Nicholae hadn't been able to sleep even if he'd wanted to.
That morning the events of the previous dawn had deeply disturbed him. He swore he experienced it all and nothing was a figment of his imagination.

All through the day, he looked at it from all angles. Even during Niko's training with the Shepherd Creek wolves. Cayden and Nicholae has observed the workout while Liza and Lupé did the actual job.
He'd sent Niko on home with Fauna and the others who were still at the camp when Nicholae reached there. He made sure they kept their mouths shut. But before they set off on their journey in the G wagon, Nicholae pulled Fauna aside.

'While you were down there yesterday, did anything feel weird to you? Did the body act... uh different?'

She slowly shook her head as she combed through her brain for anything.

'Sorry my lord. She was in her usual state.'
The answer was deeply unsatisfying but he waved them away and took a different route to see a mutual friend of his and Valentina.
Her hideout was very cliche. In the middle of an unhabitable part of Dolton. Even the bloodthirsty beasts didn't even venture there.
Wards and traps were effectively set to keep them all at bay. The wards were also used to prevent all nobles. And for the right reasons.

Nicholae tightly grabbed the locket that guaranteed his security.
He also hoped that Tiana remembered him after all his years of absence.
He knocked using the metallic knocker placed in the middle of the wooden door.

The peep hole slid opened and a pair of red rimmed eyes stared widely at the visitor.

'Cole. I wasn't expecting you.'
He heard a series of locks sliding in and out of place, a couple of clicks and finally a whisper of a spell.

'How many years has it been? I wouldn't be expecting me too.'

The locket allowed him to step further into the house without so much as a tickle.
Usually if anyone was powerful enough to make it this far, Tiana's last line of defense would blow them into smithereens.
Her warding magic was taken from the rib of a powerful warlock who once served the dragons. Nicholae has given it to her as a gift to protect herself and his wife.
Seeing as he was a widower now, it was safe to say, Darius wasn't  as powerful as they legends foretold much to Nicholae's regret.

'I'm happy you're here, but I have to ask why? After all these years?'

Nicholae barely gave his attention to the modestly decorated room he was ushered in.
The purple carpenter floors were not to his fancy nor was the slow moving fan made of some aesthetic crystals.
What he drew him in was the small framed picture on the wooden stand by his cushioned seat.
He took it and couldn't help but smile at the cheerful faces in the picture.

'She's the reason you came here again, isn't she?'
Tiana knelt beside him following his gaze to the beautiful curly haired girl in the black and white photo with her.

'When I came here after Valentina's death. I wasn't myself. Truthfully the entire day is a blur to me.'
Nicholae set the picture back in its place.

'I can barely remember what you told me about her death. Tell me, please help me.'

Tiana stood up and turned away from him. No doubt she too was in pain. Valentina had been a good friend. They had both served under the Lynch household.
Tiana had always supported Valentina in whatever she did. That also put her in huge trouble with the Lynch clan. That's why she was hiding.
Nicholae knew he was asking too much of her by telling her to relive the loss of her friend.

' I gave you the rib. To protect her. I asked you to cast a protective spell over her.'

Tiana took two deadly steps towards him.

'Are you trying to roll this on me? I did my part. You told me to protect the trees. You didn't tell me you drew her out of the tree. With her other half gone the spell wouldn't be effective. And you knew that. Yet you still sent for her.'
Nicholae groaned at how bad this meeting was turning out to be.
'I'm not saying it's your fault.'

'Cole, if you want me to say it wasn't your fault, I won't.'

The switch in her demeanor caused Nicholae to have a whiplash.
However it was the truth, Valentina's death was on him. There was no denying that. No matter how one looked at it, the guilty party was Nicholae 100 percent.

'I begged you to leave her alone, but you didn't. And now she's gone.'
She faced him with anger in her eyes.

The guilt Nicholae had been wrestling to minimize all these years intensified in a split second.
'You single handedly, for whatever selfish reason brought down guardian trees.'

'That's why I'm trying to fix my mistake.'
'It's too late for that now, Cole.' Her voice grew smaller as if she was tired.
'No it's not. I have another chance to make it right. With Valentina. So I need to know exactly what happened that day.'

'You called her away from the tree and someone had the opening to poison.'
Someone who was trusted by the watchers or someone powerful enough to evade them.
'I didn't. She came to me.'

'Because of you. Because of something you did to her.'
He hated hearing those words because they hit deep.
He might have as well held the poison on that fateful day. But the things was, no one knew Valentina was coming to see him. Except one person, the one who poisoned the trees.

'What kind of poison was it?'
That piece of information was never disclosed. But if anyone knew, it was Tiana.

