Elijah stood over Palmer's broken form, his crimson eyes cold and unyielding. "You're soft, Elias," he sneered, tossing his brother's body to the ground like a discarded puppet. "I've spent centuries undergoing strict training with the devil herself, surpassing every weakness, every limit, just for this moment. All while you've been playing house with your bonds and puppets."
Palmer coughed, blood spilling from his lips as he struggled to speak. "...oth of y..you..." His voice was barely a whisper, but Elijah crouched down to listen, his expression unreadable.
"What?" Elijah asked, his tone sharp.
"I waited... for the bo..th of you..." Palmer rasped, his eyes filled with a mixture of pain and regret.
Elijah's jaw tightened, his scar pulsing with a faint crimson glow. "But the first thing you did after seeing me was to try to stake me. You broke our promise and created a pact with the very species that sought to annihilate us."
"But... Old man said to protect humans," Palmer managed, his voice jagged and weak.
"Our old man was a human," Elijah snapped, his voice rising with anger. "Of course, he'd want to protect his own! In the end, he left me and never came back."
The sound of screeching tires interrupted the tense moment. Damien, still a novice at driving, skidded the car over the broken gate of the estate, the vehicle lurching to a halt in the courtyard. Sarah and Damien stepped out, their faces pale as they took in the chaos around them. The sight of two Palmers—one broken and bleeding on the ground, the other cold and menacing—left them frozen in shock.
Their eyes darted to Valen, barely recognizable, his body battered and bloodied. Kael and Kole lay unconscious nearby, while Ivy, drained and barely conscious, was pinned beneath Lilith's predatory gaze. The younger vampire stood over her, her silver-streaked hair flowing in the wind as she turned to face the newcomers.
"Perfect timing," Elijah said, his voice dripping with malice. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and began wiping the remnants of Palmer's crushed heart from his hands.
"Not them," Palmer pleaded, his voice trembling with desperation.
"Her orders were to bring you alive. Knowing you, you won't agree to come unless I kill you or, I use them to make you come quickly."
He glanced at Lilith, who was still savoring Ivy's blood. "Besides, we're running out of prisoners because a certain hungry pig can't control her appetite."
"Hey! That's rude," Lilith called out.
Elijah ignored her, his focus shifting to Sarah and Damien. He stepped closer, his crimson eyes narrowing as he studied them. "You carry His scent," he said, his gaze lingering on Damien. "You've made contact with Him, but you're still in control of yourself. Interesting."
He tilted his head, his expression darkening. "The way you're both looking at me, I'm guessing he never mentioned me once. He probably didn't want to tell the people he made pact with what a betrayer he is."
"Palmer will never betray anyone," Sarah declared, her voice trembling but filled with resolve. Her fear was evident, but so was her determination.
Palmer's breath hitched, his eyes widening as he watched Sarah stand up to Elijah.
Elijah's face twisted in repulsion.
"If you're his twin brother and you don't know that much, it means you never really cared enough to understand him," Sarah continued, her voice growing stronger. "It's not something a mind clouded with hate can understand."
Elijah's patience snapped. Dark vein-like lines spread beneath his skin, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly light.
"You keep running your mouth without knowing anything," he snarled, his voice low and dangerous. "Let's see how far he's willing to go to save you if he claims to be who you think he is."
He grabbed Sarah by her face, his grip unyielding.
"Let her go!" Damien lunged forward, but Elijah backhanded him with a force that sent him crashing into the car door. Damien slumped to the ground, unconscious.
"You're lucky He chose you. I wouldn't even think twice before ripping your heart out." Elijah said to Damien
Elijah's face began to morph, his features twisting into something grotesque. His mouth widened unnaturally, fangs glistening as he prepared to sink them into Sarah's neck.
"A monster you've really become," a voice growled from behind Elijah, low and dripping with venom.
Elijah froze, his grotesque features twisting in surprise. "Wha—"
Before he could finish, a fist slammed into the side of his face with the force of a freight train. The impact was deafening, a sickening crack echoing through the courtyard as Elijah's hands—raised in a desperate block—shattered under the blow. The sheer force sent him hurtling backward, his body crashing through stone walls like paper. Dust and debris exploded into the air as he finally came to a stop, half-buried in rubble.
Valen stood tall, his bloodstained face illuminated by the faint glow of his scarlet eyes. His chest heaved, his body radiating power that seemed to warp the air around him. A cold, mischievous smirk spread across his lips as he flexed his fingers, the knuckles still raw from the punch.
"Thanks for reminding me why I wanted to keep living," he said, his voice calm but laced with a dangerous edge. "Now, let's see how far you're willing to go to protect that fragile pride of yours."