Chapter 1
Aurelia
“Next!”
The line of vampires coming to greet the Castle family’s new king was out the door. The room that my father loved so much had been torn down and remade to fit my brother's new aesthetic.
Adrian had a flair for the extravagant. Sparkling stained glass windows.
Black ceilings covered in glittering gold that made it look like the night sky was shining above us.
The chandelier that was hanging from the ceiling was made to look like sharp blood droplets were starting to fall on the people below.
A red carpet was rolled out on the marble floor.
The vampires knew better than to stand on it as I waited for Adrian to call them, all of them standing to the side.
The air was tense as everyone waited for the first official appearance of the new Castle king. Eyes darted around as many tried to figure out what was coming.
It all happened so fast. My father’s murder. The ousting of our stepfamily.
They were lucky he didn’t kill them, but still they ran as fast as their legs could take them.
I’d always wanted to be rid of the step-bastards but never like this. It left a bitter taste in my mouth.
He then went on to destroy everything our palace once was.
He kept Father's throne, though. One of the only things that signified he had taken over from him, a cruel sign of power that only he could come up with.
A reminder that, while my father's legacy was still alive through his children, he was no longer in charge.
Just like Father, he pushed me out to the side, forcing me to stand during these occasions.
“My lord, this is Roman and his son Adam,” said the vampire to the side of us.
My eyes shot to him, trying to keep the anger down. He was one of the men who killed the witches when they ambushed us.
Levana’s shocked, dead face was forever frozen in my mind. I pushed it away just as someone else caught my eye.
General Lee. He stood tall, his hair cleanly brushed and his mustache well-kept, wearing the uniform provided by the council, making him look every bit the part of a general indeed.
Adrian had brought his army—his most loyal vampires. They were cruel attack dogs waiting for his every order. But General Lee had been a shock. Specifically sent from the vampire council to oversee the transfer of power.
They said it in a way that made it seem like he was here trying to keep the peace, when he was actually just another one of my brother’s lapdogs.
And a huge fucking issue.
“Congratulations on your rise to power,” Roman said, forcing his head low. I had seen him on occasion at my father's galas, but never really talked to him. “We brought you gold and jewels—”
My brother let out a bark of a laugh that had both Roman and his son jerking back as if they'd been slapped.
Here we go.
Adrian had been relatively well-behaved today. But with him, it only took something small, like offering him something as common as gold when he had an entire kingdom filled with it.
“You really think I have any use for gold?” he said as he waved his hand around. “There hasn't been a new king in a millennium, let alone one born to a powerful family such as mine, and you thought it would be smart to offer me gold? Don't insult me.”
I held in my scoff.
A powerful family such as mine.
Even though he was an unverified bastard, he sure as hell seemed to belong here. It irked me to no end.
I had suffered for my role. I continued to suffer for my role. But somehow he had gained enough power—and rabid followers—that he had been able to kill our father with his bare hands.
The outsiders didn’t know just how crazy he truly was, though. Not until a moment like this.
It would have been better if they had shown up with nothing, simply bowing in front of him and pledging their loyalty.
It was all for show anyway. The real Blood Rites wouldn’t happen for a few more weeks at the earliest. That was when everyone in the family and his followers would blood-bond themselves to him. That was where the true power lay.
This was just a show of wealth. Royals peacocking in front of a madman in hope to gain his favor.
The rumors about him had spread far and wide, and it would be impossible for any vampire out there not to know he had taken over, so families and clan heads from all over decided to make the trip on short notice.
The vampire world ran on connections. On the checking of each other’s power and shared resources of blood, wealth, and land.
It would be especially insulting for them not to show up for the new king since my brother would undoubtedly put them on his shit list.
I once thought he was crazy enough without power. Tearing witches’ heads off. Stalking the lands in search of easy vampire prey to kill. But knowing him now, that was nothing but a preview of the real him.
“I’m sorry, My Lord—”
“Kill them.”
Roman jerked back, fear twisting his face. The lackey to my side took one step forward, ready to end it all, but Brother Dearest raised his hand.
His head snapped to stare right at me, looking so much like Father in that moment. But his piercing blue eyes, somehow crueler than my father's ever were, glittered with excitement.
“Aurelia, you do the honors.”
This time I didn't fight my sigh. He was constantly putting me through it, testing how far I would go before I broke.
He thought I was nothing more than a spoiled princess. That I had lived my life just waiting for a chance to get married off to be pampered until my death.
I played the part well. It had been my role since birth, so I fell right into it.
But what he didn’t know was how I had been forced to be the beautiful princess on the outside and the cruel attack dog on the inside.
What he was asking was child’s play.
“You just love getting my dresses dirty, don't you?” I asked and took a step forward.
He let out a chuckle.
“No one asked you to get decked out today.”
I hadn’t. This was my normal princess uniform.
My hair was curled, up and out of my face, so it fell around my shoulders.
My dress was mostly black with hints of deep red, with a corset and skirt that hugged my body.
The sleeves fell off the shoulder, and I wore a large jewel necklace that sat heavy on my chest.
Underneath it was my own little secret. The only thing that mattered.
