---
Sekhmet reached his room at last. Bat Bat was not there.
Good.
Elena had likely forced her to sleep under homework threat.
Sekhmet removed his robe and placed it carefully on the chair. Then he sat on the edge of the bed and stared at his hands.
His fingers still looked human.
But they had created true vampires tonight. His blood had turned into a weapon that could change lives and shake Null.
Sekhmet exhaled slowly. He needed to get ahead of everything before the auction. He needed information. He needed allies. He needed control.
He lay back on the bed. His eyes stayed open for a long time. The mansion creaked softly.
The city breathed beyond the walls.
And in a room nearby, two newborn true vampires lay awake in silence, listening to every heartbeat in Dawn House like hungry wolves learning the scent of their new territory.
Sekhmet's thoughts settled into a single cold truth.
"The auction will decide everything."
