Chapter 2
Valentina
Four months later
A fter weeks of traveling, I found myself in Rome, Italy. The city had been in turmoil, which helped in my favor—no one in the supernatural world was looking for me. They were all preoccupied with hiding from the Catholic Church and the rebellion.
I made a quick stop to pay tribute at the grave of an old poet friend, then headed to a cozy taverna near the coastline, about twenty miles from the city. It was the only place I wanted to be. The endless flow of wine and other spirits wasn’t enough to smother the painful emotions that burned my dead heart. I couldn’t understand what was happening—vampires feeling remorse or even grief over their kills was unheard of, especially if you were ‘She Who Walks with the Devil.’
It’s impossible.
My heart had been devoid of emotion or care for others for thousands of years. I demanded obedience and loyalty from my progeny and, sometimes, to satisfy my sexual appetites. But to regret and even feel sorrow for my actions? No, that was never a possibility. I was what Kylan made me to be—a soulless demon. How I came to break free from my maker’s control was an enigma. One that I didn’t question. But I still killed without shame. What was happening now felt like nothing I had ever experienced.
Something was shifting.
I took another long sip of red wine, enjoying the oak richness and feeling the burn slide down my throat. I placed the glass on the counter, swirling the liquid. Within hours of turning Andrei, word had spread across the nearby villages of what had happened to him. Despite my best efforts to avoid the news, a local boatman taking me back to the mainland shared it with me.
News of the esteemed village doctor’s crimes had spread like wildfire. Jasen, Andrei’s youngest brother, had survived, but unfortunately, Andrei had slaughtered his wife and child because of me.
The details of that brutality roiled in my mind, making me feel sick. I needed more wine to drown this guilt and pain. While I cared little for the wife’s demise, the child was another matter. It was something that weighed heavily on me.
Let it go. I drained the rest of the wine quickly.
“Più vino, per favore,” I called to the barkeep. I watched him pour another glass and slide it toward me. “Grazie, signore.”
The instant I lifted my glass to my lips, a firm hand settled on my left shoulder. I turned around quickly and seized their arm, twisting the wrist. Seeing that it was a man, I slammed my knee into his inner thigh, causing his knees to buckle and fall to the floor.
“Placing your hands on a lady without permission is quite rude and calls for a swift reprimand. Don’t you agree, stranger?”
I looked down at the man kneeling at my feet. He had wavy, shoulder-length dark-brown hair that framed his angular face, with olive-toned skin catching the light of the lantern above us. A hint of a beard covered his sharp jawline, adding to his roguish charm. When he looked up, his hazel eyes caught mine, and his lips tilted upward into an amused, sheepish smile.
Well, isn’t he beautiful?
There was something else about him as well. Something very familiar in those eyes and that smile, but I couldn’t place him. I’d encountered hundreds of thousands of humans over the years, so it would take some time to recall the memory if we had met.
“My goodness, are you always this vicious toward someone who merely wants to talk to you?” The man, who spoke English with a Romanian accent, nodded toward his twisted arm in my hand. “I’d say you’re close to breaking my limb.”
“Do you honestly believe you’re not in the wrong for sneaking up on me?”
He offered his other hand in a gesture of surrender, so I released my hold on him. The man rose to his feet, rubbing his wrist gingerly. “That’s quite the grip you have there, signorina.”
I scoffed and sat back in the wooden chair, taking another deep gulp of wine. “Well, I think someone like you could withstand the punishment,” I quipped. The man’s skin was ice cold. “What do you want?” I glanced over my shoulder. “… vampire.”
It wasn’t the first time I had pulled a cloak over my head or tried to disguise myself to avoid the eyes of other vampires and witches. But after centuries, it was nearly impossible to stay hidden. My face was too well-known—the first vampire to ever walk the Earth.
But I wasn’t the first true immortal. That title belonged to Kylan, a creature whose angelic face masked a truly corrupted demonic entity. I was his first and only bite, channeling the power of demon and angel into my witch blood and creating the perfect weapon the Devil had desired for so long. My kind had worshipped me, but as time passed and more bodies piled up in my wake, I made far too many enemies. My followers and progeny wanted to see me destroyed. I was a fallen idol of darkness.
