Chapter 2

Chapter

Two

KILLIAN

Two Days Later

M uscles tense, I scan the recorded footage of the girl on my wrist-piece screen. Her hair catches the sunlight, shimmering with an almost violet hue—a rare color on Earth, but back on my home world of Blight, it's more commonplace.

Yet here I am, observing a human girl from Earth at the most recent Day of the Choosing Ceremony in Nightingale Village. Even with her back turned to the camera, her face hidden, there's a tenderness in her posture—her head slightly bowed, shoulders curled as if bearing the weight of the world.

As the newly appointed Nightingale Viscount, I'm here to fix the village while secretly discovering if she's the one we've been searching for all these damn years.

It's pure fate that I even happened to notice her in the first place. But a recent incident involving Gods from another dimension drew my attention to this village and the inhabitants within it.

Because if one of those humans could be the fated mate of a God, maybe the key I've been searching for is here as well.

So I reviewed the tapes from the Day of the Choosing, studying the mate in question—Alina.

Which is when I noticed her focusing on another woman in the crowd. A violet-hued pixie.

When Cain, the Elite City King, mentioned needing a replacement Viscount, I offered to take the position. Primarily so I could have a chance to learn more about this woman, but also to help this village leave the dark ages.

As King, Cain rules the Elite City of Chicago. Despite his monster origins, he controls the Elite families in his region. Each family rules over one village. And in each of those, a Viscount takes charge over the villagers. He's the only one in each village aware of the Elite families and the structure controlling this world.

I do find it most fascinating to have learned that Elite families are the humans who didn't run when monsters first invaded Earth. Instead, they offered a collaboration, one of governing and controlling humanity for all our benefit.

To avoid the extinction of the human race while appeasing the countless monster worlds, they had proposed that humans be placed in remote villages, monitored by the Elite families while ensuring the collection of human Offerings for the monsters annually.

In exchange, these Elite families were offered boons for providing ideal monster mates for the Monsters Night. After all, powers and gifts, with the ultimate promise of immortality, are tempting rewards to pass up for any human.

So now, one night a year when monsters enter Earth through portals, they can take the chosen human Offerings back to their worlds for breeding, marriage, or whatever the fuck they desire.

And me…I'm here to set things right in Nightingale Village for the future of all involved in my new role as temporary Viscount.

But first, I must secure the girl I've been searching for and take her back to Blight to address our issues. My first priority remains my world back home.

Which is why I'm watching this tape yet again, needing to memorize every detail to track her down.

I reach over, sliding my finger over the video screen where she stands, hoping she'll turn around to show her face, but she never does.

"Are you the one?" I whisper, my breath forming a mist in the cool air.

One touch and I'll know it's her, then there's no time to waste.

Voices nearby pull me from my thoughts, and I lift my gaze, switching off the footage to find a curious group of half a dozen children watching me. With a forced grin, I push back into a walk, surveying the village for her.

Farmland stretches before me, with humans tending the fields and several women loudly chatting as they pick red globe fruit from trees. The longer I've spent on Earth, the more I detest it. This place, so starkly different from my realm, Blight, only increases my homesickness.

Nothing here feels right—the temperamental weather, the tasteless food, or the convoluted politics back in the Elite City.

Striding along the dirt path, I meander toward the small cottage homes.

"Your Grace," greets Village Protector Edwards, that sycophantic fool, stepping out in front of me from behind a small cottage, interrupting my thoughts.

I study the man who has white wisps of hair at his temples, standing in my way now.

"I thought it suitable to notify you that supper will be served shortly in the main hall. I have personally selected the nobles and families to join us. Many have questions about your appointment." He wrings his hands in front of him nervously.

"Right, of course."

"It's been a long time since we've had true leadership, so your arrival couldn't be more imminent for all of us."

He refers to the last Viscount, who fucked up his mission, taking advantage of his position in this village, claiming three of the girls as his brides, so this man's comment is an understatement.

Edwards regards me intently, and already I'm exhausted from his presence.

"My plan isn't to keep men who, for all I know, harbor the same doctrines as the previous Viscount. So, time will tell."

Fear behind his eyes darkens his gaze. Of course, Your Grace. Change is inevitable, and I am yours to do your bidding. Shall I escort you to the hall?"

"I'm capable of seeing myself around. I require no escort. And I'll join you when I'm ready."

His smile falters slightly but quickly recovers, and he moves out of my path.

I stroll past him, continuing my journey through Nightingale Village.

Locals keep their distance, hurrying back into their homes as I pass, yet I catch the weight in their stares and the faint whispers about me. Sunlight dapples the field as I leave the farmland behind and follow the winding paths between homes.

A couple gives me a wide berth, hastening their pace as I approach. As I round the corner, a breeze carries the sweet scent of berries to me. While most human food is barely tolerable to me, providing little of the sustenance I need, berries have always found favor with my taste.

Ahead, in front of a worn cottage, a young woman sits on a log, her back to me, busily sorting through a harvest of red berries. Her fingers are stained a deep red.

The breeze picks up again, tugging at her simple brown cotton dress and fluttering through her silver hair, which flashes with a faint violet hue under the sun—just like in the footage I've studied.

My feet stop of their own accord.

Chest tightens.

It's her.

Though I need more confirmation that she's truly the girl we've been looking for, the odds seem promising. After searching for so long, it feels inevitable that she must be the one.

