Chapter 164: Beneath the Stone

"If he hates all of you enough to want you tortured and killed, why doesn't he just do it himself?" Caitlin asked Zendedari, her voice trembling slightly as they pressed deeper into the dim cave. Zendedari’s sharp, unwavering gaze remained fixed on the path ahead. "The vampire is limited by the sun," he explained, his tone as cold and detached as ever. "He must return to the earth before daylight breaks. Unlike us, he cannot tolerate even the faintest touch of early sunlight. Dawn would destroy him." Caitlin’s stomach twisted as she absorbed his words. "So he was lurking in the woods, just like I feared," she muttered, more to herself than to him. "He must have been following Barry, waiting for the perfect moment to trap him. And now, he has to hand Barry over to the humans before the sun rises. They must be close by." Zendedari nodded grimly. "Kendalf sensed them. The very soil groaned beneath their boots." "And this vampire—he can’t help the humans once the sun is up?" "Absolutel