Chronicles Of A Fallen Angel-Chapter 30: Ruler of Blood Suckers
The rest of the night passed in a blur of conversations and observations. I met more people, learned more dynamics, got a feel for how this world operated. The Velvet Room was neutral ground, but that didn’t mean it was safe. It just meant the violence was more subtle.
Around 2 AM, Rachel found me again.
"Ready to go? We’ve been here long enough for a first visit."
"Yeah. Let’s go."
We made our way to the elevator, and just as the doors were about to close, a hand stopped them.
Selene stepped inside.
"Leaving so soon?" she asked, pressing the button for the ground floor. "The night is still young."
"Early meeting tomorrow," Rachel said smoothly. "But we’ll be back."
"I certainly hope so." Selene’s attention shifted to me. "What did you think of my establishment, Mr. Cross?"
"Impressive. You’ve built something unique here."
"Unique?" She seemed amused by the word choice. "I’m usually told ’amazing’ or ’incredible.’ You chose ’unique.’"
"The others are true too. But unique feels more accurate. This isn’t just another supernatural club. It’s something else."
"And what would that be?"
The elevator descended smoothly, and I considered my answer. This was another test. She was asking me to define her creation, to show whether I understood what she’d really built.
"A kingdom," I said finally. "One where you set the rules and everyone else plays by them. Not because they have to, but because you’ve made it worth their while. And considering everyone I spoke to couldn’t help but bring you up, you must be quite the ruler then, miss."
My eyed narrowed then as I glanced at her.
The elevator reached the ground floor, and Selene studied me for a long moment.
"Interesting," she said. Then, to Rachel: "Bring him back. I’d like to continue this conversation."
"Of course."
Selene stepped out of the elevator, and just before the doors closed, she looked back at me.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room, Alexander. I think you’ll find it’s full of surprises."
The doors closed, and Rachel let out a breath. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮
---
"Holy shit. We actually might be in."
"How can you tell?"
"Because you’re still alive and she’s asked to see you again." Rachel started the car. "That was the best-case scenario for a first night. You didn’t embarrass yourself, you didn’t die, and you caught her genuine interest."
"What happens now?"
"Now? You come back. Regularly. Become a familiar face. And eventually, if you play your cards right, she’ll grant you VIP access."
We drove back to the warehouse district in silence, and I processed everything. The club, the people, Selene herself. This was going to be a long game, requiring patience and careful maneuvering.
But the potential payoff was enormous.
[Quest Update: The Velvet Room Infiltration]
[Status: First Contact - Successful]
[Selene Blackwater: Interest Level - Moderate]
[Access Level: General Admission]
[Observations Collected: Multiple high-value targets identified]
[Next Steps: Return regularly, build familiarity, increase Selene’s interest]
[Estimated Timeline: 2-4 weeks to VIP access]
Back at the safehouse, Marco was still awake, waiting for my report.
"How’d it go?"
"Better than expected. Selene engaged directly, showed interest, asked Rachel to bring me back."
"Seriously?" He looked impressed. "That’s fast, even by your standards. What did you say to her?"
I recounted the conversation, and Marco nodded thoughtfully.
"Kingdom. That’s good. She sees herself as royalty – everyone knows that. But most people are too intimidated to acknowledge it directly." He pulled up his notes. "Okay, here’s the plan. You go back in three days. That’s long enough not to seem desperate, short enough to maintain her interest. Rachel will take you again, but after that, you should start going alone."
"What about the retrieval locations?"
"We scouted what we could from the outside, but we need interior access. Once you get VIP privileges, you’ll be able to map the upper floors properly." He closed his laptop. "This is going to take time, Cain. Don’t rush it. Selene’s too smart to fool with a quick play."
"Understood."
Over the next two days, I prepared. Studied the club’s layout from what intelligence we had, practiced social scenarios with Rachel, and mentally prepared for the long game ahead.
I also spent an evening with Vivienne, who immediately noticed something was different.
"You’re distracted," she said over dinner. "What’s going on?"
"New job. More complicated than the last one."
"How complicated?"
"Very. Long-term, lots of moving parts, high stakes." I met her eyes. "And I probably shouldn’t talk about the details."
She set down her fork. "Are you in danger?"
"When am I not?"
"Cain." Her voice was serious now. "Are you being careful?"
"As careful as I can be."
She studied me for a long moment, then nodded. "Okay. But – if it gets too dangerous, if you need help, you’ll ask. My coven has resources. Protection spells, safe houses, contacts. I can help."
"I appreciate that."
"I’m serious." She reached across the table, taking my hand. "I like what we have. I don’t want to lose it because you got yourself killed doing something stupid."
"I’ll be careful. Promise."
She seemed satisfied with that, and we moved on to other topics. But her concern stayed with me. Vivienne wasn’t supposed to be complicated, wasn’t supposed to matter beyond the fragments she provided.
But somehow, she’d become more than that.
Not a relationship. But not nothing either.
It was a problem I didn’t have time to solve.
---
Three days later, I returned to the Velvet Room.
This time, Rachel couldn’t make it – something about a personal conflict – so I went alone. The doorman recognized me, checking the list before nodding me through.
The club felt different this time. Familiar, but still foreign. I moved to the bar, ordered a drink, and settled in to observe.
Jade Lin appeared within ten minutes.
"Back so soon?" she said, sliding onto the stool beside me. "And alone this time. Brave."
"Rachel had other commitments."
"I’m sure she did." Jade ordered her own drink. "So, Alexander. Tell me something interesting about yourself."
"Like what?"
"Anything. Your favorite city, your worst job, why you’re really here." She smiled. "Dealer’s choice."
