Ancestor Ghurn stepped forward into the light, his bald head gleaming under the crimson glow of the chandeliers, and his voice rang across the massive hall with a tone that carried both authority and an almost youthful excitement.
"Look well!" he shouted, spreading his arms wide as if presenting a treasure. "Look at her!"
All eyes turned toward Cornelia.
"She," Ghurn continued, his chest rising with pride, "is the reason we ancestors stand before you today instead of lying in our chambers preserving what remains of our precious years. She is the reason we can walk beneath this roof for twenty more years!"
The words echoed through the hall and then—
Nothing.
A silence fell so heavy that even the faint crackle of the torches along the walls seemed loud. The crowd froze in place, as if the air had turned solid. Some vampires blinked slowly, trying to understand what they had just heard. Others stared at Ghurn with parted lips, waiting for clarification.
Twenty more years?