I eyed this man, who was grinning at me. He could very well either be an admirer or an enemy.
“Do I know you?” I asked, watching his smile grow wider.
“We crossed paths at one point in time,” he answered. “And I would very much like to speak with you for ten minutes if you please.”
Considering his presence momentarily, I nodded and gestured to the empty chair beside me. “You have ten minutes. Choose your words carefully.”
I struggled with the instinct to leave the taverna and disappear, but my curiosity pulled at me about who this man was. Suddenly, he slapped a faded yellow parchment on the countertop and slid it under my gaze.
I looked down to see the sketch of my face and took in a deep sigh. “They got my nose wrong,” I said with a smirk, bringing the glass of wine to my lips and taking a slow sip. I let my fangs slide down past my lips.
If he’s here to kill me, I’ll rip his throat out.
“‘Wanted,’” he started, reading from the paper. “‘Valentina Vasile, She Who Walks with the Devil,’ enemy to all. One thousand lire for whoever captures or drives a stake through her heart.’”
“Hmm.” I swirled the last of my drink. “That’s a bit violent. What the hell did I do to warrant my death?” With a slight smile, I tipped the glass back and emptied it. The barkeep wordlessly poured another as his gaze glanced at the man.
“Well, if you’re here to kill me, I suppose I at least deserve your name.”
His name may trigger a memory.
The charming man placed his finger on the flyer and slid it back to me. “Darius Cruca.”
No, not a familiar name.
“Darius Cruca,” I repeated. “Would you prefer to attempt to stake me here or outside? The owner is a loyal friend of mine, and I’d hate to destroy his livelihood on your foolish … and greedy impulse.”
Darius leaned on the bar and chuckled quietly. “On the contrary, Signorina Vasile, I’m not here to kill you.” He smiled again, painting his rugged face with innocence.
My goodness, he likes to smile, doesn’t he?
“There’s no need to lie, sir.” I paused, letting my eyes briefly look over him and his ragged clothes. “That’s a lot of money, and you … you look like you could use it.”
Darius threw back his head and laughed aloud. “You wound me,” he said as he grabbed my wine glass and brought it to his lips. “I have no desire for wealth anymore. But I do have a proposition for you.” He then drank my wine. My jaw dropped at the brazen behavior.
The nerve of him.
I raised an eyebrow. “A proposition for me ? That’s bold of you, considering you’ve done nothing yet to make me trust you.”
“You’re running now,” Darius said, his voice a mere whisper, tapping his finger lightly on the wanted flier with my face on it. “I can offer you a safe place in exchange for your power and knowledge.” He leaned in a little closer. “And perhaps something else you may want. I can even tell you how we first met.”
I stiffened at the words and felt a flash of irritation burn across my neck. “What knowledge are you speaking of?”
“For one, you were born a witch.”
I nodded, watching him closely.
“And second, you are the only being in this world whose blood is witch, demon, and angel. You hold a power unlike any other—one that could be the key to protecting that which we hide behind walls. A future for you and your heirs.”
“My heirs?” I scoffed, a bitter chuckle escaping my lips. “I’m a vampire, Darius. Any chance of passing on my heritage died the day a Nephalem decided to strip me of my humanity.”
He leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving mine. “What if I told you there was a way to save your bloodline? A way to pass on all your gifts to a single person?”
I clenched my jaw; he was speaking in riddles. “That’s it. I’ve heard enough.” As I started to stand, he seized my wrist. “How dare you!” I hissed, my voice low and dangerous as my eyes burned red. “Let go of me.”
Darius didn’t flinch. Instead, his eyes bore deep into mine with such intensity that I froze. “Dhampirs.”
I blinked. “What did you say?”
“Twelve dhampirs born over the span of twenty years,” he said quietly.
My breath caught in my throat. Dhampirs? That isn’t possible. The legends spoke of them, sure, but no one had ever seen one to verify those claims. Vampires couldn’t have children.
“You lie,” I growled, shaking my head. “Dhampirs don’t exist.”
“That was my first thought, too,” Darius said, his grip loosening, but he didn’t release me. “But I’ve seen them with my own eyes—humans mating with vampires and giving birth to children who can feed on both blood and human food. They even have immortal powers, just like us, but their hearts still beat.”
