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.

the pain of the nails. "The moment I tell you anything, you will kill me. Why else would I be dragged here? Tied to a chair, nailed like this? You can't do anything severe unless

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

from her, making his

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

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

questioned, "W–what now? You are going to burn me?

at her as

to stand behind her. He pulled the can's stopper with a soft pop before pouring the brown liquid over her head, which dripped down her. The liquid let out a sickly sweetness through the

from it, while her eyes widened. She asked

substance. She struggled to get out of the chair, but it was hard to do

returned to the chair he was sitting on previously. A shallow trail of syrup had already crept across the floor, pooling near the leg of his seat. He rested his heel against a metal

nervous eyes followed his movements and

mistook kindness for weakness," Lucian remarked, before he nudged the metal bucket forward with a

clattered loose before red ants spilt to the ground from it. They quickly moved towards the sweetness staining the floor that

trembled at the sight of them, the word barely making it past

adjusted the cuff of his shirt, his gaze lowered to where the ants gathered, their bodies darkening as they clustered thickly at the

will–" the woman panicked, while her

will now know that pain is not a punishment," Lucian said,

only made it worse. The woman's cries turned into

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

chair and began to walk towards the

ants bit into

back, and he closed the barn door

in the Slater mansion, Ruelle stepped out into the corridor, where the noise of the guests had faded since they had begun to leave the mansion after

past three in the afternoon with sunlight slanting through the tall

her 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 ruffled from the wind. Her footsteps slowed and her fingers tightened

Lucian caught sight of her, his eyes lingered on her dress for a fleeting moment before it fell on her

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

steps below her and inclined his

his voice giving nothing away. He then added, "My apologies about ruining your dress. I trust this one fits better than the

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

answered, "Someone who committed a long-standing offence.

Ruelle whispered as she stared back into his deep red eyes. So he

be repaid," Lucian

called it… a celebratory

an acknowledgement. But it pulled her upright like a finger at her chin. For a

"Wait for me."

he intended to join them? By the time she turned to look over her shoulder, the pureblooded

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

But during the meal, Dane invited his cousins to join the outing, making it impossible for

eyes then drifted to