Chapter 300: A room where you can have your way with me?

"Already?"

Lucian groaned.

"We’ve been here long enough."

Garrick replied, his eyes then moved towards Aurelia and he nodded.

"Lady Veyr."

"Warden Vale."

Aurelia nodded back.

Unlike Cassian, there was a little more formality between these two.

Garrick turned back towards Lucian.

"The convoy is being prepared."

He spoke, however, before Lucian could say anything—

"Actually, Warden Vale."

Aurelia spoke up.

Garrick turned towards her with a frown and the Vampire smiled.

"I would like Mr. Cross to remain for a few more days."

"...for what reason?"

Garrick’s frown deepened. Lucian seemed confused as well.

Aurelia looked at Lucian for a moment, then she turned back towards Garrick and smiled.

"Do you know why the Arcelis were holding the Gala?"

"I do not."

Garrick shook his head.

They were only invited to the Gala, for all Garrick knew, Arcelis only invited them because the timing was convenient. They had to deliver Varek, and the Gala’s timing just happened to coincide.

Yes, it was very much possible that Arcelis invited them because it was the polite thing to do and honestly, Garrick and the others attended for the same reason.

One simply could not reject a political invitation without a very strong reason.

"Vespera Arcelis, one of Arcelis’s purebloods, will undergo her Third Crimson Ascension in a few days. It is a rare and widely celebrated event, one that few are ever fortunate enough to witness."

Aurelia informed him, then, she glanced at Lucian and—

"I am sure Mr. Cross would find it very interesting."

Lucian smiled at that.

Crimson Ascension.

That definitely sounded interesting.

Garrick, on the other hand—

"I apologise, Lady Veyr, but House Arcelis’s invitation to us only extends to the Gala. We would not want to overstay our welcome."

He shook his head.

"You need not worry about that."

Aurelia shook her head.

"If Mr. Cross were to stay here, he won’t be staying as Enclave’s Representative, but as a Veyr Guest."

That made Garrick pause.

Lucian’s eyes changed as well.

Aurelia just smiled.

"It would be a nice opportunity for Mr. Cross to expand his horizons, don’t you think?"

Lucian continued staring at Aurelia, wondering what she was trying to do.

Garrick seemed confused as well. He did not know how he was supposed to deal with a request this sudden. Aurelia, on the other hand, kept pressing forward.

"Of course, as House Veyr’s guest, I assure you of Mr. Cross’s safety. I will oversee it personally."

"That... would be too much—"

Garrick tried to decline but Aurelia shook her head.

"It is not.

Not when Mr. Cross holds House Veyr’s Blood Mark."

"What...?"

Those words made Garrick stare at Lucian and the Incubus smiled innocently.

For a moment, Garrick completely ignored Aurelia and kept staring at Lucian, his eyes were saying a lot even though his mouth was barely moving. Lucian could practically hear the question he was asking.

’Is this true?’

And Lucian, of course, could only nod.

A Blood Mark was a token given by a Vampire House to someone it officially owed.

Silvian gave House Veyr’s Blood Mark to Lucian and the only people who knew about it were Naomi, Evelyn, Vivienne, Isolde and Sabine.

He did not report it to anyone else.

Why would he?

He did not get it during an official Enclave Mission, whatever happened during the time he did not represent Enclave was his personal matter.

Garrick knew that as well.

However...

The fact that the boy managed to get House Veyr’s Blood Mark was... remarkable, especially considering that even Enclave as a whole did not have one.

Heck, let alone Enclave, most of the Vampire Houses here did not have one either and many here would jump at the chance to get it.

Lucian here... held a lot of power.

And when Garrick realised it, he stared at Lucian for a few more seconds and then—

"What do you think?"

He asked.

"Would you like to stay with Lady Veyr?"

He left the decision to Lucian.

Now Garrick did not know how many Directorates would approve of this decision back in Enclave, to him however, it was clear.

Lucian was different from them.

He had the potential to not only compete but even overpower other supernatural races and now that he had started to leave his mark on the world, other beings would start to approach him on their own, whether they liked it or not.

Sure, Enclave could try to limit his interaction with other supernatural entities, they could impose a few restrictions, but that wouldn’t stop anything.

The only thing it would do was build resentment.

He would rather have Lucian trust him and Enclave and make his personal contacts openly than go behind their backs.

It was high time others at Enclave understood that as well.

Lucian Cross was not an average Hunter.

He was to be treated like his Teacher.

"I would."

Lucian nodded, staring at Garrick with a grateful look on his face.

Garrick nodded back with a smile, he gently patted Lucian’s shoulder, then he turned back towards Aurelia and—

"Then I will leave our prodigy under your protection, Lady Veyr."

He smiled.

Though even when he did, he made sure to openly show Enclave’s claim over Lucian. Aurelia did not miss that either, she just chose to ignore it.

"I am grateful, Warden Vale."

She smiled.

Garrick smiled back. Then, he nodded at Lucian one last time before he and the other Enclave representatives excused themselves.

Lucian watched them leave. For a moment, he simply stood there, his hands inside his pockets, staring at Garrick’s retreating back.

Then—

"Well."

Aurelia spoke with a light smile on her face. Lucian turned towards her and her crimson eyes glowed brightly.

"You’re mine now."

"I did not know you had your eyes on me."

Lucian smiled back.

"What would you have done if you did?"

Aurelia asked with a curious look on her face.

"I would have gone to a salon, I need to fix my hair. I also see a few blemishes on my skin, need to treat them, a de-tan would be nice too."

Lucian answered and Aurelia...

She stared at this man with a flat look on her face.

"Hmm, I also want to do the thing where they place cucumber slices on your eyes, they say it’s good for dark circles."

Lucian continued speaking and Aurelia just laughed out loud.

Then—

"Come."

She spoke as she started walking, Lucian started following her.

"Where are we going?"

He asked.

"Any guesses?"

"A room where you can have your way with me?"