The next morning, Alexander stirred, the weight of centuries lifting as his senses returned to the present. Sunlight spilled through the ancient palace's cracked windows, casting golden tendrils across the cold stone floor. His skin, pallid and smooth, caught the light, revealing the sinewy muscles beneath. As he awoke, the familiar weight of solitude pressed down on him, but today, it was tinged with an unexpected ease.
He rose with the grace of an apex predator, his movements fluid and deliberate as he searched for his human. His eyes, dark and unyielding, scanned her room. She was not there. The bed, a tangled mess of silk and velvet, was empty, the sheets cold to the touch. Alexander's nostrils flared, seeking her scent, but only dust and decay met him.
The vampire's unease grew, a rare emotion for one accustomed to control. He crossed the room in a few long strides, his bare feet soundless on the cold floor. He checked the corners, the shadows, the hidden places where Jane might be. Nothing.
Alexander's mind raced. She had been there when he'd laid her to rest the night before. Now, the silence was oppressive, the emptiness of the room a stark contrast to the life she had brought into his world.
He moved through the dimly lit corridors, each room more empty than the last. Her absence gnawed at him, an unfamiliar ache that he could not ignore.
He reached the grand hall, the vast expanse echoing with his solitary presence. He called her name, his voice a low, resonance command that carried through the stone corridors. There was no answer. The sound of his own voice seemed to mock him, a stark reminder of the void she had left behind.
Frustration flickered in his dark eyes. She was his. She would not leave of her own volition. No, something was wrong. His senses sharpened, every instinct honed by centuries of survival. He would find her, he vowed.
He moved with purpose now, his steps more urgent. He descended the grand staircase, the shadows deepening around him. The palace, once a sanctuary, now felt like a labyrinth of desolation. Every corner he turned, every room he searched, brought only more questions and no answers.
In the library, Alexander paused, his gaze sweeping over the rows of ancient tomes. Jane had spent hours here, immersed in the stories of old, her fingers tracing the spines of books that had not been touched for centuries. He inhaled deeply, catching a faint trace of her scent, a ghost of her presence that lingered in the air. It was enough to spur him on, a fragile thread of hope in the growing darkness.
He pushed open the heavy doors of the palace, stepping out into the morning. The sun high in the sky, casting a golden glow over the landscape. The forest beyond the palace walls seemed to beckon him, the trees whispering secrets he could not yet hear. He set off, his movements a blur, his sense attuned to every sound, every scent.
He listened intently, filtering through the cacophony for any hint of her presence. As he moved through the underbrush, his mind raced with possibilities. Had she been taken? Had she wandered off, unaware of the danger that lurked in the shadows? The thought of her in peril ignited a fierce protectiveness within him. He would not rest until she was safe in his arms once more.
Hours passed, the search growing more frantic with each passing moment, but there was no trace of her. The bond they shared, once a guiding beacon, now felt weak and distant, as if she were slipping further away with each passing moment. He searched the market, slipping through the shadows, his presence unnoticed by the oblivious humans. He listened intently, hoping to catch a whisper of her name, a fleeting glimpse of her face. But there was nothing.
As the day waned, Alexander found himself back at the palace, the weight of failure pressing down on him. He stood at the entrance of his home, his gaze fixed on the path she had walked so many times. The realisation that she was truly gone settled over him like a shroud.
For the first time in years, Alexander felt powerless. Jane was out there, somewhere alone and unprotected. The bond that tied them was not enough to guide him to her. He vowed, silently, to find her, to bring her back, no matter the cost.
But for now he was forced to wait, to endure the agony of her absence. He closed his eyes, the weight of his failure heavy on his heart. She was his light in the darkness, and without her, the night was infinitely colder.
Where are you, Jane?
"She's not here."
Alexander, younger by centuries but hardened by his own share of battles, turned to face the other vampire, his expression a mixture of sorrow and anger. His dark hair fell in loose waves around his shoulders, a stark contrast to his alabaster skin.
"What did you do?" Alexander's voice was a low, resonant whisper that seemed to echo in the silence of the room. His eyes, deep and penetrating, bore into Phoenix's with an intensity that demanded an answer.
Phoenix, the elder of the two, gazed out of the narrow window in the sitting room, the sun casting a glow over his angular features. His chiseled face was shadowed with regret, his usually confident demeanour subdued. He ran a hand through his tousled hair, a gesture that betrayed his inner turmoil.
"I had no choice." Phoenix replied, his voice strained.
"You had no right to make that decision." Alexander said, his voice dangerously quiet.
"Like I said, I had no choice."
Alexander shook his head. "You did the one thing that goes against everything we stand for. You used your power to force her to leave, to strip away her will."
Phoenix's eyes narrowed, the anger in them simmering just beneath the surface. "We have different morals, you and I, Alexander. I, did what I thought was necessary."
