Chapter 27: Blood and Thunder
{IRIS}
I opened the door.
Sebastian stood there, immaculate as ever. Not a wrinkle marred his uniform. Not a fleck of dust touched his gloves. His blank eyes swept over me with the sharpness of a blade.
As though taking note of every breath I drew.
I had always sensed that Sebastian harbored little fondness for me. It was only natural—werewolves and vampires were not creatures meant to coexist. Our kinds were born in opposition, never meant to stand side by side.
As his cold gaze settled upon me, I swallowed and instinctively smoothed my hair, adjusting the folds of my dress as though vanity could make me less offensive in his eyes.
His expression remained carved from stone, unmoved by my nervous attempts at composure. Then, with a single step backward, he extended his arm in a motion that was both polite and distant.
"Let us go," he said, his tone stripped of warmth.
A chill crept down my spine. Whatever awaited me within the depths of this shadowed mansion, one thing was certain—Lord Val did not summon anyone without purpose.
We moved through the silent corridor, our footsteps swallowed by the oppressive stillness. The air clung to my skin like damp velvet, heavy with secrets.
Though no sound stirred, I could not shake the unmistakable sensation that unseen eyes lingered within the gloom.
It was nothing like yesterday, when vampires had nearly torn me apart, their hunger sharpened by the scent of my blood.
Now, they passed by as though I did not exist, their gazes sliding over me without acknowledgment.
The servants bowed to Sebastian alone. Their eyes never touched me. Their voices never rose in greeting.
As if yesterday’s chaos had been erased entirely.
What did Lord Val do to them?
The question pulsed on my tongue, but I knew better than to give it voice. Instead, I followed Sebastian as he led me out of the mansion.
The moment we stepped outside, the cold wind struck me like a revelation. It had been days—days since my skin tasted open air. The forest’s scent—earth and timber and the faint sting of metal—washed over me, grounding yet eerie.
Thunder grumbled in the distance, a low, ominous growl that vibrated in the hollow of my chest. The sky remained a suffocating black, pierced only by fleeting lightning that carved pale lines across the heavens.
Sebastian moved like he was floating, guiding me deeper into the woods. Trees stretched tall and skeletal around us, their branches clawing at the sky like bony fingers.
Finally, the forest thinned, revealing a wide clearing bathed in storm-dark gloom.
And there—standing still as a monument of night—was Lord Val.
At first, he seemed merely a silhouette, a tall figure hewn from shadow.
But as I neared him, I realized how immense he truly was. He carried no exaggerated bulk nor fragile elegance. His presence spoke of a restrained strength—one honed through centuries, not flaunted but felt.
My cheeks warmed. I banished the shameful flutter in my chest, burying it beneath a deep inhale.
"Y-you... called for me, my Lord?" My voice wavered as my eyes darted around the clearing.
I had no idea why he had brought me here—until he spoke the words that swept the ground from beneath me.
"From this day onward, you will learn to fight."
I blinked at him, dumbstruck. "W–what?"
"Sebastian will train you," he continued, tone casual, as though discussing the weather rather than the doom of my bones.
I stared at him helplessly. "I... I don’t—"
Lord Val’s brow arched. "Surely you have trained before? Combat is essential in any pack."
Yes, my pack trained—
But not me.
Training was for warriors. For those who mattered.
I had been given kitchens and laundry, bruised hands and exhaustion. Strength was not a privilege granted to omegas.
Lord Val must have sensed my hesitation, for his voice softened—not gently, but decisively.
"Even if you have not been taught, your instincts remain. They simply need awakening."
There was no room for refusal. Not when Lord Val had given me shelter, safety, even literacy. I owed him everything. My life was no longer mine alone.
"I... I shall try my best, my Lord," I whispered, swallowing the dread clawing up my throat.
He gave a single, approving nod. "You must learn to protect yourself before school begins. The Coven of Midnight is no place for the helpless."
My blood froze.
"Is... is the school dangerous?"
He did not hesitate. "Yes."
The color drained from my face.
"What do you expect," he continued, "from a school filled with creatures of the night? And many wield Arcane as well. Rules exist, but they are not always followed. And I shall not always be present to shield you. You must learn to fend for yourself."
A cold knot twisted in my stomach. For the first time, I wondered if stepping into the Coven of Midnight was a mistake.
Before I could consider it further, Val turned away.
"Sebastian will train you every day. Good luck."
And in the blink of an eye, he vanished.
Silence descended like a shroud.
I turned to Sebastian, my voice small. "W–what is our first lesson?"
He regarded me without warmth.
"Defense."
Before I could react, he was in front of me.
A violent shock tore through my body as I was flung backward. The world spun, then—crack.
My back slammed into a tree, the impact ripping the breath from my lungs. Pain detonated across my ribs, sharp enough to blind me. Blood filled my mouth, metallic and hot.
If I had not taken the vial, every vampire within a mile would have smelled me.
My body crumpled to the ground, limbs heavy and unresponsive. I coughed, crimson splattering the dirt. The forest blurred, twisting at the edges.
W–what... happened?
Darkness crept up my vision like ink spreading through water.
Before I could fight it—it claimed me.
I drifted in a void, lost between pain and nothingness.
Voices pierced the haze, faint and muffled.
"Why did you do that?"
Lord Val’s voice—cold, dangerous.
"I... I am sorry, my lord," Sebastian stammered, uncharacteristically hesitant.
"You know she is a novice. You should have begun with the basics."
"... I thought she could endure it. She is a werewolf."
A pause. A long one.
Then Lord Val’s voice sharpened like a blade:
"Her wolf is sealed."
More murmurs floated around me—
"The next time... be gentle... she is still..."
"... fragile..."
"... not ready..."
Then—
Silence.
Only the void.
And I surrendered to it once more.
