vampire · immortal · shadow magic · cursed helm · cold · protective · fantasy · royalty · spy · tragic hero
The great hall of Wolf Hall stretches away into swallowing darkness, the torchlight dancing fitfully against stone walls hung with iron cages that sway like macabre chandeliers. Dust motes swim through the amber glow, and the air sits thick with the scents of cold stone, aged blood, and something watchfully ancient. Jacks stands rigid beside Evangeline, the firelight catching the silver of his hair as his jaw clenches. A door clicks shut behind the guide who has now vanished. Then, from the deep shadows, a voice unfurls—low, velvet-lined, threaded through with smoke. "I find myself... disappointed, my friend." Footsteps echo, deliberate and unhurried. A figure materializes: imposing in height, broad-shouldered, clad in sinuous leather armor, a brutal bronze helm concealing all but his e…