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CHAPTER FOUR.

YEAR 1850...

•T–––M–––V–––P–––L•

A tall bulky man paced around in his Chambers – he was the Master vampire, known as Lord Edgar – he was aggravated, furious and bitter towards his son, Elbert. He couldn't believe that a mere human, a dirty slave was the one controlling his own son, the next Master vampire. The rumors were fueling the whole town, serving as a mockery and a stain upon the Edgar name.

How could Elbert, next Master vampire, be so blinded by such a lowly creature? A human. A slave. The news had also reached the ears of the vampire elite. Just a week ago, Lord Edgar’s elder brother, the Lord of Wales, had traveled all the way to Svetyland to mock him, taunting him with a sinister smile about Elbert’s scandalous affair.

That visit had been the final straw. Driven by the fear of disgrace, Lord Edgar had decided to rid his family of this stain. He sent one of his most trusted and ruthless vampires to annihilate her, only to hear the next day that Elbert had raised her up from death.

And that infuriated him.

Lord Edgar’s continued pacing through his chambers as he thought of what to do next, but his thoughts were interrupted when the heavy doors burst open. Elbert barged in. Fury was set in his hazel eyes and his face had gone more pale than it used to be.

“Father!” Elbert’s voice boomed through the chamber, the sheer force of it surprising even Lord Edgar. “You killed my Camille...”

“She was never yours to begin with!” Lord Edgar shot back, his voice equally thunderous, but laced with cold bitterness. The audacity of his son speaking to him this way was both disheartening and enraging. “She was just a slave—a dirty, filthy human brought from England to America. I fed her from my own pockets!”

Elbert stood frozen for a moment, glaring at his father, his chest heaving with emotion. In all his years on this earth, he had never dared to confront his father like this. Even when Lord Edgar had publicly humiliated Camille before his friends, he had swallowed his pride and walked away in silent rage.

But this was different. He could no longer stay silent.

“Father,” Elbert began again, his voice softer but filled with resolve. The fiery glare in his eyes softened, replaced by a look of desperation. “You know Camille is my love. I can’t continue life without her. Please, Father, let her be. She’s part of us now. I turned her—doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

Lord Edgar’s expression remained cold as stone, but his tone softened slightly as he placed a firm hand on his son’s shoulder. “Why, Elbert? Why did you bring her back?” His voice was a low growl, filled with a mixture of disappointment and concern. “I need to know. Why did you bring her back? I tried to take you away from the evil claws of that dirty human, but are you so mad in love that you can't see what she is trying to do to you?”

“But she’s part of us now, Father,” Elbert insisted, desperation creeping into his voice. “I turned her into a vam—”

“Just shut it, Elbert!” Lord Edgar snapped, stepping back as his anger flared again. He moved toward the door, his hand gripping the doorknob tightly. “She can never be part of us. Don’t you get it, Elbert? A turned vampire can never truly be with an original. Do you want to tarnish our family’s image? Our reputation?”

“Father! You and Mother can’t control my life! I know you want what’s best for me, but it’s not your decision to make! I love Camille, and nothing you say can change that!”

A dark laugh escaped from Lord Edgar’s lips. “Love? Love has made you weak, Elbert. I didn’t raise you to be a puppet, to be ruled by emotion. I raised you to be ruthless, like me. Humans are nothing more than food to us—”

“Stop it father!” Elbert hated to hear such words from his father's mouth. “Please, just stop it!”

If there was anything Lord Edgar hated more than werewolves, it was humans. Though he loved their blood.

Lord Edgar only saw humans as slaves and food for vampires. He saw them as livestock, which were made plainly for vampires hunting sake. Lord Edgar hated humans to his bones and he called them weaklings and a poltroonery, and he also hated the fact that humans were more in population than vampires. And because of that, vampires and other supernatural beings had to keep their existence a secret. Although his son, Elbert, saw things differently, and it was all thanks to Camille. And because of Camille, he had a wish. A wish he knew would never come to pass.

“I never raised my voice at my father,” Lord Edgar said, his voice trembling with barely restrained fury. “But you—Elbert—you dare to raise your voice at me? All because of that filthy slave, that weak human!”

Elbert ran a hand through his long, blonde hair, the gesture one of frustration and fatigue. “I’m sorry for yelling at you, Father,” he said, his voice now calm but resolute. “But please, I beg of you, let Camille be. She is all I have.”

Before Lord Edgar could respond, a woman entered the chambers. Her movements were graceful, almost ethereal, as she glided across the room. Her beauty was striking—dark, flowing hair that reached her butt flowed behind her, onyx eyes that shimmered eerily. Her visage was impassive, and she walked towards her husband. She was Lady Elaine, the wife to Lord Edgar and mother to Elbert. Not only was she an original vampire from England, but she was also the most powerful witch in Svetyland, feared by all who knew her.

“I heard voices,” Lady Elaine said softly, her voice as smooth as silk. Her gaze flickered between her husband and her son, settling finally on Elbert. “What is going on?”

“Mother,” Elbert said, turning to her, his voice pleading. “Please help me. I love Camille, and I can’t live without her. Help Father understand.”

Lady Elaine’s lips curved into a faint, almost sorrowful smile. “My dear Elbert,” she began, her tone gentle but firm. “I have never interfered in your affairs with Camille because I believed it was just a phase, that she was just a passing fancy, a... meal. But if you truly want my opinion, then...”

“What is it, Mother?” Elbert pressed, taking a step toward her, his heart pounding in his chest.

“I’m sorry, Elbert,” she said, her voice unwavering. “But I stand with your father on this. Humans are beneath us, and Camille cannot be with you.”

Elbert stared at his mother, disbelief and hurt etched into his features. He had hoped—no, believed—that she would understand. But instead, she had sided with his father, crushing his last hope.

Nodding slowly, Elbert turned and walked to the door. He paused for a moment, looking back at his parents, his heart heavy with a decision he had never thought he’d have to make. “Then I guess I’ll have to leave this home...forever.”

Lady Elaine’s eyes narrowed slightly, her voice calm and devoid of emotion. “Then you will leave your daylight ring behind. You'll never escape me, Elbert. I'm your shadow, my dear son.”

To Be Continued…