Ascendant Path of a Lustful Vampire

Chapter 433: Seriously, here?

It took only a few minutes for the message to be sent up above ground and for Lyanna Leopold to arrive. She looked just as she had when Caius saw her a couple of hours ago; The Leopold platinum blonde hair, gold eyes, dressed in riding pants ticked onto black and gold boots. Her shirt with golden buttons was snug to her chest to show off her impressive bust.

Lyanna wore a bright smile, seeming almost giddy. It was her first time visiting the Coven which was usually seemingly forbidden to all human members of the Leopold Family. She had an air of confidence and calm like she had no fear for the many red eyes trained on her.

When she walked through the Coven’s underground city of sorts, she had even waved at the vampires who looked over, causing many to wave right back. She recognized a few of them—family members she hadn’t seen since they were turned and descended below. Family members she would have loved to ’catch up’ with had it not been for the urgent appointment.

And speaking of the appointment— What an honor!

She had calmly been waiting at her father’s study for when Caius would inevitably exit and had been caught by surprise when she received her summons and also had a couple of vampires rise to bring her into the Coven.

As she had done on her way here, Lyanna waved at the council members who all had peculiar expressions as they regarded her. None of them had ever had any personal encounters with her as they had ’died’ and descended long before her birth. Those who were sitting at the council were the first bunch to join Kerwin in Vampiric eternity.

When she stopped walking and looked at Kerwin, there was more recognition in her eyes, because unlike the others in the Council, Kerwin made it a point to maintain close contact with the above-ground representation of the Leopold Family. Also, Lyanna was his descendent so he had a soft spot for her. Hence why he took particular pride in her gift.

"Lord Kerwin," Lyanna bowed.

"Lyanna," Kerwin acknowledged with a nod and a smile.

"Lord Caius," Lyanna greeted next with an even more enthusiastic smile than she had worn thus far,

"We have met again right about when I thought we would."

"Is that your gift? Your ’Sight’ lets you see the future?" Caius asked carefully.

Lyanna’s eyes went wide and then she chuckled.

"What? No, no. Nothing that powerful. Not yet anyway. No, naively, I thought your meeting would be swift and you’d rise to the surface and we’d meet once again before you left the Estate.

But, your meeting seems to have run longer than I expected. Still, your calling me here lets us meet as early as I had hoped anyway. So... it’s all good."

Lyanna said all that fast and many in the council were stumped but Caius understood her.

"So you don’t see the future," he said.

"No," Lyanna answered.

’That might explain why they still lost in canon,’ Caius mused.

"So what is your gift exactly?" He asked.

"Let’s call it a sense," Lyanna said vaguely, causing Caius and Kerwin to share a look as the Coven Leader looked somewhat apologetic.

"Lyanna, we’re trying to find the location of a man—well, a Vampire. One responsible for the attacks on the Capital," Kerwin said.

"Hmm, and has anyone here had contact with this vampire in... let’s say the last twenty-four hours?" Lyanna asked.

"I have," Caius answered.

"Good, then come here, My Lord," Lyanna gestured as she waved her hand to summon a carpet, one with strange markings that read like Arcane Symbols if only a different dialect.

"I need to come over there?" Caius asked.

"Yes," Lyanna said naturally as she went cross-legged on the carpet, "Let’s begin before you lose what traces you still have."

Caius furrowed his brows and then stood up from his chair. He leaped over the council desk and stepped toward Lyanna who gestured that he come down to the carpet.

Caius crossed his legs in front of her, attentive to strange sensations. He touched the carpet lightly. It felt like a normal carpet.

"Don’t bother about the carpet," Lyanna said with a smile, "It’s not magic. It’s just fabric I stitched together and like to use for moments such as this."

"These symbols..." Caius started.

"Don’t ask me to tell you what they mean, ’cause I don’t really know. They appeared in my mind and I stitched the patterns," Lyanna said.

"Hmm," Caius intoned skeptically.

"There is very little I know of what I can do. It’s what makes me very pedantic about the process.

Can we begin?" Lyanna asked.

"Of course," Caius answered, "What do you need me to do?"

"Just close your eyes. It will help gather focus."

’Focus for what?’ Caius almost asked but kept his lips shut.

A minute passed then as Lyanna just sat cross-legged in front of Caius, saying nothing and seemingly doing nothing. Caius let his mind wander, thinking of alternatives;

If they couldn’t ask Alexia’s help because of the potential danger, then they could try laying a trap. Capture one of the Vampires Brogan was still going to let loose on the Capital tonight.

The problem with that strategy was that Caius was willing to bet that bunch was not at the same location as Brogan. They were fodder he had gotten turned only recently and let out on a rampage and likely didn’t hold enough importance to him to be kept close.

’Still worth a try, I suppose,’ Caius mused to himself.

And then, Lyanna spoke.

"Your aura clashed with many Vampires recently. But one feels especially strong... and weak. He made the strongest impression but clashed with you the least.

Might he be the one you seek?" She asked in the tone of a soothsayer. Like she wasn’t actually looking for a response just telling him what she saw so he knew to believe in her ability.

Caius frowned, still remembering how Brogan’s battle had been with Alexia and not him. That description fits too well.

It had to be him.

Caius opened his mouth to answer Lyanna’s question when his body jerked and his head was knocked back so his face was turned toward the ceiling. His eyelids flew open but he wasn’t actually seeing out of his eyes. At least, he wasn’t seeing the ceiling of the Council Hall because he was elsewhere. His—for lack of a better word—spirit had been freed from his body.

"Oh, it worked," Lyanna said by his side, causing Caius to look over.

She looked the same as ever, except she was silver and slightly translucent. She also wasn’t wearing riding pants, boots, and a shirt but rather simple robes that left her legs bare. The robes were the same hue as the rest of her.

Caius didn’t look down to see what he was wearing but had a feeling it was a robe and he was also translucent and a color different from the pale fleshy complexion he was supposed to have.

"You’re surprised this—whatever this is—worked?" Caius asked, incredulous.

"First time I’m trying it with a person. Normally, I take these trips alone. I wondered how it would be to bring someone along," Lyanna said.

It was only now that Caius realized they were flying. They were out of the Underground Coven and away from the Leopold Estate completely. They weren’t even really traveling across distances— more like they were blinking across. Arriving at various points only to vanish and go elsewhere and on and on and on.

"Your target made a few stops," Lyanna explained.

Caius tried to speak but before he could, they stopped and Lyanna announced.

"We’re here," she said and pointed, "The one you seek is in here."

"Wait—" Caius started and then stopped as he took in the terrain and realized he recognized it.

"Seriously, here?" he asked.

"Here," Lyanna confirmed again, amused by his reaction.

"He chose here as his base of operations?" Caius said, incredulous, "That can’t be a coincidence."

Down below, the location Lyanna had pointed at was Anton Orlock’s Manor. The Manor where, months ago, hundreds of Vampires, including Anton, had met their ends by Athenodora’s bloody carnage.

The Manor where Caius had ascended to Vampiric Nobility.