The fall seemed to last forever and no time at all. Wind rushed past my face, tousling my glamoured hair as I drifted toward the ground like a feather caught in a gentle breeze. Below me, Aria's arms were spread wide, her face tilted skyward with unrestrained joy. Isabella maintained her poise even in descent, her body perfectly controlled as she floated downward.

  We touched down on an empty side street, our feet meeting concrete with barely a sound. Not a single pedestrian glanced our way, despite four people having just descended from the sky. Kyriakos's magic had worked perfectly.

  "Still got it," Kyriakos said, brushing imaginary dust from his illusory human form. "It's been centuries since I've had to conceal multiple people like that."

  "That was incredible!" Aria spun in a circle, her glamoured form practically vibrating with excitement. "We should do it again! Can we find another tall building?"

  Isabella rolled her eyes, but I caught the slight upturn at the corner of her mouth. "We're here on a mission, Aria."

  I nodded in agreement, though privately, I had to admit the descent had been exhilarating. The sensation of falling without fear, knowing I could control my path through the air—it was unlike anything I'd experienced before. But unlike Aria, I kept my enthusiasm contained, focusing instead on our purpose here.

  My thoughts turned to Faith. I had her phone number stored in my own phone, which was safely tucked away in my spatial ring. Thankfully the ring had came back with me after my death, thank the abyss. I could pull out the phone now, try to call her, see if she was alright...

  But should I?

  The VCD would likely detect the phone's activation. They might even be monitoring Faith's communications. Worse, if Cain had captured Faith, any attempt to contact her might alert him to our presence. No, contacting Faith would have to wait.

  "Do you think Cain is still in the same location?" I asked, turning to the others.

  Isabella shook her head, platinum blonde hair shifting with the movement. "I doubt it. After our confrontation, he'd be foolish to remain there."

  "Do you have more of those tracking amulets?" I asked.

  Isabella reached into a hidden pocket and produced a crystal similar to the one we'd used before. "I do, but I doubt they'll lead us to him. After our last encounter, he's likely taken precautions against them." She held the crystal up anyway. "But we can try."

  She closed her eyes, focusing on the crystal. We waited in silence, but the amulet remained dormant.

  "Nothing," Isabella confirmed, tucking the crystal away. "As expected."

  I glanced at each of my companions. "Any ideas on how to find him?"

  Aria shrugged, her attention already wandering to the nearby shops. Isabella looked thoughtful but offered no immediate solution.

  "I may have a suggestion," Kyriakos said, his ancient eyes scanning the city skyline. "While my knowledge of modern London is limited, there is one place Cain might be drawn to."

  "Oh?" I turned to him, hope flickering to life.

  "This is merely an assumption based on what I know of him," Kyriakos cautioned. "But Cain has always been drawn to locations of historical significance, particularly those with a dark past." He pointed toward the east. "Even in my day, the Tower of London was a place of power and suffering. If he's seeking a location of symbolic importance, that would be my guess."

  "The Tower of London?" Isabella repeated, her brow furrowing. "I'm not familiar with it."

  "It's an ancient fortress," I explained, "It's been a palace, a prison, and an execution site. Kings and queens have died there."

  Aria's eyes lit up. "Ooh, sounds delightfully grim. Perfect for a vampire with a flair for the dramatic."

  I nodded slowly. It wasn't much to go on, but it was better than wandering blindly through London. "It's worth investigating. Let's go."

  We rode in silence for a few minutes, the driver's eyes glazed over from Aria's charm spell. He hadn't even asked for our destination—just nodded vacantly when Aria mentioned the Tower of London and pulled away from the curb. The spell was simple but effective; the driver wouldn't remember us after we left his car, just a vague sense of having had pleasant passengers.

  I watched London pass by through the window, trying to reconcile this familiar city with the knowledge that somewhere within it, my old body was walking around with someone else inside it. Someone dangerous.

  "You seem to know Cain pretty well," Aria said suddenly, breaking the silence. She leaned forward in her seat, studying Kyriakos with curious eyes. "He must have really gotten under your skin."

  Kyriakos's human face remained impassive, but something flickered in his eyes—a darkness that seemed out of place in his illusory form. "You have no idea how much."

  Isabella, ever perceptive, raised an eyebrow. "Care to enlighten us?"

  Kyriakos shook his head slightly. "It's too long a story for now. And it's not as if I've fought him directly before, so I can't give you useful combat tips about his fighting style." His fingers drummed against his knee—a surprisingly human gesture for an ancient lich. "But I know him to be a powerful fighter, even by demon standards."

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Aria scoffed, tossing her glamoured hair. "He's not that powerful. Sure, he killed us, but we weren't at full strength. We'd most likely be able to handle him with ease now."

  "She's right," Isabella confirmed, her voice cool and confident. "Without Dimensional Barriers restricting us, we'd easily mop the floor with him."

  I wasn't so sure. The memory of Cain's blade piercing my chest was still fresh, the sensation of my body dissolving into ash still lingering in my mind. But I kept my doubts to myself.

  Kyriakos looked troubled. "If what you're saying about Cain is true, then he must be significantly weakened." He paused, his ancient eyes distant with memory. "Because as far as I know, Cain could hold his own against some of Hell's strongest fighters—like your father, for example," he added, nodding toward Isabella.

  Isabella's eyes widened slightly—the closest she ever came to showing surprise.

  "You mentioned Cain possessed someone?" Kyriakos turned to me, his gaze penetrating.

  I nodded, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. "Yes, but I don't know how or why he did it."

  "That could be a reason behind his current state," Kyriakos mused. "He might still be getting used to a new body. But possessing random mortals isn't like him—there must be a reason behind it."

