by L. Danvers
My jaw clenched. I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply. “He did what?”
“Well, from what I understand, you’ve refused to consider taking any of the vampires he’s suggested as a wife. Not that I blame you. Marry a vampire? Who wants an eternity of nagging? But Julian thought you selecting a human as a bride might send a good message to the villagers. You know,” he said, shrugging, “give them hope.”
“To what end?” I muttered under my breath.
This whole thing was completely out of the question. It bothered me that the other vampires here in Crescent Cape insisted on drinking fresh blood, but I’d allowed their beloved Donation Days to continue—mainly because of my siblings. I even allowed the vampires to venture beyond the boundary on hunts. But this... this was going too far.
I could never marry a human. I certainly wasn’t looking for a wife, but even if by some absurd stretch of the imagination I did fall in love with a human, I would never want to bring someone I loved into this eternal torment. I’d learned my lesson with Victoria—which Julian knew good and well.
A raging fire burned within me, my anger fueled by the fact that Julian had the nerve to put me, or anyone else, in this situation.
And to give the humans hope? Please. Hope was pointless in a place like this.
It was like Julian had taken one of the purest human emotions and corrupted it.
In a fit of fury, I picked up my empty chalice and slammed it against the stained-glass window, letting out a guttural growl. Shards of colored glass rained down in front of me while echoes of the singing villagers filled my ears.
It disgusted me how my siblings treated humans as playthings. I would have no part in their twisted games.
I widened my stance, staring outside as stars flickered above our kingdom. “I won’t do it. I’ll send them all home.”
Xander shrugged. “I don’t particularly care either way... but somehow I don’t think that’s going to go over well with Julian. Or Charlotte or Natalie for that matter.”
“If our sisters care so much about how things are done, why don’t they rule for a change?”
“Why?” Xander said, selecting a bottle of wine from the bar. “When you do it so well?” He poured himself a glass and took one gulp before gagging on it. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “What the hell’s wrong with you, Aiden? How do you drink this stuff?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. That was a bottle I’d mixed with artificial blood.
“In all seriousness, though,” Xander said, “maybe you should consider this whole marriage thing. When Mother bargained for our immortality, I don’t think it was her intention for any of us to live out eternity alone.”
I folded my arms. “But we’re not alone,” I said, hardly feigning sincerity. “We have each other, right? We’re one big freaking happy family.”
Julian
“He’s going to kill you,” Charlotte said, her green eyes flickering with fear. “I mean it this time, Julian. Aiden’s really going to kill you.”
I waved my hand in disinterest. “He’s had centuries to kill me. Our brother didn’t even have the guts to kill me after I’d murdered our parents. Trust me. I’d be dead by now if he wanted me to be.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “Have you completely forgotten about what happened to the last woman he loved?”
Of course I hadn’t forgotten.
Aiden had fallen in love with a human, and she’d fallen gravely ill weeks before they were to be wed. He was at Victoria’s side when she passed. Out of desperation, he’d squeezed droplets of his own blood into her mouth seconds before she died so that she could turn into a vampire. And so, moments later, she was brought back to life.
But despite how much she claimed to care for my brother, she refused to go through with the transition.
She refused to become like him. A monster.
It broke him.
Which was why this plan was so brilliant.
My intent wasn’t to hurt Aiden, although doing so would be a likely byproduct of carrying out this plan. I loved my siblings—the quadruplets that called themselves the blood heirs—as insufferable as they could be at times: Aiden with his holier-than-thou attitude, Xander with his debauchery and Natalie with her silly penchant for chasing after fairytales...
Fools. I loved them, but they were complete fools.
Naturally, with siblings like those three, Charlotte and I had always been the closest. She and I had one critical thing in common: we looked out for ourselves. Which is why, out of all the siblings, she and I got along the best. She knew it was in her best interest to keep me close.
“My sweet sister,” I said, cradling her face in my hand, “don’t you see? It’s perfect. For as much as Aiden tries to adhere to our parents’ wishes, anyone could see that he longs to be human again. How many years has it been since he gave up drinking their blood? Ten?” My hand fell to my side as I walked over toward the edge of the balcony. I gripped the stone railing, looking out upon the foggy lands that I should have inherited. “I’m merely giving him what he wants. And trust me when I say I’ve selected the most suitable of companions for him. He won’t be able to resist.”
“I’m not following. You want Aiden to fall in love and live happily ever after?”
I threw my head back in laughter. “Oh, come on now, Charlotte. You should know me better than that. I don’t give a damn about Aiden’s happiness. This whole thing is a charade. A distraction. With Aiden focused on choosing a bride, I’ll be free to continue my plan.”
Charlotte pressed her lips into a hard line. “And begin your reign of terror, I presume?”
I chuckled at that. She’d said it with sarcasm. But there was some truth in her words.
“And these girls,” Charlotte began, coming closer to stand beside me, her eyes sparkling with interest, “they want to marry a vampire?”
“Well, they don’t have much of a choice in the matter.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “You had them compelled?”
“Only to come here to the castle. The rest will be all them.”
She folded her arms, not believing me.
