Chapter 7: Penetrating as a Blade

She had spotted Marc earlier, but he quickly disappeared in the crowd after he gave her a quick once-over he would do to a complete stranger. She was satisfied. Exactly what she had thought.

A quarter to eight, everyone got restless. Although it might be her imagination, she felt a set of eyes on her. Somebody was watching her. Goosebumps rose on her skin. Danica looked around to find distracted humans and other-races alike. No one was giving any special attention to her. Some of them were looking at her, but their expressions showed she was not of their interest at the moment. 

The buildings in the street were of medium height–eight to ten floors high. She had enemies; any of them could be observing her. 

And the mansion: it was deep in the sprawling garden. Still, it was quite tall, almost a castle. Everything and everyone would be well hidden from where she was standing–a few buildings away from the gate–if there was somebody hiding there, observing her. She was a sitting duck, to be targeted easily.

The pointlessness of all this started to sink in. Maybe she should go back. With this crowd, there was no way she would get into the garden. She had not expected this many people to be here honestly.

The gate stayed closed to everyone, but with the sudden buzz going around, it looked like somebody came out of the mansion. The butler they said. Of course, there was somebody beside him in the building. He wouldn’t have vacuumed the floors and dusted everything himself, would he?

The prince requested everyone else aside from media personnel, the butler said, and his people, to leave. To which only a portion of the people listened. His people, aka vampires, then turned towards humans and other non-humans. Their eyes hostile and suggested, “You should obey our prince’s order.” But why should anyone? He was not their prince. There was no monarch here. 

Quickly, their manners became territorial. She had, however, no time to join the staring contest with them. She followed other reporters through the gate, showing her fake ID before somebody questioned its authenticity because there were vampires who volunteered to examine everyone. 

A dark garden without a single glint of any light was an odd place for this type of event, even for a vampire. A group of humans and vampires beneath the elm trees. The man who must be the butler was nowhere to be seen; he must have gone inside. And everyone had stopped talking, unlike outside the gate.

Out of habit, Danica felt the guns through the skirt again. In the purse dangling on her shoulder only held pretentious things such as a notebook and pens.

She was imagining scenarios that were not so pleasant when the garden was lit up. Lanterns dangled from branches. Reporters in front of her smiled at one another in obvious relief and started small talks.  

Finally, the butler appeared back opening the front door. Someone emerged behind the wall. Powerful stature and long legs, in an immaculate suit, before he descended into the garden. Leather shoes studded with tiny black stones, black custom-made suit embodied with black threats on collars and the sleeve edges and diamond cufflinks. His coat alone was probably more expensive than her entire life, but what the hell!

A few feet away from the foot of the steps, he stopped. Thankfully, rustling and shuffling sounds from the back reactivated the hunter in her. She found males and females—all the vampires—lowered their bodies before kneeling on the ground in an archaic manner.

“Your highness,” they roared, almost shaking the leaves above her.

“You may rise.” The voice from the front announced. Softly but coldly. 

Her eyes leaped back towards the source of the voice. Before her stood real reporters; none of them spared a glance behind. They transfixed all their gazes on him as though they were mesmerized or caught off guard. And his clothes had been the least of their attention. 

After several seconds, their cameras flashed as though they suddenly remembered the purpose of their visit.

From her spot in the third row, half hidden by a reporter from NSN and the video camera on his cameraman’s shoulder, Danica observed him. 

Over six feet tall ad with sleek straight hair that could be black or chocolate brown, his facial features were perfectly symmetrical. 

In the city and beyond, she had met multiple males, countless even, from other-races. The vampire prince was the actual personification of all those words, people said with mere imagination. Unearthly and ethereal. Whatever label she would choose, he did not belong here in this garden, which was now too ordinary compared to his presence. 

Despite the lights from cameras flashing directly to his face, he did not blink. Not once. It was unnatural, even for a vampire. Her heart jumped. His eyes were so pale that made him appear cruel. Were they clear blue or light grey? For a split second, she could swear they stared straight into her own with a look so penetrating as a blade. 

She brushed her fake blonde hair with her fingers as though she wasn’t nervous.

It was not her imagination when he looked at her directly. But why? Because he knew? That’s impossible. Maybe it was a normal curiosity about a silent reporter while others were throwing countless questions, all of which he was ignoring.

He raised his hand, and the reporters went silent.

“Pardon me…,” he started politely, “... for my shortcoming. I’ve lived in seclusion for so long. A hundred and fifty years in solitude definitely didn’t improve my social skills. Honestly, I think I should hire a PR team. Alas, I’m such an introvert to do that.”

Laughters followed at his little joke.

He waited till there was silence again. “As much as I enjoy meeting all of you and am greatly honored by your interest, it’s quite impossible for me to answer every question. Please, only one question from one person, and one at a time. I refuse to answer anything further than that.”

With a slight smile that did not reach his eyes, he took control of the situation. With nods and approving murmurs, everyone was impressed with his friendliness and humbleness, except for her. 

 “Are you Prince Reign Eclipsis?”

“I believe so.”

The woman from Cloud News giggled loudly, and everyone threw at her judging looks. 

“You’re so beautiful,” uttered one reporter at the front.

“That’s not a question,” her camerawoman gritted out, elbowing her.

“Sorry…”

“What’re your plans while you’re in Umbre, your highness?”

Danica furrowed her brows. Why was he addressing him that way? He was not their prince. 

“Mainly sightseeing and a business to take care of. I love it here. Lovely city.” 

Okay. That was pretty much bullshit, but apparently, she was the only one who thought so. 

“So you’ve been out in the city, your highness?”

He ignored the reporter, and the latter shifted his legs uncomfortably. Apparently, the vampire prince didn’t like when he was not obeyed. 

According to her observations, reporters were normally thick-skinned. But Reign Eclipsis had an aura that overwhelmed everyone in his presence. Every little gesture of his influenced people. 

The next one repeated the earlier question, and he answered. “Only a couple times. I was sneaking around if that wasn’t obvious already.”

“Your highness is so funny,” a vampire behind her remarked loudly.

Danica caught herself smiling. Maybe he was only angry that day because she was breaking his privacy. His words could have been merely out of his frustration. 

After a few more questions, he raised his hand again, which she thought meant he would not answer anymore. 

“I’m going to answer one last question. Please choose wisely.” He had said he was bad at socializing, but the truth was the opposite. He was quite eloquent.

“What’s the motivation behind leaving the palace suddenly, sir? Only for sightseeing?” The one who asked stood before her. The one from National Supernatural News.

He straightened up slightly, and a glint of mercilessness flashed in his already icy eyes. He tilted his head almost imperceptibly. The insignificant change in his posture made her regret her earlier inner remarks. About how he was being angry just because of his privacy being broken. 

He was angry, his eyes were expressing. All the laughs and murmurs were gone. What remained was the nerve-wracking silence. The vampire prince stood unnaturally still.

“I’m glad you asked me this,” he chuckled. But no one laughed this time. Someone swallowed loudly aside her. 

“I’m here…to meet someone special,” he drawled.

He pronounced the word ‘special’ as there was a hidden meaning. As though his definition of it was different. After the short vague answer, he suggested the guests leave in his friendly but secretly commanding tone. Everyone obeyed instantly. With the looks, they had high opinions of him, choosing to ignore his intimidating mannerism.  

The vampires looked like they wanted to stay, but they also followed the order. 

Danica headed towards the gate, after the rest, secretly relieved that he did not recognize her. It was time to go. She could find out more about him later.

“Wait.”

The voice came right behind her.