Chapter 24

The warehouse had been quiet for three nights. That was suspicious. Daniel had learned, over the centuries, that quiet was rarely a gift — usually it was just the world taking a breath before deciding how much trouble to throw at him next.

Tonight, though, something felt different.

He stood alone on the roof of the abandoned building, looking out over the sleeping city. Below him, cars slid along distant streets, headlights sliding between buildings like tiny stars. Somewhere farther off, music drifted from a nightclub, and a dog barked twice and then gave up.

Daniel could hear all of it — every heartbeat, every engine, every footstep. The Blood Moon ritual had changed something in him, and he could feel it clearly now. The blood of the vampires had mixed with his own beneath the moonlight, binding him — temporarily — to their ancient rite. His body had accepted the power almost reluctantly, like it was remembering something his mind had long since forgotten. His healing had come back. His magic felt sharper. Even his senses had turned almost irritatingly precise.

He closed his eyes. A heartbeat, two streets away. Another. Then another, until he could pick them apart — human, human, vampire.

He opened his eyes again and smiled faintly. "Annoying."

"Talking to yourself again?"

Daniel didn't turn around. Angelina stepped through the rooftop doorway carrying two bottles of water and tossed one toward him without warning. He caught it without looking.

She stared at him. "Show-off."

"You threw it." Daniel defended himself.

"And you caught it."

"That's generally how throwing things works."

Angelina rolled her eyes and walked over to the edge of the roof. For a few seconds neither of them said anything. Then she glanced sideways at him.

"You've been up here for an hour."

"Have I?"

"Yes."

"Didn't notice."

"That's creepy."

Daniel took a sip of water. "You've known me long enough to know I'm creepy."

"Unfortunately." She replied.

He smiled, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "You're smiling again." She said.

"No, I'm not."

"You are. You've done it three times today."

He raised an eyebrow. "You've been counting?"

"Maybe." She replied.

He shook his head, and she smiled faintly back at him. For the first time since the cathedral, Daniel didn't look like someone waiting for the next attack — and that bothered her, not because she disliked seeing him relaxed, but because she knew better than most that Daniel never relaxed without a reason.

Something had changed. She just wasn't sure yet if it was a good thing.

"You feel different," she said.

His expression turned thoughtful. "I do."

"Stronger?"

"Not exactly."

"Then what?"

He looked toward the horizon. "Complete."

Her smile faded a little. Before she could ask what that meant, the rooftop door opened again and Eva stepped outside — and one look at her face told Daniel something was wrong.

He turned. "What happened?"

Eva stopped a few feet away. "I had another dream."

His expression changed instantly. "What kind?"

"The same one."

The faint smile disappeared from his face. Angelina looked between them. "What dream?"

Eva hesitated, then looked at Daniel. "The cathedral."

Silence settled over the roof. Daniel set his bottle down.

"Tell me."

She crossed her arms. "I'm standing inside it. The same place we found Malachar."

"Then?"

"There's someone there."

"Who?"

"I don't know. I never see his face."

"What does he say?"

Her eyes flickered, uneasy. "Nothing at first. Then he tells me I'm wasting my time."

"Doing what?"

"Trying to save you."

The rooftop went quiet. Angelina's face tightened, and Daniel just stared at Eva.

"And what happens after that?"

She shook her head. "I wake up."

"Anything else?"

"No."

Daniel didn't say anything for a moment. Eva studied his face.

"You know what it means."

"Probably." Daniel replied. “I’m not sure.”

"Daniel." She stepped closer. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"That thing where you pretend you don't care because you're trying to protect everyone."

He sighed faintly. "I don't pretend."

Angelina snorted. "That's literally all you do."

"Thank you for your contribution."

"Anytime."

Eva almost smiled — almost — before her expression turned serious again. "Someone is trying to get into my head.Can you stop them?"

He didn't answer right away, and that was answer enough. Her eyes narrowed.

"You can't." She said softly as realization dawned on her.

"Not yet." He said.

"That's not reassuring." Angelina said.

"It's not supposed to be."

Angelina looked between them. "So what do we do?"

Daniel stared out toward the city. "We find out who's sending the dreams."

"And if it's Dranum?"

His eyes darkened. "Then we do our best to stop him."

---

The first clue came the next evening, and it was almost nothing — a smell. Eva noticed it first, stopping halfway through the apartment. Daniel looked up immediately.

"What?"

She frowned. "Do you smell that?"

Angelina sniffed the air. "Burning?"

Daniel was already on his feet. "No."

Eva looked at him. "You smell it too."

"Yes."

He moved to the window, but the smoke wasn't coming from outside — it was coming from somewhere inside the apartment. His gaze swept slowly around the room and stopped on the talisman at Eva's throat.

Her hand went to her neck. The old metal charm was warm — very warm — and its symbols were glowing faintly.

"Take it off," Daniel said.

"Why?"

"Because it's reacting to something."

She pulled the chain over her head, and the instant it left her skin the glow died. Daniel took it from her and turned it over. Nothing. Then a thin black line appeared across its surface — not like a crack, more like ink bleeding through — and slowly spread into a symbol.

