The Vampire King's Pet-Chapter 369: Approaching Danger

Some of them had assumed that maybe with how calm Zyren looked, it meant that the information he had about them wasn’t that bad.

But all that changed the moment Zyren went ahead and called for all their family members.

Sweat pooled on their foreheads and dripped down their backs as they waited in silence. None of them dared to look up and meet Zyren’s gaze.

It didn’t help that his eyes were fixed firmly on them in a way that made them squirm, as though he could already see through their skulls and into their thoughts.

Time passed slowly.

The hall felt suffocating.

Soon the guards were back—signaled by the heavy, synchronized footsteps that followed behind them as people slowly began to crowd into the room one after the other.

Wives. Sons. Daughters. Brothers.

Expressions of worry and fear were plastered on their faces as they entered and saw the king standing there. One after the other, they dropped to their knees, some bowing fully on the ground in terror.

But Zyren barely spared them a glance.

His gaze was on the guards whom he openly spoke to, even as more people continued to crowd into the hall.

"You found all of them?" Zyren asked, speaking to the head of Elvane’s guards.

The man lowered his head.

"...Mostly direct relatives, my lord!" the guard responded.

Zyren slowly nodded his head in response, a smile gradually spreading across his face as he spoke.

"Good."

He slowly got to his feet, allowing the huge dark cloak with gold linings to flutter behind him as he stepped forward. The fabric swept across the marble like a shadow coming alive.

His red eyes fixed on the lords as he began to speak.

"Someone reached out to Aria!" he began.

He reached into his pocket as he continued speaking, his movements slow, deliberate.

"...Something about a vial..."

His smile stretched into a grin—but it was not one of amusement. It was something far darker. Something that made him look like a devil about to rip out somebody’s soul.

It was almost fascinating to watch.

One man became dizzy simply from his words, his body swaying as though the ground beneath him had shifted. Another slowly gazed up, the light dimming out of his eyes as realization dawned on him.

Collectively, they trembled.

Fear ran through them like a cold wind creeping under their skin.

But even as terror gripped the hall, Lord Dargen’s face hardened.

Who is Zyren? he thought bitterly.

Zyren was the vampire king, known for his cruel and bloodthirsty ways. His name alone was enough to silence rebellion.

Was there even a world where he would find out their secrets and still let them live?

It sounded impossible to Dargen.

He couldn’t fathom it.

His fists balled tightly by his side as he glanced back at his family—his wife clutching their youngest child, her eyes wide with confusion.

Before anyone could open their mouth and admit such a thing out of fear—damning them all—Dargen opened his mouth to speak, burying all his fear deep in the innermost part of himself.

"...My lord, if the person is among us, then we’ll help you root them out..." he said carefully, doing his best to shift all the blame onto one person.

Better one scapegoat than all of them.

Something all of the other lords instantly noticed.

Their eyes had only just lit up in hope—

When Lord Dargen suddenly gasped.

Blood spluttered out of his neck.

At the same time, his chest burst open where a large, gaping hole had suddenly appeared where his heart was supposed to be.

A sickening sound echoed through the hall.

People scrambled back in fear as a new wave of panic slowly but surely set in.

What made it more alarming was the fact that his death was not slow.

Dargen choked on his own blood, eyes wide in shock as fear filled his gaze. He glanced around wildly as though searching for salvation—

Only to realize that it was nowhere to be found.

His wife screamed.

At that point, Zyren slowly began to speak, his voice loud enough to echo through the entire hall.

"Lie to me and die!"

There was such finality in his tone that when Dargen’s body dropped lifelessly to the ground with a dull thud, none of them dared to even look at it.

As they all collectively lowered their faces to the ground, the last thing they wanted was to meet Zyren’s red eyes as he opened his mouth to speak again.

"So who is going to step forward and tell me the whole plan?" he asked calmly.

They had barely begun to shuffle in fear, glancing at each other in silent panic—

When someone gasped.

Then began to choke on their own blood.

Zyren had moved too quickly for any of them to take note of.

All they saw was someone from the back—amongst where all their families were congregated—suddenly purging blood from their mouth. A large hole was visible through their chest.

Screams erupted.

Zyren stood there, his bloody hands enough evidence as he rubbed his fingers together slowly, deliberately, making sure the crimson was visible.

A wild smile curved across his lips.

"I did say for every person I kill, another would follow," he said softly.

"I need to follow my own rules, don’t I?"

And it was at that very moment that they all collectively realized—

Zyren was not just here for answers.

He was here to play with them.

He wanted to kill them.

And he would.

But not before he made them pay first.

*********

Night had long fallen.

Clay went about his business.

He looked calm—but he might as well have been able to taste his own fear in the air as he stood silently in front of the door to his room.

The castle corridors were quieter now. Torches burned lower. Guards rotated shifts. It was the hour when most believed danger had passed.

But Clay knew better.

Things had slowed down like they usually did by the end of the day—but Clay knew it wasn’t time to rest.

Zyren was out of the castle.

The news of him gathering a few human lords and all their relatives had quickly spread. Whispers traveled faster than wind through servants’ quarters and noble halls alike. Some of the families had even tried to flee the city—

Only to be caught before they made it past the outer gates.

Clay frowned slightly as he stood there.

He knew it was only a matter of time.

The Zygon leader would find him soon.

And together, they would head to Aria’s room with the help of Lady Vivian—his puppet.

His jaw tightened.

Don’t be foolish, Clay! In front of the Zygon leader, nothing else matters, he reminded himself.

He was fully aware that even his own life was in the leader’s hands.

Not to mention Vivian.

He had come to appreciate her.

Like was too strong a word.

But she was useful.

And perhaps... more than that.

A faint breeze passed through the corridor.

Clay straightened.

Waiting.

Listening.

Knowing that when the time finally arrived —

There would be no turning back.