I could hear the argument right down the end of the corridor leading to the meeting hall and it brought me some sort of satisfaction that they were so ruffled. If they had nothing to hide, then this should be no problem.

When I reached the door of the room I had been lodging in, I got a faint heartbeat, as if the person was trying to mask it or control it and the hair on my nape stood on end in awareness. It felt like someone was looking at me. Or rather, someone was following me.

My whole body tensed up immediately and I paused at the door. Almost immediately, the heartbeat became even fainter but only after a sharp spike. My fangs ached in my gums and I quietly withdrew them, feeling them slowly glide over my gums in a familiar fashion. The beast in me already got excited at the prospect of a hunt. We were being hunted but it felt like I was the one doing the hunting. For a second there, I felt something akin to excitement. And that in itself, was my madness.

In a quick flash of vampiric speed and age old experience, I left my position straight to where the heartbeat was, which was around the corner leading to the hallway of my room and I picked up the spying man by the scruff of his neck, lifting him up such that only the tips of his feet still touched the ground. I barred my fangs at him, growled, seeing things already with red vision and I spoke.

"Why are you spying on me?" I ground out in small growls. The was no one around and we were the only ones in the hallway.

I hadn't seen the man properly or even taken time to check. In my mind, he was a threat and threats had to be dealt with.

"My Lord. Please. I can't breathe. I don't want to fight you." A familiar voice cut through the haze of bloodlust I was in and my eyes instantly cleared. I looked properly to see that I had one of the council members above the floor in a choke hold and his face was already going red from the strain. I was still on edge from the surprise but I quickly let him go when I realized who he was. Despite this, my shoulders were still tensed and I was still glowering down at his shorter form.

"Carlisle! Explain yourself?" I admonished in a strict, no nonsense tone. The man swallowed a bit, breathed in and out to regain his composure and his facial color started returning back to normal. He looked around suspiciously and then an urgent look settled on his face when he looked back at me.

"Not here my Lord. The walls have ears." He replied instead. Going back to look at the surroundings, as if eyes were actually on him. We were literally in a coven house. I didn't doubt for a second that perhaps we were being spied on. I didn't fully trust his intentions just yet seeing as he had just been following me but from my past dealings with the man, he had not proved nefarious so I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Despite this, I was still on edge.

"Follow me." I ordered gruffly and strolled back to my room at a normal pace, leaving him with no choice but to follow me.

The man was wise enough to follow immediately. When he got into the room, I locked the room behind me and turned to him.

"Can I cast a sound proof spell my Lord? I came prepared and this particular room is fortified already but I would like to be sure. The coven is...not what it used to be." The man hesitated, then waited for my answer. I raised a brow. Making the room soundproof could conceal more than just a conversation. But if he wanted to attack me, I could handle him. Was it trap? Had Duncan sent him? Were they trying to bring ME down? It was preposterous and ludicrous to even think about but men along the ages had thought up worse. I was not prepared but I could take him on if I had to.

"Go ahead." I conceded and crossed my hands over each other, watching him without letting him away from my gaze for even one second.

"Thank you my Lord. This won't be long." He bowed and went immediately to work. He did look indeed prepared because he had a small leather bag strapped to his side from which he drew the necessary ingredients for his spell. I recognized the spell as soon as he started it. It was a basic spell that even very young warlocks and witches could perform so he easily led the chant, said the spell and he was done. When he was done he turned back to me.

"I apologies for the delay My Lord but at least we can talk freely now." He said with a relieved look on his face. I took time to observe the man well. It had been well over twenty-five years since I last saw him and even then he had been strapped to Lyra's side like a purse. He had been her right hand.

The man was tall, though shorter than my tall frame and he had average build. His jaw was square, his lips were full and he had a wide nose than sat upon a proportionate face. His once dark brown hair was peppered over with grey but not completely and the same could be said for the neatly trimmed beard on his jaw. Even his eyebrows were sprinkled with grey in some parts and he looked older than he should have been but healthier. His rich melanin skin was complete to his features and it showed that he had been a ladies' man in his prime. Maybe even now but that wasn't my problem. He wore simple clothes.

It sometimes fascinated me how fickle time was to mortal beings. This man should be in his fifties by now and yet, the weight had settled on him already. Fifty years as like a blink to me, especially with how long I had been living...no... not living...merely alive. But yet to mortals, it was an entire lifetime. Sometimes, I envied them for that very fact. The fact that they could live a full life and just die rather than the endless bleak of darkness I lived in. Must be nice.

"Why were you spying on me?" I asked straight away, sounding a little harsher than I intended. It was mad. To be envious of another's ability to die. It was truly mad. The man flinched at my tone but held his own.

"I'm sorry if I gave that off My Lord. But I couldn't let the others know I was coming to talk to you and I had to wait till you were away from the rest to approach you." He bowed a little. When I looked in his eyes, I saw truth but even that I didn't trust. It was still suspicious, but I decided to let it go. I strolled across the room and went to sit on the couch in front of the bed, crossed my legs and observed him.