He recognized it, and his fingers tightened around the metal.

"That's impossible."

"What?" Eva asked.

He didn't answer.

"Daniel."

He finally looked up. "That's a marking spell."

"So?" Angelina said.

"It shouldn't be able to exist here.” Daniel said.

Nobody spoke. Eva's stomach dropped.

"Dranum?" She asked.

Daniel nodded, and the talisman went suddenly cold in his hand. A heartbeat later, every light in the apartment died at once.

Angelina drew her sword. "Okay."

Eva's eyes flashed gold. "Nobody move."

Daniel didn't move either. He listened — no footsteps, no breathing, no heartbeat. Nothing at all.

Then a whisper, right beside Eva's ear.

"You kept it."

She spun around. No one was there.

Daniel's eyes went wide. "Eva—"

Too late. Her eyes rolled back and she collapsed, and he caught her before she hit the floor.

"Eva!"

Angelina rushed over. "What happened?"

"She's unconscious."

"Can you wake her?"

He pressed two fingers to her neck. Her pulse was steady — too steady.

"She's dreaming."

"Right now?"

He nodded, jaw tight. "He's inside her mind.”

---

Eva opened her eyes in the cathedral again. Except this time it wasn't empty. Hundreds of candles burned along the walls, their flames black.

She turned slowly. A man stood at the altar with his back to her — tall, motionless.

"Who are you?"

He didn't answer. The cathedral doors slammed shut behind her, and she flinched. Then he spoke, his voice calm, almost gentle.

"You shouldn't have followed him."

Her heart raced. "Where is Daniel?"

A quiet laugh. "Always Daniel." He turned slightly, though she still couldn't see his face. "He is very good at making people believe they matter to him."

She clenched her fists. "You don't know him."

"Oh, I know him." The candles flickered. "I know him better than you ever will."

She stepped forward. "Then tell me something."

He tilted his head. "Ask."

"Why does he hate you?"

Silence, and then: "Because I made him."

She froze.

"Not his body." He stepped closer. "His fear. His anger. His loneliness." Another step. "And his capacity for violence. Those were mine."

Her eyes narrowed. "Then why hasn't he killed you?"

He smiled. "Maybe because he simply can’t or maybe because somewhere inside him, he still wants my approval."

She shook her head. "You're lying."

He laughed softly. "No." The cathedral trembled. "That's the problem."

Eva felt something behind her and turned. Daniel stood at the far end of the cathedral, blood covering his clothes, his eyes empty.

Her breath caught. "Daniel?"

He didn't move. She ran toward him. "Daniel!"

The figure spoke again, behind her. "Look carefully."

She stopped. Daniel raised his head, his crimson eyes finding hers, and smiled — not his smile. Something colder. Something older.

She stumbled back. "What did you do?"

"Nothing."

The image of Daniel began to change — his eyes darkening, his fangs lengthening, his hands curling into claws. The cathedral filled with screams that weren't hers. Children. Men. Women. Hundreds of voices.

Then Daniel spoke. "Run."

She froze, and the figure whispered behind her: "That's what he told them too."

---

The dream shattered. Eva woke up screaming, and Daniel was already holding her by the shoulders.

"Eva!"

She gasped for air. Angelina stood beside them, sword still drawn. "What happened?"

Eva looked at Daniel and, for several seconds, couldn't speak. He waited.

Finally she whispered, "I saw him."

His expression went still. "Who?"

"Dranum." She replied.

The name hung in the air between them. Daniel slowly let go of her shoulders, and she grabbed his wrist before he could pull away entirely.

"He said he made you."

His face hardened. "He didn't."

"He said he made your fear. Your anger. Your loneliness." She tightened her grip. "And your violence."

Silence. Angelina looked at him, waiting, but Daniel didn't answer.

"Is he telling the truth?" Eva asked softly.

He finally met her eyes. "Some of it."

"What does that mean?" Angelina asked.

Daniel stood. "It means he's trying to get inside your head."

"No." Eva shook her head. "He wasn't trying to scare me."

"Then what was he doing?"

She looked directly at him. "He wanted me to understand you. He wants me to see the monster you think you are." A pause. "And I did."

Angelina's hand tightened around her sword. "And?"

Eva held his gaze. "I didn't see a monster. I saw someone who was afraid."

Daniel looked away. That hurt more than any punch Dranum had ever thrown — not because she'd insulted him, but because she'd seen something he'd spent centuries hiding. And she was right. He hated her a little for it.

Outside, thunder rolled across the city. Daniel walked slowly to the window, his reflection staring back at him. For a moment he thought he saw another face standing just behind his own — a smile, a pair of green eyes. Then it was gone.

His expression hardened. "He's getting closer."

Angelina stood. "How close?"

He looked out into the darkness. "Close enough."

Eva rose behind him. "Then what do we do?"

He didn't answer, because somewhere beyond the city, hidden beneath the noise of the living world, something had already begun moving. Dranum wasn't hunting him anymore.

He was hunting the people around him.

And that changed everything.