Chapter Two: Let's Run away

Myra raked her fingers through her hair, her heart still hammering. Her scalp tingled from the roughness of her touch, but she barely noticed. Where did all that courage come from? She had actually stood up to her father—the one person she feared most in this world. Her legs trembled as she backed away from the door, the sound of his fists slamming against it making her flinch.

"Myra!" Thomas Thorn's voice was like thunder, rattling the very air around her. The walls seemed to shake with his fury. "Open this door!"

She stared at the handle, breath shallow. Her palms were clammy, and a sick churn twisted in her stomach. She could still see the fire in his eyes when she refused to go to Rome. If she unlocked this door, she knew exactly what would happen.

"You know what?" His voice dropped to a deadly calm, like the quiet before a storm. "I have had enough of this. When I return in thirty minutes, if you're not packed and asleep, I will break this door down and drag you to Rome myself."

Silence.

Myra clenched her jaw, her nails biting into her palms. Her father never made empty threats. He would do exactly what he promised. The wooden floor beneath her feet felt unbearably cold as she stood there, unmoving. Why couldn't he be like other fathers? Why couldn't he just talk to her instead of trying to control her life?

She heard their footsteps retreating, but she didn't dare move. What if it was a trick? She waited a full minute before exhaling. The weight pressing against her chest loosened, but only slightly. Slowly, she collapsed onto the bed, the mattress creaking under her as she stared at the ceiling.

She had to leave.

The thought settled in her mind like a stone sinking into deep water. She couldn't let her father force her to run from this war, couldn't let him decide her fate. The cold air pricked her skin, but she ignored it, her fangs grazing her lower lip as she made her decision. Swinging her legs off the bed, she grabbed her backpack and stuffed in a few clothes. Her fingers moved with urgency, but her hands trembled.

A deep sigh escaped her lips. She tied her hair into a ponytail, slung the bag over her shoulder, and walked to the window. The glass felt icy against her fingertips as she pushed it open. The night air rushed in, crisp and laced with the scent of pine and snow.

One last deep breath.

Then she jumped.

The wind howled in her ears as she plummeted. The fall from the top floor stretched longer than she expected, her stomach twisting from the drop. Then—

A dull thud as she hit the ground, sinking into the thick layer of snow. The cold was instant, biting through her clothes, numbing her hands as she pushed herself up. The sting of frost clung to her skin, but she shook it off, brushing the snow from her shoulders before sprinting toward the mansion walls. If she was lucky, she'd be gone before anyone noticed.

She reached the stone wall and leaped over it effortlessly, her boots crunching against the frozen ground as she landed.

Freedom.

But before she could take another step—

"Well, well, well, look what we have here."

Myra froze. You've got to be kidding me.

Slowly, she turned around.

Ezra Thorn. Her fifteen-year-old brat of a brother stood there with his arms crossed, a smug grin plastered across his face. His grey eyes, a perfect mirror of their father's, gleamed with amusement. Next to him stood Lisa Falcon, their blonde-haired cousin, equally amused.

"What's with that face?" Ezra teased, his breath misting in the freezing air. "People might think you hate me, your own brother."

Myra pinched the bridge of her nose. Why them? Of all people, why them?

"To think you were running away without us." Lisa smirked, shifting her weight onto one foot.

She turned on her heel and started walking away, her boots crunching against the icy ground. She didn't have time for this.

"Hey!" Ezra called, his voice carrying through the still night. "Hmm... I wonder what Father would do if he found out his little princess was running away?"

Myra stopped dead in her tracks.

A slow grin spread across Ezra's face. She clenched her fists. The urge to strangle him was unbelievable.

She turned, meeting his gaze. Something about looking into his eyes made her uneasy. Maybe because, in this moment, it felt like her father was staring back at her.

"What do you want?" she asked, rubbing her temples.

"We want to go with you," Ezra said, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Myra raised a brow. "Not happening."

"You have to take us," Lisa argued, the frost clinging to her golden curls. "Unlike you, we actually have a place to stay."

Myra hesitated. She had been planning to sleep in some dingy motel until she figured out her next move.

"My father said you'd need our help," Lisa added smugly.

Of course. Her clairvoyant uncle. He always had his hands in things he had no business meddling in.

"Wait. Your father knows you're here?"

Lisa nodded. "Yeah. Said something about our destinies being far from the village. And he told me to tell you to take care of me."

Myra exhaled sharply, watching the white cloud of her breath dissolve into the air. Of course he did.

She was about to respond when something cold brushed against her nose. She looked up, watching as delicate snowflakes drifted from the dark sky.

Does it really have to snow again?

She sighed. "We need to get to the main road. From there, we walk to Transylvania."

Ezra groaned. "We're walking?!"

"The person we'll be staying with lives there, right?" she asked Lisa, ignoring him.

Lisa nodded.

"Then move before Father realizes I'm not in my room."

"Children?" Lisa scoffed. "I'm older than you."

—

They arrived at their destination by half past midnight.

Honestly, Myra had expected the journey to take longer.

"You're vampires. How are you tired?" she asked as they collapsed onto a snow-covered bench. The frozen wood burned against her palms. Brushing some of the frost off, she unzipped her bag and tossed them each a blood sachet.

Humans passed by, their chatter filling the cold night air, too caught up in their own business to notice the teenagers drinking blood.

"So," Myra said, tearing open her own sachet. The metallic scent filled her nostrils before she took a sip. "Who exactly are we meeting?"

"Lady Aphelion," Lisa answered, a dreamy smile spreading across her face.

Myra blinked. "Lady Aphelion?"

Lisa nodded enthusiastically. "She's the wife of Sebastian Aphelion. The head of the Aphelion tribe."

One of the most powerful vampire families.

Myra frowned. "How the hell does your father know them?"

Lisa just shrugged. "He's my dad. He knows things."

Before Myra could respond, she was yanked from her seat.

A second later, lips crashed against hers.

What—

A tongue pried into her mouth, pressing against hers. She stiffened, a mix of shock and disgust flooding her system. Who the hell—

Then, just as quickly, the lips were gone.

Her mind snapped back to reality.

SLAP!

Her hand met the stranger's cheek with a sharp crack. Heads turned. People stopped in their tracks, drawn by the commotion. Myra didn't care.

The man stumbled back, clutching his face.

"I— I'm so sorry—"

"I will kill you," she stated flatly.

His blue eyes widened, he dropped on his knees, when he noticed the people gathering around them. "But I love you!"

What?!

Myra turned to Lisa and Ezra but they look just as confused. The buzzing from the humans got louder, this human was drawing to much attention to them!

She tried to shake him off her leg but his grip was tight. Damn bastard.

"Let me go!" She hissed. She noticed the humans take small devices and point it at them. Shit! This wasn't what she needed.

"Oh my God! It's King Hiro Lust!" A shril escaped the crowd, the humans got excited and she felt his body get tense.

He released her when the humans started taking pictures, the flashing light temporarily blinding her, giving the guy a perfect opportunity to escape.

She watched as the crowd chased after him like a bunch of mad dogs. Her eyes narrowed slightly, her fangs elongating a bit. She didn't know who this King Hiro whatever was, but the next time she sees him,

She's gonna kill him.

___

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