Crystal Core

Alexander's eyes immediately narrowed at the name she had given out. He knew exactly who this man was. The same man who went on a maniacal killing spree, taking the lives of numerous young women in just a couple of days, yet at the same time he was confused.

'How could Tobias still be alive?'

Alexander turned to face Olivia who still had her eyebrows deeply furrowed, "Are you sure you saw his face?"

Olivia looked up at Alexander. She too, was confused about what she had seen. She had already witnessed the day Alexander ripped Tobias' heart out right in front of her eyes, yet how could this be possible?

"I only caught a glimpse of him before the vision ended."

The room became silent for a few moments. The two of them mulling over their own thoughts.

Truthfully, Alexander didn't know what to think, but one thing was clear. Tobias may still be alive for some reason or another and if so, he was a clear lead to getting one step closer to The Order.

"Did you see anyone else?" Alexander asked.

Olivia snapped out of her thoughts and replied, "Oh yes, there was one other man. He was almost like a preacher, knocking from door to door and asking whether people were followers of The Order or not."

Olivia then recalled a few other pieces and added on, "There were other men that I had seen as well but they were all masked. Only Tobias and the preacher were barefaced."

"Gold masks?"

Olivia shook her head, "These were different. They had different colours, with sequins and feathers on the surface."

Alexander frowned for a while once he heard her reply. Things seemed to be getting more layered.

Right now, Olivia was securely tying a black cotton bonnet around her hair. Of course, she couldn't be walking around with such striking looking hair and so she had prepared beforehand. Nothing much could be done about her eyes though. All she could resort to was walking closely behind Alexander face down, without looking up once.

While she was tucking in the silver-white strands of hair, she took the time to ask Alexander a question that had long been on her mind.

"If who I had seen was indeed Tobias, why was he still alive? Am I to presume that even when you rip out a vampire's heart, they will still go on to live?"

Alexander paused for a moment and looked down towards the girl that continued to fuss about with her hair.

Not hearing a reply, Olivia gazed up at him. Her eyes slightly narrowed, "Are you not going to answer this one either?"

Olivia had long noticed that whenever she asked about vampire's core's or the particular way of a vampire's death, the pureblood before her would suddenly clam up and not say a word.

Alexander, on the other hand, was on the receiving end of a pair of determined violet pupils, currently boring into him.

After a few bouts of silence and staring, Alexander stiffly replied, "When we get back to the household."

A while later, both of them were sitting opposite each other in Alexander's room. Neither of them spoke, opting to maintain the silence.

After a few moments, Olivia could no longer take it, "So?"

Alexander took his sweet time. A glass of wine in one hand while his other hand gently tapped the armchair.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Alexander eyed the young girl in front.

Without thinking much Olivia nodded her head.

"If I tell you, that would mean you will never be able to leave my sight," The corner of his lips turned upwards to form a small wicked smile as he continued to gaze at the girl in front, waiting for her reaction.

Upon hearing his words, Olivia paused for a while and looked up at him. Her eyes had yet to change back to their usual colour, so right now her violet pupils had a soft glint under the warm sunlight that peeked through the curtains.

"And? What of it? It wasn't as if you were ever going to let me leave especially now that you know what I am," Olivia scoffed as she moved her eyesight elsewhere.

"Hmm, indeed that is true. I'm glad that you are at least aware of that," Alexander gave a rare compliment in jest.

"Get on with it," Olivia impatiently hurried the vampire. She didn't feel much from his words. The day that she had stepped on to his carriage, she already knew that it was highly unlikely that she would be free.

Alexander slowly picked up his wine glass and sipped the contents in a leisurely manner, before finally starting.

"All vampires have a crystal core. While vampire born people form them at birth, half vampires that have been converted, form them after their conversion."

Olivia nodded her head as she closely listened to his words.

"The main difference between half vampire's and purebloods, mostly lies with these crystal cores. As I told you before, vampires have a power called aura. Crystal core's enable us to use aura. Without a crystal core, vampires are unable to use aura. Half vampires, although having already had a crystal core, do not have a strong enough aura as a pureblood would have. That is mostly due to their crystal core's being significantly smaller and extremely less powerful than a pureblood's."

