Chapter 3
"Get ready," I said as I stood up and strode toward the heavy, ancient door at the center of the Eclipse Hall—a door that had been sealed in dust for a thousand years. "It's time to go."
Kael brought me a black cloak and a crown made of dark-red thorns.
The moment the crown rested on my head, the golden runes running across the dome responded as if summoned, bursting into brilliance. The entire hall shuddered gently.
"Your scepter, Your Highness," Kael said, handing me a black scepter crowned with a huge red gem.
I wrapped my fingers around it, the icy chill sinking into my palm.
The gem at the top glowed with a strange red light, echoing the golden mark on my neck.
A power unlike anything I'd ever felt before awakened inside me.
I could sense the runes of the world, every vampire's fate, all laid bare to me.
I could sense a grand event taking place in the distant Blackwood territory.
My thirteen kids had all gathered. I could sense their presences, both familiar and strange.
I raised my hand and pushed open the massive black crystal door, its weight beyond measure.
Outside, it was no longer the hall, but a twisting, spinning void.
"Kael," I said, not bothering to look back, "while I was gone, did anyone in the union get stupid enough to disrespect you?"
Kael paused, and then spoke quietly, "Cassian Bloodhart from the Bloodhart Coven tried to steal my role as your oathkeeper."
"Good," I said, stepping straight into the void. "He won't be around much longer."
*****
Space twisted around me, and the sharp spires of Blackwood Castle loomed right before my eyes.
The council hall of Blackwood Castle was even more lavish than it had been a century ago.
The dome was a masterpiece of intricate stained glass, all showing off the Blackwood Coven's supposed "glorious history."
Twelve lords were seated on either side of a massive obsidian round table, their faces a mix of emotions.
At the head of the table sat Victor, as expected.
He looked even more sullen than he had a century ago. No amount of sorcery could fully mask the deep shadows beneath his eyes.
The spell carved over his heart was clearly taking its toll on him.
Beside him sat Vivienne, as always.
A hundred years had left no mark on her face. If anything, she looked even more alluring.
She was now Victor's consort, second only to him in the Blackwood Coven, basking in adoration.
"Victor, is this just another boring speech?" Cassian Bloodhart, the hot-headed, battle-crazy leader of the Bloodhart Coven, spoke up, his face full of impatience.
Victor lifted his gaze, a flicker of irritation flashing in his crimson eyes. "Watch your mouth, Cassian. We're talking about cleaning out the mongrels that are messing up our noble bloodline today."
"Seriously, this again?" Cassian scoffed. "You're just getting more paranoid because there's something wrong with your Immortality Spell, right?"
That jab hit Victor right where it hurt.
His face darkened instantly, and the air in the hall seemed to freeze. "Cassian, are you trying to challenge Blackwood's authority?"
Just as the tension between them was about to explode, the heavy oak doors of the council hall were suddenly thrown open by an invisible force.
The screech of the hinges cut through the tension like a knife.
Every eye in the room snapped to the doorway.
I stepped inside in my black cloak, with the crown of thorns on my head, and the scepter in my hand. Backlit by the glow, I moved forward, each step deliberate and commanding.
Kael followed silently behind me, like a steadfast sentinel.
The hall fell silent in an instant.
All twelve lords wore expressions of shock and utter confusion.
They could feel the absolute dominance radiating from me—a force rooted deep in our bloodline that sent shivers down to their very souls.
"Who are you? How dare you barge into the Supreme Council?" one of the lords barked, his voice trembling with fear despite his bluster.
I ignored him, and my eyes locked onto Victor at the head of the table.
He stared right back at me, his brow furrowed, his gaze sharp and wary.
He seemed to be searching for some trace of familiarity in me, but found nothing.
The humble blood thrall Elena I used to be a hundred years ago was long gone.
"All lords, heed my command," I said. My voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the silence and echoed in every ear, carrying a force that made defiance impossible. "Kneel."