Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 120: Cost of a Ribbon

Lucian sat before the glass bowl, his gaze fixed on the dark soil within. A faint damp scent rose from it, rich and earthen, as though the ground itself breathed. The surface lay undisturbed just as he had left it a week ago.

"I wondered if that scent of soil clinging to you came from your new companion in the stables," his mother remarked from behind him. He turned at the sound of her voice and noticed her one elegant brow arched in quiet inquiry. "I didn’t know you were into gardening."

"I am not," Lucian replied.

"No matter," his mother said, waving her hand. "I have books, if ever you wish to learn about such things."

"I have read them," Lucian answered. Lady Irina tilted her head, accepting his words without surprise and took the seat beside him, her dress faintly rustling as she settled. "Was there something you wanted, Mother?" he asked at last.

"Why?" she asked lightly. "May I not visit my own son simply to see him?"

Lucian’s eyebrows drew together, the faintest crease forming between them. "I never said that."

Lady Irina smiled, though something thoughtful lingered behind it. She remarked,

"I sometimes think that if I close my eyes, time will steal you from me as it did with Dane. Children vanish into adulthood so quickly and quietly. One day they reach for your hand and the next they walk ahead of you," she sighed softly.

Lucian reached for her hand. Holding it, he said, "You have nothing to worry about."

Lady Irina squeezed his hand. She said, "I sent a letter to my brother about the elder minister’s decision. The news might take him by surprise."

"You seldom see one another," Lucian stated. After a brief pause, he asked with quiet bluntness, "Is it because you are half-siblings?"

The vampiress drew a slow breath, her gaze moving toward the window where the snow had begun to soften at the edges, slipping into thin rivulets along the glass.

"Not entirely. When we were children, we quarrelled and reconciled in the same afternoon," she said before adding, "Your uncle took great offence at my marriage to your father, as he had once lost a sword fight to him. Pride is a stubborn thing. But they are more civil now." An amused smile appeared on her lips.

Lady Irina paused in thought. She then mentioned, "Perhaps we ought to host a small gathering. It has been far too long since we have all sat in the same room." After a brief pause, she changed the subject.

"Dane said he would return soon, but I suspect his friends have detained him. Or he detained himself. I promised Ruelle to find her ribbons before her next visit."

"I don’t think she would remember it," Lucian said, his head slightly tilting.

Lady Irina hummed in agreement. "She likely would not. The child does not yet know what to want, and that makes choosing for her... delicate. Ribbons are simple. They will do for now."

Lucian studied his mother a moment longer before asking, "Do you want me to go with you?"

"You will?" Lady Irina asked, a note of surprise lifting her voice. Though the smile that followed betrayed her quiet satisfaction. "It is a fine day for stepping outside."

"Very well."

Soon the carriage rolled out of the Slaters’ Mansion and after what seemed more than half an hour, it finally came to a gentle halt at the edge of a town and the horses’ breath rose in pale clouds.

The coachman opened the door at once and Lady Irina stepped down first, her gloved hand resting lightly on the door frame as her boots met the damp cobblestones.

Lucian followed her.

The faint scent of thawing earth rising around them with mud, melted ice and the distant promise of spring. People walked up and down the streets carefully to avoid the shallow puddles that had begun to form. Smoke curled from chimneys above the buildings.

"Wait for us, Claude. We will be back from the ribbon shopping," Lady Irina informed, her tone warm.

"Yes, milady," the coachman offered a bow.

"That is all you need to buy?" Lucian asked and saw his mother nod.

"Mhm," Lady Irina smiled as they walked down the street. "Is there anything you would like to buy?"

"I have everything I need," came the prompt response from Lucian.

They finally stopped before a narrow shop tucked between a tailor’s and a confectioner’s shops. Stepping inside the shop, they noticed careful rows of satin, silk, and velvet fabrics in different colours.

"Oh, these look wonderful. Perhaps I should have brought her here," Lady Irina murmured, her gaze drifting over the display.

"Lady Slater. It is an honour," the shopwoman, who was a human, lowered her head into a deep bow. She straightened and gestured toward a small seating area. "Please, do sit. What may I bring you to drink?"

"Thank you, but nothing today," Lady Irina replied with a gentle wave. "I would like to see ribbons suitable for young girls."

The shopkeeper blinked, then lowered her gaze to the vampiress’s stomach. "My apologies. I did not know you were expecting a child..."

A soft laugh escaped the vampiress’ lips, which was light and unoffended. She replied warmly,

"As much as my husband would welcome such news, no." Then her hand came to rest upon Lucian’s shoulder, giving a small, affectionate squeeze. "But I am expecting one to come home. She is about this tall," the vampiress continued, lifting her hand to indicate the height. "A very sweet child with brown eyes. She has exactly your hair colour. So something to match with it."

"A human?" the shopkeeper asked with a slight hint of surprise.

