Who had the audacity to trespass her abode? The mansion was heavily equipped with surveillance — an impenetrable fortress. No one could set foot on her property without alerting the guards, or were they slacking off? The intruder, whatever his or her intentions are, must be skilled.

However if it was a murderer, Ces would not fail to miss the pungent scent of bloodlust and malicious intent. A thief, perhaps? She thought. The unarmed Elios had a terrible time matching her pace as she warily threaded the stairs in silence, muting her footsteps.

Yanking her backwards, she glared at Elios who accidentally stepped on the train of her night gown. Why did he even come along? The intruder must have already detected Elios' presence since he was lousy at concealing it. Ces had ordered him to stay in the room. He was no match for a vampire, yet he insisted on being a decoy to throw the intruder off guard. Nothing beats the element of surprise, he stubbornly said. He was only going to wear her down if this escalates into a bloody duel.

Ces was certain that it was not one of her servants who was nonchalantly lounging in her living room. She had familiarized herself with their scents and the trespasser proved to be scentless otherwise, it confirmed her speculations that this was not the work of a mere human. However, carelessly forgetting to turn it off, that person's footsteps could be heard from a mile away, which shook Ces in her sleep.

When they turned towards the living room, Ces hopped into the intruder's line of sight. "I would like to know what your business here is." She aimed and fired a warning shot. The porcelain vase behind the target was shattered to pieces. And then she aimed at the silhouette standing under the darkened room.

At this point, Elios was more frightened with Ces' impulsiveness than the intruder itself. She did not even look. She was insane.

The man did not flinch at the sound of the gunfire. Instead, he smiled grimly, his light brown curls peeping under his hat. "And this is how you greet me? Of all people, I cannot believe you failed to recognize me, Ces."

That voice. Underneath that sly expression was a friendly face. Covering her mouth, Ces gasped. The sound of the gun falling from her hand echoed throughout the room. Clearly, there was only one way to sneak inside the mansion without being apprehended, that's if the guards recognized the said intruder in the first place.

His ravishing looks resembled a mischievous cat more than anything. Starting off with his eyes, a rare state of heterochromia iridium, his left eye was red specked with possessive madness and the other was light green, a dazzling piece of emerald. His eyebrows were arched handsomely too. The world was not fair. He gets to live an eternity with that face. If Ces' aim was off for a few centimetres, she could have grazed his cheek. It would heal but still, she would not forgive herself if that happened.

"I could have shot at you." She shrieked, "But it doesn't matter, you deserve that after coming unannounced."

"So violent as always." The man remarked, "It was your fault for deciding to skip family dinner. I was planning to surprise you at the main house."

Elios just awkwardly stood there in confusion, not knowing what to do. Who was he? Friend or foe? He was thinking whether he should start dusting the shards of broken vase since the other servants meant for cleaning were resting in their chambers — that, or he could savor the scene at hand, he had never seen Ces get so flustered.

She cursed, "Lucas didn't state that in the invite. I would've attended if I knew it was important. Still, you could have told me beforehand! What is your phone for? For display? You concealed your scent yet you expect me to recognize you. That's ridiculous."

"Ah, I apologize for that. I've had it turned off, both my scent and phone, for so long that I forgot. Doing business in the East had taken its toll on me." He walked past her and acknowledged Elios' presence. "What do we have here? Is this the butler you've been excitedly telling me about? Elios, I presume?"

Ces picked up the gun from the floor and securely stashed it under her garments. "Y-yes." It was unnecessary for him to mention that she had been talking about Elios.

"I am Ian Buandiller, Ces' second oldest brother." He extended a hand.

"Pleased to meet you, sir." Elios shook it. A hand crusher. His grip was awfully firm. The handshake felt like a threat, not a warm welcome of introduction.

So this was the other brother. Up close, he looked different from the portraits. He was shorter than Elios, but he was stronger of course. No one dares to question the strength of a purebred vampire.

Ian did not look anything like Cecilia nor did he inherit the Buandiller's distinct features. Elios would have mistaken him for a distant relative, a couple of branches away from the family. However, the way he talked and moved was rather familiar to Ces. The cold cockiness was all there. Most likely it was due to the same upbringing the siblings shared. As for Ian's age, he looked no less a few years older than Ces.

"By anyhow, you haven't been giving my dearest sister a hard time, have you?" He asked.

"Of course not," Ces interrupted, "I have him under control." She knew where this was leading, a heated interrogation. Ian was never fond of men surrounding his sister, including the servants. There was a reason why the human servants that came and went had not been diversified — all females. It was non-negotiable.

"I'd like to be left alone with my sister," he said with a menacing gaze, "We have a few things to discuss."

"You did not have to frighten him." The door creaked shut, her back pressed against it. Ces locked it to prevent further intrusions. Her bedroom still appeared the same as it was before. It contained a bed fit for royalty and beside it stood the apparent bathroom door. On the other side of the bed was filled with a set of drawers and clothing racks that could hardly store her thick, bulky coats. And adjacent to the dressing table, which had occupied a small space inside the room, was a balcony hedged with glass railings. Nothing much has changed ever since Ian left the mansion, except for the neat paintjob done over the wallpapers.

