Chapter 333: Alliance Change

Clara was supposed to head back to the vampire kingdom just as she had been instructed by King Jared.Sneak back was the more appropriate term.

Doing so without being seen was crucial—especially if she was to get Aira to retrieve the black vial that Zyren had used. The vial itself had become the center of everything, the object upon which all of King Jared’s plans now hinged.

Jared’s main focus was to analyze the vial and find a cure to his problem, right before they found a way to kill Zyren with it.

For that reason alone, King Jared had decided to come with her.

It was a decision Clara wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about, even as she accepted it without protest. Her face remained calm, her posture respectful, yet her thoughts were anything but settled.

Unlike before—when she had felt as though her life revolved around helping King Jared achieve his goals so that she could one day achieve hers—she no longer felt the same devotion.

Back then, she had believed that if she helped him enough, proved her loyalty, sacrificed everything, he would finally look at her the way she wanted him to.

With admiration.

With protectiveness.

But now she knew better.

She realized he would never truly look at her that way—never shield her, never cherish her, not in the way she had seen Zyren protect Aira without hesitation or condition.

That realization had taken root quietly, festering until it changed something inside her.

They took only one guard and one Lord with them. Their ears were hidden carefully behind heavy cloaks, fabric pulled low and tight to obscure the sharp points that marked them as something other than human. The illusion wouldn’t last forever—at best, they could only maintain it for a limited time before their ears would forcefully reappear.

Once inside the vampire realm, it wouldn’t matter.

Falson, the council member in charge of espionage, was to accompany them. Four in total. They stood together briefly before departure, quietly planning their intent and direction before they reached their destination.

"There’s a spy close to Lady Aira," Falson said confidently. "She’s a werewolf, and I believe she’ll be able to reach out to Lady Aira for us and help us any way we want."

His voice held certainty, the kind that came from years of manipulating others like pieces on a board.

"She can be used without restrictions," Falson continued coldly. "She has no worth."

He glanced toward Gregory, the guard who had been chosen to accompany them. Gregory’s expression didn’t change. There was no hesitation, no moral conflict. He nodded instantly, seeing no reason to disagree—even though Rymora was his biological sister

"Good," Jared responded. "Her sacrifice would be appreciated."

A deep frown etched itself onto his face as he spoke. All he cared about now was getting his arm fixed and destroying Zyren with every breath he took. The hatred burned so fiercely inside him that it left no room for anything else.

If joining forces with the Zygons had been something he could do without affecting his people, he would have already done it.

It was already more than enough that the Zygons had been mostly wiped out from his realm. He wasn’t naive enough to believe some hadn’t slipped through the cracks.

Clara remained quieter than usual as she pulled her cloak tighter around herself and entered the ordinary carriage that had been prepared for them. It was deliberately plain—wooden panels worn, cushions stiff, nothing that would draw attention.

They chose the longer route, avoiding the dark forest altogether.

By the time they settled inside the carriage, King Jared sat beside her. The horses began to move when she suddenly felt his hand close around hers.

The gesture startled her.

She jerked her head to the side, turning to look at him, a questioning expression crossing her face—wary despite herself.

"You’ve been quiet," he said gently. "Are you okay?"

Clara nodded immediately, forcing a small smile onto her lips.

"Of course," she replied. "I’m just going through a couple of things in my head."

Jared’s grip tightened slightly around her hand, meant to be comforting.

She hated it.

She hated how much gentler he had become after losing his arm. Hated that it took loss for him to show softness. Hated realizing that he could have been this way from the start but had simply chosen not to be.

You were always capable of kindness, she thought bitterly. You just never thought I deserved it.

She buried those feelings deep within her heart as the carriage continued forward. The road stretched endlessly ahead of them, uneven and winding. It was meant to be a long journey—at least two days before they reached the heart of the vampire city.

Falson broke the silence not long after they began.

"Also," he said casually, "I think it might be a good idea to set Zyren’s family—whom he had imprisoned—free."

Shock rippled through the carriage.

"What?" Clara gasped, unable to hide her disbelief. "Zyren’s family are ruthless! Have you forgotten what they did?"

Falson tilted his head slightly.

"...Yes. But it would be Zyren’s problem," he replied calmly. "It would also serve to distract him from our goal in the capital."

"He would know of our presence," King Jared pointed out sharply.

Falson nodded lightly.

"True. But I can hazard a guess that they would know what the black vial Zyren used was for—considering how much they dedicated themselves to experimenting."

No one refuted him.

"I wouldn’t be surprised if the freak of nature called the Zygon Beasts was their doing," Falson added.

Still, no one spoke against it.

Zyren’s father was infamous for his horrendous experiments. He had cared for no one’s well-being—not even his own family. He experimented on them just as mercilessly as he did on others, ensuring they were strong, obedient, and capable of following his orders without question.

"I’ll think of it," King Jared said eventually, releasing a heavy sigh.

He refused to commit, though he weighed the benefits carefully in his mind.

Still, he found it difficult to comprehend why Zyren had killed his father and brother—yet left his mother and older brother to rot slowly in a prison cell.

After that, conversation dwindled.

By the time they reached the heart of the vampire city, they silently willed their ears to disappear. The magic settled uncomfortably beneath their skin. Earlier, they had already adjusted the color of their eyes to a dull brown using a potion that altered pigmentation temporarily.

"I’ll reach out to the spy first and have her meet us," Falson said. "I promise she’ll be very useful."

He gestured toward Gregory, who bowed quickly before turning and leaving without another word.

King Jared and Clara settled into separate rooms at a comfortable inn shortly afterward. The rooms were warm, clean, and deceptively peaceful.

Each of them was lost in thoughts that no longer aligned—unknown to the other.

Clara sat at the edge of her bed, hands resting over her abdomen, her expression calm but her mind racing.

She realized then that with King Jared’s death—and with her pregnant—her child would be next in line for the throne.

She would become the interim ruler.

The realization struck hard.

The more she thought about it, the clearer it became. King Jared would get rid of her the moment he got what he wanted—Zyren’s death—leaving her with nothing.

No protection.

No power.

No future.

Isn’t it time I changed alliances? she thought.

Her gaze hardened, taking on a fiercer, crueler glow as the thought settled comfortably in her mind.