The creature swung her sword at her, aiming for a severing blow to her neck, and she matched the ghoul’s swing with a lunge of her own.

The swords clashed again, the bitter clang of metal against metal echoing through the cavern.

Gritting her teeth, Luna stepped back then pushed forward with intense focus as she blocked and parried the creature’s attacks.

The monster was vigorous and had quick reflexes.

She needed to be more alert to defeat it, or she could injure it enough to immobilize the monster until she could grab Jon, teleport together and escape out of these tunnels.

The voluminous black cloak surrounding the monster danced upon each swing.

In the flickering recesses of the cavern, the creature cut at Luna tearing smooth flesh, exposing tissue and an ever-increasing torrent of blood.

Luna retreated in a peculiar grace—what she could describe as vampire-like.

The monster had sliced her leg, and it was still a shock to see the bloody gash on her skin knitting together with her own eyes.

She grimaced, the bloody gash wasn’t a good sight, but at least she was healing fast.

Goddess, she was indeed a legitimate vampire.

There is no doubt about it.

She couldn’t hold back the sweet ripple of her laughter.

Victory is hers!

Luna rushed forward without warning and rammed her sword to the demon’s chest as she uttered another spell she had randomly found from the pages of the grimoire, giving the monster her deadliest stare.

“Erysipelas.”

Her sword flamed, and it lodged a blazing bluish fire on the demon.

Luna snatched the sword, and with its final grip, the apparition grasped the fine steel from which it was wrought.

The ghoul’s form had shattered apart before it could inflict one final slicing motion.

Holding it tightly enough, Luna read the inscription carved into the hilt of burnished gold— Vengeance.

Who had sent this ghoul?

Who would want to take revenge on her?

She better get out of this place before more demons come for her.

Monsters and demons had plagued these tunnels.

Was this cursed site had a secret passageway to the Underworld?

She bent over and held Jon as they materialized back to the cave’s entrance.

Luna stared at the Valley of Kings from afar, fog and smoke blocking her clear view.

The eerie purple glow suffused the landscape, transforming the sea into darkened velvet.

The stars in the galaxy scattered fairy dust and glitter on the sky.

It was an ominous sign to witness the atmosphere change from purple to bluish hues while everything went dark for a while, the eclipse slowly covering the moonlight.

She cast another illumination spell, and this time, it was in the form of a thousand glowing lotus floating in the sea enough for her to appreciate this rare occurrence.

She closed her eyes in deep thought.

The world was quickly changing along with Hecate’s magic and vampirism she had acquired, but how long would she be able to handle it?

Luna heard steady hoofbeats from a distance, and she saw Cederic emerge from the sodden field into her path.

A drizzle had begun to fall.

She opened her eyes and turned her head to look in their direction.

Along with his companions, the military general slowed their horses to a walk as soon as they saw her staring over the horizon.

Their eyes widened when they saw the beauty of her magic, awestruck at the thousands of fireflies illuminating the entire landscape.

When they neared where Luna was standing, Cederic slid off the horse and ran towards her.

Sheathing his sword, the military general dropped to his knees in respect of Luna. “High Priestess, you are safe.”

Luna withdrew her sword, realizing Cederic wasn’t a threat.

“Jon can’t move. Please help him first. ” Luna told her as Cederic attempted to wrap her around his cloak.

Because the military couldn’t reach her height no matter how hard he tried, he settled for handing it to her instead.

The search party had surrounded them while Jon lay down, face flat on the ground.

He still couldn’t move with those invisible bonds around him since, according to him, his bones had turned to jelly.

“The Vampire King had been searching for you for days,” Cederic informed her as he shook his raven hair from the rain.

“I know.” Luna nodded her head in agreement. ” I’ve seen the Vampire King already, so it’s fine. I think he knew too well that I was alive.”

“Oh.” Cederic stepped forward and squeezed her elbow. “We must go back now.”

Cederic proceeded to walk back to his stallion, but he paused when he noticed Luna wasn’t following him.

He glanced behind his shoulder as a trickle of sweat eased its way down the back of her neck.

Did she want to go back to face her mate?

The Vampire King’s Blood Beast?

Luna blinked. There was no time to dwell on the thought. “Yes.”

“What are you waiting for?” The military general waited for her to mount on his horse. “You don’t want to ride?”

Did she want to when she can teleport?

Well, it’s not advantageous for Luna to reveal her secret right away, so she must keep this a secret for now.

“Oh, thanks.” Luna placed her sword in a scabbard before she let it vanish into thin air.

She ran to catch up, mounted his horse, and sat in front of Cederic.

As they go to the direction of the Vampire King’s Castle, Cederic urged the stallion into a gallop.

Darkness shrouded the landscape as they entered a forest thick with tangled vines and clinging bracken.

Cederic sniffed at her clothes, especially her neck. “You smell different.”

“It’s just your imagination, Cederic,” Luna replied, her heart beating faster at her lies.

Luna pulled her cloak tight around her as Cederic’s mount picked its way through the undergrowth.

She closed her eyes and settled herself to sleep, sinking into an abyss of sleep mercifully devoid of dreams.