CA – Chapter 134
Chapter 134
Although the town of Tavis had a small population of only a few hundred, people of all ages and types—men, women, old, and young, with blonde, brown, or black hair—had been brought before Lucille. Yet not a single one had stirred her desire to feed.
Claire sat on a chair, bored, flipping through a book of poetry. His gaze occasionally swept toward the closed stone door. The door was pushed open from the inside, and Delia emerged, leading a few trembling humans.
Claire clicked his tongue. He tossed the book aside, uncrossed his legs, and in a flash, he had a human by the neck with one hand. He lowered his head and bit into the man's throat. Blood gushed out, soaking the front of his clothes.
Claire's sudden feeding terrified the other humans. Their screams made Delia frown, and she signaled for the vampires guarding the door to take them away.
"Such delicious blood, and she's not even interested." Claire tossed aside the now-dead human, licking his lips with a sated expression. His eyes were glazed over, still lost in the pleasure of drinking blood.
The scent of blood made Delia a little hungry as well, but she had never liked such a cruel way of feeding. She swallowed a few times and forcibly suppressed the urge to eat.
She moved away from Claire to the terrace, placing her hands on the railing and looking up at the bright moon in the sky. The moonlight illuminated the night but could not penetrate the gloom in her eyes.
A sudden wolf's howl shattered the silence of the moonlit night. A gray wolf appeared near the white castle. It stood on a rooftop, tilted its head back, and let out a long, high-pitched howl. Soon, more than a dozen white and gray wolves appeared nearby, howling in response, their voices filled with uncontrollable excitement and agitation.
They stared down at the white castle, their predatory gazes fixed on it as if it were prey already in their grasp.
The vampires patrolling nearby heard the sounds and all rushed back, their red eyes looking exceptionally sinister in the darkness.
The lead gray wolf sharpened its claws on the stone tiles before lunging down, with the other gray and white wolves following close behind.
Delia watched the situation below from the terrace, her hands gripping the railing tightening involuntarily. Claire heard the commotion and came over to take a look, his brow furrowing. "Damned werewolves."
"Quickly, use the scroll to summon Elder Evan back."
Delia took out a scroll and twirled it in her hand, glancing down at the chaos below. "You go down and intercept those werewolves," she said, her tone worried. "I'll stay up here and keep an eye on Lucille."
On a full moon night, werewolves were ferocious and powerful fighters. Even fifth-generation vampires were being overwhelmed, unable to fight back. Seeing the carnage below, Claire's eyes turned cold. He raised a hand to activate his Blood Domain and leaped from the terrace.
He landed directly on the back of a white wolf, hooked an arm around its neck, and slammed it viciously to the ground. The white wolf lay on the ground, letting out a pained whimper.
After Claire jumped down, Delia put the scroll away. She gazed down at the chaotic battle for a moment, then expressionlessly raised a hand and closed the terrace window.
At the back of the white castle, Erin was frantically stuffing all the life-saving items she could find in her Space Gem into Tang Qiu's hands. The chaotic howls of wolves filled her ears, and worry and unease churned within her. She bit her lip and said anxiously, "Why don't you take Little Fur Ball with you?"
Although the blonde-haired bishop had said the third-generation vampire wasn't in the castle, Erin was still worried. Who knew if this was a trap?
She believed Tang Qiu thought so too, because if there was truly only a fourth-generation vampire inside, she wouldn't have asked her and Lola to just provide support from the outside.
It was because she couldn't be sure of the situation inside that she chose to go in alone.
Tang Qiu merely smiled at Erin's worry. She gently pushed away the Little Fur Ball Erin offered, then patted the head of Kama, who was clinging to her leg. "Don't worry," she soothed in a soft voice. "I'll be careful. If I don't show up at the agreed-upon time, just toss Little Fur Ball inside."
Erin forced a smile and sighed. "I'll try my best to aim well."
Tang Qiu chuckled. She pulled Kama away and pushed her toward Erin, then glanced up at the castle. Pulling her hood down, she whispered, "I'm going." With that, she turned and left.
Erin watched her retreating back with a grave expression until she disappeared. Lola, who had been standing silently beside them, spoke up. "We should go too."
After rescuing Lucille, they would need a safe place to stay. The third-generation vampire would not let them go easily.
Perhaps because the vampires' attention was completely drawn by the werewolves, Tang Qiu managed to sneak into the castle from the rear with surprising ease. The Tzimisce clan certainly knew how to enjoy life; the castle was carpeted with soft, crimson rugs, and even the corridors were adorned with golden ornaments.
The castle was eerily quiet. Tang Qiu scanned her surroundings and closed her eyes slightly. Because of the chaotic battle between the vampires and werewolves outside, the surrounding auras were fluctuating wildly, making it impossible for her to sense Lucille's presence.
Tang Qiu frowned and began to search, floor by floor.
