POV Mekesa
We had finally made it to Egypt.
And if I was being honest, it was beautiful… in a broken sort of way.
The sand stretched endlessly across the horizon, the sun burning orange as it hung low in the sky. Ancient stone ruins dotted the landscape like the bones of a dead empire.
To me, though, anywhere was better than that prison world.
"Mekesa!" my brother called from ahead.
I looked up to see Dante holding the reins of two camels.
"I got the camels. Let's get moving."
I walked over slowly, glancing toward the third camel where our prisoner sat tied up like a sack of meat.
Marcus.
Our little werewolf guide.
I tilted my head slightly.
"So you're positive he's telling the truth?" I asked.
Dante climbed onto his camel, barely sparing Marcus a glance.
"Well," he said calmly, "if he isn't… his lover will die for it."
I smiled.
"Oh, love," I said sweetly. "It really can be the death of things."
I hopped onto my camel while Dante threw Marcus over the back of his like cargo.
The poor wolf groaned.
We started moving through the desert, the camels trudging slowly across the sand.
After a moment I spoke again.
"So," I said, leaning forward slightly. "What do you think Nero is going to do once he becomes all-powerful and everything?"
Dante rode ahead of me, staring forward.
He didn't turn around when he answered.
"Control it all."
I raised an eyebrow.
"I think," he continued calmly, "he might control the world."
I stared at the back of his head.
And honestly?
He was probably right.
Nero never seemed like the kind of person who would stop at small ambitions.
"Well," I said thoughtfully, "what if he just wants chaos?"
This time Dante turned his head to look at me.
"Then we stand beside him during it."
I grinned widely.
"Oh that would be so much fun."
But then I shrugged.
"Nero isn't really that type of person, though."
"I know," Dante said.
"But he has his moments."
He looked ahead again.
"He is still part vampire… and part werewolf."
I chuckled.
"Well I can only imagine that makes the hunt even crazier."
We rode for a few more hours until the sun finally started to disappear beyond the dunes.
Dante stopped his camel.
"Alright," he said. "We rest here."
We set up a small camp in the sand.
Once everything was settled, I looked toward Marcus.
He was staring at me.
His bright blue eyes looked like they were trying to burn a hole through my skull.
"Oh?" I said slowly.
"You see something you like, pretty boy?"
I walked over to him and knelt down.
He struggled weakly against the ropes.
I removed the gag from his mouth.
"You know," I said softly, studying his face, "you really are a handsome thing."
He stared at me for a second.
Then suddenly—
SPIT.
Right into my face.
My smile vanished.
"What the hell—"
"You fucking bitch," he snarled.
Something inside me snapped.
"Oh you—"
I lunged forward instantly, sinking my fangs deep into his neck.
"Mekesa!" Dante shouted.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
He rushed over and yanked me off Marcus before I could tear his throat out.
Blood dripped from my mouth.
Marcus gasped weakly.
Dante grabbed Marcus' arm and bit into his own wrist.
"Drink," he ordered.
He forced Marcus to swallow his blood so the wound would heal.
Slowly the bite marks on Marcus' neck began closing.
A moment later the wolf passed out.
Dante looked up at me with that look.
The one he always used when he was about to scold me.
I rolled my eyes.
"I know, I know."
"But he spit in my face!"
"That doesn't mean you almost kill him, Mekesa!" Dante snapped.
"We need him alive!"
"I said I know!" I snapped back.
"Stop treating me like a baby, you dick!"
I stormed away from the camp.
"Mekesa, wait!" Dante called after me.
But I was already gone.
I walked across the sand barefoot, kicking small dunes as I went.
"Fuck," I muttered.
"Why do I always do that?"
I knew why.
Because Dante was right.
He was always right.
And I hated it.
I kept walking across the desert until suddenly I heard something strange.
A low rumbling.
I frowned.
Then the sand beneath my feet started to move.
"What the—"
Before I could react, the ground collapsed.
A hole opened beneath me.
And I fell straight into darkness.
POV Dante
I didn't bother chasing after Mekesa.
