His confidence was intriguing. The way he spoke carried scents of danger and mystery, and I was already wondering about methods of getting inside his head. I was willing to bet he had some of the best stories to tell, but his interest in me was a tad worrying. Part of me was on high alert—Kalon Visentis could be a deceitful figure in this quest of ours. He could become an ally and purveyor of precious information, or he could just as easily turn into a threat. For the sake of us all, I hoped for the former.

His coat fit him tightly, outlining his broad shoulders and narrow hips. He wasn’t of a muscular complexion, but I could tell he was an athlete. A fighter. Light on his feet, confident in his strikes. And if he had even five percent of our vampire abilities, or anything remotely resembling that, then Kalon was definitely a fearsome killing machine. But there was also beauty in those cold eyes, a playful glimmer lingering in the icy blue pools. Vivid thoughts behind his sly smile, inviting me to take a stab at untangling and revealing them.

“We are thankful for your kindness and hospitality,” Derek said, wrecking my train of thought. Only then did I notice Tristan staring at me in bewilderment. My eyes must’ve been stuck on Kalon for quite a while for my brother to give me such a look. “We will do our best to be equally gracious guests. Should you decide to visit Earth, rest assured, our people will be more than pleased to welcome you, as well.”

“Come, let us walk,” Petra said, motioning for the soldiers and the golden guards to step aside. Almost instantly, they all moved, lining the road that linked the landing strip to the rest of the city. The stone slabs fit neatly against one another, forming an asymmetric pattern up the road. “We’ll take the scenic route toward the palace and talk on the way.”

Derek pressed a button on a small control he’d kept in his pocket, and the shuttle shut and sealed itself with a long hiss. Only we had access to it, and that gave me a certain sense of comfort. I did not trust the Aeternae enough to allow them in there, just yet. They were still gauging us, and we were still gauging them, too.

“You have a beautiful city,” Derek said.

“And a splendid world,” Sofia added. “We saw some truly breathtaking sights on our way down.”

“Oh, yes, nature has blessed us plenty,” Petra replied as she led the way up the road. Derek and Sofia walked with her, while Kalon settled in the back behind them, next to Tristan and me. Amal and Nethissis were last, and Zoltan and Corbin flanked our group, keeping ten feet’s worth of distance from us on both sides.

The golden guards followed us closely, while the silver-armored soldiers spread out through the outskirts of the city. I didn’t know whether they’d gone for good or they’d simply been advised beforehand to stay away and only return in case they were needed. As the city opened up before us, I found my breath stolen by its elaborate works of architecture and sensible urban planning.

The gothic vibe was impossible to ignore, cemented into my perception by the wealth of brick arches, slim towers, and elaborate masonry on every façade. The wind blew softly down the road, ruffling the boxed trees that bordered it. Tiny white blossoms trembled between the waxed leaves, their scent quickly reaching me.

Many of the locals were out in the streets, but they kept their distance. They watched us, though, with a mixture of interest and concern—naturally, for we were the foreigners. The strange creatures that had come from another world. They knew nothing about us. I wondered if they had any alien invasion lore keeping their young ones awake at night with tales of horror and destruction. The thought alone was enough to make me smile beneath my sun mask.

“Look at their clothes,” Tristan said slowly, looking to our right. A mother held her children close outside a store, its windows filled with all kinds of potted flowers and miniature sculptures. A few customers lingered by the doorway, as well. “High-quality fabrics,” a shop keeper was calling out.

The ladies were dressed in a similar fashion, with tight corsets beneath velvet or leather tunics, and broad skirts, reminding me of Earth’s nineteenth century—the romantic flourishes and embroidered details, the stiffened petticoats that completely transformed the female figure, and the elegant accessories that accompanied each outfit. In this case, I could see their love of hats and fascinator-like implements, along with the liberal use of pearls, precious gemstones, silver, and gold.

“They’re beautiful,” I murmured.

“Straight out of a Victorian brunch or a Bram Stoker novel,” Tristan replied.

The Aeternae men were dapper, most of them wearing custom-tailored suits with silken vests, tailcoats with embroidered coattails, and fine leather gloves. There was a general sense of etiquette, a certain culture of respect between the Aeternae. Among those out on the street, I was able to identify three different typologies, two of which could not be Aeternae.

“Notice the differences,” I said to my brother, looking at a group of adolescents outside a boarding house, its shutters painted dark green. “The Aeternae are a lot like us, in terms of physical features. Soft skin, symmetrical build, light-colored eyes… mostly well-dressed.”

“Right,” Tristan replied, his gaze wandering across the group. “The young male there. Tanned skin. Dark complexion. Brown eyes. Black hair. Slender build.”

“Oh, that’s a Rimian boy,” Kalon interjected, following our gaze. “Rimia is mostly deserts and stone quarries, so they’re built for its savage climate.”

“I see a few live here,” I said, and Kalon nodded.

“We facilitate their transport, yes. You’ll find Visio to be a very welcoming place.”

“What about the bigger, pale types?” Tristan asked. Next to the Rimian boy, there were two siblings, likely twins, with bright blue eyes, almost-white skin, and pale blond hair. They stood out when compared to most Aeternae.

“Naloreans,” Kalon replied. “By contrast, Nalore is freezing cold throughout most of the year. Its people are built to live comfortably in its constant snows and blizzards. They can withstand ridiculously low temperatures that would make the rest of us freeze.” This reminded me of the Dhaxanians, only I doubted the Naloreans had the ability to manipulate ice like Nevis and his people could.

The air felt heavy, keeping me on edge. The locals were mostly suspicious and curious about us, but some of the Rimians and Naloreans seemed downright fearful. I wasn’t sure if we were to blame, though. I put the thought aside, nonetheless, because we were not here to police the people. We had a delicate and deeply personal mission, and we’d been instructed to keep out of their business. I did, however, take mental notes to bring up with Derek and Sofia later, once we got to a more private location.

