“Nethissis Alexa. Lamia and swamp witch. At your service.”

He and Danika looked at each other and laughed lightly, downright enthusiastic about our presence. “What is a Lamia? A swamp witch? By the stars, you have a lot to tell us. Welcome, I say, welcome!” Acheron said.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” I replied, smiling. “We will gladly tell you whatever you wish to know.”

“Rest assured, I’m already making a list of questions in my mind,” Acheron breathed, his eyes wide with childlike wonder.

They struck me as very different characters. Acheron seemed young at heart, hungry for knowledge and new things, eager to learn and converse. Danika, despite her smile and crystalline laughter, was more reserved, chilling me down to my bones. She didn’t scare me, but I was willing to bet she had a powerful and imposing personality. Clearly the makings of a strong monarch.

“I suppose our chief councilor, our master commander, or our high priestess has already inquired regarding your purpose here, but do tell us yourselves. What brings you to our Visio?” Acheron asked.

Glancing at Petra and the others, I noticed they were in no way concerned or uncomfortable in their presence. Not fearful, either. It said a lot about how Acheron and Danika ruled over their people. A terrible king could easily be spotted through the eyes of his servants, after all.

“We’re exploring, Your Grace,” Derek said. “A few months ago, we became aware of your world’s existence. Our telescopes are constantly pointed at this galaxy and the many beyond. It’s in our nature to go out and see what other civilizations thrive in this universe.”

“Curiosity brought you here, then,” Danika concluded.

“You could say that, yes.”

“We’re truly impressed by Visio,” I said. “Its beauty is unparalleled, as is yours.”

Danika smiled. “You’re too kind, Sofia. I’ve never seen a creature as fascinating as you, either. Your beauty, your bravery in coming all the way here. Surely, I’m not the first one to say this, but Derek is a most fortunate man.”

The four in our welcoming party chuckled softly. She certainly wasn’t the first.

“I hope you’ll accept our invitation to stay here, on Visio, at least for a few days, or for as long as you’d like,” Acheron said.

“It would be our pleasure,” Derek replied, giving me a fleeting sideways glance.

This was our much-awaited entry point. The request to be around them, to get to know them better. For them to understand us, as well. From here on, the path to befriending the Aeternae seemed a bit smoother, raising our hopes for the moment we’d ask for their blood so we could cure the vampires’ sensitivity to sunlight. Until then, however, we needed to strengthen our bonds.

A young female stepped into the throne room from a side door. I’d thought nothing could surprise me anymore, but the mere sight of her temporarily wiped my brain, in its entirety. She was more beautiful than any other creature I’d ever seen, with pale, pearlescent skin and long, black hair flowing like silk down her back. Her irises were black, her lips the color of Red Delicious apples.

“Oh, wow…” I heard Nethissis mumble, equally impressed.

Corbin introduced the stunning Aeternae. “Valaine Crimson, my daughter.” Pride beamed from his voice, as he could tell she’d knocked us off our feet. Poor Tristan was the most affected, his lips slightly parted, his eyes wide and glimmering.

“It is an honor,” Valaine said, her voice sweet, flowing like honey.

“Valaine will take you all to your guest rooms,” Danika replied. “She and Kalon Visentis will be your guides throughout the city, as well.”

Kalon smiled upon hearing the lady supreme’s decree, giving Valaine a curious glance. Corbin’s daughter didn’t seem as pleased, but it was too early to try and find out why. There were many things left unexplained in this throne room, and I knew we’d start peeling away at the layers of mystery, eventually, until we got all the answers.

Until then, however, we were tourists, and Valaine and Kalon were our guides.

“I look forward to showing you all around,” Kalon said, intently staring at Esme. I figured he was doing it on purpose. I’d noticed the way she’d stolen glances at him along the way. He must’ve sensed it. He was like a tiger playing with his prey now. Only, he’d need to be careful. Esme was a superior predator, as well. Not someone he’d want to mess with. “You’ve only seen the scenic route on your way in.”

“Certainly, I can escort our guests to their chambers, but can we not make better use of my time afterward?” Valaine asked, looking at her father. “There are important matters I can assist you with.”

Corbin sighed and leaned in closer, whispering something in her ear. Whatever he said, it was enough to make Valaine put on a plastic smile and apologize.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Let me see you to your rooms, and, once you’re settled in, we can have some afternoon blood and discuss a visiting itinerary in the garden.”

“Thank you, Valaine,” Derek said. “That would be wonderful.”

“And we shall see you all later,” Acheron replied. “We’ll be throwing a dinner in honor of your arrival.”

