"Ah, so this is the provocation," I thought. Knuckles had said they found no close relatives. Still, New Freeland wasn’t exactly close by. And Wimbush, that cockroach, might even turn out to be legitimate.
“This is…” Finella began.
“A very sad story,” I interrupted before she could finish. The falsehood in my voice was obvious to everyone, but I kept a stone-faced expres...
2025-02-01 21:52:22 +0000 UTC View Post"Are you saying I have no willpower at all?!" I asked Harry after dissecting my conversation with Kate.
"More like this is a side effect of removing the seal from your third eye. Your 24/7 magical vision bonus has to come with a trade-off."
"Why do I feel like this 'bonus' just turns every advantage into one massive disadvantage? It really makes you wonder if opening the other seals...
2025-01-31 18:23:53 +0000 UTC View Post“He shouldn’t…” Harry muttered, sipping his tea. “No, he shouldn’t! That’s impossible!”
I’d never really thought about it before, but ghosts and spirits were, in a way, a type of elemental – like the living rocks of the Ancient Stones of Bremor. Sometimes, they would take humanoid or animal forms, consume stockpiles of reservoir stones, and then wander the forest. But ...
2025-01-28 14:17:47 +0000 UTC View PostThree ether runes formed a simple protection spell. I had written them on a small card, charged it with magic, and for the third day in a ro
Lord Loxlin Series:
Book 1 - Warlock's Last Exam https://www.patreon.com/collection/1254431?view=expanded
Book 2 - Wizard's First Lesson
<... 2025-01-24 14:20:05 +0000 UTC View PostValentine was silent, and I kept my mouth shut too, though the dagger in my hand demanded blood. We were frozen in the middle of the hall, littered with meat and soaked in blood. Carefully, I averted my gaze from the vampire’s eyes to catch sight of Harry’s barely visible figure, suspended in a stream of raw magic. The wizard wasn’t moving, and I couldn’t tell whether that was good or b...
2025-01-16 15:45:46 +0000 UTC View Post"How did you figure it out?" asked the man with Bryce’s face.
"The ring," I replied, keeping the barrel of the gun against his temple. “Wrong crest.”
The man clicked his tongue in annoyance, and the seal changed.
"Caught on a detail. I still can’t get used to the fact that he’s the Earl now. Relax, Duncan, it’s me."
The illusion dissolved, and I saw the profi...
2025-01-16 15:42:57 +0000 UTC View Post“So, boys, are you going to take the client to my precinct yourselves, or do you want to switch him over?” Sunset asked. “We had two squads involved in this mess, and there are just enough of us to keep them from being stuck together – otherwise, they might strangle each other to death.”
“I’d prefer to stick with Cooper,” I said. “Harry worked on him. Bullets bounce off ...
2025-01-16 15:40:32 +0000 UTC View PostI was a bit worried I wouldn’t make it to the performance on time, but logic suggested it was just nerves. Club time hadn’t come yet, and hanging around the house would only lead to trouble. Knuckles and I had a decent dinner of cheese soup, followed by slices of apple pie with cinnamon, washed down with excellent tea with milk. My driver devoured his portion quickly, swallowing it like a s...
2025-01-16 15:36:52 +0000 UTC View Post"You have some serious trust issues, young man," Lindemann said.
"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not watching you," I replied.
"Duncan, with the kind of life you lead, paranoia is actually a useful trait. But your problem is something else. You make strange exceptions. I forgave you for my sons, and my daughter saved your life twice."
"Once!" I interrupted. ...
2025-01-16 15:34:56 +0000 UTC View Post"Here," Harry said, holding up a piece of old leather belt, slightly longer than his forearm. Runes were burned into the inner side, and a couple of stone reservoirs were fused into the buckle. The wizard tossed the belt to the vampire and ordered, "Put it on."
Kate stretched it between two fingers and skeptically remarked, "A bit short, don’t you think?"
"Put it on your neck." 2025-01-16 15:32:28 +0000 UTC View Post
"I can’t stand arrogant bastards," Noah said.
"Nobody likes them," I replied. "Especially other arrogant bastards."
"Are you looking for trouble, boy?"
"I’m just keeping the conversation alive. It’s not like anyone’s offering tea."
"I see Lucas still hasn’t taught you a lesson."
"That was supposed to be a lesson? Now, back in ‘27, that was a lesson. Rem...
2025-01-16 15:30:13 +0000 UTC View PostI stared at the stupid card, pressing it against the car hood with the dagger’s tip, completely at a loss as to what it meant. I understood the words perfectly, but not the subtext. Why leave a letter? To mock me? To provoke or anger me? If the intention was to scare me, it had failed miserably. Besides, Simon was a sadist, not an idiot. Why? What was his goal?
“Interesting letter,”...
2025-01-16 15:27:59 +0000 UTC View PostThe first telegram home: “Found him. Named Davie, connected to N. V. Possibly a warlock of Marduk. Details at Smith’s.”
I filled out the form but hesitated to sign it, rereading the text over and over again. I understood that I had stirred the local swamp too much, and all the devils had risen to the surface. And while Lindemann found me useful, Valentine would have shown no mercy. ...
2025-01-16 15:26:01 +0000 UTC View PostThe Lindemann Nest was located in Sungarden. In fact, all three vampire mansions stood within one block on a large plot of land, divided by a towering fence shaped like a three-pronged star. Even from the road encircling the block, the fence seemed more like an elaborate symbol than a true barrier, but the ones separating the neighbors could easily be called fortress walls. Within five meters o...
2025-01-16 15:22:18 +0000 UTC View PostThe morning started with a cup of proper black tea. There were also some beans and a couple of fried eggs, but that was beside the point. The tea was excellent. A dash of milk would’ve made it perfect…
“August may be a talented scumbag,” Harry was saying, “but Vincent is far more experienced. In a fair fight, I’d wipe the floor with him, but that bastard would never give me th...
