Copyright © 2024 by Angela J.

Ford
Editing & Proofreading: Sherri S.
Cover Art: Natalie Bernard Art
Naked Hardcover: Cover Dungeon Rabbit
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means,
including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author,
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 CONTENTS
1. Lucia
2. Titus
3. Lucia
4. Lucia
5. Lucia
6. Lucia
7. Lucia
8. Lucia
9. Lucia
10. Lucia
11. Lucia
12. Titus
13. Lucia
14. Lucia
15. Lucia
16. Titus
17. Lucia
18. Lucia
19. Titus
20. Lucia
21. Lucia
22. Lucia
23. Titus
24. Lucia
Author’s Note
What to read next
Also by Angela J. Ford
About the Author

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 1

LUCIA

B eads of cool water kissed my skin as Wilcox tied my hands behind my

back. Coarse rope wove around my waist, binding me securely to the
rough wood of the birch tree.
“Not too tight,” called Captain Elroy, hand on his blade as he scanned
the glade once more.
Weeping willows grew alongside the pool, and a waterfall cascaded
from above like a giant pouring out a basin of water. Flowers grew along
the bank like a cluster of ladies-in-waiting, blush and lavender blossoms
uplifted as if in worship to honor the sky and water.
“It is done,” said Wilcox as he finished tying me up. He squeezed my
shoulder. “We won’t let any harm come to you, milady.”
He was one of the younger knights, shy and good-natured but a bit
overzealous when it came to knots. I bobbed my head, not trusting my
voice. I hadn’t exactly agreed to this, but I’d had little choice in the matter.
“Let’s take our places,” Captain Elroy instructed, his deep voice stern.
His dark eyes held mine. “Be brave, Lucia. We’ll attack as soon as he
appears.”
Rising to my full height, as best I could while tied to the tree, I lifted my
chin.
The two knights disappeared into the surrounding wood, and I was
seemingly alone. But I knew the truth. The Knights of Veilix—vampire
hunters—were determined to catch their latest prey: the vampire king
himself. I was the bait. Once he appeared to taste my blood, the knights
would attack and free the village from the bloodthirsty tyrant.
I’d be lying to myself if I claimed I wasn’t afraid. Because I was.
The sun set.
An itch settled just under my ears, and I craned my head, unable to give
myself relief. Before the evening meal, Lord Elroy had approached me with
a demand and a secret. I was to be the bait, but I couldn’t tell anyone,
especially not the Head Priestess, for she would never agree to put the life
of one of her wards in danger.
But I wanted to help, and I knew why I’d been chosen. I’d been
abandoned, left on the steps of the abbey when I was a baby. The Head
Priestess never said why, but I guessed it was because of the strange silver
runes on my skin. Like a birthmark, they were blemishes on my skin that
embarrassed me. I wore long sleeves to keep them hidden, but the runes on
my face and neck were not easy to hide.
I waited, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, wishing my
arms weren’t tied behind my back. Captain Elroy said it had to look real, as
though I were a sacrifice to the vampires, a symbol of goodwill to ask them
to leave the village in peace.
The light faded from the sky in hues of azure, blush, and peach. A
numbness spread through my bones as a light breeze picked up, ruffling the
ends of my dress and stirring the fabric against my legs. If I’d known I’d be
spending my evening on the mountainside, I would have worn something
warmer.
Goosebumps prickled on my arms, the thin material of my sleeves
doing nothing to keep me warm. The neck of my dress was open, on
purpose, because I was a sacrifice to tempt him.
Darkness came, every blade of grass sharp like horns, the trees creepy
shapes that might emerge into the monster I waited for. And then came a
sound like the rush of wind blowing over strings.
It came again, a haunting melody gaining volume as the player
strummed with boldness. It wove around me like fingers, and a warmth
filled my body as it grew louder. Every inch of me tingled with anticipation,
and my breath went shallow. I expected him to appear at any moment, but I
didn’t recall any tales of music being associated with monsters.
My eyes adjusted to the gloom as a shape walked into the glade. It was
tall, limber, walking on two legs like a man, and as it approached me, ice-
cold fear made me shrink away as best I could.
He was here. The vampire king. He’d fallen for the trap. He’d come to
devour me.
Slowly, methodically, he approached as though he had all the time in the
world to spare. I waited for arrows to fly, distracting him, while the hunters
sprang out of their hiding places to capture him.
But nothing happened.
The vampire crept closer, and my limbs trembled.
I pressed my lips together, terrible thoughts twirling through my mind.
What if it wasn’t a trap, but I truly was a sacrifice? Had Captain Elroy lied
to me?
Panic came over me, and I yanked at the rope, but it was too tight and
too late. The vampire stood before me. I forced myself to think. The
vampires that haunted the land were vicious and violent, murderers who
ripped their prey apart. But perhaps I could talk to this one and convince
him to let me go free.
I faced him and a chill swept through me, for he appeared like nothing
I’d imagined.
He stood a head taller than me, with piercing blue eyes that cooly
assessed me. Rumpled black hair curled around his neck and ears, as though
he’d recently run his fingers through it. A shadow of a beard crossed his
powerful jaw, and his lips curved back in an amused smirk at what he
beheld.
His open shirt revealed a smooth chest, and hooked across his back was
a stringed instrument, likely the same one I’d heard earlier. Leaning closer,
he sniffed, and when he spoke, his low tones sent a blend of ice and fire
through my veins. “Hello, little feast.”
I screamed.
The sound ripped out of my throat as I thrashed, banging my head
against the tree trunk in order to escape him. Eyes squeezed tight, I waited
for teeth to close around my throat, but the pain never came.
Chest heaving, I waited a bit longer, then peeked one eye open, then
both.
The vampire still stood there, staring at me. “Are you quite done?” he
asked.
“Please don’t eat me,” I begged.
 A cruel laugh came from his lips. “Why not? You were left here to be a
sacrifice to me. Were you not?”
“I. . .” I broke off, unsure what to say, and determined not to give away
the hunters. Where were they?
His eyes practically glowed as he placed one hand on the tree beside my
head. “But you have a dirty secret, don’t you? You’re not truly here to be a
sacrifice but to lay a trap…for me.”
How did he know?
“You don’t have to worry about the hunters. I sent them to sleep with
my lute. It’s just you and me.”
My heart stopped. “What are you going to do with me?”
He cocked his head. “I’m not sure yet. Depends.”
“On?”
“How entertaining you are.”
I bit my lip, but a whimper exploded from my throat anyway. I’d grown
up sheltered in the abbey, but even so, I had a faint idea of what kind of
entertainment I might provide as both a meal and. . . something else.
He narrowed his gaze, studying me. “My words distress you.”
Leaning closer, he placed two fingers on my neck and trailed them
along the silver runes glistening there. The muscles of my neck constricted,
but there was nowhere to go.
Rough fingers caressed my skin as though I were a stringed instrument
and just the faintest touch would coax the sweetest tunes. A shuddering
breath came and then another when he did not drop his head and bite me.
Tonight, I’d have to play his game, and when the sun rose, I’d escape.
Except sunrise was so far away.
“Your runes are beautiful,” he purred. “Have you always had them?”
Beautiful. He was the first to call my runes beautiful, but of course, a
demented vampire king would think so. Curiosity glittered on his face, and
sensing no danger in the question, I gathered my courage and answered, “I
have. I was born with them.”
He fidgeted with his belt and pulled out a knife, the glint of it clear in
the reflection of light the pool gave off.
My throat went tight. I wanted to look elsewhere, to stare at the
cascading waterfall or the ripples in the pool, but my gaze would not be torn
from that knife.
“Please,” I begged. “Whatever you’re going to do, do it quickly.”
 Befuddled amusement crossed his face. “I’m beginning to think you
have the wrong idea about me, lady of the moon.”
The knife disappeared as he pressed his body against mine. I felt the
hard lines of his body, solid chest, a deep, masculine scent, and the heat of
his breath. The rope fell away from my waist, although my arms were still
tied.
He was still too near, and he bent his dark head, lips brushing my ear as
he whispered, “We are going somewhere quiet where we can talk, so no
more screams, or I’ll have to gag that pretty mouth of yours.”
A silk cloth blinded my vision. I stumbled, but strong arms caught me,
then hauled me over his shoulder like a log. My face bumped against his
back, but it was impossible to steady myself with my hands tied. To show
him my displeasure, I grunted. In response, he patted my bottom.
Blood rushed to my head as he carried me semi-upside down. The roar
of the waterfall became louder rather than more distant. My other senses
sharpened without my vision, and I smelled a combination of leather and
wood, the sweet musk of closed-in air, the earthy scent of fungi, and the
humidity of a closed-in place that had lots of moisture.
The vampire swung me off his back, and I landed on something spongy.
I struggled to sit upright as the hiss of a flint striking stone came, and then
he was back. His warmth surrounded me as he untied the blindfold, and I
realized what disarmed me. He was warm, alive, with a heartbeat like mine.
Not cold and dead like vampires were rumored to be. Who was he?
Free to see, I blinked slowly, allowing my vision to adjust to the low
light. Concave walls of a cavern arched over me, revealed by pale
torchlight. I sat upon a ruined bed while directly in front of me, he perched
on the flat top of a rock, which might be used as a table. In one hand, he
held a golden goblet and poured something dark and red into it. It might be
wine, it might be blood. I shivered.
“This is your home?” I asked.
He grimaced. “It’s a hideout, nothing more.”
The steady drip of water confirmed my assumption that I was in a
cavern somewhere beyond the waterfalls. Veilix was a lush countryside of
hills and mountains hiding deep canyons and yawning caves. As a child, I’d
explored many of them, but now they were forbidden. For the hollow caves
were where vampires lurked in the shadows, ready to pounce, to kill, to
drink.
 The man before me did not look like a vampire, but what did I know?
I’d never actually seen one. Still, his fingers were just that, fingers not
claws. His eyes, instead of red, were the color of bright blue water graced
by flecks of sunlight. The way his rumpled hair curled was disarming. If I’d
seen him in the village, I would have greeted him kindly, offered him a
meal, and thought him handsome. In the shadows of the musty cavern, an
intoxicating danger emanated from him.
He held out the goblet, but I shook my head. I’d be a fool to take a drink
from a stranger. With a shrug, he downed the rest of the contents and picked
up his lute. It reminded me of a guitar, although much smaller, with a
rounded body and twelve strings instead of six. When he strummed a few
notes, a hum echoed, and my heart rate slowed.
“Will you untie my arms?” I dared to ask.
“Why should I free one who so willingly offered herself to be tied up?”
“It’s getting uncomfortable,” I admitted.
He strummed a few more notes, studying me intently. “If I do, will you
hurl the goblet at me and run into the cavern, searching for escape?”
“I’d very much like for you to let me go, but I don’t know my way
home from here, and I’d hate to run into more vampires.”
His lips curled back in a smile, and then he stood, leaning over me. His
cheek grazed mine, the stubble rough against my smooth skin. The scent of
sweet berries left me feeling heady. I held my breath as he ran his fingers
down my arms in the most sensual manner. As I tipped forward to allow
him access to my hands, my head pressed against one of his broad
shoulders. Again came the quick pitter patter of his heart, as though he were
doing something thrilling, arousing.
At last, he pulled back with the rope in his hands. I rolled my aching
shoulders and rubbed my wrists.
“Thank you,” I whispered, not daring to look at him until he’d resettled
on the rock across from me.
“Tell me, oh lady of the moon, do you have a name?”
I weighed giving him the information, and then gave in. Conversation
was better than being eaten. “Lucia, and you?”
He wagged his finger. “I’m not sure you’ve gained the honor of my
name.”
“But I’ve given you mine,” I protested.
“True, but I haven’t decided whether you’re trustworthy.”
 “I made a choice to trust you with my name, the least you can do⁠—”
“You also made yourself a willing sacrifice for me,” he interrupted with
a smug grin. “I think I control the information here.”
I glowered at him, the remark stinging. “I only did it to protect Veilix.”
“So you came willingly? You weren’t forced?”
“No, I took vows to serve and protect those around me with what skills
I’ve been given.”
“A vow,” the man teased. “Oh, how special you must be, a member of
the Order?”
“No, I’m a priestess.”
“Ah, you’ve taken a vow to abstain from worldly pleasures. Shame, I
could show you many things you’re missing.”
Aware that I was alone in varying shades of gray and gloom with him, I
drew a sharp breath, searching to change the dangerous trajectory of the
conversation. “I’d like to extract a vow from you instead. You will leave
Veilix alone and go elsewhere to hunt for blood.”
“You’re asking me to leave and terrorize another village? Doesn’t that
strictly go against your vows?”
It did, but the vampire king was sitting right in front of me. I had to
make a deal with him so my sacrifice would not be in vain.
“I will make a bargain with you if you leave Veilix and all villages in
peace. No more nights of terror.”
“A bargain, you say. It assumes you have something I want.”
“Name it. I work closely with the priestesses and the Knights of Veilix,
the hunters. If I explain your request and your promise, we can come to a
solution.”
A barking laugh exploded out of his mouth. When he looked at me, his
azure eyes were dark blue like the night, and his mouth set in a grim line.
“If only, my dear Lucia, it were that easy.”
My heart thrilled at the sound of my name on his lips. But I ignored the
sensation.
“It can be that easy,” I protested, my words trailing off as he fixed me
with those transcendent eyes.
Standing, he held out his hand. I reluctantly placed mine in his, an
unsaid question hovering on my lips. He tugged me to my feet but did not
let go, reminding me how fully I was in his power. I had no recourse but to
bend to his will.
 “Tonight of all nights, I expected to be tricked and trapped and lied to.
But I did not expect an honest priestess whose runes shine like the moon
and make me want to be a better person. You’re young, innocent, and
sheltered from the world behind the walls of your abbey. It makes me want
you all the more.”
My heart quailed, but my stomach fluttered as he drew me into the
circle of his arms.
“We can make a deal,” I said because it was the only thing I could think
to say that might save me from the terrible fate he had in store for me.
His fingertips danced up my spine, stroked my neck, traced my runes,
and my body betrayed me because it felt exquisite. It wasn’t supposed to
feel good, the touch of my sworn enemy, the depths of his eyes like a
bottomless pool. I felt a tug on my soul as though I were being pulled in,
falling into a place I wasn’t meant to go.
Backing me against the wall, he lowered his head, inch by inch, until his
lips hovered over mine. “I don’t ask for forgiveness. Hate me if you must,
but give me this one kiss, and then I will take you home.”
Home. The word broke through me like a beacon of hope. I opened my
mouth to respond, just as he crushed his lips against mine. He was warm
and rough and yet tasted like sweet wine, heady and intoxicating. I
succumbed as his teeth raked against my lower lip, nipping, but not hard
enough to draw blood.
Despite everything he was doing, the worst realization came as I found
myself feverishly kissing him back. This nameless man, this vampire king,
somehow he’d broken through my defenses and seduced me. My hands,
which had initially come up to push him away, were holding onto him,
keeping him tethered to me.
I felt his shuddering breath when he wrenched himself free from me.
Without speaking a word, he took my hand and led me into darkness.
I trotted along, sometimes beside him, sometimes behind him, but he
never let go of my hand. The roar of the waterfall ebbed and flowed, but all
I could think about was his mouth and how disgraceful it was to kiss him.
Not simply because of my vows but because he was the source of pain and
frustration and death in Veilix.
At last we emerged from the caverns onto a familiar strip of land. The
man guided me with ease to the walls of the abbey. “Here is where I leave
you, my moon goddess,” he whispered, finally letting go of my hand. “If I
find you in that glade again, you leave me with no recourse but to punish
you.”
I shivered. “Will you leave the village in peace then?”
“I make no promises.”
I took a step toward the abbey, then glanced back, searching for a last
visage of him. But he’d faded into the darkness as though he was nothing
more than a figment of my imagination.

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 2

TITUS

P ipe smoke drifted to my nose as I snuck into the ancient ruins of Aycuz.
The mountainous range had once belonged to a race of giants the
people mistakenly called gods. They were long dead and gone, but zealous
humans had taken over the lush mountain range. They built abbeys and
garrisons, cultivated the land, and produced the tastiest vegetables and the
richest wines.
Their wealth and success enticed many to make their homes there, but
the mortals had forgotten what overcame the giants and drove them to their
deaths. They forgot what lurked in the mountains, hidden under shadow and
stone. The undying.
I licked my lips, still tasting the priestess Lucia. She was forbidden, off
limits, and I’d kissed her anyway before taking her back to the abbey. She’d
be safer there and, with luck, she wouldn’t venture out of the walls at night
again.
“That you Titus?” a lazy voice rang out.
I rounded the corner, taking in the flickering torches and smoke-filled
cavern. Waving my arms, I walked through the haze. “Sylvester, are you
painting again?”
“What else would I be doing, little brother?” Sylvester said impatiently.
I stepped out from his barrier of torches and took in the immense wall.
He was perched on a ledge, a bucket of paint beside him, along with a series
of brushes, a bottle of wine, two glasses, matches, and tobacco.
“You’re drunk painting again,” I accused him.
 Sylvester took his pipe out of his mouth and pointed it at me. “Tsk. So
judgmental, as if you were doing anything more productive. Let me guess,
you were out there, playing your lute, trying to charm the stars? No, wait, I
saw you with a woman.”
Sylvester’s voice went hard at the end. He picked up a wine bottle and
hurled it against the wall.
Shards rained down, and red wine stained the wall like blood. I stepped
back. He saw me? Damn. I hadn’t been fast enough, and I’d underestimated
his snooping.
“What have I told you, Titus, about showing your face to mortals? Are
you a fool? We’re in hiding for a reason. We are lords of the night, damned,
cursed, and no one can save us, no matter how hard you try. You endanger
the family when you toy with mortals. Currently, the knights in the garrison
don’t know we exist, and when they find out, they’ll hunt us down.”
“Sylvester, they are already hunting us. I went out tonight because the
knights laid a trap. Would you know anything about that?”
Sylvester scoffed. “Tell me you walked away. It’s only a trap if you take
action.”
I crossed my arms, voice cold. “I took action. They left a woman, a
priestess, tied up in the wood. The vampires⁠—”
Sylvester cut me off with a bitter laugh. “Oh, so you saved her out of
some self-righteous quest to protect her from the damned vampires when
we are no better than them? Especially not you. Does it matter when you
drink her blood? Now, later, or when you’ve convinced her to fall in love
with you? It always ends the same, Titus. You woo them, they succumb, and
then you feast.”
I stepped back, anger rising, but it would do no good to argue with
Sylvester. He’d seen me at my worst, and he was right. How would this
time be any different from the past?
Except I had felt a shift. A contented satisfaction hummed in my bones,
and I hadn’t tasted her blood. Why?
I wasn’t sure, but an inkling told me it was because of her two-toned
skin, shadow and light blending together, shining. When I’d kissed her, I
hadn’t felt that urge to sink my teeth into her skin and devour her. I was
curious, but Sylvester was correct. How many times had I had good
intentions only to lose self-control?
 “What would you have me do, Sylvester, hide here with you? Paint and
drink while the vampires ravish our food source? If they destroy this
village, the lavish lifestyle you’re accustomed to will disappear. The trade
routes will close, the gardens will run wild, and you won’t be able to filch
paint and other supplies from the abbey.”
“You’re being melodramatic. I have a plan. Don’t forget I always take
care of you, little brother. Despite your sins.” Leaning forward, he squinted
at me. “Did you bring more candlesticks, as I requested?”
“Find your own candlesticks!” I snapped and left the room, the sound of
Sylvester’s harsh laugh following me.

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 3

LUCIA

I spent a fitful night tossing and turning, my mind racing with possibilities
and questions. Where had the mysterious man—I couldn’t bring myself to
call him a vampire—gone after he disappeared? What had happened to
Captain Elroy and the knights? Were they searching for me?
Finally, I fell into a deep sleep, only for the bell to ring, announcing the
dawn. In the blush glow of morning, last night seemed naught but a dream.
But as I washed my face, a quick glance in the mirror made me pause for a
closer inspection. I leaned over the glass, touching my fingers to my lips,
bruised and unnaturally pink from the man’s urgent kisses. Would anyone
notice?
I made my way under the arched ceiling of the abbey, my silver runes
winking in the low light. Today I could feel them as though they were alive,
a separate part of my skin. They weren’t painful, simply uncomfortable, like
a phantom limb.
The abbey was quiet as it always was pre-dawn. Each day was the same.
We rose at dawn, came together for morning meditation, breakfast, and
finally to the day’s work. Most of the priestesses would be making their
way to the kitchens where we dined, but my footsteps took me in a different
direction.
I passed bright murals on the walls and took the steps from the hall of
sleeping rooms down to the main floor. Within a few hours, it would be full
of children who made the journey from the village and up the hill to the
abbey for school. The garrison, connected to the abbey by a simple
walkway, guarded by blooming flowers, was the safest place in the village.
Many might find it a conflict of interest for the abbey and garrison to
exist together, and occasionally, I found some of the younger priestesses
leaning out the window, watching while half-dressed men practiced with
swords. It was then I closed the curtains and reminded them of their vows,
even though I’d wavered more than once, drawn by the sight of corded
muscles and sweaty skin glistening in the sunlight.
A moment of weakness overtook me as I reached the walkway, and I
leaned against the wall, reminded of the way that man had kissed me as
though he’d very much like to devour me. Oh heavens, how I’d given in—
and so quickly. I needed to confess my grievances, but part of me was
tempted to keep it a secret.
Vows were taken seriously in the abbey and those who broke them were
forced to leave. The idea of being alone, friendless and destitute, forced to
leave the only home I knew, gave me pause.
A step came, and a shadow fell over me. No more than a few feet away
stood Captain Elroy. He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Lucia, thank the
gods.”
He did not come any closer, and I scanned the area, painfully aware of
how exposed we were and hoping it was too early for anyone to overhear.
“I’ll call my men back,” Captain Elroy continued. “We were fools and
underestimated this enemy. I’m sorry.”
I swallowed hard, knowing it took a lot for him to come to the point of
apologizing. To me, Captain Elroy was like a father figure. He’d been a
youth when I was growing up in the abbey and had often entertained me
with stories, brought me flowers to put in my hair, and, as he still did,
taught many of the children self-defense. Now he was in charge of the
garrison, responsible for training knights, ensuring the trade routes were
secure, and most importantly, protecting the village. Last night had been a
failure, but I was quick to give my forgiveness.
“Nothing bad happened,” I said. “If you need me again, I will be ready.”
He shook his head, already turning away. “I was wrong to ask of you. It
won’t happen again.”
Alone again, I leaned against the wall, staring up at the frolicking
cherubs painted on the ceiling. They were carefree and naked with rosy
cheeks, dancing in a garden of red blossoms and pink petals. I pinched
myself. Why had I allowed myself to be bullied into being a decoy? Why
had I volunteered yet again?
It clearly hadn’t worked, but some part of me wanted to see him again.
The nameless man who’d kissed me as if he meant it.
I gave myself a shake. I had to forget him. He was a scoundrel, the
vampire king, after all, and it was likely he greeted all his meals with such
passion.
The idea of him kissing another vexed me. Crossing my arms, I headed
toward the kitchens.
The pattering of feet came from behind me, and then a sing-song voice
belted out, “Lucia!”
I spun around, and a grin split my face. “Edith, you’re back.”
Edith had a moon-round face, hazel eyes, and thick brown hair she
always wore in a braid. A spray of freckles still covered her light brown
skin. While I’d lived at the abbey my entire life, Edith had arrived when she
was five, grumpy and furious at being left an orphan. Eventually, her anger
at her fate faded, and we became fast friends, growing up together as
mischievous children before taking the vow to become priestesses.
While I enjoyed cultivating the gardens, Edith was a midwife and had
spent the past week in the village, assisting with a birth and staying with the
family a few days afterward to help while the new mother regained her
strength.
We embraced, and I squeezed her tight, as though a week had been a
month.
“Where were you last night?” Edith looped her arm in mine and guided
us toward the kitchen. “I stopped by your room after I got back, but you
must have been out.”
“Oh.” I gave a nervous laugh, fumbling for some kind of half-truth. “I
went for a walk.”
“In the gardens, I hope.” Edith shook her head. “I know there have been
no attacks on the village in the past week, but it’s too bold to hope the
vampires are gone. They’ll strike when we least expect it.”
“I hope not,” I murmured, wishing we weren’t having this particular
conversation. “We could do with some peace. Do you ever wonder if
maybe, maybe…if we met their leader, he might be reasonable and make a
deal with us?”
 Edith went quiet, which was one thing I liked about her. She was slow
to speak, often thinking over words before interjecting with her wisdom. It
was quite a contrast from some of the younger priestesses who said
whatever came to mind first.
“It would be ideal if we could come to some kind of agreement,” she
said at last. “But I don’t see how. Vampires want blood, our blood, and I
can’t think of anything else they’d want more.”
“But bargains are all about compromise,” I suggested.
Edith frowned. “Yes, but making a vampire compromise by giving up
human blood would be like telling the soldiers that instead of meat, we’d
only feed them vegetables for the rest of their lives.”
I nudged her. “Vegetables are good for you.”
Edith grinned. “A man who fights for a living will always want meat.”
“Fine.” I sighed. She had a point. “Tell me about the village and the
family. How was the birth?”
“I’m always grateful when it’s over and the baby is healthy and strong.
That little girl had a pair of lungs on her. She hollered so loud we thought
she’d wake the dead.” Edith giggled before sobering. “To be honest, I held
my breath the entire time. I know vampires can’t cross a threshold without
being invited, but the village homes aren’t as strong as the abbey.
Sometimes, when the wind blows, I have nightmares about the house falling
over or the roof caving in, and then a vampire will be right there, waiting to
feast. I know we’re not supposed to live in fear, but. . .I just wish there was
something more I could do to stop them.”
I squeezed her arm. “Me too, Edith, me too.”
We were the last two to enter the kitchens, and all the priestesses were
seated with bowls of steaming oatmeal and fresh fruit in front of them. The
Head Priestess, Merci, nodded to us as we took our seats and folded our
hands.
“Sisters,” she began, her voice strong and steady. “Before we begin our
morning meditation, I have grave news.”
Pressing my lips, I stared at my oatmeal, wondering if the news related
to me.
“There’s been another robbery.”
My head jerked up, questions already forming on my lips. Low
murmurs swept through the hall, but Merci held up her hand for silence.
 “I have asked the knights to investigate,” she continued. “We’ve posted
guards and installed new locks, to no avail. Somehow, the thief keeps
sneaking in, and several items from the cellar are gone. Our stocks of food,
wine, candles, and even some scrolls from the library are missing. It’s
difficult to believe that someone would steal from us, but there we have it. I
would ask that each of you be vigilant. If you heard or saw anything out of
the ordinary last night, please report it to me. If we all work together, we
can stop this from happening again.”
Voices rang out. “Who would steal from us?”
“Who has access?”
“What if it was one of the knights?”
Edith squeezed my hand under the table, eyebrows raised, which meant
she had an idea and wanted us to investigate this ourselves. It wasn’t our
place to catch thieves. We had other duties, but like her, I found myself
curious.
“Ladies, it is not our place to give in to wild speculations and fear.
While it is disconcerting to know that someone snuck in and stole from this
place of safety, I know we will find whoever is responsible, and they will be
dealt with. Now, let us clear our minds and focus on the day at hand.
Everything will fall into place, as it should.”
Edith and I exchanged glances before folding our hands and closing our
eyes. Doubt poked at my mind, doubt that didn’t belong in the mind of a
priestess. Last night, I’d been with a man, the vampire king himself.
Vampires could not cross a threshold without being invited, and I hadn’t
invited him inside.