Just as I'm about to step forward, another young woman in a more vibrant blue dress emerges from another path. I retreat into the shadows, observing, waiting for a moment when she might be alone again.

"Sage, you still haven't finished the berries for the feast? It's about to start," the newcomer says, her tone sharp and somewhat condescending. "Haven't you heard? The new Viscount, Killian, expects perfection."

The girl on the log, Sage, shrugs and rubs her berry-stained fingers with a nearby rag. "I don't care who he is, Lany. As long as he leaves me and my mom alone."

"Hush, are you missing part of your brain? Don't say those things so loud," Lany hisses, glancing around nervously. "I hear he's watching everyone, taking notes on who needs punishment."

That's news to me.

Sage drops her rag into the large bucket of berries. "Well, you better take the ones I've finished." She points at the smaller wooden pail, where the fruit is free of twigs and leaves.

Lany hurries over to collect the bucket. "My family got invited to the feast tonight, you know. I'm guessing you weren't?" she sneers.

"I wouldn't want to attend," Sage bites back instantly, voice almost deflated, yet beneath it, I hear a spark of her frustration.

Lany's laugh, laced with mockery, echoes around us.

"Sure, you wouldn't. Everyone knows those selected might end up in good standing with the new Viscount," she answers sarcastically. "The Protectors even selected the Jonas family to attend. I mean, they clean the animal stalls for a living, so that says a lot about you and your mom not being chosen." She scrunches up her nose, eyeing Sage with such disgust.

Sage lifts her head, her gaze locking on the girl. "I hope you gain all the attention you crave from the Viscount. We all remember how well our last Viscount cared for girls…Perhaps the new one is just as… attentive."

Lany's glare hardens in response, her smile quickly fading as she clearly understands the warning in Sage's words. Her lips pinch.

Something inside me ignites on Sage's behalf, impressed by her response. It's evident that the villagers are aware of the turmoil the previous Viscount had caused. Feeling the weight of her words, Lany abruptly turns and storms down the path, her bucket of berries swaying angrily.

Meanwhile, Sage gets to her feet, grasping the second wooden bucket firmly in her hands and swinging it toward the house, momentarily facing in my direction. She doesn't see me, but finally, I get a clear view of her face.

My pulse thumps wildly—fuck, she's devastatingly beautiful. High cheekbones, soft porcelain skin, and mesmerizing icy glacier eyes are framed by long, dark lashes. Full lips are tight, and her brow furrowed. Even in her simple brown dress, her curves are undeniable. She must be about twenty or twenty-one years old.

The mission of taking her to Blight suddenly seems like it might be more intriguing than I had initially anticipated. She vanishes into the house, and I find myself whispering under my breath, "I'll be back for you."

Turning on my heel, I head for the village mess hall. I need to blend in and give them something to remember, considering I plan to vanish for a few days soon.

As I enter the expansive, dimly lit hall, it's buzzing with the murmur of voices and the clatter of dishes. Everyone's head turns as I stroll in, their conversations falling into a hushed silence. They know change is coming; they just don't know what kind yet.

That's when I spot Lany again. The girl in the blue dress rushes into the room, joining what appears to be her parents at a table near the back of the hall. Seizing the moment, I nod to the Village Protector who has been watching my approach.

"Your Grace," he mutters as he leans in close to me, his voice barely above a whisper.

In a low tone meant only for his ears, I instruct him, "Have that girl in the blue dress, Lany, and her parents removed from the mess hall. Make sure everyone sees the commotion."

He pulls back at first, taken aback, but recovers quickly, nodding in understanding. "At once, Your Grace."

I take a seat at the head table, picking at a bowl of fresh berries bursting with flavor. As I watch, he quietly instructs two of the other Village Protectors. They stride purposefully through the hall, stopping at Lany's table.

"Turner family, rise and stand," commands one of the Protectors in a firm, authoritative voice.

"What's the meaning of this?" Lany's father demands, his voice rising as he stands, followed reluctantly by his wife and daughter.

"The Viscount has ordered your removal," the Protector states flatly. "You are to leave the hall immediately; your invitation is revoked."

"But we've done nothing wrong!" The mother's face is a mix of confusion and fear as she clutches her daughter's arm.

"It's not up for debate. Move now, or we will remove you," the Protector insists.

A heavy silence falls over the hall, every eye fixed on the unfolding drama. The father's face reddens with anger, but he leads his family away from the table, not daring to meet my gaze. Lany, however, looks directly at me, her face pale with shock and embarrassment.

"Out. Now!" the Protector's voice booms again, echoing through the hall.

As they are escorted out, the tension in the room thickens, and I can't help but think I could have made things much worse for her. Yet, she's not a true villain—she received the punishment I deemed fair.

The Protector scurries to smooth over the ruffled atmosphere, welcoming people and lifting the heavy energy with practiced ease. I let him ramble on, my thoughts drifting back to Sage and the mission at hand.

Announcing my need to travel for urgent business, I finally inform him once he returns, "I will require a villager to accompany me to carry my supplies and assist with various tasks. I'll only be gone for a few days at most."

He nods eagerly, ready to facilitate. "Of course, Your Grace. We will find someone suitable immediately."

"There's no need," I interject with finality. "I have already chosen someone."

As the meal progresses, my mind remains consumed with thoughts of Sage. With her by my side, the balance of power in Blight will shift.

She has no idea yet just how important she truly is.