Bloodline of Destiny

ood at the edge of his private balcony, watching the world move beneath him, yet feeling completely apart from it. The crisp night air car

what he

broken the most sacred law of their kind. Weeks since he had let his control slip, le

er the iron railing.

erate weakness. They d

g in something beyond mere bloodlust; was not just

the perfect weapon of his kind. His entire existence had been dedicated to hunting down ro

overed the truth... he woul

ding

though he didn't need to tur

in that effortlessly careless way that suggested he had just rolled out of bed; though Adrian knew Syph never slept deeply. The silv

it might just collapse under the pressure," Syp

didn't

sigh. "Let me guess. You'r

's jaw

't notice? You've been acting like someone took a sledgehamme

Adrian muttered sligh

I leapt past that l

xing him with a s

sement never left his face. "Relax. I'm just saying; you're d

an itch beneath his skin, a wrongness that hadn't left him since th

fleeting, fragile things, easily broken and more e

, no matter how

fied him more

ing quieter, concern leaking through. "You're quieter. Sharp

gaze back to the

tly. "You broke the law, Adrian

fingers

just warriors. The

their kind's delicate order. Rogue vampires; those who preyed recklessly on humans, exposed the

y did not allow for mistakes. He woul

eatest off

ing wit

nce with the most brutal execution. A law mad

. He had cut down lovers in each other's arms, had end

become the very thing

. "You do realize that if the Noctis find ou

" Adrian

ph continued. "They'll go after

He had already accepted his own fate. He had known fr

a hand on Stella; on someone so

arefully. "The Vassals have already started wh

yes narrow

ing for you, but tha

ng vampire society. Some did it for power, some for wealth, and some out of ancient family ties. They pro

was fickle. They served only

t Adrian had done... they wou

t the door shatt

ual sarcasm vanishing in an instant.

ed, assessing the weight of the footsteps b

h the crack sent a slow, ice-

pire. Not

hing

door, unlocking it

smelled of damp earth and old magic. Its skin was sallow, its eye

ssen

oft, but its weight pre

mbra c

blood tur

the supernatural world; only convened when

one thing they coul

s

el

r a fraction of a second.

equences had fina