Theo descended into the vampire underground, his footsteps echoing off the stone walls as he navigated the narrow, dimly lit corridors. The air down here was thick with tension, a stifling blend of secrecy and danger. The underground was not a place where formal allegiances or family ties held much sway; it was a realm where deals were made in the dark and those humans bound to unholy masters—the thralls—served as silent witnesses to all manner of transactions.

He moved quickly, brushing past thralls who barely acknowledged his presence, their eyes downcast as they carried trays of bloodied goblets to the various vampires lounging in the corners. Thralls were common in places like this—broken, obedient servants, utterly loyal to their masters. Some of them had been trapped in servitude for nearly all their lives, while others, freshly captured, were still learning their place in the shadows. Theo had no desire to linger in the underground longer than necessary. He had come for one purpose: to find Dante.

He finally spotted Dante, lounging in a shadowed corner of one of the larger chambers. A few thralls hovered nearby, their postures tense as they waited to serve him. Dante was an older vampire with a gaunt, almost skeletal appearance. His face was all sharp angles, with hollowed cheeks and a pair of cold, sunken eyes that glinted in the dim light. His silver hair, long and loosely tied back, gave him an air of antiquity, while his thin lips curled into a sly grin that made Theo instantly uneasy. There was something serpentine about him, as if he were always coiled, ready to strike.

Theo approached cautiously, his gaze never leaving Dante’s. The older vampire’s grin widened as he saw Theo coming. "Well, well, if it isn’t Lucian’s favorite errand boy," Dante said, his voice a low, amused drawl.

Theo sat down across from him, ignoring the jab. “I need information.”

Dante raised an eyebrow. “And you came to me? I’m flattered.”

“Don’t be,” Theo replied, his voice cool. “ I need to know about a symbol I found. Two fangs in front of black wings. Does that mean anything to you?”

Dante’s grin faded slightly as he leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming lazily on the armrest. “Symbol, huh? Sorry, can’t say that rings any bells. I’m good, but I don’t know everything.”

Theo’s frustration simmered beneath the surface. “What about something called The Watchers or anything out of the ordinary?”

Dante chuckled softly, though there was no real humor in it. “I haven’t heard anything specific about this symbol or ‘The Watchers’, but I can tell you this—there’s been some movement lately. Groups outside of Lucian’s control, slipping in and out of the city. You know how it is down here—people don’t talk much, but when they do, it’s rarely good news.”

Theo narrowed his eyes. “Names?”

Dante shrugged. “I don’t have names, but I do know someone’s stirring up trouble, and it’s making everyone nervous. Even the council’s been keeping a closer eye on things. If I were you, I’d stay on your toes.”

Theo processed the information, piecing it together with what he had already learned. It wasn’t much, but it was more than he had when he’d walked in. He’d have to be careful—if the council was involved, it meant there were more eyes on him than he’d thought.

Dante watched him closely, his sharp eyes gleaming in the low light. “Is that all, Theo? Or do you need more cryptic hints to keep you up during the day?”

Theo stood, pushing the chair back with a quiet scrape. “I’ve got enough for now.”

As he turned to leave, Dante called out, “Say hi to Lucian for me.”

Theo ignored him, making his way back through the winding corridors and up toward the surface.

XXXX

Arthur’s estate loomed ahead, a stark contrast to the underground. It was a place of old-world elegance, filled with relics of the past. Theo hadn’t been here in a long time, but tonight he needed Arthur’s insight. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the figure that had attacked Elena was part of something bigger, and Arthur might know more.

Theo entered without knocking, the heavy doors creaking as they swung shut behind him. Arthur was in his study, as usual, surrounded by ancient texts and artifacts. He looked up as Theo entered, his expression guarded.

“Theo,” Arthur greeted coolly, his voice laced with caution. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

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Theo wasted no time. “I need your help.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow but motioned for Theo to sit. “Help with what?”

“There was an attack,” Theo began, pacing in front of Arthur’s desk. “Something came after Elena and me in her apartment. I’ve never seen anything like it before, but it wasn’t from Lucian’s side. It was something else.”

Arthur frowned, his gaze sharpening. “Describe it.”

"It started as a shadow," Theo said, his voice low. "It moved in the darkness, then shifted into something... human-like. But its movements were off—unnatural, almost jerky. Its eyes were hollow, faintly glowing red. I’ve never seen anything like it before."

Arthur listened intently, his fingers tapping lightly on the arm of his chair.

“And this symbol,” Theo continued, pulling out the sketch and handing it to Arthur. “It was in Elena’s brother’s book. I need to know what it means.”