My little sister had always thrown tantrums.
She would come back eventually.
But then—
Marcus started screaming.
I rushed over to him.
"What the hell—?"
He was thrashing violently.
I heard a strange hissing sound coming from under his shirt.
I lifted it.
And saw something strange.
A symbol.
It looked like some kind of scar or birthmark burned into his chest.
And it was glowing.
Marcus started laughing.
Even though he was clearly in pain.
"They're coming," he said, blood spilling from his mouth.
I frowned.
"Who's coming?"
"Your death, vampire cunt," he whispered.
Then he screamed one last time.
And his heart stopped.
My eyes widened.
"No—no!"
I grabbed him.
"How the hell did you—?"
But he was already dead.
"Shit. Shit. Shit."
We had just lost the only guide who knew where the clan was.
Then I remembered something he said.
They're coming.
"Mekesa," I whispered.
I vanished in a blur of speed.
POV Mekesa
When I woke up, I was chained to a stone wall.
Head to toe.
Heavy chains wrapped around my arms, legs, and torso.
But the moment I felt them…
I smiled.
Magic.
The chains were enchanted.
"Oh," I whispered happily.
"They really don't know who they're dealing with."
I was just about to start siphoning the magic from them—
When the door opened.
A man walked in.
He wore a strange mask and nothing but a red cloth around his waist.
"Well, well," he said slowly in broken English.
"They brought me a vampire."
He stepped closer, studying me.
"A small… young… cute vampire."
I rolled my eyes.
"I'm three hundred years old, you fucking weirdo."
He laughed.
"That may be so."
He leaned closer.
"But this body looks very young… and very flawless."
He picked up a small bundle of flowers.
When I saw them, I groaned.
"Vervain."
I sighed.
"What are you planning to do? Torture me?"
I smirked.
"Because I promise you—there's nothing you—"
He shoved the flowers into my mouth.
Pain exploded through my veins.
"MMH—!"
The vervain burned like acid.
And he smiled.
POV Dante
"Mekesa!" I shouted.
"Where the hell are you?!"
My heart was racing.
Then I saw it.
A hole in the sand.
"Bloody hell, little sister…"
I cut open my hand and let the blood drip onto the ground.
"Locator."
The blood moved toward the hole.
I jumped down.
The darkness below was absolute.
I couldn't even see my hand.
So I created a small fireball.
The moment the light appeared—
I froze.
The walls were covered in writing.
Ancient writing.
Symbols I had never seen before.
But what caught my attention most…
Was a drawing.
Seven people.
And some dark being above them.
Cursing them.
I followed the path until I saw torches burning ahead.
So this clan lived underground.
Just as I stepped forward—
Two warriors walked past.
I quickly hid behind the wall.
"We found the girl," one said.
"Pretty one she is."
"What about the brother?" the other asked.
The first shrugged.
"When we went back to Marcus' body, there was no sign of him."
The second man spat.
"Marcus… such a disgrace to our clan. Leaving for some woman."
The first man stopped walking.
"I did not like the boy either," he said quietly.
"But he was still one of us."
"And now he is dead."
"Show some respect."
The other lowered his head.
"Yes, General."
They started walking again.
When they passed me, I stepped out—
I took a few steps thinking they wouldn't notice me
But suddenly both of them turned around.
"Did you think we wouldn't smell you… vampire scum?"
They rushed me.
I sighed.
With a flick of my wrists—
CRACK.
Both of their necks snapped instantly.
Their bodies dropped.
"Did you really think you could kill me?" I muttered.
"Werewolf scum."
I continued forward.
Eventually I reached a locked door.
I smashed it open.
And there she was.
Mekesa.
Feeding on a masked man.
"Well," I said.
"Seems like you were doing just fine."
She looked up at me, annoyed.
"Took you long enough."
Her mouth was still full of blood.
"Stop talking with your mouth full," I said.
"What have I told you about that?"
"Shut up, you dick."
I smiled.
"Come on. I just killed two werewolves. I'm pretty sure there are more coming."
