Prologue

* * *

The room, submerged in silence, seemed to hold the echo of the voice that had just been heard. The crystal tones of the whisper seemed forever frozen in the eternal darkness, barely dispersed by the dancing dance of the fireplace's flame. The place had not known sunlight for a long time. Since the ancient builders had finished their work and left, people rarely came down here, and if they did, it was only for a short time. Then it was no longer needed, and the room was forgotten, leaving it at the mercy of rats and woodlice for many years to come.

Until the new owners came underground. They repaired the rooms, installed air ducts, drove out in a hard struggle the dampness and the former tailed tenants, laid carpets, brought furniture from the surface...

In front of the fireplace, where the wood was crackling merrily and cozily, sat two women. The first one, the golden-haired beauty, had just finished speaking, and now she waited tensely for her friend's decision. An older friend, as she had decided long ago. She revolved in high society and knew many people with real power, able to play on the delicate strings of emotions of noble ladies and manipulated the harsh militant men, for the sake of her benevolent smile, young men did crazy things, and poets have dedicated poems to "the beautiful maiden of the night with blue eyes like the sky". But any plans, the strongest vows were broken at the word of the other. The owner of a magnificent figure and charming, enchanting voice once and for all agreed to the second role, never regretting her choice.

The small, frail teenage girl possessed a steely will and a cold, impassioned mind, made almost no mistakes, and always got her infatuated friend out of the many troubles she was a great handyman for. One knew how to desire. The other knew how to get desired.

They complimented each other well - feelings and reason, a whirlwind of passion and rational calculation.

"To tell you the truth, it's a good moment."

Darkness did not react to the consent. Unlike the tense, waiting beauty, whose face blossomed with a joyful smile after hearing the words. She happily leaned back, arching her back, stretched softly, and without fear of wrinkling the rich dress, climbed into an armchair with her feet, finally getting a resemblance to a cat in contentment with itself and the world. Her companion watched with mild irony the spectacle, which was as natural as it was unconscious.

"The question is," the girl continued, "whether we can keep the prize and what we're going to do with it."

"Is that a problem?" Sincere surprise in the voice.

"More than that. Some pieces are hard not to choke on." A slight smile, and then the angular teenager's face stiffened into stony stillness again. Only in the depths of the pupils is an occasional reddish glow. Perhaps the flames, perhaps not. "I fear the consequences."

"So you have doubts?"

The creature with the appearance of a teenager and old eyes slowly shook its head.

"No. It's just that the game will be harder, the stakes will be higher, and there will be more blood. But," she smiled grimly, revealing long, snow-white fangs, "we're used to that, aren't we?"

* * *