Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 65: Where the floor runs red

It was the hour of midnight and the lamp burnt low but steady on the desk, its warm glow pooling over an open book.

Ruelle's head rested against the page she had been reading, her breathing slow, lashes still. Somewhere in the quiet, the tick of the clock counted each second into the dark. The faint scrape of a key in the lock broke the silence and her brows drew together as she stirred, lifting her head.

The door opened, and Lucian stepped inside, closing it with the same quietness with which he entered. His shirt clung to him like a second skin, dark hair damp and dripping, as though the night had followed him in. The lamplight seemed to dull when he moved past it, shadows stretching.

She glanced at the clock. Past two.

Lucian crossed the room without a word, his steps unhurried until he disappeared behind the folding divider.

Closing the book, Ruelle picked up the lamp. She made her way towards the couch until something caught her attention and she halted. The lamplight caught faint drops along the floor, trailing from the door to where he had gone. Not water. Darker. Thicker.

Blood.

Her gaze lifted just in time to see his hand reach for the back of his shirt, pulling it free in one motion. The fabric slid from his shoulders, shadows running over the shape of his back before tapering into his trousers. She heard the brief rush of water from the faucet before it went quiet again.

When Lucian emerged from behind the divider, bare from the waist up, the lamplight caught the wet gleam on his skin. And in that moment, Ruelle saw his bruised knuckles.

"...Did you hurt yourself?" she asked softly.

Lucian didn't look at her. "No."

The word was flat, the air around him seeming heavier now. He crossed to the cupboard and pulled out a clean shirt.

Ruelle was aware that vampires healed quicker than humans, but how quickly often depended on the depth of the wound.

She wondered what had kept Lucian out until this hour. She was curious, but she knew better than to ask. Not only because it would be prying, but because the air around the pureblood vampire seemed darker tonight.

Two afternoons later, the memory of Lucian's bloody knuckles lingered faintly in her mind, while the sun streamed through the tall windows of the dance hall. The music was already in motion when Ruelle found herself on the polished floor, paired with Kevin. At the far end, a pianist's hands moved over the keys while two violinists and a cellist wove a soft melody.

"Chin up! The floor already knows where it is. Look ahead," the instructor spoke loudly over the music. "Step, slide, lift, turn."

Kevin's shoulders stayed stiff under her hand, like he was holding the dance in place so it wouldn't break. On the next turn, his timing slipped. One wrong step sending him back too far.

"Kevin—" Ruelle's fingers caught his arm, halting him before he collided with a vampire couple.

The vampiress he'd nearly collided into gave a slow, mocking sneer, "Why bother teaching peasants the Nocturne Quadrille? They'll end up scrubbing floors and holding doors for us."

"Or serving as refreshments," added the vampiress's male partner with a lazy roll of his eyes.

Kevin's grip tightened, but Ruelle moved them to the other side of the floor. "Mistakes happen," she assured him. "Don't worry about it."

He gave a short, nervous laugh. "You're a quick learner in everything."

She smiled faintly. "My sister took lessons for a month before she quit. I went with her, so… maybe I picked up a thing or two. But watching and actually dancing?" She shook her head. "Different things."

"You're right." Kevin's steps stayed careful, the faint tension in his fingers never quite leaving. He tried to match her ease, but each time she steadied him, something in him shifted—made him wish the roles were reversed.

Ruelle had a way of coming through, whether it was the test results or the game of Hunt and Stake. She walked out in passing colours, while he had left with a limp.

When the bell tolled, the music thinned into silence. Ruelle followed Hailey to the bench along the wall, the polished floor still echoing with retreating footsteps. Kevin followed them. The instructor lingered near the corner, speaking in a low voice with the musicians.

"Third time," Hailey muttered, rubbing her foot. "I swear he was aiming for my foot."

Ruelle's gaze lowered briefly to Hailey's foot. Being paired with an Elite vampire could be punishing in its own way. Not always from cruelty, but from the careless strength they carried. She knew Hailey's mutter wasn't just complaint. The vampire's precision had likely come with little thought for her friend's toes.

Kevin," a lanky first-year called from the doorway. "Coming to the

shook his head.

"You sure?"

He

head and asked,

like she'd uncovered a scandal. "You're not sneaking off to do something

just a sparring platform." Kevin shrugged casually. "Most

Hailey leaned back against the

it," Kevin replied. "Humans—especially women don't go there. It's mostly

"And it's

made sense, thought Ruelle to herself. "With the stakes up, the faculty, in fact, encourage it. Not to mention it helps

"We should go see it." Her

don't think you'd like it." Kevin's reply came too quickly, his gaze sliding to

loosely in her lap. If it was only watching… "I

air turned thick as they went lower. As they got closer, the laughter and shouts reached her first as a dull hum, only to end up getting louder with every

the underground arena, Ruelle's gaze went immediately to the raised platform in the centre, where two vampires moved in a vicious fight, the flash of teeth and the drops of blood falling on the ground. Light fell on them from

stood close to the platform's edge. Others had taken their seats on the steep, tiered benches, their figures half-swallowed by the dim light. The heat in the air was heavy, carrying the scent of iron and sweat, but no one seemed to

first-year from earlier waved Kevin over, a worn leather bag hanging loosely from his wrist. His tone carried the eager confidence of someone who believed fortune

drew out a coin. He sighed,

man. Not a shilling?" The young man's brows shot up. He clicked his tongue

with a small, polite smile. Her gaze drifted upward and stopped on a figure

rested along the back of the bench, the other on his knee, fingers relaxed. The torchlight caught the edges of his black hair, turning them

watched the fight below without the slightest concern, as

"Not that I have money to

lend to those in need," their classmate offered casually, nodding toward

free?" Hailey's eyes lit up with an edge

course not," the person grinned. "If you win, they take fifty-five

father's debts had been proof enough, lingering like

pay three times what you took," he replied without a hint of shame, before shifting his attention to someone

looked back at the raised platform, the roar of the crowd swelling as one vampire's fist connected with his opponent's jaw, sending him staggering to the edge of the platform. The crowd roared, the sound reverberating against the stone

straightened, breathing hard but smiling faintly, the kind of smile that thrived on dominance. He stepped down, while the other one

person before. This one felt different. There was an erratic

will spar with me?" His voice resonated as his pupils looked just a

under her breath. If

muttered

realised the noise in the space had gone quiet. The silence was sudden, pulling her attention back

are you going?" the vampire called, a smirk pulling at his mouth. "Why don't you fight me? Unless you are too scared to

to the crowd, but to someone beyond the

line

as if about to leave, the torchlight catching faintly along the sharp edge of his profile. One hand of his rested loosely at his side, the other tucked

soon turned to Lucian and the

Then he turned his head, the motion controlled. His eyes fixed on the challenger, cold and still, like a predator

soft enough that it carried only because the space had gone utterly

platform carried a restless edge. The kind of volatility

you mocking

him that didn't sit right, the way his shoulders twitched as though

eyes didn't waver. "No." A pause, almost courteous.

irritation passed over the person's face. He demanded, "You think you can stand there and threaten me? Why don't you

"It's been a long time since you've stepped in there, Slater.

gaze slid to the speaker. He remarked, "That absence applies to you as well.

jaw tightened. He smiled anyway. "Unfortunately for me, Huxley

platform, Huxley cracked his knuckles, grinning like the