'Nicholae, you're asking dangerous questions.' She warned him.
'The answers aren't worth the trouble. I'm hiding because I know too much.'

'I need to know. I need to do a better job of protecting the ones I love.' His voice grew louder with the passion that burned within him. For too long he stood aside and let people walk over him and assigned the protection of his loved ones to others. It was high time he grew a back bone. And that's what he was doing.
'Your son.' She remembered.
And a new arrival.

'I want the answers and I want them now. I'm not leaving until I get them Tia.'
She saw the spark ignite in his eyes. Something about him had changed after these years.

Tiana exhaled in defeat.
'Someone is going after the tree of life.' He already knew that much.
'I've heard of 'experiments' and men who cannot be compelled.'

'I've met one before. It's very true they exist. And you said they are experiments?'
Nicholae scratched his beard.
The further Nicholae dug to uncover the truth, it was the more he realized just how formidable and intelligent the foe he was up against really was.

'Yes. I'm yet to know who is creating them.'

Nicholae could bet his birthright, that it was that same person who poisoned the tree.
Tiana was a very smart person, she probably thought about that possibility already.

'That's why I need to know what kind of poison was used. I could trace it back to the killer.'

'After a hundred years?' She stared at him.
'What has changed Cole? Something had to have happened?'
She was very interested now. She moved nearer, her eyes peaked with curiosity. But those orbs would never be relieved because although Tiana was his friend, he didn't know if she could be trusted.
After all like she said, it had been years.

'I didn't tell you I sent for her. And she didn't tell you? So how did you know?'
He was aware he was changing the subject and for good reason.
'I assumed since she actually left her tree. Valentina wouldn't leave for just anyone.'
Tiana demeanor tensed up once more. Her stance looked very defensive but Nicholae wouldn't back down. The inability to trust anyone with his secrets, the inability to share his emotions and thoughts was killing him. Honestly, he needed someone to talk to, and if it was going to be Tiana, well the vetting process would be ruthless.

Out of nowhere, a memory, long forgotten was remembered.
'She told me she would always let you know when she left the tree.'
He couldn't help but sound accusing.
If Valentina had told Tiana she was going to see him, she could have altered the protective spell.

'Why are you trying to shift it on me again Cole? Was it not enough what you did to her? Now you're targeting me?'

'No.' Nicholae lowered his eyes sheepishly.
'I take full responsibility. That's why I need to make this right. The name of the poison. I'll deal with the consequences later.'

Tiana nodded her head.
He could see the distrust in her eyes, busy so far as she was willing to help him, he'd take it.

'I'll discreetly send you everything. It's been a hundred years, I'll have to dig around the place for the name.'
He accepted that.

'And any information you have about the experiment. Please.'

Tiana agreed to send him that to.
At the door, she wished him farewell and asked him to be safe.

'Tiana,'

'Hmmmm.'

'The locket?' Nicholae reached out for his locket.
He hadn't realized he didn't have it on him. He dropped it in the heat of the moment it seemed like.
Fortunately, Tiana has been ever watchful.

'Oh. Here you go. Didn't even notice I was holding it.'

The silence of the night was once more, his companion as he traveled alone in the abandoned place.

Nicholae was so sure of the security of his surroundings, he got lost in his own head.
A regrettable mistake.

By the time he heard the branch snap, it was a nanosecond too late.

A large figure was upon him, landing powerful punches in his ribs and stomach.

Nicholae bared his fangs and twisted trying to claw at the ambusher.
He landed one lucky swipe and kneed his assailant obtaining the opening he needed to escape from beneath him.

For that brief second his assaulter was dazed, So Nicholae assessed him.

He was human. Another human, an old man.
A familiar looking  old man. But from where?
He would have been able to recognize him had the scars in his face been minimal. The man looked like he'd been a chew toy at some point in his life.

He was back in his feet again ready to attack Nicholae with a vengeance.

'I command you to turn away and go back home.'
Nicholae went straighy for a powerful compulsion but this one laughed. Right in his face.
He threw a punch which connected squarely in Nicholae's jaw.
Had the vampire lord been human, the man would have broken his jaw off his face.
This punch cracked his jaw.
He stumbled back and barely missed the next onslaught.

'Your puny magic won't work on us highness.' The man said in a mocking tone.

'You can't be compelled as well.'
Nicholae's eyes went wide. Another one? Within a span of a week? This was bad.

'We're more special.'

Then the demons allowed him to see their true faces. The skin stretched like rubber under the strain of various demons trying to show their faces at once.
The human was possessed by five demons.

'You, our lord, are about to be screwed in many royal ways. You can choose one or all five.'