Chapter 4: Revenge
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Luke backed away, recognizing the threat this new vampire posed. "This doesn't concern you," he growled, though his voice lacked conviction.
The stranger paused, and I felt the rumble of his voice against my body as he held me. "A werewolf prince sacrificing a vampire for her blood? I believe that concerns me greatly." His accent was archaic, his bearing aristocratic. "Especially when that vampire carries royal blood."
Royal blood? The words floated through my foggy mind, too distant to grasp fully.
Luke's voice reached me again, tinged with desperation. "My betrothed is dying because of her blood! I need—"
"Your betrothed is dying because she stole what was not hers to take," my protector interrupted. "Royal blood is poison to those unworthy of its power. There is no cure, no reversal. The princess made her choice."
"You're lying," Luke snarled, though fear flickered in his voice.
I felt my rescuer shift, adjusting his hold on me. "Am I? Then by all means, continue your futile search for a cure. Time will prove me right."
Luke hesitated, then backed away. "This isn't over," he warned.
"For your sake, I hope it is," the stranger replied. "The next time we meet, I won't be so merciful."
When the werewolves had retreated, I felt myself being lowered gently as the vampire knelt beside me, examining me with careful hands. Unlike the burning revulsion I'd felt when other vampires touched me, his contact brought only a sense of recognition, as though my blood knew his.
"So much power, yet so little control," he murmured, lifting me effortlessly. "What am I to do with you, little royal?"
Darkness claimed me again.
---
I awakened to luxury. Silk sheets caressed my skin, a feather mattress cradled my body, and velvet curtains filtered the moonlight to a gentle glow. For a moment, I wondered if I had dreamed everything—Luke's betrayal, the ritual, my miraculous survival.
Then the memories flooded back, and I bolted upright, instantly alert for danger.
"Easy," came a smooth voice from the shadows. "You're safe here."
A figure moved into the moonlight—tall, elegant, with features so perfectly formed they seemed almost sculpted. His dark hair fell in waves to his shoulders, framing a face that managed to be both beautiful and undeniably masculine. But it was his eyes that captured my attention—deep crimson, like the finest wine, holding centuries of knowledge.
"Who are you?" I demanded, instinctively drawing the silk sheets closer. "Where am I?"
"My name is Adrian," he replied with a slight bow. "Duke Adrian Blackthorn, at your service. And you are in my castle, approximately sixty miles from where I found you entertaining those werewolves."
His casual tone contrasted sharply with the gravity of my situation. "You saved me from them?"
"I merely hastened their departure," Adrian said with a dismissive wave. "You had done most of the work yourself. Quite impressively, I might add."
I frowned, remembering the strange power that had flowed through me. "How did you find me?"
Adrian moved to the window, gazing out at the night sky. "I felt your blood awakening. It sent ripples through the vampire world—subtle enough that most would miss it, but unmistakable to those who know what to look for."
"My blood?" I repeated, confusion mounting. "What do you mean, 'awakening'?"
Adrian turned, studying me with those ancient eyes. "Tell me, what do you know of your lineage?"
"Nothing," I admitted. "I was abandoned as an infant, taken in by the Nightshade clan. They never knew who my parents were."
"Or claimed not to," Adrian murmured. "How convenient for them."
Something in his tone made me uneasy. "What are you suggesting?"
Adrian approached slowly, as one might a skittish animal. "May I?" he asked, gesturing to my hand.
Warily, I extended my arm. Adrian took my wrist gently, turning it to reveal the small birthmark I had carried all my life—a crescent moon with what appeared to be a drop of blood at its center.
"This is not a birthmark," he said softly. "It is a blood-sigil, the mark of the Crimson Dynasty—the royal family that ruled all vampires for ten thousand years."
I stared at the familiar mark, seeing it with new eyes. "That's impossible. The royal family was destroyed centuries ago, during the Great Purge."
"Not destroyed," Adrian corrected. "Nearly so, but not entirely. A single infant was spirited away, hidden among common vampires for protection."
The implications staggered me. "You're saying I'm—"
"The last heir of the Crimson Dynasty," Adrian confirmed. "The rightful queen of all vampires."
I laughed, the sound brittle with disbelief. "That's absurd. I'm defective—I couldn't even feed properly until—" I stopped, remembering my effortless feeding in the forest.
