Author's note: this chapter is from Aldus's point of view

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Shortly before Serina met our visitor in the garden...

I was in the lab, going through the latest test results from Serina's exam when security notified me that a vehicle entered the property.

I checked the security feed on the screen and recognized the flashy Bentley.

"Let him through."

I ended the call and focused back on the data. It will take a few minutes for Lazarus to reach the villa, and I have so much here to do.

Serina's bodily functions seem fine. She is smart, but not a genius. She is strong and fit, but it's not beyond the borders of the human body.

The extraordinary thing is that her body is not degrading on a cellular level, and she has an extreme self-healing ability, but other than that, she is a normal human. A human that is not aging and can't get sick, but other than that… mostly normal.

One unusual thing I noticed was when I mixed her cells with foreign ones. Her cells invaded the other ones and took over, giving them the same properties as Serina's cells.

I was elated at this discovery as possibilities exploded in my mind. Can I use Serina's blood to extend human life? Or create immortals? Heal diseases? Or…? My excitement dwindled when I checked the sample under the microscope a few minutes later, finding nothing behind, like all the cells just disappeared. I repeated the test and confirmed that a few seconds after conversion, cells end up attacking each other.

My conclusion is that Serina's cells are like poison to others. Maybe. I need to isolate the enhancing and the destructive parts of Serina's cells. Or maybe they will react differently based on conditions. Her body is hiding so many secrets and I feel giddy like a child in a candy store.

Ah, I need to do more tests!

A sound reminded me of my guest approaching the villa, and I glanced at the screen from the security feed. I saw Lazarus step out of his car and raise his head, moving it slightly, as if he is inhaling the air.

I frowned when I saw that instead of toward the main entrance, Lazarus moved to the side of the villa and I switched cameras to follow him as he circled around and went to the garden where Serina is.

I wondered what Lazarus is up to. Probably nothing good.

I got up and moved toward the garden.

When Lazarus said that he will stop by, I wanted to tell him that this is not a good time, but then I remembered Serina. She still thinks that I am a crazy person who found her on the street drugged (or that I drugged her). Of course, she is not saying this openly, but I can see it in her eyes... the wariness whenever she eats or when I do the tests, and I know that she fears I will do something against her will.

Normally, I would give Serina all the time in the world to adjust to the fact that there are creatures that look human, but they are not. However, she is eager to expand her wings and go out and I can't let her do that if she is not aware of the dangers. That is why I told Lazarus that he can come, with the hope that Serina will notice that he is not normal (in her definition of normal).

The problem is that Lazarus arrived one day earlier, and I didn't get a chance to give Serina a heads-up about the visitor. And it seems that Lazarus caught her scent and decided to greet her instead of meeting with me first.

I rushed my steps, crossing within a second what would normally take minutes, with the hope that he does not do something too extreme. I want Serina to open her mind to the possibilities that different creatures exist, but not to freak her out.

I stepped into the garden and exhaled in frustration. Why the hell is Lazarus holding onto Serina? And what was that 'mine' claim? He was always a brute, unable to adapt to modern times. I will never understand dogs. Women these days have rights!

I cleared my throat to get his attention before calling: "Lazarus, you are early."

He lifted his head and glared at me for a second before adjusting his expression into a crooked smile.

"Aldus… you are always full of surprises. It's nice to be here, as always.", he said with fake pleasantry while his gaze drifted back to Serina who was obviously terrified.

I felt anger bubbling inside me. How dares he ignore me? "I see that you met my daughter. Do you mind explaining why you are holding onto her?"

Lazarus looked at me questionably. "Daughter?"

"Yes, Seraphina is my daughter.", my voice lowered as I controlled my urge to remind him how I earned the respect of immortals. "Let go of her, while I am in the good mood."

Lazarus narrowed his eyes at me and reluctantly released Serina from his hold.

I could see that he is not willing to part from her, but I didn't care. She is not some insignificant maid. I told him that she is my family and in extension, she is not someone he should dare to offend.

"Serina, dear… come here…" I extended my arm toward her, without removing my glare from Lazarus.

Serina scrambled toward me and I liked the way she clutched onto my sleeve. It told me that she counts on my protection. For the first time, I felt that we are connecting on a personal level. I am almost like a father. Or I think that is how a father should feel when his daughter needs protection from bullies.

