Gabriel
The darkness swallowed us, letting us drift like ghosts through the mist.
Every breath was a quiet echo in the fog, every step a whisper on the damp pavement.
Isaac hung heavily on my shoulder, his body burning with heat, but his gaze was sharp—too sharp for someone who had lost so much blood.
Raphael and Michael scanned the alleys, searching for eyes in the darkness.
And then there was Salvatore.
His movements were effortless, as if danger was just a familiar melody to him.
"You should move faster," he said casually, glancing over his shoulder. "I don't know how long we'll stay unnoticed."
I bit my lip.
He was saying what I had already feared.
Gideon wouldn't just disappear.
And that masked figure—that shadow hanging over us like a curse—was still out there too.
Michael
"You could have stepped in earlier," I said sharply, stretching my shoulder where Gideon's blow had landed.
Salvatore chuckled softly.
"Of course. But where's the thrill in that?"
I glared at him.
"So, are you just here to put on a show?"
He shook his head.
"No. I'm here because I'm looking for someone."
That made me pause for a moment.
"Who?" Raphael asked as he checked Isaac's pulse.
Salvatore shrugged.
"Someone who hides well. A hunter who betrayed himself."
I exchanged a quick glance with Gabriel.
We were all thinking the same thing.
London was not a sanctuary.
It was a grave for those foolish enough to seek refuge here.
"Why London?" I asked.
Salvatore looked at me with his dark, golden-brown eyes.
"Because monsters always go where the blood is freshest."
Raphael
We finally reached an old warehouse.
Not our hideout, but good enough for the next few hours.
Michael kicked the door open, Gabriel and I carried Isaac inside and laid him on an overturned crate—a makeshift bed in the dirt.
Salvatore remained at the door as if unsure whether he should enter.
"Pretty persistent for someone who hasn't joined us," Gabriel remarked dryly.
Salvatore smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"I don't have many options. And neither do you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.
His expression didn't change.
"You've made enemies who don't forget. And I… have someone I can't forget."
Isaac
The voices sounded distant, a broken echo in the haze of my consciousness.
Pain.
Familiar.
Expected.
I forced my eyelids open and saw blurred light.
Silhouettes.
My boys.
And then another figure.
I recognized him immediately.
"Loredan."
His eyes flickered with amusement.
"You sound surprised."
I narrowed my eyes.
"I could have sworn Venice had swallowed you by now."
He laughed softly.
"Believe me, many hoped for that."
I stared at him.
He seemed relaxed, too relaxed for someone who had just fought Gideon.
"What are you doing here, Salvatore?"
His smile faded slightly.
"Looking for answers."
My head throbbed.
I knew it was a lie.
He wasn't here for answers.
He was here for someone.
And I had a feeling I knew who he meant.
Gabriel
"So, what now?" Michael asked, rubbing his neck.
Salvatore looked at us.
"You need a place where you won't die for a while."
Raphael pulled a face.
"Safe? In this city? Keep dreaming."
Salvatore grinned.
"Not everything in this city belongs to the vampires."
I raised an eyebrow.
"You have a suggestion?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"I have an idea."
His gaze was dark, and for a moment, I wondered if he was truly our ally—or just another puzzle we had yet to solve.
Michael
"If you had to choose—who do you trust less?" I asked quietly while Gabriel and Raphael were tending to Isaac.
Salvatore glanced at me sideways.
"You or the vampires?"
I didn't flinch.
He was a hunter.
But a hunter without a pack.
I had learned that those were the most dangerous kind.
"You." The word fell between us like a knife.
His smile was a thin cut of self-satisfaction.
"Good choice."
I hated him.
But maybe he was exactly what we needed.
At least for now.