"Alright. Let's say you are honest. Why the secrecy? And why did you want to talk to me?" I pondered, truly mulling it over in my head. Carlisle heisted, as if still contemplating whether he should say what was on his mind and I already got bored. Life was incredibly boring. I almost yawned. The excitement I had felt before completely dissipated. Finally, he decided to talk and his look took on a wary demeanor.

"Things have not been the same ever since......ever since..." The man's voice broke and that piqued my interest. I looked at him. Truly looked at hm. He was a weary man. A heartbroken man. I had suspected it before but since I didn't care I hadn't bothered to wonder. The man had been in love with Lyra. Had it been reciprocated? Interesting. If he had truly been in love with her then he could be very instrumental to me. He seemed to swallow a lump away in his throat and continued.

"Since Lyra...died." His tone took on a hard edge now. I merely raised a brow.

"You loved her." I spoke. It was not a question. It was a remark and his eyes glazing over along with the nod he offered were confirmation enough. I nodded back at him.

"Go on." I added. I didn't know what it was to love someone, or at least love someone like he seemed to have loved her. Love was pain. Pain was love and yet...deep down in me, I craved it more than anything. I dismissed my thoughts and hardened my features.

"I believe she was murdered. No one but Duncan and some of his closest witches saw her body, supposedly. They say she did a spell wrong and poisoned herself. I didn't even get to see her body at the funeral. They didn't want me checking to see if it really was what they said. I believe she was killed my Lord." He spoke with conviction and I raised a brow. I couldn't help but commend the man's bravery.

"You would insinuate such a thing Carlisle. Do you realize the impact of what you're saying? The murder of a coven and family head isn't something to joke around about." I warned and his lips thinned. He stared back at me with hard eyes.

"I understand what I'm saying Lord Kyryaan. But it doesn't add up. I've watched Lyra perform spells my entire life. She had always been the best. She was not just coven head because her family is the strongest of witches in the Southern Regions of Lakaiyah even if that's an important factor. The Ragna coven only allows the strangest to lead. Or at least they used to. I highly doubt that the same spell she had carried out hundreds of times without a single mistake would be the one where she mistakenly poisoned herself. It doesn't make sense." I raised a brow and brought my hand up to stroke my chin. The man did make sense. I knew she had poisoned herself but I didn't know these other details and I felt there was more he wasn't saying. It did sound suspicious.

"Why come to me? You should know you have to go straight to your coven first in times like these." I was right. It was protocol. And only if the situation was beyond coven control was it brought to me. Being Lyra's former right hand, he knew this.

"I know My Lord but like I said, the coven wasn't what it used to be. I fear for my life My Lord." He confessed.

"This is your coven. Why would you fear for your life if you bring forth your thoughts?" The man blanched and avoided my gaze. He was hiding something. He had been honest all through with his opinion but now he was hiding something.

"I can't say my Lord. My family name is bound to the coven. But my Lord, I believe what I say is true. Lyra...my beautiful Lyra was murdered." He spoke with such conviction.

"Why now? Lyra has been dead for close to twenty-two years now. Why wait till now to come to me with your accusations?" I rose from the couch as I asked. He stared me back.

"I am ashamed to say I was afraid for my life at first and the position of my family in the coven council. But things only got worse with my silence. But not long ago, for about six months now, I think Lyra's spirit is still here. She wants me to help. She wants me to seek revenge for her death. I have been hearing whispers, voices. Rest with the ancestors is the greatest grace for a witch. Lyra isn't resting My Lord. That must have been torture. I believe she will once her murderer is found." I rubbed my temple. This was getting into something else. Whispers? Voices? I thought back to my dream. Or was it even a dream? I didn't know if the man was right but most things he said made sense. But how did it all play together? What was going on and what was my role in this?

I didn't tell him I had heard voices too because I wasn't even sure of what I heard but a new plan was already formulating in mind.

"Do you have any suspicions as to who may have killed her?" I asked him and a look passed in his eyes. He suspected someone.

"I would rather not say. But I need your help my Lord." He spoke evasively. He was still hiding much but I preferred to remain silent. I knew who he suspected and I suspected the same person as well. But our suspicions were not founded.

I thought back to my conversation with Lord Mba about a spy. My plan started taking form. I was going to solve all these problems here at once.

"Alright Carlisle. You have never been one for jesting and if you believe she was murdered then it is my business and I will get involved. But you need to be ready to do some things for me." His eyes lit up at my words. I suspect he hadn't expected me to just believe him. But I did. Mostly. It all didn't make sense to me as well.

"Anything my Lord." He replied. I smirked.

"This would be difficult but I need you to befriend who you suspect. I suspect them too. You are going to be my eyes and ears in the coven and whatever you find, you will report it to me. Understood?" His eyes lit up and determination formed on his visage.

"Understood. Thank you My Lord."