"Yes," Lady Irina turned amused. She then asked, "You can find a suitable ribbon, can’t you?"

"Of course, milady. I will bring the best ones," the woman obliged. She walked by the racks, while her eyes met a man in a hat, who was standing two stores away from hers. She pulled out the lean boxes before bringing them to the lady and started displaying the ribbons one after another.

Lady Irina’s hand moved from ribbon to ribbon with patient care, letting the silks slip through her fingers as though testing their quality.

counter and quickly wrote something over a small ledger. Lucian’s gaze lingered towards the pen scratching

do you think of this

glanced at it, then at her. "Dane would have

soft laugh escaped her before a weariness passed her eyes. She murmured, "Sometimes he makes me

Lucian turned. He caught sight of a man removing his hat. The man bowed to them before

for silver," producing

shopwoman replied

man, the coins rested neatly in her palm and something thinner lay folded

ribbon which was soft cream threaded with

these," said

like to see,

of ribbons was laid before the Slaters, the vampiress’s eyes lit up. She stated, "They

pureblooded families rarely step into such a small shop, especially one owned by a human," the shopwoman replied. "It

things will change for the better. I will let people know about your lovely shop," Lady Irina pulled out

a moment, everything felt normal. Then

their eyes looking beyond the

moments ago was gone, replaced by something colder and precise. She

each other as he watched his mother step outside, while her hand pulled out a dagger that was concealed in

noticed vampires and humans who had begun to fight against each other on the streets. Some

are going to take the land that rightfully belongs to us! These are ours! Not yours!" A human screamed as he drove a stake

her side, trying to catch her off

are you attacking the vampires?" the vampiress

die," the human grunted in pain. "Acting all high and mighty, trying to rule

Irina let go of the human. But when the human turned, she swiftly struck the human’s head

arrows, stabbing one after another. Lady Irina caught a human’s hand midair,

"ARGGGHH!!"

shout somewhere in the street, who tore a

of what or who they were. Each

looked like someone who was waiting for this to happen. Her hand inched towards the knitting needles resting on the table, ready to drive it into

her fingers could close around them, the needles vanished from the table, snatched away in a blur.

while his mother was outside, quickly stepped out of the

care he was a young boy and charged at the sight of his red eyes alone. The pureblooded vampire did not allow the human to take advantage. He pivoted, driving his heel into the man’s leg sharply. The human collapsed to his knees with a strangled groan, while the stake slipped from

human lunged for it, Lucian was faster. With a single motion, he drove the needles through the back of the man’s hand. A scream erupted from the

fight with a halfling. He pulled out the long knitting needles out of

halfling hurling into the wall and stone cracked under the impact. When she turned, her eyes widened slightly at the sight

I told you to

wanted to make sure you were alright," Lucian

which was fleeting, before she instructed, "Go find

Lucian turned, Lady Irina’s

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Then something glinted—an axe, raised in a human’s hands. The human threw the axe, which spun through the air in a slow arc before it struck the juncture between Lady Irina’s neck and shoulder

tore from

cold and his feet stopped before he began to make his way toward her when another human

tried to reach his mother but he was too

a dull, brutal sound. When the human pulled the weapon free, it left a dark, gaping wound where

Irina’s eyes slowly found Lucian’s, her hand lifting as though reaching for him across a distance

lungs burning—but her eyes were already closing and she collapsed on the ground. Blood pooled around her body, seeping

he was on his knees beside his mother. The cobblestones were slick beneath him from her blood. His

belonged to a child who still

loosened from its careful arrangement, her strands clinging to her cheek. Her eyes, once so sharp

brushed the hair away from her face before

body as his mother’s blood continued to gather beneath his knees and soak into the fabric of his trousers, while he clutched her hand tighter

his voice cracked.

like they had earlier that day around his

him, but the sound felt distant now. In that moment, something inside him

through the streets, heading to where Lucian

scene, the colour in his face drained

and guilt filled his mind. He had told her that he would return and she had laughed with a shake of her head as if she knew

he noticed his

her, Dane,"

eyes widened, not from the words but from his brother’s eyes that had turned black now, leaving

heard as the guards tried to break free the people who had been attacking

cloak dark with splashes of blood that belonged to

in horror.

attention snapped from their mother

to cover Lucian’s empty eyes as he pulled his brother against him, turning his

his brother’s hold, his breath

the magistrate didn’t take a

will ride with us," Lucian murmured and Dane pursed

had begun to corrupt and he wasn’t sure if riding with her was safe. Because the corruption would only

unsurely, bowed before he snapped his fingers

contained. It poured

where chaos had erupted, smoke curled above the rooftops in another nearby town. Houses and shopfronts burned, their flames devouring wood and the air carried the stench of char and the metallic tang of

low, feral growl echoed somewhere in

just returned from the church with the elderly maid when she wandered into the hallway and found an unknown man standing there, his clothes smeared with blood. He held a wooden log which