"He didn't seem to be threatened in the slightest. Whatever, I don't like him. Any other half-blood or human would cower in my presence but that butler of yours is just disrespectful," said Ian who made himself comfortable, grabbing a handful of blood-filled chocolate sitting at the bottom of a candy jar.

"Being fearless and disrespectful are two different things," She clarified. "He's a little special. Promising. A versatile product of what the Empress has made out of our society. He makes me feel less of a monster. We should learn from him, someone who does not discriminate. Isn't this what everyone wanted or did you prefer to have humans and half-bloods trembling in our sight?"

He rephrased, "I didn't approve of the way he looked at you, just like how all the other men did."

"Does that include yourself, brother? You look at me with those eyes too." She grinned, knowing that he disliked being addressed in that manner. Ian was no different to them. She knew those longing eyes very well. Ces had seen them quite often in the times when they lived together. Brother, as if it were a word that separated them. "I wouldn't blame them. All they could do was look anyway. And about Elios, he is a fine young man, handsome even."

"Perhaps he didn't lay a finger on you while I was away?" He narrowed his distance with her, releasing his captivating scent on purpose. It was thick and suffocating in a good way, the kind that overwhelmed her senses. It felt good to have him back, the familiar loving warmth he emitted from his strong body. But it would had been more appropriate if he turned them on a little earlier to prevent the misunderstanding.

"What if he did?" She provoked him, her lips curling into a crafty smile. "Will you get mad?"

"Ces." Ian hated being toyed with.

"No, although I tried to get him to play with me, he wouldn't ride along. It doesn't matter right? Whoever I sleep with doesn't concern you because you know deep down," She recalled the earliest promise she had made with him, "I'll always come back to you and you to me."

He rolled his eyes. "What I'm saying is, you don't have to be so nice to him. I know you've been waiting for this moment. After all, it took a hundred and twenty-one years to get your own butler. To pay for someone's loyalty."

"I hired one for me to drink, not for one to bed with. Did you really come all the way here just to say that? We had some unfinished business before you headed towards the East. I believe this was where we last left off, brother." She disrobed herself, the night dress falling beside her toes.

He scowled. "You are spoiling the mood. You know I hate being called that, especially coming from you."

Ces crossed her arms. "What's wrong? You were the one who said it first, calling me 'dearest sister' in front of my butler." You still can't resist me, was what she wanted to say, but the rest of the words carelessly tumbled out of her mouth. Getting so worked up over a trivial thing, Ian had not changed, not even the slightest. Here Ces thought he would mature after being apart for two years. But when it comes to Ces, his mind was set. That was never going to change. "Besides, calling you my brother hasn't stopped us from doing this and it doesn't change the fact that we are not related by blood at all."

"You really are testing my patience." Ian grabbed her face and looked at her in the eye, his fingers slowly trailing down her neck until his fingertips met her sensitive chest. He could not wait to wipe that smugness off her face. He roughly pressed his lips against her mouth. Accepting him, Ces opened her small mouth as his playful tongue slithered inside, filling her up.

Yes, it had always been this way between the two, frolicking around for the past hundred years as if they did not have a family reputation to maintain. What would happen on their parents' behalf if they were to find out their youngest daughter had been fooling around with their adoptive son? A war would undeniably break out.

Despite knowing the consequences, that's how things remained. It had always been Cecilia and Ian from the start, like unattached partners who only sought each other when they felt the need to relieve themselves and satiate their carnal desires. When she was feeling down, they would be clawing at each other's bodies like there was no tomorrow. The timing was more than perfect. Ces found the most effective distraction — Ian.

Her back arched against the wall, yearning for more of his touches to come. Sooner or later, the expression on her face was replaced with vibrant pleasure, a sensation that drilled her mind.

Without breaking the kiss, she wrapped her legs around him and Ian carried her. They moved to the bed to acquire a more comfortable position, hands exploring each other. Eyeing the sheets with suspicion, Ian looked off for a bit once he realized the scent of another man had soiled the bed of the woman who was in his arms. It was the half-blood's. His scent was scattered all over the sprawled sheets.

"We didn't." Ces held his face, forcing them to lock eyes. Her blue eyes were crazed, frozen in euphoria. "He won't be a problem." She promised.

Ian did not seem bothered by it at least or he was not bothered enough to stop in the middle of their coupling. She had her arms wrapped around him. Her body quivered as she received more of his fulfilling thrusts that sent her to heaven. Ces could feel pleasure accumulating in her inner thighs, her eyes lolled back as moans erupted from her trembling lips. Her fangs, which had revealed itself due to uncontrollable bursts of excitement, had unexpectedly pierced into his skin, not that he minded.