My heels clacked as I lunged forward to grip Roman's hair, studying him with one hand on his shoulder. He looked at me with fear in his eyes. With betrayal. Like I should be saving him.
“Please don’t,” his son forced out.
It was useless. There was no negotiating with my brother. And I had the image of a cruel princess to uphold.
In a blink, I ripped his head from his shoulders. The lack of hesitation caught him off guard and made it easy for me to end his life without much of a fuss.
His son, on the other hand, was already running down the bright red carpet. I followed, bolting down the steps of the platform the throne was on, and yanked him to the ground.
He thrashed and pushed me, and if I hadn’t had the experience of fighting the rogue with Cedar and Vesper, I might not have been able to pull this off.
My chest ached every time I thought of them. But even doing that was dangerous. I forced images of their green and golden eyes away from my mind. Tried to forget the way their heated touch felt against my skin. How their lips tasted. How their moans—
I forced my heel onto his chest, digging the sharp point in as he let out a pained yelp. I leaned down and grabbed his head between my hands.
“Please, princess, I never meant any harm. I’m loyal to you—”
It took a good part of my strength to pull his head off. Dark vampire blood sprayed all across the carpet and, of course, my dress and face.
As I looked up at the throne, my brother was already staring down at me with a smile. I held up the head for him.
The vampires lined up to my right knew better than to gasp, but I could feel their eyes on me as I dropped the head to the floor and motioned for one of our vampire staff to clean it up.
My eyes lingered on General Lee. If he was who he said he was, this would be cause enough to report me to the council.
But his face just twisted into a smile.
“Next!” I yelled, my voice echoing through the room.
The next pair went up, but instead of looking at them, my brother's eyes were on me the entire time, that same playful smirk on his lips.
I could smell who it was long before he spoke.
“Quite a show, princess,” General Lee said, meeting me in the long, covered hallway that showcased the now all-black roses surrounding all sides of our palace.
They had once been a brilliant red that made the castle itself stand out like it was floating in a sea of blood. But just like with everything here, my brother had brought it into ruin.
His whole slogan was that he was going to bring it back, but all I could see was the careful, systematic way in which he was destroying it.
“I’m sure Kyan would love to hear about it,” I said, not looking at him as he joined me by the window.
The sun had fallen, the stars bright above us. The moon was full and shone a light directly on us, putting us in the spotlight. Is this Krae’s way of watching us?
“You and I both know the council doesn’t care about these things,” he replied, inching closer. “But I did hear something interesting about your pet. Do you want to know?”
I couldn’t stop my body from reacting. The bond in my chest might be dulling, but it was still there. She was still there.
She will always be there.
Vesper or Cedar crossed my mind at any given moment. The urge to run to them was almost more than I could handle. Especially as the gross-smelling general’s skin brushed up against mine.
I looked up at him, trying not to show just how much I was yearning for any news of her. I had been lingering in the halls among the staff and guards, trying to eavesdrop on anything at all, but there was not even so much as a whisper about the silver-haired hunter.
“She’s been given to the Leclair family,” he whispered. “Weird how they didn’t show up here today, isn’t it?”
“Many vampires didn’t show up today,” I noted. “The Leclair family already sent in their gifts.”
Feeders. Elegant ones, reserved for royal feedings and decked out in jewels and fabrics that oozed wealth.
I filed the information away. I would need to figure out a way to call upon their daughter. Maybe I could send her a letter and convince her to come in person—
“Aren’t you worried your pet will find a new master?”
My gaze snapped to him, a growl forcing itself from my chest. I got it under control the moment I saw the triumph of getting to me flash across his face.
“What is your game here?” I asked. “The council sent you here to oversee, but I’m starting to think that’s complete bullshit.”
He raised a brow at me.
“Do tell me, princess. Why do you think I’m here?”
I turned to face him fully, letting a smile of my own spread across my face.
“I think Kyan doesn’t care about you anymore,” I whispered, running my hand down the shiny bits of his uniform. “I think you wormed your way here and are trying to align yourself with the strongest. Almost like… you’re the pet looking for a new master.”
His hand grabbed mine harshly just as it got to the center of his chest. A sort of power radiated from him, one that caused me to panic and try and pull my hand away.
I tried to play it off.
“You’re not the only one,” I added. “In fact, there is a line out the door of vampires willing to bend for him. What makes you stand out, especially if Kyan has turned her back on you?”
Anger flared.
“Kyan hasn’t turned her back on me,” he hissed. “I rose to this position myself. I protect and oversee entire armies. You have no idea just how important I am to the council.”
With a forced smile, I snatched my hand back and made a show of wiping it off on my dress.
“People of real importance don’t have to prove it to anyone,” I said and started walking away. “Let’s just hope my brother hasn’t gotten close enough to smell the rot on you.”
He didn’t reply. I took one last glance at him as I walked on, only to see him clenching his fist and shaking.
There’s something about him. Something wrong.
It wasn’t until I was safely up on the fifth floor of the castle that I let out a breath and sank against the cool window that looked out over the palace grounds.
I was a rat stuck in a den of snakes, each one looking more venomous than the last.
Vesper, Cedar, hold on. Don’t give up on me.