Chapter 42 The Duchess (2)

Ethan's POVA small pale figure seated on the massive throne emerged from the shadows. The backrest of the throne was circular and thorned around the edges with crimson vines that framed her diminutive form. What I saw left me momentarily speechless.

A little girl definitely no older than seven or eight with skin as pale as chalk sat regally upon the throne. Her long black hair cascaded down like a dark waterfall, pooling around her like a living shadow.

Her red eyes gleamed like polished rubies and a faint smile played on her thin lips. Her features were unnaturally perfect like a porcelain doll crafted by an artist of otherworldly skill. She seemed unreal with her inhuman pallor adding to the unsettling aura that surrounded her.

Had it not been for the mature expression in her crimson eyes that seemed to have seen vicissitudes of life and the regal air in her mannerisms, she might have been mistaken for a harmless adorable child.

But everything about her radiated power and the shadowy frills of her dress seemed alive, rippling faintly in the dim light.

I was stunned. I had envisioned Duchess Althera as a majestic, queenly figure exuding elegance and power. Instead, she appeared as a small, ethereal child sitting alone on the oversized throne.

Her legs dangled idly, barely reaching the seat's edge. Yet, her presence was anything but childish.

"Well, well, well," the Duchess began, her voice a blend of childlike curiosity and the regal authority of someone centuries old. "What do we have here? The famed Nightshade Dragoness, whose name resonates across the Blood Veil Continent, protecting such a young boy as if he were her own hatchling?" Her ruby eyes flicked between me and Master, her curiosity mingled with astonishment.

Master's expression remained calm, her earlier fury now buried under a composed facade. "I need a favour from you, Althera, regarding Ethan," she said coolly. "He is a disciple I have taken."

The Duchess's crimson gaze sharpened as her demeanour shifted slightly. She raised her delicate right forefinger where a single drop of blood, dark red and lustrous like a jewel glistened.

My heart skipped a beat as her eyes suddenly blazed with an intense bloody radiance flooding the hall with an oppressive and otherworldly light.

I reflexively averted my gaze, feeling the sheer pressure radiating from her. Even without looking directly I could sense the weight of her power.

Yet my attention was drawn back to the blood drop on her fingertip. To my amazement, it began to emit a silvery light that resisted the oppressive crimson glow. No matter how fiercely the bloody radiance surged, the silver light held firm, unwavering in its defence.

I realized, with growing astonishment, that the droplet of blood she held was the one she had taken from me. Its defiance against her power was as unexpected as it was mesmerizing.

"Haha! So even you failed for once, Althera," Master said, her voice brimming with unrestrained amusement.

Her golden eyes sparkled with satisfaction, clearly enjoying the rare sight of her friend's unshakable composure beginning to crack.

The bloody radiance abruptly ceased leaving the Duchess with an expression of disbelief as she stared at the shimmering droplet of blood. Her gaze then shifted to me, more intense than ever as if attempting to unravel the mysteries of my very existence.

I shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny unsure of what to expect. Then, without any warning the Duchess raised her forefinger to her lips and swallowed the blood drop.

Both Master and I stared, stunned into silence by her unexpected action. Her small frame shuddered as the droplet disappeared and a deep blush spread across her unnaturally pale skin.

Her ruby eyes gleamed as though stars had ignited within them, shimmering and spilling forth like constellations made manifest.

For a moment, the Duchess seemed lost in ecstasy her regal demeanour melting away into something almost childlike in its wonder. Master and I exchanged a glance equally bewildered by her strange reaction.

Master's face was twitching at the sight of the duchess's reaction and before I could ask something a loud exclamation stunned me.

Althera's POV

I was inwardly astonished by Nyx's reaction. After all, I had merely extracted a single drop of blood from the boy and it wasn't as though I had tried to harm him in any way.

Yet here she was reacting as if I had stolen her most precious treasure. Confusion churned within me though outwardly, I maintained a calm and composed facade.

Over the years, such control had become one of my most effective tools for deceiving and unsettling others.

Her revelation that the boy Ethan was her disciple caught me entirely off guard. Nyx, the proud and solitary Nightshade Dragoness had never shown any inclination to take on a disciple or ally herself so intimately with another.

Her actions always carried weight, deliberate and inscrutable. And yet, here stood this boy shielded under her wings like a prized hatchling. My intrigue deepened as I shifted my attention to him seeking to uncover his secrets.

The boy was undeniably unique. Beyond his captivating, almost ethereal appearance enough to stir even my own cold heart to consider claiming him as a pet there was something else.

It was something I could not place. And when I attempted to probe further, I found myself thwarted. A veil of shadow cloaked him a barrier of Nyx's own power that repelled all attempts to discern his essence.

I was reluctant to admit defeat so I turned my focus to the drop of blood I had taken from him. Suspended on my fingertip, it gleamed dark red rich with the vitality of youth.

I activated my Crimson Soul Gaze and expected it to show it to bare its secrets to me.

My gaze had pierced through the bloodlines of dragons, elves and even those from that clan. Yet as my power fell upon this single droplet something extraordinary happened.

A dreamy silvery light began to seep from the infinitesimal pores of the blood, enveloping it like an impenetrable shield.

My Crimson Soul Gaze, a technique that had never failed me was utterly rebuffed by it. I intensified my efforts but the silver light remained steadfast denying me entry.

The realization stunned me. There existed no known bloodline in this world capable of evading my scrutiny not even those belonging to ancient clans or primordial beings.

Yet here was a mere drop of blood sourced from a boy so weak and young, effortlessly resisting my power. It was the first time in a hundred years that I felt truly challenged a spark of excitement kindling within me.

This discovery awakened my instincts as a vampire. I felt a primal urge, an irresistible compulsion to know more to experience this enigma first hand.

The taste—it was always the taste that held the final truth of bloodline secrets. Without hesitation, I did what we vampires loved most.

The moment the blood touched my tongue, an electrifying shudder coursed through my body. It was as though every fibre of my being had been ignited, each nerve overwhelmed by an intense and unfamiliar pleasure.

My vision blurred, my senses sharpened and for a moment I felt weightless, adrift in a bliss I had never known in my eternal existence.

The taste was exquisite and indescribable. It transcended mere flavour, it was an experience that lingered in my very soul.

My breath quickened and before I realized it, a trickle of drool escaped my lips. I blinked suddenly aware of my surroundings again, and my composure shattered like fragile glass.

Nyx and Ethan were both staring at me, their expressions frozen in shock. Nyx's golden eyes sparkled with amusement and sweet revenge as her lips twitching with a barely concealed smirk. But it was the boy's wide-eyed and incredulous look that sent a jolt of humiliation through me.

A flicker of rage mingled with embarrassment burned within me, something I hadn't felt in centuries.

Shadows rose from the frills of my dress swirling like a storm to envelop me. I straightened myself, regaining my dignity as the shadows concealed my flustered state.