I blinked, disbelief sinking in. What Darius said seemed impossible, yet the look in his eyes suggested he wasn’t lying.
“Why are you telling me all this?” I demanded. “Regardless of my reputation , I’m still a stranger to you.”
“Because right now, as I speak of this, I see so much pain behind your eyes,” Darius said softly, his gaze staying locked on mine. “I’ve seen the same pain in vampire women who cannot bear children. But you can.”
I felt a chill crawl up my spine.
Darius reached into his pocket and produced a dark, sparkling jewel. The stone was roughly the size of a large coin, a deep hunter green, and wrapped in gilded metal cords. He placed the stone on the counter between us, and I leaned a little to examine it better. “They call this stone the ‘Amavasya’s Tear,’” he said.
“My, it’s … it’s beautiful,” I said, picking it up. “But if this gem can do what you claim, aren’t you being a little reckless having it out in the open?”
He shrugged. “Probably.”
“Where did it come from?” I asked, raising a brow.
Darius leaned in, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. “The Daughters of Dusk summoned the Witch of One, an ancient and powerful entity. Some called her Hecate Incarnate, Daughter of Ceridwen, or Goddess of all Magics. I mean, no one really knows her true name. The gem formed from her womb holds unmatched power over all elements. It even surpasses your abilities. They stole it from her, harnessed its magic, and cast the spell that made it possible.”
When I heard the name “Daughters of Dusk,” I remembered the legends passed down among witches. The Daughters were a coven who lost their power after a vampire turned them centuries ago. Even when that happened, they still practiced ritual magic with potions and enchanted gems. Their story had always been a mystery to me of power gained and lost.
Though Darius’s words seemed improbable, the stone in my hand felt all too real. I felt its power humming within.
“The Daughters of Dusk …” I said, my thoughts racing.
Darius nodded. “They were desperate. A vampire took their ability to have children. They’d do anything to get it back. However, they had to run and hide for over a decade. The consequences of what they had done kept them in exile. If the ancient covens found out about the dhampirs, they’d hunt them down and kill them. You know those witches have no qualms about killing innocent babies. The Daughters needed a place to teach their children how to survive in this cruel world. So, five years ago, they sought me out.”
“Five years …” I whispered. “And you’ve been hiding them all this time?”
“Yes,” Darius said. “It’s not much—an academy, a school, whatever you want to call it—but everything I had went into it. We’ve been running it for five years, but soon … it won’t be enough.”
My gaze returned to the stone, and doubt washed over me. “So, say I believe you. How exactly does the stone work? What’s the ritual?”
“The magic of the stone activates during a Fool’s New Moon,” he explained.
“Wait,” I interrupted. “The Fool’s New Moon was just a few days ago.”
“Yes. The Daughters will need our help until the next one, which will happen in another ten years. That’s how long it takes for the energy to renew and the Witch of One’s power to be at its peak. The ritual requires aligning the new moon with Venus and Earth before speaking the incantation over the stone.” He gave me a side smirk. “Then the witch has to mate with a human.”
My mouth tugged upward at the heat beneath those words. Then I ran my thumb over the stone, the cool surface comforting in my hand. “What exactly do you think I can do for them, though? I don’t have my magic. The ring that would’ve allowed me to access my power is long gone, taken by a man I once trusted.”
Darius reached out to take my hand suddenly, and I let him. “Teach and protect the dhampirs, so we can someday revolt against the Black Onyx and Lemurian Quartz Coven. These children have the power to change everything. But they can’t do it alone.”
I thought about something else. “The Daughters lost their powers when they turned into vampires. How are they able to pass that magic to their children?”
“The Tear is a powerful anomaly. As long as they harness that power during labor, the magic that went into the stone during the Fool’s New Moon nine months prior will tether their lost essence and pass it down.”
Good God.
If other immortals could harness elemental magic, we would finally defeat the ancient covens. They’ve always been my enemies. If there were a way to stop them, to protect these children and use their power against them, then I could finally destroy those witches once and for all.
But trusting Darius? I didn’t know the man, but if there indeed was a way for a spell to help impregnate a vampire, I had to see it for myself. I had to see these … dhampirs.
