32. Nix

T he mansion looks just as it always did, but it has been centuries since I called this place home. Its imposing silhouette cuts a dark shape against the night sky, a behemoth of stone and history looming over meticulously manicured lawns.

I stand in the shadows beneath the silver birch trees. Cerberus pants loudly, his breath blooming hot pale clouds into the night air.

The grand oak doors, ornately carved with our family crest, remain firmly shut. How many times had I walked through those doors, side by side with Lucien, blood-drunk and laughing after a successful hunt? Now, they stand as a barrier, keeping me out of the life my brother has built for himself.

The life he chose to exclude me from.

As if sensing my thoughts, Cerberus lets out a low growl. I place a calming hand on his head.

"Patience, old friend," I murmur. "Our time will come."

My eyes are drawn to a warm glow emanating from an upstairs window. There they are - Lucien and the human girl, Luna. Even from this distance, I can see the tenderness in my brother's embrace, the way he holds her as if she's something precious and fragile.

A smirk tugs at my lips. "Well, well," I mutter to Cerberus. "It seems my brother has gone and given his heart to a human. How... quaint. But does he know what she is? That's the question."

The dog huffs, as if sharing my disdain for my brother's weakness.

I watch as Luna leans into Lucien's embrace, her face turned up to his. The intimacy of the moment is almost palpable. It would be touching if it weren't so pathetic.

Lucien seems entirely focused on the girl; his usually sharp senses dulled by... what? Love? Lust? Whatever it is, it's made him careless. He doesn't sense my presence, doesn't feel the weight of my gaze. How the mighty have fallen.

"Oh, Lucien," I sigh, shaking my head. "You always were a romantic fool. Don't you see? Love is a liability. Power is the only currency that matters. I thought you'd learned that long ago."

As if he can hear me, Lucien stiffens suddenly, glancing toward the window. I melt further into the shadows, though I know he can't possibly detect my presence. Not yet anyway.

I've come too far, planned too carefully, to reveal myself now. But soon... oh, very soon, my dear brother will know exactly what I have in store for him and his precious human.

"Come, Cerberus," I say, turning away from the mansion. "We have work to do."

As we walk away, blending into the night, I can't help but smile. Lucien thinks he's protecting the girl, but he has no idea of the forces he's up against. Of the power that's within my grasp.

"Don't worry, brother," I whisper to the night. "Soon you'll see that my way is the only way. And when you do..." I pause, savoring the thought. "Well, let's just say the Thornfield brothers will rule this world together. Whether you like it or not."

Cerberus growls in agreement, his massive form a shadow at my side. My plans falling into place like pieces on a chessboard. It's only a matter of time before I have them both exactly where I want them.

And when I do, the real game begins.

The Covenant of Shadows will be awakened, and with it, a new era for our kind.