Seraphina and Nikolai made their way to Celestine, where Sylvia had been waiting for them. "Are you alright Syl you didn't engage with the hunters right?" Sera asked her friend in a hurry. Sera knew Syl had a deep hatred for the hunters, she worried if Sylvia ever came close to one she would attack and then end up in danger.

"I am fine Sera. I won't repeat the same mistake and go after them alone, not when I have friends who will fight with me. Aren't you going to ask me what I found?" Sylvia replied with a smile. To think how much she changed under the influence of Sera.

Sera smiled too, she had never thought she would be someone with a best friend who knew her so well, other than Nikolai. But deep within her a spark of fear struck, she never wanted Nik or Syl to get hurt, the kind of work they did would never guarantee that. Sera always tried to do the work in solo missions. Nik and Syl were always adamant about helping her in whatever way possible, sometimes Sera could not deny them, there was only so much one can do.

Sera's father was also more than ready to dip his feet in danger to help her, but she tried to keep this to a minimum, she couldn't lose her father too. She was too afraid to even think about that possibility.

"Where is the base? You said you found it." Nik asked in an urgency. "I did. It is very close to the location from where the princess could have been taken. The princess was just in the correct place at the correct time from the perspective of the hunters," explained Sylvia, her voice holding her hate for the hunters.

At that moment the entrance door opened, Cassius, Leo and Theron entered. Cassius was still busy glaring at Theron, he didn't like the fact that Theron was here too. But Cassius could not deny the determination he saw in Theron to find Lyra, was he going to acknowledge it? Definitely not.

Seraphine eyebrows scrunched up. "What are they doing here?" She asked no one in particular. "I messaged them. Figured they could help us." Nik said ready for Sera's onslaught. "What? Why? We can't put them in danger too. Nik I have told you already-" Nik interrupts Sera in the middle. "I know Cousin, but it's different this time. You are used to doing spying work which is better done alone. But this time it's like going on a raid which is best done in groups. And I believe they are more than capable and willing to do this with us. Please Cousin, just because you can do it alone doesn't mean you have to do it alone. What if you get hurt this time?" Nik pleaded. He couldn't bear to see Sera do all this alone.

Sera doesn't reply to anything immediately. She turns her back to the others and keeps her hands on the bar table, a place where she spent so much of her time working, taking a moment to think. Her eyes moved from one corner to the other. She didn't have anything to say because she knew he was correct. She is such a hypocrite, she thought. She herself had told Sylvia to not go after the hunters alone and here she was ready to do the same.

"Please Seraphina, let us help you. Lyra is locked up in this place by hunters. I am ready to do anything to get her and anyone else out of there." Theron said desperately. He was ready to do whatever it takes to help them in rescuing Lyra.
"Yes, Seraphina. We will do whatever you tell us." Leo stated, to strengthen Theron's words. They need to work together if they want to save Lyra as soon as possible.

Cassius didn't understand why they were begging for the henchwoman to let them join them, shouldn't she be grateful that they were willing to help them. All he needed was the location of his sister. Leo jabbed Cassius with his elbow and pointed towards Seraphina with his eyes. Cassius got irritated. "I don't get it why are you begging her to let us join her. All I need is Lyra's location and I can go there with the Royal army to rescue her." Cassius said, a few gasps were heard. What he didn't know was that his words lit a fire in Sera's eyes.

Sera still with her back to the Prince tied her open hair in a high bun. Sylvia understood in an instance she was angry. Seraphina doesn't raise her voice when she is angry, but she could still send a chill through anyone's spine. Sylvia who was standing nearby Cassius muttered but Cassius heard her, "You shouldn't have said that!"

Seraphina wasn't going to take any insults from the Prince, especially when he was the son of the very King who did nothing to help her father who had been on his knees begging. The King was a coward at core, who felt powerful because of the army, Sera hated him and now she saw glimpses of the King in the Prince.

Seraphina turned, her expression showed she was not in the mood to be messed with. Cassius for the first time in his life felt intimidated by anyone other than his father, the King. For a moment Cassius thought her eyes glowed blue. No, he must be mistaken, a vampire's eyes don't glow. Seraphina moved closer to Cassius as she spoke, her voice calm and smooth but her eyes said another story altogether.

"Sure, Your Highness. Go with your army, they would be glad to kill the hunters. But aren't you forgetting something? Your army is made of soldiers, who are taught to win wars, kill people, not save lives. So don't be surprised when you go with your army to the hunters base, and see they are more interested in killing the hunters than to save the Princess." Seraphina stated. Cassius opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out.

Seraphina moved closer to Cassius and maintained a fierce eye contact with him as she spoke the next words to put him in his place. "If you wish to work with us, you will have to give each one of us the proper respect they deserve, including Theron. Don't think just because I refer to you as 'Your Highness', I will refrain from putting you in your place when you go out of line. And you will listen to what I tell you to do, because no matter whether you have been trained by the best, you have never fought for your life in the real world, where they will play all kinds of dirty tricks just to get a shot at you. Are we clear?" Seraphina asked.

Cassius was out of words. But he understood one thing that Seraphina would do anything to save Lyra. It would be a lie to say that he wasn't intimidated or didn't feel a little offended. But he also realised that whatever Seraphina said was true and it would be foolish to argue with her now, he could settle this later.
"Are we clear, Your Highness?" Seraphina asked again.

"Yes." Cassius replies, curtly. "Does this mean we have a raid group?" Nikolai asked slowly to cut the tension. "Sera, there were definitely more hunters than a small group and we have no idea what they are up to." Sylvia warned.Seraphina sighed, her expression went back to normal, "We will meet here in an hour and bring all the necessary weapons you need for a fight."

Nik smiled, he was successful in convincing Sera not to work alone. He said with enthusiasm "Let's go and raid some Hunters!"

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