I couldn't even pretend to be calm; my whole body shivered despite the seemingly warm breeze brushing my skin. Two members of the council—whatever this council was—pulled the chain from my cuffs as if I were a dog they led straight to its cage. I wasn't wrong about the cage part, though. As soon as we got closer to the castle grounds, the two men led me down the stone steps toward the dungeons.As the warm breeze turned colder, my shivering body started to rattle without any control. Panic erupted, and sobs escaped my throat while tears dampened my cheeks and neck. Dread squeezed my insides. I swallowed shallow breaths, raising my chin as if only an inch of me was above the water."Silence, mortal!" the brown-haired man roared. "Either you remain quiet, or we'll make you, and it won't be pleasant."I clamped my mouth shut, but weak sounds still slipped through my lips. I couldn't control it. It was all too much. I had just learned that something like vampires existed, and now I was in

I woke up on the soft bed. I was lying on my stomach with my naked back delicately brushed by the warm breeze. I felt all but pleasant, except for the upper left side of it—the place where the brand had been burned on me. Surprisingly, the pain became bearable, and I felt something cool radiating from the now-dressed wound. My cheek sank into the pillow, making it harder to see anything beyond the edges of the sheets and bed. Shifting at an unbearably slow tempo, I turned to one side, trying not to tense my back muscles, which was next to impossible. I wasn't sure how long it took, but I finally managed to slightly lift my upper body. It was just enough to see that I was in a chamber, probably the size of my entire apartment. A magnificent amount of light was falling through the floor-to-ceiling windows, half-shaded by black velvet curtains. The bed I was lying in was large enough for the three of me to sleep in, and the rest of the room seemed to provide the luxury I had only read ab

"So, what would you like to know?" Ash's lips curled up slightly."Everything," I said, millions of questions already popping on the tip of my tongue.He laughed. The deep, sensual sound did strange things to my body. Then he looked at me, drawing his teeth against his bottom lip. The hints of his sharp fangs flashed, igniting an odd thrill. The bubbly sensation exploded in the lower parts of my stomach and dropped between my thighs. "Ask away," he said.For a moment, I forgot how to speak… and breathe. Then my mouth opened, but I needed another minute before my voice followed. "Tell me more about vampires and this world."He brushed a few lost strands of his hair back and leaned forward. "They say that vampires and a few other races come from the fallen angels. It happened eons ago when only one realm existed. When the fallen angels reached Earth, they lost their immortality, but they gained something in return—the ability to breed. Each of the fallen had special abilities, and so th

I yanked the door open and ran out into the corridor. I heard the light but fast pounding of someone's feet on the left side. I darted in that direction. A female servant flashed before my eyes and quickly disappeared behind the corner."Hey! Stop!" I shouted, but she ran downstairs into a dark, narrow passage. I followed her but couldn't keep up. "Please! I want to talk to you!" She didn't stop. She took turn after turn, and once I reached the end of the corridor, where it split into two, I finally lost her. "Damn it!" I looked right and left, but I could barely see anything in the space lit only by several faintly glowing lightbulbs.I returned to my room, surprising myself that I didn't get lost on the way. I grabbed the note I had previously left on the table and sat on the bed. I looked at the message closely. The letters were neat, written in curled strokes more typical of a woman's hand. That had to be this girl servant who wrote it, but what did she mean? Was she trying to tel

I clamped my hand over my mouth, trying to restrain every sound that might have escaped me. I stood still debating whether to keep eavesdropping on the conversation or quietly tiptoe to my chamber, pretending I was never there. "So, what are you planning to do with Metis?" Calvel changed the subject. Ash sighed. "I can't do anything… not yet." The sound of something falling and smashing against the floor came from the end of the corridor. It might have been a sloppy servant dropping a glass, but the problem was, I wasn't the only one who heard the noise… "What was that?" A heartbeat passed since Calvel asked, and the door to Ash's office slammed open, exposing me while I stood in front of it like an absolute idiot. I froze. The blood drained from my face. Ash looked me up and down, his lips curving into a smirk. "Come in, Nala," he said. "Wouldn't it be easier to listen to our conversation from inside my office?" I gulped. "I… I didn't mean to. I heard voices on my way to the cha