Harald Dyre's roar shook the foundations of the royal hall.
Elder Dain's betrayal had been uncovered the moment Harald returned to find Asis gone. The guards spoke in hushed tones—how Dain had been seen near the hidden passage, how he had dismissed their concerns with a smirk. Harald didn't hesitate.
He stormed into the council chambers, his golden eyes blazing with fury. Dain barely had time to rise from his seat before Harald's claws were buried in his throat. "Where is she?" Harald snarled, lifting Dain off his feet.
The elder choked, blood bubbling from his lips. "Gone—to where she belongs—" Harald tore him apart.
The council watched in horror as their king, their Alpha, ripped through flesh and bone with savage precision. Dain's screams were cut short when Harald ripped out his spine, holding it aloft like a trophy.
"Let this be a warning," Harald growled, his voice thick with the beast within. "Betray me, betray her, and death will be the least of your suffering."
The elders bowed their heads, trembling. None dared to speak. But as Harald turned to leave, his claws still dripping with Dain's blood, one thought consumed him:
"Find her."
Before Vlad Calin could sink his fangs into what was his.
*****
Asis's eyelids fluttered open, her vision blurred by the remnants of unconsciousness. The first thing she noticed was the unfamiliar scent—cold, metallic, laced with something ancient and intoxicating. The air was thick with magic, humming against her skin like a living thing. She sat up slowly, her muscles protesting, and took in the room around her.
This was not Harald Dyre's palace.
The chamber was vast, its high ceilings adorned with intricate carvings of serpents and wolves entwined in battle. The walls were a deep, blood-red velvet, and the floor was polished obsidian, reflecting the flickering light of the enchanted torches lining the room. A massive four-poster bed dominated the space, its black silk sheets cool beneath her fingertips. The windows were stained glass, depicting scenes of vampiric conquests, their colors shifting unnaturally as if alive.
Her breath hitched. She was in Vlad Calin's castle.
Panic surged through her, and she scrambled off the bed, her bare feet touching the icy floor. She rushed to the door, gripping the handle, but it didn't budge. Locked. Magic pulsed from the wood, a silent warning that escape wouldn't be so simple. She turned, her gaze landing on the balcony doors. If she couldn't leave through the front, perhaps she could find another way.
She pushed the doors open, and the wind howled against her, whipping her hair wildly. Stepping onto the balcony, her stomach dropped. The castle was perched on the edge of a sheer cliff, the drop below disappearing into a swirling abyss of mist and jagged rocks. The mountains stretched endlessly around her, their peaks piercing the storm-laden sky. There was no way down. No escape.
A low, melodic voice cut through the wind. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Asis spun around, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Vlad Calin stood in the doorway, his golden hair catching the dim light like a halo. He was breathtaking—unnaturally so. His features were sharp, sculpted to perfection, his lips curved into a smirk that held centuries of secrets. His eyes, a piercing shade of violet, glowed faintly in the shadows. Unlike Harald Dyre's raw, untamed dominance, Vlad's beauty was refined, deliberate, as if he had been crafted by the gods themselves to lure mortals to ruin.
He stepped forward, his movements fluid, predatory. "I've waited a long time to have you here, Asis."
She backed away until the balcony railing pressed into her spine. "What do you want?" His smirk deepened. "Many things. But for now? A conversation."
He gestured to the room behind him, but she didn't move. His laughter was soft, mocking. "You're not a prisoner. Not yet. Though I'd advise against jumping. The fall won't kill you—not with your blood—but it will hurt."
Her blood. The realization struck her like lightning. The council's test. The way the silver had melted.
Witchblood.
Vlad's gaze darkened with amusement. "Ah, so you've finally realized what you are." She swallowed hard. "You knew."
"Of course I knew." He stepped closer, his presence suffocating. "I've known since the moment I first saw you in Tapovana, playing in the gardens with your grandmother. You were just a child then, but your light was undeniable. Your Nano tried to hide you, to shield you with her magic, but she couldn't keep you from me forever."
Asis's breath came in short gasps. "You—you were watching me?"
"Always." His fingers brushed a strand of hair from her face, his touch like ice. "And then he came along. Ayaan." The name dripped with venom. "I couldn't stand it. Watching you love him, promise yourself to him. So I took him from you." Her knees nearly buckled. "You killed him?"
Vlad's smile was cruel. "It was easy. A simple spell to fog his mind, to make him swerve at just the right moment. The crash was… messy. But effective."
Her vision blurred with tears. The dream—Ayaan's warning about Harald—it hadn't been real. It had been Vlad's magic, manipulating her fears.
"And Sorin?" she whispered.
"A pawn," Vlad admitted, waving a dismissive hand. "A distraction to keep Harald occupied while I orchestrated your arrival here. And Mateo—" Her stomach twisted. "Mateo worked for you?"
"Not willingly at first." Vlad chuckled. "But fear is a powerful motivator. I compelled him, made him my eyes and ears in your world. He never wanted to hurt you—he truly does care for you—but he was weak. And weak men break."
The pieces fell into place. Mateo's strange behavior, his jealousy, and his desperation to keep her from Harald. He had been a puppet all along.
Vlad's fingers traced her jaw, his voice dropping to a whisper. "But none of that matters now. What matters is that you're here, with me, where you belong. I don't just want you as a pawn, Asis. I want you as my empress." She recoiled. "Never."
His grip tightened, his violet eyes burning. "You will. In time."
*****