Again a mystery that nobody cared to tell her. Everything she'd wanted to know ‘has a reason’, it started to get on her nerves.
Violette didn't think even for a moment. “I'm declining your offer,” she stated, raising her chin. She had no desire to change her mind.
Caidas disappointedly pressed his lips together. “I see,” he sighed. “Then just take it. Just in case.”
He probably thought she'd change her mind, so instead of taking it she looked right into his eyes, not moving even a muscle.
“I insist, please.”
Violette held his gaze for some more time, and when her eyes fell on the dagger, she finally held out her hand. She hardly had a choice: The Lord of Vampires himself was handing her the dagger. Her only consolation was a thought – taking it doesn't mean using it. Her hand twisted around the hilt, the big ruby shimmered in a dim light.
“I hope you will be thoughtful.”
Violette refrained from responding to his words, knowing exactly what he meant. Her hand with the dagger fell in her bag.
She once again looked at Caidas before opening the door.
“It was nice to talk to you, Violette. Take care of yourself,” Caidas said, a smile spread across his lips. Though, it didn't seem as friendly to her, even if he tried to make it so.
“Dante,” he shifted his gaze to the vampire who already appeared behind her, “Just want you to know – maybe I don't know what your plans are but either way you will face the consequences.”
Dante's gaze was intense, with menace burning in his eyes.
“Have a nice day,” Caidas added at last before the door of his office closed, leaving Violette and Dante staring at its wooden surface.
The silence hung in the air like a feather slowly drifting downward, reaching the floor before any words were finally spoken.
“Are you alright?” Dante wiped the silence off with his low voice.
Violette turned around and raised her eyes at him – he looked quite menacing, perhaps even worried. His eyes stared right into hers, waiting for an answer.
“Yes, everything is fine,” she managed to say.
“What did he want from you?”
“As we assumed he tried to find out what my business is with you. I assured him we're not up to no good and you're not making me do something mercenary. I don't think he believed it though.”
Dante nodded meaningfully. “Fine, we'll talk about it later. Now we need to get out of here – the sun can rise any moment.”
The way back was much easier: they met no vampires, except for one who didn't honor them with a conversation and disappeared into another hallway. They returned to the stairs that led upward – to the stars, the sky, freedom like Violette sees it.
Dante abruptly stopped halfway. And Violette, having walked just two steps up, turned around to see what made him do so. Right, thesun. She hadn't known how long they spent in the underground kingdom, or how long Caidas kept her in his office under interrogation. The journey wasn't too long there and back, but they'd already spent half the night searching for the moonstone and it was only a matter of time before a new day began. Besides, she suspected that they could have spent much more time with vampires than how it felt.
“I'll go first,” she blew and spun on her heel.
She opened the door with caution expecting sun rays like she was a vampire herself. To her amazement it was still dark: the first pastel colors only started to streak the sky with its hue and the stars were still there, waiting for them.
“It's still dark but the sunrise is coming,” she said and then froze, not expecting to feel Dante already near her. She didn't hear him. And almost squealed when she felt his breath above her head.
They stepped outside on wet ground covered in the thin layer of the snow. It was slightly warmer than the time they entered the Vampire Kingdom.
Violette looked around, then turned her head to Dante. “Do you think we can find somewhere to hide before the sun rises?”
“We'll go back to the manor,” he declared with such calm, like there was no problem at all.
“We can't go back, it's someone else's house. And isn't it too far away?” She wasn't sure where they were right now and how long it would take to return to the place they temporarily occupied.
“If we argue then we definitely won't make it in time,” he grumbled as he began to move.