“You’re much too gracious… Your Grace,” I breathed, unsure about all the attention we were getting. I would rather have gone stealthily through the city, in order to observe the people and their customs. Dinners and parties were not my favorite part of any exploratory mission.

Esme and Tristan, on the other hand, seemed eager to attend such events. Nethissis was smiling, too, and I had a feeling Amal was already counting the hours till nightfall. Derek and I had been through similar motions before, meeting new civilizations, attending dinner parties, and making friends with the locals. For our younger teammates, however, all this was more or less new—and strikingly different from all the events that had plagued GASP over the past couple of years.

Whichever way this whole affair led, I owed it to Tristan, Esme, Amal, and Nethissis to let them experience the social parts of this mission. They’d put their lives at risk to come here, not knowing exactly what they were getting themselves into.

The Aeternae made me feel a little uneasy, but our crew had been right. They required further in-depth studies of their customs and society before we could draw any conclusions. Since we were going to be here for at least a couple of days, I knew Esme and Tristan would do whatever it took to get the intel we needed about these people and their food sources.

Tristan

Kalon and Valaine gave us a brief tour of the palace, which became even more impressive with every room and hall we walked through. It was truly an imposing masterpiece, each corner artfully designed to take one’s breath away. As the sun vanished beyond the western horizon, all the candles were lit inside.

The Gothic-like vibe was impossible to ignore. Threads of romantism and cold elegance were woven through the fabric of this place, from the painted ceilings to the gilded details and the sumptuous furniture. The color palettes and the antique decorative objects further served to prove that someone had gone to painstaking lengths in order to procure and create these arrangements. I could write a massive thesis based on the interior decor alone.

But my attention was brutally spliced between the actual tour and Valaine Crimson—I was beyond stricken. She’d left me close to dumbfounded before she’d even uttered those first words. Deep down, her reluctance to be around us had been a tad disappointing, but I’d done my best to understand her position. Not everyone was eager to let strangers into their world.

There was something about Valaine that made it difficult for me to think, and I wasn’t the only one. The others in my crew were equally fascinated, though I doubted their hearts pounded as viciously as mine.

She walked by my side, while Kalon stayed to my far left, next to Esme. Derek, Sofia, Nethissis, and Amal were right behind us, but we were spread wide enough to easily look at one another, if we had to. We’d left Corbin, Zoltan, Petra, and the captain of the guards with Acheron and Danika, and part of me would’ve given anything to be a fly on the throne room’s wall. They were probably exchanging impressions of us. Petra was probably telling them about the similarities between our species, too.

If we’d been smart in our delivery of information, chances were that the Lord and Lady Supreme of Visio would suggest blood tests before we even brought it up, thus making it easier for us to mention the possibility of a day-walking cure.

“How many people live in the palace?” Esme asked as we stopped inside a massive trophy room. Its walls were covered with wooden shelves, on which hundreds of shiny awards, medals, and sculptural trophies had been displayed. We couldn’t see the writing on their plaques from here, but judging by the full suits of combat armor also exhibited here, along the walls, they probably had something to do with the tournaments Kalon had mentioned.

“Roughly around two thousand,” Valaine replied.

“How many of them—”

“One thousand Aeternae, approximately six hundred Rimians, and four hundred Naloreans.” Valaine cut Esme off before she could complete her follow-up question. I wondered if she’d already heard about our conversation with her father and the others on the welcoming committee, somehow. Word must’ve traveled fast.

“All of them servants?” I wondered.

Kalon shook his head. “No. There are noble families living here, part of the lord and lady’s court. When the rulers ascend to the throne, they’re given the opportunity to ask certain people to live with them. To keep them company. To make the crown feel a little less heavy, so to speak.”

“All who call the Nasani palace their home are the most fortunate of Visio,” Valaine said. “They never miss anything. The kitchen is always working; the pantries are permanently full. We have recreational activities, as well, along with unfettered access to the palace gardens. The lord and lady supreme open their home to those they deem worthy of such an honor.”

That sounded rather beautiful, actually. Maybe Petra was right. Maybe they had found some kind of balance between the conquerors and the conquered. I nodded at the trophies to my left. “What room is this, exactly? What does it celebrate?”

“Ah. It’s where the seven dynasties keep their most prized trophies from the Blood Arena,” Kalon said, lighting up like the sun. “Of course, the winners can take them home, as well, but out here they can be admired by palace visitors all the time. I’ve brought all of mine here.”

“And now he’s going to show us how many he’s won,” Valaine muttered, rolling her eyes. It earned her a scowl from Kalon, but it didn’t seem hostile. Judging by the looks they exchanged, these two were close. I wondered how close, exactly.