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Ezra stood firm, trying to appear unfazed. "No, Count Griffin. I'm not accusing you of anything. I however, want to point out that your reaction is much stronger than I anticipated. Surely, such an accusation would not trouble you unless there was truth to it."

Griffin kept staring at Ezra, his eyes cold and hard.

"Think about it, Count." Ezra crossed his hands behind his back and stood tall, ignoring the way Valaren was tugging at the chains connecting them. "You have three covens involved in this mess. If we do come to blows, no matter the outcome, you will end up losing a coven because I see no other way for this to end than violence if no negotiation take place.

Brokering this deal will bring a measure of stability to your County."

Griffin's expression softened slightly, though the suspicion remained. "You speak of stability, but I do you know what I see? Ambition. What guarantee do I have that your actions won't actually disrupt the stability you speak of?"

"You're Count." Ezra stated plainly even as the vitality within him began surging as Valaren began pulling on it. Shit! Stop that! He tried imposing his will on the beast, but Valaren was obstinate. "The Law of Authority states that all vampires must obey all relevant authority. Your word is law.

Literally."

Ezra was almost driven to his knees as Valaren roared, sapping a bit of his vitality. His knees wavered, but he disguised it by taking a strong step forward. "Brokering this deal will maintain the balance you have over your covens and not one shall suffer from this deal."

Griffin's eyes gleamed with a mix of calculation and curiosity. "And what makes you think I care about maintaining balance over consolidating my own power? The reward I get from the City Lord will surely trump whatever balance I maintain. So, I ask again. Why should I help you?"

Ezra's gritted his teeth, trying to remain strong in front of the Count. "Because, Count, a disruption of your stability would mean a temporary weakness. I imagine you enjoy your current position. Who says the other Counts won't take advantage of this weakness? I wonder. Will the City Lord lift a finger if this comes to pass?"

Griffin's Aura pulsed again, but this time with a more focused intensity. "You walk a fine line, Ezra. Be careful that your insight does not overstep."

Ezra stood his ground, the pressure of Griffin's Aura washing over him without effect. He had much more pressing matters. Shit! I have to get out of here. He strained, trying to keep hold of his vitality even as Valaren kept tugging. He met Griffin's gaze.

"The line I walk is one that benefits us both. Unless, of course, you have other plans that would be disrupted by our success."

A long silence followed, the tension in the room thick and suffocating. Griffin's eyes bore into Ezra's, searching for any sign of deceit. Fuck! Say something! Do something! Anything!

Let me get out of here!

Finally, the Count leaned back, the oppressive weight of his Aura lifting as quickly as it had descended. A slow smile spread across his face, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Very well, Ezra. I will help you. But know this. My assistance comes at a cost."

Ezra clenched his fists as he inclined his head again, acknowledging the unspoken terms of their agreement. Olivia had assured him it would be like this. "I understand. And I am prepared to meet your price."

Griffin's smile widened, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of curiosity and satisfaction. "Good. Then let us discuss the specifics of our arrangement. I will broker the negotiation with the Macmillan and Aaron covens, but in return, you will owe me a favor. A significant one."

Ezra nodded, the terms clear. "Agreed. Thank you, Count Griffin."

The Count waved a hand dismissively, his gaze already shifting to the next matter at hand. Whatever it was. "You may go, Ezra. I will contact you with further details."

********

Griffin watched Ezra go. As the door closed with a loud thud, X stepped out of the shadows, bowing lightly.

"Do you think I was too lenient?" He asked X in amusement. "Maybe I should've let him suffer a bit more." He chuckled.

X stayed silent.

"It's impressive." The Count leaned forward on his throne. "He's holding up well. Too well in fact. All the newborns who have taken relics as their first had all been eaten up from the inside within their first month. I wonder..."

"Do you know why progenitor relics are different from normal tattoos?" He turned to X, smiling slightly.

"No." X answered.

"It's quite ingenious, really. Even I didn't know about it until Itachi told me. Normal tattoos share a soul with their wielders. Progenitor tattoos were made from a soul."

X stiffened.

Griffin laughed loudly. "I see you're shocked. I've studied the relic I have with me. The relics have their own soul. However, the mechanics of the tattoo system requires them to share a soul with their owners. That means two souls merge.

An artificial soul and a natural soul to form something new."

Griffin stood up from his throne. "That's what make princes so special. Not the relic but the soul. That is why it's much harder to dominate a relic. You're both fighting for both your souls. You've been watching Ezra right?"

"Yes."

"You've been having way too much fun with that, haven't you? You approached him disguised as an old man giving nonsensical advice, didn't you."

"....."

"I've always wanted to do that." Griffin sighed, mechanical wheezing filling the air. He turned to the door and his gaze turned distant. "The Matten Coven. A loner, a prince and a veil breaker pup. That sounds like the beginning of a bad joke."

"Veil breaker pup?" X asked. "Genesis?"

Griffin hummed. "We'll see what happens. Either way, I'll have fun watching."