"Until your blood awakened," Adrian finished for me. "Your 'defect' was actually a protection mechanism. Royal blood rejects common feeding to prevent detection before the heir is ready to claim their birthright. It's why the werewolf princess is dying—royal blood is toxic to any not of the bloodline who tries to claim its power."
My mind raced, connecting pieces of a puzzle I hadn't known existed. "Luke said he chose me because of ancient texts that described my condition."
Adrian's expression darkened. "The Lunar Prophecies. They speak of royal blood hidden among common vampires, identifiable by their inability to feed normally. The werewolves have sought this blood for generations, believing it would grant them dominion over all supernatural beings."
"And I walked right into their trap," I said bitterly.
"You couldn't have known," Adrian replied, his voice gentling. "You were kept ignorant of your heritage, raised to believe you were flawed rather than exceptional."
I stood abruptly, needing to move as my thoughts tumbled over each other. The spacious bedchamber allowed me to pace, taking in my surroundings—ancient tapestries depicting vampire history, furniture crafted by master artisans centuries dead, windows overlooking moonlit gardens that stretched to a forest beyond.
"Even if what you say is true," I said finally, "what does it matter? The vampire kingdom fell centuries ago. There's nothing to reclaim."
Adrian watched me with patient eyes. "The kingdom awaits its rightful ruler. The current High Council is merely a stewardship, established until the royal bloodline returns."
"And they would simply step aside for me?" I asked skeptically. "A nobody from a minor clan who couldn't even feed properly until days ago?"
"Politics are... complicated," Adrian admitted. "But your blood carries authority no council can deny. Once you learn to control your abilities, to channel the power of your bloodline—"
"What abilities?" I interrupted. "What happened in the forest... I don't even know how I did that."
Adrian smiled, and for the first time, I glimpsed genuine excitement in his ancient eyes. "That was merely a fraction of what you're capable of. Royal blood can command, create, destroy, heal—powers ordinary vampires can only dream of."
To demonstrate, he extended his hand. A drop of blood emerged from his fingertip, hovering in the air before transforming into an intricate crimson rose. With a gesture, the blood-rose solidified, becoming a perfect ruby flower that he offered to me.
"I can teach you," he said simply. "If you'll allow me."
I accepted the ruby rose, turning it in my fingers. The craftsmanship was exquisite, the magic behind it beyond anything I had thought possible.
"Why would you help me?" I asked, suspicion born from betrayal making me cautious. "What do you gain?"
Adrian's expression grew solemn. "I served the Crimson Dynasty for over a thousand years before its fall. I swore an oath to protect the bloodline, to see it restored. For centuries, I've searched for any trace of the royal heir." He knelt suddenly, head bowed in a gesture of fealty that startled me. "My loyalty belongs to you, Your Highness. My knowledge, my power, my very existence—all in service to the crown you were born to wear."
The formality of his pledge contrasted sharply with my reality—days ago I had been an outcast, deemed worthless by my own clan. Now a vampire duke knelt before me, offering allegiance to a crown I hadn't known existed.
"Stand up," I said, uncomfortable with his obeisance. "I'm not a queen. I'm barely understanding what I am."
Adrian rose smoothly. "You will be," he said with quiet certainty. "But first, you must learn to control your awakening powers. The blood that flows in your veins is both your greatest strength and your greatest vulnerability until you master it."
As if responding to his words, I felt warmth spreading through my fingertips. I looked down to find droplets of my blood hovering above my palm, moving in patterns that seemed to respond to my thoughts.
"How do I control it?" I whispered, fascinated and frightened by the display.
"With training," Adrian replied. "Beginning tonight, if you're willing."
I closed my hand, the blood droplets reabsorbing into my skin. I thought of Luke's betrayal, of the clan that had rejected me, of the power that had awakened within me when I needed it most. Whatever path lay ahead, I could no longer return to my old life—nor did I want to.
"Teach me," I said firmly, meeting Adrian's crimson gaze with newfound determination. "Teach me everything."
A smile curved Adrian's lips—pleased, perhaps even proud. "As you command, Your Highness."
For the first time since awakening in the ravine, I felt something beyond confusion and anger. A spark of purpose ignited within me, small but growing stronger with each passing moment.
Royal blood. The last heir. A power beyond ordinary vampires.
If this was my destiny, I would embrace it—and heaven help those who had wronged me along the way.
