Warlock Ch 84. Reason for Vengeance
"Victoria Bloodrose…" she repeated, her voice carrying a note of worry that set Damian on edge. "She's… not soone to be taken lightly, Damian. If she's looking for revenge, she might already know more than she's letting on." She set her glass down, folding her hands together as she looked him straight in the eye, all traces of playfulness gone. "Did she say anything else? Anything that seed… unusual?"
"Just that she could 'sense a shift in the balance' or sothing like that." He shrugged, though he could feel the weight of her gaze pressing down on him. "But Cassius said it was nothing to worry about."
Evelyn's eyes darkened at that, her expression troubled. "Cassius has his strengths, but Victoria isn't soone he can brush off like other people." She hesitated, as if weighing her words, and Damian could see the worry flickering behind her composed exterior. "And if she's sensing power, that ans she's looking for sothing very specific."
Damian reached for the amulet hanging around his neck. He held it up, smiling faintly. "I've got this, rember?" He gestured to the amulet, hoping to lighten the mood. "It should keep off anyone's radar. Even hers."
Evelyn's gaze softened as she looked at the charm, but her concern didn't fade. "The amulet is powerful, yes. But it's not infallible." Her voice was low, almost a whisper. "There are beings—especially vampires like Victoria—who can sense things beyond what amulets and charms can mask. If she was looking for you… then we need to be careful. Very careful."
Damian forced a chuckle. "Guess she just has a good sense for power, then." He shrugged, trying to shake off the unease, though Evelyn's serious gaze made it hard to ignore. Her eyes held an intensity he hadn't seen before, sothing like worry but sharper, more urgent. She didn't look convinced by his casual tone. In fact, the way she stared at him made him feel like he was missing sothing huge.
Evelyn's voice was soft but heavy with aning. "Like I said, Damian, she's out for revenge. She's dangerous. And if she's caught even the faintest hint of your power…" She hesitated, like she was carefully choosing each word. "You'll need to be very careful around her."
Damian's brows knit together, a wave of confusion washing over him. "Revenge? Revenge for what?" He let out a small, incredulous laugh. "I don't even know her. I've never done anything to her." He held her gaze, half-expecting her to break into a smile and tell him it was all just a weird misunderstanding. But Evelyn's expression remained unreadable, serious, the silence thickening as she looked away, her lips pressing into a thin line.
For a mont, Evelyn didn't answer. She seed to be searching for the right words, her fingers absently tapping against the edge of her glass as if wrestling with how much to say. Finally, she spoke, her voice low and cautious. "Did Victoria… ntion her late husband?"
Damian blinked, caught off guard. "Yeah, she actually did. Said sothing about him being… gone, or sothing like that."
Evelyn nodded, as if she'd been expecting that. She paused, glancing down at her hands, her expression guarded. "Her husband died, Damian," she said quietly, her tone tinged with a weight that made Damian's chest tighten. "And Victoria… She's on a mission. A mission to find his killer."
The room felt suddenly colder, and Damian found himself gripping his glass a little tighter, his gaze narrowing. "Okay… but what does that have to do with ?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady, though his heart was starting to beat a little faster. This was turning into sothing he hadn't signed up for, and the seriousness in Evelyn's eyes wasn't helping.
Evelyn took a breath, her eyes eting his with a look that sent a chill down his spine. "Her husband's killer," she said slowly, carefully, "has a mana flow… similar to yours."
Damian went still. He opened his mouth to respond, but the words caught in his throat, leaving him in stunned silence. 'Similar to mine?' The thought echoed in his mind, and for a second, he felt like the ground had dropped out from under him.
"What?" he finally managed to say, his voice barely a whisper.
Evelyn held his gaze, her expression grim. "She's been tracking the signature of his mana for years. Following traces, pulling on every thread she could find. And if she's sensed even a hint of that energy from you…" She trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air, heavy and unavoidable.
Damian's mind was racing, piecing together everything he knew—or thought he knew—about himself and the strange, hidden aspects of his magic. "I don't… I don't even know her," he repeated, as if saying it again would sohow change the facts. "How could I possibly be connected to any of this?"
Evelyn's expression softened, but the gravity didn't leave her eyes. She seed to be struggling to explain sothing that was impossible to pin down with logic. "It's complicated, Damian. And it's… it's a long story." She sighed, rubbing her temple as if she could feel all the hidden knowledge pressing against her.
"Then tell ," Damian pressed, his voice sharper than he intended. He took a calming breath, loosening his clenched fists as he looked at her. "Please. Whatever you know… tell . I need to understand what I'm dealing with here."
Evelyn nodded, but her gaze drifted as if she were looking back through the fog of mory. "Victoria… and her late husband," she began slowly, "were the two strongest vampires in their ti. They had more power between them than so entire factions, and with that strength, they nearly united the vampire clans under their control." She paused, a hint of sadness flickering across her face. "They were ambitious, yes, but they also had a vision, a way to bring order to their kind. But then, sothing happened. Sothing no one talks about."
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