2025-01-16 15:20:13 +0000 UTC View PostIt was warm and cozy. If only not for the mumbling... I tried to make out the words and only after a moment realized it was a prayer. “…verb
It was warm and cozy. If only not for the mumbling...
I tried to make out the words and only after a moment realized it was a prayer.
“…verba mea despicere; sed audi propitia et exaudi. Amen.”
At the final word, a wave of ...
2025-01-16 15:16:14 +0000 UTC View PostThe magic surge struck an hour later, sharp and sudden. I wouldn’t have noticed it myself – I had already recharged the amulets and was sitting in the kitchen, ruining my journal with formulas while sipping vile rosehip tea. It was Cap who caught my attention when he rushed in for another bucket of water. He simply couldn’t hold it steady and spilled it all over the floor.
“Don’...
2025-01-16 14:49:45 +0000 UTC View PostSunset tried to curse, but Harry cut him off and told him not to interfere. For a few minutes, the wizard completely withdrew from the conversation, simply closing his eyes. Even I could feel how the magical energy in the room thickened. It became easier to breathe, and my muscles seemed to fill with power and energy, making my fingers twitch involuntarily. A dangerous and deceptive sensation.<...
2025-01-14 20:26:58 +0000 UTC View PostThe first thing I did was rush to Finella. Her hair was untouched by the flames – not that you could say the same about her dress, which now had holes revealing glimpses of her undergarments. Her pulse was steady.
“Fin,” I called. “Spark?!” I had to slap her lightly across the face. She groaned, began to stir, and I lost interest.
What interested me more was what was happe...
2025-01-14 20:25:02 +0000 UTC View PostThe car taking us to the club was a Royal. A luxurious ride, shiny as a candy and long as a fanatic’s prayer. One trip cost me a small fortune, but our arrival at the Golden Tear didn’t go unnoticed. The sour expression on my face, born of today's expenses, passed for aristocratic arrogance, while the lacquered shine of Finella’s hair in the electric lights and her dress made entirely of ...
2025-01-10 16:13:42 +0000 UTC View PostFrom the vicar’s, I headed straight to Finella’s. I figured a young, attractive girl would know far more about clubs than a strong-willed priest. The door was opened by her older brother, whose clouded, pupil-less eyes were as murky as smoke. They were mesmerizing, and in contrast, the rest of his appearance seemed utterly forgettable.
“Yes?” the baron asked, staring past me with ...
2025-01-10 16:12:21 +0000 UTC View PostThe morning started closer to ten o’clock. Sunlight pierced through the curtains and hit my face, shining through my closed eyelids. My body demanded another hour or two of sleep, but my mind cruelly flashed an image of vampire brains splattering in all directions.
“Bollocks!”
I was awake now, though I had no desire to get up. Problems and tasks poured into my heavy head, grin...
2025-01-10 16:11:31 +0000 UTC View PostIt’s hard to make a vampire talk when they don’t feel the upper hand. And, as Grandfather used to say, this works both ways. Bloodsuckers become chatty either when their own power intoxicates them or when someone else’s power breaks them in half.
This one wasn’t broken yet. Brought down to three limbs, sure, but not broken. And he didn’t try to run! Was it the kerosene blaze beh...
2025-01-10 16:10:39 +0000 UTC View PostKnuckles agreed. What choice did he have? The girls were still glaring at me like wolves, but Grandfather used to say that life was worth exactly as much as people were willing to pay for it. And Knuckles needed this price just as much as I did.
“Perfect,” I nodded. “Keep in mind, I don’t forgive betrayal. And as for hunting... well, you’ll see for yourself. Let’s not stand ou...
2025-01-10 16:09:38 +0000 UTC View PostThere were three official vampire nests in Farnell, each home to about a dozen bloodsuckers. Most of them were women. Their numbers leaned female due to the physiological limitations that vampirism imposed on male vampires. Their regular blood flow ceased entirely, and certain pleasurable aspects of mortal life only became accessible after a proper feast. Sure, blood could be bought at most but...
2025-01-10 16:08:11 +0000 UTC View PostAs we walked, I wanted to explain my version of events to the constable. The fact that the girl seemed too shaken to gather her thoughts wor
As we walked, I wanted to explain my version of events to the constable. The fact that the girl seemed too shaken to gather her thoughts worked in my favor, and I planned to take advantage of her subdued state to get her to confirm my story. Not the ...
2025-01-10 16:07:03 +0000 UTC View Post"Any preferences, sir?" the bruiser asked.
"Young and fresh," I replied. I had some experience in intimate matters, thanks to Betty McLal, though she quickly shifted her attention to John Kink.
"Give us a moment; the girl needs to get herself ready." The bruiser gestured toward a red velvet-upholstered chair. "Tea?"
"I won’t say no."
The man disappeared through a side ...
2025-01-10 16:06:13 +0000 UTC View PostBloody hell! I needed to figure out what to do about the gate – and fast. The thug hadn’t come to his senses or returned yet. The worst part of situation was that I couldn’t distinguish one type of energy from another. Everything with an air or water base looked pale and similar in the soft blue-green spectrum. Only lightning, thanks to its fire component, had a brighter violet hue. For g...
2025-01-10 16:05:13 +0000 UTC View PostThe Farnell Railway Station was a sight to behold: dozens of passenger platforms, hundreds, if not thousands, of bustling travelers, and the constant whistle of departing trains. It was no surprise that this city and its surrounding areas formed a fully-fledged administrative county, with the domain itself being a duchy. Of course, the duke only owned the old district and part of the port, yet ...
2025-01-10 16:03:31 +0000 UTC View Post