Chapter 365: Blood and Bond
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The night air clung to them like a second skin as Dawn House’s heavy front doors groaned shut behind the hunting party. The scent of blood —old and new, human and otherwise— trailed through the entrance hall like an invisible banner, marking their passage. The chandeliers above had been dimmed to their lowest setting, casting long amber shadows across the marble floors that reflected their movement like dark water.
Lily stood at the center of the group, her pale dress stained at the sleeves, the fabric darkened in places where crimson had seeped through. She did not look tired. She did not look uncertain. Her red eyes held a clarity that had been absent only days ago, when she had first entered these halls as a newly turned bride, trembling and unsure.
Sekhmet watched her from beneath heavy lids, his tall frame still radiating the coiled power of the hunt. He had not fed tonight. Not because he hadn’t found prey, but because he had chosen to watch instead. Watching Lily had been more satisfying than any meal.
"The illegal contract hall won’t know what hit them," Bat Bat announced, bouncing on her heels as she pulled off her gloves with theatrical flair. "I was tactically brilliant there. Did you see when I dropped from the ceiling? Right on that enforcer’s head. It was a textbook distraction. Just like Elena taught me."
"You screamed most of the time," Vera said flatly, stepping past Bat Bat with a bloodied cloth drying in her hand.
"Psychological warfare," Bat Bat corrected, drawing herself up. "Fear is a weapon. Also, ears bleed a lot, which is visually distracting."
Vela smirked from beside her twin, their matching silver hair tied back in identical styles. "You also bit the wrong ear. You were aiming for his neck."
"Details don’t matter." Bat Bat waved a dismissive hand. "The point is, we won. No serious injuries. Contracts destroyed. Lily actually tried to kill someone without hesitation." She paused, her expression shifting to something approaching pride. "That was very interesting to observe."
All eyes turned to Lily.
She did not flinch under the weight of their attention. A month ago, she would have looked away, would have folded into herself, would have sought Sekhmet’s shadow to hide in. Now she simply stood, meeting each gaze in turn, her hands steady at her sides.
"I chose," she said quietly. "I didn’t just feed. I chose."
The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning that only those who understood the nature of their existence could fully grasp. Feeding was survival. Choosing was something else entirely. Choosing was power.
Vera and Vela exchanged a glance — one of those silent twin communications that spoke volumes. Then Vela stepped forward and placed a hand on Lily’s shoulder.
"You did well tonight," Vela said, and there was no condescension in her voice, no hidden edge. Just acknowledgement. "The way you handled the second one, the one who tried to run, that was clean and efficient."
Vera nodded, her sharp features softening almost imperceptibly. "Not bad for someone who was hesitating over rats a few weeks ago."
It was a compliment wrapped in a teasing needle, and Lily accepted it with a small, genuine smile. "Rats are faster than you’d think."
"Everything is faster when you’re hungry," Sekhmet said, his voice a low rumble that cut through the conversation like a blade through silk. He had not moved from his position near the door, but his presence filled the hall regardless. "You are not hungry anymore."
It was not a question. It was a statement of fact, of observation, of maker.
Lily met his gaze, and something electric passed between them. "No," she said. "I’m not."
A few moments later...
The upper hall stretched before them, lined with doors that led to private chambers, each one marked by its owner’s distinct preferences. Sekhmet’s room lay at the end, the largest, the most secure. Lily followed a step behind him, her blood was warm still thrumming beneath her skin.
Bat Bat scurried after them, her wings half-spread for balance.
"So," Bat Bat said, clearing her throat loudly. "Now that the hunting adrenaline has subsided, I believe it would be prudent to conduct a thorough post-hunt emotional debriefing. For scientific purposes. I am, after all, documenting the psychological evolution of the household."
Sekhmet did not slow his pace.
"That seems reasonable," Lily said, a hint of amusement coloring her voice. She knew exactly what Bat Bat was trying to do.
"Excellent." Bat Bat quickened her steps. "I will require access to the primary subjects for approximately—"
"No."
The word came not from Sekhmet, but from one of the shadows who materialized from a side corridor. Elena, her silver-streaked hair pulled back in an immaculate bun, her expression one of practiced patience. She stood in Bat Bat’s path like a wall.
"I am politically and emotionally invested," Bat Bat protested, trying to sidestep. Elena moved with her, blocking the way.
Elena said, "Your investments can wait until morning."
Bat Bat replied, "But the post-hunt window is critical for..."
"Bat Bat." Elena’s voice carried a warning edge. "Do you remember what happened the last time you interrupted young master Sekhmet’s private time?"
Bat Bat’s wings drooped slightly. "That was an isolated incident."
"You broke a vase. Then a window. Then a support column."
"I was gathering important data!"
"Your data can be gathered tomorrow." Elena gestured to two younger maids who had appeared behind Bat Bat. "Escort our esteemed researcher to her quarters. Ensure that she stays there until dawn."
"This is a violation of my academic freedom!" Bat Bat yelled as the maids each took one of her arms. "I am documenting history! I am an observer of noble romance! You cannot—"
"We can," Elena said, stepping aside as the maids began to drag Bat Bat down the hall. "And we are."
"I will write a formal complaint!" Bat Bat’s voice faded as she was pulled around a corner. "This treatment is beneath my station! I demand a harem posit..."
The rest was lost to distance, cut off by a closing door.