Chapter 23
For some time nobody moved.
Julian looked up at Rafael, who had tensed up considerably.
Rafael walked slowly to the door and opened it. The vampire lord Viktor stood outside as they had expected.
Rafael looked at him in cold surprise. Viktor was dressed differently than the last time they had met. This time he was in a long dark robe, stark against his very pale skin.
His face was solemn, but he wrinkled his nose slightly at Rafael like he had just smelt something foul.
"You are wounded," the vampire said simply.
Rafael looked at him coldly.
"How did you get past my guards, vampire?" Rafael asked.
The vampire gave a light smirk and slunk past Rafael's frame and into the room before he said,
"I have ways of getting into wherever I want… Alpha."
Viktor's voice was like liquid velvet, like sin. There was just something tempting and alluring about it. But Rafael had promised himself that he would not fall for this night creature's tricks.
He immediately backed inside to stand between Julian and Viktor, obstructing Viktor from getting any nearer to Julian.
He couldn't trust these vampires now.
Viktor seemed to notice the action. An emotion Rafael could not read passed through the vampire's dark eyes.
"Did you harm my guards?" Rafael asked.
Viktor looked incredulous at the question, but Rafael was sure it was an act to get him to lower his guard, so he just glared at the vampire.
"You are not supposed to be here," Rafael said. He made his tone as cold as possible.
Viktor looked at him.
"Was it the forsaken that did this to you?"
Somehow, the way he said it, Rafael was not sure if he meant the wound or the coldness.
Rafael nodded anyway.
"So you admit it, you were the ones who did that." Rafael was immediately incensed.
"Why would you disrupt the peace between our people? That was hard-earned. Why come here if you wanted war? Why did you…" Rafael trailed off. But the question was very obvious.
It hung heavy in the air between them.
Why did you kiss me?
Julian held Rafael like he could feel his distress, like he wanted to soothe him.
"Believe me, Alpha," Viktor started, "war is not what I want. I also did not send that forsaken your way."
Viktor said it with a firmness that almost had Rafael believing him. But if not him, then who?
Viktor let out a sigh.
"It was my companion," he continued. "Belmor is a young fool cursed with some power. He harbors delusions of grandeur through war, and he… well, the important thing is he was instigated by one of yours."
"One of mine?" Rafael repeated incredulously.
Viktor nodded.
"Indeed. Someone gave him this idea, helped him. An alpha, he said," Viktor replied.
Siluren popped into his head immediately. Who else would do such a thing? But would Siluren really go that far?
Would he betray them like that? Someone could have died…
Would Siluren even care about that? But what if…
"You must be lying. Trying to cause division… you must be."
"I am not lying to you. Remember, vampires cannot lie," Viktor replied.
"But you are masters of deception nonetheless," Rafael finished the old warning.
Viktor shrugged slightly.
"I have spoken plainly with you," Viktor said. "My information is true."
There was a moment of silence.
"Which alpha?" Rafael asked.
"Obfuscating magic was used."
Rafael closed his eyes at the words and sucked in a breath. Frustration coursed through him like a wave, so much that he wanted to punch someone.
With no proof, he could not accuse Siluren of anything, even though he was sure.
Even with this truth, the vampires had still done it.
Released a forsaken in the hunting grounds, and now a Unification.
"What happens now then?" Rafael asked. He sighed. He was exhausted with the weight of… everything.
"You should rest, Rafael," Julian said softly. It was the first time he had spoken since.
Rafael looked at him. He noticed Julian was glaring at Viktor.
"Let me heal you," Viktor blurted out. "Drink my blood. It should cure you."
Rafael's eyes widened.