different here and I could see long tables, some with a few young vampire looking over ancient texts.

Igor answers my silent question as I stared at the youth, 'They are being instructed by the Seekers who teach here.'

'Is that how you learned?'

'No, I learned the hard way, Nick however was instructed here.'

I nod sobberly and wonder what he meant by the hard way.

They come up to a iron bared door and he calls out, 'Seeker of Lineage!'

The hall beyond seemed long and shadowed on darkness. My skin crawled with nerves as if sensing an ancient evil. Out of the darkness came a thin man, his face etched with lines and with milky white eyes. He was blind, a blind old vampire.

He asks in that whispering way of the old, 'Master Dracul, what have you for?'

'I have come at the behest of my brother's Bride, Nina Dracul.'

'So your brother has wed, the Dracul lineage has a chance at survival and not die with the rest.'

I look at Igor and see a slight tick in his jaw as he stared at the ancient seeker and says, 'So it seems.'

'Though she is weak,' the old man says and I look at the man behind the bars, those milky eyes turned to me.

Though I knew he couldn't see, it made me shiver. Igor replies, 'Weak is always in the eyes of the beholder. However her needs are simple. She asks for the books of lineage of the Pureblood line.'

The old seekers eyes had yet to leave me as he says, 'What will you exchange for it?'

'Ten litters of blood.'

The old man scoffs and steps closer. I could sense Igor's unease even though he hadn't moved. Tension seemed to fill the air, but I couldn't understand why. Igor stood three feet from the iron barred door and looked slowly down at me, then at the old man, before asking, 'What do you want?'

The old vampire looked thoughtful, though his eyes hadn't left me before he finally brightens and says, 'So see your brothers bride!'

'She stands before you.'

'No, no, I must shake her hand,' he says in a rasp and a small smile coming to that old cracked face.

'Not going to happen.'

The words were clipped and I look up at Igor. His face looked like the mask of death itself - dark and terrifying. It made me shiver even though I could not sense power coming off him. He was rooted and just stared at the man.

I was curious why such an old seeker was behind a locked door but I didn't ask. Instead I step up and extend my hand saying, 'Hello, my name is Natasha Dracul, also known as Nina.'

Igor growled out with a sharp bark, 'Don't!'

But it was too late, the old man reached through the bars and took my hand. The tension in the air snapped as I looked at this old man. His face seemed to slowly morph from ancient and craggie to youthful and handsome. Whisps of once white now was lush and blonde, and milky eyes turned to stunning saphire.

He blinked in surprise as did I and with a hiss he withdrew his hand. Igor jumped forward and pulled me back, asking, 'Are you alright?!'

There was a tinge of humanity in his voice, as well as panic as I look at him in confusion, 'Yes, I'm fine why?'

His eyes roamed over me, then those black eyes turned dark, as he turned to the now young man and says in an icy monotone, 'You have had your handshake, now get that we have asked.'

The once older vampire turns, glancing at me once more, and then disappears into the darkness beyond. Igor takes me over to the table and sits me down asking, 'Do you feel weak, hungry, sleepy?'

'No.'

He takes my hand in his black leather gloved one and checks my palm, it was pink and healthy as ever and he looks up at me and says, 'You should not have done such a thing.'

'Why?'

'He takes blood, but uses a persons energy to return to his youth. He did it to me long ago when I needed to learn and it nearly killed me. You must be careful, if you even feel slightly unwell you must lay down.'

'I feel fine.'

Igor's black eyes stared back at me, and I glance away. He was unflinching in his stare and I feel uncomfortable until he finally removes himself from my personal space, letting my hand drop from his large one. Igor continues, 'We call him Wraith the Lineage Seeker. The Grand Seeker banished him to this place and insured he would not leave it. The bars are silver and only if you allow him to touch you can he take your energy. Many B ranks have died from him drawing too much power from them.'

This sobered me as I looked down at my hand. But I felt fine, no different since before the seeker had touched me. Did that make me different? No, I wasn't different or powerful, the fact that I needed a guard was enough. I look up at Igor and ask, 'Why are you here?'