“Trust me, Charlotte. They’ll want to compete for Aiden’s hand. I’ve given them an offer they simply can’t refuse.”
Charlotte looked out upon the cape, her blonde hair billowing in the wind. “Then let the games begin.”
Danielle
I bounced my knees nervously as I rode in the carriage, sitting opposite to the vampires that had compelled me to agree to meet Prince Aiden.
I’d only been compelled once before—when my memory of how I got here in Crescent Cape was swiped away. So, I had no idea how compulsion actually worked. All I knew was that I was sitting here, on my way to meet the vampire prince, knowing good and well this was the last place I wanted to be.
But something had made coming with the two guards seem like such a good idea moments ago. And now, there was no chance of me backing out of this. So much as attempting to flee would be suicide.
Torchlight flickered through the carriage window, illuminating the uneven stone bridge we rode across. My eyes danced with fire as I watched the flames lick the sky.
Anger consumed me. This was so messed up.
It was bad enough that I had been condemned to living out the rest of my days as a blood slave—my only crime having been that I was human—but now I was being forced to go to the castle?
Whatever it was that Prince Aiden wanted with me couldn’t be good.
Humans were never brought to the castle. Ever.
Rumors had swirled for years about what the inside must be like. From the square, we could see tall, pointed stained glass windows and the light from the chandeliers shining from inside, but what went on behind those walls was a mystery.
When the carriage rolled to a stop, a guard opened the door from the outside, bowing his head while simultaneously seething. I wondered why he was showing me a gesture of respect—regardless of the attitude th
at came with it. After all, he was a vampire. A superior species. Why was he bowing to me?
My brows knitted in confusion, but I didn’t have time to give it any more thought because the two guards behind me ordered me to keep moving.
A blood-red carpet was spread before me, leading me to the iron gates that opened as I drew near.
My breathing hitched.
One of the guards pressed his hand against my back, urging me forward. Fear pumped through my veins, and the cool winds that brushed past only intensified the goosebumps rippling down my neck.
Even under the veil of night, the castle was an ominous sight to behold. Stone towers punctured the sky, and the stained-glass window depicting the long-deceased Scarlet Queen’s signature red cape cast me in its reflection. Looking down at my trembling hands, I imagined this might be a symbolic glimpse into my future: one that would end with me covered in blood.
Well, assuming I wasn’t drained of it.
The gargantuan doors creaked open. I was taken aback, though, when I saw three young women waiting for me on the other side. They dismissed the guards and invited me to follow them.
“Um,” I started, trying to figure out where to even begin. I had so many questions racing through my head. It was hard to pick which one to start with. “Are you taking me to meet Prince Aiden?”
The girls came to an abrupt stop. The blonde one turned around and snorted. Not in a mocking way. Like what I’d said was genuinely funny. “Goodness, no, not looking like that. My apologies, Danielle. We should have introduced ourselves. I’m Flora.” She said, giving a respectful nod.
Amber, the red-head, and Layla, the brunette, bowed their heads, too.
I gulped. “Why are you doing that?” I asked, my voice shaking.
“Doing what?” Flora replied, her eyes fluttering with innocence.
“Bowing your heads. You do know I’m a human, don’t you?”
She giggled. “Yes, Danielle. We know exactly what you are. It will all make sense to you soon enough. Come now,” she said, grabbing my hand as she led me toward the spiral staircase. “We need to hurry and get you ready. We must get you out of those dreadful clothes before the evening’s festivities begin.”
“Festivities?”
They ignored my question as they raced upstairs. I stumbled along, trying my best to keep up with them. The stairwell was adorned with oil paintings of the famed blood heirs: Alexander, Charlotte, Natalie and Aiden.
I froze upon seeing the depiction of Aiden towering above me as torchlight cast shadows across his image. No one had laid eyes on him in years.
I’d heard vampires speak about him amongst themselves during past Donation Days. They said his hatred for humans ran so deep that he couldn’t stand the sight of them. Which made sense. As far as we knew, he was the only vampire in all of Crescent Cape who didn’t partake in the donations. I’d always wondered how he’d survived all of these years. I figured he enjoyed the chase and hunted down his victims himself. I hadn’t heard of blood slaves being brought to the castle before. Perhaps he’d grown bored with hunting. My parents used to order take-out all the time. Maybe this was the same thing.
Prince Aiden’s servants whisked me down the hall and hurried me into one of the rooms. A wolf-skin rug was spread across the floor, and a claw-footed tub sat in the corner. Behind it was one of the menacing stained-glass windows I’d stared at so many times before from my little hut in the village.
I couldn’t believe I was actually inside the castle. And still alive.
“You’ll need to strip down,” Flora said gently while Layla drew me a bath.
“Excuse me?”
“I told you,” she said breathlessly, “we have to get you ready.”
When she spoke, I couldn’t help but notice the red tint to her tongue. I craned my neck to look past her and spotted Amber pouring drops of perfumed oils into the tub. “Is this part of some feeding ritual?” I asked, not sure if I really wanted to know the answer.
Flora covered her mouth to hide her laughter. “You have quite the sense of humor. No, no. Nothing of the sort. We’re just getting you ready. That’s all.”
