The Phantom Vampire

She stealthily reached the second floor and contacted Marhia. Standing in a blind spot she gave Marhia her location and told her to bring the required items.

Marhia arrived soon with a pair of binoculars and two more vials of drowsing serum. Aselia stood in the shadow of the wall and Marhia glided past her, all dressed for the party, dropping a small packet containing the items. Aselia picked them up and pocketed them. She then moved to the open atrium holding the party. The hall was circular and its roof extended up to the 3rd floor with railed walkways and pillars lining the first and second floors, giving it an ancient appeal. Aselia hid behind a pillar on the second floor and observed her surroundings.

Hallways were empty but the hall below was buzzing with people all dressed in attires of witches, fairies, goblins, giants and other magical creatures. Most of them hid their faces with elegant masks. She took out her binoculars and took a closer look.

The hall was elegantly decorated to give it a magical feel from dimly lit to an occasional shower of fake snow by a snow machine. From the abundant shades of purple flowers which covered every nook and cranny to the tapestries which extended from the third and second floors to the first. The pillars were used to hold the tapestries and it also helped Aselia stay hidden because if someone was to look up they won't find her. It was dark above and she hid between a pillar and a tapestry.

She scanned the crowd and her eyes fell on Xiran. He was clad in a wizard's attire and looked like a tall handsome wizard with a purplish golden wizarding hat. His long silken robe was royal purple and it was open right to his naval, providing his flesh to be ravaged by all. 'Show off' Aselia murmured. His beautiful hair was open today as he flicked them back from time to time.

He was in a deep conversation with a girl with raven black hair and piercing blue eyes. She was dressed in a skimpy olive green dress which seemed to have been sewn on her curvy body, with lighter shade wings hanging behind her. She couldn't seem to keep her hands to herself as she kept touching him on his arm and shoulders. Then she tried to cup his face but he excused himself just in time. Who was she? Why couldn't she keep her filthy hands to herself? Aselia scowled at her behaviour but quickly reprimanded herself. She was not here to spy on Xiran.

She kept looking for another 10 minutes when she heard light footsteps approaching her. She quickly put the binoculars away and moved to the other side of the pillar. A vampire was scanning the area making sure everything was going smoothly. She was ready to pounce on him in case he noticed her. But since her scent was masked and her heartbeat slow, he didn't think about looking behind the pillar and walked past her hiding spot.

Aselia went back to her spying and felt a commotion below. A dark sinister aura seemed to have entered the hall. The man was wearing a black mask with covered the upper half of his face and had a long beak. He adorned a black three-piece suit and was followed by two stunning females. Wait, what? They were elves, there was no mistaking that golden hair and pointed ears. Everyone stopped doing what they were doing as they bowed to the man. Xiran seemed to have stiffened in his spot as his eyes focused on him.

Could this be him? She knew in her bones that this was the man she has been looking for. The man who was responsible for her being an orphan and leading a loveless life as she had decided to trudge on the path of revenge. He had the same aura as she had clearly remembered 18 years ago. The memory was fuzzy and she always felt it was incomplete but his face was etched in her mind. Those cold blue eyes with no warmth and only malice were the same. A sense of hatred took over her as her whole frame shook but she jerked it off. She can't show emotions or she will be detected.

She tried to contact Marhia but all communication seemed to have been jammed. Must be his security protocol as a vampire had just scanned the area a few minutes before his arrival. She tried to find Marhia who was conversing with a handsome vampire. But she was occasionally looking up, Aselia poked her head a bit so she could see her and pointed. Marhia blinked twice and Aselia knew she had done her job. Now the team will capture him and she will kill him once she is out of there.

She had to go back before anyone realized she was missing but she wanted to see more. She focused her binoculars on him as he sauntered toward Xiran who had a grim expression on his face. He patted him on his shoulder and smiled, an evil smile and said something in Xiran's ear. The remaining colour on his face seemed to have drained. Was he threatening Xiran? What was he saying to him? Was Xiran afraid of him? She looked on in disbelief as her blood began to boil.

It was impossible to stay there anymore and just watch, she was losing all self-control. She wanted to jump down and decapitate that vampire. She had to leave the rest to her team and once she will get the confirmation that he has been captured, she would leave the place. For now, she needed to go back before Frila woke up and found her missing.

She stomped on the binoculars, crushing them and then flushed them down in the nearby toilet. She took the stairs back to the first floor and then the lobby from where she had come. She stood against the wall and poked her head in to analyse the situation. It looked empty so she tiptoed to the door she had come in. Vampires still lay unconscious as she walked past them. She could hear multiple voices behind her. She quickly opened the dungeon door and slipped inside, locking it behind her. With a thudding heart, she descended the stairs and rushed to her room.

Opening the door she found Frila still fast asleep. A few drops of the serum resulted in making vampires sleep instead of making them unconscious. She sighed with relief and hid the new vials Marhia had given her. Then she replaced the keys and went to take a bath to remove the effects of masking liquid. After the bath, she wore the same clothes she was wearing before her little rendezvous.

She dried her hair and slipped into bed. Her emotions were all over the place, she was this close to that man, who had made her an orphan and had left her alone in this vicious world.