Chapter 10: Within a Noble's Domain

After what seemed like hours of conversation. The meeting ended with both sides unable to come up with conclusions to how they'd handle the situation at hand. Edward Ashworth, or rather, the creature that wore his skin, moved through the dispersing crowd, his mind awhirl with newfound knowledge. He had gleaned valuable information from the meeting, insights into the guardians' plans and vulnerabilities.

"Good work today, Sir Edward," his driver, Walter, greeted as he approached the waiting limousine. "Are we heading straight home, or branching to the usual place?" he asked with a warm smile, glancing at his employer through the rearview mirror.

The skinwalker paused, momentarily thrown. "The usual place?" it echoed, its mind scrambling to access Edward's memories. A wave of frustration washed over it. "This is where our abilities falter," it thought, cursing its incomplete mimicry. "We have no access to the memories of the victims we absorb. What a pain."

"Let's just head home," it said aloud, forcing a tired sigh. "I'm exhausted from all the information I had to absorb today."

The driver frowned slightly, a flicker of concern crossing his face. Sir Edward rarely showed fatigue, and his tone seemed... off. But he dismissed the thought, attributing it to the stress of the meeting.

"Understood, Sir Edward," he replied, pulling the car away from the curb.

As the limousine glided through the darkened streets, the skinwalker leaned back in the plush leather seat, its mind awhirl. It reached out telepathically to its counterpart, the one that had infiltrated the Montgomery estate.

"Have they leaked any information yet?" it hissed, its voice a silent rasp in the mind of its brethren.

"I'm still gathering my senses," the other skinwalker replied. "Two people just arrived. A bodyguard and a young man. The bodyguard seems very strong, though. He's not ordinary."

"Well, those popes did say that the Montgomery family has powerful vampires serving them," the first skinwalker mused, a hint of amusement in its thoughts. "It's hilarious, really. Vampires serving humans. What happened to their pride as predators sitting at the pinnacle of supernaturals?"

"I thought the same," its counterpart agreed. "But it's not him that worries me. It's the other one, the one who was protecting the young lady."

"What about him?"

"He was stabbed with a holy weapon, right in the chest. I could have sworn I saw him die. But he stood up a few minutes later with a completely different aura and wiped out the entire siren squad in a matter of seconds." The skinwalker paused. "And... there was a glowing pattern embedded in his eyes."

"A glowing pattern?" the first skinwalker echoed, its amusement replaced by a chilling dread.

"Yes, like an ancient crest or something," its counterpart confirmed, its voice barely a whisper.

"Get out of there, Fenris! Now!" the first skinwalker roared, its mental voice filled with panic.

"I don't understand— What the—?" Fenris's thoughts were cut short by a wave of terror. "I have to flee! I sense eyes staring at me from all directions!"

"Get out of there, Fenris!" the first skinwalker repeated, its voice echoing through their shared consciousness. "They're nobles!"