(Lucien's POV)
The human world always had welcoming arms for Lucien, as someone would say… that someone is Caspian but nevermind.
"Darling, that's a face that could launch a thousand ships, or at least get you a free drink," the woman purred, her red lipstick smudged just so. "But I'm not just after a pretty face, are you gonna pay or are you gonna stare?" The scent of cheap perfume and desperation was almost intoxicating.
I chuckled, the sound echoing in the opulent hotel room. "Patience, my dear. I assure you, the payment will be… memorable." I winked, enjoying the way her eyes widened. Humans, so easily swayed by promises of pleasure and wealth. It was almost… too easy.
I threw a few bundles of cash at her and there..
"Honey, for that kind of money, I'll tell you I'm an alien princess," she drawled, batting her eyelashes with an enthusiasm that felt entirely rehearsed.
I leaned back against the plush headboard, a smirk playing on my lips. "An alien princess, huh? Fascinating. Tell me, princess, what's your blood taste like?"
Her perfectly painted smile faltered for a fraction of a second. "What?"
"Oh, don't be coy. I'm paying for a story, aren't I? Let's see how far you're willing to go to commit to the role." I held out my hand, beckoning her closer. "Come on, princess. Bite me."
She giggled, a nervous sound. "You're funny." She pulled a small vial from her purse, a glint of metal flashing in the dim light. "How about we just relax and enjoy ourselves?"
"Relax? Darling, I'm always relaxed." I watched as she sauntered closer, the vial held delicately in her hand.
"Just a little something to loosen you up, handsome. House special."
"Oh, humans are fascinating," I mused, watching her with amusement. "You think a little concoction like that can affect me?"
She smirked, a predatory glint in her eye. "Honey, everything affects you, one way or another. Now, open wide."
I let her. I let her pour the foul-smelling liquid down my throat, letting her watch with anticipation as I swallowed. The taste was… pathetic. Like watered-down chamomile tea mixed with something vaguely chemical. It tickled my throat, nothing more.
"Well?" she asked, leaning in close, her breath reeking of cheap perfume.
I feigned a dizzy spell, swaying slightly. "Oh, my… I think it's working." A grin stretched across my face. "Or maybe it's the sheer thrill of your company."
She pressed a cloth to my nose and mouth, a sickly sweet smell filling my nostrils. "Sleep tight, sweetie."
I let my eyes flutter closed, feigning unconsciousness. The drug washed over me, a pathetic attempt to dull senses that hadn't been dulled in centuries. "Oh, you have no idea who you're dealing with," I thought, chuckling inwardly.
A few moments later, I opened my eyes, the woman shaking beside me. "What the hell?" she whispered, wide-eyed.
I sat up, a slow, deliberate movement that sent her scrambling backward. "Oh how daring," I smirked showing off my fangs and without even thinking she went "Ahhhhhh!" Well her scream sounded hot— such a turn on if you ask me.
I advanced towards her, my fangs extended, and she kept backing away till she hits the wall.
She clearly expected me to be drooling, disoriented. "You… you feel okay?"
I shrugged, grabbing her wrist. "Never better. In fact, I'm feeling rather… hungry." My fangs descended, and maybe she finally understood the depth of her mistake.
Panic flared in her eyes, a brief, bright spark before I erased it, sinking my fangs perfectly in her neck. I fed slowly, deliberately, enjoying the exquisite rush. I left her enough, though. Such a daring girl deserved to live, to learn a lesson. She wouldn't remember this, not consciously. But her body would.
"Sleep now," I commanded, my voice laced with hypnotic power. Her eyes glazed over, and she slumped onto the floor, oblivion swallowing her whole. Such a careless girl, if she isn't lucky, someone will do her bad in the long run.
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, a savage satisfaction coursing through me. Enough playing for one night. It was time to find some real entertainment.
My lambo was still right where I parked it. As I made my way out, I spotted the car and a feral grin spread on my lips. The night was young, and the city thrummed with possibilities.
The roar of the engine was my symphony, the city lights my stage. I drove with reckless abandon, weaving through traffic, a predator on the hunt. The neon signs blurred into streaks of color, reflecting in my eyes like captured stars.
I had no destination in mind, just a craving for chaos, for something to break the monotony.
And the universe, as it often did, provided.
Rounding a corner, three figures emerged from the shadows, their faces masked, baseball bats glinting under the streetlights. And I deliberately slowed down, bringing my car to a half as they approached.
"Alright, pal. Hand over the keys," one of them snarled, brandishing a rusty knife.
I laughed, the sound sharp and dangerous. "This is it, there's no dull moment with these beings, the fun just doesn't end. Bring it on, kids."
They charged, bats swinging. Pathetic. I moved with supernatural speed, dodging their clumsy attacks. A flick of my wrist sent one sprawling, clutching his broken nose. Another crumpled to the ground, a low moan escaping his lips.
The third, the one with the knife, hesitated, his bravado faltering. He tried to run, but I was faster. I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, yanking him back and pulling off his mask in the process.
"You have interesting facial features," I purred, studying his terrified face. "So, I'll inform you that I'm about to do something to you, something you so won't remember when you wake up, but I'm gonna do it so precisely that your body remembers even when your mind doesn't."
I sank my fangs into his neck, drawing just enough blood to weaken him, to cloud his mind. Then, I pulled back, forcing him to focus on my face, on my hypnotic vampire eyes.
"Forget," I commanded, the word a silken whisper that burrowed into his mind. "Forget everything. You saw nothing. You remember nothing."
His eyes glazed over, and he slumped against me, a blank slate. I released him, letting him crumple to the ground beside his companions. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, a satisfied sigh escaping my lips.
This was the kind of fun I crave.
I tossed the bloodied knife into a nearby dumpster, a flash of irritation marring my features. These petty thugs, these meaningless encounters… but hey, it's fun.
"That was…invigorating." I said looking around and made my way to my car. I'm sure that Kael is somewhere around Caspian right now, I thought with a sigh.
My thoughts drifted, as they always did, to him. To Caspian. To the radiant goodness that made him so infuriatingly, irresistibly attractive. The prophecy, the ceremony, their families' hopes and expectations... It meant nothing to me, but it seemed to weigh heavily on him. If I ever went back and saw him with Kael, I would probably end up killing them both.
Kael, the ever-present shadow, the loyal lapdog. The one who looked at Caspian with such blatant adoration. The one who thought he could protect my brother from my "darkness" I'll beat the shit out of that kid some day.
The thought of Kael's touch on Caspian's skin ignited a possessive rage within me, a primal need to stake him and drag him into the sunlight. Why was Kael always around Caspian?.
I know my absence will give the idiot more room to be shinning his teeth, laughing at everything Caspian says. The thought of that alone makes me want to go back, hang around and wait for the moment he lets out his stupid laugh so I can beat it out of his face. But no, I wouldn't go back. Not yet. The coven, with its suffocating rules and its endless expectations, could rot. I had a world to explore, a hunger to satisfy.
I climbed back into my Lamborghini, the engine roaring to life once more. I sped off into the night, leaving the defeated thugs behind. I would savor my freedom, my power, my endless possibilities. Because in the shadows, in the heart of the human world, I was truly, gloriously… Lucifer. The Devil.