Corrupted blood lord

Teclos and Serenna were escorted to the fortress before the fires in the southern district had been fully extinguished.

No one called them prisoners, and no chains were brought out, but six soldiers walked around them while another four followed behind. The patrol captain led the group through the eastern gate without speaking.

Serenna kept her hood low over her borrowed face. The amulet had recovered enough to restore the appearance of the male mercenary she called Seren, though the enchantment remained unstable. Every few minutes, a faint ripple passed across her cheek or jaw.

The captain noticed while they crossed the upper courtyard.

"Huh. I could have sworn your face changed just now."

Serenna touched her cheek as though checking an injury.

"The vampire struck me with lightning several times. I use a small glamour to cover old scars, and the spell was damaged. Every now and then it twitches."

The captain frowned.

"That sounds unpleasant."

"It is."

He watched her for another moment, unconvinced but unwilling to delay them.

"Keep your hood up. The count already has enough rumors to sort through."

The fortress doors opened before Teclos could comment.

Count Veyron was waiting in the main hall.

He had dressed quickly. A dark robe covered a loose linen shirt, and his gray hair hung around his shoulders. His sword rested beside his chair.

Three advisors stood near a long table covered with maps and reports.

Veyron did not invite them to sit.

The patrol captain bowed and delivered his report. Three houses had collapsed completely. A fourth had lost most of its front wall. Seven prisoners had survived, and several residents had been injured.

"The fourth house was already in poor condition," Teclos said.

Every face turned toward him.

Veyron stared.

"That is what you thought worth correcting?"

"You wanted an accurate report."

One advisor lowered his head, perhaps hiding a smile.

Veyron dismissed the captain but kept the soldiers at the doors.

"I’ve heard three versions of what happened," he said. "One claims a vampire gate appeared above the district. Another says you dragged the vampire there. The third says the two of you were fighting each other and destroyed the street before noticing him."

"The third one is wrong," Teclos said.

"I would hope so. Start at the beginning."

Teclos explained that Vael’thorr agents had entered the city searching for him. He described the false message, the collector at the western bridge, and the lead that had taken them to Sorn.

He left out Serenna’s true identity.

Veyron looked toward her.

"And this man?"

"His name is Seren," Teclos said. "He travelled west with the same caravan."

"That does not explain why he joined you."

Serenna answered for herself.

"I was guarding Darel Vos’s wagons. After we reached Sorn, Teclos learned I had experience fighting vampires and hired me."

"How did he learn that?"

"I recognised the marks on one of the messages he carried. They belonged to a house serving Vael’thorr."

Something cold touched the shadow beneath Teclos’s ear.

A thin strand of darkness climbed from Serenna’s shadow and connected with his own. Her voice reached him without crossing the room.

*Do not say we were already working together before Sorn. Darel can confirm the caravan, but nothing else.*

Teclos kept his expression still.

He examined the shape of the spell. It carried sound through connected shadows rather than air.

Once he understood that, copying it was simple.

A strand of his darkness moved across the floor and touched the shadow beneath Serenna’s ear.

*I understood the first time.*

Her head turned sharply.

For one heartbeat, surprise broke through her borrowed face.

Veyron noticed.

"Is something wrong?"

Serenna touched her ribs.

"One of the lightning burns pulled when I moved."

"Do you need a healer?"

"No. It will pass."

Her private voice returned immediately.

*How did you do that?*

*I copied you.*

*You saw it once.*

*Once was enough.*

A pause followed.

*That should not be possible.*

*We can argue later.*

Veyron tapped one finger against the table.

"What did you find beneath the tax office?"

"Prisoners," Teclos said. "The vampires had been questioning travellers from the east. They wanted information about me, Count Aweq, and anyone crossing from Alvar."

"How many vampires?"

"Four," Serenna said. "Three died in the fighting. One escaped through the tunnels and warned the others."

Her voice reached Teclos again.

*That is the number we are using. The count’s men may find remains beneath the collapsed floor.*

There had only been three upstairs, but the lie was sensible.

Veyron looked at Teclos.

"Did you see the fourth escape?"

"No. By the time we freed the prisoners, someone had already gone through the lower passage."

"And instead of returning here, you followed?"

"The prisoners said records, coffins, and more captives were being moved through the lower mine," Teclos replied. "If we came back for permission, they would have been gone before we returned."

"You could have sent word."

"We were beneath the town with no messenger," Serenna said. "By the time we reached the mine, Selrik had already begun opening the gate. We had minutes."

"You knew his name?"

"He introduced himself."

Veyron walked around the table.

"What was inside the mine?"

"Two wagons loaded with coffins," Teclos said. "Several prisoners, burned records, and Lady Mereth’s body."

One advisor looked up.

"Lady Mereth of House Drennar?"

Serenna nodded.

"Selrik drained her into the runes powering the gate."

The advisor turned to Veyron.

"That means Drennar was working with Vael’thorr inside Tessania."

"Or being used by them," Veyron said.

Serenna’s private voice brushed Teclos’s ear.

*He’ll ask why the gate led here. Tell him the city was already visible through it. Do not mention redirecting Selrik’s attack.*

Veyron turned back.

"Why was the gate connected to my city?"

"We don’t know," Teclos said. "The southern rooftops were already visible before the fight began."

The count’s expression darkened.

"So the destination was chosen in advance."

"Yes."

One advisor leaned over the map.

"The southern district has old drainage tunnels and several warehouses near the wall. They could bring prisoners inside, hide them, then move them with normal cargo."

"That was likely the plan," Serenna said.

Veyron remained silent for a moment.

"How did the gate collapse?"

