We arrived in Paris the following night. I had never been to the city before and felt overwhelmed by the thought of soon having to face Dario. Viktor and I had barely spoken to each other since he had said those words, so the journey felt unending. Raoul helped us find a cheap inn in the outskirts of the city and he left us alone to go around and enquire about where to find La Roche Hotel.

We went upstairs in silence; Viktor stayed in one room while I took another. I sat in the bed, not doing what to do with myself. I was still reeling from what Viktor had said. I felt the flood of emotions overwhelming me. I couldn’t believe that he thought my feelings weren’t real. But maybe he was right? Maybe I only felt this way because he was my maker? The thought left me in a state of shock and disbelief. I tried to rationalise it, but all I could think about was him and how much I loved him. No matter how hard I tried to deny it, the truth remained: It didn’t matter if Viktor had turned me into a vampire or not—I still loved him.

But did he feel the same way? That was the question that constantly plagued my mind. I wanted so desperately to ask him, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Every time I thought about it, a wave of anxiety and fear washed over me. At the very least, it was clear that he still felt something for Naran, even if it wasn’t love. The thought of it filled me with jealousy. Did he feel for Naran the same way I felt about him? I desperately wanted to find out, but at the same time I was scared of the answer. Since our argument, he was more distant than ever.

In an attempt to distract myself from my inner turmoil, I decided to explore Paris. Making sure to stay in the shadows, I ventured out into the night. The city was beautiful at night; the cobblestone streets were illuminated by lanterns that casted a soft glow over everything.

I kept my thoughts away from Viktor as best I could during my walk, hoping to take my mind off him but unable to do so completely. Every once in a while, memories of us together would come flooding back. As much as it pained me, there was no denying it any longer: Viktor wasn’t going to love me back and it was time for me to accept it and move on.

Why would I care about someone like him anyway? He was cold, unresponsive, and often rude. He had a certain stubbornness about him that could be so frustrating! I couldn't continue to pine after someone who didn't seem to care about me in the same way.

So, with a heavy heart and a mind determined to forget about Viktor, I made my way back to the inn. But when I opened the door to my room, there he was. Viktor was sitting on the edge of my bed looking as beautiful as ever. His expression was unreadable as he stared at me in silence. When he spoke his voice was low and bitter.

"Why did you leave without telling me?" he asked.

I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "I wanted to explore Paris a bit. Why does it matter to you?"

"It matters because I was worried about you. Something could have happened to you when you were out there alone," he replied, his tone accusatory.

I felt my anger rising at his words. "Why should I tell you anything when we're not even speaking to each other?" I spat out.

Viktor's eyes narrowed, and he took a step towards me. "You're being foolish and careless...," he said while he towered over me. "Don't ever do it again," he hissed.

Before I could reply, there was a knock on the door. Raoul entered the room, looking between us with a frown on his face. "Is everything all right?" he asked, sensing the tension in the air.

I glared at Viktor, but decided to drop the argument for now. "Yes, everything's fine," I muttered, turning away from him and towards Raoul.

"I found it" he announced, a triumphant smile spreading across his face. "I found the hotel. Now we just need to come up with a plan."

***

We decided to venture out and make our way to the hotel. As we walked, I couldn't help but feel a creeping sense of dread in the pit of my stomach. This was it - we were going to confront Dario. I was going to see James for the first time after he left me at the altar, and I couldn't help but wonder if he was now married to that other woman. And Dario... I was sure he really would be out to get me after our last encounter. What if something went wrong? I pushed those thoughts away as quickly as they had come, focusing instead on the world around me.

The night sky was inky black and dotted with stars. Our footsteps echoed off the cobblestone streets as we made our way to La Roche Hotel. We soon found ourselves standing outside its entrance, a huge building looming over us with a vaguely sinister air about it.

Raoul offered to go around and gather information, since his special power as a vampire allowed him to turn invisible at will. I quickly described James to him so he would know who he was looking for, and he quickly disappeared in front of my very eyes.

