4

- More corpses. One is killed, this is Alley, the merchant... his daughter is bled to death, like his sister, his wife is right in bed... horror! The house was not set on fire. When we arrived, there was no one there. And again, no trace!

The girl sat down on the soft sofa and leaned back against the mountain of pillows with a sigh. Her lips pressed together tightly, turning white in a thin streak. Light eyebrows converged on the bridge of the nose, forming deep folds. The girl seemed too young for such traces of excitement to touch such a young face.

“This is the eighteenth family we've been able to trace. Where is he heading? What is its trajectory?

The man thought for a moment. Wiping his glasses, he replied:

- From the Ridgrain Mountains, where the very first massacre took place, the trail leads from the Reef through Angan and the western part of the South Coast, and from Witch Mountain to Mirland ... How long has it been? Exactly! Five weeks from the first case.

- Send all free soldiers to Mirland. Cancel weekends and vacations if necessary. I'm waiting for reports on every movement, on the slightest rustle. So that the hare could not run unnoticed by them! It's clear?

The man bowed and hurried out of the room. “Mistress” sighed heavily and put her hand to her forehead. For the third day she had a high fever - a direct indicator that her strength was running out.

A young female person in the ranks of the Inquisition looked as unusual as a big-horned deer in a nest on a tall oak. People often whispered, inventing a variety of reasons for the appearance of Ilyana in the ranks of the sacred organization, and even in such a high position under the wing of the Pope himself. The real reason was not as simple as it seemed at first glance: the girl from childhood was distinguished by her prudence and a sharp, analytical mind. In this, Ilyana was like her father, and the decision to do something significant in life determined her path to the ranks of the Inquisition. But there was something else special that only a few within these walls knew about. This is what undoubtedly allowed her to become one of the biggest trump cards of the fighters against Evil.

Ilyana had a Gift. Striking and rare. The girl controlled the energies and, if her fate had turned out differently, she herself could have ended up in tongues of punishing flame. The ability to feel the auras of living beings and control a large energy barrier - this was Ilyana's direct duties in the ranks of the inquisitors. Invisible to the common man, the shield covered the entire city. Such a powerful field did not allow her to constantly scan everyone, because it was sheer madness in such a densely populated city, as well as a senseless waste of her internal reserve. Therefore, Ilyana tuned in to specific manifestations of energy, namely, vampires. If such evil spirits appear near the city, she will immediately recognize it, and the soldiers of the holy Inquisition, without wasting a minute, will set off in the footsteps of the enemy.

Papa knew about the miraculous abilities of the blond girl. It was from him that the command came to fully rely on her decisions and carry out any orders. The second keeper of the secret, the one who knew everything about Ilyana, was her best friend Kirian, who is the commander-in-chief of the Kermalan Inquisition troops. A young and gifted warrior who had no equal on the battlefield. “How nice it would be now to be alone with him somewhere outside the city, to chat and just sleep off in a friendly atmosphere,” Ilyana thought, throwing her head back and closing her eyes. The girl winced, rubbing her temples. She held the barrier so long and tensely that she already forgot when she had last slept.

The girl lazily reached for a golden fruit platter that stood on a high square table near the sofa. Grabbing the first fruit she saw, she raised it to her lips. The poured apple reminded Ilyana that she had not eaten anything for a long time. But instead of tasting the sweet fruit, a piercing scream escaped the girl's lips. The apple rolled down the velvet and landed on the thick carpet with a thud.

The girl sat with a grimace of pain frozen on her face and wide-open eyes. She felt like a vampire. The enemy appeared suddenly and invaded her field. Ilyana had never felt such a Power before. She groaned, doing her best to maintain the barrier and track the movement of the evil spirits until they disappeared beyond her limits.

On the periphery of consciousness, she noticed someone burst into the room. Her name came from somewhere far away. But before Illyana there was only one bright, pulsating spot of silvery energy. She was drawn to him, because this creature had poisoned their lives for so long.

When the girl was picked up by strong hands, she was already unconscious.

Tristan increased the pressure, crushing the force shield erected around Kermalan. The first two blows flew past, and only on the third, numerous cracks appeared along the invisible barrier. The blond-haired vampire wiped his nose with the back of his hand and stared in surprise at the crimson stain smeared across his pale skin. He did not expect the return to be so strong. Such a surprise! A few years ago, the Inquisition did not yet have a similar level of Power. However, this trifle does not interfere with him.

The high vampire looked up at the skyline of the city. In the very center of Kermalan, the walls of the Inquisition's castle rose from behind the red roofs, with its high towers and balconies decorated with statues of angels. Tristan, always known for his excessive curiosity, could only wonder what kind of skillful inquisitor could create such a powerful protective barrier around the city. Gathering his Force together, Tristan carefully touched it with the enemy “wall” shining in his inner consciousness. This power shield was not visible to normal human vision. But the high skill of the High Vampire allowed Tristan to see the barrier clearly and distinctly, as if the wall was built of transparent crystal.

