"Speak up, little vampire. We haven't got all day."
"Get your disgusting hands off me," she yelled.
I released her chin and wiped my hand against my clothes.
"Trust me, I didn't enjoy touching you either," I said coldly. "But you refused to look at me."
"I don't owe any of you anything!"
She pushed herself off the ground and pointed at us, defiant despite the situation.
"Actually," I replied, titling my head, "you owe us a very good explanation. You showed up in my Kingdom uninvited. And where I come from, that gets you killed."
I paused, pretending to think.
"Let's see… I could throw you into the sun and watch you burn to ash. Holy weapons. Garlic bread, heard, that weakens your kind." I shrugged. "Plenty of options."
Her jaw tightened. She was intimidated she just didn't want to show it.
"Kill me if you want," she snapped. "I don't care!"
I laughed softly.
"Do you hear yourself? You're begging for death."
"I'll never talk to the likes of you."
Stubborn. Amusing.
My eyes drifted to the weapon she carried, our weapon.
"I'll be taking that."
I lunged for it, but she rolled away with surprising speed and came up on one knee, bow already drawn and aimed straight at me.
"Woah," I said, raising a hand. "No need to get feisty."
"Look," Ethan added with a tired sigh, "we just got back from a fight. Give us a break."
She hesitated, then slowly lowered the bow.
"Wait… weren't there-"
Too late.
Sabrina dropped from above, slamming her to the ground.
"Ugh!"
The vampire hit hard, Sabrina pinning her down with ease. The bow slipped from her grasp, and Sabrina kicked it aside.
"You see," Sabrina said calmly, sitting on her back, "if you'd cooperated earlier, this wouldn't have happened."
"But… how?" the girl growled. "You were just there."
"You don't know caves like I do," Sabrina replied. "They're full of hidden paths. You were too busy watching him to notice."
"Get off me!" the vampire yelled, fists pounding uselessly against the ground.
"No," Sabrina said flatly, folding her arms.
I stepped forward.
"We'll let you go once you answer my questions. And before you ask no, Sabrina isn't getting off you."
The girl shot me a furious glare.
"What were you doing in my Kingdom?"
She stayed silent for a long moment.
"I fled my Kingdom because of the shadow corruption," she finally said. "I'm the only survivor."
Finally. The truth, at least part of it.
"You could've gone anywhere else," I said.
"Believe me," she muttered, "if I had a choice, I would have."
I scoffed. "Well, good job finally being cooperative." I glanced at Sabrina. "Nice work."
Sabrina smiled. "You're welcome, Prince Zac."
The vampire stiffened.
Her eyes widened.
"Prince… Zac?" She whispered, lowering her head so her hair hid her face. "It never occurred to me until she said your name… but you're the son of that female alpha, aren't you?"
I didn't answer.
"Answer me!" she demanded.
I crouched in front of her.
Figure it out," I said coldly. "A male and female alpha rule together. King and Queen, in your terms. And I'm their son."
Her fist clenched against the dirt.
"Oh," I chuckled. "Someone's angry."
She snapped her head up, eyes blazing.
"My final question," I said. "Who are you?"
"I'm not answering that!"
My patience snapped.
I grabbed her jaw, forcing her to meet my eyes.
"Listen carefully," I growled. "I am not in the mood for your defiance."
"No."
I grumbled, yanking an arrow from the ground and pressing it against her throat.
"This isn't a holy weapon," I said quietly, "but it'll still kill you. One clean cut, and you'll bleed out in minutes."
I leaned closer.
"Funny how you don't seem to care about dying despite being the only survivor of your Kingdom."
Her teeth ground together.
"Fine," She said tightly.
"My name is…. Princess Lyra of Ambrose."
The arrow slipped from my fingers.
"What did you say?"
My fists clenched, rage building in my chest.
"Lyra."
I looked up.
Sabrina slowly stood, arms crossing, her expression dark.
"So," she said, voice low and dangerous, "I finally get to meet you."
"Not just you," Alphonso added.
Sabrina stepped back.
"I'll let you stand," she said calmly. "I'll even give you a five-second head start."
The vampire froze.
"Run," Sabrina said.