Ready for what?
Doing as I was instructed, since I didn’t have a say in the matter anyway, I disrobed and slipped into the warm bath.
Layla washed my hair while Amber dabbed jasmine oil on my wrists and behind my ears. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a warm bath, and the heat from the water and the pleasant aromas helped to ease my nerves. A little. But I was still very much aware that I was being pampered by vampires. And I had no idea why.
For some reason, they were kind to me. And while they said they couldn’t tell me why I was here—they said it wasn’t their place—they assured me I had nothing to fear, at least for the time being.
I tried to pay attention while they spoke, but all I could focus on when they moved their mouths was the color of their tongues.
“How are you acting so... calm around me?” I asked. They had shown me enough kindness thus far that I figured if they’d wanted me dead they would have killed me already. So, I didn’t think I was endangering myself by pressing them. “Don’t you want to drink from me or something?”
Flora, Amber and Layla exchanged smiles and shook their heads.
“We’ve had our fill for the day,” Layla answered.
“Today was Donation Day, remember?” Amber added, as if I could have forgotten. She rested her hand on her belly. “I couldn’t drink another drop.”
“And anyway,” Flora chimed in, “we maidservants require far less blood to sustain ourselves than the guards and blood heirs do.”
They exchanged smiles with one another again, as if that were some sort of inside joke. I didn’t get it.
Once my hair was fixed, my nails were painted and my makeup was applied to perfection, Flora swept across the room and flung open the double-door closet. She sifted through its contents, mumbling to herself. Finally, she gasped. And a second later, I understood why.
She pulled out the most incredible ballgown I’d ever laid eyes upon. It put every prom dress, every wedding dress I’d ever seen to shame.
The girls ushered me over to the antique mirror and helped me slip it on. It was royal purple with a sweetheart neckline. It hugged my body tight, showing off every curve. Curves I didn’t even know I had.
I’d never seen myself look so beautiful.
I was eight years old when I was taken. And I’d worn blood slave uniforms for a decade. And a bath, let alone a warm one, was a luxury I was rarely afforded. I had no idea it was possible to look like this. To feel like this.
Flora brushed my long, dark hair away from my neck and fastened a ruby necklace around it. She took a step back to look at me and sighed with satisfaction. “Simply stunning. Prince Aiden won’t be able to resist you.”
Danielle
The clock struck 9:00, sending Flora into a tizzy. “We must hurry,” she said, opening the door and beckoning for me to follow. Amber and Layla raced after us. I hurried as fast as I could, but I struggled to keep my balance. I’d never worn heels before, and I felt as awkward as a baby giraffe taking its first steps. The stilettos clanked against the stone floor, the chime of the clocks echoing throughout the castle. “Where are we going?”
Flustered, Flora said, “To join the other girls.”
I stopped short. “Other girls?”
“I’ve said too much already,” she said, growing more frantic with each strike of the clock. “Come now.”
I felt like an idiot.
I didn’t know what I thought was going on here. Somehow the elegant dress and dazzling jewels had made me forget why I was here in the first place. To see Prince Aiden. But apparently, I wasn’t the only girl he’d be seeing tonight.
I wondered what sort of demented game he was playing.
Dressing up his little lambs before the slaughter? It was sickening. If I didn’t hate him before, I sure as hell hated him now. Him and every
thing he stood for.
And sure, Flora, Amber and Layla had been kind to me, but that was because they were doing what they were paid to do. Or maybe compelled to do. They were servants. Plus, they were full. If today hadn’t happened to be Donation Day, who knew what they would have done to me?
We turned down the hall and hurried for the drawing room, where Flora said the other girls were waiting. And we’d almost reached the door when a devilishly handsome man with ginger brown hair stepped in front of it, blocking our way.
“Running a little late, are we?” he said to the maidservants.
I pursed my lips as I examined the man, trying to place him. He was dripping with confidence, but I had no clue who he was. He definitely wasn’t Prince Aiden.
“Our apologies, Julian,” Flora said with a curtsey. The other ladies followed in suit.
I sucked in a sharp breath upon hearing his name. Julian.
“Ah. And you must be Danielle. Given your reaction, I assume you’ve heard of me?” His lips turned into a smile, his boyish dimples a stark contrast to the menacing look about him.
“Yes,” I whispered, lowering my gaze to the floor. Everyone in Crescent Cape had heard of him. Julian was the blood heirs’ older brother. The immortal werewolf. The one who had killed their parents in a vengeful rage. The one who could kill any of his siblings with a single bite. Why the prince had granted Julian the title of advisor was beyond me. But perhaps Julian hadn’t given him a choice...
Despite being consumed with fear, I tried to steady my breathing. If I was going to die anyway, I didn’t want to die a coward.
So, I glanced up, then lifted my chin so that my gaze matched his.
He cocked his head to the side, taking note of my change in demeanor.
Strangely, his expression softened. “Well, then. Let’s get started, shall we?”
Julian
The girl had caught me off-guard. The others had trembled at my mere presence. And she had too, at first. But then something changed in her. The look in her eyes... It was like she was challenging me.