Viktor and I, meanwhile, decided to wait for him at a nearby inn where we decided to spend the night instead. We were clearly uncomfortable with each other since our last argument, but neither of us wanted to talk about it. Instead, we found an empty table in the tavern and waited for Raoul's return.

As time passed and he still didn't arrive, I started feeling increasingly worried about him. What if he had been captured by Dario?

After some time we were both tired of waiting, so Viktor and I asked the tavern owner to provide us with two separate rooms. However, they only had one free room available that we would all have to share. I felt my cheeks flushed with anger and anticipation at the thought of being so close to Viktor for an entire night. He seemed as unhappy about the situation as I was, and we quietly followed the tavern keeper up a creaky staircase towards our room.

As soon as we entered the bedroom, Viktor told me he needed to get changed and asked if I would leave him alone for a few minutes so he could undress. I was only too eager to comply, quickly leaving the room with my heart beating fast in my chest.

Once outside, I couldn't help but peek through the keyhole of our room. And there he was - standing in all his naked glory, his body illuminated by a thin stream of moonlight coming in from the window. I felt my face flush even harder as memories of our nights together came crashing back into my mind - how his hands had explored every inch of my skin, how his touch made me feel alive and free...

No wonder why he was always able to make me weak in the knees! He was truly beautiful - even more so than when clothed. His lean muscles rippled with each movement and I couldn't take my eyes off him.

Yes, I still thought he was the most handsome man that had ever existed. But at the same time, I couldn't help but wonder if indeed I felt this way because of what Viktor had said - about turning me into a vampire and being drawn to him due to that connection. What use was it to feel this way anyway if Viktor could never reciprocate? 

Lost in my thoughts, I hadn't realised that Viktor was already about to open the door. I quickly tried to stand straight but it was too late - he had already opened the door and noticed me peeking through the keyhole! We stared at each other for a few seconds before an embarrassed, yet mischievous smile appeared on both our faces.

"What were you doing?" He asked me teasingly, although his tone held no judgement.

I felt my face flush again as I tried to think of an explanation that didn't make me sound foolish. "Just making sure nobody was coming up the stairs," I replied, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

He nodded his head, obviously not believing my excuse - and was about to say something when we both heard footsteps.

"Raoul!" Viktor exclaimed with relief.

Indeed. Raoul sauntered into the room, his long coat billowing behind him, and we followed. He leaned against the wall, arms folded over his chest, and confirmed our suspicions with a single nod. "James is here," he said in a low voice. "Room 13."

I let out a shaky breath, feeling a mix of fear and relief.

"What about Dario?" Viktor asked.

Raoul shrugged. "I saw him too, and it seemed that no other vampires were lurking about. It looks like Queen Naran only sent her most trusted lieutenant."

My heart raced as I absorbed this information.

"That's good news," I said, my voice trembling slightly as I tried to keep it steady. "If we work together, then we can rescue James and confront Dario if needed - even if he is quite powerful, he's no match for the three of us. Do you think we should go now...?"

"The sun is almost up" Viktor interjected.

Raoul nodded in agreement and glanced out the window. It was true. The sun was almost up. After some deliberation, we finally decided that it was too dangerous to forge ahead and rescue James immediately. We would wait until the following night and make our move then.

I was pretty tired but there was only one bed in the room. Raoul and Viktor both insisted on allowing me to rest on the bed while they took the floor. Viktor and Raoul moved the furniture around so that the bed was nestled in the corner of the room away from any direct sunlight. Then they used some materials they had brought with them, along with stuff in the room, to block out all remaining light coming in through the cracks and window.

With that, Raoul and Viktor both started to make themselves comfortable - they removed their shirts, bundling them up to make a pillow for each of them. Without thinking, I looked at their chests - the perfect chiselled torsos of both men. They were so different from each other, but yet so similar in many ways. I was struck by how kind and selfless they were, willing to sacrifice their own comfort just so that I could rest on the bed. Not to mention, they were both going to fight for my sake really soon.

I thanked them in a low voice before finally crawling into bed. I lay there for some time, unable to sleep because my thoughts kept me awake. The last thing I remember before falling asleep was Viktor and Raoul talking in low voices beside me.