Threads of Power flowed over the smooth surface of the shield, corroding the luminous weaves of light threads like acid. The wall quickly dimmed and went out without the support of its creator. The vampire felt disappointed. Such a powerful spell, and so easily broken, albeit at the cost of recently recruited fresh forces. He reached for the source of the spell and felt a flicker of consciousness weakened, hardly paying attention to his intrusion. Tantario grunted - it turned out that the bearer of such an interesting Force simply lost consciousness. One single hit and...

"What do you want in Kermalan, Tristan Tantario, lord of a clan of over-arrogant young vampires?" came a quiet but commanding voice behind him.

Tristan shuddered and abruptly stopped the invasion. He heard this voice only twice in his life: the first time when he passed into the stage of the Supreme, and the second - when the Council of Vampire Elders called him to them and gave him a good beating for the fact that the young lord tried to exterminate the Inquisition. The old vampires believed that the best tactic against the enemy was to wait, and not to fight against the strange, unwavering faith of the new generation of Inquisitors. They said it was fraught with consequences.

Tristan gritted his teeth in annoyance and turned to a tall, thin man standing behind him. Although there is a popular belief among people that vampires do not age - by the way, they really do not age, since Tristan himself looked like a young man for more than thirty years - this vampire seemed to be a man in years. At this age, people already have wrinkles on the face, the body dries out, and gray strands are fixed in the hair. The elder looked about forty-five or fifty years old, but his real age was much older. Until now, there have been disputes - whether he was turned at such a late age, or whether the vampire is aging from excessive use of the Force. But no one could find out the truth.

- Duke Alter, - through gritted teeth Tristan, hardly forcing himself to bow his head in a bow. - I beg your pardon, but you disturbed me a little.

An ironic smile touched the older vampire's lips.

- Interfered? Alter asked. “Oh, I beg your pardon for interrupting your childish amusements. But I've been ordered to bring you.

Tristan's eyebrows involuntarily crawled up in surprise. Ordered? Who can order the Duke of Veniers, the third in Strength among the vampires? Telvisina, despite her higher position, does not have enough impudence. It remains only ... Tristan sighed heavily. Oh, how he did not want to attract the eyes of the vampire king! Despite all his boasting, the young man was afraid of meeting someone with whom he had long, extremely unpleasant memories.

What did I do to deserve such an honor? - mockingly drawling the words, the young vampire said, stopping next to the elder.

The black pupils of Alter's yellow eyes flashed scarlet for a moment, and Tristan became alert. All the High vampires reacted so strongly to him - converted only thirty-four years ago, but already in the twentieth year he received the title of High. It seemed unacceptable. Outrageous. Vampires usually progressed to the Supreme stage after centuries, and the young Tantario easily gained the necessary power in two decades. He received far from the last place in the hierarchy of vampires. This was the peculiarity of Tristan, which attracted dark brothers to him.

The first in strength was the king of vampires, better known as the Lord. The second is the thousand-year-old miniature aristocrat Telvisina, the mistress of the most numerous clan in Ligiria. The third was Duke Alter of Venier, who heads the Council of Elders. Of course, after this trinity, the Council officially held power, numbering six more High Vampires. But these were lazy "old men" who rarely crawled out of their holes. But they were immediately followed by a young, promising Tantario, although many representatives of the vampire tribe knew that, in fact, Tristan could easily deal with any of the vampires standing in the Council in a duel of Forces. And only Vladyka, Telvisina and Alter were truly stronger than Tantario. Needless to say, the pride of the young handsome man was incredibly great. Even now, the blond wanted to spit on all the laws and foundations and ignore the order of the Trinity. He felt in his gut that the mysterious bearer of an incredibly powerful Force, the appearance of which the Oracle himself had predicted, was within the walls of Kermalan. And Tristan has been looking for him for so long!

Yellow eyes watched the young lord's hesitation. Alter stretched his lips into a condescending smile.

- Do not test the patience of the Lord, boy. He has already spared you once... - a scarlet flame flared again in the narrow pupils. This time is unlikely to end well for you.

Tristan bowed his head in surrender.

- I'm ready for the educational process. As usual, Duke Alter,” the young man chuckled.

"You will not go to the Telvisina clan," came the instant reply.

- Where to? The blond lord was surprised.

The Duke of Veniers gave the young man a sly smile.

- The Lord ordered to bring the young Lord Tantario to the royal clan, - and the elder turned around sharply, not giving the stunned Tristan a chance to say a word.

The young vampire looked back at Kermalan for the last time, glanced over the cracked force shield, and briskly followed the elder as he began to create a portal of passage. Somewhere in the depths of his soul, disappointment settled down - his main goal again slipped out from under his very nose. Once again, Tristan couldn't help it. Yes, and did he want to? .. The words of the Oracle still haunted him.

“ You will gain a previously unknown Power by contacting the Chosen One. But the Chosen One will open a new, incredible world for you… Are you ready to melt your icy heart?”

Tristan touched his blond hair with his hand, tousling the already unruly strands. His heart has long been frozen and is unlikely to ever ignite with a sincere feeling. But the Oracle has never been wrong before... Tristan took a deep breath. Come what may. All he needs in this damned world is the Force, for which he will make any sacrifice. And for the sake of this Power, he will tolerate the company of the royal clan - a clan of arrogant aristocratic vampires who hated the young upstart with all their rotten souls.

After all, Tristan hated them no less.