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 4

LUCIA

A skidnapped
the days passed, I tried to forget about the mysterious man who’d
and kissed me. The work required of me in the abbey kept
me busy from sunup to sundown. Travelers came for prayers, to seek rest,
or to bathe in the healing pools that surrounded Veilix.
Each day when I worked in the garden, I tried to keep my focus on the
Creator who blessed us with gifts of nature. My life’s work was to deny
worldly pleasures and focus on sacrifice, the giving of myself, and my time
to serve others.
Midweek, the young women in the village came to my garden to learn
how to use herbs for healing. It was a class that Edith and I taught together.
I focused on how to forage for herbs, plant and tend them, and tell each one
apart, while Edith focused on the healing properties and how to ground,
mix, and dry them, then activate them.
Seeing those young women, some single, others married, and some
beginning their own families, made me feel fiercely protective of them.
They were my family, the village was my home, and it was my duty as a
priestess to do whatever was in my power to protect Veilix and those who
dwelled there.
The gate burst open, and Sabine ran in, hair tumbling out of her braid.
“There’s been an attack!”
A slow sludge of fear weighed me down, and my gaze flickered to
Edith. She shook her head slightly, but it was already too late. One of the
women screamed, and they gathered around us like a flock of panicked
hens.
“Who was it?”
“What happened?”
“When did you find out?”
“Are they coming for us?”
Sabine bent over, catching her breath before joining us, her green eyes
wide. “It wasn’t one of us but a traveler. Word is he was on his way here
when the vampires caught him early this morning. The knights found him
on the roadside, bite marks on his neck, drained of blood. It was the
vampires.”
More shrieks and hysterics followed, and Edith spun on Sabine. “That’s
enough,” she said sternly. “Ladies, this has happened before, and we know
what to do. When twilight comes, go inside, lock your doors, and stay
inside until day breaks. If you are too concerned to go home, there is always
a place for you here. We cannot thrive on fear. Keep the faith. The knights
are investigating, and the Creator will provide a way.”
For the rest of the day, Edith’s words danced through my mind. She was
right. We should not feel powerless, locked up in the formidable walls of
the abbey while terrors ruled the night. If we had the opportunity, we should
act, and I’d been provided a way to act. The knowledge burned within
because I, of all people, had the power to take action.
After everyone retired for the night, I dressed cautiously, a giddiness
rising within as I pulled on my boots and selected a warm cloak. Finally, I
took up my knife, recalling what I’d learned about self-defense from
Caption Elroy and his men. Vampires were fast, but I’d faced the vampire
king before. Perhaps tonight, he’d be reasonable and less inclined to kiss
me.
I tiptoed down the silent halls, boots in hand, the stone cold beneath my
feet. All the sisters were behind closed doors, reading, meditating, or
sleeping. Still, it wasn’t until I slipped into the garden that I breathed a sigh
of relief and tugged on my boots. Unlocking the gate, I let myself out into
the night.
The air was still as I walked downhill, headed toward the wood where
the knights had taken me to trap the vampire king. Blackness crept in
around me, and even though I’d brought a lantern, I hesitated to light it and
draw attention to myself.
 Once I slipped beneath the leafy boughs, the gravity of my situation
overwhelmed me. Freezing behind a tree, I attempted to gather the courage
I’d had while in the abbey. What if I couldn’t find the vampire king but one
of his minions instead? I’d be the next body that was found drained of
blood.
Spinning around, I had every intention of fleeing back to the safe walls
of the abbey.
Until I heard the music.
A somber tune pierced the night like a lonesome call, a song of the
heart. A tug came from within, and my pulse quickened. Silver beams of
moonlight filtered through the trees, encouraging me to take action. Moving
with confidence, I made my way toward the pool in the glade where
everything had happened.
As the trees thinned, I paused and set down my lantern, reminding
myself to be calm and level-headed. I came with a purpose, and it might not
be him.
But it was.
There, by the pool of midnight blue water, he lounged on a boulder,
playing his lute, the low notes blending with the thunder of the waterfall yet
somehow echoing back. My lips tingled, and my body ached at the
reminder of what he’d done to me, but I hadn’t come for pleasure. This was
strictly business.
I marched into the clearing, aware I knew nothing about him. Not even
a name.
When he saw me, he sat up straighter and angled his body toward me.
Light shone on his face, displaying his curiosity as he leaned his lute
against the rock and approached me.
“My lady of the moon, I did not expect to see you again. Why are you
here?”
“I had to come,” I said, trying not to be disarmed by the way he stole
close to me, as though I were a wild beast that would spook and run if he
moved too quickly.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” he said, circling me. “Alone in the
night, without your guards. Don’t you know it’s unsafe for a woman like
you⁠—”
“I weighed the costs, and I understand the risks,” I spoke quickly,
cutting him off. He’d better let me speak before I lost my nerve. “I’m here
because of what happened this morning. A man was found on the road
leading south with his throat torn out. You or your minions are at work
again, and it has to stop. I came to ask you once and for all.”
His lip curled, and he paused in front of me. Dark pools of sapphire
glittered as his gaze raked over me. His bold stare left me flustered. This
was an idiotic idea.
“Why do you believe I have the power to stop the rising madness?”
“You’re the vampire king, aren’t you? You should control your
dominion.”
His nose twitched, and he glanced away, rubbing his jaw as if deep in
thought. “How perceptive of you,” he said, finally. “What if I told you I’ll
control my domain, but only if you make a deal with me?”
A bloom of warmth spread across my chest. Hope. “I’m listening.”
He took another step closer, rough fingers sliding under my chin to lift
my face to his. I willed every inch of my body into obedient stillness. I
would not let him know what his touch, his closeness, did to me. He didn’t
need to know how he made me feel weak and long for things that went
against my vows.
“I will promise to use more control if you will come to me one night a
week.”
A lump swelled in my throat, and I blinked twice, trying to maintain my
sanity. I should have known this would be a requirement, and my heart
should not have leaped in anticipation.
But it did.
If this is what I must do to protect Veilix, then so be it. However, it was
a risk. If I was discovered, my actions might be viewed as unforgivable and
I shuddered to image my fate.
The High Priestess encouraged the priestesses to live a life of sacrifice
and to think of others first in the name of selfless love. She believed that if
we set the example for the villagers, others would follow in our footsteps.
She was convinced that as long as we stood firm in our convictions,
ignoring those who scorned us but showing love and mercy to all, we would
display a great strength that others would come to respect.
At the moment, I couldn’t help but think of her words, and I knew,
beyond the shadow of a doubt, that what I was doing was not her intention.
But did I have a choice?
 I was choosing between death and life, and he only claimed one night,
which meant that instead of becoming his victim, I would continue to carry
out my daily duties. No one would be the wiser as long as I kept my secret.
But he was dangerous, and my lips burned at the memory of his kiss.
What would time spent with him do to my soul?
“We have a deal,” I heard myself saying, voice strong, without
wavering.
He released me suddenly and stepped back, confusion making his
features tighten. “Just like that, we have a deal? You care so much about the
welfare of others that you would put yourself in danger?”
“I would,” I replied, speaking with a confidence I did not quite feel.
“Why?”
“Because it is what is right. Everyone deserves a chance to live without
their lives being cut off by monsters.”
“Everyone that is, except for you? Because you’ve chosen to be the
sacrifice, to stand in the gap and protect these people with your life.”
I fought to keep my panic from rising. “Does that mean you intend to
kill me?”
“No, my moon goddess, I intend to keep you safe, which is why I must
do this.”
His lips closed around the column of my neck, and his teeth sank into
my skin. I thrust my hands against his chest to shove him away, but he
responded by wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly to him. He
was strong, much stronger than I expected, and in his embrace, I couldn’t
move.
A low moan left my lips as I gasped for air, and he sucked hard. Had he
bitten me hard enough to make me bleed, and now he was drinking my
blood? I could think of no other logic as to why he was holding me so
tightly and sucking my neck.
My heart skipped. He was feeding on me.
Perhaps that was why he’d asked my permission to make a deal so that
he could move forward without regret. He was a vampire, which made him
a liar and a scoundrel. I should not have trusted his word, nor should I have
made a deal with him because of a kiss. A passionate kiss I should not have
found pleasure in.
Just as suddenly, his lips released my neck.
 I pushed hard, forcibly removing myself from him. My hand went to my
neck as I stepped back, panting. “What was that for?”
He also stepped back, giving me space. “I gave you my mark for
protection since you are keen to walking alone at night. Now, none of the
creatures of the night will bother you without dire consequences.”
I pointed a finger at him, angry with myself for being stupid. What
possible good could come from this? Edith was right. Telling a vampire not
to drink blood was like telling a man to live without meat. It could only last
for so long. Eventually, a bloody day would come.
“I need more than just your word. How do I know you’ll keep your
promise?”
There it came, the glitter in his dark eyes, the curve of his mouth as he
licked his lips. “You don’t get to know. You just have to trust me.”
“That’s not good enough,” I protested.
“It will have to be.”
Something like menace flashed across his face. Despite the warning in
my soul, I spun on my heel and ran. I’d made a mistake. The word of a
vampire was not to be trusted. I should confess to Captain Elroy and work
with the knights to spring another trap, capture this monster, and end his
reign of terror once and for all.
Instead, I’d snuck out in the night, besotted by some dream. Wasn’t that
what vampires did? They were tricksters, playing on the idea of intimate
pleasures and bewitching their targets.
Silence came from behind me, only hastening my speed. There was no
guarantee that he wasn’t right behind me. My hand went to my knife,
recalling my training in self-defense. I hadn’t practiced in a while, but now
I needed to fight for my life or reach the walls of the abbey before the
vampire king caught me. What if all this was for naught? Not only had I
sacrificed myself, but I’d sacrificed the villagers.
A weight hit me, and I went sprawling. My chest hit the ground,
knocking the breath out of me. My lungs burned as I gasped for air, and
then he flipped me over. Hands encircled my wrists, pinning them above
my head as he used his body to hold me down. It was darker in the trees,
but I could see his face clearly, lit up with silver light. There was no
darkness, no anger in that gaze, only a calm amusement, reminding me of
the cats in the cellar who caught the rats and played with them, ripping,
biting instead of killing and eating.
 My chest heaved as I sucked in deep breaths, wondering if I was only a
game for him, entertainment until he grew bored.
He leaned over me, eye to eye, nose to nose, and whispered, “Perhaps I
got this all wrong. How can I know if I can trust you? After all, you were
the one who set a trap for me. How do I know this isn’t just another trap?”
I gritted my teeth, well aware of my disadvantage. “You’ll just have to
trust me.”
“You have spunk, Lucia, which only quickens my blood, but it’s
difficult to trust a woman with a knife in her hand.”
“It’s difficult to trust a vampire who just sucked my blood,” I retorted.
“I simply gave you a mark of protection. It’s just that the taste of you is
delectable. I could not resist the taste of your skin or the shimmer of your
silver runes. They are like moonlight.”
He traced a finger down my neck, over my collarbone, to the fabric of
my dress. I stiffened, throat dry as his finger continued lower, tracing circles
around the swell of one breast and then over my nipple, making it pucker
and ache.
“I wonder,” he said, voice low and seductive. “Is your entire body
covered in silver runes?”
Heat from his touch surged across my skin, and my lower belly went
fluttery. I shifted beneath him. I needed to distract him before this went
much further. “Who are you?” I demanded, struggling to make my voice
sound controlled and confident again. “I’ve given you my name and a
promise. You’ve given me nothing but twisted words, a mark, and shades of
vagueness. Who are you?”
He paused and withdrew his searching finger. “My name is Titus, and I
am cursed. Cursed to live in solitude and darkness while you, my moon
goddess, are everything I am not. Light and goodness and purity, perhaps
you can lend me a bit of your goodness and lessen the sting of my curse.”
“Titus,” I repeated. “Will you get off me?”
That bemused smirk came again, and he shifted, taking his weight off
me. “If I let go of your hands, will you stab me?”
A retort rose and died in my throat because he’d spoken of his curse
with a voice tinged with pain, and it made me want to help him. “No,” I
admitted. “I won’t stab you.”
Immediately he let go and stood, holding out a hand. I paused before I
took it, and as his warm fingers closed around mine, I looked up at his face.
“Are you the vampire king?”
His hand tightened around mine, and he pulled me closer. “Does it
matter?”
A response did not come readily as I searched his face for answers.
With a shrug, he released me. “I was going to endeavor to be a
gentleman tonight, Lucia, but you’ve awakened desires deep inside me. I
will bid you goodnight before I do anything we’ll both regret.”
A fluttering sensation came again, and I leaned forward, my eyes
dragged inexplicably to his lips.
His thumb brushed my chin, sending a shiver down my spine. “When
you look at me with your soul in your eyes, it makes it difficult to resist.”
“Yes,” I said. “You should resist. I am a priestess, called to a higher
purpose, and you should not tempt me with your lust and desire for physical
pleasure.”
“Was I the first to kiss you?”
“I don’t have to answer that⁠—”
“So I was, and it makes me want you all the more.”
“You shouldn’t have kissed me,” I whispered.
“But you enjoyed it, didn’t you? And you want more.”
I dropped my head, words falling to the forest floor. “It’s wrong.”
“That’s what the darkness is for, and who says it is wrong to indulge in
pleasure?”
I crossed my arms, putting distance between us. “Easy for you to say
when you’re the epitome of what is wrong. I’ve chosen to live a different
kind of life, one that is not built on satisfying fleeting pleasures nor
indulging in activities that lead to darkness.”
“Oh, wise one, teach me your ways.”
“Dare you mock me?”
“See, this is why I look forward to our nights together. But go away
now. I am ravenous, but I’m determined not to ravish you tonight.”
“Nor any other night,” I tossed over my shoulder as I walked away.
I waited for the breath to be knocked out of me, to find myself sprawled
on the ground again, but this time there was nothing, just silence.
Only when I reached the gate to the garden did I dare to turn around, but
I was alone, as though he’d never been there at all.

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 5

LUCIA

T hetheyemerald green feathers of hummingbirds glittered in the sunshine as

flittered to the crimson blossoms in the flower garden. I walked the
stone path, a basket in my arms, letting my bare skin drink in the heat of the
summer sun.
Last night had almost been a dream, except for the spot on my neck
where Titus had sucked my skin. While the skin wasn’t broken, it had
swelled up, and I’d wrapped a scarf around my neck to hide it.
Kneeling near a patch of vines, I picked ripe squash to take back to the
kitchen. This morning, Faith, who managed the kitchen, had given me a list
of herbs and vegetables she wanted from the garden.
Usually, she came with me, but today, she was baking and had no time
to assist with the gathering. It was peaceful, though, alone with my
thoughts, and occasionally, I stole a glance up the hillside, where the
vineyard stretched toward the summit, pale grapes already glistening on the
vines.
“Lucia.”
I lifted my head, relieved to see Edith twirling down the garden path.
She wore a loose linen dress, her hair in two braids, a hat on her head, and a
basket tucked under her arms.
“Edith!” I dusted dirt off my hands. “Did you come to help?”
Edith pursed her lips together, then knelt on the ground beside me.
Placing a hand on her head, she scanned the garden and then lowered her
voice. “There’s been news.”
 I squeezed the handle of my basket and searched her face. Had Titus
already broken his word? “More bad news? What happened? Tell me,
Edith.”
“A runner arrived this morning. He went straight to Captain Elroy with
a request for help.”
My heart squeezed. Runners traveled between villages, often on
horseback, although originally, they used to run from one village to the
next. Veilix was one of three villages set in the mountains, each with an
abbey—some with priests, others with priestesses—and garrison. The
closest one was a three-day ride away, while the furthest one was seven
days on horseback.
The garrison used to travel from village to village, and we traded with
each other. Veilix produced wine, and each year, we sent barrels down the
hill to the mainland, where they were purchased and traded to larger
villages and even cities. Ever since the vampires had started haunting the
town, visits had dwindled for fear of being devoured once nightfall came.
Even the knights took precautions.
I took Edith’s hand and squeezed it. “What news did the runner bring?”
“High Peak Abbey has succeeded in its defense against the vampires,
but only at a significant cost to the village and the garrison. The runner
came asking if any could be spared to assist them with rebuilding. I expect
Captain Elroy will send a small group to assist, likely no more than ten or
fifteen.”
“That is good news,” I breathed. “I wonder how they were successful
against the horde of vampires.”
“I’m sure the runner shared in detail, and if the High Priestess deems it
worthy news for our ears, she will allow it to be shared with us. I thought
you’d want to know.”
“I do.” I nodded, wondering if my deal with Titus had been for naught.
After all, if others could successfully rid their village of vampires, why
couldn’t we? My eyes narrowed, and I glanced at Edith. “You don’t seem
happy though.”
She shrugged, but lines of worry danced around her mouth. “I’m
concerned. Especially because of what happened the other morning, now is
not the time to send our knights away, especially when the vampires are
closing in around us. Who knows what the defeat did to them? Perhaps they
decided to resettle here, where we haven’t been able to put together a great
defense. I know the knights patrol at night, but Captain Elroy talks of the
vampire king in our midst, who is making it difficult for us to claim a
similar victory over those dark creatures.”
I squeezed her hand. “We must not give up hope. We will find a way.”
“I’m not worried about finding a way. I know we will. I just hope we all
survive this scourge. It’s testing my faith.”
“You know what the High Priestess says about faith.”
“That it is a test of our strength and courage, a test of our commitment
to our vows. But I’m not worried about my commitment, my concern lies
with the people of the village and their safety, their lives. I think of that
brand-new baby I helped deliver. What kind of life will she have? What
kind of life do we have now, afraid of twilight, fearful of the setting sun
because with it comes the monsters who want to drink our blood and drive
us from our homes? I don’t want to kneel here in the sunshine, pretending
everything is okay. I want to act!”
My own idiotic plan rose to the forefront of my mind. Parting my lips, I
took a deep breath, ready to spill my burning secret.
“What’s that look, Lucia? What are you up to?”
“I...I know what you mean. I want to act instead of sitting here, too, but
we are doing well. We are providing for the children, giving them a safe
place to stay. Besides, I’m sure Captain Elroy has a plan to catch the
vampire king and put an end to all this.”
Edith plucked a ripe tomato off the vine, her eyes misting over for a
moment. “I hope so. He hasn’t shared any of his plans with me.”
My brow creased. “But why would he?”
Edith cleared her throat and ducked her head. “No reason.” Turning, she
busied herself picking vegetables before glancing over at me, a shy smile on
her face. “Why are you wearing a scarf around your neck? It’s summer.”
Now it was my turn to move away. “You know how I feel about my
runes.”
“Lu, we’ve talked about this. Don’t hide. Just because you have silver
on your skin doesn’t make you any less of a person.”
“It’s hard being different, sometimes, and I know no one judges me for
what my skin looks like. I just. . .sometimes I feel self-conscious even
though there’s no need. They have started itching lately, though.”
“Talk to Faith. I’m sure she has some oils you can rub on them.”
“I will,” I promised.
 Edith and I fell into easy conversation as we worked together, but one
thought returned to my mind. My runes had never itched before, at least not
until I’d met Titus.

