Chapter 40 Continuation: The Candle Bribe & A Furious Young Vampire

  ?

  The room was still heavy with tension.

  But it was no longer the Duke’s patience that was running thin.

  It was Zyrenia’s.

  Her small frame was trembling, her golden eyes still wet from earlier tears, but now filled with something else entirely.

  Not just anger.

  Not just frustration.

  A deep, burning need to make this right.

  She had already endured one heartbreak today.

  She had screamed.

  She had cried.

  She had raged.

  And now—now, after all of that, she had to sit here and listen to these pathetic humans stumble over themselves because their “tactician” refused to come to a summons over a candle?

  A fucking candle?

  Her hands curled into fists, her claws pressing into her palms again.

  Her fangs were still slightly bared, and she did not care to hide them.

  If a candle was all it took to get a meeting with this strategist, then so be it.

  She wasn’t about to let this absurd insult continue.

  She wasn’t going to let this “Jessica Moran” treat her hero’s legacy like a damn joke.

  Not after everything that had just happened.

  Not after learning that Lilith had been erased from human history.

  Not when she had just spent the last twenty minutes trying to hold back the overwhelming grief threatening to claw its way out of her.

  She would talk to this strategist.

  And she would see for herself whether this was a fraud, a genius, or another insult to everything she held sacred.

  She exhaled sharply, forcing her body to remain still, even as the rage curled tight in her chest.

  Then, finally, she turned.

  And gave the order.

  ?

  Zyrenia’s voice was sharp, decisive.

  “You.”

  One of the demon aides immediately snapped to attention.

  She didn’t even look at them.

  “Go to the main market district,” she said, her words clipped. “Get the best candle they have.”

  The aide hesitated.

  “...The best... candle?”

  Zyrenia’s golden gaze snapped to him.

  She was not in the mood for questions.

  “Yes,” she said, voice flat, edged with warning.

  “And get incense,” she added. “Expensive incense. Melt them together. Have it delivered within the next two hours.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Another pause.

  The aide, still clearly unsure what was happening, nodded stiffly.

  “...As you command.”

  He immediately turned and left.

  Zyrenia folded her arms, her claws tapping against her sleeve.

  She wanted no more human interference.

  No more political spectacle.

  No more stupid, meaningless noble games.

  She wanted to know who the hell Jessica Moran was.

  Alone.

  Without anyone else’s bullshit.

  Her father, watching this unfold, was silent.

  Even he seemed momentarily thrown off by her intensity.

  “...Zyrenia,” the Duke said carefully.

  She did not look at him.

  “I will handle this myself,” she said simply.

  Another silence.

  And then—her father let out a slow exhale.

  “...Fine.”

  Zyrenia nodded once.

  Then, finally, she turned her sharp golden gaze toward the humans in the room.

  Her teeth were still slightly bared, her fury still simmering just beneath the surface.

  And then, in a voice steady but cold, she spoke.

  “If a candle is all I need to speak to her—”

  Her fingers tightened around her sleeves.

  “Then I will have one ready.”

  And with that, she turned.

  And walked out of the hall.

  ?

  The moment she left, the tension in the room shifted.

  The demons were visibly baffled.

  The humans were visibly distressed.

  The Duke exhaled sharply through his nose.

  “...Consulting fee,” he muttered under his breath again, as if the words physically pained him.

  Lucien, still processing the absolute madness of this entire situation, remained silent.

  Seraphina, however, was visibly fuming.

  Of all the days—of all the times Jessica could have been ridiculous—

  She had to pick this one?

  She had to turn a diplomatic meeting into a joke?

  She had to make the literal demon envoy play along with whatever stupid, whimsical nonsense she had going on today?

  The prince rubbed his temple.

  “...We were not prepared for this,” he muttered under his breath.

  No one responded.

  Because no one had a good response.

  Because no one had expected to figure out today that their entire empire was built on genocide.

  Because no one had expected their greatest enemy to have a Messiah.

  Because no one had expected the demon envoy to be stopped in their tracks by scented wax.

  No.

  They had not been prepared for this.

  Not at all.

  Chapter 41: The Candle, The Breakdown & The Unintentional Language Reveal

  ?

  Zyrenia walked through the dormitory halls, candle in hand, her expression tense, but composed.

  The scent was already filling the air.

  She didn’t need guidance.

  She could smell the room.

  Even among the mingled scents of students, food, ink, and parchment—one door stood out.

  A room that did not smell like a person.

  No sweat, no breath, no lingering blood.

  Just wax, wood, and faint trails of burned wicks.

  It was oddly soothing.

  Normally, places with too many humans overwhelmed her.

  Too many mingled scents, too many clashing aromas.

  But here...

