CRIMSON SECRET

in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the streets of New Orleans. For a moment, everything seemed quiet,

was a detective-tracking people was her specialty-but this was different. If w

the moon. "He'll be feeding soon, and when he does, we'll know

we wait for anoth

r. I can track his presence when he's close, but he's b

yebrow. "I'm not exactly equ

ctive. You see things most people don't. That's why I reac

ed by a world she didn't understand. But there was no turning back now.

o we start?

a haven for those like us. It's where he recruits followers

ill run down her spi

le. "Let's just say, it's not the ki

kept her eyes on the road, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Lucien. He was calm-too calm for someone hunting a dan

e corner of her eye. "How lo

ng streets. "A long time," he said, his voice distant.

at that kind of existence would be like-watching the world change aro

t kill unless I have to. There are others like me, those who respect the balance between our w

killers before, people who saw life as something disposabl

d feeding. He's building an army, turning others, preparing for som

t of her stomach. She had never imagined she'd be facing somethi

t was an old mansion, its once-grand facade now crumbling, the windows shattered and boarded up. Vines crawled up the walls, recla

en said, his voice

or her gun. She wasn't sure what good it would do against a vam

in, and we find him. Stay close to me. The oth

ore, but this felt different-like she was walking into the lion's

, the air was thick with the scent of dust and decay. The hallway stretched out before them, l

ear the faint sound of voices-low murmurs that sent a c

denly, his body te

ded in her chest.

hispered, his voice barely

e end of the hallway. Tall, with pale skin and eyes that glowed wit

e smooth and taunting. "You brou

throat. This was the rogue-th

eyes narrowing. "It's over. You'

ou can stop me? You've always been the weak one, Lucien. Clinging to your morals, you

er instincts screaming at her to act. Bu

mile spreading across his face. "And this one...

ogue lunged toward her, moving