~ Lumiére's POV ~Lumiére shook his head, his patience running thin. "I really don't care, Reagan," he said firmly, his voice laced with irritation. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down, hoping that he could approach the situation rationally, "I want every single penny returned before the end of today."" You can't really expect me to refund the money. I gave it out in your name. Plus, you have your name stamped at the entrance of the library. The people's hero…" Reagan muttered.Lumiére rolled his eyes, as if he wanted that. In the next hundred years, the humans will all be dead leaving behind their children." …oh yes, I actually do expect you to refund those funds...I also don't want my name there too, so take it down." He ordered and climbed out of the opened door.He wasn't angry about the money - it wasn't even a dent in his account. What he was truly upset about was the fact that the chief librarian had probably pocketed a significant portion of that money. He w
~ Lumiére's POV ~“… my point exactly. We can’t afford to move the battle arm of the High Lord now. Not when we might be invaded by unknown forces…” the man from the West said with a smirk.He couldn't help but roll his eyes as the man from the West played the same "protect the High Lord" card that they always did. It was clear that they were more concerned about their own status and power than anything else.He rolled his eyes, catching the glare Reagan threw his way.“ The only solution is to find a wife for the High Lord. A task the East Sanctuary is failing terribly at…” Lord Brennan muttered.As Lumiére listened to the exchange between the elders, he couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration welling up inside him. He rubbed his lips with his index finger, a gesture of annoyance that he couldn't suppress. The elders should have seen it, hell noticed it but they continued. It was as if they were deliberately ignoring his wishes.Elder Wharton's comment only added fuel to the fi
~ Raven's POV ~Raven had spent the entire day jumping from one place and crises to the other, avoiding death and searching for answers to the questions that had been plaguing her. So, when she finally arrived back at her apartment, she was exhausted and completely engrossed in her thoughts. She opened the door, fully expecting to be alone, but to her surprise, Katie was there- she could hear her friend moving around the kitchen, and her apartment was filled with the sweet scent of something delicious cooking in the kitchen.Raven couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt as she realized that she had completely forgotten about her plans to have dinner with Katie that evening. She made her way over to the kitchen area, dragging a stool to sit on as she greeted her friend."Hey," she said, trying to hide her embarrassment. "I kind of get the notion that you forgot about dinner," Katie replied, her tone slightly accusatory.Raven let out a sigh, giving Katie a tight-lipped smile as she apo
~ Raven's POV ~Raven felt grateful to have a friend like Katie, someone who was always there for her no matter what. She vowed to tell her everything once she figured out what was going on. Raven let out a sigh and turned to face Katie. "Do you ever feel like you're not in control of your own life?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.Katie turned to look at her, concern etched on her face. "What do you mean?" she asked."I mean, like you're not living the life you want to live. Like you're stuck in a situation that you can't escape from," Raven replied, trying to keep her voice steady.Katie sat up, facing her friend. "Is that how you feel, Raven?" she asked softly.Raven nodded, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "It's just hard, you know? Everything is so different now, and I feel like I'm losing myself," she said, her voice cracking.Katie reached out and took Raven's hand, squeezing it gently. "You're not losing yourself, Raven. You're still you, you're just… di
~ Raven's POV ~For a moment, Raven was taken aback. She didn't know who this man was, and she couldn't understand why he would suggest that she did. But even as she tried to puzzle it out, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something familiar about him, something that she couldn't quite put her finger on.She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "I don't think we've met before."The man's expression didn't change, and Raven could tell that he didn't believe her. She wondered what he was trying to accomplish by playing this game with her.As she waited for his response, she found herself studying him more closely, trying to decipher the meaning behind his words. She couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as she looked into his cold, calculating eyes.Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spoke again. "I think you know who I am," he said in a low voice. "And I think you know why I'm here.""Nice try,"
~ Lumiére's POV ~ The garden was a serene oasis, a secluded haven within the confines of the sprawling mansion. The tranquility of the space was expected, given that it was a closed off area of the house, accessible only to a select few. The meticulous care bestowed upon the garden was evident, with every flower in full bloom, exuding fragrances that tantalized the senses.For Lumiére, the garden served as a refuge, a place where he could gather his thoughts and clear his head after the endless meetings that seemed to plague his every waking moment. The elders, he mused, were probably still in the meeting room, engaged in a heated discussion over trivial matters. He knew them well, their propensity for bickering until they exhausted themselves, only to regroup and convene once more in their respective sanctuaries.As he sat in the peaceful garden, he heard a rustling by his side, causing him to snap his head towards the source of the sound. The gardens were supposed to be vacant, cl