  It was just candles.

  She stopped in front of the door.

  Raised a fist.

  Knocked.

  ?

  Jessica opened the door with mild irritation, expecting another envoy summons.

  Instead—

  She saw a ten-year-old vampire girl standing there, holding a candle.

  Jessica blinked.

  Zyrenia’s fangs were no longer bared, but her posture was tense.

  Before Jessica could even ask, Zyrenia held out the candle.

  “Here is the consultation fee.”

  Jessica stared.

  Then stared harder.

  Then, looked over her shoulder at Tobias, who was sitting at her desk, also staring.

  Jessica slowly took the candle.

  She turned it over in her hands, sniffed it.

  It was actually really nice.

  “...Huh.”

  Tobias leaned forward. “Are we just accepting vampire bribes now?”

  Jessica gave him a flat look. “Shut up, Tobias.”

  She turned back to Zyrenia.

  “...Uh, come in, I guess?”

  Zyrenia stepped inside.

  Her first observation?

  The scents in the room were thick enough to completely mask any organic trace.

  For the first time since arriving at this damn academy, she couldn’t smell human blood.

  It was... strangely comforting.

  Jessica tilted her head at the candle, noticing the incense sticks melted into the wax.

  “Huh,” she said, running her thumb over the surface. “Multiple lighting points. You can burn different combinations.”

  Zyrenia watched her carefully.

  Jessica, without thinking, added absently—

  “Oh. I can’t sculpt this.”

  It was meant to be an absentminded thought.

  Just a casual comment.

  But to Zyrenia—after everything today—it was the final straw.

  Her breathing hitched.

  Her eyes welled up.

  And then, before Jessica even had time to react—

  Zyrenia fell to her knees and started crying.

  ?

  Jessica immediately panicked.

  Tobias shot up from his seat.

  “WHAT DID YOU DO?”

  Jessica flung her arms out. “I DON’T KNOW!”

  Zyrenia covered her face with her hands, sobbing.

  Jessica knelt down immediately, grabbing her shoulders.

  And then—without thinking—

  She spoke.

  But not in the human tongue.

  Not in the language Tobias understood.

  But in something older.

  Something she had no business knowing.

  “No, no. Don’t cry, little girl.”

  The words left her mouth before she even processed them.

  And Zyrenia responded in the same tongue without thinking.

  “I ruined the fee.”

  Jessica hugged her gently, pulling her closer.

  She didn’t even think about how strange it was to understand.

  She just reacted.

  She pressed her forehead lightly against Zyrenia’s and said, softly, “No, you didn’t. The candle is great as it is.”

  Zyrenia hiccuped, still sniffling.

  Jessica smiled faintly.

  “And the incense sticks were really thoughtful,” she murmured. “They smell wonderful.”

  Zyrenia sniffled.

  For a moment, she just stayed there, curled against Jessica’s warmth, absorbing the words.

  Her fingers curled into Jessica’s sleeve.

  Her breathing slowed.

  The weight of the day, the emotions she had been fighting back for hours, all collapsed into that one, small moment of comfort.

  Jessica held her a little closer, rubbing her back softly.

  Tobias, standing off to the side, had gone completely still.

  He had heard it.

  That language—**whatever it was—**it wasn’t human.

  But Tobias, instead of calling it out, said nothing.

  Instead, he turned away, crossing his arms.

  Ignoring it was better for her.

  ?

  Zyrenia was still emotionally overwhelmed.

  But now... now there was something else.

  Jessica Moran—a human noble girl, a tactician of absurd skill, someone who should have no connection to her people—

  Had just spoken to her in the ancient tongue of her ancestors.

  Flawlessly.

  And even worse—Zyrenia didn’t even notice.

  Jessica had spoken as if it were her first language.

  Her words carried no human accent.

  She did not stumble.

  She did not pause.

  She did not hesitate.

  She had switched between languages without thought.

  And now—she had already switched back.

  Jessica, still completely unaware, patted her head.

  “There, see?” she said. “No need to cry. I like the candle. It smells nice.”

  Zyrenia blinked.

  Jessica offered a small smile.

  “...Want to light it?”

  Zyrenia swallowed.

  By the time she had calmed down, Jessica had reverted to speaking in the human tongue.

  Zyrenia didn’t even notice when it happened.

  Jessica just switched back seamlessly.

  As if it had never happened.

  As if it had been completely natural.

  And that—that terrified Tobias more than anything else.

  “...Okay,” Zyrenia finally whispered.

  She reached for the candle.

  Jessica smiled, lighting the incense stick embedded in the wax.

  A warm, comforting scent drifted through the air.

  Zyrenia breathed it in.

  And for now—no one said anything about what had just happened.