Roy shook his head. With his 129 Constitution attribute, going a month without sleep wasn't a big deal.
"You just get some rest," he said.
Clary closed her eyes, her breathing soon settling into a steady rhythm. She was clearly exhausted.
Not long after, Roy's phone buzzed. Quick as a flash, he answered it before the ringtone could disturb Clary's sleep.
Stepping outside the room, Roy took the call.
"Hello, this is Roy."
"Roy, it's Sultana! I'm at the destination. Where are you guys?"
Roy couldn't help but roll his eyes. He and Clary were already at the Shadowhunters' base, and Sultana was only just arriving at the villa.
Honestly, without Roy, the FEA would've been toast by now.
"Sultana, why are you guys so slow?"
Sultana let out a sigh.
"Don't get me started. Last night, I spent hours arguing with Paxton Fairchild to get approval for this operation."
Fair enough. With Gerald out of Los Angeles, no one was around to keep Deputy Director Paxton Fairchild in check. Roy had already suspected the guy had ties to Amacham, probably stirring up trouble on purpose. After all, Gerald had openly opposed Amacham, and Sultana, being one of Gerald's key allies, was bound to get some heat from Paxton.
"Sultana, Clary and I are already at the Shadowhunters' base," Roy explained, giving her a quick rundown of the situation.
Sultana went quiet for a moment after hearing him out.
"I know about that organization. They're always on the front lines fighting dark creatures, but they don't exactly follow federal laws. They tend to cause trouble."
So, the Shadowhunters were an underground group, not officially recognized.
"Haven't you tried recruiting them?" Roy asked. The FEA could use them—trained agents ready to go, no extra effort needed.
"The current Shadowhunter leader, Hodge Starkweather, doesn't trust the federal government at all. The FEA's tried multiple times to bring them in, but no dice. If they weren't actually taking out dark creatures, the FEA would've wiped them out by now."
Learning Roy was with the Shadowhunters, Sultana decided to call off her team's operation for the night.
"Roy, I'm pulling back. Wanna come with me to Sanjiviji? I need to talk to Alcina about the Elders' Council."
Roy immediately pictured the towering vampire woman.
"Do I have to go?"
Sultana sounded exasperated over the phone.
"Because you never kept your promise, Alcina's stopped selling me intel."
"Fine, I'll go with you. But wait—what about Clary? She's still sleeping!"
"Oh? You sealed the deal with Clary?" Sultana teased.
Roy's face darkened. "Sultana, don't talk nonsense. Clary and I are just friends."
"Only a matter of time!" Sultana laughed. "The Shadowhunters' base should be safe enough. If you're worried, leave Sadako or Kayako to watch over her."
Sultana didn't know the cursed daggers were currently with Heather and Penny, but Roy still had Francesca, who could act as a bodyguard.
"Got it. Let's meet outside Sanjiviji."
Roy left his Smith & Wesson M629 revolver by Clary's bedside, gave Francesca some instructions, and left a note before slipping out of the Shadowhunters' base unnoticed, thanks to his deception field.
---
Outside Sanjiviji Bar, Los Angeles.
Despite being close to dawn, the bar was surprisingly lively, which caught Roy and Sultana off guard. Sanjiviji was in a remote location, usually frequented by neutral vampires or werewolves, so it didn't typically see much foot traffic. Alcina Dimitrescu made her money selling information, not running the bar.
Spotting Roy and Sultana, Alcina's eyes lit up from behind the counter.
"Mr. Black, you finally decided to visit my little bar?" Her tone carried a playful resentment, like a neglected housewife, making Roy a bit uncomfortable.
"Uh, I've just been really busy, so I haven't had the chance to stop by."
"Busy every time you come to LA?" Alcina raised an eyebrow.
How did she know he'd been to LA multiple times? Roy shot a glance at Sultana, who looked sheepish.
"Sorry, Roy. Last time you wore me out, I vented to Alcina and accidentally let slip you'd been in LA."
Roy gave her a side-eye. Accidentally, my foot.
"Alright, Lady Dimitrescu, I admit I messed up. I'm sorry," Roy said, owning up to it.
Alcina's expression brightened instantly. "An apology's not enough! You owe me some compensation!"
A 2.8-meter-tall woman acting coy like a schoolgirl was… a lot to take in.
"Lady Dimitrescu, we'll talk compensation later. We're here to discuss the Elders—"
Before Roy could finish, Alcina quickly covered his mouth.
"Shh! Not here in public! Follow me."
Alcina called her daughter to watch the bar and led Roy and Sultana deeper into the establishment. Sanjiviji was already in a basement, but Alcina took them even lower, making Roy half-expect to end up in a subway tunnel.
Finally, she brought them to a hidden, luxurious room.
"You want to know about the Elders' Council and the recent vampire invasion on the West Coast, don't you?" Alcina said, cutting to the chase.
