The Brotherhood Of The Damned.

The silence of the library wrapped around us like a shroud, broken only by the rustle of pages and the distant creak of old wood. I stared at the table, my mind still replaying Lawrence's words, the hunter's blade, and the burning hunger that clawed at the edges of my control.

"You're lucky it was hunters tonight," a voice said, calm and sharp as a knife slicing through the quiet.

I jerked my head up to see Kadir standing near one of the tall bookshelves, his silhouette barely distinguishable from the shadows. His sudden presence set my nerves on edge. I hadn't even sensed him approach.

"I'm starting to think you enjoy sneaking up on me a lot," I said, my tone sharper than intended.

Kadir stepped closer, his expression unreadable. "If I wanted to sneak up on you, boy, you wouldn't have noticed until it was too late."

"Enough, Kadir," Lawrence said, his voice weary but firm. "He's been through enough for one night."

Kadir smirked faintly, though his gaze didn't leave mine. "Has he? Because from where I'm standing, the night's only getting started."

"What do you want?" I asked, my exhaustion fraying the edges of my patience.

"To offer you a choice," Kadir said smoothly, leaning against the edge of the table. "Stay here tonight. This library is warded, protected from anything that might want to sink its teeth into you. Or..." He gestured vaguely toward the door. "Walk out there and take your chances."

"I can handle myself," I said, the words coming out reflexively.

Kadir raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yes. Handling yourself worked out so well earlier, didn't it?"

I bristled, my jaw tightening.

"Kadir," Lawrence said warningly, but Kadir waved him off.

"Let me put it another way, boy. You're a half-blood with a reputation, whether you like it or not. Vampires are already whispering about you, and tonight's little fiasco has painted a target on your back. You've dealt with hunters, yes—but they're just one piece of this game. Do you really want to risk facing the rest so soon?"

"I have class in the morning," I said flatly.

Kadir's laugh was cold, humorless. "School. Of course. Because your scholarship is far more important than your life."

I stood, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. "You don't get it. I worked to get here. I left everything behind for this chance. I can't just throw it away because of—because of this."

Kadir's expression darkened, the mocking edge vanishing. "You think any of that matters if you're dead? You've been marked, boy. Whether by hunters, vampires, or your own kind, someone's always going to be coming for you. So ask yourself—what's more important? Your pride or your survival?"

The words struck a nerve, but I couldn't deny the truth behind them.

"Fine," I muttered, sitting back down. "I'll stay. But only because you're insufferable."

Kadir smirked again, but there was no warmth in it. "Good choice."

He turned to leave, his footsteps silent against the library's worn floorboards.

"Try not to die," he added over his shoulder before disappearing into the shadows as abruptly as he'd arrived.

The silence that followed felt heavier somehow. Lawrence lingered for a moment, as if weighing whether to say something, but then he, too, walked away, leaving me alone at the table.

Or so I thought.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Sia said, sliding into the seat across from me.

I blinked, startled. "Were you just... waiting for an entrance?"

"Something like that," she said with a shrug, placing a steaming cup of tea on the table. "Here. You look like you could use it."

"I don't drink tea," I said automatically.

"Good thing I didn't ask," she shot back, pushing the cup closer.

I stared at it, the faint floral scent rising with the steam. My hunger stirred faintly at the smell of her blood, but I pushed it down, focusing on the tea instead.

"I didn't mean to—" I started, the words catching in my throat.

"To attack me earlier?" Sia finished, her tone lighter than I expected. "Don't worry about it. You're not the first half-blood to lose it. And you won't be the last."

"That's not an excuse," I said, my hands clenching around the edge of the table. "I could've hurt you."

"But you didn't," she said simply. "You stopped yourself. That's more than most of your kind can say."

"My kind," I echoed bitterly. "What even is my kind?"

Sia leaned back in her chair, studying me. "Still figuring that out, huh?"

I didn't respond, the weight of the question settling heavily in my chest.

"Well," she said after a moment, "for what it's worth, you're not a complete lost cause. You've got self-control, and that's more than I can say for most bloodsuckers. At least you're still human. Mostly."

"Mostly," I muttered, her words echoing in my mind.

Sia grinned faintly. "Hey, it's better than nothing."

She leaned back further in her chair, stretching out her legs. "It's pretty quiet around here, though. No more vampires lurking in the dark, no hunters creeping about. You're lucky I wasn't afraid to be in a room with you, half-vampire or not."

I looked up, giving her a wry smile. "Thanks, I guess?"

"Anytime," she said, smirking before her eyes flickered over my shoulder. "Someone's coming."

I followed her gaze just in time to see Kadir's figure disappear behind the bookshelf. I gripped the edge of the table, unsure if I felt safer or more unsettled.

"That guy," I muttered, "is a walking problem."

Sia chuckled. "He's a lot. But at least he knows how to make an entrance."

I shook my head, trying to focus. The day had already been enough of a nightmare, but here I was, stuck in a library in the middle of the night, with vampires whispering about me and hunters still out there.

"I don't know if I'm cut out for this," I admitted quietly, more to myself than to Sia. "This whole world… it's too much."

"You're here, aren't you?" she replied. "Staying alive, fighting. You're tougher than you think."

I met her gaze, the weight of her words hanging between us.

Meanwhile, in the city's depths, in the shadowy heart of Sacre Coeur's underground lair, Varvara approached Elijah's private study. The flicker of candlelight reflected off the tall, glass windows, casting strange shadows across the room. She entered without knocking, as though she already owned the space.

"Elijah," she said, her voice a sharp contrast to the silence. "The hunters are moving."

Elijah sat by the window, staring out at the city with a distant look. His fingers were still and deliberate as they traced the rim of a goblet, filled with something deep red. "How many?" he asked without turning.

Varvara's eyes narrowed. "They've already started positioning themselves in Sharman. More are coming from the southern districts. One of their operatives spotted the boy—the half-blood." She hesitated, but then continued. "The hunters are making their move. The boy's presence has alerted them."

Elijah's lips twitched into a small smile. "Interesting."

Varvara glanced at him, puzzled. "You don't think this is a threat?"

"The boy is not the threat," Elijah said softly, finally looking at her. His eyes gleamed with something like amusement. "The threat is how quickly the others will respond. If the boy's reputation has spread that fast, then it's not just the hunters we need to worry about. We'll need to keep an eye on who else comes for him."

"The others?" Varvara repeated, eyes narrowing. "You mean the other vampires?"

Elijah's gaze hardened, his voice lowering. "Vampires who recognize power when they see it. And those who seek to control it."

Varvara swallowed. "Shall I send someone to—"

"No," Elijah said sharply. "We'll wait. Let's see who comes to Sharman, and let's see what they want. But make no mistake," he added darkly. "They won't be the only ones watching."

Varvara bowed her head. "As you wish."

Before she could leave, Elijah raised a hand. "One more thing."

The door opened, and a tall figure emerged from the shadows, immaculate in his grey suit, his red eyes glowing faintly. Elijah smiled. "It seems we're not the only ones interested in this boy."

The new vampire stepped into the light. His voice was cold and smooth. "I've heard whispers of this half-blood. The power he holds... intriguing."

Elijah's smile widened. "Indeed, it is. It seems Sharman will become quite the spectacle after all."