The liquid in the goblet looked disturbingly like real blood, making Saltana and Clary, who had been eager to try it moments ago, hesitate.
Could it actually be blood?
Roy, seeing their reluctance, decided to lead by example. He grabbed a goblet and downed it in one gulp.
The "Blood of Jesus" looked and smelled like blood, but the taste was a bitter, heavy wave of anguish, as if Roy was reliving countless hardships. It wasn't exactly delicious, but after finishing it, he felt a strange sense of loss.
Seeing Roy drink it without issue, Saltana and Clary each took a sip, only to grimace immediately.
Marian, curious now, wrestled with herself before trying the drink. She, too, pulled a face.
It was bitter!
"So, how's it feel?" Lucifer asked with a grin, clearly eager for their reactions.
"My take? Vampires definitely wouldn't like this stuff," Roy quipped, sidestepping a direct review.
Lucifer burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Mr. Black, you're too much! No wonder Raphael enjoys your company!"
Marian, unable to hold back, cut in. "What kind of game are you all playing? This isn't funny!"
Lucifer's smile faded, clearly annoyed by Marian's repeated outbursts.
Roy turned to her. "Ms. Morgan, you wanted a big scoop from me. Now you've got one, so why the long face?"
Marian glared, practically grinding her teeth. "No one's going to believe this kind of story!"
Roy shook his head. "That's your problem. And I'm betting you won't even be able to publish it."
Don't think America's media is free from oversight—it's just a different kind of filter.
"Can't you just give me a proper interview for once?" Marian pressed.
"And what's the cost? Nothing in this world comes free."
Marian bit her lip, her face full of frustration. "So, what you really want is my body, huh?"
Roy smirked coldly. "You're awfully full of yourself, Marian. You think your body's some grand prize? Honestly, the line of women wanting a night with me stretches from here to San Francisco. It's not clear who'd be getting the short end of the deal."
Marian opened her mouth but couldn't argue. She'd looked Roy up online earlier and found over a dozen Roy Black fan clubs in America alone, with forums full of women swooning over him daily. Globally, his Olympic fame had spread his charm to every corner with a TV signal.
"Ms. Morgan, you need to take a hard look at yourself. Your issues are serious, and if you keep this up, you're going to crash and burn."
Marian slumped, at a loss for words.
Roy glanced at the time. "Mr. Lucifer, it's getting late. I should head out. Let's grab a drink another time."
Lucifer nodded with a smile. "Mr. Black, it was a pleasure drinking with you tonight. Before you go, a little tip: the lady beside you has a rather… special body."
He pointed at Clary, and Roy froze.
Clary's body was special?
Was that why the vampires were after her?
But what exactly made her special?
Roy mulled it over as he, Saltana, and Clary left the booth. Marian, still sulking, gritted her teeth and followed them. As she stepped into the hallway, it felt like passing through a watery veil. When she looked back, Lucifer was gone from the booth.
"What the hell is going on?" Marian muttered, stunned. Everything she'd seen tonight shattered the education she'd clung to for over a decade.
But Roy and the others were already moving on, so Marian swallowed her questions and followed them out of the Time Bar.
Back in the quiet alley behind the bar, Bumblebee was waiting. Before taking Clary back to school, Roy had a question for his senior.
"Clary, do you know anything about having a special physique?"
Clary looked completely lost. "I… I don't know! I've never felt anything special about myself growing up."
Roy frowned slightly. "Mind if I hold your hand for a second?"
It was a bold request, but Clary didn't refuse, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Okay."
Roy took her hand and began probing her body with his senses.
That's when he discovered it: Clary was a half-angel, half-human hybrid, with an exceptionally high-grade angelic bloodline. Not as strong as Roy's, but far surpassing Nidi's.
"Clary, you're a hybrid angel?"
"What? An angel? How could I be an angel?" Clary looked even more confused.
Roy was about to explain when he sensed someone watching. "Stop sneaking around. If you want to look, come out and do it openly."
Marian stepped forward, her expression complicated as she saw Roy holding Clary's hand. "Mr. Black, is this how you flirt?"
Clary, embarrassed, pulled her hand away. "Don't talk nonsense! Roy's my best friend's boyfriend. There's nothing going on between us."
Her explanation only made things sound more suspicious.
Now even Saltana was giving Clary an amused, knowing look, making her blush harder.
Roy ignored Marian and took Clary's hand again. "Clary, you are a hybrid angel. You just haven't awakened yet. Want me to help you try?"
Clary, pushing past her embarrassment, nodded curiously. "How?"
Roy's next question caught her off guard. "Are you a virgin?"
"What?! Why would you ask that?!" In America, staying a virgin was considered embarrassing, and Clary's face burned.
"Answer me. I'm not joking."
Clary covered her face with one hand and nodded shyly.
"Good. Now, feel my power with your heart."
