DARKNESS AND SHADOWS

　　Irena's POV

　　We are monsters, and all monsters can sense fear as it reeks off their prey. I took a deep breath to calm myself down. The last thing I want to have on my face is a perverted expression, pleasure from sensing fear. It was oozing off him, it was oozing off Pompeii, it was oozing off many people in this room and it was like sweet perfume, giving me a high.

　　I looked down at Bob and smiled.

　　"You are going to do something for me, something important," I said, resting my hands on the armrest of his chair and leaning forward.

　　He was shaking and sweating profusely. "What do you want?" His voice was shaking, breaking.

　　"You will give a report now and every thirty minutes to whoever you give reports to," Bob frowned, ready to voice out some words to express his disagreement. "Now you don't have to do this, but I am aware of how these things work. If you don't make a report every thirty minutes, the head will assume that something went wrong and try to contact you, right?" I smirked.

　　He gulped. " And if you still haven't given a report they'll assume that you and your men are I'm a life-threatening situation, especially when they keep calling and get no response. And when such happens, they'll send another set of men here, with an order to take down anything that seems threatening would they not?" My face was so close to his. Even without reading his mind, I knew that he was wondering what my point was.

　　"My point is, when those men come in through that door and try to kill us," with my finger I gestured towards the people around me, "we would defend ourselves, and trust me," my lips were next to his ear, " a single bullet or scratch would not be on us, but every single person that comes in through that door will die," I whispered.

　　I could hear his heartbeat rapidly against his chest.

　　I stood upright and smiled, "I know you don't want that, so please cooperate. I'm not a bad person when I don't have to be. I would make the right choice if I were you,"

　　Sighing, he took out his phone and began to call. The call was answered immediately and he walked off to a corner to have the conversation. I bet he did that for privacy, but we could hear him loud and clear.

　　Constantly seeing Pompeii's expression was bugging me and I decided to take him out of the council room. Compelling him to me dormant, I ordered some of my strongest men to take him to a secluded room where he would be held until the whole thing gets settled. I had ensured to follow them so as to avoid any issues and to see that he is well locked up.

　　"You three," I addressed three of the six guards that took Pompeii to the secluded room as soon as the door was closed. "I want you to remain here and watch him, he is not to be trusted with anything," Pompeii is a strong man, he is not to be underestimated.

　　"Yes Queen," they replied in unison.

　　I was about to leave with the rest of the guards when Pompeii called me.

　　"What do you want?" I asked halting and gesturing with my hand at the guards to leave without me. I wasn't too far from the door and I could tell that he was resting on the security door of the room. The room had no windows, for it was built for complete privacy.

　　"You feel strong in his absence, but you can never run away from his shadow. The night will always come,"

　　His words were encrypted with meaning I fear I understand, but I remember that who he was talking about is long gone and I have nothing to fear.

　　"I have never been afraid of the night Pompeii, and I'm one with the shadows," I replied, lacing my voice with so much confidence and authority. I want to remind him that he cannot make me falter.

　　"The moonless night will come, darker than black and it will swallow you first,"

　　I walked out, not wanting to hear more of his madness.

　　"I will make another report in the next thirty minutes," Bob said, walking back and taking his seat the same as I walked in.

　　I smiled, " good, you made the right choice,"

　　"I didn't have much of a choice," he grumbled, taking out a napkin and cleaning off the sweat that had formed on his head, face, and neck in the cold temperature of this council hall.

　　"I would like you to continue with your narration," I said.

　　" You don't need to be the one asking all the questions Irena," Countess complained.

　　I looked at her in distaste, "Are there any questions you would like to ask?"

　　" We would like to know how Lord Pompeii got to be a suspect in the death of this girl, no more beating around the bush, please take us straight to the point." 'This could all be a plot by that spoiled daughter of Dracula to frame and accuse Pompeii of a crime he didn't commit' she thought to herself.

　　"Quite bold of you to have such thoughts in my presence," I remarked, smirking at her.

　　She gulped.

　　" Calm down, I wouldn't do anything unnecessary to you, you have the right to have your thoughts," I said, sitting down and taking a sip of blood from the flask that had been provided for us at the start of the meeting.

　　"Detective Bob, we would like you to answer that question,"

　　Munster spoke up, he had been quiet, and hearing him chip in something was rather surprising. Ever since he had disowned his son, he had become reserved and barely talked to anyone. The feud between father and son had gotten so bad that they could be in the same room and pretend to be ignorant of each other's presence. Munster was the king of the Munstery clan for centuries, he was a wise man, but was very rigid.

　　He was Magnus's father.