Silence had tugged its talons into the thick tension settled in the living room. The members of the Anderson household dared one another and the Lord to break it.

High Lord Nikolus shifted uncomfortably as a housemaid placed a tray full of snacks on the table in front of him. The sweet pastry scent tickled his senses.

Althya and Oberon sat across from him. Althya's lavender coloured dress, her perfectly curled hair, few locks over each shoulder, reaching to the middle of her chest. Her tangled hands resting on her lap, the golden bracelets like branches of trees twirled around her forearm. Her appearance did justice to the title of Grand witch she had earned years prior.

Oberon on the other hand sat comfortably, his casual clothing, an arctic polo shirt with beige pants revealed nothing of his rank. Nikolus was cognisant understanding High Warlock Oberon was harder than defining the mechanics of magic to a magicless mortal.

Lord Nikolus settled his gaze on the wall behind them, on an ancient painting drawn by one of the famous artists of an era supernaturals had not yet come to light. It distracted him from the two pairs of eyes glued to him.

After five months of visiting them on a regular basis, he still wasn't used to being scrutinised by Althya and Oberon. At least Cassandra Anderson was not present, marking the only comforting factor at the moment.

Nikolus sensed Althya's power flowing, her magic cocooning, and prodding him. He held back a wicked grin. He had double-checked before stepping into their house, ensuring the magical shield set on his powers was still intact. An unpenetrable spell making it impossible for Althya to discover anything beyond the established fact that he is a vampire.

A privilege of knowing them too well, giving him the advantage of always being on guard and careful around them.

Arthur pushed himself off the wall and spoke, "I thought you were looking for my sister." His blue eyes observed the Lord's every movement as he pushed his hands into his navy pants' pocket.

"There are over hundred of teams searching for her," he replied, holding his gaze.

"And yet there's no news from her?" Oberon asked. The corners of his mouth tugging upwards.

Nikolus nonchalant asserted, "No sir."

"Interesting," The Oberon mused and squinted, as though he could see right through Nikolus' false words.

It wouldn't be out of mind if High warlock Oberon was cognisant of the circumstances. His swirling blue eyes, glinting each time Nikolus cooked up a lie, were only a confirmation stamp. He wondered if Oberon was already mindful of the little secret he was desperately trying to hide from them.

It was surprising Althya hadn't been able to put the pieces together. He had been notified she had contacted a few of the warlocks and witches from the Occult counsel.

A vital aspect Althya did not consider was Nikolus had learned the tactics of surviving the royal court from herself. He will invariably remain three steps ahead of her, he was certain.

"Indeed. She has worked through this escape plan with astounding precision. Better than we assumed she could. The powers of a Primous never fail to surprise," the High Lord breezily stated.

"Including her parents." Althya shot a death glare to the Lord seated across from her.

Nikolus forced a tight-lipped smile. He never realised how challenging it might become being in their opposing team, treated as an outsider, and someone to mistrust. He missed the Althya who scolded him for not eating on time, or for skipping his training sessions. It was hard to look at Oberon and Althya and not be reminded of the comfortable past they had, before he ruined everything.

"Does that mean you don't know where she is? Then what are you doing here? Why aren't you helping to find her?" Arthur questioned, nearing the sofas where his parents were sitting.

"I'm aware you're worried about your sister's well-being, but you need to keep in my mind that she's a Primous and no supernatural can outrun or overpower a Primous. But rest assured, our most experienced lords and warlocks have the task in hand. In fact, my primary reason for visiting is to confirm whether you have identified a lead that might be helpful,"

Arthur rolled his eyes and stood before the Lord. "That's rather shameful for Night's Blood empire that a twenty-year-old untrained Primous has eluded an army of skilful vampires," he scoffed.

"Running and hiding isn't that hard. Primouses shapeshift. Perhaps that explains why they haven't been seen," Nik reasoned with a passive expression.

Arthur gave a half-suppressed laugh. "Night's Blood Kingdom has a Primous at its command. Quite an old and thoroughly trained one." He waved his palm, and an armchair from the other side of the room came flying over, set next to Althya's seat. He sat and crossed his legs, his smirk not wavering for a second.

