"What the hell are you guys—"
Before Dylan could shout any louder, Seamus clamped a hand over his mouth and pulled him closer, lowering his voice immediately.
He had called Dylan the moment things spiraled out of control, and of course Dylan, who thrived on chaos and validation, had rushed over without hesitation.
"Shut up," Seamus whispered sharply. "If you make noise, they’ll know we’re lying."
He tilted his head slightly, directing Dylan’s attention toward the body slumped nearby.
"See the corpse over there? We need to get rid of it."
Dylan twisted his head just enough to break free from Seamus’s grip, scowling as he whispered back, "Why me? You can do it yourself."
"You’re the vampire hunter," Seamus replied flatly. "You know how to dispose of a vampire better than any of us."
Dylan rolled his eyes in irritation. "Ugh, whatever. Let’s bring him upstairs and burn the body in the fireplace."
Diane frowned. "How?"
They exchanged a brief look, all of them understanding that there was no choice left but to act again. Pretending that their friend was sick or unconscious was the only excuse they had.
Fortunately, the lodging was isolated, tucked away in the middle of nowhere, and there were barely any guests to begin with.
No one paid them much attention, and just like their reputation, the people of the North were cold and uninterested.
Maria and Dylan took hold of Alex’s body, dragging him forward with his arms slung awkwardly over their shoulders.
Otto walked behind them, silent and stiff, while Seamus and Diane followed close, Seamus keeping the bone dagger pressed firmly against the young vampire’s back.
As they passed through the lodging hall, Seamus leaned closer to Otto and whispered, his voice low and steady.
"If you scream, this dagger will go straight through your Vitalis Core and kill you instantly."
Otto said nothing, but his rigid posture and shallow breathing made it clear that the threat had landed. No creature, no matter how arrogant, was immune to fear when death was this close.
When they reached the upper floor, Seamus spoke again. "Take him to Dylan’s room."
Dylan stopped short. "Why is it me again?
Seamus answered without hesitation. "Mine is on the third floor, and the others are occupied by women. So be a man, Dylan."
Dylan groaned under his breath, clearly displeased, but he still reached for his key and unlocked the door.
They let the corpse drop heavily onto the floor as Diane closed the door and positioned herself beside it, standing guard.
The room filled with an uncomfortable silence before Dylan finally spoke, already shrugging out of his jacket and rolling up his sleeves like he was about to assemble furniture rather than dispose of a body.
"Come on, help me undress him and cut him up," Dylan said bluntly.
Everyone froze for a moment.
"What?" Dylan scoffed when no one moved. "You think the fireplace can burn him whole? Look at how big he is."
He narrowed his eyes on them. "Or are you all chickening out?" He shook his head in irritation. "Unbelievable. I’m the only man here."
Without waiting for an answer, he began stripping Alex’s clothes piece by piece. Seamus stepped in to help, though instead of touching the body, he searched the pockets methodically.
His hand paused when he found a wallet and then a necklace, its chain cold against his fingers. Hanging from it was a black widow spider hanging with a full moon behind it.
He exchanged a look with Dylan before dragging a chair across the floor and forcing Otto to sit. Otto complied without resistance, his face pale and damp with sweat.
Seamus raised the necklace to eye level, holding it directly in front of Otto’s trembling gaze.
"What is this?" he asked calmly. "Where did you get it, and what does it mean?"
Otto swallowed hard, his voice shaking. "I... I have a blood pact. That necklace and the symbol behind it are things I can’t talk about."
Seamus raised an eyebrow. "Then tell me what you can talk about."
"Anything," Otto blurted out desperately. "Anything I’m allowed to say, I promise."
His fear was obvious now, especially as his friend lay naked and lifeless only a few steps away.
"Hey," Dylan said suddenly, crouching beside the body. "Look at this tattoo."
Seamus and Diane moved closer while Maria stayed where she was, deliberately keeping her eyes off the corpse. She traced a pattern on Alex’s arm with two fingers.
"It’s a spiderweb."
Seamus felt a chill settle in his chest. He had seen that same marking before, in the room full of corpses. Everything led back to Latros.
"They didn’t even bother hiding," he muttered. "Vampires and their stupid ego."
"There’s a wound here too," Diane added, examining Alex’s chest more closely. "It looks surgical. Like something was removed."
All eyes turned to Otto, who shook his head frantically.
"I really can’t tell you everything."
Seamus exhaled sharply, frustration building. For a moment, he was tempted to tear Otto’s mind apart just to get the truth, and he knew exactly who had that ability.
He took out his phone and photographed Alex’s body from several angles before nodding at Dylan to hurry up.
Dylan was already pulling plastic sheets from his suitcase, as if he had expected something like this to happen all along.
While Diane continued questioning Otto and forcing him to watch as his friend’s body was mutilated, Seamus stepped out with Maria and went to her room.
He contacted Bianca immediately, pacing as he spoke.
"Bianca, can you reach Ulrich? We need Fleur."
"I already saw what happened," Bianca replied calmly.
"But we didn’t know yet if her skill could bypass memories locked by a blood pact. That protection comes directly from the False God."
Seamus clenched his jaw. "Then what are we supposed to do?"
"Interrogate him as much as you can," Bianca answered. "After that, if you no longer need him, ask Madeline to teleport him here. She’s still inside you, isn’t she?"
Seamus hesitated. Madeline had not spoken since he arrived in Lilium, nor had she manifested herself. It was as if she was somewhere else entirely, distant and restless.
"I’ll try," he said finally.
"Good," Bianca replied. "Just don’t let him die."
The call ended, and Seamus dragged a hand down his face with a groan. The blood pact was too strong, turning Otto into a liability rather than a solution, which meant they would have to bring him to the Black Lotus and see the truth for themselves.
That was dangerous. Worse, it meant Seamus had to keep everyone alive through it.
"Seamus."
He felt a hand rest against his back and turned to see Maria sitting beside him on the bed.
"I’m sorry," she said quietly. "I messed this up. I shouldn’t have forced Diane to go to the restaurant to test our disguise."
He knew that disguise had only been contact lenses, nothing more.
"That vampire sensed us," Maria continued, eyes lowered. "He pretended to talk, then lured us outside. I should have realized something was wrong."
"It’s okay," Seamus said, brushing his fingers over her hand in reassurance. "We still have other ways to finish this. And honestly, this is also their fault for not putting an actual adult in our team."
Maria laughed softly. "I know. Putting newly legal teenagers who hate each other into one group is incredibly irresponsible."
She smiled faintly. "At least things between us are settled."
"They are," Seamus replied with a grin. "This trip is bearable because of you."
Warmth crept into Maria’s cheeks as she turned her head away. "Anyway, we should go back."
Before Seamus could answer, the door opened. Diane stood there, pausing when she noticed their hands still touching. Her gaze lingered for a second before she spoke.
"Come," she said quietly. "That man wants to talk."