Evie's throat felt dry. She had clung too tightly to her own assumptions, convinced Lucas had killed the magistrate over personal malice. But now, listening to him, really listening, she realized just how wrong she'd been.
She cleared her throat nervously. He was still standing behind her, so she couldn't see his face.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I made the wrong assumption. I should've trusted you."
Lucas's voice came calmly, with a hint of amusement. "And the accusation?"
Evie turned to face him. His smile was thin but not cruel.
"And the false accusation," she admitted, clasping her hands together. "I'm truly sorry, Lucas. I'll make it up to you."
He raised an eyebrow. "Make it up to me how?"
She hesitated. "Um... how about I buy you a coffee?"
Lucas grinned. "How about blood tea?"
Evie's face lost all color. "They don't serve that," she muttered under her breath.
"Really? We can hunt for it, then," he said with a shrug, moving to grab his jacket. Even for a vampire, the chill in the air made him reach for warmth. As he looked back at her, he noticed something.
"You never wear a coat, Miss Evelyn. Immune to the cold?"
"I wouldn't say immune," she replied as they left the teashop together. "Coats just make me feel sweaty and uncomfortable. Besides, the weather's kind of warm today."
They walked through a narrow council corridor, dark and musty with the scent of decaying rats. Evie wrinkled her nose. "So, this hunt... what exactly do you mean by that? You're not planning to hunt humans, right?"
Lucas smirked, his eyes glinting. They turned left into a cleaner, brighter hall. "If I were hunting humans, I wouldn't have brought Miss Evelyn along. That'd be very ungentlemanly of me."
"So, you would if I weren't here?" she asked, raising a brow.
Lucas gave her a mock-offended look. "You must think so little of me. Do I look like a reckless bloodhound to you?"
Evie sighed in relief, but then he added smoothly, "Besides, I'm a handsome man, Miss Evelyn."
They had reached the council's grand exit, and his voice echoed clearly. Several people outside turned their heads. Of course, he was handsome—but did he have to announce it to the world?
When their eyes drifted to Evie, standing beside him, whispers started. She looked neat, but her dress was plain and clearly of a lower class. Some wondered if Lucas had truly lowered his standards, taking interest in a village girl.
"There are many noble ladies who gladly offer their blood to me," Lucas said with casual arrogance.
Evie's smile faded. She didn't reply. Something about the word "noble" struck her. It was a reminder. A painful one. He was a councilman—likely close to the Lord himself. Surrounded by rich, powerful women with titles and polished shoes. And then there was her... a nobody. She hadn't thought of it until now, but suddenly, it was hard to ignore.
"Miss Evelyn? Can you hear me?" Lucas waved a hand in front of her face, pulling her from her thoughts.
Evie blinked and looked up at him. They were now standing beside his carriage. The coachman had already opened the door.
"We're going on a hunt," Lucas said, emphasizing the word forest as if to reassure her. He offered his hand.
She took it silently and climbed in, settling beside the window. Lucas took the seat opposite her.
"What kind of woman," Evie asked, after a moment, eyes on his mouth, "does Mr. Lucas prefer to take blood from?"
Her voice was steady, but her heart wasn't. All she could imagine were those lips pressed to a delicate, porcelain neck... someone beautiful, someone refined.
Lucas tilted his head, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Now that's a curious question, Miss Evelyn."
Evie shrugged, trying to sound casual, though her cheeks had already betrayed her. "I'm just wondering what your type is. For, you know, blood."
Lucas chuckled, eyes glinting as the carriage rumbled down the path leading toward the woods. "You make it sound like a romantic preference."
"Isn't it?" Evie shot back before she could stop herself.
He leaned back, resting one arm on the window ledge. "I don't choose based on love or looks. When I do take blood, it's with consent and rarely. I don't enjoy the hunger—it's a reminder of what I am, not who I want to be."
Evie looked at him, this time with a little less fear and a bit more curiosity. "Do you feel anything when you drink blood? Guilt, maybe?"
Lucas turned his gaze to the trees outside, the sunlight now flickering between branches. "Sometimes. It depends on who it's from. Some people offer it with kindness, others with expectation. But the guilt... the guilt comes when I take it from someone who doesn't understand what it means."
Evie nodded slowly. "You must think I'm silly for asking all these questions."
"I think you're brave for asking them," Lucas said, turning his gaze back to her. "Most people pretend not to care about the truth. You, on the other hand, marched into my life and demanded it."
She smiled faintly. "I didn't demand it."
"You kind of did," he teased. "But I didn't mind."
"You can drop the honorifics and just call me...
"You can drop the honorifics and just call me…"
Evie paused, her voice faltering as the words trembled on her tongue.
"Vie," she finally said, her tone soft but sincere.
Lucas's smile twitched into something real—genuine and just a little surprised. "Vi," he repeated, letting the nickname roll off his tongue like it was something precious. "I'll try not to overuse it."
Before she could respond, the carriage lurched violently.
The horses neighed, hooves pounding the dirt in a frantic, jarring rhythm. The entire cabin swayed as if something had blocked the road or startled the animals. Evie grabbed the edge of the seat to steady herself, her eyes darting to Lucas, who didn't flinch.
"What's going on?" she asked, trying to keep the tremble out of her voice.
Lucas leaned slightly, peeking out through the slit in the curtain before settling back in his seat. "Probably nothing serious," he said casually. "Stay here. I'll handle it."
The door opened with a low groan, and before she could protest, he stepped out into the daylight, shutting the door behind him. A moment later, the windows darkened. Not naturally it was like something had cloaked the carriage from within, swallowing the light whole.
Evie's breath hitched. The silence was sudden. Heavy. She stared into the dim interior and felt the hairs on her neck stand.
Something was off.
And then she realized someone was sitting across from her.
Her pulse jumped. She hadn't heard the door open again. Hadn't felt a shift in the carriage. But there it was: a figure, still and silent, directly opposite her.
She squinted, trying to make out the face. But the shadows clung to it like a veil.
"Lucas?" she whispered, heart pounding.
The figure didn't move. Didn't speak. Just… sat there. Watching.
Then, slowly, its lips curled into a smile. Not like the one she'd come to know—this one was cold, wrong. It made her stomach twist.
Before she could scream, the door swung open again.
The light flooded in, revealing the real Lucas, eyes alert. He stepped inside quickly and shut the door behind him.
"Sorry for the delay," he said smoothly.
The carriage rocked slightly as he took his seat.
Evie blinked, glancing to the other sideempty.
No figure. No shadow. No trace.
"What… what was that?" she whispered.
Lucas gave her a strange look. "What was what?"
Her lips parted, but the words wouldn't come. Maybe she'd imagined it. Maybe not. But the tension in her shoulders didn't ease.
Lucas smiled again, but this time it didn't reach his eyes. "Just some pests on the road. Attention-seekers."
Then, without another word, he leaned back, closed his eyes, and tilted his head toward the window like nothing had happened.