Chapter 3

Lucy's POV Rico's mansion loomed before us, a Gothic masterpiece of stone and shadow. As we passed through wrought iron gates bearing the same crest, I noticed his ring, and I couldn't help but feel like I was entering another world entirely. The car came to a stop under a covered portico, and before I could reach for the handle, my door opened. A woman with striking features and close-cropped silver hair stood waiting. "Welcome home, sir," she said to Rico, then turned to me with knowing eyes. "The east wing is prepared for our guests." Rico helped me out of the car with old-world courtesy. "Thank you, Helena. That will be all for now." I followed him up marble steps, my enhanced vision taking in every detail – the intricate carvings on the columns, the faint shimmer of what looked like protective symbols etched into the stone. The massive wooden doors opened silently at our approach. "You must have questions," Rico said as we entered a study that could have rivaled a small library. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined the walls, and a fire crackled in a massive fireplace. "Please, sit." I perched on the edge of a leather armchair, watching as he poured two glasses of something dark red from a crystal decanter. My throat burned at the sight. "Is that...?" "Blood?" He handed me a glass. "Yes. But not human, if that concerns you. I maintain a private supply of ethically sourced animal blood. It will help with the thirst." I took the glass with trembling hands and sipped. The effect was immediate—the burning in my throat eased, and some of the desperate edges of my hunger faded. "Now then," Rico settled into the chair opposite mine, "let me tell you about Xena and why I believe she took your daughter." "You mentioned she killed your wife?" Pain flickered across his ancient features. "Isabella. Yes. Three hundred years ago." "Three hundred..." I nearly dropped my glass. "How old are you?" "I was turned in 1642," he said matter-of-factly. "I was a merchant banker in Venice. Xena was... different then. We were friends once. She and Isabella were like sisters." "What happened?" Rico's eyes grew distant. "Power. It corrupts vampires even more thoroughly than humans. Xena discovered an ancient ritual that could transfer another vampire's powers to herself through their death. She started with her own maker, then moved through the covens of Europe, growing stronger with each kill." I clutched my glass tighter. "And your wife?" "Isabella possessed a rare gift – the ability to see the future. Xena wanted that power." His voice grew hard. "I was away when she came. By the time I returned, Isabella was gone, and Xena had added precognition to her arsenal of stolen abilities." "I'm so sorry," I whispered. "But... what does this have to do with Avery? She's human, just a child." Rico leaned forward. "Tell me, Lucy, has your daughter ever known things she shouldn't? Seen things before they happened?" My blood – or whatever now flowed through my veins – ran cold. "How did you..." "Because Xena wouldn't have taken her otherwise." He set his glass down with deliberate care. "Your daughter has inherited Isabella's gift. She's a natural seer, even as a human. And if Xena turns her..." "No!" I stood up so fast the chair toppled behind me. "She can't turn my baby into a vampire!" "She won't. Not yet." Rico raised a calming hand. "The gift only manifests fully at maturity. She'll keep Avery alive until then." "How long do we have?" "Years, potentially. But we must act sooner. Much sooner." He stood and walked to a large map mounted on one wall. "Xena's power has grown immense, but she's not invincible. With the right allies, the right strategy..." "And what do you want from me?" I asked, finally voicing the question that had been nagging at me. "Why help me?" Rico turned, and for a moment, his composed facade cracked, showing something raw and wounded beneath. "Because I'm dying, Lucy." "What? But you're a vampire." "Even we can die. Xena's ritual... it had unexpected consequences. Those who gain power through it eventually burn out, their stolen abilities consuming them from within." He rolled up his sleeve, showing me his forearm. Black veins spiderwebbed under his skin. "I have perhaps a year left. Not enough time to complete my revenge alone." He walked back to me, his red eyes intense. "I need an heir, Lucy. Someone to carry on my work, to finally end Xena's reign of terror. Someone who understands the personal cost of her ambitions." "You want me to be your heir?" I couldn't keep the disbelief from my voice. "I want to give you the power to save your daughter and avenge my wife." He spread his hands. "My fortune, my resources, my knowledge – all of it could be yours. If you prove yourself worthy of trust." I thought of Avery, alone and scared, in the hands of a monster who collected powers like trophies. I thought of Mark's rejection, of everything I'd lost in a single night. "What do I need to do?" Rico smiled, but it wasn't entirely kind. "First, you need to learn what you've become. The strengths, the weaknesses, the politics of our world. Then, you need to learn to fight. To kill." "I've never killed anything in my life." "You will." His voice was certain. "For Avery, you will learn to do whatever is necessary." He was right. For my daughter, I would become anything – even a monster. "When do we start?" Rico glanced at an ornate clock on the mantel. "Dawn approaches. You'll need to rest – sunlight is uncomfortable for our kind. We'll begin your training tomorrow night." He gestured to Helena, who had materialized silently in the doorway. "Show our guest to her room. And Lucy?" I turned back to him. "Welcome to your new life. I promise you, it will be extraordinary."