"No! You only did what you thought would be beneficial to you and only you!" Alexander spat. "She is not yours!"
"Lilith was coming for her." Phoenix snapped back, his tone defensive. "She knows about her and what she obtains. If I hadn't had done what I did, Lilith would have killed her. Or worse, used Jane against us."
Alexander glared, the fire in his eyes flaring. "And now she's out there, alone and vulnerable. We cannot protect her from afar. You know the risks."
Phoenix's face twisted in frustration. "As did you when you claimed her for yourself. After all this time, why did you pretend not to know of the amulet's existence when in truth, you knew all along that she had it?"
Alexander released a heavy exhale. "Her mother begged me to claim her, for she knew that if something were to occur, I would be able to protect Jane from the power the amulet exudes."
With a grin, Phoenix scoffed. "And what a mighty fine job you're doing with that. But I do often wonder how Jane would feel when she would come to learn that her so-called protector murdered her father on the battlefield fifteen years ago."
"It was an accident." Alexander shot back.
Phoenix's gaze hardened. "That's what you want to believe. But we both know the reason why her mother came to you is because you owe her your life."
Alexander's eyes flashed with anger. "Where. Is. She!?"
Phoenix shrugged nonchalantly. "She's gone."
The tension between the two figures at the centre of the room was palpable. They stood facing each other, one tall and lean with an air of predatory elegance, the other broader, his eyes dark with a fierce, unyielding intensity.
Phoenix's smile faded, his gaze turning icy. "Trust me, Alexander. It is for the best."
Alexander growled. "You're a fool. You thought that you could keep her safe, but you can't. Lilith will find her, and she won't stop until she does."
Phoenix's lips curled into a cold, thin smile, his sharp features cast into sharp relief by the flickering candlelight. His voice, in contrast, was smooth and calm, carrying the faintest hint of mockery. "Is that what you think? That I can't protect her?" He scoffed. "Perhaps you're underestimating me."
"Or perhaps you're overestimating yourself." Alexander uttered.
"Her blood flows inside of me. I have a much more chance in protecting her than you ever will. If I wanted to, I could easily find her by simply tracking her down, but sadly that option doesn't apply to you considering you prefer animal blood, god knows why."
Alexander swallowed hard. "It's a choice I made...after..."
"Murdering her father." Phoenix finished. "The leader of the rebellion. You can say it, you know? Saying it out loud won't change anything."
Alexander moved in a flash, closing the distance between them with a speed that made the candle flicker violently. His hand shot out, grabbing Phoenix by the throat, his grip strong but controlled. "Find her."
Phoenix didn't flinch, meeting Alexander's gaze with an equal measure of defiance. "Absolutely not."
"You're the only one who can find her. Phoenix...please. She's not just a human, She's -" Alexander paused, the words catching in his throat. He wasn't ready to admit it, not even to himself. "She's more than that, and I won't let Lilith have her."
"More than that?" Phoenix echoed with a bitter laugh. "You're deluding yourself, Alex. She's nothing more than a pawn in a game she doesn't even know she's playing. And you -" He pointed a finger at Alexander, his voice hardening. "You're setting her up to be a martyr to your cause. How noble of you."
Alexander growled. "I only wish to end my suffering and every creature alive."
"And that is why she had to leave." Phoenix hissed.
For a long moment, they stood locked in that silent battle, the tension thick enough to choke on. Then, slowly, Alexander released his grip, stepping back, his expression unreadable. "Help me." Alexander said finally, his voice softer, almost pleading. "Help me protect her, Phoenix. Together, we're stronger. We've always been stronger together."
Phoenix's eyes immediately softened, the anger draining from his face, replaced by a weariness that came from centuries of struggle. "Yes, until a woman came between us."
"It was never my intention to come between you and Lilith. " Alexander murmured.
Phoenix shrugged. "No matter. She has made her choice. But back to the subject at hand, I don't want to lose you, Alexander. But this -" He shook his head. "This is madness."
"It's the only way, Phoenix." Alexander insisted, his voice firm but without the arrogance it had held before. "We can find another way to protect her, to fight back. But not if we're divided."
Phoenix sighed, running a hand through his golden hair, his eyes closing for a moment as if weighing the weight of centuries in that brief pause. When he opened them again, there was a grim resolve in his gaze. "Fine. But if we're going to do this, we do it on my terms."
Alexander nodded, relief washing over his face, though he masked it quickly with a steely determination. "Thank you."
As the two vampires stood in the flickering light, the shadows seemed to draw closer, as if sensing the storm that was gathering on the horizon. Outside, the world continued its oblivious turn, unaware that its fate might very well rest in the hands of these two ancient beings, and the fragile human they had both vowed to protect.