CHAPTER 263: VAMPIRE HUNT 23

Then Selis laughed.

It was soft. Nervous. And real.

The kind of laugh that escaped without permission, halfway between I can’t believe this is happening and well, I’m definitely going to die now.

She scooted an inch away, finally giving Lucian some space—not that he seemed bothered by her being in his airspace to begin with.

He still looked like he was weighing whether to listen to her or throw her out the window.

"Explain. Now," he hissed.

His voice was sharp, each syllable edged like a blade. No room for negotiation. No patience for stalling.

Selis swallowed hard. Her moment of levity vanished like smoke in a storm.

Okay, she thought. This is it. Do or die. Mostly die if this goes badly.

She drew in a deep breath and let the truth tumble out in a rush. No schemes. No clever tricks. Just the words she’d been carrying in her chest like a burning stone for weeks.

Lucian didn’t speak. His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t interrupt.

So she pushed forward, voice steadier now. "I’ve been gathering proof. Whispers in the black markets, coded letters, strange supply movements. I couldn’t tell anyone because they’d think I’m a spy for vampires."

"But believe me," Selis said, her voice firm despite the pounding in her chest, "I only want to end this war. And if the Vampire Prince finds his mate—this Emerald—then he’ll stop fighting. He’ll pull back his forces. That’s the deal."

Lucian’s eyes narrowed. "You trust a vampire’s word?"

"Well . . . not exactly," Selis admitted, scratching the back of her neck. "But think about it. For decades, the vampires lived in relative peace. Sure, there were . . . incidents." She coughed. "Some humans became snacks. But they never started a full-scale war like this. Something changed. Something

triggered this mess, and I don’t think it was just bloodlust."

Lucian was quiet.

Not "I’m-thinking" quiet.

More like "I-might-actually-stab-you-quiet."

And the silence stretched on. And on.

Selis started sweating. She shifted her weight, glanced toward the door, then back to Lucian.

Was he blinking? Breathing?

"Lucian?" she tried.

Still no answer.

She began mentally calculating where her life might have diverged, so she could start from there.

So many branching timelines. So many poor decisions.

And just as she was ready to cash in her hard earned stars to be resurrected and try rolling for a different path—

"I see . . ." Lucian murmured.

Selis blinked. "You . . . believe me?"

Lucian’s jaw clenched. "The fact that you made a deal with the Vampire Prince—of all vampires—technically makes you a traitor. And by law, that’s punishable by death."

Selis went completely still.

Her breath caught in her throat.

She didn’t dare move. Didn’t even blink.

Oh no. So this is it. Death by honor-bound war captain. At least he’s shirtless. That’s something.

Inside, she was already analyzing every potential exit—window, vents, loose tiles. If she survived this, she’d rework her entire infiltration flowchart.

But before she could launch into Plan: Dramatic Window Escape, Lucian continued, his voice low and serious:

"However . . . if what you said is true, then it’s my job to know the truth, before killing you myself."

Selis blinked. "Eh . . . really?"

Lucian shot her a look so sharp it could slice a boulder in half.

She straightened immediately, hands raised in surrender. "I-I mean, of course it’s true! Every word! Absolutely factual and betrayal-free. But, uh . . . you believe me just like that? Is there . . . something else?"

Lucian exhaled slowly. His face didn’t soften, but his gaze shifted—just enough to suggest the tiniest, almost invisible crack in his unshakable wall of stoicism.

"I have my own reasons to believe you," he said quietly.

Selis stared.

She wanted to ask. Gods, did she want to.

What did he mean by that?

Selis stood stiffly, her mind racing behind a carefully neutral expression. His words—"I have my own reasons to believe you"—echoed in her skull like a dropped blade on stone.

Did he know something?

No—of course he did. He wasn’t just some glorified sword-swinger in a fancy cape. He was Captain Lucian, the top vampire hunter in the kingdom, the general people whispered about in taverns like a walking grim reaper with perfect posture.

If there were secrets about this war—strange patterns, shifting allegiances, or signs of manipulation—he would have heard them first.

He had access to intelligence she could only dream of. Letters marked "Eyes Only," military reports blacked out in half the pages, meetings held behind sealed doors.

Meanwhile, her latest intel came from eavesdropping on drunk smugglers and bribing priests with sweetbread.

She was operating on scraps.

He was sitting on an entire table of forbidden knowledge—and now she was sure of it.

That tone . . . that look . . . he’s seen something too, she thought, pulse quickening. But what does he know?

The only question was: how much did he know? And why hadn’t he acted on it?

Selis fought the urge to squint at him like she could peel back his expression with sheer mental effort. His face was, as always, unreadable—set like marble, probably carved by centuries of disappointment.

He’s not the kind of man who jumps to conclusions, she reminded herself. If he believes something’s wrong, he’s probably been sitting on it for months.

Watching. Waiting. Measuring the size of the knife he’ll need to stab the real traitor in the back.

She sucked in a breath and leaned forward a bit, lowering her voice like they were already co-conspirators. "So . . . just out of curiosity—Captain—when you said you had your own reasons . . . were any of them written in blood? Delivered by ravens? Or maybe found in a suspiciously fireproof scroll with glowing runes?"

Lucian arched a single eyebrow, unamused.

She held up her hands, palms out. "I’m just trying to gauge how serious we’re talking here. Because if this is a level ten conspiracy, I need to go grab my emergency dagger from my boot."

Still no smile.

But his eyes flicked to her boot. Just for a second.

Which meant he’d noticed. Which meant he was always noticing.

Selis swallowed. This man really could kill me with a spoon.