I couldn’t believe it. The most powerful man in Semora was standing right in front of us. In the corner of my eye, I could see Mina’s face. She wore the same gaping expression as I did, both of us so shocked at who saved us that I almost couldn’t hear the next thing he said.

“Madame? It is only polite that you reveal your names after I have revealed mine.” his soft voice sent a shiver down my spine.

Exactly how he was calm after killing 2 people? I didn’t know. And what did he do with everyone else? Where were they? Behind Roland, there was no one. No one but the bodies of the two people he somehow killed.

“If we told you our names,” I managed to say, “would you also tell us what you did to the people? Maybe also tell us what that man was?”. Like hell I would trust him after that. And I didn’t forget about Mina’s boss; I couldn’t, with his sharp teeth and his son’s mocking gesture towards us. Although, we could technically get some answers from him. As he was the one fighting the bastard.

That feline smile returned on his face as he answered, “With all due respect, my dear, for me to release such information, you would need to give me something a little more than just your name. Would it not seem unfair that I saved you, gave you my name, and asked nothing in return? And yet you dare to ask for more?”. He chuckled under those closed lips.

My eyebrows furrowed, and my face heated from frustration. But, he was right. He had given without gaining anything, and yet I still asked for more.

Fine. If he wanted to play like some kind of fae, then I should play this game with him. To get answers. However, noticing Mina’s silence made me uneasy. I faced her now at my side with a slight smile on my face and mouthed ‘Hang on, love.’

Turning to look back up at Roland made my smile fade. I affected a look of boredom. “Fair enough. I am Beatrice Lane. And This is my girlfriend, Mina Son. You talk like an old man, by the way.”

Roland’s eyebrows slightly lifted from surprise, either that or interest. I couldn’t exactly tell. But at least I got that last thing out of the way. Then again, my last name was that of my father, a general in the monster hunter legion in the city’s police force. He was sent to help hunt monsters down in a neighboring city, as this city had a ward to protect us from them. However, seeing Darik and his son made me think otherwise about this city. Maybe my father’s last name was the thing that caught him off guard.

A second later, a subtle smile tugged at Roland’s lips. Though, it seemed as if he was struggling to keep a broader smile at bay. “Charmed, my dear. Say. Are you a mind-reader, milady?” He scanned me from head to toe, and his lower lip briefly curled under his possibly white teeth. With one blink, he uncurled his lip and offered me another smile.

My face remained straight, unbothered, and bored, “It is rude to assess a lady,” I said flatly.

I could almost smile seeing that it made him chuckle under his lips. “Apologies, madame,” he continued with a subtle smile that didn’t match his lazy eyes. “You just paid me double what you owed, my dear. Therefore, I shall answer your questions. And a little extra one I am sure you will have after I answer your first one. And that will make us even.”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

No, it didn’t. But fine.

“Those two, my dear,” he continued while swinging himself sideways and waving his hand toward the two bodies on the ground. “Were demons. I am sure your father told you about the tear in the city’s shield. It has been like that for a while now and that tear is the reason those two, and most likely many other creatures, are in this city. In hiding. As for the rest of the party, I simply sent them away.”

So, he knew my father.

But demons? A tear? Other creatures in the city? This was bad. Very bad. With my father out there… There was no way he would’ve missed that information. And there was no way he would just hide that from me.

My eyebrows furrowed at the thought of my father hiding something this dangerous from me. I did not care at the moment about how specifically Roland had persuaded everyone at the party to leave. Father had kept something big from me. Semora was a peaceful city without monsters or other mystic creatures to ruin it. A thriving land with lights and technology that did not match our neighboring monster-driven cities. Waters free of mermaids and sirens that would kill anyone who touched their waters. Skies free of harpies that would claw at you at any time they wanted. Free of vampires that could eat you up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for days on end and keep you alive until they drained you of your blood.

Vampires. I hated those creatures the most out of all the other Meistecs. Vampires drained my mother of her blood in front of my eyes when we still lived in a neighboring city filled with monsters. My father attacked that night until he lost an eye and later moved us to Semora to keep me safe.

I could still remember my mother’s wide eyes losing color as she stared at me while being drained by 3 vampires at once. Their fangs had sunk into her neck, her waist, and her leg, and I couldn’t do so much as freeze from the shock. From the thought of vampires attacking her. And they had hissed in delight that very night. They had hissed and laughed after killing my mother. Laughed knowing a 5-year-old was watching.

I was going to kill them all.

“I am sure you have many questions at the moment, milady, but I shall allow you one,” Roland snapped me out of my thoughts with that gentle voice, “As sunrise is indeed arriving, and I would like to go home and get some sleep. Although, I do find you interesting,” his focus was solely on me as he talked, “I would like to invite you to my estate. Say, tomorrow evening? As the sun begins to set?”

“Again. You speak like an old man.” I say flatly, staring at no one in particular. Thoughts ran across my mind again as if they never left. Though, that’s how thoughts worked, after all.

“But,” I sighed the word out. “it would be nice. For both of us to relax a bit, that is. Thank you.” my smile was grim. And I was sure the weakness of the smile was what made his smile fade, causing me to jump slightly on my toes. “So,” I tried to continue. “your address? So, we could go.”

“Ah. Yes,” His smile came back, wider this time but not enough to show his teeth. “My address. That will be 314 East Mae Street, the estate closest to Idris’ forest, sadly. I hope you do not mind.” he clapped his hands together and bowed his head as an apology.

An isolated area. Typical. Mae Street was unfortunately the street closest to that forest, though it was still at a safe distance from the forest that happened to belong to a powerful dragon. A magic barrier also kept anyone from going in or any creature from getting out of that forest.

Surprisingly enough, the barrier was strong enough to keep Idris from leaving the territory, unless the dragon had never tried to leave in the first place while finding the wall pathetic. The dragon was known to be wise but also very judgmental and cruel.

As a reply, I finally gave Roland a more positive smile, a nod, and a goodbye on behalf of myself and Mina. She hadn’t coughed the whole time Roland and I talked. She was still as pale and still as she was when the whole thing started.

But before I turned us around to leave, I noticed Roland’s eyes widen behind us. He clasped his hands over his mouth before he could open it wide enough for me to see his teeth. Was it excitement? Maybe. I didn’t know, and at the moment, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. I was too tired and worried about Mina, my father, and that tear in the city to worry about this man’s feelings.