Chapter 23: The Edge of Loyalty

“Daniel” I called out to him…

“Daniel.”

I called out to him.

He looked at me immediately.

“You don’t need to say anything,” I told him.

I turned and stepped out of the pool. Water trailed down my body as I grabbed a towel from the arm of a nearby chair and wrapped it around myself.

Then I walked around the pool to where Daniel and Timi were.

“Walk with me,” I said to Timi.

“Ohhh,” Timi said dramatically. He turned to Daniel with a grin. “Seems like I’m in trouble. Anyway, we’ll continue our chat later.”

He jumped out of the pool.

I quickly looked away, not wanting to see him completely exposed. A second later, I heard fabric rustle as he wrapped a towel around his waist.

“Well, well, well,” he said as he followed me. “What do you want to talk about?”

I didn’t answer.

I walked out of the pool chamber and into the long glowing corridor. The blue crystal walls reflected faint light as guards passed us, bowing slightly to Timi.

As we walked, he spoke first.

“How is Tunde? Last time I saw you, you two were always together. Especially after you got banished.”

“He’s back home,” I replied calmly. “Where he belongs.”

Timi slowed down slightly.

“That’s only possible if you found the Dhampir.”

I stayed silent.

He stopped walking.

“…Have you found him?”

He looked at my face and understood.

“Tell me what he’s like.”

“He looks like his father,” I said.

“You mean your dad?” he corrected lightly. “Anyway… did you kill him? Or did you just take him home?”

“I killed him.”

He studied me carefully.

“All by yourself?” he asked suspiciously. “I find that hard to believe. Unless his powers haven’t fully activated yet.”

“Perhaps.”

He hummed.

“But then why aren’t you back home? Why are you here with this baby vampire?”

I stopped walking and faced him.

“Listen. I need to talk to you about him.”

“Fine,” he sighed. “I know where we should go. Come with me.”

He led me toward a curved staircase hidden behind a tall crystal pillar. The staircase spiraled upward endlessly, glowing faint blue with every step.

We climbed.

Up.

And up.

Until we reached an open balcony high above the kingdom.

We sat at the very edge.

It was breathtaking.

From up there, you could see the entire kingdom stretching across the frozen mountains. Crystal towers shimmered under the pale sky. Blue lights lined the pathways like glowing veins.

The wind was strong and cold, but refreshing.

Below us, warriors were gathering the bodies of the fallen Braves. They stacked them together before setting them ablaze. Flames rose into the night, and smoke drifted upward toward us.

“This has always been my favorite spot in the whole kingdom,” Timi said quietly.

“Yeah,” I replied, looking out at the mountains. “You can really see everything from up here. And the wind… it’s amazing. I can see why you decided not to leave.”

He chuckled.

“No. That’s not it.”

“Then what is the reason you decided to abandon me? And abandon your home?”

He looked at me sideways.

“I could ask you the same. Why did you abandon your home?”

“I got banished by my dad.”

“But you killed the Dhampir,” he said. “You can go home now. But instead, you decide to ruin your chances of going back by sharing our sacred blood with an unworthy human.”

“Hey.”

I looked at him sharply.

“He is the most worthy of every vampire I’ve ever turned.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes. Really.”

He nodded slowly.

“Alright. Now let’s have a serious conversation.”

He leaned forward slightly.

“We’re planning to attack the Braves prince’s villa tomorrow at midnight. We were supposed to attack tonight, but after the surprise battle we just faced, we had to reschedule.”

He glanced at me.

“Luckily for us, we now have you.”

He snapped his fingers lightly.

“And… what’s his name again?”

“Daniel.”

“Yes. We have you and Daniel now.”

I stared down at the burning bodies below. The smell was starting to reach us.

“So,” he said quietly, “what do you say… dear Juliet?”

“I’ll have to talk to him first.”

“Fair enough.”

We sat in silence for a while.

Then Timi spoke again.

“What do you think the Count will say if he finds out we’re here fighting someone else’s battle instead of being by his side?”

I laughed.

“He would probably get angry. Imprison us like he did his brothers. And destroy this civilization just to teach us a lesson about why we shouldn’t turn our backs on family.”