Evan was very confident in his territory, so Lucille had been locked up directly on the top floor. When Tang Qiu found it, even the door to the stone chamber was wide open.
She paused for a moment, cautiously glancing left and right before striding into the chamber.
Rows of stone platforms filled the room, but Tang Qiu's eyes immediately found Lucille, who was slumped against a corner, unconscious.
Her condition was terrible. Her face was frighteningly pale, her lips were nearly colorless, and she looked utterly weak.
Tang Qiu's eyes narrowed, her expression growing colder. She walked over to Lucille, knelt down, and gently touched her face. The icy coldness under her palm made her press her lips together. "Lucille," she called out, her voice a little hoarse.
Lucille's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. Confusion flickered in their depths for a moment before clarity returned. She raised a hand to grab Tang Qiu's wrist, the attached chains clattering loudly. "...I'm fine."
"You don't look fine." Tang Qiu took out the blood she had prepared from her Space Gem. She uncorked the vial and held it to Lucille's lips, a habitual smile gracing her own. "What did Evan do to you?" she asked softly.
The familiar scent made Lucille lick her lips. She opened her mouth and drank the blood from the vial, her dark red eyes fixed on Tang Qiu. Once she felt some strength return to her arms, she tugged on Tang Qiu's wrist, pulling her closer. Her blood-stained lips gently pressed against the corner of Tang Qiu's mouth.
The warm, soft touch made Lucille linger. She rested her head on Tang Qiu's shoulder and whispered, "He took my blood."
Her voice was low and faint from weakness. Tang Qiu stroked Lucille's hair, inhaling her familiar scent as the iciness in her own eyes slowly melted. She leaned close to Lucille's ear and asked with a smile, "Were you scared?"
Her tone held a hint of teasing. Lucille was usually so strong and cold; it wasn't often she saw her "relying" on her like this, showing her vulnerable side.
Lucille looked up slightly, glanced at Tang Qiu, and said flatly, "...No."
She leaned against the wall and held up her hands to show Tang Qiu the chains.
Although her expression had returned to its usual impassiveness, her gaze on Tang Qiu still held a faint tenderness. Her taut nerves slowly relaxed because of Tang Qiu's earlier teasing.
The chains were specially made and not easy to break. Tang Qiu tried a few times, her brow furrowing. "...Let's just go."
The chains were bound to Lucille's body; they could deal with them after they got out.
She helped Lucille to her feet and they walked out of the stone chamber. The space within the castle was locked, so they had to leave its perimeter to use a teleportation scroll.
Just as the two left the chamber, the window of the opposite terrace was suddenly thrown open. A dark figure leaped in from outside, its blood-red eyes fixed on Tang Qiu and Lucille. It narrowed its eyes and chuckled. "I've found a little thief."
Claire tilted his head. He didn't see Delia, who should have been guarding the area. Connecting that to the fact that Evan hadn't been summoned back by the scroll, he sneered, "Delia, that traitor."
Claire flashed forward, blocking Tang Qiu and Lucille's path. Lucille's hand on Tang Qiu's wrist tightened slightly. Tang Qiu squeezed her waist reassuringly and whispered, "Trust me."
Lucille looked at her, then silently let go and retreated to the wall.
Tang Qiu softly chanted an incantation, and a Light Barrier appeared above Lucille's head, enveloping her.
The appearance of the Light Barrier stunned Claire. He looked at Tang Qiu in surprise, rubbing his nose and muttering, "What's this, someone from the Holy See?" But why did he smell a werewolf?
And those sharp claws... since when did werewolves learn light magic?
Claire eyed Tang Qiu suspiciously for a few moments, finding her rather fascinating. "A thief with a dual identity, I see."
"I always thought there was nothing in this world that could make me angry." Tang Qiu pulled off her hood, her snow-white hair cascading down her back. She unfastened her cumbersome cloak and tossed it aside. Rolling up her sleeves, she said with a smile, "But I overestimated myself. I'm very angry right now."
"Oh?"
"Do I have to kill you to get out of here?"
Hearing her say this with a smile, Claire felt provoked. He sneered, his hands already clenched into fists at his sides. He shot toward Tang Qiu like a bolt of lightning, but his fist was stopped in mid-air. Sharp claws neared his throat, and the force gripping his wrist was shockingly powerful.
Claire dodged Tang Qiu's attack, retreating several steps. Though his face was expressionless, he was inwardly horrified. This strength and speed... it was a world of difference from the werewolves outside.
At the end of the corridor, Delia hid in the darkness, quietly observing Tang Qiu and Claire. Her gaze was focused mainly on Tang Qiu. The fighting prowess of a werewolf on a full moon night was truly astonishing. Claire had almost no ability to fight back and was constantly being suppressed.
Tang Qiu was an excellent and talented werewolf, even more so than Ophelia.
When Ophelia was her age, she hadn't been nearly as strong.
Delia held a ring of keys in her hand, a thoughtful expression dawning on her face.
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