He was also right about one thing: I was indeed running. Saving the lives of others would help me feel that small moment of peace that I lost that night in Greece.
The night I let my victim kill his wife and child.
“I’ll think about it,” I said, removing his hand from mine. “Give me a few days, and I’ll meet you at the Arch of Constantine.”
“I hope you do think about it, Valentina. I hope you won’t continue down the path of cowardice, spending eternity doing the same thing you’re doing now—hiding. It’s beneath someone of your power and legacy.”
I raised my brow. “You better watch your tone. I might rip your tongue out.”
Darius only grinned at my threat. “Don’t be fooled into thinking that though the covens have left most of us alone all these years—the pure-blooded vampires—they won’t take up arms against us again. Covens like Lemurian Quartz and Black Onyx will never stop trying to kill those they deem a threat, even when we haven’t provoked them. Soon, we will use those dhampirs to destroy them all. Together, you and I can change history.”
He suddenly reached out and brushed my long locks behind my ear.
“What the hell are you doing?” I gasped, but when his icy fingers touched the tip of my ear, my stomach leaped. Despite my initial protest, every fiber of my being longed for a sensation that was anything but the guilt I felt.
“I’d like to buy you a drink now … since I drank your wine,” he said, stepping back. “We can share a warm glass of red liquid later.”
The corner of my mouth turned up in a predatory grin, the alluring taste of warm blood invading my thoughts. No thirst was truly subdued, no matter how hard vampires tried to ignore it. “And you think you can buy a lady’s time with a drink or two? Don’t flatter yourself, Signore Cruca.”
“Darius,” he corrected me. “And I promise to make it worth your while—especially after I just gave you an overwhelming amount of information.”
I let myself laugh that time before giving him a nod and ordering a bottle of wine for us to share.
For the next two hours, we sat in the taverna, talking. Darius told me more about the dhampirs, giving me a clearer picture of how he was helping them. The school—a tiny building tucked away in the forests outside Venice—remained hidden from the world, cloaked in concealment magic to ensure its secrecy.
Darius made another point: the world would reject the idea of vampires bearing children. Once they learned about the Tear, the coven would go to any lengths to obtain that valuable gem, even killing all who stood in their way, innocent or not.
I pushed away what I assumed was my tenth glass of wine and leaned back against the chair. It had also been years since I had drunk as much as I did; the room had suddenly begun to spin. Even for the first vampire, that was a lot of alcohol so quickly.
“Your eyes look like blue topaz,” he said. “They’re stunning, you know.”
Darius touched my leg as I leaned back against my seat, sliding his fingers slowly up my thigh. His eyes lingered on mine like he was asking permission to keep it there. It was sudden and unexpected … but I allowed it.
It had been a while since a man had touched me like that, too; however, being so close to such a handsome one made me not care about anything else. I wanted him to touch me. I wanted to forget about the guilt, to forget about whispers in my mind that murmured a child was dead because of me.
I was ready to give in to it all. My knee brushed against his leg, daring Darius to move closer, and I slightly urged my hip. My eyes settled on his, and I spotted it, then—a shift. The lust in his eyes turned into conflict, pain, or a mix of both. Looking down at me, he paused, contemplating whether to continue. I wanted him to, but the pained look in his eyes told me he was about to pull away.
And he did.
“What is it?” I asked, watching him turn from me and fiddle with the cuffs of his coat.
“It’s nothing. I … I should probably go.” Darius stood up, folded the sketch of me, and placed it in his pocket. “Think about everything I said earlier, and I’ll hopefully see you in three days with your decision.”
He tried to walk past me but swayed a little.
“I think you’ve had too much to drink. Perhaps you sit down and finish what you started under the table.” His eyes looked down at me, and he bit his bottom lip. I didn’t come here with the intention of sleeping with a man, but right then, the desire throbbing between my legs clouded my judgment, as well as the wine.
“Goodbye, Valentina.”
Goodbye?
He tried to pass me again, but I grabbed his elbow. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I asked, rising to my feet to look at him.
He hesitated momentarily, and then pulled free and walked toward the door.
I wasn’t about to let him slip away that easily. I tossed a couple of lire on the counter and hurried after him. “You show up out of nowhere,” I started, following closely behind, “offer me a position, touch me like a lover would do, then recoil like I disgust you. What aren’t you telling me? You said we’ve met before—where?”