Once they finished more than a couple of times (a vampire's stamina was not meant to be dealt lightly), his shoulders were tattooed with scratches and bite marks, two-holed punctures to be specific. It healed after a short while.

Ian collected the untidy pile of clothes on the ground, separating which was his and which wasn't by its obvious distinction. He pulled on his trousers which lowly hugged his lean waist and rested his crumpled shirt over his back before giving Ces her belongings.

"You don't wear that for no reason." He referred to her dress. Standing outside, he leaned against the the balcony with a cigarette dangling from his lips. Underlying it was the view of a pool painted in maroon panels, making the waters look like blood. "Tell me what happened."

Craving for one too, she joined him in the balcony. Her body embraced the frigid breeze. It had always been colder in the area as it was surrounded by trees. With winter lurking around the corner, the nights were becoming long. It was highly convenient for them. Ces inserted her hand inside the large pocket of his trousers with no regards for whatever object she might stimulate with her reckless touching.

"Ah, you see, Amber had one of these surprise things." She found the box of cigarettes, giving herself her own light. "I drank from a live human."

Ian's eyes widened. It was her subtle saying of how she murdered. He knew about her condition, that once she had her fangs fastened on a prey, she could not stop herself. "You broke the law? I knew I should have taken you abroad when I had the chance." He muttered under his breath, "There are still continents out there that are out of the Empress' range of jurisdiction. You could kill as many as you want as long as you pay. You would love it there."

Ces was disgusted. "No thanks, I would rather be under the Empress' reign than serve the problematic King of the South."

"Never mind that, we currently have a bigger problem."

"Is this one of your political talks?" She took the last drag, the licorice flavor manifesting at the back of her throat before flicking it inside the ashtray. Ces went back inside her chambers. "I bear no interests in such things. For the last time, tell Lucas I won't be joining his little crusade."

"Trust me, this one would concern you." Ian said in a serious tone. His light brown hair was disheveled from Ces' aggressive tugging.

Now that he had her attention, she swiftly returned to his side. She rested her arms on the glass railings, their elbows touching. "I am all ears. What could possibly be more important than angering the Empress herself?"

"Our continent was recently marked as one of the safest place among all the regions. That explains the surplus of humans migrating into the country which angered the vampires from the neighboring regions. If their human population continued to deplete, soon they will be left with no sustenance," stated Ian.

"I still don't see how this concerns me," Ces dramatically pressed a hand against her own chest. "Vampires from the North are relentless but they respect the Empress enough to keep their hands off this city."

"I'm not finished. The other Great Vampires think we're hoarding humans to feed off them. They are not exactly wrong, given the contractual half-blood situation. We have control on our half-blood population and we were able to stabilize their growth since only the Empress could turn humans legally and no one could do so under her radar. Unlike in the other regions, where anyone could just turn as they please."

"If only they heeded the Empress' ways."

"Oh well, you know how egoistic the Great Vampires are." He snickered.

"So this means their half-blood population is off the charts."

"And this excess number of half-bloods joined with humans formed a revolution to overthrow us."

Ces laughed, "Oh please, who and what army?"

"Ten thousands of them and the numbers are still growing. Not to mention, a few witches were involved in the uprising. With the rise of technology, we really should not underestimate them. I suggest to tame them while we can."

"And resort to violence? If that's what the other Great Vampires have in mind, our peace-loving Empress would not allow that. Besides, as long as we aren't their targets, they will probably leave us alone." Ces could not wait for this conversation to end.

"I believed so too." Ian continued, "But apparently, the contractual half-blood situation reached their informants and it was against their values. So I will not be surprised if there were members of the revolutionary organization that managed to sneak inside the continent, especially with the rising count in immigrants."

"What's the organization called?" She asked.

"Strain. I feel like they have a bigger agenda such as annihilating the entire race of purebred vampires. This is just my thought."

"Strain," Ces repeated, familiarizing it with her tongue. "And a world war between humans and vampires, I was not expecting that. But we've already had threats like those. They were just empty threats."

"I've witnessed their movements in the East and it does not look so good. And you'll never guess what I have discovered in my travels," Ian paused to add suspense, "Word got out about the Empress' weakened state. I don't know how they knew but Strain could take advantage of the situation and they can might as well start with us, knowing that the Great Vampire who has been guarding our realm has a deteriorating health."

That was when she understood the severity of the situation. "That's a secret. Only family and the inner circle knew about that." She was horrified.

"Exactly, family." He hissed, "This is why I despise the half-bloods who marry into our line and act like they are one of us. They cannot be trusted."

"We can't know that for sure."

"I've talked too much. The rest of the matters will be discussed in the family meeting which will take place the night after your party. I trust you to be there. And there is a reason why mother is so determined on throwing you a party. With everyone gathered, don't you think that is the perfect opportunity to lure the rat out of its hole?" Ian smiled.

"A party all for this rat," Ces said her thoughts out loud, "That would be exciting. We haven't done that in a while. I wonder what kind of pathetic face will the traitor make?"