In a flash, Roy transformed into his angelic form—halo above his head, glowing rings at his feet, and four pairs of radiant wings sprouting from his back.
Clary and Marian were floored.
"An angel!" Clary gasped.
"Clary, feel my power!" Roy channeled holy light into her hand, and she immediately felt a warm, comforting energy flow into her body.
It was like coming home—familiar yet strange.
Something stirred deep within her, ready to burst forth.
"Roy, I feel weird!"
"Don't fight it. Embrace it with your heart."
Clary adjusted to the energy, and soon, holy light poured from her body.
"Ah—!"
Another angel appeared, but Clary's form had only two pairs of wings, and her holy light was noticeably weaker than Roy's. Still, this was impressive—both Roy and Nidi had started as two-winged angels, but Clary was already a four-winged one.
Her angelic bloodline was remarkably pure.
Could her mother have conceived her with a high-ranking angel?
Marian, snapping out of her shock, stared at Roy. "This is all real? I thought what I saw that day was just a hallucination!"
Roy glanced at her. "Why are you still here? Can you not interrupt us?"
Marian bit her lip, holding back a retort.
"Alright, Clary, change back. The first transformation is draining."
"But… how do I change back?"
"Feel your heart. Choose with your soul."
With Roy's guidance, Clary reverted to her human form and promptly collapsed into his arms, exhausted.
"Roy, I didn't expect Clary to be a hybrid angel," Saltana said. "But that still doesn't explain why the Council of Elders is after her. They're not suicidal third-generation vampires looking to off themselves, are they?"
Saltana shook her head, the situation still a foggy mess.
"We'll need to ask the vampires to know for sure," Roy said.
Saltana murmured thoughtfully, "Ask the vampires, huh?"
"Sis, stop overthinking. You need rest. Let me take you home. Bumblebee!"
A yellow Chevrolet Camaro rolled up automatically. Roy helped the weakened Clary into the car.
"Alright, maybe you're right. I could use a break," Saltana admitted, climbing in obediently.
Marian stomped her foot. "Mr. Black, what about me?"
Roy gave her a look. "Have you made up your mind?"
Marian froze. Roy's meaning was clear: if she wanted to move forward, there'd be a price to pay.
She wasn't ready for that, so Roy signaled Bumblebee to drive off toward Saltana's place.
"Wait! I haven't gotten in!" Marian called, but the car didn't stop, speeding into the distance.
She glared at the fading yellow muscle car, her emotions a mix of defiance and frustration. "Roy Black, don't get cocky. I'll succeed one day!"
Just then, a rat—Jerry—scurried by, glancing curiously at Marian.
"Ah! A rat!" she shrieked.
---
Meanwhile, in a dilapidated church on the outskirts of Los Angeles, a man in ornate robes stood staring at a broken cross.
Footsteps echoed, and a pale man entered, dropping to one knee before the robed figure.
"Leader Valentine, our plan failed."
The man in ornate robes turned, his movements graceful and aristocratic. "Oh? Failed again?"
His subordinate flinched but couldn't change the truth. "Yes, Leader. All eleven blood clan warriors we sent are missing."
Valentine's face darkened, twisting into a snarl. "Useless! Utterly useless! What good are you? I could understand failing to capture Jocelyn Fray—she's a renowned blood clan hunter. But how could you fail to grab an untrained little girl?!"
He seized the subordinate, lifting the burly man like he was a wad of cotton. "Answer me! Look in my eyes!"
The subordinate, clueless about the failure, could only beg. "Leader Valentine, please spare me! I don't know anything! I'm just the messenger!"
"Useless trash! You're only fit to die!"
With that, Valentine used some ability to reduce his subordinate to a puddle of gore, then stomped on it for good measure.
A small figure approached. "Father, no need to get so angry. Why not let me handle this?"
Valentine's expression softened instantly as he looked at the newcomer. "Oh, Abigail, my dear daughter. This is a small matter—you don't need to get involved. Besides, you need your rest."
The adorable-looking girl hugged him. "But Father, you've waited so long for this chance. I can't let you fail!"
Valentine gently stroked her hair. "Good girl. With your help, I know I'll succeed."
After a brief embrace, he let her go. "But Abigail, we can't have you doing everything. Some people have taken plenty from the Council of Elders. It's time they paid up."
"Father, you mean Henry?"
Valentine nodded. "I supported him just to secure some fresh blood sources, but he's built a business so big it's almost impressive. Now it's time for him to repay me. The Council's resources don't come cheap."
Abigail licked her lips, revealing razor-sharp fangs. "Hehe, I know what that guy's been up to. Father, can I deal with him myself? I'm curious about what kind of man he is—and what his blood tastes like."
"Of course, my child," Valentine said, patting her head fondly, a tender gesture that felt bizarre against the backdrop of blood and gore.
Marian Morgan (Charlize Theron)
(End of Chapter)