Allies and Adversaries:

  Thalia stepped off the plane and into the expansive Egyptian facility hangar. The air was thick with jet fuel and the dry warmth of the desert sun, creating an atmosphere that felt both foreign and strangely familiar. Bright fluorescent lights reflected off polished metal surfaces, illuminating rows of high?tech equipment and the gun turrets flanking the entrance, daring anyone to attempt an assault. It was nearly identical to the hangar she had left behind in England—sterile, efficient, and humming with quiet purpose.

  A well?dressed man waited for her, impeccably groomed in a tailored suit. His slicked?back hair and wire?rimmed glasses gave him a scholarly air that clashed with the suspicion tightening his expression. Thalia recognized that look instantly—the wary disdain reserved for Vampyres. She had seen it for centuries, yet it still sparked a flicker of resentment.

  “Miss Thalia, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Rhami,” he said, extending his hand. His voice was smooth, but the faint tremor betrayed him.

  Thalia grasped his hand firmly. He squeezed—testing her. She answered with a subtle increase of pressure. His knees dipped, and a few startled onlookers turned toward them. Satisfaction warmed her chest. A reminder. A warning.

  “Pleasure is all mine,” she replied, releasing him. He withdrew his hand quickly, fighting to regain his composure before the watching crowd.

  “I must admit,” he continued, voice tightening, “we were informed of your arrival, but not the reason. Only that transport was to be prepared.”

  A moment later, three Next?Gens approached, forming a protective circle around her. Barack stood tall despite the faint scar on his ear from the Rekirakiel incident. Priya, the eldest, radiated calm authority. Sevika lingered slightly behind, quiet and hollow?eyed, her sister’s recent death still a fresh wound.

  “We’re here on Adam’s orders to act as backup should Thalia need it,” Priya said, her tone leaving no room for debate. “We’re to remain here and ensure this facility is prepared for any upcoming attacks.”

  Rhami’s brows drew together, skepticism radiating off him. “And what, exactly, is Miss Thalia going to be doing?”

  Thalia met his gaze without flinching. “I’m going to check every inch of the expedition site you uncovered six months ago.” A hint of defiance sharpened her voice, daring him to challenge her.

  “Why? It’s been fully examined,” he countered, arms crossing in a defensive knot.

  “Because the book you sent Adam was altered,” she replied evenly. “I’m going to make sure there’s no trace of why.”

  “I assure you, no one—”

  Thalia cut him off, irritation finally breaking the surface. “Before you assure me no one’s been in there for thousands of years, remember that one of the Archangels we’re fighting can control the earth itself. So let’s cut the shit, shall we?” She stepped forward, forcing him back a pace.

  “Mr. Rhami,” Priya interjected, sliding between them. “All Thalia needs is transport. After that, where she goes and how long she stays is her business. It makes no difference to you.”

  “I suppose not,” Rhami muttered, clipped and stiff. “This way.”

  Thalia moved to follow, but Priya’s hand clamped around her arm, spinning her sharply. The shock froze Thalia mid?step.

  “I don’t know what your problem is,” Priya said, voice low and sharp, “but don’t talk to the people trying to help you like they’re dirt.”

  Thalia’s eyes dropped to Priya’s hand—a silent warning. When Priya released her, Thalia’s voice was ice. “First, I’ll speak to anyone however I choose. Second, he doesn’t want to help me. Most of my father’s people hate Vampyres, and I don’t blame them. Third, don’t ever touch me without my consent.”

  Priya stepped back, momentarily stunned. “Don’t screw this up,” she whispered. “If you piss them off and we lose information that could save this planet, Adam won’t be happy.”

  Thalia scoffed, folding her arms. “I don’t give a shit about the people on this planet. Haven’t for a long time. I’m doing this because I hate the Archangels more than I hate humanity. Simple.”

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Priya’s eyes narrowed. “Then think of it this way—if you screw this up and miss information that could help you take them down, you’re the one who’ll regret it.”

  Thalia hesitated, her bravado faltering for a heartbeat. Annoyingly, Priya had a point. “Fine,” she muttered. “I’ll try to be nicer.”

  “Thank you,” Priya said, tension easing just slightly.

  “Are you coming? Transport’s ready!” Rhami called from across the hangar, impatience sharp in his voice.

  Thalia flashed Priya a sarcastic smile before striding forward. Soldiers parted instinctively as she passed, their gazes a mix of curiosity and fear. She ignored them. Their judgment meant nothing to her.

  “I’m glad she’s on our side,” Barack murmured behind her.

  “So am I,” Priya replied, already leading the others away. “Let’s see how prepared this place actually is.”

  At the transport area, three armored vehicles gleamed under the harsh lights, each flanked by a squad of armed soldiers. The display was impressive—if unnecessary.

  “All this for little old me?” Thalia teased, stepping beside Rhami.

  “I told Adam I didn’t need help. I’m not a babysitter.”

  “As head of security, Miss Thalia, I ensure everything is secured,” Rhami said tightly. “They’re here to get you to the tomb and back. Nothing more.”

  Thalia patted his shoulder, amused by the way his jaw clenched. “Great job.”

  “What do you want to say, Rhami? I can see it in your eyes.”

  He finally faced her, composure cracking. “What I want to say is good luck. What I can’t say is that I hope you don’t come back. You and your kind are a scourge. If it were up to me, you’d be executed.”

  His words landed like a slap—sharp, bitter, and utterly sincere.

