"We've come so far, I will not return. At any cost," Celestiana firmly responded.

Nikolus nodded, "Good. Now listen carefully, you're going to leave your car here. There is a small human base city a short distance away. It won't take you long to reach there on foot. Celest, you must shapeshift and not even by accident let it slip. Also, change that human's face too," the Lord beckoned to Elliot.

He rolled his eyes, his fingers slightly tightening around Celestiana's waist. Hatred swam in his features.

Celestiana didn't require magic to sense the thick tension. In a world run by supernatural beings, often 'human' was used as an insult, and she couldn't blame Elliot's reaction. But at the same time, Lord Nikolus wouldn't revise his habit that dated over millennia, and she knew that. So she kept quiet, hoping to avoid conflict, and rolled up her brown blouse's sleeves. On the bright side, she'll be rid of this hideous brown coloured shirt. Nikolus had insisted her to wear something commoners wore, or as she would put it, ugly, to not attract unwanted attention. Vibrant colours were specified for high borns.

"After reaching your destination, a friend of mine will receive you at night. He'll help you out of here and you'll head South, to Liberty Kingdom's lands. You know the rest," he finished.

"Is he a vampire too?" Elliot questioned with distaste.

Lord Nikolus's features hardened, his bow-shaped lips pressed into a thin line as he held Elliot's gaze. His jaw set, thin red rays emitting from his pupils began swirling in his glowing emerald eyes.

"I don't understand. How can you entrust our future and fate into his hands, Cel?" he exclaimed, stepping aside from her and throwing his hand in the air.

"Elliot," she warned. The last thing they needed in their lengthy list of troubles was an angry lord.

"Have you forgotten? Nikolus is a vampire. And no one has ever been able to trust these monsters unless they've lost the desire to live," he proclaimed.

"You need to stop," Celest told him in a firm tone, her hazel eyes begging him to put an end to this madness.

"What makes you count on him? Why are you so sure he won't throw us back to them to claim the reward? He's one of them," he raged on.

From the corner of her eye, Celestiana noted the red in the Lord's eyes growing.

"He could be worse than them, setting a trap. He might be a bigger monster tha-"

"That's enough, human," Lord Nikolus cut him short, his voice echoing in the vacant mountainside.

Celestiana held her breath. The three months she had spent in that glorified prison hole had given her an overall impression of the rumours. One that all the servants never tired from sharing was Lord Nikolus's fury. She wanted to interfere, to prevent matters from getting out of control, but her lack of experience stood tall as an unbreakable wall, preventing her from making a move.

"Do not forget who you're speaking to," the vampire stated in icy rage.

Elliot opened his mouth to argue but before producing a sound, Nikolus continued, "Do not forget the only reason you're alive is the promise I've made to Celest. Unlike you mortals, we immortals value loyalty and hold account of every word uttered, bound to every vow we pledge. But do not imagine, just because I've vowed to keep her loved one's safe, I'll allow you to disrespect me. If you do it one more time, nothing will stop me from snapping your neck and feeding your filthy limbs to my hounds," he asserted.

Celestiana rubbed her forehead, pushing a stray strand of natural burgundy hair behind her ear. The sun was getting higher in the sky. It was almost spring and the weather was warm. Their argument wasn't helping either. Trepidation coursed in her bloodstream. The sense of truthfulness etching her friend's words was an unkind reminder that at the end of the day, he was a vampire. Accustomed to violence, priding in their brute power. She licked her dry lips.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Elliot fumed. "Listen here you ruffian, I don't fear you," he spatted. Celest gaped at him. He had crossed a dangerous line by insulting him. She studied the Lord's porcelain face, worry clouding her mind.

"Why are humans so forgetful?" he questioned in a calm tone and thrust his hands into his pants' pockets. A crimson ring circulating his black pupils, a stark contrast to the glowing emerald. He stared at him for a long moment.

Elliot choked, and Celestiana's eyes widened. She turned to Nikolus; his gaze fixed on Elliot. Her lover clutched his neck, struggling to breathe. His veins standing out, olive skin flushing.

"Please," she cried out with panic. Looking between them, frantic with terror and anxiety.

"Who am I?" the vampire asked.

The air was filled by the sound of Elliot's struggles to draw in oxygen to his system.

"Nikolus, please," she begged, but he paid her no heed. Celest rushed to him and placed her slender fingers on his toned arm. "I apologise instead of him," she looked up to his face with desperation, but he didn't spare a glance at her.

"Who am I?" the Lord repeated himself.

Elliot gasped, a signal that the vampire had loosened the magical tie around his throat, but he still refused to acknowledge Celestiana's presence.

"High Lord Nikolus," Elliot whimpered.

Celestiana's grip tightened, her eyes burned with the gathering of the salty water, "Nik, please, you're hurting him," her voice broke.

That caught the Lord's attention, he finally snapped his stare and gazed down at her. She knew he could hear her drumming heart, or even identify her unshed tears' scent, but yet it didn't help to pull herself together and not appear weak.

At that moment, she despised her mother for never allowing her to train and wield her powers, leaving her as helpless as a human. She had gotten used to begging for the safety of those she held dear.

She shoved aside her scathed pride and held her friend's gaze, blinking away the moist. Lord Nikolus's features softened instantly, the red fading from his eyes. A loud gasp from the human confirmed he had extracted the invisible tie around his throat.

He turned to Elliot, "Who am I?" he asked again.

"High Lord Nikolus, third in command, Prime Minister of Night's Blood Kingdom," he choked and fell into a coughing fit.

"And how do you speak with your High Lord?" he demanded as Elliot quieted. He answered himself a beat later, "With respect. If you ever dare look me in the eye, or talk back to me, or any other sort of disrespect, it will be your last action. Keep that in mind, human." He angled towards Celestiana, "This is the twelfth time I've warned him in the past four months. If he fails to follow, I will not listen to you for the thirteenth time. Without hesitation I'll wipe him off Earth and send his soul to the depths of mortal soul's hell." he concluded.

"I promise you, he won't repeat it," she hurriedly assured him and let go of his arm. "Thank you," she added as she took a step backwards. Celest glanced at Elliot, his colours turning back to normal.