"We need three of them and then we're leaving."
She finally dropped the body.
"Well he was definitely a werewolf," she said.
"He tasted like one."
"What happened?" I asked.
"He tried to torture me."
She shrugged.
"They didn't know what they were dealing with."
I nodded.
"Well then let's get what we came for."
I turned toward the door.
But Mekesa stayed behind.
I looked back.
She was staring at the corpse.
"Mekesa."
She tilted her head.
"But brother…"
She smiled sweetly.
"Can I have his heart?"
"Mekesa."
I sighed.
"I'm not asking again."
She groaned dramatically.
"Ugh, fine."
She followed me out.
And we began moving deeper into the underground palace.
We moved carefully through the underground structure, keeping to the shadows. The place was massive—carved stone walls, ancient carvings, and torches burning in iron brackets along the corridors. Whoever built this clan's home had done it with power in mind.
Eventually we reached what looked like a throne room or a meeting hall. The ceiling was high, supported by thick stone pillars carved with symbols I didn't recognize. Gold ornaments and old paintings decorated the walls. It was clear the leader of this clan thought very highly of himself.
"Looks like someone enjoys showing off," Mekesa whispered beside me.
I gave her a look. "Quiet."
Just then we heard footsteps approaching.
Without another word, we both slipped behind separate pillars.
Two guards entered first, walking slowly across the room. They carried curved blades at their sides and looked alert. Behind them came two men.
One was dressed in elegant Egyptian clothing—gold-trimmed robes, jewelry around his neck, and rings on almost every finger. His posture alone told me he was the leader of this clan.
The other man looked very different.
He had fair skin and wore the simple clothes of a traveler—dark trousers, boots worn from long journeys, and a long coat draped loosely over his shoulders. His posture was relaxed, almost bored.
"I only seek to make a deal," the traveler said calmly.
His voice carried easily across the room.
The noble narrowed his eyes.
"I know what you want," he hissed. "But why should I make a deal with you? A werewolf making deals with a vampire… it is insulting."
The traveler gave a small shrug.
"Well," he said casually, "I'm sure you'll want this."
He reached into his coat and held up a piece of parchment.
The noble frowned.
"And what exactly is that supposed to be?"
"This," the traveler said, holding it higher, "is the recipe for moonlight rings."
The noble's eyes widened instantly.
"How…?" he whispered. "How do you—a vampire—possess something like that?"
The traveler shrugged again.
"You're worrying about the wrong thing, mate."
He tilted his head slightly.
"The real question is—do you want it or not?"
The noble stared at the parchment for several seconds.
Then he nodded slowly.
"Yes," he said.
"You have a deal."
Mekesa and I exchanged a quick glance behind the pillars.
The noble continued.
"In return," he said carefully, "I will give you the strongest dose of werewolf venom our clan possesses."
My eyes widened.
So did Mekesa's.
Werewolf venom?
What did he want that for?
Was he chasing the same thing Nero was?
Then suddenly something clicked in my head.
Something Nero had said before we left for Spain.
Flashback
We were about to board the ship to Spain when Nero pulled Mekesa into a hug.
"See you later, brother," she said with a grin as she stepped onto the dock. "Don't do anything fun without me… or die."
"No promises," Nero replied with a smile.
Then he turned to me.
We embraced briefly before he stepped back, resting a hand on my shoulder.
"Listen, Dante," he said. "Make sure you two are careful out there. Nobody—and I mean nobody—should know what you are."
"Yes, brother," I said. "I understand."
He slapped my shoulder playfully.
"Loosen up, mate," he said, attempting my accent terribly.
I rolled my eyes.
Then his expression became more serious.
"There's something else," he said. "You might run into someone. I'm actually surprised we haven't crossed paths already."
"Who?" I asked.
"He's a vampire," Nero said. "The first vampire turned by Klaus."
He paused.
"Lucien Castle."
My brow furrowed.
"He's hunting something similar to what we are," Nero continued. "But the difference is… my plan will make me stronger than anything he could ever dream of."
