Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 76: Debts in blood

The book in Lucian's hand closed with a soft thud. Yet the sound made the woman in the chair jolt and her shoulders stiffened, her face turning ashen. He rose from his seat, setting the book on the empty chair.

"W–why have I been brought here?" the woman stammered. "Let me go—please—my shop is unattended. I—I haven't done anything wrong!"

"Your shop will manage without you," Lucian's expression remained unreadable, his footsteps quiet on the barn floor. He stopped behind her and said, "Word is that you have been selling information about vampires. Tell me if that is passing gossip."

"I don't know who said that!" the bound woman blurted. "I swear I don't know anything—someone must be lying about me—"

Lucian simply pressed his index finger on the nail that was already embedded in her palm and pushed it further. A painful scream erupted from the woman's mouth.

He watched her reaction with a detached look. When her breath crumpled into sobs, he spoke,

"Let's try again." Her pain filled eyes lifted to meet his. "Whom do you work for?"

"It—it hurts—! Please, I don't know anything—I am innocent—!" the woman cried, gasping in pain.

"Curious. You seem in pain, but your heart rate didn't spike once," Lucian hummed, his head tilting to the side. "People only lie that steadily when they have had experience."

The previous night, once the cake had been cut, Minister Gaile had followed Lucian into his quiet study. The door shut softly behind them and the minister spoke,

"Forgive the intrusion, I would not have pulled you away unless the matter demanded it."

Lucian leaned back against the edge of the desk and asked, "What is it?"

Gaile exhaled before beginning, "I found out some humans have been gathering information about pureblooded vampires and passing it to a small rebel faction. We managed to capture only one person."

Lucian's expression didn't change. He commented, "This falls under Minister Caedom's jurisdiction."

"Usually, yes. But I thought you might be more interested in this one," Minister Gaile lips pressed into a thin line and he continued, "She is connected to the time when the war took place…"

Lucian's eyes slightly narrowed, while his gaze remained cool. He asked, "Where is she now?"

"Held in the cell. You can come by tomorrow when you are free," Minister Gaile informed him.

But the gears in Lucian's head had already begun to move. He replied, "I appreciate the consideration, Minister, but I'll take her tonight."

The woman who had been whimpering in pain until now went quiet. She finally spoke. "You should have died… when you had walked into my shop that day." After a pause, she added, "Your kind deserved to be wiped out. Every last one who sheltered monsters like her."

She watched him, waiting for a reaction from him. But Lucian only regarded her with the same calmness one might reserve for a moth beating itself against the glass. He didn't blink or move.

When he asked again, his tone remained nonchalant, "Whom do you work for?"

The woman let out a soft laugh which didn't stay on her lips for long.

I tell you anything, you will kill me. Why else would I be dragged here? Tied

must agree that choosing to sell ribbons does make you seem less suspicious of someone who keeps

stepped away from her, making his way to one

forest if you were only going to nail me to a chair? Is that what you vampires call amusement? And then you wonder why your kind dies," the woman mocked. "All of you will die. Even that blonde girl who was with you in the

a can from the corner, his hands stilled for a moment at her words. But then he

going to burn me? If you think that sort of threat will break me,

at her as

you. Especially after what you said," and he came to stand behind her. He pulled the can's stopper

away from it, while her eyes widened. She asked in dread, "What

a few seconds, the woman was covered in the sticky substance. She struggled to get out of the chair, but it was hard to do with the nails that were hammered into her palms and

syrup had already

followed his movements and she stuttered, "W–what is

before he nudged the metal bucket forward with a light

to the ground from it. They quickly moved towards the sweetness staining the floor

them, the

crossed one leg over the other and adjusted the cuff of his shirt, his gaze lowered to where the ants gathered, their bodies darkening as they clustered thickly at the edge of the woman's chair. A few had already

do this! The Council—They will–" the woman panicked, while her chair shook

know that pain is not a punishment," Lucian said, "It is

of the ants continued to swarm, with some disappearing beneath her dress. Her movements only made it worse. The woman's cries turned into sobs as the ants spread, stinging her to the point where she had begun to bleed as the ants began eating her

of her mouth. "I'll tell you. I'll tell you all of their names—There's—there's Harriel, the tailor's son. There's one near the old quarry. His name is Jonas and he's the one who has been using

and began to walk towards the barn's

the ants bit into her harder, revealing the scent

the barn door behind him while

to leave the mansion after lunch. When she came near a

past three in the afternoon with sunlight slanting through the tall

dress and started to climb down the staircase. Halfway down, she saw Lucian ascending the stairs. His dark coat hung over his forearm and his dark hair slightly

caught sight of her, his eyes lingered on her

She wanted to ask about the woman before. She hesitated, then tried again. "Mr. S and I… we

two steps below her

apologies about ruining your dress. I

does. But it's okay, Mr. S is taking me into town and I will find a dress there," Ruelle explained. "The woman earlier. Who was she…?" She tried to sound casual, but it felt it would be wildly inappropriate

answered, "Someone who

deep red eyes. So he

be repaid,"

"He called it… a celebratory

acknowledgement. But it pulled her upright like a finger

"Wait for me."

past her. Was that his way of saying he intended to join them? By the time she turned

long gone. Only five of them remained gathered near the driveway. Dane leaned comfortably against the thick pillar, Lady Maxine stood next to Sawyer, who was happy to accompany them, and Ruelle stood

the meal, Dane invited his cousins to join the outing,

eyes then drifted