"Selrik released a large lightning spell inside the chamber," Teclos said. "We tried to stop it. The blast struck the gate and broke the runes."

"The gate was already unstable," Serenna added. "Once the blood channels failed, it pulled the chamber and everyone near it through to the destination."

"My healers counted seven survivors and three dead. How many entered the gate?"

"There were ten alive when it failed," Serenna said. "One of the prisoners inside a coffin was already dying. He may have been counted among the dead."

"And Selrik came through with you?"

"Yes."

Veyron folded his arms.

"My captain says the stones beneath his corpse were melted. He also says neither of you required immediate treatment."

"We heal quickly," Serenna said.

The count’s gaze shifted to Teclos.

"He also says you absorbed mana from the corpse."

"I did."

One advisor stopped writing.

"Can you do that to anything you kill?" Veyron asked.

"Most things."

"People?"

"Yes."

Serenna’s voice touched his ear.

*You do not have to answer every question immediately.*

*Refusing would make him more suspicious.*

Veyron looked toward her.

"And you agreed to work with a man who feeds on corpses?"

"He was paying me twenty gold."

Teclos almost turned toward her.

Her private voice followed at once.

*You are paying me twenty gold.*

*That was not agreed.*

*It is now part of our story.*

Veyron’s brows rose.

"Twenty?"

"I was struck by an ancient vampire several times," Serenna said. "In hindsight, I should have asked for more."

One advisor coughed into his hand.

Veyron looked between them.

"You expect me to believe you met through a caravan, discovered a vampire operation, pursued it into a mine, and then accidentally dropped the surviving leader into my city?"

"That is what happened," Teclos said.

"It sounds absurd."

"It was an unusual night."

Serenna’s boot touched his beneath her cloak. A warning.

Veyron moved toward the windows.

"Two people died in the district. Eleven were injured, and four families lost their homes."

Teclos said nothing.

"Do you regret pursuing Selrik?"

"No."

Serenna looked at him, but he continued.

"I regret where the gate opened. I would still stop him again."

Veyron turned to Serenna.

"And you?"

She took longer to answer.

"I saw the people inside those coffins. If Selrik escaped, he would keep doing it somewhere else. I regret the people who died here, but leaving him alive would not have saved anyone for long."

The count studied her.

"I am not convinced you’ve told me everything."

Serenna’s shadow thread shifted.

*Do not say anything clever.*

"We haven’t told you everything," Teclos said.

Serenna closed her eyes for half a heartbeat.

Teclos continued before Veyron could react.

"Vael’thorr is looking for me because of what happened in Alvar. Some of those details do not concern your territory. Everything about Sorn, the gate, and the prisoners does."

"It concerned my territory when their gate opened inside it."

"Yes."

Veyron returned to his chair.

"You will pay for the damaged homes."

"How much?"

"My steward will inspect the district. Both of you will remain in the city for three days while the prisoners are questioned and your story is checked."

Serenna’s mouth tightened.

Veyron noticed.

"If your other work is urgent, Seren, charge Teclos for the delay."

"I was already considering it."

The count finally smiled.

"Go. Get cleaned up before the rest of my court sees you."

—

They returned to the tavern shortly after sunrise.

The innkeeper looked at their ruined clothes and chose not to ask questions.

Teclos placed five gold coins on the counter.

"Food, ale, and a private table."

"For how long?"

"Until the ale is gone."

Serenna sat in a booth at the rear. Once the curtain was closed, she removed the amulet. Her real face returned, and dark hair fell around her shoulders.

One side remained shorter where she had cut away the burned section.

Teclos looked at it.

"You’ve been staring at my hair since the fight," she said. "Say whatever you’re thinking."

"It’s uneven."

"I know."

"It doesn’t look bad."

She stared at him.

Teclos reached for his cup.

"What?"

"That almost sounded like a compliment."

"It was an observation."

The innkeeper brought roasted meat, bread, and two bottles. Serenna ignored most of the food and filled her cup.

After her first drink, she leaned closer.

"How did you copy my shadow whisper?"

"It was easy once I felt how you carried the sound."

"It took me months to create that technique."

"You probably made it more complicated than necessary."

Her eyes narrowed.

"I created it without a teacher."

"That explains why it took months."

Serenna kicked him beneath the table.

The bench shifted.

Teclos lowered his cup.

"You nearly broke my leg."

"You would have healed."

"That is becoming your answer to everything."

"It remains accurate."

Later, Teclos placed twenty gold coins on the table.

Serenna counted them.

"You are actually paying?"

"You told Veyron I hired you. If anyone checks, the money needs to have changed hands."

"No one will inspect my ring."

"That isn’t the point."

She slid the coins away and used one of his remaining silvers to order another bottle.

By evening, the tavern had filled. Teclos spread a thin layer of darkness around the booth, discouraging curious eyes.

Serenna leaned against the wall, her cup loose in one hand.

"You nearly ruined our story when you admitted we were hiding things."

"He already knew."

"Knowing and hearing you confirm it are different."

"He believed the rest afterward."

She considered that.

"I still would not have said it."

"I know. You were complaining directly into my ear."

A quiet laugh escaped her.

It sounded different without the borrowed male voice. Softer and less guarded.

Teclos watched her.

Serenna noticed.

"What is it now?"

"You laugh differently without the amulet."

Her expression became still.

"Is that better or worse?"

"Better."

The answer came before he thought to soften it.

For once, Serenna had no reply.

They stayed in the booth until the second bottle was empty.

Neither spoke about Vael’thorr, the dead, or the houses burning across the city.

For one night, surviving was enough.