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 6

LUCIA

A week passed without incident, and each morning, I woke with bated
breath, waiting for word of another thief or a vampire attack. But it
appeared that Titus had kept his word, which meant I had to keep mine.
When the sun set and the hour struck ten, the abbey fell silent. Most of
the priestesses were in their rooms or walking the halls of the abbey. It
would be safest to wait until midnight, but my eyes were already heavy
from the day’s work, and I feared I’d fall asleep if I waited a moment
longer. It wasn’t unusual to walk the halls of the abbey after nightfall, but I
still felt guilty as I slipped out of my room and downstairs.
The candelabras were lit, friendly, warm candlelight flickering, casting
shadows on the wall, which encouraged me onward. With a shaky breath, I
moved toward the garden when an idea struck me. Tonight, the vampire
king expected me, so I’d take him a gift as a token of appreciation for
keeping his word. It would also serve as a signal to him that I meant what I
said and intended to keep my word.
In the kitchen, I filled a basket with bread and a wedge of cheese and
then took a fine bottle of wine from the cellar. Veilix Abbey was known for
its fine wines, and even if he didn’t appreciate the bread and cheese, surely
his pallet would enjoy the dark and bold wine. Or at least persuade him not
to view me as a meal.
As I crept down the hall toward the garden, low voices arrested my
attention. Flattening myself against the wall, I tiptoed toward the source,
surprised to hear the deep tones of a man. It was strictly forbidden for the
knights to visit the abbey after nightfall unless there was an incident. Surely
the High Priestess would alert us if something was wrong.
The candlelight wasn’t bright enough to reveal who spoke in the
shadows, but I made out the familiar shape of a knight and one of the
priestesses, although I didn’t think it was the High Priestess. She would
never stand so near a man with her face tilted up as if inviting him to kiss
her. I stepped back, mind racing. Was it possible that one of my sisters was
breaking her vows and indulging in the affections of a man?
Surely no. We were dedicated to our vows? Weren’t we?
But I wasn’t so sure as I slipped out the gate and walked down the hill
toward the forest, aware that what I was doing went against everything I
believed in. I was conflicted because my actions saved lives, yet I had
damned myself. Dare I look forward to what he’d do to me next? The way
he made my body hum with life and ache for pleasure. I’d almost told Edith
the truth, but how stupid would that have been? She wouldn’t understand
that I’d chosen to put myself in grave danger.
I wondered about the other vampires as I walked under the trees. The
leaves rustled in the breeze, and the hoot of an owl came along with a
squeal of terror, likely from a mouse being eaten. The knife I’d tucked into
the sleeve of my dress only gave me momentary security. If the vampires
wanted me, they would have me. Titus had shown me just how quick and
fast he could be when he wanted something.
At last, the trees opened up to the glade, and hues of blue lit up the
waterfall. The sky was quilted with stars, and the full moon perched in the
middle like a queen in her court. Forcing one foot in front of the other, I
continued my trajectory toward the pool, where Titus stood with his back to
me, staring up at the waterfall, his lute on his back.
“Lucia.” He ran his fingers through his hair and then faced me.
Oh, but in the light he was handsome, with disheveled hair, those deep-
set eyes, and the way he stood, tall and powerful, his shirt open, displaying
an expanse of chest. His sleeves were rolled up, and a scroll extended from
one of his pockets.
I held out the basket. “You kept your word, and so I brought you a gift.”
His blue eyes flashed in surprise, and he took the basket with both
hands. “Is it a beast that is going to leap out and devour me?”
I bit my tongue, but the words tumbled out anyway. “The cats in the
cellar are impossible to catch, so no, no beasts in the basket.”
 A laugh burst from his lips. “Did you just make a joke?”
Had I? Was I bold enough to tease the vampire king?
He opened up the basket, and when he spoke next, his voice was softer,
as if he’d read my thoughts and knew I was conflicted. “I did not expect
this from you. Thank you. What changed your mind?”
“You kept your word.”
“Then you trust me?”
“Not trust, but it’s a start.”
Titus pressed a hand to his heart. “Ah, my lady of the moon, you don’t
know how that makes me feel. A start is all I ask for. Tonight, I want to take
you somewhere.”
“Back to your cave?” I asked, a slight worry twisting within.
“No, to a mountain where we will be close to the lights of night. Where
we can feast on this banquet you’ve brought for us.”
Shifting the basket, he held out his hand to me. I took it without
hesitation, enjoying the feel of him. He was warm, alive, and he had a
pulse. It was wishful thinking, but I desperately did not want him to be a
vampire.
As he led me away from the pool, I let my thoughts run wild. What if he
wasn’t a vampire and I wasn’t a priestess, and we were two souls who
happened to meet each other, brought together by fate? What then?
Titus led me into a cavern, then down dark passageways until,
eventually, he led me out and onto a path that sloped upward to a flat dome.
My eyes went wide as we came to a stop, and he let go of my hand to slide
an arm around my waist. I felt his eyes on me as I stared out at the lights of
the abbey and the garrison in the distance and the cluster of the village from
afar.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathed.
“I agree,” he whispered, his mouth so close to my ear that I almost felt
the kiss of his lips. “Have you always had these silver runes?”
I stilled, not trusting myself to look at him. Keeping my gaze focused on
the starry night, I replied, “Always.”
He traced a finger along my throat to my shoulder. “You shine, just like
the moon and the stars. You’re a goddess of the night, aren’t you? Meant to
bring your light to those in darkness.”
His words had a romantic tilt, but I was no goddess. “I’m just a
priestess, as I’ve told you. Yet you’ve asked me many questions about
myself and shared none about you.”
“Because my past is not worth sharing.”
“What is it you want to do then, each night I come out to meet you? If
not to share, to tell me something true.”
“Is that what you want?”
“Yes, if that is what it takes to stop you and your horde of vampires. I
heard the tale of a neighboring abbey and garrison who defeated the
vampires. Have you heard that tale?”
He let go of me suddenly. Moving to the grass, he sat down, unpacked
the basket, and opened the bottle of wine.
“I heard that tale,” he admitted, fingers dancing over the neck of his lute
before he poured two glasses of wine. “If more vampires come here, it will
only make the nights more dangerous for you and for me. Those who don’t
recognize my power will not obey, and then you’ll turn on me, saying I did
not keep my word when I was outmaneuvered.”
I joined him on the grass, sitting crosslegged with the basket between
us. “You are right. I would blame you for not keeping your word. What I
don’t understand is how this all began. I grew up in this abbey, and
vampires, while rumored, did not attack nor rule the night until recently.
What changed?”
Titus finished his first glass of wine in a few gulps, then faced me, a
barely contained fury threading through his words. “Lucia, I did not bring
you here to discuss vampires. I don’t care for them, and I certainly don’t
want to spend my nights with you discussing them.”
I closed my mouth and looked out at the lights, so friendly yet so far
away. I shouldn’t be here at all, but back in the abbey, safe in bed,
surrounded by strong walls and armed knights. A place where creatures of
the night could not haunt me.
We sat in silence for a while, and I sensed his brooding anger, his fury at
something that had happened to him that was out of his control. It still
wasn’t known exactly how vampires replicated, because no one from the
village had disappeared. But the High Priestess suspected it was from a bite,
a transmission of the disease that kept the dead from truly dying. Instead,
they were resurrected as dark creatures who thirsted for blood, haunting the
night because they wished to be reborn, to be human again. But Titus was
different.
“Tell me a story, any story,” I whispered, hoping to soothe his anger.
 “I brought you here to be my distraction during these long nights,” Titus
said, raking his fingers through his hair. “Tell me, Lucia, what do you do all
day up in that abbey?”
He was asking for a distraction, a reason to get to know me, and for my
story. Words formed on my tongue, slowly at first, then faster as my
confidence surged. “As a baby, I was left on the doorstep of the abbey, and
the High Priestess took me in and raised me. I grew up with the children of
the village because they come to the abbey for instructions. My sisters—
fellow priestesses—and I teach them how to read, write, discern truth, and
learn skills that will benefit Veilix. When they are grown, some travel to
other villages, start their own families, or even take up vows and become
priests or priestesses.
“My gifting is with nurturing. I am good at encouraging life and making
plants grow. Thus, I work in the gardens. I enjoy the challenge of my task
and seeing the fruits of my labor. I’m honored to plan the gardens each year,
deciding what and how many crops to grow to ensure we have enough to
trade, to eat during the winter months, and, most importantly, to be
generous and give to those in need. Every successful harvest leaves me with
the feeling that I’m doing something important that matters. Like now.”
“I can sense your passion and your faith from here. You believe in what
you are doing, and that is intoxicating.”
I glanced at him, unsure what to think about his response. Was he
genuine, or was he mocking me? “And you?”
He gave a bitter laugh and poured himself another glass. “I am damned
already, and there’s no hope for me. I used to be a man, a knight, except I
never would have reconciled myself to a garrison next to an abbey full of
virgins.”
Heat suffused my face, and I turned away so he wouldn’t see my
expression.
“No, I aspired for much more, for power and wealth and dominion, and
all of it led to my downfall. Part of it was my fault, and part of it was poor
luck, and now I’m here, balancing power. I got my wish in the worst way
possible, and I’m paying for it.”
“Your words are so cryptic, I don’t know what you mean,” I admitted.
“Nor do I want to explain. One day, I hope to be free of these bonds and
walk in the light again, and you, Lucia, you give me hope.”
 Hope. Wasn’t that my purpose? To lift up the downtrodden, to bring
hope to the hopeless, and to help those in need?
“Tell me, my moon goddess, if you didn’t live this life, what would you
do?”
A dangerous question because it led to discontent and speculation. I
lifted my chin. “I am satisfied with my life.”
“Why? Because you have everything you desire?”
“I have friendships, a place to live, and a purpose. Is that not enough?”
“I would say yes, except that I felt the way you kissed me back.”
“I. . .” Words failed me because he spoke the truth. I had kissed him
back with a feverish passion. Of course he noticed, and I couldn’t deny the
craving within me.
A strange note tinged his voice, a blend of longing and regret. “Would it
be so wrong to find pleasure in each other?”
“Yes,” I croaked. “It would be wrong because it’s against my vows.”
“I wager you’ll enjoy it,” he teased.
“No,” I gasped.
“One day, the word yes shall pass from your lips. Come, have another
drink with me.”
Titus reached to refill my glass and broke off a hunk of bread and
cheese, passing a portion to me. As he did, a shadow appeared on the edge
of the hill.
Titus stiffened, then reached for his lute as the shadow morphed into a
being, and this time, as it reared on two legs, I saw for myself what a true
vampire looked like. The light caught the shape of its body, standing tall
like a man. Lines of darkness ran from his eyes, and his rags displayed his
bone-thinness. The vampire lurched forward as though his bones would
break.
Pausing, he licked his lips and spoke, his voice like death. “We are
hungry. Release us.”
Ignoring the voice, Titus began to play. A rushed, impatient tune bolted
from his lute and then swelled into the darkness like a balloon of power. I
felt a wave of intensity coming from Titus as he called to me.
“Lucia, come, put your hand on my heart.”
It was an odd request, but I was in no position to refuse him, especially
with a vampire stalking closer. I hastened toward him, but he jerked his
chin. “Kneel behind me, touch me, skin to skin.”
 I hesitated, but only a moment as more shadows crept up the ridge,
surrounding us. Kneeling behind Titus, I dropped my arms around his neck,
and he leaned back into my embrace. I felt the hard muscles of his back
press against me as I slid my hands under his shirt, over his heart. It
thudded there, quick as a drum while he played.
“Yes,” he rasped, voice hoarse. “Stay with me, just like this.”
The shadows crept closer.
I closed my eyes and focused on simply being, the breath flowing in and
out of my body, my arms around Titus, the warmth of his skin, and the
tingling flush that went up from my fingertips up my arms and flared from
my runes.
Heat filled me like nothing I’d experienced before.
This time, it wasn’t the flush of embarrassment from being so near
Titus, nor the conflict in my heart from breaking my vows, nor was it the
warmth of the summer night. No, something strange was happening to me.
I opened my eyes and light filled my vision.
At first, I assumed it was moonlight, for the silver hues glistened so
brightly that I saw every blade of grass in front of Titus, but that wasn’t it. I
tilted my head, my cheek brushing against strands of Titus’ hair. He smelled
woodsy and earthy, the kind of scent that reminded me of the garden and
made me want to lie in the dirt like one of the plants while the light beamed
upon me, making me transform.
The surge of sensation inside felt like a transformation, and as I leaned
over Titus’s shoulder, I realized my runes were glowing. A knot of dread
tightened in my stomach, and a fear wormed its way inside. The tempo of
his song increased while my runes glittered like starlight. Ever since I’d met
Titus, my runes had itched. It was easy to brush it off as a coincidence, but
now I wasn’t so sure.
I was shining.
Did he know something that I didn’t? And why did he want me to touch
him like this? Heat swelled within me like an inferno as the tempo reached
a crescendo and Titus broke off. Hot and sweaty, I pulled away from him,
eyes tearing across the dome, but we were alone. The shadows had gone.
I scooted away from him, reclaiming a patch of grass—close to him for
safety but not within reach. “What was that? What did you do?” I
demanded.
 “Me?” He placed a hand on his heart as he lay down his lute. “You think
I did something?”
“Yes,” I sputtered, grasping for answers. “It’s your lute, isn’t it? That
night I met you in the glade, you used music to lure the knights to sleep.
And again, just now, to frighten away the vampires. But why did my runes
glow? What kind of power do you have?”
He ran a hand across the stubble on his jawline and stared up at the sky,
avoiding my gaze. “You are smart, intelligent. I thought you would tell me
what happened just now. I only met you a few weeks ago. I don’t know why
your runes glow. I just know when you touch me, skin to skin, I feel an
intoxicating power like nothing I’ve felt before, and it comes from you.
Why do you think I call you a moon goddess? You entice me, you draw me
in, and I know you have power, but no one taught you how to use it, did
they?”
My hands trembled, and I clenched them into fists. It wasn’t true. I
didn’t have power. I didn’t have anything except an odd skin condition and
a deal with a vampire. It was about time I found a way out of this madness.
This situation could not continue.
Rising to my feet, I crossed my arms. “Has this night been enough? Will
you take me home now?”
Titus neared, his eyes dark. “I will give you an excuse for tonight, but
this is only the beginning. You fear what you have, but you shouldn’t be
afraid.”
My body continued to tremble, and I focused on the lights in the
distance, unwilling to look at him. “It’s not what’s within me that I’m afraid
of. It’s what you bring out of me.”
The palm of his hand pressed against my cheek as he guided my face
toward his. “You should not fear what you have; it is beautiful, but you are
right to be wary of me. There are times when I’m impulsive and lose
control of myself. More so when I’m with you, and while the idea of your
power entices me, it’s you, the purity and beauty of your soul that makes
me want to stay right here.”
I wasn’t ready when he kissed me.
I whimpered under the assault of his lips, but my entire body throbbed
with need. A burning desire swept through me, and I opened my mouth,
inhaling him, tasting him as he dominated me. I felt the rough stubble of his
unshaven chin, the power of his jaw, the scent of wine still on his tongue,
and the way his hands cupped my face.
Titus groaned, the sound deep and sexy, sending a thrill through my
body. I wanted to hear him make that sound again. But no, I shouldn’t want
it. I was losing myself, my sense of right and wrong, under the haze of
desire.
When at last he broke the kiss, we were both breathing hard, and I knew
my eyes were glassy. “See,” he whispered. “You want me almost as badly
as I want you.”
I held my tongue because nothing else needed to be said. I was willingly
letting the vampire king seduce me. I craved his lips, his touch, his voice,
and this, this was wrong. It had to stop.

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 7

LUCIA

A fter Titus walked me home, I couldn’t sleep. Instead, I wrapped a shawl

around my shoulders and sat on the swing in the garden. By sunrise, I
was pacing the patio, thoughts whirling through my mind. The situation
with Titus was dangerous. It had to end because I was afraid of myself,
afraid of what I’d do if I lost control and gave in to his pleasurable kisses.
His touch made me long for carnal pleasures, to be stripped bare by him and
dominated by his kisses. To feel the warmth of his hand against my skin,
touching, exploring, making me squirm.
I bit down on my knuckle, trying to halt the surge of feelings, but when
I closed my eyes, I felt those lips against mine and the possessive way he
held me. It was all a dream, a ploy, and his endgame was me. This could not
go on, and I needed the knights help to halt the vampire king’s rule. I had to
act now before my heart got twisted and involved. I’d thought I was so high
and above worldly pleasures; all it took was him to bring my reasoning
crashing down.
Would it be so bad if I kept him a secret? Continued to sneak out as long
as the village was safe from attacks? But then there were my runes and how
he’d made them glow with his music and his touch. Skin on skin. I had been
afraid of what I might do, of what might be hidden inside me. With a sigh, I
spun toward the abbey and burst through the doors, slamming into the High
Priestess.
High Priestess Merci was like a mother to me. She was tall and broad-
shouldered with a heart-shaped face, dark eyes, a wide, flat nose, and thin
lips that gave her a regal appearance. Her once-black hair had gone almost
completely white, and she wore it in a simple braid that trailed over one
shoulder. She was calm, every hair in place, every piece of clothing
perfectly placed. Despite her hair, she appeared ageless, her green eyes
clear and her skin free from the wrinkles that troubled others. Even though
we weren’t supposed to gossip, the priestess often said her relentless faith
and passion for her work kept her young.
Now, she recoiled with an oomph, eyes wide, nostrils flared as she faced
me. Her mouth pressed into a firm line, and she held out her arms, her dry
voice tinged with concern. “Lucia, you look distraught.” Taking my arm,
she gestured me back outside. “Come into the garden, let’s talk.”
“I didn’t sleep well,” I admitted.
“I can tell. Your hair has come loose, your clothes are wrinkled, and
your eyes are tired. Lucia, you’re struggling with something. Whatever it is,
the burden of your choice can be shared. You don’t have to hold it all in and
try to figure out your struggles alone.”
Sudden moisture came to my eyes, and I blinked, but I had nothing to
say. High Priestess Merci had served at the abbey my entire life. She would
not understand the choice that lay before me. Had she ever been tempted by
the arms of a man? Had she ever stood by the window, peeking at the half-
dressed knights as they practiced in the courtyard? Had she ever wondered
what it would feel like to have a man between her legs? Probably not. She
was perfection in every way, a shining beacon of hope and an example of
what a true priestess should become. She’d earned her place as High
Priestess by her actions and her faith. I would not dream of shattering the
vision she had of me.
High Priestess Merci patted my arm. “Perhaps a change would be good
for you. Go down to the village with Edith today. Faith and Willow are
going to pass out food, and a few of the knights will be accompanying them
for safety. You should go, walk among the people, and gain a different
perspective. Perhaps that will help you.”
“I will go.” I bowed my head. “Thank you.”
“Oh, don’t thank me,” the High Priestess scolded. “I’m here to help,
Lucia, not only the village but you personally. It is tough living here, and I
sense the fear of going out at night, the worry about the work we are doing
and if the vampires will come for us, once and for all. It is disturbing, but
we shall face this challenge and overcome it.”
 “I have been concerned about the vampires,” I admitted, skirting the
truth. “But I also wonder about myself and where I come from. My runes
have begun to itch, and sometimes they glow. I wish I knew why I have
them and what they mean.”
“They glow?” The High Priestess paused, lost in thought for a moment.
“That is surprising. Regardless, it is good to question and seek answers. I’ve
often wondered why you have your runes and the knowledge that they glow
changes my perception. Let me work on this for you. In the past, I’ve pulled
some texts and scrolls that mention light, but I’ll see what the knights find
in the abbey to the north. I tried to track down your parents and some
answers to the history of your roots when you arrived, but to no avail. Still,
I’ll show you what I’ve gathered. I hope it brings you some peace. Always
remember, Lucia, despite your appearance, you matter. You have a good
heart, a strong heart, and no matter what your runes mean, it doesn’t take
away your power or who you are. Don’t let your past define you. You
define yourself.”
I almost blurted out my conflicted thoughts. They danced on the tip of
my tongue, begging to be said. But then the bell rang. I lifted my face,
glancing at the mist settling over the mountain, making it a gloomy day.
The bell tower rose high on one side of the abbey, on the side nearest the
garrison, so that one of the knights might ring the morning bell. It was a
peaceful sound, a reminder to go to prayers or meditate or take a moment to
be thoughtful about the day ahead.
I took a deep breath as the birds called to each other in the distance, and
the glistening dewdrops sparkled in the night. I’d almost acted on impulse
instead of thinking through my actions. I’d still reach out to Captain Elroy
because he had asked me to be the sacrifice, and he knew the vampire king
held some kind of power, but I’d have to weigh how to bring up the topic. I
wondered if he guessed at the truth. That something had happened to me
while the knights lay sleeping. He’d been so quick to dismiss the idea of
trying again.
Back in my room, I brushed my hair, washed my face, and dressed for
the day. Making myself look nice on the outside always made me feel better
on the inside. On a whim, I braided my hair and weaved a string of silver
and sapphire around my head. When I glanced at myself in the mirror,
Titus’s words came echoing back. Goddess of the moon.
T heleading
mist cleared as we left the abbey, a small procession with the knights
the two horses. Faith and Willow sat on top of the open wagon
while Edith and I sat in the back, bouncing as the wheels moved over the
cobblestones and down the hill.
The abbey wasn’t far from the village, and the path twisted downhill,
only a two-mile walk, although it was a strenuous walk for the abbey and
the garrison perched on the highlands. The bell tower served as a
watchtower, giving a view of the valley below and roads that traveled in
and out. Meanwhile, the village nestled in the valley where flat lands were
ideal for growing crops and grazing farm animals.
Surrounding Veilix were forests and waterfalls, pools where I’d gone to
play in the water or bathe on a hot summer day. Now, I couldn’t imagine
doing either activity. The vampires lurked in the shadows, and while they
avoided the light, secret entrances to the tunnels in the mountains were near
the waterfalls.
“You’re quiet today,” Edith said, “and you weren’t at breakfast.”
“I didn’t sleep well, and this morning, I went for a walk in the garden
with the High Priestess.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here. I think it will do your heart some good to
visit the village.”

T hree days passed before I got up the courage to visit Captain Elroy. After
dinner, I strode across the walkway between the abbey and the garrison,
feeling like a miscreant. Instead of going around the front, where the
knights were posted as guards, I slipped through the side entrance, the
quickest way for the knights to access the abbey. My mind flitted to the
knight and the priestess I’d seen in the shadows the week before. The side
entrance only encouraged us to sneak in and out of places we should not be.
Arched windows rose above me, letting in the breeze from outside. The
day was waning, a hint of twilight coming. Soon, the sky would be streaked
with lavender and pink, a sight I used to enjoy watching in the garden, a
sight that now made my heart beat faster.
The sound of footsteps came. I flattened myself against the wall, fearful
of being discovered by one of the knights. I’d been in the garrison a few
times before, but always an authorized visit accompanied by the High
Priestess or a few of the other priestesses. Entering the domain of the
knights alone would lead to questions I didn’t care to answer. But the
footsteps faded, and my shoulders relaxed as I continued down the hall to
where Captain Elroy kept his offices.
It was a circular chamber at the end of the hall, and the door was ajar,
giving me a view of a desk piled with papers, scrolls, and books. Pushing
the door open, I stepped inside, his name on my lips, but my voice died in
my throat. Captain Elory’s office was empty.
I stared around it, for I’d never been inside before, taking in the
weapons on the wall, a barrel of what might be wine, maps of the area, and
the desk. Lamps were lit, glowing on his desk, and I ventured closer,
looking at an open letter with a blood-red symbol and hastily written words.
Before I could stop myself, the lines danced across my vision.
Send me a priestess, the one with the silver runes, and we shall come to
a deal.
VK
My heart sank. I read the words again and ran my fingers over the
insignia. VK. Initials that I assumed meant vampire king. I pressed a hand
to my lips. So it hadn’t been by chance. The vampire king wanted me
specifically. I glanced at the letter again, looking for a date stamp, anything.
When had it been sent? Why was he threatening the garrison? Anger rose,
and I spun around, wishing Captain Elroy was available to explain.
That’s when I saw the door to an adjoining room. His private chambers?
It was cracked open as well, and I strode toward it, pausing as indistinct
sounds came from the other side. Voices. Low and high, then the sound of
heavy breathing, and through a gap in the cracked door, I could only see
one person.
 She was naked. I glimpsed her bare breasts, bouncing as she moved, and
then her hair. She threw back her head, eyes closed, mouth open, but I’d
seen enough.
Turning, I fled out of the office, shutting the door firmly behind me with
shaking fingers. No one should see that. No one should know. I snuck back
to my room, my mind reeling. What was Edith doing with Captain Elroy?
It stung knowing my best friend was keeping a secret from me. A secret
like that. I went to her room, knocked on the door, and then let myself in
just to confirm what I’d seen. As I’d suspected, her room was empty. I let
myself out again and closed my eyes. What right did I have to judge her
when I was also keeping a terrible secret?
High Priestess Merci had warned us against keeping secrets, especially
ones that would expose something terrible because they could be used
against us.
A dark thought crawled into my mind. Secrets could also be used as
blackmail, and now I had a dark truth to hold over Captain Elroy’s head. If
he didn’t provide answers to my questions, I could tell the High Priestess
what I’d discovered about him and Edith. He’d loose his place and Edith
would be punished. It was wrong. All of this was wrong. I put my hands in
my head, overcome and overwhelmed by the choices that lay before me.
“Lucia?”
I jerked upright as High Priestess Merci moved toward me. She held up
a scroll. “I was looking for you. Here, it may not give you the answers
you’re looking for, but it is a start.”
“Thank you,” I said, fingers closing around the scroll, not sure if I
wanted to read or if I wanted to know. “I’m going for a walk,” I blurted out.
“I’d prefer you stay inside, especially after nightfall, but if you must, at
least stay within the walls of the abbey.”
I bade her goodnight, and then, scroll in my hand, I went in search of
Titus.

