Chapter 150: Manupaltion [4]

The woman standing before Julies was unlike anyone Amelia had ever seen — and Amelia had met her fair share of exotic merchants and dangerous mercenaries.

She was tall, her posture impossibly elegant despite the ragged edges of the black cloak draped over her shoulders. The pale blue glow from the crystal embedded in the cavern ceiling caught her skin and made it almost luminous, like moonlight on fresh snow.

But it was her eyes that struck Amelia first — a red so deep they seemed to drink in the light. They flickered briefly toward Julies, irritation clear in every movement, before narrowing again.

And when she spoke, Amelia caught the faintest glimpse of fangs.

A vampire.

Her mind reeled. Vampires were not just rare in the north — they were hunted. The kingdom’s laws were explicit: kill on sight.

And here Julies stood, not fighting her, not calling for guards, but talking to her as if they were... acquaintances.

The vampire flicked her wrist, and the shimmering glow at the mouth of the chamber pulsed in time with the motion. A barrier — likely the very one she’d accused him of breaking.

"You know," the vampire said, her voice smooth and cold, "I don’t have to keep patching up after you. You could simply freeze to death and save me the trouble."

Julies smirked faintly, his tone annoyingly casual. "Yeah, but then who would you have to complain to?"

They spoke like old enemies forced into some strange alliance, the sort of familiarity that only came from repeated encounters.

Amelia’s grip tightened around the crystal ball. This was it. This was more than she could have hoped for. If anyone learned Julies was meeting with a vampire — willingly — he wouldn’t just lose Alice. He’d lose everything.

And yet, as she kept watching, a sharp pang stabbed somewhere deep in her chest.

Because Julies was smiling — truly smiling — in a way he never did around her.

The vampire stepped closer, brushing an errant strand of blonde hair behind her ear, her crimson gaze locked on him.

And Julies... didn’t move away.

Amelia’s nails bit into the leather of her gloves.

Her pulse thundered in her ears — not only from the rush of uncovering something dangerous, something she could use — but from a different, darker heat curling low in her chest.

Jealousy.

This was the first time she had ever seen Julies look at another woman like that.

And she hated it.

It wasn’t because she loved him. She didn’t — not even close.

But she had tried.

Tried every smile, every calculated word, every carefully orchestrated moment to draw his attention. All of it, of course, for a purpose — to pull him away from her Alice, to make sure that no servant, no outsider, could ever hold her friend’s loyalty so tightly.

Yet every move she made had slipped through her fingers.

Her little manipulations failed, one after another. And that failure burned more than she cared to admit.

And now... here he was.

Julies Evans.

A human... standing so close to a vampire — a demon, an enemy to all mankind — as though they were speaking like equals.

Her lips curled. That fleeting stab of jealousy twisted into something sharper, fouler.

Disgust.

It wasn’t only what she saw — it was what it meant.

A vampire was never just a vampire. They were predators, manipulators, whispers in the dark that led cities to ruin. They were the perfect poison — and Julies, it seemed, was already drinking deeply.

For a moment, Amelia’s grip on the crystal ball tightened. This was it. This was the kind of truth she could lace into her lies until no one could untangle them.

But even as she thought of Alice... her eyes stayed locked on Julies and that woman.

And the more she watched, the more she wanted to tear them apart.

And she was doing to that.

At that moment, Julies opened his mouth again, and Amelia strained to catch every word.

"I’ve brought some precious blood with me this time. According to our deal, this should be enough to last you a month."

Blood...

The word slammed into her like a punch to the gut.

Her stomach twisted in revulsion, and her lips curled into a scowl. She stared at him, disbelief and disgust mixing in her chest until it made her feel sick.

This was perfect. More than perfect. This was the evidence she needed.

"Time to head back," she muttered under her breath. "Once this comes to light, there’s no way he’ll ever be by Alice’s side again."

She turned to leave, already picturing the scene: Julies dragged away, stripped of his place near Alice.

But then—

"Precious blood. Are you talking about the human behind you?"

The voice was cold and arrogant, each word dripping with the kind of condescension only a predator could manage.

Amelia’s body went rigid.

