21

The men climbed the marble stairs. Oncoming people nodded in greeting or looked away in disbelief. There was an unnatural silence in the estate, which looked more like a medieval castle. Noise and bustle were not welcome here.

Climbing up to the fourth, highest floor, they entered a spacious hall, slightly darkened, with many armchairs standing in groups or one at a time, sofas on low legs and coffee tables, absolutely clean. Reception here was expected for hours, and sometimes even days. Regardless of when you arrived, the Dark Vampire Prince himself decided whether he wanted to see the visitor or not. And if so, when.

Arnar, Konstantin and Leo took their places at the back of the hall and looked around. This was not the first visit to the head of bloodsuckers, and little has changed in fifty years. Even the arrangement of the furniture remained the same.

Ar, snorting softly at the sugary-sweet scent floating in the room, remained as calm as possible in the center of the vampire hive