Chapter 161: 161-Strange
"Where did the castle go?"
Maisa spun around, expecting to see the towering structure behind them. Instead, she was met with an empty stretch of land.
"It’s right there..."
Freya’s words caught in her throat. She turned to look, and her eyes widened at the same sight. There was absolutely nothing but endless trees.
Where the ancient castle had stood moments ago, there was now only an empty landscape, as though the building had never existed.
Freya was even more stunned than Maisa. After rushing out of the castle earlier, she had turned back to retrieve Maisa before leaving the building a second time. She had seen it with her own eyes. She had walked through its doors. So how could it simply disappear?
The two girls stared at the empty space, their faces paling. Slowly, almost instinctively, they edged closer to each other. Neither dared to voice the thought forming in their minds, but they shared the same understanding.
The vampire they had just met was no ordinary creature and whatever he was, they wanted nothing to do with him again.
"Wh...what was that?" Maisa stammered.
Freya shot her an incredulous look. "If you ask me, who am I supposed to ask?"
At least Maisa knew who that vampire was or, more accurately, the alias he had given her. Freya, on the other hand, had just met him for the first time, and the experience had left her thoroughly unsettled.
Freya rubbed her arms, glancing nervously at the empty space behind them.
"Let’s just find somewhere to stay and figure out this whole sire bond thing," she suggested.
"Where exactly are we supposed to find such a place?"
Maisa turned toward the road, scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. Tall trees lined the distant horizon, and the road stretched ahead in both directions, offering no obvious clue about where they were.
"Wait a minute. Where are we?"
Freya slowly turned to look at her. "You mean you don’t know?"
"Do I look like I know?"
Before Freya could reply, the distant sound of pounding hooves interrupted them. Both girls turned toward the noise.
A convoy of golden carriages was approaching, each one pulled by magnificent blood horses. Their dark coats gleamed beneath the light, and their red eyes burned like embers. Coaches dressed in matching white uniforms guided the horses with practiced precision, their movements perfectly synchronized.
The golden carriages glittered as they rolled down the road, their polished wheels reflecting the light.
Freya stared at them, uncertain what to do. "Should we stop them and ask where we are or a lift?"
For a moment, she forgot that she was now a hybrid. All she could think about was the fact that they were standing in vampire territory, surrounded by creatures who would probably tear her apart if they discovered what she was and Maisa was the only vampire standing beside her.
Maisa grabbed Freya’s wrist and pulled her toward the roadside. "Don’t be ridiculous. Move!"
She dragged Freya out of the carriages’ path just in time.
Maisa had learned the hard way that vampires, especially unfamiliar ones, were dangerous. Drawing unnecessary attention to themselves was the last thing they needed.
However, just as the convoy was about to pass them, the carriages came to an abrupt halt.
The sudden stop made the horses snort and stamp their hooves against the ground.
Maisa stiffened and Freya immediately moved closer to her, her fingers clutching the edge of Maisa’s sleeve. Neither girl spoke as they watched the coaches. The silence stretched, making every small sound seem louder than it should have been.
Then the door of the middle carriage opened. One of the coaches stepped down, walked to the door, and pulled it wider.
Maisa glanced inside. Her eyes widened when she saw the vampires inside.
"Varitreya?"
Sitting inside the carriage was the vampire princess herself. Beside her were Addessa, Lumi, Zolani, and Luan.
Maisa stared at them, struggling to make sense of the unexpected reunion. "What are you all doing here?"
Before anyone could answer, a window in the carriage behind them slid open.
A familiar face appeared by the window. It was Zaden, the blackblood who ganged up with others to hurt her on her first night at Veris academy.
His gaze landed on Maisa, and his expression shifted as understanding dawned. He finally realized why the entire convoy had stopped. They were picking Maisa up.
Maisa’s attention moved from him to the shadow of his sister sitting beside him. Her confusion deepened.
"What is going on here?"
"School break ended early," Zolani answered casually.
She leaned out of the middle carriage’s window and tilted her head toward the open door. "Are you getting on or not?"
Maisa stared at her. Something about the girl’s behavior felt wrong.
Zolani’s hair had returned to its original pure crimson, and her eyes were the same familiar shade. Even her expression had reverted to its usual friendly warmth, as though nothing had happened between them.
But Maisa remembered. She remembered the hatred in Zolani’s eyes when the truth about her identity had come to light. She remembered the accusations, the anger, and the pain of discovering that Maisa was the hunter responsible for killing her sister.
That revelation had shattered whatever fragile trust had existed between them and forced Zolani to turn off her humanity. So why was Zolani smiling at her now?
"Come on," Zolani urged, waving her hand. "Get in before the princess takes offense at you keeping her waiting."
Maisa blinked. ’What is going on here?’
She glanced at Varitreya, expecting the princess to object or at least show some irritation at the delay.
Instead, Varitreya remained seated, watching them with an unreadable expression.
Maisa’s confusion only grew. Beside her, Freya was practically trembling. The number of vampires surrounding them was overwhelming. And not just ordinary vampires, either. Some of the individuals in those carriages carried an aura of power that made Freya’s instincts scream at her to run.
If they discovered she was a werewolf or worse, a hybrid... she doubted she would survive the encounter. Her fingers tightened around Maisa’s sleeve.
Zolani noticed. "And your friend, too," she added, gesturing toward Freya. "Hurry up. We don’t have all day."
Freya went rigid. She knows?
Her gaze darted between Zolani and the others, searching their faces for any hint of suspicion and found nothing.
They appeared perfectly comfortable with the situation, as though inviting strangers into their carriage was an ordinary occurrence.
Maisa hesitated for another moment before deciding she had little choice. Refusing might attract even more attention, and she had no desire to discover what would happen if she offended her mates more than she already had.
"Come on," she murmured to Freya.
Despite her reluctance, Maisa climbed into the carriage. Freya followed immediately, too nervous to refuse.
Inside, the carriage was spacious, furnished with plush seats and elegant decorations. The faint scent of blood apples lingered in the air, mingling with the fragrance of polished wood and expensive perfume.
Maisa settled into the empty space beside Lumi, while Freya squeezed in next to her, keeping close enough that their shoulders touched.
Maisa leaned toward Lumi, lowering her voice.
"What’s going on? Why is everyone acting so strange?"
Before Lumi could answer, Zolani reached into a small box and produced several pieces of black chocolate.
The sweets were glossy and dark, with tiny crimson flecks running through them.
"Here," Zolani said cheerfully, holding one out to Maisa. "Try this. It’s made with blood apples."
Maisa stared at the chocolate and then she stared at Zolani. ’Is it poisoned?’ Was the first thought in her mind.
The girl smiled and began passing the sweets around the carriage. "I’m so happy we get to room together when we get to school. Aren’t you all just as excited?"