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 8

LUCIA

T itus did not expect me to come to him tonight, and as I walked through
the shadowed wood, I wondered if one of the other vampires would find
and attack me. Titus claimed he’d put a mark on me for protection, but
would it work? Did I dare trust his word when the words of those around
me were unraveling in my mind?
Edith, of all people, had a terrible secret. She’d all but forsaken her
vows for intimate and physical pleasure. What did she see in Captain Elroy
that compelled her? A darker suspicion arrested my thoughts. Did she have
a choice? Had he compelled her in some way? The image of the priestess
and the knight speaking together in the hallway drifted across my memory.
Captain Elroy was much older than me. In fact, I saw him as a father
figure. He was in his late forties, about twenty years older than me, which
meant he was about twenty years older than Edith. Streaks of silver
peppered his hair, and the lines of his face told of a man who was no longer
a youth and had faced many trials.
Suddenly weary, I stumbled to the boulder that perched over the pool
and stared down at my reflection in the dimming light. My runes reflected
back at me, and my eyes were clouded with confusion. I wanted to confront
Edith, but it would be better to let her come to me. No matter how terrible
the secret she carried was, I was willing to listen openly, without judgment.
There had to be a valid explanation. But her face. It didn’t look like the face
of one in pain or being forced to do something they didn’t want to do. The
other consideration was that she was truly in love with Captain Elroy, and if
so, why keep it a secret? The discovery would force her to leave the abbey
in shame while the truth would give her a choice. Stay or leave. Perhaps
Captain Elroy didn’t want to resign his position and leave with her. The
scandal alone would throw into question everything the abbey and garrison
did.
Sitting up, I unrolled the scroll as the first hushed hum of a stringed
instrument lit up the night. A voice sang out, coming from somewhere
above me, and I froze, listening. This was the first time I’d heard Titus sing,
and it was beautiful. His voice was deep and rich, and he sang in another
tongue, the swells of his voice bringing me to tears as he held long notes.
Once I’d heard of a great opera house set in a city far away, a sinful
town called High Tower that was situated on a lakeside, where the best
voices in all the world could be heard, it was said, voices that were
cultivated in the great city of Solynn.
Titus had spoken of a past, and I wondered where he’d come from. I’d
been so focused on myself and the village that I hadn’t asked him what he
desired, what he wanted, and what his passion was. It was clear that music
brought him some kind of joy, and, as if on cue, my runes began to shine.
Warmth flooded my body, making me want to run away from it, but I
forced myself to sit still. Breathing deeply to calm my panic, I placed the
scroll in my lap and held out my arms. Silver light glowed, taking on the
azure hues of the pool of water and the diamond flicker of the waterfalls.
How? My heart pounded, and blood roared in my ears. I moved one hand
over the runes on my arms. Heat ebbed from it.
“Control it,” The order came from him.
“I don’t know how,” I gasped.
“Close your eyes and focus. It comes from within you.”
I closed my eyes, still working to steady my breath. I felt my feet, my
toes curling in my shoes, the way my knees bent, the chill of the damp rock
against my bottom, and the heat flooding my entire body. It made me want
to strip off my clothes and plunge into the cold water.
A cool hand brushed my cheek, and I opened my eyes to see Titus
frowning down at me. Slowly but surely, the glimmer faded, and the heat
went away. I waited, frozen in place, while my heartbeat returned to normal.
It was only then I was able to speak. “This only happens with you,” I
sputtered. “And only when I hear the music. I heard you sing, and it was
beautiful.”
 “I didn’t know you were coming tonight,” Titus said, his eyes searching
mine. “It’s dangerous.”
“You gave me your mark.”
“True, but you still shouldn’t have come without my knowledge.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “It’s not my fault the nights are dangerous.”
“Ah, there’s that fire within you. No, it’s not, but you of all people
should act with wisdom.”
I sighed. “I was upset and. . .”
“And?” he prompted, placing a hand on his heart. “You were upset, and
so you came to see me.”
I didn’t like the way that sounded, but it was true. I sought out Titus.
Titus the vampire king. The enemy of the village. The one who’d written a
demanding letter about me. Instead of staying in safety, I sought him out
because I felt a tug, a yearning for him.
“Yes, I came for answers,” I whispered, facing the truth.
His impudent mouth crooked in a grin. “I am honored.”
A wave of exhaustion came over me, and I slid off the stone. But
standing did not give me the confidence I’d hoped for. Crossing my arms, I
attempted to explain. “In truth, I’ve figured out that you’re not from here.
You have some kind of power that is embellished by your lute. It makes
others fall asleep or forces the vampires to obey you. You rule the night, and
yet, last week, when you played and we were skin to skin, I felt a shift. You
know something about my runes.”
“Go on,” he encouraged, his grin turning sly and sinister.
“I saw a letter in the garrison from the vampire king. You, I assume,
demanding the priestess with silver runes. Was that you? Why do you want
me?”
“Oh, Lucia, I don’t dare trust you with my secrets.”
I frowned and took a step away from him. “You’re making life difficult
for me.”
“Sacrifice is never easy.”
“I’m not talking about sacrifice. I would willingly do this to save the
village, but it’s more, isn’t it? My runes were quiet; they never flared to life
until you and I think. . .I know you can explain this reaction.”
“Maybe you’re just attracted to me.”
I sighed and turned away from him, my words hard. “It was foolish of
me to come to you, considering your words. You’re not taking this
seriously. You’d rather turn this conversation into a joke.”
Turning around was a mistake because, in an instant, his hands were
around my waist, and he pressed my back against his chest, holding me
firmly as he whispered in my ear, “Stay. I’m flattered you sought me out. I,
too, have the same questions, and I can’t explain it—yet. The combination
of my music and your runes is potent. With you, my power over the
vampires is complete, and I believe I’ve awoken something within you too.
Magic that lay dormant until now. Waiting for the right moment. You’ve
come to me for answers, but I’m just as lost as you are.”
I spun in his arms, my fingers squeezing his shoulders. “You believe I
have magic?”
He nodded, a lock of black hair falling over his forehead.
“You have magic too, don’t you?” I asked, aware that he did, because
whatever magic he had awoke my own. A thread of discomfort passed
through me, disliking the way we were linked together.
“I can teach you how to control it.”
“In exchange for?”
He lifted his eyebrows. “In exchange for nothing, you’re already
coming to me one night a week. I only beg of you to give me a signal so
that I’m aware when you’re searching for me.”
A rawness haunted the angles of his handsome face, and I stared at him,
a realization dawning. “You’re not the vampire king, are you? You’re not a
vampire at all, but some kind of wizard, a sorcerer who can control them,
and my unknown magic is helping you.”
His lips brushed mine before he pulled back to respond. “You’re too
close to the truth, but I cannot speak plainly without a noose tightening
around my neck.”
I pressed my hand against his cheek, the prickle of his unshaven stubble
tickling my palm. I could have sobbed with relief. He wasn’t a demon, a
devil of the night, but someone else unknown and equally as mysterious. He
might be a wicked scoundrel indeed, but he was trying to help me, wasn’t
he?
I said, “I knew I sensed good in you.”
“It’s not good that you sense,” he murmured.
This time, when he pressed his lips against mine, I was both ready and
not ready at all. I closed my eyes, fingers tightening on the rock-hard
muscles of his arms. He pressed one hand against the small of my back, the
other tangling in my hair as his tongue twisted around mine. Fingers inched
the skirt of my dress upward before he scooped me into his arms.
“Not here,” he said, glancing at the sky as though the stars were
watching, judging us. “Close your eyes,” he commanded.
Swallowing hard, I obeyed, and he carried me away, past the music of
the waterfall, back into the musty caverns. “Stay with me tonight,” he
whispered, laying me gently on a bed.
I opened my eyes, rising on my elbows. Titus walked across the room,
lighting candles, which gave me a view of the hallowed place. Unlike the
first place he’d taken me to, this was an actual bedroom. Shadows flickered,
displaying the crimson sheets, sheer drapery surrounding the bed, carpets
covering the floor, and on the furniture sat thick candles, giving the room a
romantic glow.
Statues covered one wall; some were half-carved, and others completed.
All were of nude creatures—half-human, half-creature figures in various
stances. A series of antlers reared from one wall, and then a table was
covered with rough-shaped wood, strings, and, oh, half-made lutes. By all
appearances, he was an artist, a hunter, and a musician, a connoisseur of
fine things.
“This is your home,” I said. What kind of man lived in a cave? A man
with something to hide. An outlaw.
Titus stretched out beside me and rolled to his side, placing a hand on
my belly so that I lay flat on my back, staring up at him.
“This is where I dwell,” he admitted. “For now.”
I tore my eyes away from the temptation of his lips and studied what the
shadows revealed. Seeing his home was like seeing a piece of him and
grasping the truth of his soul. He did have passions and work that brought
him joy, but in the unfinished work lay a sort of desperation and frustration
as though it wasn’t good enough and then. . resignation that it would never
be complete as intended and thus lay unfinished.
My breath hitched as his fingers explored, tiptoeing up my chest,
delving underneath the folds of my clothes. My heart hammered as Titus
traced my runes, a worshipful expression on his face as he tugged my dress
down, exposing one bare breast. I gasped at his boldness, but his hand
palmed my breast, fingers gently stroking my erect nipple.
“Even your nipple is silver,” he said, awe and wonder in his tone.
 Bending his dark head, his mouth closed around my nipple, and he
sucked, teeth nipping me.
“Titus,” I moaned.
He released my breast, although his tongue flickered out to lick my
nipple. “You’re a virgin, aren’t you?”
I didn’t have to respond. He knew.
“I don’t want you to fall in love with me because⁠—”
“I’m not going to fall in love with you. It’s against my vows.”
He squeezed my nipple, drawing another gasp from my lips. “Isn’t this
against your vows? I don’t hear you begging me to stop.”
I closed my eyes. “I’m conflicted. I want you to stop, and I want you to
keep going.”
“Because it is forbidden, and what is forbidden is delicious and
decadent. It’s tempting, and you want to know because it is denied to you. I
will give you a taste of pleasure and let you decide.”
His hand moved down my belly, resting on my thigh. “Trust me, you’re
going to enjoy this.”
Trusting Titus was stupid and foolish, but I was already in his lair, and
I’d succumbed to his kiss. Nothing within me wanted to leave, and I was
aware I couldn’t without his blessing. I sensed if I asked, he’d yield to my
request. I needed him to guide me home, but not right now. So I didn’t
protest as he pressed his hot mouth against mine, and his fingers explored.
He leaned over me, fingers roaming up the sensitive spots of my inner
thigh. Was it bliss, or was it torture? I couldn’t tell for a thousand sensations
fired through me.
All sense of shame and embarrassment evaporated under one desperate
need, but I didn’t know what it was for until he touched me there.
A bloom of pleasure creased over me, and I let out a sigh of relief as I
soared into bliss.
I felt as though I’d run a thousand miles only to reach my destination
with good news, the best news, but I gasped and gasped for breath, my
chest heaving, Titus’s fingers playing across my body as though I were his
lute. Indeed, how he’d made me sing, what magic, what sorcery.
When I opened my eyes, his face hovered just above me, his eyes dark
and his expression unreadable. He traced a finger down the curve of my
cheek across my lips, pressing his thumb into my mouth.
“There, my moon goddess, you have ascended,” he whispered.
OceanofPDF.com
 9

LUCIA

P ale orbs of yellow streaked across the sky as Titus guided me out of the
caverns. He paused at the entrance, standing in the shadows as his
fingers threaded through mine, pulling me closer for one last kiss. I
clutched him, inhaling his essence, enjoying his kiss. What we’d done last
night…What I’d allowed him to do to me didn’t feel real in the shadows of
night. But as the light crept over the horizon, I knew I’d have to face reality.
Last night hadn’t been a dream at all, but a choice.
“I’m sorry I can’t walk you home,” he breathed, “but the sun rises.
You’ll be safe.”
“I’ll return one week from tonight,” I promised.
“Meet me in the glade.”
He stepped back into the shadows, and I was free.
The entrance to the cavern was hidden, shaded by thick trees and
bushes. As I fought my way through the underbrush and into a knoll, I
glanced back, but it was all but invisible. I waited for a shiver to come up
my spine and for the realization of what I’d done to fill me with shame.
Instead, a giddiness filled me. I felt young, wanted, desired, and with a
purpose. Seven days was too long to wait to see him again.
I strode through the forest, collecting flowers as I went, and then, on a
whim, decided to stroll through the village. A stroll during sunrise was a
rare pleasure, and I hummed, my body still glowing with the after-effects of
pleasure.
 A footpath led out of the forested area and dipped into the village. The
nearest home had been abandoned due to its proximity to the forest and the
tunnels where the vampires dwelled. At least where we assumed the
vampires to dwell. I hadn’t seen nor heard any during my time with Titus,
but the reminder of shadows roaming the night made goosebumps pebble
on my skin.
I walked through the overgrown grass, the pasture lands, and the
gardens that were being reclaimed by nature. Shame to see such a place go
to waste, but I did not blame the family who had left. The garrison was
trying their best but hadn’t overcome the blight of the vampires.
On reaching the open street of the village, I made my way uphill,
waving as doors opened and children spilled out. The scent of freshly baked
goods floated to my nose. My stomach rumbled in hunger, and then I came
to a stop as a family loaded up a wagon.
“Mistress Palmer,” I called, waving to the lady who made cheese.
“Where are you going?”
She poked her head over the side of the wagon and then waved at her
husband. “I’ll be right there.”
As she neared, I saw her face was pale and peaked, and her eyes were
dark. She took my arm, keeping her voice low. “We are getting out of here,
and you should do the same. It’s not safe, dwelling here where the creatures
come in the night and attack. We can’t live in fear that something will
happen.”
My heart squeezed, and I clenched her arm. “Did something happen last
night? The vampires attacked, didn’t they? Who did they take?”
Mistress Palmer pressed her lips together and shook her head, eyes
swimming. “They slaughtered all of our animals, the cows, the pigs, the
goats, the sheep. We were lucky they left the horses alone.” She swiped at
her eyes impatiently. “There’s no reason to stay here. We’ll take what we
have left and start over.”
“It’s almost mid-summer,” I protested. “Come to the abbey. We’ll take
care of you.”
Mistress Palmer shook her head adamantly. “No offense to you and your
vows, but trapped behind the walls of that abbey is no life for me and my
husband. We’re going to the lowlands, and I know I’ll miss the eerie beauty
of this place, but. . .I refuse to live in fear of what might happen next. You
should do the same, flee this life. Some things are not worth fighting for.”
 “Good luck then.” I embraced her. “I’m sorry to see you go. If you
change your mind and return, there will be a place for you here.”
She nodded, her face tight as her husband slapped the reins. He tipped
his hat to me as the horses broke into a trot, kicking up dust on the road as
they headed south. They’d have to push the horses hard to reach the next
village before nightfall, and if they were fortunate, the vampires would stay
away.
I wondered, though, at what she’d said. The vampires had attacked after
all, but they’d only killed farm animals. I’d have to speak with Titus again. I
turned, half tempted to find my way back, but it would likely end up with
me lost in the foothills while the priestesses wondered what had become of
me.
Lifting my skirts, I hastened back to the abbey.
By the time I arrived, the bell had already rung, and morning meditation
and breakfast were already over. A few of the sisters waved at me as I
entered, no doubt not looking my best. I hastened to my room to wash and
change, sure the scent of Titus still lingered on me.
After refreshing myself and changing, I opened the door only to find the
High Priestess Merci in the hall, pacing. Worry lined her eyes. “There you
are, Lucia. I wasn’t sure where you’d gone this morning.”
I had no answer for her, the truth was too damning, and I certainly did
not want to lie to her. I let my eyes drift to the floor.
“Do you have questions about what was written in the scroll?”
“I. . .” in truth, I’d forgotten about it, distracted by the idea of magic.
“Not yet, I need. . .I need more time to think.”
High Priestess Merci nodded. “Come to me when you are ready. Know I
will not pass judgment on you because you have questions. It is a natural
process in life to have doubts, to voice your thoughts and to ask questions.
Understanding helps to confirm your faith and make you secure in your
choices.”
I nodded, not in the mood for one of her wise lectures. I pointed down
the hall. “I missed breakfast, and I’d like to ask Faith if she has any
requests.”
“Of course, grace be with you, Lucia.”
I hurried away, wondering if she could see the shame written on my
face. Out there in the fresh morning air, surrounded by nature, I’d felt free,
unafraid, and unashamed. But now, within the walls of the abbey, a heat
curled around me, making me want to hunch my shoulders and hide my
face. Was it possible to feel so conflicted, wanting another night with him
yet knowing what it meant should I be found out? I’d be an outcast, a
priestess who intentionally broke her vows, forsaking what was sacred for. .
.lust.
The kitchen was quiet and seemingly empty. I stared about in dismay,
looking at the clean table, the warmth of the stove, and the bowl of fruit
placed on the counter. So peaceful and perfect. A cascade of thoughts
overwhelmed me, and I sat down heavily, putting my head in my hands.
I’d grown up here and remembered running into the kitchen as a little
girl, eager for a snack. Blackberries grew on the outside wall of the abbey,
and each summer, I begged High Priestess Merci to take me to pick them.
I’d eat them by the handful until my mouth and hands were stained, and it
was all the High Priestess could do to save some for the other sisters.
She’d taught me the importance of sharing, but I’d taken it a bit too far,
believing the cats that roamed the cellar would enjoy the fruit as much as I
did. I chased one until I caught it by the tail, and it scratched me so hard my
arm bled.
I had other pleasant memories too, of making cookies with Edith,
laughing so hard I cried. All the sisters were wonderful. They were family
and celebrated each season with the villagers and the garrison. The
vampires had robbed us of those joyous occasions. People were leaving or
being stolen. I had to make a choice.
“Lucia, I didn’t expect you today.. .” Faith began and trailed off.
I put my hands down, brushing away tears.
Her voice softened, and she snatched up a kettle and moved to the stove.
“Oh, Lucia. You look like you could use something to drink. I’ll make the
tea of clarity while you talk.”
“I don’t know if I can,” I said, my voice between a laugh and a sob.
Faith pressed a handkerchief into my hand. “It’s no use getting snot on
your clothes.”
“Thank you.” I blew my nose and wiped my eyes as she sat down and
put a plate of blackberry scones in front of me. That tiny gesture brought a
fresh wave of tears.
Faith was gifted with cooking, and she knew everyone’s favorite meals
and exactly what kind of food would comfort them.
 “Take your time, love. You know I’m just here to listen. It helps to get it
off your chest, so to speak. Burdens are heavy when carried alone.”
She was right, and maybe there was a way to tell her without getting
into the explicit details. I took a deep breath as the kettle whistled. Moments
later, a cup of tea steeped in front of me, and I curled my fingers around it,
the steam clearing my mind.
“Faith, I’m wavering between two choices.” I stared out the window,
watching the bright flower blossoms blow in the wind as I gathered my
thoughts. “One is wrong, sinful. It will save many people but at the cost of
my soul. The other choice, the right choice, would be to do nothing, to stay
here and close my eyes against what is going on beyond these walls.” I
faced her, looking her in the eye. “What should I do? I can’t be passive.”
Faith wrapped her fingers around her own mug of tea. Despite her work
in the kitchen, her hands were beautiful, although one palm had a burn mark
in the shape of a heart. I viewed it as a mark of her work, what she was
willing to give, to sacrifice to bring others joy.
“No, we are not called to a life of passiveness,” Faith confirmed.
“Living behind these walls, in this abbey, being priestesses means we are
called to a higher purpose, and inaction is never the answer. Nor is
tarnishing your soul. You feel stuck right now because you only see two
choices and two paths, but you need to step back and take a deeper look. It
sounds like you have arrived at a forked path between two paved roads, but
often there’s a third way, a path that has been overgrown, a tunnel, a small
window, a path often overlooked.”
I lifted the cup of tea to my lips, thinking of my journey only this
morning. I’d walked out of the caverns and into the village, but I hadn’t
taken a paved road. Instead, I’d forged my own path. Unfortunately, other
decisions were less clear.
Faith leaned back, studying me. “You’re right in saying that you must
take action because you must. But you cannot do anything that will damage
your soul. Souls are eternal, and the body is not. Perhaps if you explained in
greater detail, I might be able to help.”
I put down the cup of tea, an idea springing to my mind. “I believe
you’ve helped already. I’m only hesitant. A third choice does lie before me,
but I don’t want to put others in danger.”
Faith regarded me, anxiety behind her eyes. “Whatever troubles you, I
hope you know you can always come and talk to me. Regardless, I hope
you find the right answers.”
“I pray I do,” I said, rising. “Thank you, Faith.”
I turned to go, but at the last moment, I picked up a scone. Chewing a
mouthful of sweet blackberries, I strode through the abbey with
determination. I was going to see Captain Elroy, and this time, our plan
would work.
I took a detour on my way to the garrison, for in the morning, they often
practiced, and Captain Elroy would be with them instead of in his study. A
thought had occurred to me, and my suspicions grew as I spoke with Faith.
From all my encounters with Titus, I’d settled on one deep, unsettling fact.
That he was not the vampire king but his lute gave him power over them. If
not him, then who was the vampire king?
My thoughts flickered to the letter on Captain Elroy’s desk, signed with
the initials V.K. There had to be a vampire king and the knights believed he
was the key to conquering the vampires.
Light filled my vision as I entered the upper level. The arched windows
allowed daylight to stream in from each angle, and panes of glass in the
domed rooftop gave even more light. Here was where the artists worked,
transcribing scrolls, cataloging our history, and, more importantly,
illustrating the books. It was beautiful work, and three of the sisters sat in
front of the arched windows, heads bowed as they worked with paint.
At last, one looked up at me, put down her brush, and smiled. “Sister
Lucia, what brings you here?”
“We don’t have to be formal, Indie,” I said, calling her by the
abbreviation of her name, Indigo. “I’m actually a bit curious about the
history of this region and vampires. Are there any pictures or illustrations
depicting what they look like?”
Indie brightened. “Actually, yes, come with me to the inner room, and
I’ll show you while my work dries.”
I followed Indie further into the room. The women worked in the outer
room in the sunlight, but daylight would dry out the books and make the ink
fade, so they were kept in the inner room without windows.
Indigo lit a gas lamp and hummed to herself as she moved through the
neatly organized room. Most of the books were put away on shelves, but a
wall of scrolls took up the back end of the room. Indigo finally selected a
thick book from the shelves and laid it on the table. I moved beside her as
she flipped through painted pages, tenderly handling the book as though it
might disintegrate into pieces if mishandled.
“Here we go. I studied this topic extensively when the first attack came,
I wanted to fully understand the history of this region. Rumor has it the
giants who used to dwell in the land didn’t want to mix their blood with
humans, which led to incest. Odd things happened: children were born
disfigured, and rumors of them shifting into creatures spread. Honestly, I
always thought the old tales were just legends, embellished until their true
meaning was lost. Then the first attack of the lamia came five years ago,
and that shifted my perspective.”
“Lamia?” I asked.
“The official term for vampires, or, in this case, any spirit that is
supposed to be dead and yet isn’t.”
“The undying.”
“Exactly.” Indie flipped another page. “Ah look, here’s an example of
the giants shifting into creatures. This one is called a werewolf.”
She tapped her paint-stained finger on a picture of a man standing on
two furry legs. His arms were abnormally long with claws on the end.
Instead of the head of a man, he had the head of a wolf. My runes itched,
and I clenched my sleeves, trying to hide them should they decide to
uncharisterically shine, but Indie turned the page, and my itching ceased.
“Here’s the lamia, at least what we know of them. I don’t know who
illustrated this book, but it stands to reason that the vampires of then and
now would appear similar.”
I leaned over the table, scarcely daring to breathe as I took in the
drawing. The creature appeared like a man, with arms and legs and long,
unkept hair but a body that was underfed, thin, and sunken, with gaunt
features. And then there was the face. It was pale, skeletal, and rotting, with
blood-red eyes and a mouth that hung open, displaying curved fangs.
Whoever had drawn the painting had taken the time to depict the spiral of
blood and drool streaking the vampire’s chin.
“This one doesn’t have wings, but sometimes they are depicted with
claws and wings. In all appearances, the vampires bear a resemblance to
bats.”
“What if the bats were diseased and started all of this?” I asked. “Bats
are creatures of the night, blind in daylight, hunting by sound in the night. I
heard of rats bringing a plague to a city in the lowlands and wiping out the
population. What if this is just some kind of plague?”
Indie stared at me. “Huh. I’ve never heard that speculation before. But
it’s not a plague. If it were, it would be spreading. That’s the oddity of our
situation. I assumed vampires would create more vampires with their bites,
but they don’t. No one has disappeared, they are just found dead, drained of
blood. And the text don’t mention a cure, nor a reason why vampires
suddenly returned to haunt us.”
“How do we know it isn’t spreading?” I asked. “Five years ago, there
was just one incident, a single circumstance. What if it has spread to others,
and they are the cause of the demise of our village? Just this morning, I saw
another family pack up and leave. How much longer do we have to wait
until everyone else either leaves or dies?”
Indie scratched her chin, then leaned over the book. “The library is here
for seekers of knowledge. I’m going to hunt down more records and let you
know what I find. Perhaps you can draw some conclusions I initially
overlooked.”
I pressed my palms together. “Thank you.”
I worked with Indie a bit longer, reading through the passages and
searching for more on the history of the strange occurrences that took place
in Veilix. But no other answers came, and I left for the garrison, one thought
ringing in my mind: Either Titus was not a vampire at all, or vampires had
morphed to take on the appearance of humans.
But how? We buried our dead and they stayed dead. The knights killed
vampires and they also stayed dead. Yet a group of them remained, almost
as though they sprang out of nowhere. Perhaps that was why Captain Elroy
was so focused on capturing the vampire king, after all, it made sense that
the king of those undead creatures could create more.

OceanofPDF.com
 10

LUCIA

“W estudy.
have to try again,” I announced as I stood in Captain Elroy’s

This time, it was just him and me, and the door to his inner
chamber was shut firmly. I tried to keep my eyes off it, but just being in the
study made my skin crawl with the reminder of Edith’s bouncing breasts.
Captain Elroy sat, writing at his desk. “No,” he said harshly without
looking at me.
I crossed my arms. “Why? We have to do something, and I saw the
letter on your desk. The vampire king wants me.”
Putting his pen down, he frowned. “I don’t know what you think you
saw, but it was my mistake. I won’t put your life in danger again.”
“If you don’t, I’ll go without you, and I’d feel much better if you and
your knights were standing guard for my encounter.”
“There’s no point in you going alone. The vampires will take you.”
“Then come with me for protection.”
“You don’t understand, Lucia. We succumbed to the music.”
“Well, plug your ears with cloth.”
Captain Elroy stood, eyes narrowed. “Why is this so important to you?”
I bit my cheek and closed my eyes, summoning my courage. Allowing
my voice to dip into a whisper, I said, “I know about you and Edith.”
Captain Elroy staggered back, a hand coming up to grasp his short
beard. He shook his head, eyebrows knitting together. “How? She told
you?”
 I closed my eyes. “I. . .no. I came looking for you and. . .” I trailed off.
It was enough.
“And what, exactly, is your proposal?” His voice was still rough, but
this time he was listening.
“Use me as bait, a lure to expose the vampires, once and for all. People
are leaving. They are afraid to live in this village, and if they all go, what
will we have left?”
Captain Elroy pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m aware. The odd thing
is, in the past month, only one person has been found dead. Something has
made the vampires turn to animals instead of humans.”
I squeezed my hand into a fist. “Then let’s use it to our advantage.”
I dared to hope that this time, we’d catch the real vampire king. If Titus
didn’t know I was coming, would he fall for another trap?

