Benjamin stomped on the living room door of the Knight Mansion, swinging it open. The sunlight slipping past the high-arched windows slapped Nikolas' eyes and he narrowed them. Beads of sweat occupied his forehead and some trickled down his spine.

But none of that was compared to the excruciating pain in his right arm. It was burnt and had blisters. He wasn't healing as fast as he should. Benjamin shut close the door and laid Nikolas on a brown settee.

"Get out," Benjamin said to the servants at the four corners of the white walled room. "Now!"

"Yes, Master Knight," they chorused and ran out of the room.

Benjamin held up Nikolas' burnt arm. "Shit, she roasted your bloody arm."

"That bitch," Nikolas muttered and gritted his teeth. He had heard her scream earlier and went down to the library to find what happened to her. And in return for saving her life, she burnt him with this dangerous light he was well acquainted with. He managed to escape death by the skin of his teeth. If Benjamin wasn't there to pull him away, he would've been ash by now.

"That was Light Holia," Benjmain said. "There is no mistaking it. She's the one. The last blood line of the Merovignian dynasty."

Light Holia was the special power the royal bloodline of Merovignia possessed. Legends say it was gifted to them by God as a way to protect the Holy Grail they were entrusted with. The light was strong enough to destroy any dark force--even day-walking vampires like Nikolas who was immune to sunlight.

"Fucking Adeline Smith." Nikolas winced as the searing pain in his arm tortured him. "Who would've known."

Benjamin held the bridge of his nose. "I didn't expect it either."

"And it had to be a bloody woman." Nikolas laughed, the pain in his arm still ever evident. Sweat tricked down his forehead. "This is a fucking joke."

They had two things to worry about now. Firstly, the Williams twins. And secondly, what happened minutes ago. He hadn't told his brother about the William's twins yet because he didn't want him or anyone in the family to panic. Now was the time they needed to stay concentrated more than ever.

"Your compulsion didn't work on her." Benjamin paced to and fro, his leather shoes tapping on the wooden floor. "Which means she vividly remembers everything that happened."

"I believe she has some sort of immunity to vampiric compulsion." Nikolas coughed, the blisters on his burnt arm popping. "It would explain why my compulsion didn't work."

The door at the entrance creaked open and Sarai and Mrs Knight walked in, concern imprinted in their eyes.

"Nik," Sarai zoomed to him and knelt next to the settee he laid on. Her blue eyes observed the slowly healing wound on her brother's arm, "what happened to you?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you and mother everything," Benjamin said, stopping his pacing. "But for now, we have to give him something that can soothe his pain."

"He's healing slowly." Sarai eyes were tied with confusion. "How is that possible?"

"Like I said, long story."

Mrs Knight tapped Sarai on the shoulder and once she had her attention, she communicated with her fingers,

"Get me two utazi leaves, one bitter leave and a mortar and pestle."

"Nik, stay strong, I'll be back." Sarai rushed out of the room and in seconds, she darted into the room, the essentials in her hands. Their mother began mixing the herbs together and mashing them with the pestle. Once she was done, she added two drops of water to the mixture. She proceeded to take a handful and smear it over the wound.

The cool greenish paste instantly serenaded Nikolas' pain and his mother wrapped a bandage over the burns. She was a physician's assistant before they were turned into vampires. So she knew what she was doing.

This newly found relief Nikolas discovered was accompanied by a strong irrefutable urge to take a rest. His heavy eye lids closed and the last thing he heard before he drifted away was his sister asking his brother to narrate what happened.

****
"God, my head hurts," Adeline said, waking up from her slumber, her fingers running over her aching temples.

The blinding fair light phasing through her bedroom windows licked her face with a warm touch and the creaking brown door at the end of her room caught her attention. In walked Mei Lin with a tray containing two mugs that released tendrils of steam into the sky.

"Mei Lin?"

"Thank goodness, you're awake!" Mei Lin hurried to the bed and settled the tray on a bedside table. She ran her fingers over Adeline's face, inspecting it. "Are you fine? Are you okay? Does anywhere hurt? Did anyone touch you?"

"My, my," Adeline said, smiling. "I didn't know you were a questionnaire."

Mei Lin chuckled. "I'm being serious. Mr James found you lying unconscious in the library hours ago. What happened before that?"

Adeline's memories flooded back, her eyes widening at the sheer incredulity of it. But it couldn't be possible. If it was, it would confirm all of Mei Lin's believe in the supernatural. God, what was happening to Adeline? Never in her life did she think she would ever think of the possibility of the existence of things like what she saw.

Red eyes.

Fangs.

Incredible speed.

"Mei Lin, do you still have that vampire book you were reading to me?" Adeline asked, getting out of bed. Her head throbbed once her feet made contact with the cold marble flood. It was like her brain was being drilled with a bloody hammer.

"Yes, I do. Adeline!" Mei Lin scolded, holding her friend's arms. "The doctor said you should get a lot of rest before you even dare to move around."

Believe me, if what I saw was true, rest is the last thing we want. Adeline obeyed and got into bed again. She didn't want to trouble her friend.

"Stay here, let me go get the book." Mei Lin motioned for Adeline to stay put. "And don't you dare move."

"Yes, ma'm."

Mei Lin rolled her eyes and left the room. A minute later she came back with a book. It was the one she was reading to Adeline during their drive to the protest in Mayfair.

"Why do you want the book anyway?" Mei Lin sat back in bed. She flipped through the pages. "You never liked reading books about vampires or werewolves."

"Can you read to me the part you read earlier? The part about red eyes and fangs."

Mei Lin narrowed her eyes at her friend. "This is very unsual." She grinned and hopped excitedly on the bed. "But I'll take this opportunity because it may never come again!"

Adeline sighed. Not the over enthusiasm again.

"Fangs, amber eyes, pale skin," Mei Lin began speaking, "My brother was the most handsome of the both of us and also the bravest. Once a Templar Knight and now a vampire. In 1307, the Pope ordered the killing of all Templar Knights after claiming he had a divine revelation from God that they were satan worshippers. This of course, was a lie. My brother escaped but as a result, he was cursed by a priest to be a vampire and our family wasn't an exception too."

"Stop," Adeline bit her finger, the gears of her mind working. Nikolas had amber eyes. He also had fangs. "From what perspective is this story written?"

"The brother."

"What is the name of the brother?"

"He doesn't say it. But the name of his brother is Nikolas."

Adeline's eyes widened as the pin dropped. It all made sense. It all made bloody sense now! She ran her hands through her afro curls, her mind flabbergasted.

"Addie, what is it?" Mei Lin asked, settling the book.

"Mei, do vampires age?"

"No, they retain the age they were when they were turned." Mei Lin narrowed her eyes. "Where are you going with all this?"

"Mei Lin, there's something you need to know." Adeline locked her hands together.

"What is it, Addie? You're scaring me."

"I have a theory here." She pointed at the book. "This book isn't a novel. It's a diary written by Benjamin Knight about Nikolas Knight and his family."

******

Author's note: Dun, dun, dun. None of you expected that, did you?

I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Yours truky,

Lord Victor Hastings.