Olivia continued to listen and thought for a moment, "Then are half vampires able to use aura?"

"Yes, but their aura is weaker and has absolutely no effects on purebloods," Alexander patiently answered her question.

"What about Tobias? If I remember, wasn't he a converted half vampire? You ripped out his heart…" Olivia's last sentenced drifted off unsaid, but her meaning was clear. 'You took his heart out but how is he still alive?'

Alexander's eyebrows furrowed, "Unlike purebloods, when a half vampire's heart is taken out, they soon die."

Olivia's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Oh? Does that mean purebloods are able to live without one?"

"Because the crystal core contains a lot of power and energy, it would act as the hearts replacement instead. That is, until it forms another heart in its stead. The true way for a pureblood vampire to die…" Alexander's dark crimson eyes, glanced over at Olivia in this moment.

Under his intense gaze, Olivia shifted about her in her seat.

"One must either corrupt their core or carve their core out," Alexander lifted the wine glass up to his lips as he finished his sentence.

Olivia slowly nodded her head. She didn't quite know what 'corrupting a core' entailed, but she felt it was best to store that question for a later date after watching his gaze darken.

"Do not be naïve, however. Although a half vampire is not much of a threat to a pure blood, the same cannot be said for humans," Alexander warned as he reached out to pour more wine into his glass cup.

However, before his hand reached the bottle, it was snatched away from him. As was the wine glass.

Alexander, after a while, sat back in his chair. Both of his hands empty. Instead, he stared at the girl sitting opposite him in amusement.

"Ah? A half vampire, a pureblood vampire, what could they possibly do to me?" She gave a small chuckle as she filled the glass half way, then lifting it up to her pinkish-red lips to have a taste.

"You could die," Alexander replied, his head resting on the palm of his hand, as he continued to eye the girl drinking out of the same cup he was using just earlier.

He gazed at her glistening lips, just in time to see the small tip of her pink tongue run past her lower lip in an attempt to catch the runaway wine drops. He slowly moved his gaze away after a while.

"I thought you'd fulfil that for me," Olivia finished off the last bits in her cup, placing back down on the table.

"Indeed, and I will be sure to," Alexander replied back. He had not forgotten what he had promised her when he first brought her to this room.

"I'll be looking forward to it," Olivia gave a wide smile.

On the other side, in a dark room underground, a group of people were sitting around a large round table. It was not only vampires that were present but humans as well.

"And what of the Royal family?" One man asked the group of people. The man looked to be about 50 years old. His clothes were of the finest fabric while his hair was cleanly maintained and not one strand was out of place. His brown eyes, roamed around the room, looking at all the other occupants.

"The king hasn't made any big moves as of late but it's been reported that he has been seen with quite a few figures recently," One vampire replied. His scarlet eyes trained on the papers in front of him.

"What do you think, Harland?" One of the other human nobles asked.

Harland, having been on the council, always had fortnightly meetings with the king and other councillors. He furrowed his dark brown eyes as his fingers played around with the tips of his moustache, "The king is considering to hold a charity event."

One vampire quickly spoke up, his crimson eyes narrowing, "A charity event? Whatever for? As if that old fool was ever charitable."

Having heard the pureblood, the rest of them murmured in agreement, trying to understand the kings movements.

Silence slowly dawned in the room, before it was broken by a particular voice, "The Order has also been quite interesting recently."

"Oh?" A vampire turned around, facing the person, "Do you have any new information, Julian?"

Of course, the person who first spoke was none other than Alexander's brother. Right now, he was in the middle of a meeting with the rest of The Seat of Elders.

Julian gave a small smile as his fingers slowly rubbed against the wooden table, "They've started to subtly increase their presence in the countryside."

One vampire with scarlet eyes, scoffed, "And what of it? What could they possible achieve by preaching to commoners?"

Obviously to this particular vampire, it seemed that he did not think much of The Order.

"Do not be fooled by their harmless façade. I feel that The Order is not as simple as they seem," Julian commented, his crimson eyes darkened a shade.

Around the table, everyone began to delve into their own thoughts quietly.