I patted her head and calmed myself before addressing her. "Serina, this is Lazarus. He will stay with us for a day or two if he behaves. I'm sorry that I was not here in time to prevent what happened. He didn't know of your status. I will explain it to him, and I am sure that he will give you a proper apology during dinner."

I noticed that she is trembling. My goal was for Lazarus to open her eyes and mind, but I don't want her emotionally scarred.

I thought of giving her a comforting hug, but to be honest, I am not good at comforting creatures, so I went with the next best thing: I offered her to leave.

"Do you want to go to your room?"

She nodded.

I leaned closer and whispered: "Lock the door."

I gave her the tablet and her glancing at the bench told me that she is visibly surprised that the device was in my hand.

Lazarus looked after Serina with irritation obvious in his eyes.

"Since when you have a daughter?", Lazarus asked when Serina was out of sight.

"For you… since a minute ago."

"I didn't know you had a child."

"And I didn't know that people need to be biologically related in order to treat each other as family."

Lazarus stifled a laugh. "People? Family? That is rich, coming from you."

"I am glad that I amuse you, my friend. I hope that you keep in mind that she is my daughter and I want you to treat her as such."

Lazarus let out a growl in displeasure. "Is she your daughter or a lover?"

I was irked by his insinuation. I haven't desired a romantic partner in centuries. It is difficult to find the right mate among immortals, and the other kind perishes too soon, leaving scars on the soul, and I don't think I can bear more of those. A long time ago I decided that science is my mistress, and I devoted myself to her.

I didn't want to answer his question and asked some of my own.

"What was that hugging, Lazarus? Is that how you make friends these days?"

"She smells nice."

"That is how I describe food, not a person of interest. Do you want to eat her? By the way, I heard you claim her as yours, and it's not happening. Forget about it. That is not why you are here."

Lazarus sneered. "Why am I here?"

"I thought that you wanted to see me, and I said it's OK. Why are you putting this on me? Did one glance at my daughter make your mind muddled? If you have no reason behind this visit, you are free to leave."

"Are you trying to keep me away from your… daughter?"

"If you are going to force yourself on her, then yes."

Lazarus's eyes shifted, and I could see that he is up to something.

"What if I don't use force?"

I shrugged. "You are welcome to approach her as a friend and maybe even as a partner, but you need to be a gentleman and respect her desires."

Lazarus thought for a second before responding with a nod, but I was not convinced, and I wanted to give him a warning.

"Don't take this lightly, Lazarus. Whatever you do to her, imagine that you are doing to me. And keep in mind that if you harm her in any way or even frighten her, you will feel my wrath."

This time Lazarus stiffened, telling me that he got the message.

I smiled. "Now, why are you here?"

"I need your assistance. Caleb is hunting in my territory."

I paused. "Who is Caleb?"

"That is how Constantine calls himself these days.", Lazarus explained.

"Oh, OK. Let's go to my study and talk there…", I offered. If it's about territories and hunting, it should be done in private.

Lazarus has his territory where he is allowed to hunt and is responsible for cleanup and maintaining a low profile. Every immortal or a creature with a long lifespan who reaches a certain rank in our society gets a territory to manage. It helps us stay accountable for our actions.

Some hunt for food, some for experiments, and some for fun. Eternity can be boring, and everyone is finding ways to stay motivated.

I was bored while listening to Lazarus' whinnying about Caleb causing a mess in Lazarus' territory. It is not the first time.

Caleb is known as one who treats mortals as a lower species, food, or cattle, and I am amused to see that Lazarus believes he is better than Caleb. Hypocrisy never ceases to amaze me.

The only difference between Lazarus and Caleb is that Lazarus had a misfortune to end up in my lab so he is aware of some things I can do. And if no one holds Lazarus accountable, he would fall to his urges without trying to resist. His encounter with Serina proved that.

I am still not sure if Lazarus wanted to eat Serina or take her to bed. In any case, he will not admit his true intentions, and I will keep my eyes on him.

The good thing is that Serina got a taste of danger and a glimpse that Lazarus is not human. I can't wait for Lazarus to end his whinnying so that I can talk to Serina and see if she finally believes in the supernatural (how she calls it), or I need to give her more hints.

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You can see Lazarus's photo in the comments...

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