“You mentioned your lord and lady,” Derek said, walking in front of us with Sofia and Petra. “Are they your leaders?”

“Acheron and Danika Nasani. Lord and Lady Supreme of Visio,” Petra replied. “You will meet them soon enough. They assembled this welcoming group for your arrival.”

“Yes, they had to choose between a social or military approach,” Kalon cut in, giving me an amused sideways glance. As if greeting us with swords and pitchforks would’ve been funny in any way. I wasn’t sure what to think of him, but he made the hairs on the back of my neck rise stiffly.

“We are a peaceful people,” Petra sought to assure us, giving her son a stern, menacing scowl. “Given the size of your vessel, we assumed you’d be a small party, likely exploring our world. It would’ve been rude to attack you without first knowing what your objective was.”

“We certainly appreciate your approach,” Derek replied. “Mind if I ask… How does Visio run? What sort of resources do you have?”

“It is mostly a combination of natural means and mazir. It’s our occult science, a magic of sorts, if you will,” Petra explained. “It’s how we put the haze out there, around our world. The word mazir comes from our ancient language, which hasn’t been spoken in millennia. It means ‘eternal,’ so I suppose there is a bit of poetry in there.”

“Your magic is eternal. Is that what it means?” Sofia replied.

Petra smiled. “You could say that. We do not lack anything. After Rimia and Nalore were conquered and became principates of Visio, we gained access to their resources. There is a steady flow throughout the kingdom. People don’t go hungry. They do not suffer without roofs over their heads. The Nalorean scholars are some of the brightest minds we have, responsible for their sky studies and the ships that were built to facilitate transport between the planets.”

“The Rimians provide us with plenty of food, along with unlimited access to their stone quarries. The finest marble and limestone come from them,” Zoltan said, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. “We’ve achieved a certain synergy, of which we are very proud. Before the Aeternae, there was nothing. Now there is everything.”

“Do you have knowledge of what was before the Aeternae?” I asked, intrigued by his phrasing.

An enormous plaza opened around us, framed by a line of majestic pink marble columns with broad arches, covered in thick and colorful flowery vines. In the middle, a fountain rose proudly, with an angelic figure holding a pitcher, through which the water gushed out and filled the bowl-shaped space beneath.

Birds sang in the nearby trees, soft trills that sought not to interfere but rather amplify the stunning view. The sun was beginning to slowly set, momentarily hiding behind one of the tall, dark gray limestone towers. Its rays hit the giant bell mounted beneath the conical roof. I wondered what the bells were used for. In other cultures, they served as warning sounds or religious chimes. Which was it with the Aeternae? Did they worship a god, or did they fear invasions?

There were hundreds of people here, but, much like the others before them, they did not dare get any closer. The sight of the golden guards was enough to make them want to stand back. It gave me a good opportunity to further observe them. Tristan and I were mesmerized by this culture, ripe with elegance and mystery. There was so much to unpack here, so many things to understand, including where the similarities between our species stopped.

Vampires drank blood for a living. What gave the Aeternae their much-needed sustenance? Much like many other points I’d saved in the back of my head, this was a question for later.

“There was nothing before the Aeternae,” the chief councilor insisted, his voice harder than before. It was a sign that he wasn’t willing to tell us more about what predated them.

“What Zoltan means to say is that there is no recorded history, only relics we couldn’t make much sense of,” Petra said, wearing a strained smile, her eyes throwing darts at him. The animosity was clearly mutual, but I had to admit, I had more appreciation for her than for Zoltan. At least Petra gave us information, despite the riddling aura that she carried herself with. “Therefore, we know little to nothing about our distant past.”

“When did Rimia and Nalore become principates?” I asked, trying to establish a timeline, given we’d already been told that the Aeternae had been around for four million years.

“Two million years ago, approximately. I admit, I’m not very good with dates, but I’m sure our Nalorean scholars will reveal whatever tidbits you wish to know regarding the conquests,” Petra replied. “We’ve been at peace ever since.”

“Did Rimia or Nalore challenge you, in any way? What was the purpose of taking them over?” Sofia asked. It was a good question, but I worried we were wading into GASP territory, which was exactly what we’d said we’d do our best to steer clear of.

Corbin Crimson shot her a steely gaze. “The kingdom expanded. The Aeternae needed a source of nourishment, and Rimia and Nalore needed to do something with their resources.”

“I’m confused,” I thought aloud without even realizing it.

We stopped in the middle of the square for a while, and the golden guards took their positions along the rose columns in order to keep the curious folk at bay. Mist began to slip through the surrounding alleyways as the sun continued its lazy descent.

Petra sat on the edge of the fountain, looking at Sofia. “What do vampires feed on?” she asked. I took a moment to study her expression, the thin blade of her nose, her thin lips, and the pearlescent sheen of her skin.

“Blood. We cannot stomach food anymore,” Sofia said.

“The Rimians and the Naloreans eat food. Whatever they find or grow themselves. They cook it. Steamed, fried, baked, with all kinds of wondrous seasonings. I’m told the fruits of Visio are wonderful, but I’ve never had the possibility of trying them, because, like you, the Aeternae only consume blood. It’s our life force.”

Silence took over, stunning us all. We’d considered similarities all the way up to nutrition, but, even though Petra had confirmed some of our own suspicions, we were still taken aback. It was one thing to theorize about something like this, and a wholly different thing to face it as a fact. The Aeternae consumed blood, much like vampires and Maras. They lived forever, if given the opportunity. Unlike the vampires and the Maras, they had no problem being in the sunlight—that must’ve been why Ta’Zan had used their protein to fix Derek.