Nikolus clung to his self-control. If they were alone, he would've glowered at Arthur to stop playing around with him. He cursed himself for befriending the young wizard years prior. If only he could manipulate time the way Arthur can.

"Prince Alastar does not favour the Night's Blood empire. He tends to stay out of its matters entirely," he declared.

His glowing emerald eyes dared Arthur's blue ones to continue with this wicked game he played at any given point while Nikolus visited them. As if Althya and Oberon weren't already reaching out to any imaginable resources to write down a bloody million paged documentary over the entirety of his living span, that Arthur kept prodding him while dropping clues for his parents.

Moreover, Nikolus was almost certain if Oberon happened to put the pieces together, it would only be because of Arthur's odd behaviour. Otherwise, Nikolus had entered his role as a lord fairly smoothly and acted the part his name provided for him quite convincingly.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but we have found nothing of use," Althya informed Nikolus. Her eyes bored into his, the flecks of gold shining in the sea of blue. A prominent giveaway of her annoyance due to her lack of information.

It was a relief for him; he nodded. He knew he was covering up their movements with precision, but it never hurts to be sure.

Nikolus glanced at Oberon; he seemed calm, leaning into his armchair, his elbows resting on the armrest, his fingers steepled. The ink blue gem installed in the ring Oberon wore on his right hand's middle finger shone and swirled. The platinum of its band appeared as though it had a life of its own as it grew and twirled around his finger before shrinking back and pulsating again. In that instance realisation dawned on him, the stone was Oberon's father's Psyligolapis. Oberon's father, a Primous' soul was bound to that stone.

The captivated soul of a Primous always offered immense magical energy to its wearer and often used in wars. Nikolus could not fathom why Oberon wore it. If it was meant to unnerve him, it surely was working. As if Oberon's calm demeanour wasn't unsettling enough, he was displaying raw power to some worrying extent as well.

However, if Oberon had his father's Psyligolapis on himself, it wouldn't take him much to shatter all Nikolus' shielding spells and discover everything.

But Nikolus had no strategy of inquiring without coming off suspicious. He checked Arthur's expression from the corner of his eyes; he appeared relaxed too, as if certain that Nikolus was the one behind Celestiana's fleeing.

Nikolus mustn't let any loose ends reach the Grand witch's hands or even the High Warlock.

They would instantly be in imminent danger if they found her location, and it might lead to conflict. Lyonaurd was already on terrible terms with Althya and Oberon. Nikolus was conscious he wouldn't hesitate to frame the Anderson family and get rid of them. In fact, he was just waiting for the opportunity.

But Nikolus knew better than to believe they would tolerate if Lyonaurd prodded and pushed them too far. Lyonaurd set the timer of the bomb the moment he snatched away their youngest child. A single attempt made against them from the crown prince and they will surely snap. A war would erupt. A very messy and bloody one for certain.

That was the last thing Nikolus needed. If Oberon and Althya Anderson declared war, it'd be the end of Night's Blood Kingdom. Thousands of lives would be lost, and he intended to prevent that from happening. Not to mention everything would become chaotic. Nikolus rather died ten times over than let a scratch come upon any of the Anderson family's members. But in warfare, he had to openly choose a side, and he doubted he could do that without revealing his real identity.

Duty and loyalty to kin came before all, and it was his duty to keepthe innocent and powerless people safe.

No, war was out of question.

"High Lord," Oberon called out, his voice drawing Nikolus' attention to himself. Nikolus straightened his back and held Oberon's stormy blue eyes. "You mentioned Prince Al stays away from the court's matters. Does that mean he's not helping to pursue Cel?"

"He isn't," Lord Nikolus answered firmly.

Oberon nodded. "But he is supporting the royals?" he quirked an eyebrow.

Nikolus stared at him for a moment, trying to gather where this discussion was heading to, finally, he settled with the safest response. "As I said, he doesn't favour them,"

A corner of Oberon's mouth lifted. "That is not what I was implying, my good Lord. Does he still give his blood to them?"

Nikolus was surprised, to say the least, but masked his expression with a blank one. He hated being thrown off guard, and to his misfortune, Althya and Oberon were quite remarkable at doing so.

