The dinner table was cloaked in a suffocating quiet. A palpable heaviness hung in the air, pressing down on everyone. I sat, my own thoughts a silent tempest after returning from my parents' home. My father, still oblivious to the full truth unfolding right under his nose, was preoccupied with the rising tide of low-level vampires. But the tension here, amongst my friends, was different, sharp and immediate. Ethan was engrossed in documents, Marcus ate with a grim set to his jaw, and Christian looked visibly worried. Even Jeremy, usually the most boisterous among us, picked at his food in silence, his eyes darting anxiously. Kilian, still raw from recent events, didn't touch his plate at all, his arms crossed, a silent fortress of defiance.
It was Krista who finally broke the silence, her voice cutting through the tension. "Is something wrong?" Her gaze landed on Jeremy, urging him. "Jeremy, what is it?"
He flinched under her direct stare, glancing nervously at Christian. "Just say it already," she pressed.
"Well…" Jeremy hesitated, his usual bravado nowhere to be found. Krista raised an eyebrow, a clear demand for him to get on with it. He sighed. "The Church is looking for you."
A cold knot formed in my stomach. I'd expected this, but hearing it confirmed still brought a fresh wave of dread.
"What? How did they know I'm in the city?" she demanded, her voice rising in alarm.
"Well, you remember that night we arrested you?" Jeremy explained, the words tumbling out. "One of those we arrested managed to escape when we started fighting. The woman saw your face and recognized you from those wanted posters."
"Well, that's not so bad, is it? I mean, they won't find me here." Her attempt at reassurance was thin.
"There's another problem," Christian added, his voice grim. "One of the elites reported to Kai's parents about seeing you in the city that night. The vampire said he tried to catch you but ended up following your companion."
My blood ran cold. Maria. She was in danger.
"Maria! I almost forgot about her. We need to find her. Now!" Krista exclaimed, pushing back from the table.
"You're not allowed to go out." My voice, when it came, was firm, laced with the command I carried as Prince. My focus was entirely on her safety. "We can't risk you getting seen."
"What did you tell your parents? Did they suspect anything?" Marcus interjected, his gaze shifting to me.
I met his eyes, my expression unreadable. "No. I don't think so. The Council has a lot in their hands with all those low-level vampires appearing out of nowhere." I turned my attention back to Krista, my resolve hardening. "You're staying here. We'll find her."
"Stop treating me like I'm a child." Her voice was quiet, but it vibrated with a newfound, steely conviction that made everyone at the table straighten. "I managed to escape from this place years ago. I can take care of myself." My gaze narrowed, sensing a profound shift in her, something more than just defiance. "I'm going to go see my father."
Ethan, who had been listening intently, froze. "What? What do you mean? What would you—" He stopped, his eyes wide as he stared at her, as if a missing piece of a puzzle had just clicked into place.
Then, she said it. The words that sent a jolt through me, electrifying the air. "I got my memories back."
Jeremy's voice cracked, full of stunned disbelief. "Seriously? You remember everything?" The surprise in his voice filled the sudden, echoing silence.
"Yes. Everything." Her simple reply was delivered with an unnerving calm.
"You seem pretty calm for someone who just recovered her memories," Christian observed, a hint of awe in his tone.
Krista looked at me, her eyes, once clouded by amnesia, now held a depth I hadn't seen in seventeen years. A mix of sadness, resolve, and something else, a burning purpose. "I don't have the luxury to panic at the moment. I remember everything now. I remember what I failed to do. I remember what I have to do to make it right." She met my wide-eyed stare. "We need to find Maria."
I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the enormity of her words wash over me. She remembered. Everything. The relief, the fear, the guilt, it all swirled together. I took a deep breath, pushing past the shock, forcing myself to focus on the present. I slowly stood up. "Alright. We will, but we need a plan. We can't just go around revealing ourselves out in the open."
"Okay. That's that then," Ethan said, a flicker of his usual pragmatism returning. "Did Maria say anything to you before you parted ways that night? A little hint, anything?"
Krista closed her eyes, a silent, brief moment of concentration. I watched her, waiting. She was accessing her past, pulling information directly from the depths of her mind. "I remember now. Back then I couldn't recognize the place but now I remember. It was that building. It was that old brothel."
The pieces were falling into place. The missing link. Maria was key, and now we had a lead. The hunt was on.