Aria straightened, her posture shifting instantly from casual to martial. "My father has ordered me to remain here. The Gu family believes pooling resources with the Kagu is our best option." Her orange eyes flashed with a determination that bordered on ferocity. "Besides, our coastal estates are overrun. There's nowhere else for me to go."
Ava's delicate features hardened. "The Peng compound remains secure, but my mother thinks I'm safer here for now. Our defensive arrays are holding, but..." She trailed off, the implication clear. Even the legendary Peng family barriers might not withstand a concentrated vampire assault.
A heavy silence fell over the table, broken only by the soft sounds of silverware against porcelain. The reality of our situation pressed down on us—five students in the third-year of our education.