"So what do you want me to do if I see him?" I asked.
Nero thought for a moment.
"Nothing," he said finally.
"As of right now, let him do as he pleases."
I frowned.
"But if he's after the same thing as you, shouldn't we put him down?"
Nero shook his head.
"Trust me. This is the best course of action."
He started walking away, then looked back at me.
"If he interferes with our plans, then do what you must."
"But otherwise… leave him alone."
I still didn't understand.
"Nero—"
"Don't worry, brother," he said as he walked off.
"In time… you will."
End Flashback
I looked back toward the traveler in the room.
So that's him.
Lucien.
The two men continued speaking quietly for several minutes before finally turning to leave.
But as the last guard passed our pillar, he suddenly stopped.
He sniffed the air.
"Damn werewolves," Mekesa whispered under her breath.
"Cloak your scent," I whispered quickly.
We both used a small spell to hide our presence.
Probably should have done that from the beginning.
The guard sniffed the air again.
Then he frowned.
Eventually he shook his head and walked out.
When the room was empty again, Mekesa stepped out from behind the pillar.
"So," she said, folding her arms, "who the hell was that guy… and why did he want werewolf venom?"
"His name is Lucien Castle," I said.
She raised an eyebrow.
"And you know this how?"
"Nero told me we might run into him."
Her eyes widened.
"Wait… Nero knows about this guy and hasn't tried to kill him?"
"He told me to leave him alone."
"Fuck that," she said instantly. "If he's after the same thing, he needs to die."
I grabbed her arm before she could run off.
"Mekesa."
She glared at me.
"Nero told me to trust him," I said calmly. "He said it would make sense in the future."
She groaned.
"Besides," I continued, "whatever Lucien is doing… it's nothing compared to what Nero is building."
She shrugged.
"Whatever. I just wanted to kill something."
I chuckled.
"Oh, I know, little sister."
"Now come on. Let's find three werewolves and get out of here."
But the moment I said that—
The doors suddenly flung open.
We quickly cast an invisibility spell.
A drunken boy stumbled into the room.
He looked about eighteen.
Two girls followed behind him, both clearly drunk as well.
"Look!" the boy slurred. "See? I told you my father wouldn't care."
I raised an eyebrow.
Ah… the noble's son.
The girls looked around in amazement at the gold decorations.
"Wow," one of them said. "We've only seen things like this on the outskirts of the clan."
"What did you expect?" the other giggled. "He's the leader of the clan."
The boy's expression darkened slightly when his father was mentioned.
"Well," he said proudly, "one day this will all be mine."
He threw his arms out dramatically.
"So I'll bring you both here as much as you like."
He grinned.
"I might even marry one of you."
I sighed internally.
Gods… this kid.
One of those spoiled brats with daddy issues.
Then a thought crossed my mind.
Three werewolves.
Right here.
Perfect opportunity.
But kidnapping the clan leader's son would definitely cause problems.
Before I could decide—
Mekesa already had.
She whispered a spell.
"Somnum."
A wave of magic spread through the room.
The three of them collapsed instantly.
I dropped the invisibility spell and stared at her.
"Seriously?"
She shrugged.
"What? It was an opportunity."
"We'll be out of here before they even notice."
I sighed.
"Fine."
I pulled out a small crystal orb and spoke into it.
"Cal. Get ready at the meeting spot."
Once that was done, I looked at her.
"Alright. Let's move."
We escaped the underground palace without being seen.
Eventually we reached the meeting point outside the desert ruins.
The noble's son woke up screaming.
"My father will find you!" he shouted.
Mekesa punched him in the face.
He went unconscious again.
"With your fist?" I asked.
She shrugged.
"What? It worked."
Cal walked toward us.
"So," he said, "how'd it go?"
"As good as it could have gone," I replied.
"Have you heard anything from Nero?"
Cal nodded.
"We got word that he and Monna's son made it to the Amazon."
I nodded.
"Good."
Cal looked between us.
"So… where are we going now?"
Mekesa rolled her eyes.
"Home, you idiot."