Chapter 3

With a tremendous, gorgeous, and victorious step, Marvel walked toward the small tent which was hosting her backup species. The small tent was located in the desert, outside Lamarck's city. The sun was now breaking in the sky. That meant she had been out all night.  

Marvel shook her head in irritation, followed by an exasperated sigh before she wrapped the cloak of alien illusion tightly and put it under her arm. 

She stood a few inches away from the old witch, Hodesh's tent, and knocked. As her knuckle collided with the door, she felt something sharp pricking her hand. It was like a snake had just bitten her.

She hissed again and shook her head in frustration. That's the work of Hodesh. Marvel examined the sky again, and she could see that the sun was rising high. If all of them were sleeping, at least one of them should be someone who isn't a heavy sleeper. Besides, their vampire ears should have caught her footsteps, and knocking.

Well, she couldn't blame them. They were all vampires after all. That's one of the disadvantages of being a vampire without the daylight ring. 

‘Hodesh is useless.’ Marvel thought again. That woman was the one who selected her companion. All the seven vampires that Hodesh chose after her were newly turned beings, perhaps a month old. That's why they haven't acquired the daylight ring. 

Without the ring, the sun will scorch them. If care is not taken, they will turn to ash. That's part of the reason why a lycan or wolf is different from a vampire. Except for the vampire, the rest of the night-walking creatures can walk in the sun.  

That's why most vampires without a daylight ring always wear a huge, thick, long coat to cover their skin and an eyelid; perhaps olive oil. They will drip the olive oil inside their eyes to avoid the burning sensation from the sun. 

Unless they are sent on special and important assignments, the vampires despise going out in the daylight. Not even those with daylight rings.

Except for the burnt, sunlight always makes them weak. They won't have access to their full power. They will be very vulnerable to attack. That's why vampires always sleep throughout the day and use dusk for their purposes.

If it was Karen or Asher, Marvel was sure that they would have opened the door. They won't even leave her out there all alone. They won't allow her to face those beasts alone. They won't even allow her to go out there alone just to test some stupid cloak of alien illusion. All thanks to Hodesh, and Marvel hates that woman!

She has loathed Hodesh ever since her husband died a week ago. Did she even like her before? That's No! Marvel and Hodesh never liked each other. She was following that old witch's order because she was the Luna of the pack.

Abner, her husband, is the only one who knows how to calm her. Now that he is dead, killed by the beast which they nicknamed after their territory, Lamarck, there is no one left to control Hodesh.  

Abner is their Alpha. She respected Marvel, and he never argued with her. However, Hodesh isn't like that. She is tough. That made Marvel wonder how Alpha Abner was coping with her before he was killed by Lamarck's Beast.  

Marvel knocked on the old tent door again. This time, she made sure that it was hard and loud enough for whoever was inside to hear. After that, she waited for two minutes. Her vampire's ear starts searching around like an antenna, hoping to catch any sound of footsteps or whispering of people. Yet, she didn't hear anything. Everywhere was as silent as a graveyard.  

Marvel hissed again. This is the third time she will be doing it. She clenched her fist in resentment and then bit her lower lip to avoid screaming in anger. She couldn't believe that after spending all night outside with those ugly creatures with liquid acid moisture, she would be locked outside by her people. Even if all of them were asleep, at least Hodesh was inside the tent with them. She should have opened the door for her.

She could feel her anger starting to surface. However, she managed to keep it at bay. Well, she couldn't blame them. After all, they were all vampires. Not a single wolf nor a lycan was present here on this desolated, outcast side of the boundary with them. They were all inside the city, planning the oncoming war and enhancing their abilities.  

Seeing that no one was willing to open the door, Marvel kicked it with her boot. As her feet made contact with the tent door, she felt a huge amount of electric current charging through her body. However, the door made a creaking sound.

That boosted her courage. She shifted back a little and took a deep breath. As Marvel prepared to kick the door once again, she imagined all the harsh words she would throw at Hodesh. Marvel had imagined the punishment she would give to those newly turned vampires.  

Gathering all the strength, speed, and agility her vampire power could offer, Marvel darted toward the door again. With a strong kick, her boot collided with the tent door and it went flying away.

Marvel had just done the impossible. She removed a clogged tent door off its hinges. Not only that, she didn't feel any electric current shocking her again.

‘Perhaps the sun has risen enough.’ She thought. 

True to her thought, the sun is now high in the sky. 

Thank goodness, she is with her daylight ring. So, she had nothing to be scared about. Besides, she's a war goddess. She is different from other vampires. The Lycans are even afraid of her.

Marvel also noticed something. She didn't feel as if she had just kicked a door. It was like she just pushed it. It seems like she didn't apply any force. 

That's strange. She knew it. Nonetheless, she shrugged it off. She had serious issues to deal with. She couldn't allow that thought to cloud her mind.

Marvel inches toward the tent, and everywhere was extremely dark, which left her no choice but to activate her vampire vision. 

A loud gasp escaped from Marvel's mouth as she walked deeper inside the tent. Since she had broken the door, she had expected the newly turned vampires to jerk up. She had expected Hodesh to lunge at her, pinned her to the ground, and throw punches at her face.

But, she was met with something else. Lying on the floor with a decapitated head is Hodesh's body. She was stabbed in multiple places with a sharp blade. Hanging upside down on the roof of the tent are the bodies of the newly turned vampires.