T hemostforest was dark and gloomy as Captain Elroy, along with five of his
trusted knights, and I stole back to the glade. The scent of rain
hung in the air, warning of a storm that would eventually break.
“I don’t like this,” Captain Elroy said as he led me to a tree close to the
waterfall. “You never fully explained what happened the last time either.”
“Nor will I,” I told him. “Just give me a knife, and don’t tie up my
arms.”
He did as instructed. Winding the rope around my waist, he tied me to
the tree, then pressed a knife into my hands. He glanced at the cloudy sky.
“This is what’s known as the glade of sacrifice. You’ve chosen to stand in
place of the people, to offer yourself. That is admirable.”
“It’s what you were hoping for the first time,” I reminded him.
“It is.”
“Then we can only hope that fate is on our side.”
He nodded, hesitated, and then faded into the trees, shoving wool into
his ears.
I waited, squeezing the knife, watching the shadows to see who or what
would emerge. The waiting was the hardest part. My skin crawled, and
every sound made me flinch. I had no idea how long I waited, but it felt
much longer than last time. Finally, a shadow appeared, walking toward the
pool—toward me. I swallowed hard. This time, there was no music. This
time, there was no Titus.
The shadow moved quietly, silently, lingering in the edges of darkness,
making me wonder if Captain Elroy could see this being creeping up on me.
I shouldn’t be tied up. I needed to run. I moved the knife toward the rope
but sawing it would make noise. My captor would know that I didn’t intend
to be his prey. No, I needed to be silent, to wait until he was closer, then
scream before he tore open my throat.
My eyes strained with the pain of watching. Then I blinked, and he was
gone. I strained, listening for a step, a sound, anything.
“So, you’re his woman,” a low voice came.
I jerked my head to the left, to the right, and finally pinpointed the
shadow leaning against a nearby tree, watching me. My heart raced, both
elated and terrified. This must be the vampire king. He was around the same
height as Titus with longer hair, the pale light only indicating it was dark.
The scent of tobacco pipe wafted from him, along with an unwashed, sour
scent. I wondered if he’d been feasting before I drew his attention. Where
were the knights? Were they coming?
“Who are you?” I whispered, hoping to engage him in conversation
while I stealthily cut myself free.
A rough chuckle burst from his lips. “I find you tied up in a glade, and
you’re more concerned about who I am? I came to set you free before he
comes.”
“Who is this he that you speak of?”
“You’ve been tricked, besotted by a fool, so take my warning and run
back to your abbey. The man you’ve been entertaining in the dark is not
who you think he is. As soon as he has your trust, your love, he will ruin
you. Run while you have the chance, and I’ll deal with him.”
My eyes darted back and forth, my breath turning shallow. Was it true?
No, I couldn’t listen to his words. This must be the vampire king, a jealous
creature, for his sacrifice had been stolen by another. Why else would he be
here?
“Why should I trust you and your lies?”
“Why should you trust him and his lies?” he retorted.
 True. I didn’t know Titus, but the times we’d spent together were like a
taste of fine wine. Delectable, forbidden yet delicious at the same time,
leaving me wanting more than just a taste.
The man stood tall, revealing more of his gaunt appearance. “When you
lay in death, choking on your own blood, just remember, you were warned.”
He took a step, and I saw them. The knights had surrounded us and were
silently creeping toward the man. I had to say something to keep him
distracted.
“What do I owe you for this warning?”
His nostrils flared. “Perhaps you’ll save the village.”
An arrow shot past, and I watched it as if in slow motion. The man’s
grinned, white teeth flashing before he took off, sprinting in the wood.
The knights chased after him, but Captain Elroy paused beside me. “Are
you okay?”
“Yes, fine,” I said, holding up the frayed edges of the rope.
“I’ll escort you back to the abbey, you’ll be safe there.”
“No need,” I protested. “The wood is quiet. We didn’t see any vampires
coming in, I imagine the vampire king is leading you toward them.”
Captain Elroy paused, fingers gripping his blade tighter as he glanced
after his men. Itching for a fight.
“I’ve done this before,” I encouraged.
“Well done.” Captain Elroy relented, then chased after his knights.
I pressed a hand to my racing heart as warmth spread through me. The
vampire king had fallen for our trap, and I hoped the knights would catch
him tonight. Only the words the man had spoken about Titus were deeply
unsettling.
Raindrops sprinkled my head as the gusts of wind picked up, bending
the tops of the trees in half. The snap of a branch came, and then shrilled
shrieks echoed around me. Owls? Bats? Vampires? I moved faster, weaving
through the trees until a hand reached out and snatched me against a hard
body.
I screamed, struggling to free my hand with the knife, but when I looked
up, it was Titus who held me. Tight. He bent over me, studying me with an
indescribable expression on his face. Lightning flashed, sending a surge of
heated light over the glade, and icy blue eyes bored into mine.
“Lucia, why are you out here? I didn’t see a light in your window.”
 A sliver of fear crawled up my spine. The hysterical side of my mind
shouted that he’d been stalking me, while the reasonable side reminded me
that we’d had this discussion. I was to put a candle in my window on nights
when I sought him out.
“Let me go,” I said, the words of that strange man ringing in my mind.
“I didn’t tell you because it was a trap, not for you but for the other one, the
vampire king.”
My words had the opposite effect. His grip tightened. “The other one?
Did you speak to him?”
“I...I did, and the knights are chasing him now. They’ll catch him, and
this will be over.” Would it be? I wasn’t sure, but my mind desperately
wanted to believe something. Yet the more I thought about it, I couldn’t
make sense of what was happening.
A strangled curse left his lips, and he let go of me so suddenly I almost
fell. I backed against a tree, breathing hard as I watched him. He wiped a
hand across his mouth, staring, no, glaring at me.
“What did he say to you? No, we can’t talk here.”
He made to grab for my wrist, but I jerked back. “What do you mean?”
Something was off; he was upset, and tension bit the air. I also noticed
that he wasn’t carrying his lute. What was he doing out here? Sneaking
around at night? Had he been the cause of death and devastation, and I’d
been wrong all along? Who was the true vampire king, Titus? Or that other
mysterious man?
It occurred to me that they looked similar, with dark wild hair, deep-set
eyes, height, and build. Blood rushed to my head, and this time, I wasn’t
quick enough as Titus lunged for me again. He caught me, a powerful arm
sneaking around my waist as the heavens opened and rain thundered down.
Titus scooped me up as though I weighed nothing at all. I closed my
eyes, reminding myself of my conversation with Faith. There’s always a
choice. I didn’t know the truth about Titus, but I knew how he made me
feel, as though I were falling into a pit of darkness I could not escape from.
He would tarnish my soul, swallow me whole with his darkness, embed me
in a land of sin and pleasure, and I’d be lost eternally.
Inaction was not a choice. I had to act. I lifted the knife and pressed it
against the cords of his neck. A high, broken sound came from his throat,
sending a pang right through my soul.
 “You, you of all people, my moon goddess, would turn on me too?
You’re supposed to save me, not damn me to the hell I’m already living in.”
My hand trembled. He could knock the knife away as easily as it was a
feather. I’d been trained in self-defense, but I hadn’t actually wounded
another or drawn blood. Now that the moment had come, hurting another
living being wasn’t in me. I couldn’t harm him because it would be like
plunging a dagger into my own heart.
I dropped the knife. “Then you have to be honest with me. Tell me the
truth. What is going on?”
“I promise I will speak with you. Just let me get you to safety.”
Safety, as though the creatures of the night would descend upon us at
any moment. I squirmed. “I can walk.”
He set me down at the damp entrance of a cave and took my hand. I
squeezed his wet hand and realized that given the choice between the abbey
and being out here with him, in the storm, walking into the bleak darkness
of the unknown, I’d chosen him instead of my warm, secure bed. And that
thought worried me.
The tunnels were so dark I wasn’t sure how Titus knew the way, but
eventually, we emerged outside, back into the rain, which had slowed to a
steady downpour. Titus led me through the dark, uphill, I thought, it until
we burst inside a door, and he released me.
“Stay there,” he said.
I stood still, blinking raindrops off my eyelashes, attempting to see in
the utter blackness. My dress was soaked to my skin, and despite the fact
that it was mid-summer, I shivered. A scratching sound came, then a flame
as Titus lit a fire. It started smoking, but it was enough to see.
We were in a tiny one-room cottage. Rich rugs covered the stone floor, a
stove was tucked into a corner, and Titus moved to it next, lighting it. A
fireplace covered an entire wall with bright stones. Some had runes carved
into them, and they glinted as the firelight grew brighter.
An odd sensation washed over me as I studied those runes, my gaze
going from them to my arms, noting the similarities. I pivoted away, but the
image of the runes burned into the back of my mind.
Plants grew out of the wall, and ivy framed the edges as though the
wildlife sought to reclaim the hut. Dried plants hung from the rafters: florals
and herbs, giving off a smokey, herby scent. A bed had been pushed into a
corner, and a stack of papers and scrolls lay scattered on the floor beside it,
traces of ink appearing in the low light.
I clenched and unclenched my fists, fighting my nerves. Folding my
arms around my body, I bit my lip and glanced at Titus, who was half out of
his clothes.
“Undress,” he said curtly.
My sodden dress was dripping on the carpet. This was not about
seduction but warmth and not getting sick. I tugged the dress over my head
and held it in front of me as I crossed the floor to the fireplace.
Titus was fully naked now; his clothes laid out on the stones to dry. He
wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and took the dress from me, his
eyes tracking downward before I had a chance to snatch the cloth around
my bare flesh.
A rough chuckle left his lips. “Still shy after all we’ve done?”
He had a point, but I did not care to comment on it.
“Sit,” he said, gesturing to the rugs that surrounded the fireplace.
He sat down himself, a blanket over his shoulders, and he held out his
hands to the dancing flames.
I sat down beside him. “What is this place? Why did you bring me here
instead of your home in the mountainside?”
His jaw tightened. “You know the legend of vampires and how they
cannot cross the threshold of a house unless invited?”
“Yes, that’s the only reason so many have stayed. They feel safe at
night, knowing that none of the monsters can enter. Tell me, that legend is
true, isn’t it?”
“It is, and it isn’t. There are loopholes associated with it. This home was
forsaken by its owner, and now it’s mine. When I want to be alone, truly
alone, I come here.”
“It’s lovely.”
His mouth crooked up, and he tilted his head at me. “Are you just
saying that to appease me?”
“No.” I shook my head, and something within me relaxed. “It is lovely.
I grew up in the abbey and have seldom had the opportunity to be invited
into another’s home. The ones I have seen had floors made of wood or dirt
with rushes atop them, while the wealthier ones had stones. Someone
wealthy must have lived here. Or at least used it when they wanted some
solitude up here.”
 “It was once the home of a hunter. I found dried bear skins and antlers
and arrows when I took it over and embellished with with my own
decorations. This is where I come to write and for solitude.”
“Then the other place is?” I trailed off, hoping he would finish my
sentence and satisfy my curiosity.
“It’s like I’m living a double life, the me that lives under the mountain
and then the me that comes here to remember who I am outside of the
curse.”
This was taking too long, although I was curious about the curse too.
“Who was that other man?”
Titus frowned. “What did he say to you?”
“He was warning me about you, that you’re not who I think you are and
that. . .”
Titus faced me. “He warned you that I’d kill you.”
Avoiding his gaze, I focused on the fire, my words sour before they left
my tongue. “Yes.”
“And what do you believe about me?”
“I’m not sure, it’s. . .may I speak plainly with you?” I blurted out.
“I would accept nothing less.”
“The truth is, Titus, I don’t know who you are. You walk the night, your
music controls the vampires, and you awaken desires within me I didn’t
know I had. You can teach me how to use magic, but my soul warns against
you and your ways. I don’t think you’re a good person, but I also doubt you
are purely evil. When we first met, I believed you were the vampire king,
but you were tight-lipped, withholding, and now I think the other man
might be the vampire king. But if so, I don’t understand why he didn’t kill
me.”
Titus scrubbed his face with his hand, sending water droplets from his
wet hair dancing. I had to lean forward to hear his next words. “Because
he’s not a killer, not like me.”
A cold fear bolted through me, and I glanced at the door, wondering
how fast I’d be able to run before he caught me. Titus had just admitted to
being a killer, and I believed him.
Agony crossed his face. “Now you know the truth, you fear me.”
I pressed my lips together. “The seeds of doubt have been planted, and it
brings me to more questions. If you intended on killing me, why wait? Why
not now? Or perhaps that’s why you brought me here, forced me to undress
so I’d be naked and vulnerable with no choice but to accept⁠—”
He lunged for me, knocking me backward. I screamed, losing the grip
on the blanket, and it fell open. He trapped me with his thighs and leaned
over me, hands circling my wrists, keeping me pinned to the floor while his
eyes traveled every inch of my exposed skin.
His eyes were wide, almost feral, and he leaned close.
“Please don’t,” I begged as his lips touched mine.

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 11

LUCIA

T itus kissed me with lips still wet from the summer storm. His mouth was
warm and insistent, his tongue thrusting in my mouth, devouring me,
taking me. Teeth raked across my lips, then released, punishing, bruising.
And I welcomed it.
My entire body ached with desire and my conflicting emotions faded,
leaving me with an intense need to be close to him. He released one of my
wrists and ran his hand down my side, his touch awakening exquisite
sensations.
I moaned into his mouth, and he released my other wrist, cupping my
face roughly with a hand and forcing me to look at him. “How could you
think that after all this, I’d want to kill you?”
And the look on his face was like a dagger to the heart. He was right.
How could I believe that he was so twisted and wicked he’d trick me into
falling in love with him, only to kill me? His kisses were no lie, and the
way he made my body sing was a sweet truth in itself. Only a blurry
reminder told me that he hadn’t explained the other man. He’d admitted to
being a killer, yet, heavens, the way he kissed me left me feeling like water
in his hands. He could do whatever he wanted with me, and I’d still crave
him.
My runes glittered to life, a soft glow as he kissed me again, twisting
fingers through my wet hair while his other arm slid down my belly. I went
rigid, suddenly frantic about the trajectory of his hands. In response, he
paused, then took my hand and guided it to his chest where his heart
drummed fast with excitement. I ran my hands over his shoulders and down
his back while he groaned into my mouth.
“Your touch is like heaven. I could thrive on this and this alone if only
you touch me like this.”
“Titus,” I gasped, wanting to explain what I desired from him.
Instead, I let my fingers do the talking for me until at last he sat up,
hovering over me.
“Look at you, my moon goddess,” he rasped. “Laid out like a sacrifice,
your light shining just for me, to guide me back. I was so lost, and now I
have a way to find myself, but I don’t want to consume your light with my
darkness. I want you to shine, to burn bright like an inferno and purge me
from this weight, this guilt, this curse I carry.”
I wanted to say something, but it was impossible for words to leave my
lips. The feelings he aroused in me left me breathless.
He bent over me until our foreheads nearly touched. “This is your first
time, isn’t it?”
I groaned as confusion muddled my thoughts.
“Yes,” I panted.
“Do you want me to continue?”
“Yes,” I said again.
Ever so gently, he eased into me, taking his time, repeating the same
action again and again until I was comfortable.
When he paused, we were both panting, and this time a sheen of sweat
covered his skin.
“Now you’re ready,” he said, his pupils wide and dark, eyes hazy as his
gaze raked over me.
Lying on his back, he pulled me on top and gave me a wicked grin,
those sharp white teeth glowing in the low light. But nothing about him
made me fear him, if anything the heat between us left me wanting to be
skin to skin, just as we had when our magic conjoined.
Titus cupped my cheek, fingers brushing my lips. “Look at me. I want
to see your soul as I bring you to pleasure. This will be like nothing you’ve
experienced before.”
So I kept my gaze on him as we made love, slowly, reverently, tenderly.
Afterward, Titus pulled the blanket over my shoulders and held me tight,
his mouth against my ear.
“You are beautiful,” he whispered, “truly beautiful.”
 Those were the last words I heard as I slipped into a dreamless sleep.

H eat kissed my face, and I opened my eyes, taking in the dancing motes
of light created by the fire as Titus added more wood to the flames. I
still lay on the floor in a nest of rugs and blankets. A glow of warmth
cocooned around me, and I blinked sleepily at him.
My thoughts flitted to Edith, and suddenly I understood why she and
Captain Elroy did what they did. Perhaps it had been passion or friendship
that had driven them into each other's arms, and now, they couldn’t stay
away. The act in and of itself was beautiful.
I watched Titus work, his hair mussed, the lines of his muscles softened
by the flickering light. I waited for shame to grip me with regret. But it did
not come. Instead, a halo of happiness pierced my soul, and I sat up,
bringing my knees up to my chin. The blanket slipped off one shoulder, and
my hair fell around me.
Hearing my movements, Titus glanced over his shoulder at me, his eyes
lighting up. A smile, a real smile, not a smirk, covered his handsome face.
“Did you sleep well?”
“I did. Is it morning?”
“No, slightly after midnight, but the storm has abated. It’s peaceful.”
“Do you ever sleep at all?” I asked.
His expression turned pensive, quiet. “Not at night, but I felt inclined to,
with you. You’re soft and gentle, and I enjoy holding you while you sleep.
Your runes glimmer in time with your breathing. It’s like watching starlight
twinkle.”
My face flushed at the compliment. “Are you always this lyrical with
your words?”
“Do you always ask this many questions?
He poked the fire one last time before joining me in the nest of blankets.
Sliding a hand around my bare waist, he pulled me closer to him, bent his
head, and kissed my shoulder. “I was angry with you earlier, but now I’m
glad you’re here.”
 I waited, wanting him to tell me everything yet not wanting to push him,
to destroy the purity of the moment. It was odd how I sensed no evil, no
malice in him, only a strong desire, and it made me wonder.
High Priestess Merci spoke of second chances, of living with deeds that
hung like a noose around our neck, but knowing, if we were truly repentant,
there was another path, a second chance waiting for us. I sensed Titus
needed that life-giving second chance. He wasn’t a vampire, yet he spoke of
a curse. He held magic, and other than his adherence to the night, I couldn’t
figure out what was wrong with him. What made him so different from
myself?
As if reading my mind, Titus spoke. “I wasn’t always like this. I used to
be normal, if it could be called that, like you.”
I straightened, deeply interested now that he was opening up to me.
“Like me, what do you mean?”
“I’ve never been fully mortal, but I walked in the daylight, I ate actual
food, and I didn’t have a lust for violence and blood.”
“What happened?”
He stiffened and his voice went hard. “She happened.”
She. I felt deflated. There was another woman.
“I swore to serve a sorceress as one of her knights, except I was
unaware that she was dark and treacherous. A sorceress who was easily
jealous and overly vicious with her punishments. Knights who displeased
her or disobeyed her commanders were cursed and exiled to other realms.
I’d never imagined that would be my fate, yet here I am.”
I listened, wide-eyed and anxious to hear more of his confession.
Titus blew out a breath and fixated on the fire. “I wasn’t blameless
though. As a knight, I fought in her wars, and all that blood, death, and
violence got in my head and made me mean and angry. Killing and brutality
became a hobby, and I knew it was wrong. I knew I needed to change and
escape her services. I plotted to run away, to find the entrance to the realm
of the King of Hearts.”
The words he spoke were enthralling, like discovering a secret others
had tried to bury. As I watched the lines of his face, the angles highlighted
by flame and shadow, a low throb began in my heart. I wanted to fix him, to
reach out and take away his pain with my hand. That was what he was
asking for, wasn’t it? For me to heal him, to break his curse just by
accepting him as he was.
 Titus continued, “The sorceress discovered my treachery. She cursed me
to life in darkness with a thirst for blood, and sentenced me into exile in the
caves here.”
“How long ago was it?”
“Five, six years perhaps.” He shrugged. “Living in darkness takes its
toll.”
I bit my lip, but the words burst out of my mouth anyway. “What of the
other man? The one who spoke to me last night. Who is he to you?”
Titus scratched the back of his neck and gave me a sidelong glance.
“He’s my half-brother. We have the same father but different mothers.”
I sat a moment, letting the words digest. Titus had a brother. They were
family, so why the cryptic warning? “And he is cursed too?”
A rough, dark laugh escaped from Titus’s throat.
“I’m trying to understand,” I explained.
He cupped my face, leaning close so that his breath kissed my lips.
“Don’t ever try to understand the darkness. You are light and grace and
beauty. I am drawn to you like a thirsty soul to water, but I fear my shadows
will corrupt you. This conversation about myself and my cursed brother is
not one I enjoy, but I will deal with him separately now that I know he has
attempted to come between you and me. I want you to stay with me, awhile,
Lucia. Will you?”
My eyes widened. He was asking a question, giving me a choice. “For
how long?”
“Does it matter?” Titus asked, pushing the blanket off my shoulders.
“It does. The knights believe I’ve gone home. They will search for me if
I’m not at the abbey. They’ll think I’ve been. . .” I trailed off, unable to say
the words.
Gently, Titus placed two fingers above my heart and pushed me onto my
back. I reached for the blanket, but he batted my hand away. “Let me look
at you, my moon goddess.”
“One day,” I compromised as his fingers traced the runes on my legs,
running from my hip to my ankle.
“One day and one night,” he countered. “I’ll take you to the abbey
before sunrise.”
His breath feathered my leg, and then he kissed my ankle. I closed my
eyes, a riot of sensation chasing through me.
“One day, one night,” I murmured.
 “I’ll teach you how to use your magic,” he went on as if I needed any
more convincing. “And perhaps it will be enough.”
Fingers crept up my thigh.
“Enough for what?” I shuddered.
Instead of answering he bent his dark head and kissed me. “You’re
marvelous,” he breathed.

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 12

TITUS

I made love to Lucia again and again, never growing tired of her breathy
moans, the way her lips tasted, how her eyes glazed over when I touched
her, and the way her body trembled with delight beneath my touch. But
more than anything were her runes, the way they made me feel light,
normal, almost free.
One day and one night was all I asked for, all she promised, yet I was
certain that if she stayed forever, I’d break my curse. The darkness within
my soul wouldn’t stand a chance beside her light.
It was daylight when she finally pushed me away, her gaze roving over
the house. “Tell me what you know about magic.”
“Ah, now is the time for words,” I said, wagging my finger at her.
She gave me a look, but a faint smile hovered on her lips. “You
promised to teach me how to use it, and I’m curious as to why, if I have
magic, it only revealed itself now.”
Standing, I tugged on my now-dry pants and rifled through my papers.
“How much do you already know about your runes?”
Lucia shrugged. “The High Priestess gave me a scroll with the research
she’d done. But it didn’t reveal much. If anything, it left me with more
questions.”
I recalled seeing the scroll in her hand. I knew what it was like to search
for answers without finding them. “What did it say?”
“Like I told you, I was found on the doorstep of the abbey as a baby,
and the High Priestess believes I was left because of my runes. They
frightened the woman who birthed me.”
I noticed she didn’t say mother because being linked by blood was not
enough. Lucia kept speaking quickly, but it was true that the abandonment
still bothered it. I wondered if that was why she took up vows and became a
priestess—because she felt she wasn’t enough, and serving and sacrifice
made her feel redeemed. I sat down on the floor, studying her. All this time,
I’d been focused on the way she made me feel and what her magic did for
me, but now I had a glimpse into her heart, into the way she felt about her
life.
“Through her research, the High Priestess found that runes are often
used with rituals, often arcane and pagan rituals. Most records of people
with runes have them being sacrificed at one time or another, either as
children or as adults. Sometimes, they were kidnapped and stolen away, but
often, they gave themselves voluntarily because they believed their runes
were given by some Divine power, and the sacrifice would activate them.
It’s actually disturbing to think about, but the High Priestess believed that
my being abandoned likely saved my life.”
“Do you believe that?” I asked, watching the shift in her expression as
she stared at the flames.
She straightened her shoulders, chin up as she met my gaze. “I do.”
Now was not the time to tease her about her convictions, so I pointed at
the stones on the fireplace. “I supposed that what you say makes sense.
There’s a lot of fear and speculation when it comes to magic. You may have
noticed the similarity between some of the runes on your skin and those
carved into the fireplace. It’s because they are a language, and some runes
are meant for protection against evil.”
“Are you talking about the original inhabitants of this land, the giants?
Those who became aware of the vampires and used runes to protect
themselves against them?”
“Then you know the old tales. It is thought that many sought to protect
themselves when the vampires first came, so they practiced odd magic,
sacrificed humans, and committed all kinds of despicable acts. They wanted
to appease the gods, but in the end, their actions only cursed themselves.
What remained, though, were the runes and, in the tunnels, crumbling
remains of an ancient civilization. But there are old scrolls and drawings on
the walls depicting their history. While the people fell into darkness, there
were a few who remained blameless. They used runes to channel the light,
reflect it, and protect themselves from the darkness. Unfortunately, they
were hunted down by the vampires and slain, likely because their magic had
the potential to do the most damage. That’s why your runes call to me. You
are light and purity, your runes reflect the light of the moon, and when you
shine, darkness doesn’t stand a chance. Nothing can touch you.”
Lucia drew her knees up, and the blanket fell off her bare shoulders. But
she was lost in thought as she stared at me. “My runes never glowed until I
met you.”
“Magic seeks magic. The song of my lute is magic, and I have darkness
within me. When I’m with you, I feel it burning away. Your runes are
working because you finally have a reason for magic to awaken within you.
I’d guess that in the abbey, there isn’t any darkness or lurking evil, so unless
you were exposed to it, you’d never know that you have magic.”
“In theory, I supposed it makes sense.”
“Think about it like this: why does the sun shine? Why does the moon
come out at night?”
“Because of the dark.”
“Aye, without the night, there’d be no need for light. Same with your
magic, but now that you know it’s there, I’ll show you how to access it.”
Lucia brushed at her eyes. “Thank you, Titus.”
My name on her lips was a treasure. I wanted to hear her say my name
again. Instead, I went to her and kissed her gently. “Your runes have always
been a priceless gift. Now it’s time for you to step into your power, my
moon goddess. And I will protect you, with my music.”

