chapter 6(b)

b.The Villa's Whisper

Chloe seemed agitated, her nerves frayed by Selene's incessant chatter about Caden being a vampire. Angus, usually silent, raised his voice, cutting through Selene's monologue.

"Enough, Selene!" Angus barked, his tone sharp enough to silence her.

Selene looked down, a sly smile creeping onto her lips. "Relax, Chloe, your man is yours, I'm just teasing," she said, her voice dripping with false innocence.

"Have your lunch; we have like 30 minutes before we get to where we are going," Caden reassured Chloe, his gaze meeting hers, which were on the brink of tears. "Don't let her get to you."

Chloe took a deep breath, brushing off Selene's words as a sick jest. "It's not funny, Selene. Not at all," she muttered, picking at her lunch, her left hand still clutching Caden's.

Caden, defying Selene's accusations, ate alongside her, his eyes now locked on Selene with a mix of surprise and a challenge. "You really think you can throw around such accusations and expect no response?" he asked, his voice calm but firm.

Selene, caught off guard, looked embarrassed by his stare. "I was just having a bit of fun, Caden. No harm intended," she replied, her tone less confident now.

They reached their stop, and Chloe, collecting herself, returned to gather her bags. Her eyes caught the corner of her grandfather's journal peeking from under the bed. She bent down, retrieved it, and tucked it into her bag, the leather cool against her fingers.

"Got everything?" Caden asked, helping with the bags.

"Yeah, and this too," Chloe said, tapping the journal in her bag .

Their drive took them to a villa, where, to their astonishment, they discovered they were neighbors to Selene and Angus. "Aww, what the fuck!" Chloe exclaimed as she saw Selene saunter into the villa next door, her seductive smile directed at Chloe while blowing a kiss to Caden, an act that screamed audacity.

"Really, Selene? You had to book the villa next door?" Chloe said, her voice laced with irritation.

Selene just laughed, "Oh, come on, Chloe, we're practically family now."

Caden, looking at Selene, then back at Chloe, said, "Don't worry about it, Chloe. She's all talk."

Chloe looked at Caden, whose attention was momentarily on Selene but then returned to Chloe, his eyes softening. She smiled, confidence swelling within her that Selene wouldn't steal her man. "She's not going to come between us," she whispered to Caden, squeezing his hand.

"Not a chance," Caden replied, his voice a low promise,

The villas stood like mirrored sentinels atop a cliffside, their ivory walls glowing under the setting sun. Chloe glared at Selene's retreating figure as the succubus sashayed into the neighboring villa. *"I hate that woman's jokes"* Chloe muttered, her grip tightening on Caden's arm.

"Ignore her," Caden said, his voice steady, though his eyes lingered on Selene's door a beat too long. "She's just trying to rattle you."

Chloe forced a nod, but the journal in her bag felt heavier with every step.

Inside Villa 12A

Caden carried their luggage effortlessly-too effortlessly-setting it down without a sound. Chloe pretended not to notice, busying herself with inspecting the rooms. The villa was opulent but eerie: velvet drapes, gilded mirrors, and a portrait above the fireplace of a man who looked unsettlingly like Caden, his eyes cold and timeless.

"Cozy," she said, her voice brittle.

Caden stood by the window, his back to her. "We'll rest tonight. Tomorrow, we'll explore the island."

Chloe's fingers brushed the journal in her bag. *Tomorrow.*

Next Door: Villa 12B

Selene flopped onto the four-poster bed, her tail coiling around a bedpost. "Well, *that* was fun," she purred.

Angus stood rigidly by the door. "What's the surprise, Selene?"

She sat up, her smile sharp. "Patience, little twink. You'll see soon enough."

Her gaze drifted to the shared wall between the villas. A slow, wicked grin spread across her face.

Nightfall: Secrets and Shadows

Chloe waited until Caden fell into a unnervingly still sleep before slipping the journal from her bag. The Archduke's crest glared up at her, its serpentine dagger seeming to writhe under moonlight.

*Entry #1: 1843*

*The creature is bound to our bloodline by pact, he can't harm ,by pact. It demands sacrifice. A life for a life. If you read this, child, know this: the pact cannot be broken, but it can be... redirected.*

A floorboard creaked. Chloe froze, clutching the journal to her chest.

"Can't sleep?" Caden stood in the doorway, his silhouette haloed by moonlight.

"Just... adjusting," she lied, snapping the journal shut.

He crossed the room, his steps silent. "You're shaking."

"Cold," she said, though the air was thick with tropical heat.

Caden's hand brushed against hers, a touch as cold as the grave, sending a shiver through Chloe. "I'll light a fire," he murmured, his voice a whisper in the quiet room as he moved towards the hearth. Chloe, feeling the weight of the day, quickly concealed her grandfather's journal in her bag and slipped beneath the covers.

Caden approached the wood, his hands moving with a supernatural ease, splitting logs without an axe, the crack of wood echoing like bones in the silence. He fed the flames until they leaped and danced to the haunting melody of the night wind. Chloe, her heart pounding, chose to ignore this display of his unnatural strength, desperate to cling to normalcy.

Once the fire was roaring, he strode to the bed, removing his coat and hanging it beside the bed. He caught Chloe in his arms, pressing her head against his chest. "Are any of her words true?" Chloe asked, her voice trembling on the edge of tears, her next reaction hinging on his response.

"Don't listen to that demon, she's jealous of you and me. I think you may have noticed she's doing everything to ruin us. Don't let her get into your head," he reassured her.

"You promise?" she asked, looking into his eyes, noticing his pupils dilate suddenly, though she attributed it to her fingers accidentally grazing his crotch.

"Sure, I assure you," he said, sealing his words with a kiss on her forehead. She fell asleep in his arms almost immediately, and he remained in that position, not wanting to disturb her sleep.

At dawn, a knock shattered the silence. Selene stood on their porch, her smile saccharine. "Rise and shine, lovebirds! Time for the grand tour."

Behind her, Angus hovered, his face pale. "Selene, don't-"

"Hush, darling." She tossed Chloe a key. "Your villa has a cellar. Thought you might like to see it."

Chloe's stomach dropped. "Why?"

Selene's tail twitched. "Let's just say... your grandfather left something *delicious* down there."

Caden stepped forward, his voice a growl. "Enough games, demon."

"Oh, it's no game," Selene said, her eyes flicking to Chloe's bag. "Ask her about the journal."

Chloe's breath hitched. *How does she-?*

Selene leaned in, her whisper a blade. "The Archduke's blood runs in your veins, little lamb. And blood... *always* tells."