80. The Queen of Darkness

"I promise you all," she cried, raising the glass high, her voice ringing through the vaulted hall, "we will see the downfall of the wolves! Tonight, we drink—to those we have lost, and to those we have yet to find!" The vampires erupted into cheers, lifting their glasses. Meanwhile, Jayden had finally recovered from the ordeal—his chest still aching from the floodwater he had swallowed, but at least he could stand without doubling over in pain. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his voice hoarse but burning with questions as he faced Brigid. "What do you know about the Reegan?" She asked. He coughed. "That their eyes glow green? That one of their ribs carries the cure to a plague destined to wipe out half the world?" He shook his head. Brigid stepped forward, her presence commanding the room into silence. She held the sphere of light tightly in one hand—the single hair inside it glowing faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat. "Here’s the rest of what you need to understand," she