  I shifted in my seat, acutely aware that I was withholding information. "I honestly don't know why," I said, which wasn't entirely a lie. I had no idea why Cain would choose my old body specifically.

  Kyriakos studied me for a moment longer, as if sensing there was more to the story. "Then we'll most likely need to figure it out," he said finally.

  The driver continued navigating through London traffic, completely oblivious to our conversation about ancient vampires, possession, and demons. His eyes remained fixed on the road, his mind clouded by Aria's magic.

  I turned back to the window, watching the city streets blur past. Somewhere out there was Faith, possibly in danger. And somewhere out there was my old body, with Cain wearing it like a suit. The thought made my skin crawl.

  As we stepped out of the taxi, Kyriakos made a subtle gesture with his hand. A faint shimmer rippled through the air around us, like heat rising from pavement.

  "Same spell as before," he murmured. "People won't notice us unless we do something to draw attention."

  I glanced around the area surrounding the Tower of London. Yellow tape cordoned off the perimeter, and signs announced "Conservation Work in Progress - No Public Access." A few tourists lingered nearby, taking photos of the exterior before reluctantly moving on.

  "Conservation work?" Isabella read the sign with a raised eyebrow.

  "Bullshit," I said quietly. "That's just to keep civilians away."

  Aria nodded. "But it means we're probably in the right place. Cain must be here."

  My demonic senses picked up details that normal humans would miss. Men and women in plainclothes who moved with too much purpose, touching their earpieces occasionally. The subtle bulge of concealed weapons beneath jackets. A van parked nearby with darkened windows, antennas protruding from its roof.

  "Government agents," I whispered. "And VCD too."

  Isabella's eyes narrowed. "They've locked the place down completely."

  I scanned the faces of every agent we passed, looking for Faith's familiar features, but she wasn't among them. My heart sank. Where was she? Had Cain already gotten to her?

  Near the main entrance, a temporary structure had been erected—something like a command centre. Agents moved in and out with urgent expressions, carrying equipment and speaking in hushed tones.

  We drifted closer, Kyriakos's spell keeping us unnoticed as long as we didn't draw attention.

  "—negotiations are set to begin at nineteen hundred hours," a woman was saying to a cluster of agents. "Director wants this resolved without civilian casualties if possible."

  "Negotiations?" Kyriakos scoffed under his breath. "These fools are trying to negotiate with Cain?"

  I turned to him, surprised. "You know about the AOR?"

  Kyriakos's human face twisted into a sardonic smile. "Not specifically about this organization, no. But groups like this have existed for centuries, just under different names."

  Isabella frowned. "If they're planning negotiations, that means they don't understand what they're dealing with."

  "Or they're stalling," I suggested, a chill running through me. "Buying time for something else."

  Kyriakos nodded slowly. "Perhaps. Either way, we need to get inside before those negotiations begin. Whatever Cain wants here, it can't be good."

  I cast another desperate look around the perimeter, searching for any sign of Faith. Nothing. The knot in my stomach tightened. Where was she? And what was Cain planning?

  I scanned the perimeter once more, mentally calculating our options. Dozens of agents surrounded the Tower, and I'd bet anything that more waited inside. We needed a plan.

  "Can you get us inside?" I asked Kyriakos, keeping my voice low. "Some kind of teleportation spell or something?"

  Kyriakos's human face creased with thought. "I know several methods, but they would create magical signatures that any competent mage would detect immediately." He gestured subtly toward the command centre. "And I suspect they have at least one or two individuals capable of sensing such disturbances."

  Isabella crossed her arms, her glamoured blonde hair catching the afternoon light. "So we do this the old-fashioned way. Sneak in."

  "Is that even possible?" I frowned, eyeing the guards stationed at every entrance. "There must be fifty agents out here alone."

  "And likely more inside," Isabella added.

  Aria tapped her chin thoughtfully. "We could always charm a few of them. Get them to escort us in."

  "Too risky," I said. "If one of them breaks free or communicates with their superiors, we'd be trapped."

  Kyriakos nodded slowly. "I can maintain this perception filter, but understand its limitations. It doesn't make us invisible—merely unremarkable. People's eyes slide past us unless we draw attention. If someone is specifically looking for intruders or has trained awareness..."

  "So basically, we still need to be careful," Aria summarized, her usual playfulness subdued.

  "Precisely," Kyriakos confirmed. "The spell lessens our chances of discovery, but doesn't eliminate them."

  I studied the layout of the Tower grounds, trying to identify the least guarded approach. "What about that service entrance? Fewer agents there."

  Isabella followed my gaze. "Good eye. If we time it right—"

  "Wait," Aria hissed, grabbing my arm.

  An agent was walking directly toward us, his stride purposeful. My heart hammered against my ribs as he approached. Had Kyriakos's spell failed already?

  The man was tall with light brown hair and an air of authority that made the other agents give him a wide berth. Something about him seemed ancient despite his youthful appearance—a quality I'd come to recognize in immortal beings.

  As he drew closer, his golden eyes suddenly locked onto our group with laser focus. His steps didn't falter, but his gaze sharpened with recognition.

  Kyriakos tensed beside me. "Impossible," he whispered. "He shouldn't be able to see through my spell so easily."

  The man continued walking, his eyes never leaving us as he passed within arm's reach. No alarm was raised. No shouts for backup. Just that penetrating stare that seemed to strip away our glamours and see exactly what we were.

  "That's Galahad," I breathed, recognition dawning as he moved past us.

  Isabella's eyes widened. "He saw us. He definitely saw us."

  "But he didn't stop," Aria noted, confusion in her voice.

  Galahad reached the command centre and paused at the entrance. Slowly, deliberately, he turned his head back toward us. His expression remained impassive, but there was no mistaking the message in his eyes.

  He knew we were here. He knew what we were.

  And he was deciding what to do about it.