  Thalia felt anger spike, but she held it in. Instead, she gripped Rhami’s shoulder and leaned in, her gaze sharp. “I’ll be sure to thank Adam when I get back and tell him how helpful you’ve been. And remember—if it weren’t for us ‘scourge,’ humanity wouldn’t exist. I’ll also keep your little speech in mind when I’m out there defending this planet from things that could tear you apart without blinking. I’m sure you’ll thank me then. Oh, and execution?” She tapped his cheek lightly. “Not possible.”

  She turned and strode toward the lead vehicle, climbing in without acknowledging the soldiers. Her presence alone made them stiffen.

  Rhami stood frozen for a moment, breathing hard as he tried to regain control. He’d always hated Vampyres—personal loss had carved that into him—but provoking one like Thalia was reckless. After a steadying breath, he ordered the units forward. Engines roared to life, and the convoy rolled out into the desert.

  The hour?long ride was suffocatingly silent. Thalia, bored within minutes, began narrating the scenery. “Tree. Car. House. Pyramid. Sand dune.” The monotony killed her enthusiasm quickly. She tried starting a game of Animal, Mineral, Vegetable. No one responded. So she carved noughts and crosses into the armored door with her fingernail. Metal screeched. Still nothing.

  “Ha! I win!” She raised her hand for a high five. The nearest soldier didn’t move.

  “No fun,” she muttered, then eyed the man across from her. “Can I at least get a name? I know you don’t like me, and I don’t like you, but I’m lonely.”

  He sighed. “If it will get you to stop talking. Lieutenant Elneny.”

  “Hi, Lieutenant Elneny! I’m Thalia.”

  “We know. Our orders are simple—transport you, drop you off, wait for your return.”

  “That sounds boring. You sure you don’t want to come with me?”

  “Affirmative. You don’t want us there anyway,” Elneny said. “You don’t like us.”

  “I don’t like humans as a whole,” Thalia replied. “They always assume the worst of Vampyres.”

  Elneny’s expression darkened. “I’ve lost fifty?two friends to Vampyre attacks over the years.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said softly. “Do you know how many friends I’ve lost to humans?”

  “I guarantee they were justified.”

  “Really? A group of Vampyres who never hurt anyone were slaughtered for no crime other than existing. Two hundred thirty?three died that day. Not one fought back.”

  “And how do you know that?”

  “I was there. I watched them die.”

  “You didn’t help them?”

  “They asked me not to. They didn’t want me to become the monster humans believed we were. So I stood there and watched them beg for mercy that never came.”

  “Let me guess—you killed the humans afterward.”

  “I didn’t. I respected my friends’ wishes. I couldn’t even bury them. Their bodies were burned.”

  Elneny’s voice softened. “I’m sorry.”

  A voice from the side cut in. Thalia turned to a young female soldier, curiosity sharpening her tone. “So you’ve never killed a human?”

  “I’m seven thousand years old,” Thalia said. “I’ve killed countless humans.”

  “So you are the monster we think you are.”

  “I am.” Thalia met her gaze without flinching.

  “Then how can you act like we’re the bad guys? You’re the highest?priority Vampyre target. The blood on your hands will never wash off.”

  The words hit harder than Thalia expected. She looked past the soldier, out toward the endless stretch of broken asphalt and sand. War never left anyone clean.

  “Yes,” she murmured. “I’ve done terrible things. However, ever since humanity found out about us, we've been hunted, persecuted, killed. I've killed to protect my kind, I've killed to protect yours. I do what I do so people like you don't have to.”

  The soldier’s eyes narrowed, her lips pressed into a hard line. There was fire in her gaze, a righteous fury born of youth and loss.

  “And what about now? Are you still a monster?”

  The question hit harder than Thalia expected again. Her brow tightened, a dull ache blooming in her chest. Faces—human and Vampyre—flashed through her mind. Blood. Screams. Bodies she couldn’t save. Bodies she’d caused.

  “I am,” she said quietly. “I always will be. It’s in my nature.” She drew a slow breath. “But I’m not who I was, during the war, I was worse. I’ve felt the weight of every life I’ve taken… and every life I’ve lost. Sometimes the world doesn’t give us choices. You fight to survive, just like I do. And survival leaves scars.”

  The soldier’s jaw clenched, her anger faltering for a heartbeat. “It doesn’t make it better,” she muttered, though the bite had faded.

  “No,” Thalia agreed. “It never will.”

  Silence settled over the vehicle, thick and uneasy. The soldiers shifted, uncomfortable witnesses to a truth none of them wanted to face. The lines between enemy and ally had been drawn in blood long before any of them were born.

  “But hear this,” Thalia continued, her voice sharpening. “I’m not saying killing Vampyres is wrong. I’ve put down more than enough myself. The ones who tear through villages? They deserve every bullet. They make it easy to hate us.” Her gaze locked onto the young soldier. “But not all of us are like that. Just like not all humans are innocent. I’ve seen your kind commit horrors without spilling a drop of blood.”

  “We do what we must to survive,” Elneny said quietly. “That doesn’t make us wrong.”

  Thalia’s chest tightened. They were both right—and both wrong. A cycle of fear and vengeance with no end in sight.

  “I’ve saved more lives than I can count, I've shown my worh,” she said.

  “Not to us,” Elneny replied, final and cold.

  The words hollowed her out. Thalia leaned back against the metal wall, eyes drifting to the barren horizon.

  “Maybe we’re all monsters,” she whispered. No one answered. The road stretched on, silent and unforgiving.