I glared at him as Darius finally stalled in his steps, wrapped by the night in the taverna alleyway. I had to crane my neck to meet his eyes; he was a head taller than me, adding an intimidating aura to his stature.
His eyes never wavered from mine, but he reached out again and took hold of a few strands of my hair. “I was hoping I didn’t have to tell you because I wanted you to remember me.”
I shook my head, more confused than I was five minutes ago.
“Romania, the seaport of Tomis in the year 912,” he said, and my jaw dropped. “You walked onto the dock, watching me grieve after I buried my wife and child in the nearby graveyard, their candles still lit in my hands. You told me you could read my mind, feel my pain, and that you wanted to take it all away.” A slight smile touched his lips. “I’ve been blocking your powers all night, shielding my thoughts.”
My eyes widened, and I took a small step back. “I’m sorry. I don’t know if I remember. That was long ago. I’ve met so many vampires throughout my time. I—”
“You took my pain away that night,” he spoke over me. “And for that, I’ll be forever grateful. You may not have remembered me, but I have thought about you every day since that moment on the docks.” He bit his lower lip. “From the moment you sank your teeth into my neck to the final moments when I bid you farewell days later—after fucking in an inn for three nights straight.” Darius leaned forward, and a slight smirk met his pink lips. “You really wanted me to forget my grief.”
I swallowed. There had been many lovers I had shared my bed with, so this specific memory might have faded amidst the others. After all, I only remembered those that left an impression on me. The rest were merely a blur.
I stepped forward and placed my open palm on his cold cheeks. “Why? Why would you keep thinking of such a monster like me?”
He reached out and placed his finger on my chest, slowly gliding it down my cleavage. “Because I wanted to die … and you gave me a second chance at life, a chance to do something worthwhile, even as a soulless demon.” His eyes turned soft. “That one day, years later, I’d protect other children after I had failed to save my own from illness. I never forgot that act of kindness. Let me help you forget your pain tonight ... like you did mine.”
“Darius,” I said, reaching out and stopping his finger from going any lower. Though I somehow managed to force my body to halt him, every fiber in me wanted him closer.
Something primal unleashed between us at that moment, a thread of control snapping in two. Within a heartbeat, Darius slammed me back against the stone wall, which cracked beneath my weight from the brute force.
A small moan came out, muffled against his lips, as his hand snuck its way beneath my skirt, propping my leg up. I was already so soaked in arousal, aching to be taken by him. Desperate for something to dull this damn pain that consumed me.
We didn’t waste any more time—we’d had hours of that already. Now desire spoke for us. I fumbled with Darius’s belt, undoing his trousers until his cock sprang free, hard and ready. The wine blurred the world into a haze of dim light, but my focus sharpened as he thrust deep into me.
I grunted loudly, and his hand flew toward my mouth, dissolving the sounds of pleasure into nothing but soft whimpers.
“Be quiet, Valentina,” Darius murmured against my ear, thrusting his hips back and forth as he forced himself deeper inside me with each movement. “You don’t want others to hear you take my cock like this, do you?”
At that point, he felt too glorious for me to care about anything else. We had both fallen into an erotic frenzy that I didn’t want to leave. Pleasure trickled through me with each thrust, threatening to unleash at any given moment. I could feel my guilt, pain, and regret fade away as ecstasy replaced them.
“You’re just as I remember,” he whispered against my ear, sending another wave of shudders. “Fucking sensational.”
His pace picked up with his words, now borderline animalistic with the way he pounded himself into me, ravishing every part of my insides. My nails dragged down his chest, tearing through his linen shirt as he kept me pinned against the cold stone wall.
“You take me”—he slammed himself into me more brutally than before—“so fucking well.”
Bliss exploded inside me at that moment, spreading through my entire body. His palm silenced another broken moan while he turned me into a quivering, soaked mess. A thrust later, Darius reached a peak of his own, emptying himself inside me with a heavy grunt.
His cock remained buried inside me while we both attempted to regain composure. His eyes burned into mine as he pulled back and dropped his hand from my lips.
“I’ll be expecting your answer in three days.”