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 13

LUCIA

B oth body and soul were sore in the most delicious way as Titus guided
me home. I let myself in through the garden gate, yet he lingered,
unwilling to let me out of his sight. I’d felt the shift between us, a shared
awakening and knowledge, and I’d begun to dream of a life that might
differ from what I currently had. But how to achieve it was the problem,
and as the shape of the abbey towered above me, the knowledge that I had
broken my vows made my throat go dry.
Titus touched my arm. “May I come inside?”
“Yes,” I agreed without thinking and led him into the garden.
“This is your garden?” he asked, surprise lacing his tone.
“It is. I’ll have to weed it tomorrow. The plants will believe I’ve
abandoned them.”
“You enjoy seeing life spring up from mere seeds, don’t you?”
“It’s more than that,” I explained. “It’s what this garden represents: food
for the priestess and the garrison and enough to share with the villagers. The
vineyard brings forth the barrels of wine for trade, and with my work here, I
can bless others both near and far. Food is a source of life, and I’m proud to
be part of that life-giving act.”
Titus let out a groan of admiration. “When you speak, your words pull
me in deeper. I’m tempted to whisk you away with me.”
He stopped as we approached the inner door to the abbey, and my heart
pounded with awareness of his proximity. Gently, he leaned forward and
kissed me, long and deep, as though we’d be apart much longer than a few
days.
“Goodnight,” I whispered, stroking his jaw.
“I’ll see myself out,” he said, but instead of leaving, he embraced me.
I leaned into him, arms around his waist, my face in the hollow of his
neck, breathing in his intoxicating scent. His pulse thudded against me like
the beat of a song. As I held on, revelation swept through me. I cared about
him. Not only his history but his future. What we’d done had bonded our
fates together.
A sudden fear seized me as he released me, pressed another kiss to my
lips, and left. Sagging against the door, I strained my eyes until his shadow
all but disappeared. When I stepped across the threshold, I realized I had
invited him inside, and even though he did not accept my offer, what if
another vampire did?

I ’dabbey
been asleep for maybe an hour or two when screams erupted across the
followed by a deep wail. I stumbled out of bed, hastily threw on a
gown, then ran toward the sound. The wails continued, and my thoughts
raced. What had happened? Was someone hurt, wounded. . .dead?
On the main floor, I fled toward the entrance of the abbey, where a
crowd of my sisters sobbed around the doorway. I fought my way through,
panicked disbelief attacking me as I stared at the pool of blood and the
ripped-open throat.
Acid welled up in my belly, choking me as I stumbled back, tears filling
my eyes. I scanned the faces and saw no blame there, only grief.
“What happened to Faith?” I begged, unable to look at her again. She
lay on the doorstep half-naked, blood soaking her gown, her sightless eyes
staring at the sky.
Only days ago, she’d helped me make a choice, and now she was dead,
devoured by one of the vampires. No, not even devoured but ripped apart as
if she’d been punished. Most bodies were found drained of blood, but she’d
been mutilated as though someone was sending a message.
 High Priestess Merci marched into the area. Then came her sharp intake
of breath, and she pressed a hand to her heart. Her face went pale, and she
leaned against the entryway as though seeking strength.
At last, she stood tall, her voice shaking as she spoke. “Find a blanket,
cover her, and someone fetch Captain Elroy. Ladies, back to your rooms.
The bell must be rung, and everyone must stay indoors until we have an
answer for this plight.”
The wails continued as the sisters slipped away, but High Priestess
Merci turned back to Faith. I dared myself to look, and there, in one of
Faith’s hands, was a scroll. High Priestess Merci bent to pick it up and
unfolded it with trembling hands. Her eyes went back and forth as she
scanned the message. When she looked up, her gaze met mine.
Shame and embarrassment and horror buzzed within me, as though she
could see my soul and knew that I’d broken my vow. I’d had an illicit tryst
with a vampire and worst of all, I enjoyed it. What had it led to? This?
Edith ran up with Captain Elroy behind her, and I stepped back as a
sheet was brought to cover the body. Captain Elroy barked out orders to his
knights. While they flew into a frenzy of activity, I slipped away.
Blood rang in my ears, and I couldn’t help but think it was my fault.
Why had I invited Titus in? He was the enemy, a cursed knight, a lord of
darkness, full of blood and violence and anger. Why had I assumed from the
time we spent together that he could change? He’d clearly toyed with my
affections only to gain access in order to do something terrible. It had to be
him, hadn’t it been?
Then again, did it matter? I had invited the vampires into the abbey and
cursed us all.
I thought again of his half-brother and the warning. Sobs shook my
body, and then Edith was there, embracing me, her tears mingling with
mine.

M uch later, High Priestess Merci had us gather in the kitchen. Huddled
around a long table, we sat, holding mugs of steaming tea yet feeling
bereft without Faith.
“We’ll hold a ceremony for her tomorrow,” High Priestess Merci began.
“It appears that Faith went out, either at sundown or at sometime in the
night, and was taken. After the vampires. . .abused her, they returned her
here as a warning. They also left a note, a demand which I shall discuss
with Captain Elroy. It is imperative, for your own safety, that the moment
twilight comes, you stay indoors. No more walks in the garden.” Her gaze
landed on me. “No more evening strolls. The knights are making an
announcement in the village, and they have a plan. We will win this war,
but I need you to do your part and stay vigilant.”
After her speech, we filed out of the kitchen, and I walked purposefully
toward the library.
The High Priestess called my name, “Lucia.”
I turned back, my face heated. Did she know? Had she seen me in the
garden with him last night? I hadn’t considered that I’d need to be careful in
the garden, but many parts of the abbey overlooked it, and someone who
was up at night might have seen us.
“I’d like to request your presence in the garrison. There is something I’d
like to discuss with you and Captain Elroy.”
My heart plummeted. Clasping my sweaty palms together, I nodded my
head. “Of course, whatever I can do to help.”
It took all of my willpower not to run away because I was frightened of
what secrets would be revealed. I was sure she’d discovered the pact
between Captain Elroy and me, and no one had mentioned my two-day
disappearance.
By the time we reached his office, I’d broken out in a cold sweat.
“Shut the door,” Captain Elroy said as we entered.
High Priestess Merci shut the door while Captain Elroy waved at us to
take the seats in front of his desk. With a heavy sigh, he pulled out a stack
of paper and then glanced at me. “Priestess Lucia, I thought it best we tell
High Priestess Merci what has been going on, and the High Priestess and I
thought we should tell you about the letters.”
I went cold, for by his own admission, each of us had been keeping
secrets. How many untruths swarmed around the abbey?
Captain Elroy pushed the letters toward me. “First, read these.”
I picked up the first letter, took a deep breath, and read. At first, I
thought I was reading for the High Priestess’s benefit because Captain Elroy
knew I was aware of the demand from VK. However, I wasn’t aware there
were so many. Aside from the demand for a priestess with silver runes was
a list of items from the abbey: paints, paper, a barrel of wine, cheese, bread,
and carving knives.
My brow furrowed at the odd list. I put down the first letter and read the
second. It expressed some frustration with the items that were left,
demanding an exact amount of the same items, more wine, some pipe
tobacco, and, again, the priestess with the silver runes. The rest of the letters
went on the same way, and my breath came short and fast, reading the
demanding words, knowing that this vampire king wanted me as a ransom.
By the time I picked up the last one, my eyes were glazed over, and my
breath was shallow. I unrolled the scroll, noting the bloodstains on it. The
writer warned that this was the last letter because the demands had not been
met, and there was a consequence. Faith. He demanded one last sacrifice
and named a date and time. Three days from now, in the glade. I was to be
sacrificed. Just like in the old days, eerily similar to the tales of death and
sacrifice that Titus had shared with me.
I put down the letters, staring at High Priestess Merci. Her mouth was
set in a firm line, but her eyes were sad.
“You knew of this,” I whispered. “How long has this been going on?”
“Since spring,” High Priestess Merci admitted. “I told Captain Elroy
that we were not giving in to these demands, but as they continued, we paid
the ransom of goods.”
Mouth dry, I glanced at Captain Elroy, suddenly understanding why
he’d asked of me. I was the sacrifice. I’d always been the sacrifice.
“I gave in,” Captain Elroy admitted, addressing the High Priestess.
“Lucia agreed to come with me, but both times, the vampire king eluded
us.”
“Both times?” I asked in surprise. I’d assumed they’d captured the
vampire king while I was with Titus. I hadn’t anticipated failure.
Eyes heavy, he nodded at me. “Yes. Two days ago, we were closer than
we ever were before, but he escaped into a labyrinth under the mountains.”
“We are going to try again,” the High Priestess explained. She took my
hand and squeezed it. “I will go in your place, Lucia. The knights will take
the hounds, and we’ll cut off all escape. Once we have the vampire king,
we’ll force him to lead us to their base, and then we will destroy them all.”
 The plan felt like a fool’s hope, unlikely and impossible. “No,” I
pleaded. “Let me go.”
High Priestess Merci shook her head. “You saw what happened to Faith.
It’s too dangerous. I’m placing you under the guard of the knights for your
own protection. I’ve seen how you’ve changed, Lucia, and it’s not for the
better. Something is affecting you, and I believe it’s the same sickness the
vampires cast on their victims. No more. You are important, and your place
is here. No more sneaking out, no more walking during the night. I want
you to be safe. It is my sworn duty to protect the priestesses, to protect this
village, and Captain Elroy and I will do so. Together.”
I leaped to my feet and pointed at the letters. “Then why bring me here?
Why tell me the truth if you’re not going to let me help?”
“I was wrong,” Captain Elroy explained. “I acted without the blessing
of the High Priestess, and this situation has gone from bad to worse. If we
are to win, we need to stop keeping secrets and act together.”
My lips trembled. “The other night, we were so close.”
Captain Elroy nodded. “We were, and this third time, we will catch
him.”

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 14

LUCIA

I paced in my room, alternating between sitting on the bed, knees bouncing

until I frustrated myself and sprang up to pace while biting my knuckles.
A trail of thoughts thrashed in my mind, torn between yearning and guilt
and fear of discovery. Somehow, some way, I had to warn Titus that this
time would be a trap, and he needed to stay away.
It would happen three nights from now, which gave me one day and one
night to outsmart the knights who stood guard in the abbey. During my
years as a priestess, knights had never been welcome to enter the abbey
after nightfall. Understandable since the abbey was full of young, single
women.
I tried to untangle my thoughts and understand the position of High
Priestess Merci. It was possible that High Priestess Merci controlled the
movements of the garrison and kept us in the dark, likely to keep us from
panicking.
And then there were the letters.
I sat down on the edge of my bed and dropped my head into my hands.
I’d spent one heavenly day and night with Titus, and if my heart spoke true,
I wanted more of him. Not just his touch or his warm body pressing against
mine, giving me euphoric pleasure, but his very soul, the essence of who he
was, a broken man trying to claw his way back to truth and light. I admired
him for his determination, his tenaciousness, and his self-control with me.
He’d alluded to the fact that he hadn’t always been a creature of darkness,
yet he’d never sucked my blood.
 All the same, I’d let down my guard and invited him inside. It was one
thing to put myself in danger and another to put the entire abbey in danger.
The priestesses were my sisters, my family. . . I closed my eyes against the
reminder of Faith’s skin, torn and bloodied. My stomach roiled as I rocked
back and forth. I was the one to blame, and I didn’t know how to stop any
of this.
A soft knock came at the door, and I leaped to my feet, anxious for a
distraction.
Edith’s worried face appeared, and she spoke before I had the chance.
“Lucia, I came to check on you. You disappeared for two days and. . well. .
.” She twisted her fingers together, trailing off. “I thought you could use a
friend to talk to.”
A friend? A sudden slash of red-hot anger burned in my belly. On some
level, I was aware that it was my own guilt and anger I was projecting on
her, but ugly words hummed in my mind. Who was Edith but a liar who
broke her vows and spent time with Captain Elroy?
Ashamed at my vicious thoughts, I locked my gaze on the hem of her
dress as I shuffled back, holding the door open.
“Come in,” I mumbled.
Edith paused, taking in my posture. Instead of embracing me, she strode
into the room. Shutting the door, I leaned against it, still avoiding eye
contact as I weighed what to say. But Edith went to the window and stared
out at the darkness. “It’s terrible what happened to Faith, I can’t imagine
what she went through, nor figure out why she was out there at all.”
“Maybe she went to help. . .” I began.
Edith glanced at me before curling up on the bed like we had when we
were young. She patted the side, inviting me to join her. The threads of a
lifelong friendship tugged at me, and I went to her side, tucking my dress
beneath my legs as I leaned against the pillows.
Edith propped herself up on an elbow, her vivid eyes roaming over my
face. “Something’s wrong, I can tell.”
Instead of hiding, I held her gaze, feeling my anger burn away like the
morning mist under the heat of sunshine. Words clogged my throat, unable
to escape, but the truth lay on my tongue, so heavy I needed to spit it out.
Tears swam in my eyes, and I blinked, my question a half-sob. “How do
you know?”
 Edith hesitated, picking at the threads of the blanket. “I’ve seen you
sneaking out of the garden after dark.”
I pressed a hand against my mouth, blinking harder. Despite my secrecy,
my actions had been discovered. Who else aside from Edith had seen my
transgression? Two nights ago, had she seen me kissing Titus in the
shadows? If so, she must know how quickly I’d broken my vows and that I
might be the cause of Faith’s death.
I bit my bottom lip and decided it was now or never. “I. . .Edith, this is a
deeply personal question, but I’m struggling with an issue, and you might
be able to help me. You see, I know about you and Captain Elroy.”
A small cry escaped from Edith’s lips.
I plunged onward. “How is it possible? Don’t you feel conflicted about
forsaking your vows and sneaking around without the knowledge of the
High Priestess?”
Edith’s lips trembled. Now it was her turn to look away. “How did you
find out? I thought we’d been so careful.”
I paused to think. The first time I’d snuck out to see Titus, I’d seen male
and female shadows so close they were almost kissing. They had to have
been Edith and Captain Elroy. “I went to speak with Captain Elroy, and the
door to his chambers wasn’t fully shut. . . I shouldn’t have trespassed, but I
had an urgent need.”
Edith peered back at me, her eyes wide. “Of course,” she murmured half
to herself. “You aren’t telling me this to blackmail me but because you’ve
fallen in love, haven’t you? And those nights you’ve been away were when
you snuck out to meet him. After nightfall, oh Lucia, how dangerous.”
I nodded, shaking a tear loose that slipped down one cheek. Using the
back of my hand, I brushed it away, already relieved at admitting part of the
truth. “I’m conflicted, Edith. My heart sings when I’m with him, but as
soon as I return here, the weight of guilt threatens to crush me. When I’m
with him, I feel so alive, and when we are apart, I can’t stop thinking about
him. But he’s all wrong for me and dangerous. How do you handle the
weight of guilt and the conflict, especially when he’s so close?”
Edith wrapped her fingers around mine and squeezed. “I’m sorry, Lucia,
it doesn’t get any easier. At first, I felt conflicted, as if I were giving into
lust. But love taught me many things. If what you have is true and right and
pure, and if it is love, it will make you a better person. The High Priestess
teaches us about love, what it is, and what it isn’t.
 “Love isn’t selfish or intent on self-gain, and it is love that forced me to
change for the better. Elroy. . .I mean, Captain Elroy and I each have
personal wounds—you know about my fear of abandonment—but when we
fell in love, we started to heal. Even though I took up vows to live a life
focused on serving others, my heart was closed because of fear. I
misunderstood the words of the High Priestess and believed that love would
lead to temptation and death, but now my heart is open, and I can pour into
the children who come here to learn and listen to those in pain who need my
healing touch. Love has made me whole and complete. In fact, I wouldn’t
be able to serve the way I do here without it.”
I opened my mouth to interrupt, but Edith held up a finger. “I know
what you would say, that our vows require us to remain pure and celibate,
giving up the aspects of this world that would distract us. Namely, physical
pleasure. But the vows guide our actions and our focus, helping us become
better people by serving this village, this slice of heaven on earth. I do my
duty, and Elroy does his. We protect the abbey in different ways, he with the
sword and I with my healing herbs. Yes, there are restrictions, and at times,
I feel conflicted about sneaking around. I doubt that will change, but the
High Priestess, as kind and intentional as she is, wouldn’t understand how
deeply love can change us for the better. Know that you have a choice. You
are loved here, and I didn’t leave because everything I desire is right here.
You will have to make the same choice. That doesn’t mean you have to stay
at the abbey. Despite making a vow, you choose to serve the people, and
that vow is not a rule that binds you; that vow sets you free.”
“Are you sure? You sound so confident and. . .free.”
“Think about our vows and the words. We vowed to focus on faith,
purity, upholding the truth, and serving others. To abstain from pleasure for
the sake of pleasure. But love is not anything of those things. It is truth and
faith and purity, and it makes us better people. That revelation is one you’ll
need to discover for yourself, but I have shared my truth. It’s up to you to
discover the rest for yourself.”
I pressed my lips together, my mind spinning. “In your case, yes.
Captain Elroy is upright and a good man. In my case, the man in my life. .
.he’s. . .dangerous.”
Edith leaned closer, eyes bright with curiosity. “Who is this man?”
Shouts from outside disrupted our conversation. Edith and I glanced at
the window, and the words trembled on my lips. I wanted to tell her, but I
didn’t want to be forced to make a choice. The abbey was my home. I
wanted to stay right here with my sisters, and I wanted him, but he had no
place among the living. It was impossible, and telling Edith would force my
choice, and I didn’t want that. Not yet.
The shouts came again, louder. Edith scooted off the bed and drew back
the curtain. She gasped. “Looks like they’ve caught him.”
“Caught who?” I asked, joining her.
It was dark outside, but the burning torches the knights carried lit the
way. They dragged a captive toward the garrison, and even though they’d
put a hood over his head and bound his hands and feet, he still struggled,
causing the uproar below.
My legs collapsed, and I sank onto the floor, my mind reeling. They’d
lied to me to keep me safe, going to capture the vampire king tonight
instead of in three days. And Edith, had she been sent here to throw me off
the scent, to keep me blind to what was going on?
At last, the knights had captured the monster we all feared, but I didn’t
feel grateful. I wanted to drop my head into my hands and sob for Faith, for
Titus, and for myself. None of this should be happening.
“You knew, didn’t you?” I accused.
“What are you talking about, Lucia?” Edith sounded confused and
concerned.
I studied her, reading the truth on her freckled face. “You didn’t know
they were going to capture him tonight, did you?”
Edith’s brow furrowed as she glanced from me to the window. “That’s
the secret Elroy was keeping. It has to be, but I don’t understand why. . .”
“Did he tell you about the letters? The demands from the Vampire
King?”
“Lucia, what is all this about? You’re frightening me.”
Leaning my head against the wall, I closed my eyes. “Sit down, Edith.
I’m going to tell you everything.”
Edith listened wordlessly, her face paling at the vivid and dangerous tale
I told, of love and lust and danger and. . .worst of all the letters. Demanding
me. “But Edith, there’s one more thing the knights don’t know.”
She gasped. “What is it?”
“Titus has a brother, so they might have captured him, or they might
have captured his brother. One of them is the true Vampire King, and I don’t
know which is which.”
 Edith frowned and crossed her arms, pacing. “This is it, Lucia, the
opportunity we’ve been waiting for. We have to go to the dungeons and find
out which brother they captured.”
“And then what?” I asked miserably, partly shocked that Edith was
talking sense instead of yelling at me for keeping dark secrets.
“Then we end this, once and for all. Only a vampire would truly know
how this ends.”
“What will you tell Captain Elroy?” I asked, wiping away the tears that
wouldn’t cease.
She sighed. “He kept a dark secret from me. I had a feeling something
was wrong, but he wouldn’t share his burden with me. I’ll think about the
best way to confront him and convince him I can help. We can help. There’s
nothing to do tonight, though. The dungeons will be heavily guarded, and
they’ll be more interested in getting information out of their prisoner.”
Torture? The very idea made my stomach roil. The knights of the
garrison were guards of the land and of blood. They guarded the trade
routes and they fought and killed vampires. Did they torture them, too?
My heart ached at the idea, and I could only hope that Titus was still
free and they had the wrong brother. I wanted to put a light in my window
or storm the dungeons and rant and rage, but Edith and I had a plan. There
was nothing to do but wait.

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 15

LUCIA

W aiting was hard. I tried to focus on anything else but my ignorance of

which man was in the dungeons. But my mind strayed, even when I
went upstairs to listen to Indie’s findings on vampires, but I was too
distracted to add my opinions. Besides, it was the same information I’d
heard before.
The mornings spent in the garden, pulling weeds, clipping back the
hedges, and gathering herbs only increased my anxiety.
During the two days, High Priestess Merci was missing, and my
thoughts spiraled to the worst. Edith assured me she was spending time
alone in her rooms. Why? I could only speculate and hoped she hadn’t been
attacked when she went out with the knights. But at last, nightfall came, and
Edith and I snuck into the garrison.
Earlier, while the knights practiced in the yard, Edith had stolen the
extra set of keys to the dungeons. I didn’t want to think about the
conversation that she and Captain Elroy would inevitably have, and I
wondered how secure their love was if they were doubting each other’s
trust. Not that I was judging them—because I had no place to judge. It
would have been better if I’d fallen in love with a knight instead of a
vampire.
My runes itched as we descended, sneaking around the knights until we
reached the dungeons. They hadn’t been used in a while. Ever since the
scourge of the vampires, the robbers and mischief makers had made their
way south, leaving the village in peace. But the knights still needed to
protect us from what lurked in the dark. Except that Edith and I were
headed directly toward horror.
He wasn’t in the normal cells but in a hole in the ground, where he’d
have to be lowered in by rope, making it impossible to escape. It was
unguarded since the knights were certain he wouldn’t find a way to climb
up the sleek sides.
It took both of us to move the weighted grate. The entire time, I was
afraid a knight would hear us and come running. There was a chain nearby,
used to lower prisoners in and out, but I waited, blinking against the
darkness, trying to see who was inside.
A low growl came, the inhuman sound sending goosebumps up my
arms. Summoning my strength, I demanded, “Who are you?”
“Lucia? Is that you?” a hoarse voice rasped. “Did they send you here to
seal my doom?”
My heart squeezed. “Titus, I came to rescue you.”
Edith worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she reached for the
lowering chain.
A low chuckle came. “Rescue? Sounds like a trap to me, but then I’ve
never been good at avoiding them.”
The chain snapped into place, the links stretching as though taking on a
heavy weight.
“I didn’t know about the trap,” I told him. “I was going to warn you, but
they tricked me, sprang it before I had the time. Titus. . .”
I stared into the hole, looking for signs of life. Two glowing orbs stared
back at me. His eyes had changed, become luminous in the bleakness, and it
stirred fear in my heart.
He shook the chain. “I’m too weak for this.”
My stomach twisted. “They tortured you?”
“Not everyone asks for secrets nicely.”
I glanced at Edith. “What should we do?”
“We can try to lift him out, but. . .” she trailed off.
“I’ll go down,” I said, the announcement halfway catching me by
surprise.
Edith grabbed my elbow, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Lucia, are
you certain he’s not. . .”
“I’m sure,” I whispered back, hoping my words were true. “He’s just a
man.”
 Edith frowned, shaking her head. “I don’t like it.”
I held out my hands. “Give me the bandages and herbs. I’ll see if I can
help him.”
“I’m the healer. It should be me going down.”
“No, stand watch,” I protested, afraid of what Titus might do to her if
she went down in my place. Besides, if one of the knights happened upon
our ill-prepared plan, she could make up some kind of excuse.
I tucked the bundle under my arms and grabbed the chain. It bit into my
fingers, and my arms burned as I lowered myself into the bleakness. Down
there, in the hole in the ground, my runes itched more, and a faint glow
emitted, enough to see the shape of Titus.
He moved away from me as I arrived, his voice rough. “I don’t want
you to see me like this.”
“I came to help,” I said. “Let me.”
“Lucia. Tell me truly. Is this a trap?”
“You doubt my affection for you?”
He came closer, the glow in his eyes intensified, terrifying. “Because we
are irrevocably split between light and dark, day and night. You come down
here to help me heal, to give me strength, to bandage my wounds, but it’s
not herbs and potions I need. It’s light and hope.”
“Whatever you need, I will give it to you.”
“You tempt me with words you know not.”
“You can help, Titus, help stop this madness. You told me so yourself,
and now people are dying, and it might be at the hands of your brother. He’s
the vampire king, isn’t he? How do we stop him? He’s written letters
demanding my sacrifice, and you’ve told me of my magic and what it does.
I want to try.”
“Do you?” But the question wasn’t a question, merely a note, a warning,
and suddenly he was upon me. Arms enveloped me, and his head dropped,
sinking to my bare neck, and then came pain. Sharp and instant, then
swelling, growing as his teeth sank into my skin. This time he sucked, and I
felt the blood leave my body to fill him.
Horror arrested me, but my arms were trapped under his, and my feet
were laden. It was the shock of it that rendered me mute. All this time, I’d
believed in him, trusted him, and now, at last, those haunted words spoken
in the dark by his half-brother came true as Titus sucked my blood.
 What a fool I’d been, falling for darkness and devastation. I’d once
thought of myself as a sacrifice to save others. The bitter truth washed over
me. I couldn’t even save myself.

