Mallen set his pen aside, rising as he moved back from the desk. He heard Iérti saying urgently, Mallen! I have important news. I need to speak to you as soon as possible.

Mallen glanced at the window, noticing it was dark outside and not even close to dawn. We can speak now, Mallen said, reaching for his cape and donning it. I'm assuming you're already here, since your voice seems not so distant in range. I'll meet you downstairs.

Írásom looked up from eating a bowl of soup in the kitchenette corner. Seeing Mallen was about to go somewhere, Írásom set the bowl aside and went over to him. Mallen tied his dark hair with a ribbon and carefully folded an extra ribbon in his pocket. He put on his boots and embraced Írásom.

"I need to speak with Iérti regarding an urgent matter." Mallen paused as if reluctant, then said, "You are to stay here, as always."

"I'm coming with you," stated, but Mallen insisted, "No Írásom, I need you to be safe." I need you to be alive.

He kissed her tenderly and left the room, making sure she locked herself in before he continued down the stairwell. Mallen met up with Iérti, who was standing at the bottom of the stairwell, deep in thought. He looked up when he saw Mallen approach, his eyes lighting up in relief.

"Good! You're here. We need to talk," said Iérti, his voice hurried.

Iérti urged Mallen to go with him to the tower room, the quietest and most isolated part of the castle, knowing a vampire wouldn't be able to hear or sense them from that room. He had no doubt Tavaly's spies were outside the castle, trying to hear a word or catch a glimpse from within its walls.

The tower room was where Mallen sewed and made clothing. It was one of his favorite rooms in the castle, as it overlooked a gorgeous view. Most rooms did, naturally, but Mallen liked this particular tower the best for some reason. As they walked up the stairs to the tower room, Iérti advised Mallen to stay clear of the windows, not wanting anyone to see where they were.

Once they were alone in the tower room, Iérti locked the door and sighed heavily, putting his hands on the back of his head as if fighting a headache. Of course, his vampire nature would never allow him that human discomfort.

Iérti paced around the room, then he picked up some heavy cloth and hung it over the windows, keeping it dark in the tower. Confused by his strange actions, Mallen asked, "Iérti, what's wrong? Why are you acting like this?" He lit several candles.

"It's just as I feared: Tavaly is the leader of the vampire rebellion," said Iérti, stopping to look directly at Mallen. "He has no regard for human life. He wants to make them slaves. Slaves to our kind."

As Mallen stared at him in surprise, Iérti continued, "I used my powers for the first time, Mallen. Not only was I able to shapeshift into vampire bats, I shapeshifted into vampire horses."

Iérti paused for a moment, gathering a breath before letting it out. "I killed them, Mallen. Four of the fourteen that sided with Tavaly. The rest have scattered elsewhere. No doubt Tavaly's planning some devious way to overpower us, especially since he saw my powers for the first time."

Mallen's eyes widened, amazed to hear of Iérti using his powers. He felt proud of him, yet at the same time he sobered, realizing Tavaly was still on the move. "You went full vampire mode, didn't you?" he said, impressed.

"Indeed." Iérti walked over to a bolt of maroon red cloth, running a hand on its soft smooth surface. Mallen had used that very same cloth to make some of Iérti's clothing.

"I'm not finished with them. I'm going to kill every last one of them. The only vampires who will remain alive in my reign are the ones who promise to never kill another human again, to only feed in moderation. To maintain peace between our kind. To prevent further bloodshed. To keep families together. Never forced to be apart." Iérti roughly pushed the bolt cloth deeper in its place, his fists clenching.

Mallen looked closely at Iérti, noticing somethinag off about him. "You lost your humanity entirely," he said in realization.

Iérti shoved another bolt of cloth into place, making Mallen sigh quietly. "It's been gone since the day I killed my family. I don't deserve my greatest desire to see them again. Because they are dead, I can only see them in the afterlife, which is an impossibility given I'm an immortal.

"Granting me my greatest desire to no longer become an immortal is something I don't deserve, so why not embrace what I do deserve: this immortal life I never wanted. How many times in my human life did I want to vanquish the vampire race? Now I see, I must vanquish them before they vanquish the human race."

Mallen was silent for a long moment, then he said quietly, "I've never been given a direction in my vampire life. I've always done as I pleased. Then you showed me a direction. I see now what this hatred and tension has brought upon both vampirekind and humankind.

"Why vanquish the other when you have established an order of peace in the land, for the first time since before vampires arrived? That's centuries of time in between. Humans and vampires have wiped out many bad creatures, and now they only exist in books and stories, as do myths and ancient legends. Life was brought here, and we destroyed some of it. Why destroy more when life is so treasured by both our kind?"

Iérti scoffed. "Vampires treasuring life? Funny words coming from an immortal with endless life ahead of him."

"We are immortal, but we are not invincible."

Iérti became silent, knowing it was true; vampires were vulnerable to sunlight, garlic, and silver. They were able to be killed either by burning in direct sunlight or by a wooden stake in the heart. Mirrors were used as a distraction to beam light into their eyes. They were able to see their reflections, enabling them to admire themselves in the mirror.

To enter a person's home, they had to be invited in. Spades and crosses did nothing but humor them. Garlic and silver weakened vampires, making them easier to kill. Certain plants like blackthorn, vervain, and lavender caused burns, but didn't kill them.

Tears fell from Iérti's eyes. He spent much of his human life training and learning how to kill vampires, learning everything he possibly could about them. He had more knowledge now that he was a vampire, but he longed for the killing to stop.

Iérti wished he could go back in time and spend one more day with his family. He wondered how they would react if they knew he had become the very thing he despised, unaware Mallen already told Katlyn of Iérti's fate.

Mallen stood in the shadows near a window, the candlelight dancing on his features. "We have to stop Tavaly and his vampire followers. We should have an army of our own. Us, our ally overlords, loyal vampires, and any humans that might side with us."

Iérti thought for a moment, then he said darkly, "Your former army did well to wipe out an entire army, even if it was my human army. I suppose it's for the best we gather up those same bloodsuckers that wiped out my army and allow them to wipe out the army they truly need to wipe out, rather than an innocent one." Iérti promptly turned and left the room without a further word.

Mallen remained still, taken back by Iérti's biting words. His face became solemn as he knew Iérti had every right to feel that way.