"Ah, I see now! But I suspect Autumn avoids talking to you because she's afraid you'll ask about the topic of Bloodbound. And according to the meaning of the Eight of Cups you just drew: you're too exhausted to dig deeper into the relationship between Bloodbound and Master. You're planning to walk away, to abandon the achievements you've made, to let go of the goals you once longed for. Isn't that right, Ethan?"
Camellia wasn't satisfied with Ethan's answers. She went right back to spinning her own interpretation of his words.
"Why do I feel like this reading is all wrong somehow? Sure, people keep suggesting I should go back to my hometown and do Homeschooling. But I have no intention of running away from Harmony Town now. I just want to catch the Blood-Giver soon so the town can go back to normal. Only then can my life return to peace."
It was true that Ethan no longer cared much about learning more about the Bloodbound. He had a different, more pressing goal now. And he didn't hesitate to share that with the drama-thirsty Vampire Hunter in front of him.
"Ohhhhh! So you already know about the Blood-Giver case? Looks like those little Vampires have shared some pretty classified info with you, huh? Not just anyone gets to know about that. Autumn and Royce must've been eavesdropping when grown-ups like me and Spring were discussing it."
"Ha! You… a grown-up?"
Ethan doubled over laughing.
According to the app for ordering Vampire Hunters - The Staker - Camellia had been granted early graduation from Solaria Academy, three years ahead of schedule.
Even though she had a legal license to work as a Vampire Hunter and had been assigned to oversee the Vampire Community of Harmony Town, in human years Camellia wasn't even legally an adult yet. In fact, her birthday was a full month after Ethan's.
"Hello! I'm already working, okay? Being a student in Class 11 at Harmony High is just a cover. Since I'm only sixteen, I can't exactly pretend to be a teacher or a staff member."
Camellia pouted. She packed away her Tarot deck into a small wooden box and then sulked as she slurped her oversized cup of 2High milk tea, full toppings included.
Watching her cheeks puff out as she drank, a thought suddenly popped into Ethan's mind.
The info Autumn and Royce had wasn't firsthand - it was eavesdropped from conversations between Spring and Camellia. Which meant… the details they had could easily be incomplete or even inaccurate.
So maybe, instead of secondhand rumors, Ethan should ask Camellia directly. That way, he might dig up some more reliable leads.
"So, do you have any new information about the Blood-Giver, Camellia? Could she be one of the female students at Harmony High? And why would she attack other Vampires? What's the purpose of creating so many Infected and Feral Vampires? And what will happen to her if we catch her?"
This time it was Ethan's turn to barrage Camellia with questions about the Blood-Giver and her motives.
To his surprise, Camellia actually seemed eager to share what she knew instead of hiding things the way his Vampire friends usually did.
"Hold on! Let me answer your questions one at a time. First, I don't have any new info on the Blood-Giver. Second, she could be any female Vampire - except Autumn. And third, here's my hypothesis."
"Okay, wait a second… All right, go on."
Ethan pulled out the sketchbook he used for jotting down notes on the Vampires of Harmony Town. With pen in hand, he was ready to record any new leads.
"Based on rough estimates, at least fifty Infected appeared in August and September. To turn one BloodSlave into an Infected requires at least 200 milliliters of Vampire blood. Let's say an average of twenty-five Infected per month. That means if the Blood-Giver gave each BloodSlave 200ml, she'd lose around five liters of blood every month. But the average female Vampire weighing fifty kilos only has about 3.5 to 4 liters of blood in total. And a Vampire can only function normally with at least thirty percent of their blood volume still intact…"
Camellia spoke slowly so Ethan could keep up with her math and reasoning.
"Wait, Camellia - are you saying the Blood-Giver attacks her own kind and drinks their blood just to replace what she's given away to the BloodSlaves?"
"That's what I think, Ethan."
"And the Hybrid teen Vampires born in peace-time here in Harmony Town haven't been trained for combat. On top of that, their modern diet restricts human blood, which must've dulled their senses and weakened them compared to their ancestors. So basically, they're the easiest prey imaginable for the Blood-Giver, is that right, Camellia?"
Camellia raised a thumbs-up right away, impressed at how quickly Ethan pieced together her theory.
Then, she slowly finished answering his questions.
"As for your fourth question… I really can't guess why the Blood-Giver is creating so many Infected and Feral Vampires. We'll only know once we catch her. But as for her punishment - execution is guaranteed, even if she's still a teenager."
Ethan shuddered.
The crimes of the Blood-Giver were truly unforgivable.
And yet, Ethan couldn't shake a pang of guilt at the thought of the sentence already awaiting her.
It was terrifying to imagine that, any day now, one of his own female classmates at Harmony High would be condemned to death.
"Felix might have died for real if not for the support of modern tech and the Community. Royce would've shared the same fate if you and Autumn hadn't shown up that night. Autumn herself might have slept a hundred years if you hadn't fed her blood in time. And if Royce hadn't pried Autumn's fangs out of your neck, your body would be rotting six feet under by now."
Perhaps sensing Ethan's moment of weakness, Camellia pressed on with more evidence of the Blood-Giver's crimes.
"She may not have killed a human outright, but plenty of decent townsfolk have been turned into Feral Vampires because of her. And bloodthirsty Ferals… they have no mind and no control. Even seasoned Vampires struggle desperately to put them down."
The memory of the battle with Kitty - the landlady's Chihuahua gone mutant - flooded back into Ethan's mind. If Autumn and Royce had struggled so much against a mere dog turned Feral, what chance would they have against a former human?
"Ethan…"
Camellia unclasped the necklace she always wore - a pendant with a blue gemstone - and held it in her hand.
"Leave Vampire business to those of the Vampire world. Next week, the High Council will assign a fully trained Vampire Hunter to assist Harmony Town. So stop worrying, okay?"
She dangled the pendant in front of Ethan's face, swaying it gently.
"And everything I just told you… Forget it all, Ethan."
Ethan's vision blurred. His eyes crossed as the pendant swung.
"Forget… it… all…"
His mind grew blank, Camellia's voice fading like it came from far away. His eyelids drooped shut.
But…
It was as if Ethan's own reason sneered at him, mocking.
That insolent little voice reminded him: not a single Vampire in Harmony Town had ever been able to manipulate him. Not Royce, not Ruby, not even Marina, the centuries-old matriarch herself.
Even Autumn, the mistress of his heart, couldn't compel him with her Vampire tricks.
And now he was going to yield to Camellia?
Pathetic.
Utterly pathetic.
That thought snapped him awake.
"Ha! Nope. You're way too young to hypnotize me."
Ethan batted the pendant away, leaving Camellia wide-eyed, stunned beyond words.
Then, with one mischievous flick, he thumped her stubborn forehead and bolted out of the Library - ignoring her furious shrieks echoing after him.
"Damn you, Ethan! Get back here right noooow!"