~ Lumiére's POV ~Once Lumiére was outside the garden, he allowed himself to become visible again as he walked down the long hallway, lost in thought.'The elders should have all gone back to their respective Sanctuaries by now,' he mused to himself, pondering on the many things he still had to accomplish.As Lumiére turned the corner, his steps faltered, and he came to an abrupt stop. He glanced up and saw the figure of an elder standing at the end of the stairs, waiting for him. Lumiére couldn't help but sigh as he realized who it was. "Probably not," he thought to himself as he descended the stairs."I would have expected you to have been long gone by now Lord Ramona," he muttered, not even bothering to hide his displeasure.Lord Ramona turned to him, his face expressionless. "I had urgent matters to discuss privately with you, so I had to wait," he said, his voice devoid of any emotion.Lumiére snorted, feeling the irritation build within him. "I guess you’re in luck today, thou
~ Lumiére's POV ~“ I see…” Lumiére chipped in.“But that isn’t what I wanted to discuss with you…” the man said.Oh!, Lumiére arched a brow at that.Lord Ramona became serious and shifted in his seat, “ There have been invasions…” the man said.Lumiére frowned, “ invasions?” he asked, confused.The man nodded, “ Yes My Lord, lately, my scouts have sighted two unknown men trying to invade the West Sanctuary… I don’t know what they had been looking for, but they fled when they were caught…” he said.Lumiére was intrigued by the news of the invasions. He furrowed his brows, trying to make sense of the situation. What could these unknown men have been looking for in the West Sanctuary? he thought.“ …and that is it?...you didn’t go after them?” he fired.The man sighed, rubbing his forehead, “We did, but lost them…”“ how is that possible… how do trained Vampire guards lose a target. How ?” “ They were fast my Lord. I saw the video footage. They were able to be captured in it because we
(10 months later)Phoenix watched Lumiére through the window as he gazed into the distance. He had been doing that for months, and she was starting to get worried. She missed home too, just like him. She missed uncle Ben, Jansen, Achim, Nolan, hell, even the cook, but she hadn't abandoned everything, including her duties to her kind, to run away with the man she loved.She sighed and walked out the door to meet him outside. He turned when she opened the door, "Hey, I thought you were sleeping," he said, pulling her into his arms.She rolled her eyes, "I've been awake for a while," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.He sniffed her hair and smiled, "Are you okay?" he asked.Phoenix nodded, "I am, and yes, before you ask, the baby is fine too," she said, placing his hand on her swollen belly.He sighed in relief, "I can't help it. I'm tense. The full moon should have come out five months ago, but it didn't. Not knowing why is killing me," he whispered to her.She hummed a reply
Lumiére's POVHe should have been the one groaning in pain, but it wasn't him. Instead, Heather was coughing up blood. Lumiére was confused, and when he looked down, he saw that Heather's heart was missing. What on earth was happening?Heather fell to the floor, and Lumiére saw Reagan standing behind him, holding Heather's heart in his hand. Lumiére was relieved and happy to see his cousin. He hugged Reagan tightly, feeling a sense of safety in his presence.“ What took you so long…” he mumbled.“ I’m sorry…” Reagan muttered, returning the hug.They stayed in that embrace for a while. When they finally let go, Lumiére felt tired, and he would have collapsed if Reagan hadn't supported him.He didn’t know how long they had stayed that way but when he released Reagan, he felt very tired and almost collapsed if Reagan had not been holding him.“ you need to feed…” Reagan said, lowering Lumiére down and handing the blood bag to him.He didn’t want to do this, but had no choice, so he sucke
Lumiére's POVAt first, he stumbled as he tried to stand up, but he kept going. Slowly, he made his way out of the room. The hallway was empty, which was strange, but he didn't have time to think about it. He wanted to find Phoenix.His vampire senses were weakened by the Allicin in his body, so he couldn't rely on them to find her. He chose to turn left and walked down the hall, leaning on the wall for support.As he passed by each room, he opened the doors, hoping to find Phoenix. The alarm was still blaring, and he wondered if it was a trap.He spotted Maria and another woman leaving a room, and he knew that Phoenix might be there. He waited for a moment before cautiously approaching the room.His heart filled with relief as he saw Phoenix inside, connected to tubes and wires. Seeing her hurt made him furious with those who had done this to her.Lumiére stumbled into the room, knocking some things over because he couldn't stand properly. Phoenix noticed him and smiled weakly.He ma
