"W–Wait, please—!"
She barely finished the sentence before a gloved hand seized her throat. In an instant, her body was slammed against the cold stone wall she'd been resting on, knocking the wind from her lungs. She choked, her legs dangling slightly above the ground.
Her wide, terrified eyes met his.
Richard's face was calm—too calm. Cold fury radiated from him like a silent inferno.
His hand tightened around her neck.
"Talk," he said, voice low and guttural. "The Day of the Black Sun. What is it?"
She clawed weakly at his wrist, lips struggling to move. "I—I'll tell you! Please!"
A long moment passed. Then he dropped her.
She crumpled to the ground, gasping and coughing violently, tears stinging her eyes.
He crouched beside her, voice steady as ever.
"Start talking."
Still wheezing, she barely managed to get the words out. "It's… it's the eclipse. Less than a month away."
"I know that." His voice was sharp. "Why are vampires obsessed with it?"
"I don't know everything. The ones in power—Dukes, the High Court—they keep details from low-tier survivors like me." She coughed again, clutching her throat. "But… something's coming. Something big. The old court treats it like prophecy."
Richard stared at her, eyes piercing into her soul.
"There's more," she said quickly, eyes darting in panic. "They're preparing a summit. All high-ranking vampires. Lords, Dukes, even the oldest ones still alive. They're gathering."
"Why?"
She hesitated.
He moved closer again. She flinched.
"Because of you," she whispered. "They're afraid. You killed a lord. With blue fire. They're rattled. More than you know."
Richard didn't move. His gaze remained locked on her.
Then, after a pause—
"You'll go to that summit."
She blinked. "What?"
"You'll attend. Pretend you're one of them. You'll gather every name, every plan, every whisper. Then you'll come back and tell me."
"I'm not—" She scowled, then laughed bitterly. "You want me to be your spy? Just like that?"
"I spared you once." His voice was quiet, dangerous. "You remember that, don't you?"
Her voice dropped. "Everyone else didn't make it out of Zen."
"Exactly."
The blue flames sparked to life in his palm. The light reflected in her widened pupils.
"I could finish what I started," he said. "Or you could make yourself useful."
There was a long silence. The crackle of fire. Her uneven breathing.
Then, through clenched teeth, she spat out: "Fine. I'll go. I'll listen. But don't think I'm loyal to you."
"I don't need loyalty," he replied. "I need results."
She looked away, glaring at the ground.
"After the summit, you find me," he said. "Don't make me come looking."
He turned and vanished into the shadows as suddenly as he'd come.
She sat there for a long moment, rubbing her neck.
"Damn it…" she muttered. "He just had to come back."
With a frustrated groan, she leapt onto a nearby rooftop.
"I'm a spy now," she said dryly. "Fantastic."
She vanished into the night.
End of Chapter 13