The Vampire Crimson Heir

Lyra isn’t Dead

For one terrible second, the world stopped, I stood frozen in the corridor, staring at Adrian, blood covered the stone floor, blood stained Adrian’s hands. And Lyra lay motionless at his feet, a blade buried in her chest. Around us, students screamed, some backed away, others stood frozen in shock. Aurora’s grip tightened around my arm.

“Kael”

But I was already moving, I shoved through the crowd and dropped beside Lyra, her skin was too pale, but my sharp hearing caught it, a heartbeat, it was weak and faint, but it was there. She was alive.

“Move!” I barked.

A professor rushed forward, then another, I yanked the blade from Lyra’s chest, ignoring the blood spilling over his hands. Aurora immediately knelt beside me, silver light bursting from her palms, healing magic, the wound began closing, but slowly. I looked up, Adrian still hadn’t moved, he looked… broken, and confused. As though he didn’t understand how he got here. Then I grabbed him by the collar.

“What did you do?”

Adrian’s golden eyes snapped to me.

“I…”

His voice cracked.

“I don’t know.”

I slammed him against the wall. “Stop lying!”

“I’m not!”

His voice shook, then I froze.That fear, that confusion, it was all real. Aurora rose.

“Kael.”

Her voice was sharp.

“He’s telling the truth.”

My ruby eyes burned.

“You know that?”

Aurora nodded.

“Look at him.”

So I did.

Adrian wasn’t acting, his breathing was uneven, his pupils were blown wide, his whole body was trembling. And it was not guilt, it was shock, something was wrong. Before I could push further, Headmaster Alaric appeared, his cold gaze swept over the scene.

“Take Lady Evermoon to the infirmary.”

Professors obeyed immediately, Lyra was lifted carefully, she was still breathing, and definitely still alive. Barely. Alaric turned to Adrian.

“You’ll come with me.”

I stepped forward. “No.”

Alaric’s eyes narrowed.

“He was found over the victim.”

“And he doesn’t remember.”

That made Alaric pause, interesting. Just for a second, enough for me to notice. The headmaster already knew what that meant.

“Memory tampering,” Alaric said.

My jaw tightened, exactly. Someone had planted Adrian there, or controlled him. Alaric’s gaze sharpened.

“That makes him no less dangerous.”

Before I could argue, Adrian spoke.

“Take me.”

His voice was hollow, I looked at him. Adrian wouldn’t even meet my eyes, as if he feared what I might see. Guards dragged him away, and I hated the way it felt. Because this time, I wasn’t sure Adrian was guilty.

The infirmary smelled of herbs and blood. I stood outside Lyra’s room, arms crossed, Aurora leaned against the opposite wall. Neither of us spoke for several minutes, then finally Aurora broke the silence.

“You believe him.”

I looked at her.

“About not remembering?”

She nodded.

I exhaled. “I don’t know.”

That was the truth, I wanted Adrian guilty. It would make everything simpler. But nothing about tonight felt simple, Aurora crossed her arms.

“Someone is using him.”

I frowned.

“Or framing him.”

“Like they’re framing everyone.”

That hit harder than I liked, because she was right. Ethan, Mira, Cassian, now Lyra. They were all pieces, and all connected. And I still didn’t know how, the infirmary door opened. Vivienne Moreau stepped out, the ancient vampire noble looked as composed as ever.

“She’s awake.”

I entered immediately, Lyra sat upright in bed, pale but alive. Bandages wrapped around her chest, her ice-blue eyes lifted the moment he walked in, and softened, that annoyed me.

“You’re alive.”

Lyra gave a weak smile.

“Your concern is touching.”

I ignored that.

“What happened?”

Her expression shifted.

Fear flickered.

“I was walking back to my dorm.”

“And?”

She hesitated.

“I heard someone call my name.”

I leaned closer.

“Who?”

Lyra swallowed.

“Adrian.”

Aurora stiffened beside him.

My eyes narrowed.

“You saw him?”

“Yes.”

Lyra looked shaken.

“He was standing at the end of the corridor. Covered in blood.”

Kael’s chest tightened.

“But it wasn’t him.”

Aurora blinked.

“What?”

Lyra looked at her.

“It looked like Adrian. Sounded like Adrian. But his eyes…” Her voice dropped. “They were black.”

Silence, everywhere, my stomach twisted. It could either have been possession, or illusion. Either way, it was very bad. Lyra’s gaze shifted to Aurora, it was lingering, she was Jealous, and I noticed. Especially when Lyra saw how close Aurora stood beside me. That was Interesting.

Lyra’s voice turned colder.

“You’ve become very close.”

Aurora straightened. “This isn’t the time.”

Lyra smiled faintly.

“No. I suppose it isn’t.”

I ignored the tension.

“What happened after?”

Lyra looked back at me.

“I don’t remember.”

Another missing memory, another blank. Someone or something was erasing pieces.

Adrian sat alone in the underground holding chamber, chains of silver iron bound his wrists. I stared through the bars, Adrian looked awful, tired, pale, and broken. When he looked up, his golden eyes darkened.

“You came.”

I leaned against the wall.

“Convince me.”

Adrian laughed bitterly.

“That I didn’t stab Lyra?”

I said nothing.

Adrian dragged a hand over his face.

“I remember training.”

“Then?”

“Nothing.”

My jaw tightened, nothing, it was always nothing. Adrian looked up.

“I woke up covered in blood.”

I studied him, I was looking for lies, but I found none. Adrian’s voice lowered.

“You think I killed you before.”

It wasn’t a question.

I went still.

Adrian looked hollow.

“I don’t know why… but every time you look at me, it feels like you’re remembering something awful.”

My chest tightened. I said nothing, I couldn’t even if I tried, because Adrian was right. Adrian stepped closer to the bars.

“If I did something… in another life… tell me.”

My voice came cold.

“You betrayed me.”

His face drained.

I hated myself for saying it, but he needed to know, or maybe I needed him to.

He whispered, “I don’t remember.”

I believed him, that was the problem. Asudden scream echoed through the halls. I spun, again? Not another one.

I ran.

This time, the scream came from the archive tower, I burst through the doors. Aurora was already there, students crowded behind her. At the center of the room, fire, the books were burning, hundreds of them, the archives too. My blood ran cold, this were all evidence, and now they were all destroyed. Someone was cleaning up, Aurora grabbed my arm.

“Look.”

At the center of the flames stood a figure, hooded, wasn’t moving, just watching us. I moved instantly, the figure didn’t run, instead, they threw something into the fire, it was a book, Ethan’s notebook. I lunged, but I was too late. The notebook burned.

It was Gone.

The figure laughed, then vanished into black smoke. Aurora cursed, I just stared into the flames. Everything was all gone. Then I saw it. Half-burned beside the ashes, there was a page, so I grabbed it. The edges were charred, but one sentence remained, my eyes widened, as Aurora stepped beside me.

“What is it?”

I read it aloud.

“The Crimson Heir was never the target… he was the vessel.”

Aurora went pale, and my pulse thundered. Vessel? For what? Before I could think, the floor beneath us cracked. Magic surged, it felt violent, and ancient. A massive blood-red circle ignited beneath our feet. I froze, because I recognized it. The same ritual from the photograph, and at the center of the circle, my name began to glow.