CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Ziaani's POV

"Can I join you?" I asked, not looking at her.

"Sure, squeaky. You can."

I opened my mouth to protest the nickname but stopped myself as I sat down. Silence settled between us, the only sound coming from the clinking of cutlery against plates.

"Your blood, my Queen," a servant appeared on my left, startling the shit out of me. She bowed low as she spoke.

"Yes," the Queen said, handing over her glass. The servant poured a thick red liquid into it before stepping back and walking away. I watched as the Queen took a sip, then swirled the liquid slowly in her glass.

"What does it taste like?" I asked, unable to contain my curiosity.

"Tastes good. I like it," she said simply.

"I know you like it, okay, but what does it taste like? Does it taste like orange juice?" I asked, tilting my head.

She let out a laugh, the sound soft yet strangely... warm. It sent an odd, familiar flutter through my chest, but I ignored it.

"No," she chuckled. "But how do you even get orange juice from blood?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, I'm just guessing."

"Well, it's got a unique taste. Hard to explain, really. But you can always find out for yourself." She smirked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"What? Ew, no! I'm not drinking blood."

"Hey, it was just a suggestion." She held up her hands in mock surrender. "Just a suggestion," she repeated with a teasing smile. "But if you—"

"Nooooo!" I cut her off. She burst into laughter, the sound making my insides twist in that weird way again. I pushed the feeling down and focused on my food.

"Hhhhhh," I hummed absentmindedly.

"What was that?" the Queen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing, I was just thinking."

She leaned forward slightly. "About?"

I hesitated before asking, "Okay, I have to know—do vampires eat?"

"Not necessarily. We don't need to eat, but I do because it's good. I'm a picky eater, though." She stabbed a slice of watermelon with her fork, popping it into her mouth before immediately scrunching her face in disgust.

"That bad?" I smirked.

"I don't like it. I don't know how you eat that," she said before taking another sip of blood from her glass.

"It's good! I like it," I said, tossing a piece into my mouth. "They're different, though."

"Wait, how?" she asked, intrigued.

"Well, some have more sugar and—"

"My Queen! There's been another attack!" Rose burst into the room, cutting me off.

"Right now?" The Queen stiffened, her voice sharp.

"Yes! They're attacking right now!"

"Where?" she demanded.

"The South Village."

"FUCK!" The Queen slammed her glass down, the liquid inside sloshing violently.

"We're at a disadvantage here, my Queen. They're attacking in the dark, cutting out every light source they can find," Rose continued, her tone urgent.

"What's going on?" I asked, frowning.

"The werewolves. They're attacking one of my villages," the Queen muttered, her jaw tightening.

"Why?"

"It's been the same thing for years."

"Yeah, but why?" I pushed.

"I don't know, okay?! I grew up in this war—I don't even know where it started!"

A new guard rushed in, panting heavily. "My Queen, we're losing this fight. None of us can see in the dark. They've wiped out the entire village—including the young."

Silence settled over the room, heavy and suffocating.

Then it hit me.

"Why don't you mark them?" I asked, looking between them.

Everyone turned to me, confused.

"What do you mean, Luna?" the new guard asked.

I rolled my eyes. "I mean, if my knowledge about vampires is correct, you can use your super senses to your advantage."

"Huh?" Rose blinked at me.

"Look, you guys have super hearing and an enhanced sense of smell, right?"

"Yeah," Rose nodded hesitantly. "And?"

"And use that! You're fighting in the dark."

"What do you mean 'use that'? We can't see!"

"You don't need to!" I said, exasperated. "Back home, I used to recognize where a person was just by their scent—whether it was their perfume or cologne."

Realization flickered across the Queen's face.

I smirked. "If the werewolves are using the darkness to their advantage, then it's time we use something they don't have."

"How?" Rose asked, still skeptical.

I took a deep breath. "We need to spread a distinct scent across the battlefield—something vampires can easily identify but is subtle enough that werewolves won't mask it. If we mark each of our warriors with a unique scent, we'll be able to distinguish friend from foe in the dark. Then, we rely on sound—echolocation, even. Vampires have sharper hearing than werewolves. You can track movement based on sound waves, listen for breathing, heartbeats, even footsteps."

The Queen's eyes lit up. "That… that could work."

"It will work," I said confidently. "But we need to act fast. Use a strong but non-overpowering scent—something each vampire can register instantly. Then, train them to move as one, using sound to navigate. The werewolves think they've blinded you. Let's prove them wrong."