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ONE
Olivia
Blood trickled from the woman’s neck, creating rivers between her wrinkles. The new vampire to court, Niall, closed his dark brown eyes as he lost himself in the mortal woman, fangs deep inside her. It had only been a day since his arrival. He’d spoken to me once, introducing himself as the adopted son of Kalon, the self-proclaimed Prince of Vampires.
The color drained from her face as he pulled her against his body, laying her on the table. His tan glowed under the dim lights of the banquet room, coined as the feeding area by most here. Behind them, crimson red drapes hung over the windows and walls, pooling on the ground as if blood slicked the ancient stone. People hurried past them, moving between tents erected to create privacy. Niall clearly didn’t care about that as he dug his nails into the woman’s arms.
I wondered how long she’d been here, and if she’d come by choice. So many ventured here from other kingdoms, curious about what it would be like to be with a vampire. Most were misinformed, feeding off rumors about the beautiful sangaree—the name of the race for blood vampires, and wholly different to the aniccipere who fed on people’s souls. Some believed they might be turned, no matter how much the royals of each territory tried to squash those whispers. As far as most mortals knew, vampires couldn’t be made, and only a couple thousand of them were left.
I leaned against an empty table, taking the weight off my feet. Glowering at every vampire who wiped their bloodied lips, racing out of the feeding room in a blur, I sighed. They fed the rumors, even if they wouldn’t admit it to the king. It was in their interest to keep a nice supply of food coming in. Bile bit up my throat as I imagined people jumping ship, illusioned by the fantasy of these monsters, only to be beaten, raped, and thrown in blood dens.
At least they were somewhat willing, unlike the mortals trafficked, stolen from their homes in the night. Most were from home, Baldoria. I could tell by their accents. That’s why my mom and I lived so far from the coast; they seldom came far inland to snatch people.
Tilting my head, I watched helplessly from the other side of the room. My heart raced as the sound of moaning erupted from inside one tent. My imagination ran wild with what was happening inside. They could insist mortals gave consent for sex all they wanted, but no one could genuinely give permission when they were high on venom.
I recalled the ecstasy that pulsed through my veins after being bitten, following the initial pain. Although I despised the monsters, I couldn’t help but desire the feeling again. I shrugged away the fleeting thought and returned my focus to Niall. The woman released a brief gasp, eyes closed, with a slight smile on her tired lips.
I turned my head to find my father at his usual place at his throne, but he’d gone somewhere with my mom in the time I’d been watching Niall. I returned my gaze to him as he wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve, amusement threading in his stare.
I ground my teeth, refusing to look away, ensuring he knew how vile I thought he was. He didn’t have to kill her. He could have fed and stopped himself before she lost too much blood. I clenched my fist, and he smirked. Dark waves bounced around his shoulders as he walked away, probably to find his father.
Rushing toward the bench, I caught myself before toppling as a lord’s wife almost knocked me in my stride. “Careful,” I snapped.
She bowed her head, reluctance straining behind her hateful stare as she continued walking. They all hated me, except for my mom, who stood at her throne, her attention wandering over to me every so often. In just three short days, I would become Shadow Kissed and die at an altar, only to return as the Princess of Sanmorte and a vampire. A fact that seemed to rub most of the castle the wrong way.
Inhaling sharply, I lifted the skirts of my garnet-red dress and kneeled at the side of Niall’s victim, praying there was a slither of life left in her body. “Please,” I whispered. “Can you hear me?”
My heart palpitated. I didn’t trust any bloodsucker in this room, especially as they eyed her body. I’d seen a couple of them abuse people long after they died, taking advantage of the corpses left behind.
Reaching for her curled fingers, I gasped at the icy touch. She was too far gone, but she deserved dignity. “I won’t let them defile you,” I promised, as if she could still hear me. Placing my arm under hers, I attempted to lift her, catching my breath as her weight crushed against me.
Fingers squeezed my shoulders. “Gods, Draven!” I jumped, dropping her back. Her head thudded against the chair.
He glanced at the woman’s body. “Another one. There are mounds of bodies being burned every week.” His eyes slid over the room. “They just can’t control themselves.”
“Where did you come from?” I asked breathily, my heart pounding against my chest.
“I came to find you.” He lowered his voice. “You shouldn’t be doing this.”
I leaned in closer, smelling the scent of his spice-laced cologne, and whispered, “I can’t leave her to them.”
“I know. They’re disgusting.” The muscles in his arms tensed. “But you remember what happened the last time you tried to interfere?”
I stilled, remembering the noble who screamed at me when I forced him off a mortal. The king had stopped their rage, using my station to try and force their respect, but it wasn’t something that could be demanded. “Yes.”
His pleading stare burned into mine. “They’ll kill you, daughter of the king or not. You can’t stop them all. We’re out of our depths here.”
I chewed on the inside of my lip. “We should just give up then?” I scowled, then released a long exhale. “I’m sorry, it’s not your fault. I just hate them.”
“I know.”
I found home in his sea-blue gaze, remembering a simpler time before all of this. “At least there are only a few soul vampires here. In the city, I saw a corpse after an aniccipere finished feeding on them, and it was the most horrendous thing I’ve ever seen.” A shiver tingled goosebumps over my skin as I tried to block the image from forming in my mind.
I felt their icy stares before I saw them. The vampires watched me, daring lacing their frowns.
Draven brushed his thumb over the back of my hand. “Right now, we must focus on surviving.” He glanced over to where my mom stood, her maroon lips pulled tight. “Let me take the hit for this one.”
“Are you insane?” I reprimanded. “They won’t think twice before killing you. I am a royal. You are disposable tothem.” I examined his navy, high-necked tunic with gold embellishments. His sword remained sheathed, but his fingers tightened around the hilt as he watched the vampires looking at me.
