The guards exchanged glances as Oda continued, "Because your Baroness is the only one who might recognize what he is. He's not a forsaken vampire. There are marks on him?" He gestured to Yittann's exposed forearm where strange scars formed patterns. "And my Commander had found him near the ruins of old Redstone Castle. The same ruins and Redstone Castle your scholars, Masters and their students have been begging to explore for decades."
Carli shot Oda a sharp look—this wasn't part of their agreed story—but seized the opportunity. "My brother arranged this meeting precisely because the Baroness has studied the old bloodlines. Or would you rather explain to her why you turned away potential answers about the lost clan and lost vampires?"
Carli's boot crunched gravel as she stepped forward. "My brother didn't secure this invitation for pleasantries. Shall I tell him his trust was misplaced?"