Roy and Sultana exchanged a look. As expected, Alcina knew something.
"Lady Dimitrescu, what's the situation?" Roy asked.
Alcina leaned down, licking her lips as she looked at him. "I may have moved from Eastern Europe to LA, but my intel network back there is still active. I know some of the Elders' Council's secrets. But why should I tell you?"
Here it comes. Roy knew this was going to cost him dearly.
"Lady Dimitrescu, how much do you want?"
She shook her head. "I don't want money. I want you."
"Lady Dimitrescu, this intel isn't worth that much."
"Who said I'm buying you? It's just… I haven't felt that spark in ages. But when I saw you, something in me stirred again. Do you understand, Mr. Black?"
Roy, not being a vampire, couldn't relate. But Sultana seemed to sympathize with Alcina, even speaking up for her.
"Roy, just indulge her a little. She's had it rough!"
Roy tilted his head at Sultana. "What did she bribe you with?"
Sultana grinned awkwardly. "Nothing, really. I just want an ally to gang up on you."
Roy rolled his eyes. Clearly, Sultana was still rattled from their last encounter. With no other choice, he decided to play along.
"Fine, let's do this."
Alcina's face lit up with joy. "Mr. Black—oh, I mean, Roy—follow me!"
She led him to a hidden bedroom with a towering four-meter ceiling and a massive bed, clearly her resting place. Sitting on the bed, Alcina's eyes gleamed with a predatory glint.
"Roy, need any prep? This might take a while," she purred.
Roy smirked. He'd faced tall women before—Elizabeth and Asmodeus in their true forms weren't exactly short. But a vampire? That was new.
Stepping up to Alcina, he craned his neck to meet her gaze. "I don't like looking up at people. Got any ideas?"
Her eyes sparkled as she dropped to her knees with a thud. Even kneeling, her 2.8-meter frame put her head at Roy's chest. "Better?"
"Still too tall."
Alcina lowered herself further, her head now at his waist. She caught his drift immediately. Mature women like her didn't need hand-holding—they got the hint.
"Wow!" Alcina gasped, clearly impressed by Roy's… prowess.
From a certain perspective, vampires, being undead, were akin to spirits. Roy had already tangled with ghosts, so a vampire wasn't much of a leap. Still, the experience was different. Ghosts, being non-physical, weren't bound by physical laws. Vampires, like Alcina, were very much subject to friction, giving Roy a crash course in physics.
Alcina's physique was formidable—twelve-pack abs that even gym rats would envy. And her "headlights"? Let's just say they were dazzling, nearly blinding Roy with their grandeur.
It was clear Alcina hadn't "fought" in a while, so when the "vehicle" was ready to roll, Roy found the ride challenging. As an undead creature, her blood didn't flow, and normal physiological responses were absent. But Alcina was tough, urging Roy to go all out without holding back.
Vampires had high resistance to physical damage, so Roy didn't hold back. The only issue was the high friction coefficient without lubrication, but Roy's ironclad physique didn't mind. Alcina, however, took some scratches, though she didn't care.
"Roy, it's like I'm alive again! This is incredible!" she exclaimed.
Roy gave her "taillight" a firm smack, like hitting a solid cushion. "Quiet, you!"
"Yes, yes, I'm yours, Mr. Black!" Alcina panted, eyes heart-shaped, her "engine" on the verge of overheating.
As a "large vehicle," sustained high-speed driving put a heavy load on the engine, especially with Roy's rough handling.
[Ding! Obtained Alcina Dimitrescu's Conquest Chest! Open it?]
Sure enough, in less than half an hour, the "big car" broke down.
"Alcina, come on, you were the one pushing for this, and now you're out of gas already?" Roy stood over her, looking down.
Alcina trembled under his gaze. "Roy, you're too much. I haven't felt this in centuries. Can we take a break and go again?"
Roy crouched, grabbing her chin without slapping her face. "No way. You don't keep a guest waiting."
Alcina gritted her teeth, looking up at him. "Then bring it on! I'll satisfy you!"
"Your words, not mine," Roy said with a wicked grin.
Alcina had underestimated him. She knew Roy was strong from Sultana's stories, but she'd assumed Sultana's experience—where Roy used maybe 10% of his strength—was his limit. Big mistake.
Still, Alcina held her own, outlasting Jennifer and Lilith but falling short of the two great demonesses. Not bad for a centuries-old vampire.
By dawn, Roy capped the battle with a champagne-style celebration. Alcina was covered in marks, but her vampire physiology would heal them quickly, leaving no scars. Her face radiated utter satisfaction.
Roy, to be honest, had a blast too. Women like Alcina, who could take a beating without complaint, were rare.
"Lady Dimitrescu, can you tell me about the Elders' Council now?"
Alcina nuzzled against him weakly. "Call me Alcina, Roy. I'll tell you everything."
(End of Chapter)