She had been so focused on Alice—on what removing Julies would mean—that she’d forgotten something far more pressing.

The vampire’s gaze was now on her.

"The blood of a wizard," the woman continued, her tone almost playful, "is uniquely flavorful. I will gladly accept your offering."

"What are you talking about?" Julies snapped back, genuine irritation in his voice. "The moment you touch a countess, you’ll drag us all into a disaster. Don’t you dare disturb my peace."

Her breath caught.

’He knows... I followed him?’

Her heart was pounding so hard it felt deafening. She clutched at her chest as if it might muffle the sound.

"If it’s not an offering," the vampire said, "then why bring this woman here? You couldn’t possibly have failed to notice you were being followed."

Julies gave a half-laugh. "Would you believe me if I said I didn’t know?"

The vampire’s laughter rang out, echoing against the stone walls.

It wasn’t human. It wasn’t even close. It was the laughter from the fairy tales—the kind that belonged to demons who fed on souls.

’I need to get out. Now.’

Her legs felt like lead, but she forced herself to move, stumbling toward the stairs she’d used to descend here.

"Welcome, Lady Frost."

The voice came from behind her.

"You might have entered on your own terms," Julies said lightly, "but leaving... won’t be so easy."

She whirled around.

He stood there, blocking her escape, his hand sweeping down in an exaggerated bow—polished, aristocratic, mocking.

Behind her, soft footsteps approached, the sound of heels clicking against stone.

The vampire.

"Julies Evans!" Amelia’s voice rang with fury and desperation. "I will condemn you for treason!"

But it was already too late.

She reached for her staff, magic gathering in her thoughts, but a sudden impact sent the weapon spinning from her grasp.

"Damn!"

"A novice," the vampire said, her crimson eyes glinting, "who can only borrow mana through a tool."

Flames burst to life around the woman, her presence suffocating, and her clenched fist radiated such overwhelming force that Amelia instinctively took another step back.

This was no idle threat.

This was death, walking toward her.

Amelia’s back hit the cold stone wall.

Her breath came in short, sharp bursts, and she fought to keep her chin lifted, refusing to give the vampire the satisfaction of seeing her cower.

"Stay away from me," she spat, though her voice trembled despite her efforts. "If you so much as touch me, the royal court will—"

"Will what?" the vampire interrupted smoothly, her steps slow and deliberate, heels clicking in perfect rhythm. "Hunt me? Kill me?" Her smile deepened, revealing the faintest glint of fangs. "They have tried before. All that remains of them now is dust."

Julies let out a quiet sigh, like someone growing impatient with a child. "You don’t need to scare her half to death," he said. "We’re not here for that."

The vampire tilted her head toward him, one pale eyebrow arched. "You’re the one who brought her here."

"Technically I didn’t bring her here," Julies shot back. "She followed me. Like a little shadow who thinks she’s clever." His eyes shifted to Amelia, and the faint smirk tugging at his lips made her pulse spike with fury.

"How dare you—" she began, but the vampire’s hand flicked up, silencing her with a subtle gesture.

"She’s not entirely wrong to be afraid," the vampire said softly, almost kindly — but her eyes burned crimson. "A human wandering into my domain without permission is... bold. Boldness has a price."

Amelia’s mind raced. She could feel the magic pulsing in the air, but without her staff, she couldn’t channel her full power. She could try raw casting, but at best, she’d manage a weak flash or barrier — nothing that could stop this.

Julies stepped between them then, not protectively, but like a man trying to keep two feral animals from tearing each other apart too soon. "She’s a nuisance, but killing her here will drag more trouble to your doorstep than you want."

"You assume I’m afraid of trouble," the vampire murmured, taking another step forward.

"No," Julies said with a half-smile. "I assume you like your peace and quiet more than the taste of a wizard’s blood."

The vampire studied him for a moment — and then laughed. A low, rich sound that rolled through the chamber like a velvet blade. "You think you know me so well."

Julies shrugged. "I know enough to keep you alive. That’s more than most can say."

Amelia felt something twist in her chest at the way they spoke — not like strangers, not even like enemies, but like... co-conspirators. As if she were the outsider in their world, not the other way around.