Chapter 31

I woke up to a loud bang and a few shrieks. I dragged myself out of bed to find out where the commotion was coming from. I found both sides were screaming at each other. So out of irritation, I declared that if they wished to stay here they should understand that once they enter this property they can't yell at each other like a bunch of rabid dogs unless they are in the courtroom. Instantly all those that were yelling lost their voices. It was like someone had taken a remote and pressed the mute button. They looked around to figure out what happened. When they saw me they looked surprised and embarrassed as well. I gave all in attendance an angry and tired look. I mumbled sleepily that they are not allowed to fight each other let alone murder each other in here or outside either. I officially invoked a no-violence policy for this residence. There were expressions of displeasure. I reminded them what happened at the Lazarus Pit so they decided since this is a neutral zone it is for the best. I further explained that no violence meant that they can't stand outside and chuck stuff inside either. They can't throw, slit, strangle, bite, eat, punch, kick, spit or hit anyone who has entered this property which means those who were sorting my house had to make arrangements to make sure that any acts of violence are stopped by an unseen force before it reaches the opponent's intended body part. If they try to commit murder they will find themselves trapped inside an iron maiden in my office. If they try to disrupt the peace the dragons have my permission to roast them till they are charcoal. If they try any monkey business with me or anyone else or try to hurt me the punishment will be to take a dip in the pool of death or if they intend to hide to try and expose us to humans then they will never be allowed in here to ask for sanctuary but will be evicted immediately. They will be returned to whichever side they had pledged their allegiance to. If it is a human then they will be made to forget or they become insane the moment they cross the threshold of this property. I gave the dragons a blood oath to be honest and gave them a room just for them. I ask that every electronic device should stop working the moment they cross the border of my property. The guest stood in shock for a moment to realize they interrupted my beauty sleep. So they politely wished me goodnight and I went back to my room to sleep. Dracula stood on one of the seats grinning like a fool. His other wives were very annoyed with me.

I woke up the next morning and found Dracula was fuming. His wives were screaming like a group of harpies. They were furious that he would spend more time with me than them. He gave them a look and joined them for breakfast. He grumbled a good morning till he saw it was me. He smiled and the others screeched like a bunch of banshees. He growled like a lion. The room fell silent immediately. The women sat down and they asked him nicely if he was going to visit their family for the holidays and he promised to do so. He had married them for political reasons. He married me because he was in love with me. They love him but he does not. I was going to ask him if I could join him when a dark elf arrived with a scroll. I was told it was addressed to me.

The letter looked like it was written in the first century BC. So I asked someone to translate it for me. The elf explained that since I chose to be neutral I had to go to secret Isle for a test. It was to ensure those that choose the neutral side are held accountable for their actions. The gypsies drew on the wet sand and the portal opened and I had to jump in. I was welcomed by a flock of winged creatures. They swarmed me for a moment and took a step back. A short man came limping towards me. He looked at me as far as his sight would allow and then mumbled something in a language I am not aware of. I was finally told where I was. It was Phantom Island. The redheaded vampire leader of the Phoenix clan had briefly mentioned this place the day I moved to Kyiv for basic combat training.

The island was situated in a place called eternal midnight. That means that this island has never seen a sunrise since the dawn of time. I saw ghostly figures dressed with clothes from every era imaginable roaming around the place. A few went through me and it felt like taking dip in the coldest regions of Antarctica. It definitely made Oymyakon seem like summer. I looked around to see that the trees had small balls of fire that seemed to circle it. These fire spirits had the ability to change into animals. Some changed into snakes while others changed into dogs. After a few minutes later we walked through thick smoke and suddenly a mountain came into view. I was escorted to a cave where I was ordered to wait till I was summoned to test the purity of my intentions. A few hours went by and then a Minotaur walked in. He had a huge battle axe in one hand. He rubbed his thumb over the blade to test its sharpness. He looked at me and growled. He waved his free hand gesturing for me to follow him.

I was escorted to a room where people from both sides sat with curious eyes. I was told to stand in a circle that was surrounded by words that appear to be unnatural. Once I stepped inside. They seemed to calm down. There was a witch who asked me a few questions that I felt uncomfortable answering but I still answered them honestly. Like how I became a vampire. What I felt about Dracula and if I still wanted to be his wife. What I felt when I discovered that he murdered my family in fit of rage. When I was done they asked me to walk out of the circle. I casually stepped out and the witch groaned in frustration. I was told I had passed. The owner was a gnome named Roland. He calmly escorted me to my room. I stayed there till a wood nymph name Alisa came with my dinner.

She was kind enough to explain that the circle was crafted to trap dishonest people. The spell was simple. Never release your prisoner with a lying heart. I was told that I had passed the test. Since I was new they will go easy on me but the next time I am summoned they may or may not choose to rough with me. Roland asked me if I wanted anything since I had passed the first test I can choose to stay here or go home. I chose to go home.

I returned home and saw that the mansion was filled with people. I saw Dracula and he was so pleased to see me that he outshone the sun. He must have heard my thought and I blushed. He escorted me upstairs and chose an outfit he felt would look amazing. I wanted to make him happy so I wore it. It resembled Princess Diana's wedding dress without the puffy part on the shoulder. I came down to see my grandfather was a guest. I was happy to see him but then one of Dracula's wives attacked him and Drake did nothing to stop her. I pulled him away from her and she apologized for what she had done. I forgave her wholeheartedly. The room lit up and I realized that I was still inside the horrid circle. Roland told me that I had passed the test. They escorted me to a cave with primitive hand paintings on it. The floor was chiseled with symbols and ancient writing. The moment I stepped on it I was sent into Dracula's loving arms.