Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 255: The Price of Knowledge

Chapter 255: The Price of Knowledge

"How does he know about Ol’gaz?" was the Fallen One’s first bewildered thought.

"He knows how to save Florian?" Riona wondered, half in awe, half in suspicion.

She couldn’t care less how the emperor had learned about the demon. If anything, she’d gladly hand him the burden of killing it and escape with Florian.

He was the emperor, after all. If saving the world wasn’t on his job description, then what was the point of being an emperor? A fancy hat?

"How?" Riona muttered at last, hiding her excitement and shock as best as she could.

Emperor Kaan’s lips twitched into a smug almost-smile. Sir Roderick, his eternally-suffering aide, sighed deeply. He knew that look. It was the ’I’m about to say something dramatic for my own amusement’ look.

Carefully, Roderick schooled his face into a mask of neutrality, silently begging the emperor to refrain from causing chaos.

"We’ll use your Blood Moon power," Kaan said with all the nonchalance of someone announcing the weather. "That’s what’s needed to extract Ol’gaz from your brother’s body. Once they’re separated, you can destroy the demon."

Oh, fantastic. Blood Moon power again. Riona sighed internally. Guess there’s not a single vampire in the world who doesn’t know I’m the freaky Blood Moon child now. Did someone send out a newsletter?

"How?" she asked again, her voice sharper this time.

Emperor Kaan didn’t answer right away. His gaze swept around the area, lingering on Lady Maris, Thorin, and Puck. He was calculating—Riona could see it. He understood the stakes. Everyone here wanted the same thing: to save Florian and, in doing so, the world. But none of them knew how.

And Emperor Kaan clearly did.

But he wasn’t about to share his knowledge for free. Not when it gave him leverage.

Finally, after a long, dramatic pause, the emperor spoke. "I’ll tell you how. It’s... complicated." His tone suggested that Riona’s tiny brain might struggle with the intricacies. "You’ll need my guidance—close guidance. Allow me to join your group. I assure you, my presence will prove invaluable to your cause."

Riona already knew the answer, and no, she wasn’t about to change her mind because finally, someone knew how to save Florian. If the nightmares really were Florian’s messages, then the poor kid had already endured more than anyone should.

She avoided looking at anyone else and zeroed in on the emperor, who—judging by his smug expression—was clearly convinced he was moments away from being handed the deed to the universe. Expectant. Amused.

Oh, how she hated that look.

"You’ll stay in your carriage for the entire journey," Riona said, her voice cutting like a blade. "You’re not one of us, so don’t act like it. Think of this as co-traveling, not a team-building retreat. And please, don’t talk to me unless it’s life or death—and even then, consider your options first."

The silence that followed her words lasted about three glorious seconds before the crowd erupted. Disgruntled mutters, melodramatic sighs, and what sounded suspiciously like a suppressed scream filled the air.

The werewolves and Lady Maris were clearly not fans of her decision, but the Strays? Oh, they loved it.

To them, this was peak entertainment. Having never left the forest in their lives, they didn’t know what a play or a theater was, but who needed those when you had real-life drama served on a platter?

As far as they were concerned, this was the best show they’d ever seen—and for free, too.

"Alright, let’s go!" Riona spun on her heel, her back to the group, deliberately ignoring anyone who looked like they might open their mouth to protest. She wasn’t in the mood for debates.

***

Lady Maris didn’t trust the emperor. He had killed Emmanuelle without a shred of mercy.

For someone in his position—highly educated and well-versed in the ways of the world—it was inconceivable that he didn’t know he was dealing with a girl whose tongue had been sealed by a dark spell.

Forcing the truth out of a helpless maid just to serve his own desires was a chilling display of his true nature.

Emperor Kaan had been loitering around the royal palace for far too long, with no legitimate reason for his presence. And when he finally left, it was sudden and vague, without a word of explanation. Everything about him screamed suspicion.

His investigation into dark magic had ground to a halt, mostly due to King Valentin putting the brakes on it after Lady Maris had confessed the truth. But the emperor never pressed for more details; he simply accepted that the king had shut it down.

Convenient, wasn’t it?

But what really set her nerves on edge was the fact that Emperor Kaan knew about the demon’s existence—and the demon’s name, which Lady Maris herself wasn’t even privy to. That was no coincidence.

She racked her brain for ways to voice her concerns to Riona, but the words felt hollow in her mouth.

After all, how could she expect Riona to trust her instincts when she had been hiding the truth about Florian for decades? What reason would Riona have to suddenly believe her gut feeling about an emperor who might hold the key to saving Florian?

So, the only person she could talk to now was Thorin. She approached him, keeping her voice low. "I don’t trust him. We shouldn’t have let him into this group."

Thorin groaned, his eyes nearly popping out of his head as he clenched his fists. "Tell me about it! I’d rather wear silver armor and march straight into a pack of vampires than team up with that one. Did you see the way he looked at Riona? Like he’d already claimed her as his bride in his twisted little mind! Well, newsflash, pretty boy—she’s my bride!"

Lady Maris blinked, realizing that while Thorin’s dislike of the emperor was clear, it came from a place of possessiveness, not logic. She needed someone who could think without the haze of jealousy clouding his judgment.

She turned to Puck, hoping for a more measured response.

"I don’t trust him either," Puck said after a beat. "A werewolf’s instincts are never wrong."

He paused, glancing around to make sure no one was listening too closely. "But we can’t act on it just yet. What if he really does know how to save that kid? We’ll keep our distance for now, but don’t let your guard down. We stay alert, understood?"

And it wasn’t just the three of them who were wary of the emperor.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.