Alchemy of Blood. Olga Shakirovna Isyanova

she said.

      “Selene,” Sol repeated with a wistful smile, as if tasting her name. “It suits you.”

      Before she could answer, there was a slight clink and the gleaming elevator doors slid open. The cabin was empty, just as they’d expected. Selene and Sol went inside.

      On the way upstairs, Selene secretly texted Frey, glad that her phone hadn’t been taken away. There was only one word in the message: “It’s time.”

      Moments before the elevator reached the desired floor, Selene and Sol prepared for battle. Selene clutched the silver daggers in her hands, and Sol made a smooth gesture with his right hand with the ring. Immediately, a dazzling golden sword materialized in it, patterned runes adorning its blade and hilt.

      However, when the elevator doors finally opened, there wasn’t a soul outside.

      Chapter 7

      The dark marble corridors were filled with tense silence. Selene’s sensitive ears picked up only the steady, powerful beat of Sol’s heart. They stepped carefully and silently on the polished floor, trying not to make a single sound, while simultaneously disabling the security cameras.

      At the next bend, Sol suddenly stopped and sniffed the air. Selene followed suit and immediately caught a familiar scent. A flash of golden light came around the corner and shot towards them. After a moment, the big blue eyes and tousled hair that Selene knew so well appeared in front of them. Sol hurried to cover Selene, putting her behind his back with his left hand. A blow from a fae blade (the one from the library) left a deep scarlet streak on his forearm.

      The werewolf only growled slightly in pain and was about to attack back, but Selene stopped him by holding his shoulder, “Don’t do that. I’ll handle it myself.”

      Without taking his menacing gaze off Chacey, Sol let Selene go ahead.

      “Don’t be silly, Chacey,” Selene said softly. “Just let us pass.”

      Selene noticed how restlessly the girl’s eyes were moving and how uncertainly she held the blade in front of her. She was clearly scared, and Selene decided to take advantage of it.

      “Come on, you know you can’t beat us,” Selene said, hiding the daggers and raising her hands in a conciliatory gesture. “I mean you no harm. Just let us pass and you won’t get hurt, I promise.”

      The former student just shook her head. Her chin was trembling, and there were tears in her eyes that she tried unsuccessfully to hold back.

      Selene sighed, “You don’t need it.”

      “It’s not up to you to decide what I need and what I don’t need!” Chacey exclaimed, her voice shaking. “You almost killed me, but now I’m going to prove to you and everyone else that I’m not afraid! Perhaps then the Prince will pay attention to me!”

      The girl lunged at Selene, raising the blade above her head and intending to pierce her former mentor’s heart with it. However, her attack was too clumsy. Selene easily dodged the attack and went behind her opponent’s back.

      Sol started to intervene, but Selene waved him back.

      Chacey, whose cheeks were wet with tears, turned around and continued to attack. Her attacks were awkward, and Selene managed to parry them easily.

      The girl’s face twisted into a grimace of rage. In a fit of impotent anger, she raised the blade again, aiming for Selene’s chest. However, Selene caught her hand and twisted her wrist, causing Chacey to unclench her fingers and drop the weapon. Selene then kneed her in the stomach, causing the girl to double over and fall to all fours.

      Picking up the golden blade from the floor, Selene said, “That’s enough, Chacey. Calm down.”

      The young vampire was sobbing on all fours, not looking up. At that moment, Selene felt sorry for her. She really meant her no harm. Chacey was just as vulnerable as Selene had once been. Suddenly, the sobs turned into a wild cat squeal, and Chacey leapt at her mentor. Selene instantly grouped up and drew a golden arc in the air with the blade. There was the sickening sound of a head hitting the marble floor. The body collapsed after him. The smooth glossy walls and gilt-framed paintings were stained with crimson splashes.

      Selene couldn’t take her eyes off Chacey’s lifeless eyes. They looked at her reproachfully. Those big blue eyes seemed to be forever frozen in their sadness.

      “I’m sorry,” Selene whispered, and plunged the point into the poor girl’s heart.

      The fae blade rang happily as it received its portion of blood. Selene tossed it aside in disgust.

      Sol walked over to her and gently pulled her along, “Come on, Selene,” he said. “We need to move on.”

      The girl nodded and followed him down the echoing corridor. They reached the wide archway that led to the castle courtyard. Stepping carefully on the stone slabs, they looked around. The courtyard was eerily silent. The heavy wrought-iron doors of the palace’s main entrance were visible across from them, but their destination was not this one, but a modest side passage in the eastern part of the building leading to a small pier. There, Selene hoped, Frey would be waiting for them. She silently prayed that nothing would happen to him and that no one would get to him.

      The deafening sound of pistol bolts clicking cut through the silence. Pistol barrels were pointed at them from the windows of all three floors of the palace. The guards surrounded Selene and Sol, forcing them to the center of the courtyard, where they were clearly visible.

      Selene, trying to keep her cool, quickly assessed the situation. Just as she’d expected, every step they took to the side threatened to turn into a bullet in the heart. The parapets were empty, but as soon as they both moved, they would be fired upon.

      Selene knew that the guards wouldn’t kill her – Victor needed her alive. But Sol’s fate was sealed. As she desperately searched for a way to escape, Sol slowly raised his hand and closed his eyes. At the same time, Selene felt the air around them tremble with an invisible force. The thinnest golden veil covered all the openings and exits, swaying in the ghostly wind.

      The guards froze in confusion for a few seconds, but then they tried to break through the barrier. However, it turned out to be strong and withstood several blows and a short burst of shots. Realizing that they were cut off from their target, the guards began to attack the barrier even more fiercely.

      “Get up there!” Sol commanded through gritted teeth, barely holding the barrier.

      “What about you?” Selene asked.

      “I’ll follow you, come on!”

      And she deftly climbed up the plastered brick wall to the roof, looking around to see if Sol was following her. He kept up, closing the distance with confident and powerful jerks. His injured arm was making itself felt, and the werewolf winced with pain every time he leaned on it. They quickly scaled the parapet and headed for the east side of the palace, where they planned to reach Frey.

      Despite Sol’s efforts, the barrier was getting weaker, and Selene could already hear the approaching pursuit. When she reached the right spot, she leaned over the carved railing and peered down. Fortunately, the sun was hidden behind clouds that day, saving her the trouble of hiding her eyes behind her glasses. Below, wedged between two damp walls, the boats bobbed peacefully, completely indistinguishable from each other and gently bumping their sides against the dock. Selene quickly looked for the right boat with the inscription “White Rose” on the starboard side and broke into a satisfied smile. At first glance, the boat seemed empty, but Selene knew that this was a deceptive impression.

      They were about to jump down onto the dock when a gunshot rang out behind them. Selene felt a sharp pain in her left shoulder. She gave a small cry and automatically clutched at the wound. Sol, who had already climbed over the fence, wanted to help her, but Selene shook her head. She forced herself to ignore the pain and climbed