Arthur took the paper, his expression darkening as he examined the drawing. He didn’t speak for a long time, and Theo could sense the wheels turning in his mind.

Finally, Arthur set the paper down, his eyes meeting Theo’s. “This symbol is... familiar, but distant. I’ve come across it before, though only in fragments. It’s tied to an ancient order—an order that was once tasked with protecting relics. They called themselves the Watchers of the Divine.”

Theo leaned in, his pulse quickening. “What do you know about them?”

“Not much,” Arthur admitted. “The Watchers were secretive, even in their prime. They were said to have guarded artifacts of great power but they were wiped out long ago, or so the story goes.”

Theo’s mind raced, piecing together the fragments of information. “So they were tied to the artifact?”

Arthur nodded slowly. “It’s possible. But, like I said, everything I’ve ever found on them, which isn’t much, points to the order having been wiped out. Even if they where still around, I would be surprised if the thing that came after you had anything to do with them. The Watchers were a group of human priests as far as I know.”

Arthur’s gaze darkened, and he leaned back in his chair, studying Theo carefully. “ What are you doing here Theo? I’m assuming you aren’t here on Lucian’s orders.”

“I have my own interests.”

Arthur's piercing blue gaze lingered on him.

“ Whatever Lucian is planning is going to be unpleasant. You don’t have to be a part of it.”

“Don’t lecture me about Lucian,” Theo snapped, his temper flaring. “I don’t have a choice, not with Isabell in his hands. You know that.”

Arthur’s expression softened slightly, though his disapproval remained. “You do have a choice, Theo. You always have. You could walk away from Lucian, from all of this. I told you I’d help you, but you refused.”

Theo stood abruptly, the anger coursing through him. “You refused to help me when it mattered. You let Isabell fall into Lucian’s grasp, and now you expect me to walk away?”

Arthur didn’t respond immediately, his eyes narrowing. “I didn’t refuse you. I refused to get tangled in a war that would destroy us both. But you’re in deeper now than you were then. If you stay with Lucian, you’re walking toward destruction.”

Theo clenched his fists, battling to keep his frustration in check. He had heard this argument from Arthur countless times, and it always led to the same impasse. Arthur didn’t understand—he couldn’t.

“I’m not leaving Lucian,” Theo growled, his voice low and simmering with barely contained anger. “Not until Isabell is free.”

Arthur let out a weary sigh, rising to meet Theo's gaze. “Then be careful. And Theo... Elena will be key to finding the other missing pieces of the artifact. Protect her, if you can.”

Theo’s jaw tightened, but he offered no reply. He turned sharply and walked out, the weight of Arthur’s words bearing down on him, heavier than ever.

As Theo stepped outside Arthur’s estate, the cool night air hit him, sharpening his senses. The familiar heaviness of the situation settled over his shoulders, weighing him down as he made his way toward the edges of the sprawling estate. Arthur's words echoed in his mind—Elena was key to finding the other pieces of the artifact. Protect her, if you can. There was something deeper at play here, something that even Arthur wasn’t fully revealing.

Theo knew he couldn’t dwell on it for too long. His instincts kicked in, the ever-present need for blood clawing at the back of his mind. The gnawing hunger stirred, and he knew it was time to hunt. He slipped into the shadows, his steps silent as he moved through the trees surrounding the estate.

It wasn’t long before he picked up the faint pulse of life nearby—humans walking through the city outskirts, their blood humming beneath their skin. Theo’s senses locked onto them, but as he prepared to descend into his predator mode, something else caught his attention. It was faint at first—a presence lingering just out of sight, shadowing him at a careful distance.

Theo paused, his senses sharpening. He wasn’t alone.

A chill of recognition ran down his spine. He knew who it was. Celeste. Lucian’s shadow. Theo gritted his teeth in frustration. If he had sent Celeste to keep tabs on him, it could only mean one thing—Lucian was growing suspicious.

Celeste’s presence worried him. She was far too skilled to have been caught so easily. Was she letting herself be known on purpose? Theo couldn’t be sure, but the fact that she was this close sent a clear message: Lucian was watching.

Theo’s jaw clenched as he pushed the thoughts aside. He couldn’t confront her now—not yet. But he also couldn’t let her trail him back to Elena. His every step felt heavier now, the weight of the night, of Arthur’s warning, and the dangerous game with Lucian pressing down on him. He needed to be careful. Every move from here on out would determine whether he survived this tangled web or became just another pawn in Lucian’s ever-twisting game.

Ignoring the urge to hunt, Theo changed his route, slipping further into the night, hoping to lose Celeste in the maze of the city streets. He knew one thing for certain: time was running out, and the danger surrounding him—and Elena—was growing by the hour.