It was valid, Alastar did give his blood to the other royals. A Primous' blood had magical powers, not only it protected whoever's veins it coursed, but it also enhanced that person's abilities. In this case, Alastar's blood was a protective shield as well as providing the chance for royal vampires to cast simple spells. As long as it remained in their system, they were untouchable.

Nikolus sternly asserted, "That's confidential, High Warlock,"

Oberon smiled at him. "I understand, I don't intend to require answers from our High Lord that would displease our monarch. The day that the Prime minister, the third in command of a nation, goes against its ruler, it marks the beginning of the countdown of that empire,"

Words left Nikolus' mind as he gawked at Oberon for a split second before regaining his composure and forcing out an acknowledgment. "True indeed,"

It was clear as the sun in daylight Oberon knew something. Nikolus glanced at Althya. She seemed suspicious, eyeing her husband. Arthur on the other hand looked amused, his features glinting with intrigue.

Perhaps Oberon had some guesses and was testing his theories, waiting to earn a reaction from Nikolus that would lead to a clearer conclusion.

He had stayed far longer than he should have. "I must take my leave. If you happen to stumble across any useful information, I hope you would inform the crown." Nikolus spoke and in a fluid motion rose to his feet. Althya's sudden movement halted him.

She stood up, and soon Oberon and Arthur joined her.

"It's important that you know we must find her before she heads to Liberal lands. Her life will be in grave danger out of this territory," Althya spoke slowly but her statement rang in his head.

For the first time, all the training and practices of the past millennia slipped from him as he stared at Althya with wide eyes. Terror froze his brain, but he soon recovered and pulled back his usual blank expression's mask on his features.

"I-I don't understand," he stammered.

Althya took a deep breath. The tremble of her fingers did not go unnoticed from his sharp eyes. "My sister, Lilithia, ruler of Liberal Kingdom, has always been covetous. Twenty-two years ago, after losing the world war five she swore she'd find a way to either slaughter or steal every Primous' power. Celest is not trained. She can't protect herself from such a deadly threat. She's the perfect prey for Lilithia," she explained.

Her words struck him hard, an unendurable blow to the gut. How could he forget Lilithia's words? He was there when she uttered her vow.

"And if Lili gets her hands on her powers." Althya shuddered. "The scales will be tipped and she might cause the whole realm to collapse, but before that, she will kill Alastar." She quavered.

The room fell silent. Lord Nikolus wished the Andersons hadn't cast spells on themselves to shield the sound of their heartbeats and their emotions' scents. He needed the distraction. With a quick glance, he noticed Arthur mirrored his shock and fright; the news must be new for him too.

For over a millennium he had lived. He had suffered pain, endured fear. No emotion was new to him. Or so he thought. The terror that began coursing through his body was unfamiliar. Something he had never experienced before. Never even realised it existed. Horror and trepidation fogged his mind. What have I done? It went round and round in the mess of his head.

In an attempt to save Celestiana from the cage Lyonaurd built for her, he led her to a path that might end her life.

"But Primouses cannot die," he spoke, more to reassure himself. Well, it wasn't entirely true; Primouses could dispatch one another, their powers strong enough to nullify the other.

Death for a Primous only meant a break from this world.

The main point was, he was not cognisant of any actively working Primous scheming against her. Not to mention there was only one alive other than Celestiana, Prince Alastar, and Nikolus knew where his alliances lied.

A mere witch couldn't harm her. He would never allow that. Nikolus would set the entire Liberal lands on fire if he had to, if it quelled this madness.

Althya elaborated, "You don't know Lilithia. It's been twenty-two years now, and I'm not willing to risk my child's life to find out whether or not she has found a way."

Grand witch Althya Anderson was incorrect. Nikolus did know Lilithia. The only individual with the capability to perturb him was Vasiliski Lilithia. When he was younger, he believed words such as mad and psychotic had been invented after linguists had encountered her. She recognised no boundaries, had no morals, making her the most dangerous person alive. He preferred being locked in a room with the King, Lyonaurd, and Melckom for a century than spend an hour with her under the same roof.

But Lilithia wasn't strong enough to act upon herself, be able to lay a finger on a Primous, even on an untrained one like Celestiana. Lilithia was the weakest of the three sisters; with Noita being a Primous and Althya the strongest witch ever, there wasn't much magic or fame left for her. Yet Althya's fearfulness led him to believe she had knowledge of something but was withholding the information. He must discover that as well. He made a note to himself.

