All Chapters of System Of Blood: To Crave Survival: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

CHAPTER 62Camryn's POVThe Castellan manor rose from Lenore’s underground caverns like a monument to power and old money.I’d seen noble estates before. House Rosetti’s compound had been impressive. But this was different. The manor had been carved directly from the cavern stone, its walls polished black marble that seemed to absorb light. Gas lamps lined the pathways, their flames reflecting off obsidian surfaces. Gardens surrounded the entrance, impossible greenery thriving in artificial light through methods I couldn’t begin to understand.This was what centuries of vampire wealth looked like.“Remember,” Fabian murmured as our carriage approached the entrance. “You’re Camille Beaumont, a distant cousin from my mother’s side. Never been to Lenore before. Quiet, polite, utterly unremarkable.”I touched my hair—darkened to deep brown and styled in elaborate braids that felt foreign on my head. The dress Fabian had provided was dark red silk that matched House Castellan colors withou

CHAPTER 64Camryn's POVThe Masqueraders moved with unnatural grace through the tunnels, their footsteps synchronized like a heartbeat.Amon and I followed in shadow, literally. His power wrapped around us, hiding us in patches of darkness as we tracked the six creatures heading toward the manor.“How do we kill them?” I whispered.“Same as any anomaly. Destroy the brain or cause enough damage that they can’t regenerate.” Amon’s shadows flickered around his hands.“But Masqueraders are Class C. They’re fast, intelligent, and they hunt in packs when they have to.”“Have you fought one before?” I asked.“Once. It nearly killed me.” He glanced at me. “These ones are worse. They’re coordinated and working together toward a specific goal.”We rounded a corner, and the tunnel opened into a wider passage. The Masqueraders had stopped about fifty feet ahead, gathered in a tight cluster. They were doing something, but I couldn’t see anything from this distance.“We need to get closer,” I said.

CHAPTER 66Camryn's POVI woke to sunlight.The illumination mimicked dawn, filtering through the guest room’s windows with calculated precision. For a moment, I forgot where I was. Then the pain reminded me.My ribs ached where the Masquerader’s claws had caught me. My shoulder burned. Every muscle felt like I’d been beaten with clubs.Amon was already awake, sitting by the window. Someone had brought him clean clothes—simple black pants and a white shirt that made him look less like a guard and more like himself. His wounds had been tended properly, bandages visible at his throat and wrists.“How long was I asleep?” I asked.“Six hours. Maybe seven.” He turned to look at me. “A doctor came. Treated your wounds while you were unconscious. He said you’d heal fine but to avoid fighting for at least a week.”“That’s optimistic.”“I told him the same thing.” He stood and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “Miranda sent word. She wants to see us in an hour. Her private study.”I sat up

CHAPTER 68Camryn's POVThe Chancellor's estate sat in the oldest part of Lenore's underground city, where the cavern walls still showed rough stone beneath centuries of polished facades.We approached in darkness, Amon's shadows wrapped around us like a cloak. Fabian led the way, navigating streets he'd memorized during his years as a House Castellan operative. Whitney brought up the rear, her crossbow ready, her senses stretched to detect any anomalies."The estate has minimal security," Fabian whispered. "The Chancellor hasn't lived here in months according to official records. They say he's staying at the government complex for 'administrative efficiency.'""Or because he's already been replaced and the Masquerader doesn't know how to maintain two residences convincingly," I said."That too."We reached the estate's outer wall. It was older than House Castellan's manor, the stone darker, the architecture more austere. No gardens. No decorative elements. Just practical walls and na

CHAPTER 70Camryn's POVI looked at the journals spread across my desk. At Eugene’s research and Gold’s diary and seventy years of buried truth. Then I pressed my palms against my face and felt the exhaustion pressing down my spine like a dumbbell.“We move up the timeline,” I said finally, lifting my head. “We don’t wait for the Convocation. We go to Miranda now, this morning, and we show her everything. All of it. The journals, the research, the Masquerader we saw at the Chancellor’s estate. We make her understand that House Blue is compromised and that surrendering me means surrendering the truth.”“And if she doesn’t believe us?” Amon asked.“Then we run.” I met his eyes. “But I don’t think we’ll have to. Miranda’s not stupid. She knows something’s wrong. She’s known since we exposed the Masquerader in her House. This is just confirmation.”Whitney nodded slowly. “I’ll get Fabian. He’ll want to be there when we brief Miranda.”“Tell him to bring his House Castellan credentials,” I