Eva couldn't shake off the unease that settled deep in her bones. Leonard, with his otherworldly presence, was already an enigma she struggled to comprehend, but now the idea of an ancient war between vampires and witches? That was too much to process.
Leonard, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed. He lounged on her couch, one leg draped over the other, his sharp eyes watching the television with mild curiosity. "So humans watch moving paintings for entertainment now?" he mused, tilting his head as a commercial played.
Eva rubbed her temples. "It's called television. And can we focus? You just said there's an ongoing war between vampires and witches. Shouldn't that be more concerning?"
Leonard turned his gaze to her, his expression unreadable. "It is concerning. But it has been ongoing for centuries. Me worrying now won't change anything."
"Okay, but—" she sighed. "Why are witches and vampires even fighting? What's the history behind this?"
Leonard leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Vampires and witches were once allies. We coexisted, each race strong in its own right. But then, everything changed. The former Witch Queen, Isolde, was wise and fair. She sought balance between our kinds. She and I… we were close."
Eva's eyes widened. "Close how?"
Leonard's jaw tightened, his voice lowering. "She was my lover. And she was betrayed by her own kind."
Eva felt a lump in her throat. "What happened to her?"
"Murdered." Leonard's voice was calm, but the weight of centuries of grief lay beneath it. "Her own council orchestrated her death, and the new queen—Ambrosia—rose in her place. Unlike Isolde, Ambrosia did not seek peace. She sought power. She wanted witches to be the supreme rulers of the underworld, with vampires serving beneath them like slaves. We refused. That was when the war truly began."
Eva swallowed. "And you?"
Leonard's gaze darkened. "I fought. I killed. Many witches fell by my hands. I was their greatest enemy, the strongest of my kind. So, they devised a plan to remove me. I was forced into slumber, locked away so they could take control of the world without me standing in their way."
Eva exhaled slowly. "And now you're back. What do you think that means?"
Leonard stood up, his eyes glowing faintly. "It means the war isn't over. And something… or someone… woke me up for a reason."
Eva frowned. "But why me? Humans don't wake vampires, right?"
Leonard's gaze lingered on her for a moment, unreadable, almost searching. "No. Only a vampire or a witch could have done that."
A shiver ran down Eva's spine. She wanted to brush it off as a coincidence, but something about the way he looked at her made her feel like she was standing at the edge of something bigger than herself—something she wasn't ready to face.
Before she could respond, a sudden knock at the door made her jump.
Leonard stiffened instantly, his casual demeanor vanishing as he stood up in one fluid motion. His sharp gaze flickered toward the door.
"You're not expecting anyone, are you?"
Eva shook her head slowly. "No..."
Leonard narrowed his eyes. "Then we may have a problem."