We looked at each other.

And burst into laughter.

“Your dad is a real asshole,” Timi said.

“Yep,” I replied. “You can say that again.”

Suddenly—

A huge bell rang.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

“Wow,” I said softly. “I’ve missed that sound.”

Timi stood.

“Time for dinner.”

We went down the stairs and entered the great dining hall reserved for the royal family and the warriors favored by the king — including honored guests.

A long crystal table stretched across the hall, covered in different types of food: roasted meats glazed in dark sauces, bowls of steaming stew, fresh bread, bright fruits, and large silver goblets filled with dark wine.

Warriors sat along both sides.

At the front of the hall sat the King and his pregnant Queen, elevated slightly above the rest. Their young children sat beside them.

Timi and I took our seats.

That’s when I saw Daniel.

He was seated across from us, a few seats away. Beside him sat a young Nhim girl with blue hair.

They were talking.

Comfortably.

I felt relief.

At least he wasn’t alone.

The King said a few words in their language.

The feast began.

After a while, the Queen stood and left the hall.

Soon music filled the room. Laughter echoed. Someone threw a piece of bread. It turned into a playful food fight. Warriors laughed loudly.

It was lively.

Fun.

And Daniel looked like he was enjoying himself.

He didn’t even notice I was there.

Eventually the dinner ended.

People began leaving one by one.

Including Timi.

When only a few of us remained at the table, Daniel finally saw me.

I waved.

He waved back.

The Nhim girl leaned in and whispered something in his ear before standing and leaving.

Then Daniel walked over and sat beside me.

“Took you long enough to notice me,” I said.

“Are you getting jealous?” he teased.

“No way,” I replied calmly. “I’m just glad you made a friend.”

“Yeah,” he said. “When I was about to leave the pool, I bumped into her. She’s the Queen’s niece. She said she watched me in the battle… said I was brave. So she waited until I was alone so she could talk to me.”“

Weren’t you surprised she could speak English?” I asked.

Daniel blinked. “Yeah, I was. It caught me off guard.”

He leaned back in his chair, animated again.

“But she said just because they’re isolated doesn’t mean they’re illiterate. Apparently, they know everything about the outside world.”

I raised a brow. “Everything?”

“Everything,” he repeated excitedly. “Including Netflix. Can you believe that?”

I stared at him.

He laughed. “I know, right? I said the same thing.”

“And how exactly does a hidden Antarctic kingdom keep up with Netflix?” I asked dryly.

He shrugged. “According to her, the U.S. government keeps their existence classified. Antarctica’s already restricted territory, so it’s easy to scare off tourists. She said they can’t risk their… ‘sketchy operations’ being exposed.”

I almost smiled.

“And her people don’t mind staying hidden?”

“Nope,” he said. “She said they don’t want to be infected by the outside world.”

“Seems like you’ve talked a lot,” I observed.

“Come on,” he protested lightly. “She’s just curious what it’s like being a vampire.”

“Seems like you have a crush.”

He groaned. “Oh, stop it. We’re just fascinated by each other. That’s all.”

I watched him carefully.

Newly turned.

Newly powerful.

Newly alive.

“Daniel,” I said, my tone shifting slightly. “I need to talk to you about something.”

He straightened. “What is it?”

“We’re planning to attack the intruders who invaded this place. Tomorrow night. Timi asked for our help.”

I paused.

“I told him I’d ask you first.”

“I’m in.”

The response was immediate.

I blinked. “Just like that?”

“Yeah,” he said without hesitation. “I’d give anything to feel that adrenaline again. What I felt earlier… I’ve never felt anything like it.”

There it was.

The hunger wasn’t just physical.

It was emotional.

“But you should know,” I added carefully, “this will be more of a sneak attack. Strategic. Controlled.”

“No problem,” he said easily. “I’m sure I’ll get to feed again, so it’s a win.”

I studied him.

He was smiling.

Excited.

Too excited.

I forced a small

smile back. “I’m glad you’re enjoying your vacation.”

He met my eyes, softer now.

“There’s no place I’d rather be.”

And for a brief second—

I wasn’t sure if he meant the kingdom.

Or beside me.