3|Night Of The Court

Luca left the cellar and retreated to the crypt. But hard as he tried, he couldn't close his eyes and silence his mind. He gave up after numerous attempts and settled on staring at the ceiling instead. He thought back to the last twenty years, conversations that took place in this very room resurfaced, and memories and feelings he'd struggled to keep locked away over the last two decades rushed forth.

He'd run through that evening a million times in his head, wondering if he could have done things differently. Maybe if he'd delayed his hunting trip, postponed it for another week, and stayed, none of the misery that followed since would exist.

He remembered that fateful night so clearly, as though it were just yesterday. He had awakened from a troubled sleep, and the deep sense of foreboding from his dream had haunted him throughout the day. To distract himself and shake off the ominous feeling of doom gripping his heart, he'd thrown himself at the piano, convinced music would do the trick and help shake it off. But nothing could. Not even reading Othello from start to finish.

When Julian stirred from his slumber sometime before dusk, Luca had told him about his premonition, insisting the monthly court should be cancelled because something terrible was on the way. Something dark and evil, and would change their lives forever. But his older brother had stubbornly refused, insisting the court would go ahead as planned. And so they'd argued for a large part of the afternoon, with Luca accusing Julian of using their family tradition to promote nights of indulgent blood-drinking and promiscuity.

Julian had vehemently denied the accusations, explaining it was what their father would have wanted. He'd assured him the gathering would go on without a hitch, encouraging him to go on the trip and take April with him, since she was in bloodlust. The last thing he wanted was to worry about her.

Luca didn't want to, but eventually agreed to go hunting. He found the gatherings tedious and bothersome anyway. But he never voiced his opinion, because he knew how important the evenings were to Julian, and it was the only reason he had never missed any in the past. Until that night.

As the sun dipped low on the horizon, he and April had set off to River Sands, a small fishing village two towns over. The pact with the Youngblood coven prevented them from hunting at home.

Their trips were usually overnight stays, but still unsettled by his premonition, Luca had rushed through his meal and urged April to do the same, because he wanted to return home and wait out the approaching storm with Julian.

On their way back to Shadowbrooke, April had talked about Julian and how much she loved him and regretted missing court. Paralysed by the feeling of dread deep in his gut, Luca had said nothing. Not a word.

He knew something was wrong when they cut through the creek and saw numerous bodies, all drained of blood, strewn all over the bayou. But it was the terrible silence that alerted him of the nightmare they were in.

There was no music drifting across the marsh, and no drunken voices high on blood one would expect from a rowdy court. The night was so still, so silent Luca could almost hear himself think.

While he was still grappling with the scene before him, the Midnight Star pack had come out from the shadows, baying for their blood. The moment they caught their scents, they were unforgiving in their well-orchestrated attack.

In the past, their clan was neither friend nor foe of the pack. They had a 'live and let live' relationship, and for decades they'd tolerated each other because neither side had broken the rules or crossed lines they shouldn't.

But with the mutts baring their canines and viciously growling at them, Luca knew then that things had changed. A shift had occurred in their absence, and their clan was now the town's biggest enemy.

A part of him wanted to see the fight through. But outnumbered and unprepared, it wasn't a battle they'd win. Instinct had taken over, and they'd miraculously outran the wolves, making it to the manor with just a few battle scars.

Nothing could have prepared them for the chaos waiting for them, though. The fifteen or so vampires they'd found in various rooms in the house were all lifeless, with wooden stakes still protruding from their chests. But Luca didn't feel the full devastation of that night until they wandered to the cellar where the court was held, and found it sealed with his brother and the rest of their clan locked inside.

For days, he and April had stayed and talked with Julian and the others through the door, learning all they could about the massacre, cooking up plans to break them out.

Luca didn't want to leave Shadowbrooke, but Julian had insisted he should. After all, he and April were their only hope of ever getting out.

They'd left town soon after and met up with his cousin, Andrew, and his girlfriend, Rosalie, a fifth-generation witch from Briardale—