Lumiére's POVLumiére winced in agony as Heather injected him with another dose of Allicin. The pain was unbearable, pushing him to his limits. Most Vampires wouldn't have survived being exposed to Allicin every hour for weeks, but he was different. He was stronger, or so he believed.But as the days turned into weeks, doubts began to creep into his mind. How much longer could he endure this torture? He had lost track of time since his capture, possibly a month or more. It was all a blur.He let out a weary sigh, bracing himself for what was to come. No matter how many times he resisted, Heather refused to believe him."Where is the sword?!" Heather sneered, the frustration evident in his voice."I've already told you, I don't know," Lumiére snapped back, meeting Heather's gaze defiantly.Heather scoffed, grabbing another syringe filled with Allicin. Lumiére raised an eyebrow, surprised at the sudden escalation. Two shots in such a short span of time? This was a new tactic."I see you
Raven's POVRaven felt cold water splash on her face, waking her up with a gasp for air. The memories of her past life caused a heartache and regret that she wished she hadn't remembered them. Recovering her memories was painful, and she wasn't even fully there yet.Somehow she wished that she had not remembered this piece of her past life. She hasn’t fully recovered her memories and it already hurt this much, she thought.She knew she had tears running through her eyes, but because she was now drenched in water, it was not noticeable to the ordinary eyes, except one looked deeply.She had known Lumiére in her past life, and they were lovers. The realization that she had betrayed him felt like being stung by a thousand bees at once.Ophelia's presence was no surprise anymore. It was clear that she was working with both the witches and outlaws. Raven couldn't help but mock Ophelia's comment about beauty sleep, feeling the anger and pain in her heart.“ I think you need to redefine your
Raven's POV"Hurry up, Miére!" Raven playfully shouted, waving him over to where she was sitting on the picnic mat.His rich laughter filled the air as he ran to join her. "Seriously! I told you to let it go," she said, teasingly scolding him.He rolled his eyes, sitting down next to her on the mat. "I couldn't help it; it was beautiful… not as beautiful as you though," he added, playfully sniffing her neck.Raven chuckled and gently pushed him away, though she secretly loved his affectionate gestures. Being close to Lumiére made her heart skip a beat. She smiled at him, and he seemed to be lost in the sunset that was now painting the sky with beautiful colors.They had spent a long time out there, enjoying each other's company, and though it was time to head back home, she didn't want to leave this moment behind."You think we could build a house here to watch the sun set in the horizon?" she murmured, voicing her dream.Lumiére scoffed gently, "Oh, Phoenix, I wish we could do just t
Raven's POVOakhurst? Raven's mind was buzzing with questions. Why was Lumiére in Oakhurst? It was the same place she had been abducted by the witch. It had to be a coincidence; she couldn't fathom any other explanation. But she didn't want to reveal her own presence in Oakhurst to Lumiére. After all, it was almost an hour away from her home and university.Just as she was about to speak, the door creaked open, saving her from any potential lies. Finally, someone was coming in, and maybe they would get some answers to their bewildering situation.She wondered what the guys would be doing now that she was missing. Would they see this as a collateral loss and forget her or would they search for her.In her mind, she worried about Achim, who had been with her when she was taken, though unconscious. She hoped he would have been able to provide some valuable information to the others.With bated breath, she watched Lumiére, who seemed equally anxious, waiting for the newcomer to enter the
Lumiére's POV"Are you happy?" Raven asked, her voice soft and filled with warmth as she turned to face Lumiére. The afternoon sun painted a beautiful glow on her face, making her green eyes shine brilliantly, the brightest green eyes he had ever seen."I am," he replied with a content smile, feeling a sense of peace and joy being with her. After all that had transpired recently, knowing she was happy made him even happier."I am happy too," she said, and he could see the genuine happiness in her eyes. It warmed his heart to know that he could bring her joy."I like being with you," she added, and Lumiére couldn't help but chuckle. He felt the same way – being with her was something he cherished deeply.Raven reached for an apple from the picnic basket, taking a bite before offering it to him. He playfully teased her, "Feeding me now, are you?"She rolled her eyes playfully in response, "Well, you need someone to take care of you since you don't like eating. I guess that's my job now
Reagan's POVReagan winced as he felt a pang of pain shoot through his head. It was as if a massive weight had fallen on him, and he couldn't help but groan. Slowly, he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings.He found himself in a room, and it didn't take long for him to recognize that it was Lumiére's room in the fortress. How did he end up here? The last thing he remembered was... he stopped himself from thinking further and turned his attention to the door as it opened."Oh, you're awake now... how's your head?" Noah asked as he entered the room.Reagan furrowed his brow, trying to recall what happened. "What happened?" he inquired, attempting to sit up on the bed. Noah quickly moved to his side, helping him to sit up before settling back on a nearby chair.Noah let out a sigh. "You don't remember?" he asked.Reagan knew he wouldn't like what he was about to hear from Noah. "Lumiére knocked you out earlier and left the fortress with Arin and the others," Noah explained.Groan