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 16

TITUS

A tandlastcaptured
I’d fallen for the trap, and the knights of the garrison had attacked
me. When I’d seen the woman tied to the tree, a blind rage
had come over me, and I hadn’t slowed down to inspect my surroundings. I
assumed it was her, and after the two days we spent together, making love
and magic, I was furious that she’d attempted to betray me again.
Except it wasn’t her, and when I sprang back for my lute, they came out
of the woods and beat me down with heavy blows. My strength had sapped
away under the onslaught, and blood dribbled out of my mouth as they
bound my arms and legs, put a hood over my head, and dragged me away.
When they snatched the hood off, I sensed I was underground, and try
as I might, I couldn’t break free. I needed blood. I needed her.
The odd thing was that I sensed her, and it only added to my frustration.
Was she behind the knights who tortured me, looking on from above while I
drowned in pain? Was she aware of what was happening?
They flayed my flesh with blades, beat me with whips, and punched my
face until my nose and jaw were bruised and broken. Then they threw me
into a black hole where I let darkness surround me, seeking relief from the
torment of the flesh and of my mind.
But there was none.
Then, she appeared. The strength in her voice frightened me, the
determination as she came down, unaware of what had happened,
determined to save me. But the violence done against me had sent me
reeling back to my savage days, and while I could stand, I wasn’t healed
enough to hoist myself up and wreak havoc on my tormentors.
So when she came down, claiming she could heal me, I reverted to the
old version of myself. Self-destructive in my self-preservation. Stinking and
wet and bloody and broken, I snatched her as though she were a meal and
sank my teeth into her neck.
As soon as I started sucking her blood, I felt her stiffen against me, her
body ripe with fear, and oh, it was delicious. The animalistic side of me
took over, and I drank deeply.
As blood moved through my body, the pain ebbed away, the brokenness
began to heal, and my reason returned. She was light and love, my moon
goddess whose presence was like a healing balm, who drove out the
darkness within and made me feel as though I didn’t need to live as a cursed
man.
But here I was, repeating the mistakes of the past and treating her like a
sacrifice. I’d kill her with my feeding, and there would be no future except
for the knowledge that my accusers had won.
Again.
They thought me vile, evil, the reason the vampires plagued the land.
Little did they know that I was trying to get rid of them too.
Taking all my willpower, I forced myself to stop, lips still pressed
against her neck. Slowly, I forced myself to release my hold on her, my
mouth wet as I pulled back. She trembled in my arms, misery and fear plain
on her face, though I didn’t think she could see me as clearly in the
darkness as I could see her.
My heart sank because I’d done the worst. I’d confirmed all her fears
and wiped out the fragile trust between us with one action.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I. . .they broke me, and I needed blood to
heal.”
Her voice trembled, broken. “Why didn’t you ask?”
Shame enveloped me, and no words would come, even as my body knit
together again as the blood took hold.
Lucia pushed on, a sob in her voice. “Titus, one of my friends was
brutally murdered. They found her on the doorstep of the abbey, throat
ripped open. It was bloody, it was terrible, and I want to believe you’re not
capable of such an action. But right now, I’m afraid, and I don’t want to set
you free only for it to be a terrible mistake.”
 “Then leave me,” I whispered, anguish climbing into my soul. I didn’t
deserve this life. I didn’t deserve her. “But if you do, my brother will win.”
“Is he the one responsible?”
“I was with you that night, Lucia. But after what I just did, you’ll
believe me capable of anything. Remember our time together in the woods,
the one day and one night we spent together. That was me. The true me.
Who I could be without the darkness pressing in. I was a desperate fool just
now, and yes, in the past, I used to take blood without asking, to help me
live. But then you came along, and I no longer felt the need, the urge. Even
now, standing in your presence, the need continues to recede. If there is any
faith, any forgiveness left in your heart for me, set me free, and I will take
the knights to the den of vampires. I will take them to the vampire king.”
“How can I trust your word? You just bit me? The one unforgivable
action, the one thing that damned you to be a lord of the night.”
“I’m not asking you to trust me. All I’m asking is for you to have faith.
What I did was wrong, so let me do one action that is right before I end my
days. Let me save you, and I’ll sacrifice myself and leave you in peace. I’d
hoped your light would be enough, but my darkness is a stain. It’s evil and
corruption, and it creeps everywhere. My brother was right to warn you
about me. I am the darkness that destroys all, and in time, I will destroy
you, too. But I will hold off just a little longer. All I ask is that you give me
one last chance.”
Tears streamed down Lucia’s cheeks, mingling with the smear of blood
I’d left on her neck. She lifted a hand to the chain and called. “Edith, we’re
coming up.”

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 17

LUCIA

E dith had once said, love wasn’t selfish or self-serving, and I felt the
potent need in his words, the regret and hopelessness tinged with a deep
and abiding pain. I knew this man as I knew my own soul, and in time I
would forgive him, but that didn’t mean that I trusted him.
As we climbed back up to Edith, I refused to think about the choice I’d
have to make. I was a priestess of Veilix, one who walked in the light, one
aware of magic now. This was but a moment in time that helped me fully,
deeply understand the vows I’d taken. The future was hard enough to see,
but I could focus on the here and now, the promise of defeating the
vampires and restoring the land to the people. The night was beautiful, dark,
and lovely, lit with starlight. It was not fair that with twilight came fear.
By the time I scrambled out of the hole, I was filthy, and the wretched
stink of the pit clung to me like garden slugs. In the low light, I could see
Titus clearly, and his appearance broke my heart. He’d claimed to need my
blood for healing, and if it had done its work, I could not tell. Both his eyes
were black and swollen, his nose crooked, his jaw puffy, and his clothes
covered in patches of sticky blood. He bent over, catching his breath, and I
wasn’t sure how he was even on his feet. The fact that he’d bitten me
seemed the least of our problems now that he was in the light.
I pivoted toward Edith, who was staring at him, horror on her face.
“How could they do this?”
I imagined she and Captain Elroy would have words tonight. “Are the
halls clear? I want to take him to my room.”
 Edith turned her expression of horror to me now. She shook her head.
“No, you need to take him to the sacred waters. Let him heal there.”
Now it was my turn to glare at her. “Only the High Priestess has access,
and if she catches us, she will cast us out for defiling the waters.”
Edith squeezed my hand. “I wasn’t asking. We have cause to be in that
place. If I had known it was this bad, I wouldn’t have suggested that we
wait.”
I swallowed hard while Edith turned to Titus.
“I’m Edith. I hear you can help us get rid of the vampires.”
Titus straightened, pressing a hand to his ribs, and when he spoke, his
voice was firm, “I will lead the knights there myself.”
“Good.” Edith dusted her hands as though the matter was settled. “We
will take you to the healing waters, and I will talk with the captain of the
guards.”
“Lean against me if you need to,” I told Titus, wondering if I should
offer more of my blood.
He’d taken me by surprise in the pit, but now I understood. He was a
man in despair, teetering on the edges of a cliff until I’d come, and he’d
leaped in one desperate grasp for salvation.
The sacred waters were on the main level of the abbey, where a staircase
led down to the pool. High windows were set at ground level even though
the pool was recessed in the ground. I’d rarely come here, for there were
many pools to bathe in throughout the region, and I preferred being in
nature instead of the dark waters of the sacred pool.
Perhaps it was a childhood fear of the water. Some of the older
priestesses had teased me, saying the water would find all impurities and
burn them away, or if one with sin entered the waters, the monster of the
deep would swallow them whole.
Those old fears resurfaced as Edith picked the lock and led us down.
My heart throbbed in my throat, half expecting someone to be down there,
waiting to pounce on us. But the pool was just an uncanny black pool.
Edith wasted no time in lighting the flickering torches and placing a
bundle of towels and clothes near the pool’s edge. “I’ll leave you two,” she
said, clutching at her necklace. “I’m going to speak to Captain Elroy, and I
have faith we will be able to resolve this peaceably. Bar the door, Lucia. If
the knights come looking for you, the first place they’ll go is your room and
then the garden.”
 I followed Edith to the door. “Are you going to be okay?” I asked.
Edith grimaced. “I’m furious with the knights and the High Priestess.
We know better than to act out of grief and try to resolve problems with
violence. I’m angry with Captain Elroy for keeping secrets from me, of all
people, and I’m sorry, so sorry, Lucia.”
I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “I keep thinking of the words you
spoke about love and about our vows. Love is many things, but it is also the
tool you’ll use to set things right. I have faith.”
Edith’s eyes narrowed. “I’m beginning to think this is a punishment for
going against my vows and having my head in the clouds. I didn’t see what
was happening around me because I was focused on him.”
“Forgive yourself,” I encouraged. “If you stoop to the same level of
violence and anger, then you are no better than them.”
“Wise words, my friend, now bolt the door and don’t open it unless it’s
me.”
She left, and I was alone with Titus.
At least he’d had the decency to wait until she was gone before he
started struggling out of his clothes. Grunting as he moved wounded limbs.
I went to his side as he shrugged off his shirt, his skin dark and mottled
from bruising. I wanted to touch him, but I was afraid of hurting him.
“Do you need more blood?” I offered instead.
His eyes were no longer luminous when he looked at me. “No,” he
answered shortly, sliding into the pool.
“What can I do to help?”
He waded further into the water until it came up to his waist. Letting out
a deep sigh, he faced me and held out a hand. “Join me, my moon goddess.”
A glimmer of his old self was back, and his lips lifted, almost in teasing.
“Don’t watch me undress,” I scolded.
He paused, and I guessed what his retort would be, but all the same, he
turned his back. I glanced at the waters, then dipped a bare toe into the
warmth. Nothing snatched at my ankle. No monster came up to grab me.
Ironic how I was frightened of the water but not of him.
Tossing off my dress, I slipped into the pool, walking deeper into the
water until it surged around my shoulders. Only then did I dare to face
Titus. He floated on his back, eyes closed, which only made me braver.
Still, the unsettling blackness of the water unnerved me despite the
torches Edith had lit. Letting my arms sink into the water, I watched my
runes, and ever so slowly, they began to glow. Silver light pulsed through
the waters, scattering the darkness and showing me the smooth bottom of
the pool. Tiny fish swam in it, darting away from the light until it was
impossible to hide.
A warmth filled me, and I smiled, striding deeper in, moving toward
Titus. Relief rolled off my shoulders in waves of heat, warming the pool.
Another long sigh left Titus’s parted lips.
The water flowed off his body like feathers while the light from my
runes shone like fingers, highlighting his bruises and making his skin
whole. It was uncanny to watch because I wasn’t a healer, yet something in
my blood sang to him. I wondered if it was because we were bound together
with a vow not said by words but by physical action.
The memory of making love drew me to his side, and, as if sensing me
near, he opened his eyes. They were bloodshot but no longer black. His
nose had healed, and his jaw was only slightly puffy. His fingers curled
around my wrist, and my skin tingled when his thumb brushed over the tiny
bones there.
“Your light is healing me,” he whispered, confirming my suspicions.
“It’s also making me hungry.”
I blanched, and he hurried on, realizing his mistake. “Hungry for real
food, not blood. Lucia, my moon goddess, you should know my taste for
blood vanished on the day I met you.”
“What are you saying?”
“I think you’re breaking my curse.”
My heart leaped with joy and hope so fraught and delectable, I tasted
the essence on my lips. “What will you become when you are no longer
cursed?”
“Free to walk in the light without fear or the lust for blood haunting my
steps. Free to be normal, as any other man, to choose my destiny, where I
go, where I dwell, who I love.”
His eyes held mine.
Hope budded, then bloomed, and my runes glowed brighter.
“It’s presumptuous of me,” he said. “But that has been an attribute of
our entire relationship, hasn’t it?”
I nodded, my words lost to the thudding of my heart. It was odd to be
looking down at him because usually, he was the one in control, towering
above me. Tonight, our roles were reversed. I’d come to his aid, to protect
him, to save him.
“Any future I can imagine centers on you, but I don’t know what you
want. I’ve never asked. So this is me asking, what do you want, my dear
moon goddess?”
I tilted my head, studying the lines of his beautiful face, the strength in
his body, and the way my light curled around him so gently, tenderly. “I’m
not sure what the future holds, and I’m afraid to look into it because I’m not
ready to choose. This is my home; it’s always been my home, but it’s not
possible to be a priestess and also. . .” I trailed off.
“I’ve made you question everything, haven’t it?”
“It’s been difficult.”
Instead of his sly grin, he sobered. “It was not my intention. I was
drawn to your light and goodness, and I’m aware it’s too great of an ask to
draw you to my darkness.”
“But there is good within you,” I protested.
“Don’t flatter yourself. All my will and resistance is for you. I’d tear
this abbey down and destroy every knight who ever laid so much as a finger
on me. But I know you wouldn’t respect me for that. Instead, I will lead
them to the den of darkness, and when this is over, I will respect whatever
decision you make regarding your future.”
“You speak as though vanquishing the vampires will break your curse?”
Titus rose in the water, and his broad arms encircled my waist. He bent
his head and reverently brushed his lips across mine, as light as the wings of
a butterfly. “I saw your face, felt you stiffen with fear when I bit you. I was
but a shell of myself, full of raw anger, and it was a natural reaction to take
what I needed. It was wrong of me, and you had every right to leave me in
that stinking pit. Yet you forgave me. I felt it zing through my soul, and it
gave me hope and determination. I never want to lose control like that
again.”
“I didn’t know what they’d done to you. You had every right⁠—”
“Don’t excuse my sin.”
“It was your contriteness, your willingness to change, that told me to
give you a chance, to trust you.”
His brows knitted together. “I have a question, though. When the
knights were torturing me, they kept demanding I tell them why I wrote the
letters. You’d even mentioned one to me, once, but I wasn’t interested at the
time. Tell me, what do you know about letters?”
“Letters from the vampire king? The captain and the high priestess
shared them with me, and I admit I was disturbed. But. . .they are all signed
from VK, which I assumed meant the Vampire King. If you didn’t write
them, then perhaps your brother did.”
Titus sagged back into the water, ducking under it and then resurfacing,
a wounded look crossing his face. “Have I been a fool all this time, and my
brother controlled the wheel of fate? Driving me to madness?”
“You didn’t know,” I confirmed.
“In these letters, were there demands for supplies?”
“There were.”
“Food, wine, paints, perhaps?”
“Yes, why?”
“My brother is an artist, and he’s aware of my weakness for blood.”
“The letters demanded me, specifically, not by name but by my runes. I
thought. . .”
“You thought I might be duplicitous.”
“I wasn’t sure what to believe.”
An incredulous look swept over his face, and he ran his fingers through
his wet hair. “Yet you still came for me. You are a miracle, my moon, my
heart, and now I understand. I know what I must do.”

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 18

LUCIA

T hethewaters glimmered with the silver light from my runes until we exited
pool, taking turns drying each other and dressing in the fresh robes
Edith had left for us. Titus’ stomach growled, and he winced as we went to
the door. I unbarred it, and we slipped out, aware there wasn’t a way to lock
it behind us. I glanced at Titus as we moved into the shadows of the abbey.
What had once felt like home seemed a place where I might be condemned
should I be caught.
Fortunately, the lateness of the hour and the knowledge of what might
be happening outside had drawn the sisters to hide behind closed doors,
praying for the long night to end, hoping that no one else would fall prey to
the claws of the vampires.
The kitchen was mildly chaotic now that Faith was gone, and the sisters
who kept it had done their best. Still, it was easy to filch a flask of water, a
wedge of cheese and bread, and a hunk of salted meat. I was about to
suggest we go to my room, but Titus fell upon the food, ravenous. It
occurred to me that I hadn’t seen him eat before. Sitting in the kitchen with
wet hair falling over his forehead, both elbows on the table as he chewed,
he looked like nothing more than a man wrongly accused.
My heart squeezed, and a softness gathered around me, making my eyes
tear up. I buried my nose in a cup of tea, unsure about my response to him
and what it meant. Looking into the future was frightening because I
couldn’t imagine a road that would take me far from here, nor did I want to
become one of the villagers. Although the idea of a cottage and a garden
overlooking the bluff, maybe a farm animal or two, did not sound terrible.
Yet existing just to love him was woefully bereft of purpose, and that was
what I desired as a priestess. A purpose.
Unlike Edith, I didn’t believe I could live in the abbey and hide behind
my so-called vows and still serve as an example for the people. Where,
then, did it leave me?
“Are you weary?”
Titus’s voice cut through my thoughts, and a wave of exhaustion came
over me. “I am. Shall we retire?”
“Together? Won’t the High Priestess damn us?”
“Don’t use such words in the abbey,” I scolded. “I can’t risk letting you
out of my sight.”
He stood. “Indeed. I am tempted to leave now under the cover of
darkness and never return. But I made you a promise, and should your
friend find success with the knights, this will soon be over.”
“How will you handle your brother?” I asked faintly.
“When I am free, he will be just as free. I suspect we will go our
separate ways.”
I stared at the lines of his face, the set of his jaw, still mesmerized by
how quickly he healed. Further proof that he wasn’t human. “What will you
do?”
“Of that, I’m not sure. It depends.”
The quietness of the moment seeped through me, the question lingering
on his lips. I strode to the door, and he followed in my footsteps as I led him
upstairs to my room.
Our luck held. No one walked the halls, and we slipped inside unseen. I
locked the door, and by the time I turned around, Titus had already tossed
off his shirt and slipped into bed.
He held the covers to his nose and let out a soft groan. “It smells like
you, all earthy and delicious.”
He held out his arms to me, and I joined him, pushing away thoughts of
conflict and fear as he tucked my head against his chest. Moments of
silence stretched, and his body relaxed around me. His breathing grew deep
and I knew the nightmare, his nightmare, was over.

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 19

TITUS

A halo of golden light shone through the window, and I opened my eyes
to warmth. Lucia’s fingers were entangled in mine, her hair soft against
my cheek, her breath feathering over my heart. Our bodies molded into
each other, even in sleep. My thoughts lingered on the fact that she hadn’t
rejected me despite seeing the darkness of my heart. What the knights had
done to me in their anger, in their desire for revenge, had been wrong. Yet
deep inside, as my body reeled from their blows and bones broke beneath
the assault, I was aware that I deserved it all.
I’d done much worse in my prime, when I was a gallant knight with a
heart full of evil deeds in service to the sorceress. She twisted words, made
my work sound meaningful, when all I did was harm those who looked to
me for refuge and safety and salvation. Leaving to become the master of my
own destiny and choose another path had been my goal, but darkness
dragged me down regardless of what I did, and with me fell my brother.
Slowly, I untangled myself from the richness of Lucia. She did not
wake, even when I pressed a kiss against her temple. Barefoot, I padded
across the carpet. Her room was modest, plain, without a need for wealth or
riches, as expected from one who had dedicated their life to the service of
the people. It was a deep contrast to the caverns Sylvester and I had filled
with the goods we’d stolen, traded, or bargained for, wealth we assumed
would give us comfort while we rotted in the darkness, waiting for the day
of salvation.
 I’d assumed that Sylvester had given up the pursuit of light, that he was
comfortable dwelling in the darkness, focused on his sculptures and
paintings. I forgot he, too, carried his secrets, and why wouldn’t he seek the
answer right at our fingertips? Apparently, he had, and he’d forced my
hand. All this time, I’d assumed he was focused on his selfish interests
when he was trying to save us. For there was only one person who would
write those letters, demanding goods in exchange for one soul.
V.K.
Lucia assumed it stood for Vampire King, and perhaps that had been his
intent all along. I knew there was no such thing as a vampire king and the
initials stood for Vester Kane. The name of our shared father. Sylvester was
named for him, and when I was younger, I called him Vester, but he left that
name behind when we entered our days of cursed darkness.
He was better than I, refusing to succumb to drinking fresh blood or
trying to regain what was lost. Instead, he poured himself into his studies
and artistic pursuits, finally having the time to do exactly what he wished.
And then there was the mine.
We’d tunneled deeper into the mountainside and had awakened the
vampires. Or rather, freed them. They came for blood, they grew and
morphed, and only my lute and sunlight kept them at bay. But that was not
entirely true either.
I glanced at the curtains covering the window, the strip of sunlight
bleeding through. Would it hurt if I stood within it? Would it reduce me to
dust as I deserved, or had Lucia healed me and broken my curse?
I took another step toward it, willing myself to try. The vampires hadn’t
devoured Sylvester and me because we were gods to them, the ones who
freed them from captivity.
What a mistake.
That sin had haunted me, and then I’d morphed, realizing how similar I
was to those shadows that worshipped me, who mimicked my actions and
trailed after me in the dark like a dog seeking its master. It was only by
chance I discovered my lute kept them at bay, and it led me to play more. I
discovered that music also calmed my soul, made me clear-headed and less
likely to act with impulse.
Sylvester hadn’t been interested in the vampires nor in figuring out how
to stop them from devouring the village. Now I wondered if he’d trailed me
too, seen my habits, and knew my weakness. Knew I’d save the priestess
with the glowing runes, guessed that I’d be unable to help myself, drawn to
her light. Using her for her goodness, a welcome distraction, a lovely
distraction. And then. . .only then, when I’d gotten to know her, had I fallen.
Ironic how I was the one trapped in an abbey while he was out there, the
master of chaos, bringing wrath and ruin to all who tread in his path. I did
not blame him, but for once, I saw from his perspective the unfairness of
being cursed because of actions outside of his control, the calmness with
which he hatched his plan, and his patience as he waited for the finale.
I’d played my part out of ignorance, and now, I’d choose. Choose to
walk in the light, to save others, to save her because I was past redeeming,
past saving. Hadn’t I fought so hard for my freedom, only for it to come to
naught?
Boldly, I stepped into the light. Closing my eyes, I opened my hands
wide, letting heat inflame my skin.
It hurt.
After years spent in darkness, avoiding the light from the sun, living by
the insignificant replication of light held by a multitude of candles, the heat
of the sun was like a fire blazing over my skin.
Painful, but it did not consume me. I stepped more fully into the light,
soaking it in, letting it take my darkness, erase it, and make me whole.
A soft gasp came from the bed. Lucia had awoken and seen me, bathed
in the glory of daylight. My lips moved in reverent prayer, for I wasn’t
burning up or turning to dust. Despite the agony with which the light held
me, it slowly receded, bit by bit.
Tears streamed down my face, and I took deep breaths, chest heaving.
I was whole. I was clean. Healed. She had broken my curse.

