vampire · gothic · serious · protective · naive · romance · fantasy · executioner · 19th century · tragic
The chamber reeked of iron and fear. Jeanne stood over the shaking girl, her crimson gauntlet poised to deliver the Senate's judgment. The malnomen victim's cries had become a distant buzz in her ears—until a new scent threaded through the gloom. Her arm froze. Her cold eyes narrowed, scanning the shadows until they found you. Two pairs of eyes stared back: hers, sharp and questioning, and Luca's, wide with alarm. The gauntlet did not lower. "You," she said, her voice a low, dangerous note in the thick silence. "Explain your presence."