No one in this game should have more cards than him at its disposal. Nor the upper hand. This policy was the only reason of his survival in these three years and had kept everything under his control.

Althya continued, "I can't detect where Celestiana is. Someone is blocking my attempts and has cast a concealing spell on her and Elliot. I'm also aware she can't do that."

He caught what she was hinting at. "I can assure you Vasiliki Lilithia has no spies in our lands," he promised. He'd be the first to be notified if a foreigner entered their territory.

But perhaps she meant himself? That would be amusing. He held back his smile. If Althya was considering him as a spy, then maybe Oberon was testing the same theory when he commented on his loyalty. It inferred they were going down the absolute wrong track. That bought him time.

But maybe not?

He considered it for a moment. If they suspected he was a spy, they would begin digging around ... ultimately reaching the Esmhas book. That would certainly give him away. If they go through the names, it marked the countdown of his discovery.

No, he mustn't let that happen. He could manually add his name to the record, but he was certain it would enrage Goddess Vitaria, and he did not want that.

The Goddess had taught him how to wield his powers, replacing his bone-deep fear aging over a millennium with acceptance and ease. He could not bring himself to infuriate or disappoint the Goddess. Nikolus respected her too much to meddle with her creations and spells.

Although, he could send the Anderson household elsewhere. Assign them with settling the matters in the East and Centre. It would be an ultimate win, they would be in the safe walls of the Old London's palace. Far from any threat that Lyonaurd might throw at them, and busy enough to cease searching for his actual identity.

Nikolus had successfully separated himself from his true name. If Althya figured that out, it'll waste his efforts of untying himself from his past and building a new man. They'll connect the dots and unravel what he willingly did. Oberon and Althya will despise him for good. Nevertheless, he couldn't bring himself to care for that as much as he should. Because he was certain, once everything comes out, he'll lose Celestiana for eternity. Even the mere thought of it tormented him.

Althya neared him. "I'll beg if I have to, Nikolus, save my child. Find Celest before it's too late. Please," she pleaded, drawing the Lord's attention to herself. Her eyes were glossy with tears as she held his gaze.

His throat tightened at the sight. The most powerful witch of all time stood before him and begged for her child's life.

He glanced at Oberon, and for the first time saw worry etching his calm demeanour. The man who had taught him how to stand and walk. Had instructed him how to hold a sword and cast his first spell, was at his side when he walked into his first ever battlefield. Nikolus single-handedly put his daughter in life-threatening danger.

What have I done?

The worst part was how to tell Celestiana. How could he extinguish the shine from the hope of having a future with that mortal?

He should've been more careful.

Although the court's scheming was similar to chess, it was also very much alike to dominoes too. If one piece fell, it was impossible to stop the entire structure from falling apart. Perhaps the first piece had fallen the second he made the mistake of revealing Anderson mansion's location and letting Lyonaurd into Celestiana and other Andersons' lives.

At this point, he didn't even know if Celestiana would believe or accept his words. Maybe it was better to let Althya locate her and be the bearer of the news.

The vibration in his pocket cut his thoughts short. He fished out his phone. Pyriom's ID flashed on the screen.

He answered the call. The distant noise from the other end for a sickening moment caused him to consider if Melckom had ordered his friends to be locked in the dungeons. He didn't need that trouble to add to the long and growing list of issues.

"We have a problem," Pyriom's breathless voice came. Nikolus prepared himself for the worst. "Melckom caught that bastard of a human boy. I can't control the situation,"

He hung up, not knowing what to think or feel. He turned to the Andersons. "Apparently my team has found her," he informed them with a forced tight-lipped smile.

In the next flash, he was out of the house and in his car, speeding down the alley. After getting a safe distance away from the mansion, he teleported himself to a spot near the human base city.

I apologise for the length of this chapter, I know it was too long but it was necessary for the world-building. What do you think about this chapter? I hope it wasn't confusing.

And Elliot has been caught too XD Do you think it's for the best that he has been caught, or did you still want them to go? =)

Also college is reaching its full blow, and I won't be able to update on Sundays. From now on, the updates will be on Fridays.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it ^.^