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 20

LUCIA

I wasn’t sure what startled me awake, my heart pounding in my chest as

though I needed to flee. My gaze darted about the room and finally
landed on Titus, standing in front of the open window in the light. His
hands were lifted, head tilted back, and eyes closed. A cry of fear tore from
my lips.
It was too late to leap out of bed and tackle him to the floor. He was
fully immersed in sunlight. Even though light radiated through him, he
wasn’t screaming with pain or burning or melting or whatever happened to
vampires when daylight touched their skin.
In fact, he was drinking it in as though the light was burning away all
the darkness and impurities within him. Wasn’t he cursed to walk in the
darkness with a hunger for blood that would turn him into a monster? Had
he overcome that sway toward evil and broken his curse?
Emotion overwhelmed me, and I could not say whether it was joy or
sorrow or both. Joy that he was free, sorrow because it meant he would
leave and I’d have to choose.
Yet before I had a chance to fully remark on it, to mull through my
thoughts and reach out to him, the door burst open.
“I tried to stop them!” Edith shouted from somewhere in the back, but
knights surged in, followed by Captain Elory and High Priestess Merci.
I leaped out of bed, but the knights froze, staring in astonishment at
Titus. The incredulous look on their faces told me they’d expected to burst
into a salacious situation, perhaps me torn limb from limb while Titus crept
through the abbey, searching for his next victim.
“Get out!” I ordered tightly, pointing at the door. “He didn’t kill Faith.
He’s not responsible for these deaths. You’re the ones picking the wrong
victim to atone for these vile crimes.”
“It’s okay,” Titus said, his voice gentle as he faced his accusers.
I fell back a step, bumping into the bed as I stared at him. His skin was
practically translucent, and light radiated from him.
“You did what you felt you needed to do, but now I will lead you to the
nest, where you can fight the vampires and trap them in their misery once
again.”
I felt the eyes of the High Priestess on me, but I refused to look at her.
She and Captain Elroy had tricked me and I’d kept a terrible secret from
them. Now it had come to this.
I wasn’t sure what I should say yet, but the High Priestess finally spoke.
“Do as she says. We will wait for you outside.”
The knights exited hastily, and then it was Titus and me.
“I’m sorry—” I began, but he lifted his hand.
Kneeling in the halo of sunlight, he stretched out his hands to me and
spoke, his voice tinged with awe, “Look what you have wrought, my moon
goddess.”
“Me?” I whispered, moving closer to him.
“Look.” He turned his arm, showing me his skin. “This light within, it’s
not from me, nor is the light that shines in the day. Your runes glow. They
glisten because this light came from you. Your goodness, your mercy, your
faith, and your love not only healed me but also broke the curse that kept
me chained to darkness and foul deeds. I can breathe again. I can stand in
the light. I feel it. The past has been washed away. I am clean and whole
again.”
I pressed my palm against his face, feeling the warmth there. “You’re
crying.”
“So are you,” he replied, then pressed his face against my waist and
held me.
I ran my fingers through his hair, soaking in his warmth. It was hard to
believe I had done this, yet when I looked at him, really looked at him, all I
saw was light.
 It shone out of his eyes, his ears, and I felt it too, the connection to him
and eternal longing. Despite the fact I wasn’t dressed and the knights stood
outside my bedroom door, all of it felt far away. They could wait longer
while I witnessed this miracle.
Kneeling in front of Titus, I took his head in my hands and kissed him.
He tasted like tears, sweet and salty, full of hope. His arms wove around
me, pulling me closer, holding me tightly as he kissed me back. I leaned
into him, embracing his warmth, losing myself in the moment’s purity, for it
felt new and right.
This wasn’t the stolen kiss of a vampire king seeking a lust-driven
connection, nor was it the urgent kiss of an immortal with a magical lute
that kept the shadows away.
Again, this wasn’t the kiss of Titus, who’d taken the hut of a hunter and
turned it into a place to dwell alone.
This was the kiss of a man who had found salvation. It was long and
gentle and sweet, so sweet my heart turned over again and again.
“I love you,” I whispered like a prayer, pressing my face against the
hollow of his neck, not ready to let go, not ready for what came next
because it would rip him away from me.
Fingers tangled through my hair, pressing me closer, holding me tight.
“I felt your love, not in words, but in action. Last night. . .you saw me at my
absolute worst and still gave me hope. What greater love is that?”
“What happens next?” I dared to ask.
He brushed his fingers over my lips, lifting my face so I could see his
solemn expression. “I need my lute, and I need your light. Then we lead the
knights to the den of vampires. I will play, and you will shine, just like we
did on the hillock when the vampires grew curious.”
“Skin to skin.”
“Yes. Just like that.” His lips found mine again in a slow, seductive kiss.
“When this is over, I’m taking you somewhere private, where we won’t be
interrupted by knights and priestesses.”
I sighed. “I will dress. I’m sure they are anxious to begin.”
B yElory
the time we left the room, the knights had been dismissed. Captain
waited, face pale, with Edith beside him, her eyes bright with
exhaustion. High Priestess Merci stood apart, arms crossed, her face an
expressionless mask. My heart twisted as I emerged with Titus behind me,
but my gaze went to Edith because I’d stopped caring what the High
Priestess and the Captain thought of me.
“Let’s go to my study,” Captain Elroy suggested.
Without waiting for an agreement, he turned his back and strode down
the hall. Edith hesitated, her eyes finding mine before she followed him.
The High Priestess stood back, waiting, watching. It felt wrong to touch
Titus under her watchful eye, but all the same, I lifted my chin and took his
hand. It wasn’t in defiance of her, not truly, but more of a stance to show
her where I stood. At this rate, I wouldn’t have to make a choice. I’d get
myself banned from the abbey just for my actions.
Inside the study, we stood around a map, the men sizing up each other.
Edith had taken a detour to the kitchens and appeared with a platter of tea
and honey buns. My stomach rumbled at the sight, and it was a relief to
cradle a warm cup of tea and have something else to focus on other than the
awkwardness of the room.
It was High Priestess Merci who spoke first, “I think it’s time we
cleared the air between us and came forward with the truth. Lucia, you are
familiar with this. . .” She stumbled over the next word. “Man. Captain
Elroy, you don’t seem surprised, and Edith, the fact that you were up all
night in the garrison is concerning. Someone, please explain.”
Captain Elroy picked up a letter and passed it to Titus. “It started with
the letters. Did you write them?”
Titus frowned over the words, even though he’d guessed the contents.
Instead of answering the question, he placed the letter on the map and
crossed his arms. “Did it ever occur to you that perhaps you shouldn’t
answer the demands of a letter from an unknown source? Did you ever see
this VK who demanded those goods and supplies?”
A spark of irritation crossed Captain Elroy’s face. “The goods were
delivered. We never saw to whom. We left a wagon full as he requested.”
“It is in our nature to give,” the High Priestess interrupted. “If we have
goods that those in need can use, why not be generous and share?”
Titus shook his head in disbelief. “Because once you give, more will be
expected of you. The letters didn’t stop, did they? They only demanded
more. They demanded her.”
All eyes turned to me, but I held the High Priestess’s gaze. “You taught
me there is no greater sacrifice than giving up one’s self to save others.
That’s why I volunteered to set the trap, to end the reign of darkness. But
Titus isn’t the vampire king. He’s not even a vampire, as you saw this
morning when he stood in the light. He was a cursed knight, searching for
redemption.”
Captain Elroy steered us away from the dangerous topic. “If you didn’t
write these, who did?”
“Is this naught but another interrogation?” Titus said. “Isn’t your goal to
end the rule of vampires and set free this village to enjoy the delights of
both the day and night? If that is your goal, I will take you to the bowels of
the mountains where the vampires hide. But we should go now, while they
are asleep and set a trap, as you are so fond of doing.”
“It is, indeed, our goal, but how do we know we can trust you?”
Titus glanced at me. “Because Lucia stands before you, free and
unharmed. You recall the first night you set a trap for me, how you and your
knights fell asleep under the power of my music. Lucia and I tested it; with
her magic and my magic combined, we can keep the vampires at bay.”
“He’s been teaching me how to use my runes,” I interrupted, desperate.
“I understand them now, the power of magic I didn’t know I had. This can
work. If we fill the caverns with music and light, the vampires will not be
able to withstand it. They will flee while the knights cut them down.”
Captain Elroy frowned and picked up the letter. “I do not deny the sense
of the plan, but I am concerned about the person who wrote this. If I were to
guess, there is more than one of you.”
Titus’s face gave away nothing, but his eyes turned steely. “If there is
another, he is my problem, not yours.”
Captain Elroy took a step forward, his jaw tight. “How will you ensure
he will not manipulate us?”
“Because he wants the same thing we want. Freedom.”
“Did he kill Faith?” The High Priestess asked, her voice high and thick
with worry.
Titus raked his fingers through his hair, and I recalled his words from
days ago. He’s not a killer like me. If Titus’s brother didn’t do this, it had to
be one of the vampires. They were known for their mindless attacks, but
usually not so close to the abbey. Something must have compelled Faith to
go outside. Did she, too, carry dark secrets like Edith and I?
“Does it matter who the killer is? Clearly, the vampires are responsible
for brutal deaths in the night. If we are to destroy them, it is best we go now
and reach their hiding place while they are still sleeping. Or would you
prefer to interrogate me further?”
Captain Elroy looked as though he wished to separate Titus’s head from
his body. Instead, he crossed his arms. “I will rouse my men.”
We waited in the garden while Captain Elroy gathered his knights. Titus
wandered among the plants, touching each one and picking pieces of fruit to
eat before ever so often lifting his face to the sunlight. He acted like a man
reborn, and my heart squeezed every time I looked at him.
The High Priestess had been called away to assist the sisters, but Edith
sank onto a bench in the shade, her head in her hands. I sat down beside her
and tugged her sleeve. “How did it go with Captain Elroy?”
“Oh, Elroy.” She snorted but lifted her head and faced me. “We talked a
lot last night, and. . .I can’t go on like this. You were right, Lucia, to feel
conflicted. I broke my vows and chose love, and while it did make me a
better person, I also sank to a different level. I believed sneaking around
and hiding the truth was good for everyone, but it just made Elroy and me
keep secrets from each other. Secrets that didn’t need to be kept. I don’t
want to hide anymore. I want to walk in the light even if it means I can’t be
a priestess anymore. I will live in the village and just be a healer. It will
allow me to serve the people without breaking my vows.”
“And what of Elroy?” I asked, my eyes drawn to Titus because I was
thinking the same thing. What would happen when we vanquished the
vampires and no longer needed each other?
“My heart will always belong to him, but we both agreed that we need
to start over and do things right. No more hiding. No more secrets. Today is
the start.”
I clasped her hand in my lap, my certainty somewhat shaken in the light
of her admission. Originally, she’d sounded so confident in her love, in her
choice to keep it a secret, and now she wanted to walk in the light and give
up her calling. I did not know if I was brave enough to do the same.
“You’re going with him, aren’t you?”
Edith’s question broke me out of my thoughts.
 I nodded. “Yes, I’ve finally discovered what the markings on my skin
are. Magic. Light.”
“You really are a moon goddess, aren’t you?”
I shrugged. “I don’t feel divine, just very human and prone to making
mistakes.”
“Aren’t we all? Ironic how we can focus on doing something wrong in
order to make something right happen when that’s no way to exist. We
should focus on truth and purity and love. I lost sight of it.”
“I did too.”
“Ah, but you were meant to be a sacrifice, to give your life in exchange
for others.”
“Instead, I fell prey to lust, then love.”
“I will not judge you because I did the same.”
I glanced back at the towering walls of the abbey. “It makes me wonder
how many of us walk around with secrets, who think we are doing right
when we are causing harm to ourselves and perhaps to others.”
Edith traced her fingers over my runes, her eyes shining with unshed
tears. “It’s the light within us that empowers us to make better choices. We
always have to remember to reach for it instead of giving into the grayness,
to the darkness brought on by twilight.”
“You’re right, and I like the way you put it. It’s the light that broke his
curse.”
“If you love him, you should take a chance on him,” Edith encouraged.
“I have to make a choice, but I’m not sure what it will be yet.”
The back door swung open, and the High Priestess stepped out. “It’s
time.”

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 21

LUCIA

T itus led the way into the tunnels, my hand firmly in his. The caverns
were cold, damp, and even darker in the daylight. Despite the armed
knights behind us, the darkness was even more unnerving. The flicker of
every shadow felt like the breath of a monster, rising out of the rock walls
to strike down the knights.
Even as we led the way, I sensed the hesitation, the tenseness in their
muscles as they spoiled for a fight. With that knowledge came the fear that
Titus and I were vastly outnumbered. Once the vampires were dead,
nothing I could do would stop the knights from running Titus through on
the edge of their blades.
“I need my lute,” Titus announced, pausing in front of a doorway. “I’ll
be right back.”
“No!” Captain Elroy’s raised voice echoed down the pathway. “We will
not fall prey to your music again.”
Titus released my hand and sidestepped into the entrance anyway. “The
music is not for you. This time, it will not harm you. All the same, close
your ears if you must. This is how I fight the vampires, and when the time
comes, you’ll be glad of my help.”
A minute stretched, and then he was back again. Cradling the lute in one
arm, he took my hand and led us deeper. The torches the knights carried lit
up the place, showing carvings on the walls, some murals, and great
paintings of man and monster alike.
 My runes tingled as we weaved further in until, at last, we stepped into
a cavernous hall, a circular orb like a moon set in stone. Deep grooves
covered the ground. As the knights walked around the cavern, I saw that it
was a sort of design. Four deep grooves ran toward the middle of the cavern
where a section of the floor was raised. The hairs on my arms stood up
straight as I realized what it was—a place of arcane sacrifice. A place where
the blood ran to be lapped up by the beasts who fed. This place hadn’t been
designed by mindless bloodsuckers, and again, I thought of the giants of old
who used to live in the mountains. They’d given in to evil and darkness.
Because of their sins, they’d become the undying.
“This is where we will fight,” Titus announced. “Pick your battle
stations, and I will lure them out with my song.”
His fingertips touched the strings of the lute. A melodic sound echoed
through the chamber.
A bead of sweat dripped down my brow because I had come to the place
of battle. I wasn’t ready, but this would be my sacrifice, the true
demonstration of what I’d do to save the village, to lay down my life to
save others and to help Titus.
Captain Elroy called out orders, and his knights spread around the
chamber, swords and shields in hand. Occasionally, Captain Elroy fired a
question at Titus, who responded with further guidance. My heart throbbed,
my breath coming short and fast while they assembled. The enormity of the
place overwhelmed me, and every shadow looked like an enemy. I recalled
the way the vampires morphed and shifted as they climbed the hill, the pale
orbs of their eyes shining in the darkness, wicked sharp teeth ready to sink
into warm skin and drain all life away.
“Look at me,” Titus said, his voice a gentle command.
I ripped my gaze from the activity surrounding us and met his sky-blue
gaze. His eyes shimmered like the deep pools the waterfalls created.
Mesmerized, my fear faded.
His fingers tightened around my wrist. “Look only at me. Not at them,
not at the chaos and carnage soon to come. You are pure, full of beauty and
light and love. Don’t let the madness that is about to take place taint you.
No matter what you hear, keep your eyes closed. Listen to the music and
shine. Shine for me.”
“I will.” The promise easily left my lips.
 Titus tipped his head upward. “We’re going to the ledge above. It is an
ideal place for sound to carry and will keep you out of harm’s way.”
“I’m with you,” I whispered.
I kept my eyes on him as he led me up the slope to the ledge. Leaning
his lute against the wall, he took off his shirt. The heat from his body
surrounded me, and a flare twisted through my belly.
“Stand behind me,” he instructed, picking up the lute. “Put your arms
around my waist and press yourself against me. Skin to skin.”
Loosening the top of my gown, I embraced him, my mouth against his
shoulder, just for a moment. A sigh left his lips. “Close your eyes, my moon
goddess, and shine for me. Wipe the blight of darkness away with your life.
Just as your love broke my curse, so your light can break the curse on this
mountain.”
Notes from the lute broke through the silence. A lure, a call, echoing
through the cavern. The knights doused the torches and blended into the
blackness, waiting for the opportune moment. There were two openings in
the cavern, and the knights were clustered around both. They’d fight the
interlopers, backing up together until they were arm to arm, fighting in a
ring to protect each other from the vampires.
I kept my eyes open as Titus played, the anticipation biting me, twisting
through my belly as we waited. His song grew louder, bolder, and then a
rustling came, a scampering of feet and claws. Then the rustle of voices,
hushed and inhuman. My heart kicked as the darkness grew thicker, and I
wondered if the knights felt what I felt: the deep tension in the air, the
oppression of darkness, and the fear. It was ripe and bold and there. Were
they afraid as I was?
“Lucia,” Titus said. “I feel your heartbeat. Focus on me. Think of us.
Close your eyes.”
I closed my eyes.
“Take a deep breath.” He went on, “Let your heart rate settle down.
They are drawn to fear, and you are not fear. You are beyond that. Let the
knights do their job. Let them fight as they know best. I will play as I know
best, and you will let your magic loose.”
I took a deep breath and focused on what was within. The magic, the
light, the music, and the man in my arms. Knowledge thrummed through
me, for at last, I was where I was meant to be all along, with the man who
was meant for me, in the very place, an arcane place where the fight for
freedom would take place.
Music curled around me as though it were within my very soul, and my
skin itched, then tingled as my runes began to glow. Even with my eyes
shut, I felt the blaze of my light, the warmth of the heat as it connected. The
elegy Titus played grew long and mournful, a cry, a lament of loss.
At first I wondered why he played for the vampires, for I heard the
shouts of the knights, the swing of their swords, and the crash of their
shields as they fought below me. I imagined they were using the fire from
their torches to drive back the vampires, knocking them back with what
frightened them, what burned them. Why would he play for them, an elegy
of twilight, a lament for the darkness?
But as I listened, I understood the wordless song was not for them. It
was for all the lost souls who the vampires used to be before they became
the undead, the undying. And I realized that I knew all along what had
happened to the giants of old who dwelled in the mountain.
They’d fallen prey to the darkness and dug deeply into the veins of the
mountain. One bite and the virus spread the thirst for blood, driving them to
do the unthinkable. They’d all given in to the lure of twilight, spending their
days in the darkness and their nights feasting. Feasting on each other,
feasting on what was left until they were all vampires, one with the
mountain and the darkness, diving deeper, seeking more blood until there
was no one left.
I imagined from there, they had no recourse but to fall asleep, to wait
out their undying days. Eventually, a new population had come, and a new
village was founded, yet the scourge of the vampires was unknown. No one
explored the depths of the mountain, the unknown tunnels and lengths of
blackness.
Not until Titus and his brother. For hadn’t the vampires resurfaced when
they’d come? Was that the guilt that Titus held onto? That and the fact that
he was cursed to be no better than them?
No, this was no elegy for the knights who faced blood and battle, but a
song for the souls of the giants, those lost to twilight, cursed to only look
upon the face of the moon and desire blood to live again.
That was their darkness, their curse, and the light I held spelled freedom
for all. Holding him tighter, I pressed my lips against his neck and let out
the magic. It whooshed out of me like the wind, and it was then, only then,
that I opened my eyes and watched rays of white light shoot like fingers. A
heavenly light filled the cavern as though the very moon had come down to
glow in a brilliance of white luster.
A terrible screaming came, a shout as smoke flared into ash and the
vampires burned. I heard the deep guttural screams, the cries of agony, the
shouts of the knights, and yet they all seemed far away as Titus played, loud
and long.
Then came a cry, a rumbling as the mountain trembled.
The victorious shouts of the knights turned to cries of panic, then
encouragements to flee. And yet I stood there, shining while everything
around me shook. Rocks tumbled down, the ledge cracked, and then Titus
scooped me up. He was running while heat rushed around me. Something
wet and warm splattered on my face, and a great wind came, roaring like a
mighty beast.
The walls split, and beams of white light shone, but whether it was the
magic that came from within me or the light from outside, I could not tell. A
sinking feeling told me that this might be the end of us, and so I turned in
Titus’s arms, pressed my hand against his cheek, and said the one thing I’d
knew was true.
“I love you.”
His eyes were deep pools as he kissed my fingertips and set me down.
“Run, my love.”
And the mountain exploded.
I ran as rocks tumbled and the ground erupted around me. Someone
caught my hand, pulling me through the chaos. At times, I stumbled on
rubble, and the mountain continued to roar and shout and scream. I glanced
back for Titus, but he was nowhere to be found, perhaps running like me,
seeking to escape the madness.
At long last, we burst out of the mountainside, and I collapsed in the
grass, panting, exhausted, my lungs burning, my heart beating as though it
would explode.
Rasping, I spit blood into the grass, gasping for long moments before I
allowed myself to stand and look up, look up at what we had wrought.
Ironic that it was twilight, the looming darkness a warning, but in the
pale rays of pink, I saw what the light had done. All entrances and exits to
the mountainside were destroyed, and the waterfall had grown to twice its
normal size in the chaos, pouring down upon a quickly expanding pool.
 I turned around, taking in the knights picking themselves up. I spun
again, my heart thudding in my chest. But I knew, before the sob ripped out
of my throat, Titus was gone.

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 22

LUCIA

“L ucia?”
I straightened my back and pivoted toward Edith, who sank down
on the abbey steps beside me. It had been one night and one day
since the mountain fell and Titus disappeared. No incidents had been
reported thus far, but still I sat on the front steps, watching the twilight
deepen into nightfall.
“How are you?” Edith asked, a hesitation in her tone.
I didn’t think words could describe how I felt, so I shrugged and kept
weaving flower crowns. My fingers wouldn’t, couldn’t rest and my heart
felt as though a great pressure would crush it. It was not knowing what had
happened to him that left me feeling light-headed and panicky.
“The knights will keep searching,” Edith offered.
“It’s over.” I sighed. “I can feel it deep inside, in my very bones. It’s like
I had a connection to him, and when the mountain fell, it snapped.
Sometimes I wonder if it was all a dream, a way to liberate the village from
the rule of the vampires.”
“But you lost in the end because your heart is broken.”
I pressed a fist to my chest and faced Edith. “I didn’t know it would feel
like that. I loved him, I did, but I didn’t know how much until he
disappeared.”
“You shouldn’t give up. You should look for him.”
“Look for him where? In the mountain? Deep in the pools? I believe my
choice is clear, and my path is set. This is a chance to start over, to realize
that we did what was necessary to cleanse the village of evil, and now we
can walk in the light.”
“You’re right. It is a chance to start over. Tomorrow I leave for the
village. You can come with me.”
I managed to smile at her. “You’re being given a second chance to do
things right, Edith. Is Captain Elroy going with you?”
She gave a slight shake of her head, even though a smile curled around
her lips. Picking up one of my discarded flower crowns, she put it on her
head. “No, not until we are married this fall. The timing could not have
been better because I think I’m pregnant.”
“I’m happy for you,” I said sincerely. “In that case, I will come to stay
for a while before you are married. I have the sense that it will be difficult
to adapt back to my old life. It’s funny, I never thought I’d leave this place,
but now I long to know what else is out there.”
“Maybe you can go, but always return here as you search for him.”
How did she know? “It would be irresponsible to leave the gardens
before harvest. Besides, if I were to search, I wouldn’t know where to
start.”
“Then don’t worry about it yet. Will you sit here all night? Keeping
vigil?”
I nodded. “I sense the shadows are gone, but I want to see for myself.”
Edith stood, a mischievous grin on her face. “Me too. I hoped you might
be up for one more adventure. I took a sword from the garrison.”
“A sword?” I raised my eyes. “You know how to use one?”
“No, not one of the big swords the knights use, but a small one.” She
held out the blade, just the length from my elbow to my wrist. “As a
precaution. I want to take a walk at night, breathe the fresh air, go see my
new cottage, and ensure the shadows really are gone.”
I stood. “I’ll come with you then. It will help take my mind off things.”

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 23

TITUS

“Y ou did it!” Sylvester’s wild laugh echoed through the meadow. “You
idiot, you actually did it. Here I thought you were a fool, but at last,
freedom!”
He threw back his head and collapsed in a field of clover. In the
sunlight, his skin appeared pale, translucent with lack of sunshine. His
matted, stringy hair hung down to his shoulders, and there was debris from
the explosion tumbling onto the grass.
“What did you do?” I demanded, tossing down my broken lute.
Squinting, I took in our surroundings. Green meadows and rolling hills
stretched as far as my eyes could see. Little dots in the distance were sheep
or goats or other roaming herds.
“Where are we?” I added.
“You’re such a brooding mop, do you know that?” Sylvester said,
enthusiasm marring the unkindness of his words. “I had to take a bet that
you’d fall for the silver-runed priestess, that you might not slay her, and that
she would, in fact, break the curse. And it worked! Not only that, but you
also brought down the mountain, either trapping or killing the vampires. I
care not. It was a magnificent sight to behold.”
“You devious devil,” I spit. Although I shouldn’t be angry at him,
despite his duplicitous nature, his mysterious plan had worked. “So you
wrote those letters too, demanding a sacrifice? Did you also rip out that
priestess’ throat? They were upset about that. I thought they’d break every
bone after they captured me.”
 Sylvester sat up, crossing his ankles and propping his elbows on his
knees. “That bit couldn’t be helped. Without your lute keeping them at bay,
the vampires got free and went on a killing spree. Even my god-like
demands would not make them retreat. You arrived in the nick of time, and
then that light show. . . you really did gain the trust of that priestess. Why
do you look like a lost puppy? Let me guess, you’re in love with her, and
you want to return.”
“Am I such an open book that you guess everything about me?”
Sylvester bounded to his feet. “Word to the wise, Titus. Don’t wear your
heart on your sleeves. Your weakness is obvious and makes it easy to take
advantage of you. Thankfully, I had your best interests at heart. And my
own, of course. You can go back to that cursed village if you wish. I will
not stop you. In fact, it would be best if we parted ways for some years. I
have no wish to be part of your dealings, your curses, your darkness
anymore.”
Crossing my arms, I looked at my older brother, actually looked at him
in the light. The curse had wreaked havoc on his appearance. He’d always
been tall and thin, but in the light, he looked especially sallow and
malnourished.
“Thank you,” I said.
A blush of red crept into Sylvester’s face, and he waved his hand,
shrugging off my gratitude. “No need, brother. It was as much for myself as
it was for you. Now, we’re further down the mountain. If you find the road,
head north, and you’ll find yourself back at the village again. As for me,
I’m going south. I’ve heard much about the city of Solynn, but please don’t
visit me there. If you find yourself in trouble, don’t write. Just be clever,
clever as I am, and use the magic of your lute to escape your woes.”
Despite the weight of his words, I grinned at him and stuck out my
hand. “It’s a deal, Vester.”
Sylvester gave me a firm handshake. “Goodbye, Titus.”
“Bye then, Vester.”
We parted ways. He in one direction while I walked in the other
direction, thinking of the light, of Lucia, how she’d broken my curse,
healed my soul, set me and my brother free, and vanquished the vampires.
I’d said that I’d leave her in peace, but my heart had no desire to leave her.
Even though I was exhausted from the transfusion of magic that had
drained from me in the caverns, my steps felt light as I thought about seeing
her again.
But I did not hurry my journey. Instead, I lifted my face to the sunlight,
breathing in the scent of fresh grass, flowers, and herbs, wishing she was by
my side.

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 24

LUCIA

A week passed in relative calmness. Edith moved to the village, and I

joined her some evenings, but the shadows had not made a
reappearance. A cautious hope hung over the village, and slowly, the doors
that were previously shut and locked at twilight were open, guarded, but
open. The farm animals were allowed to roam after nightfall, and even
though it was early, I hoped there would be no more cries of sorrow at
night, wails in the morning, or others packing up to leave.
However, in my home, a sort of tension had sprung up between the
abbey and the garrison. Captain Elroy had resigned, and a group of knights
decided to leave and seek another place to live and work. The brokenness
left me restless, for those I’d grown up with had tried to protect me by
keeping secrets, and while I forgave them, I’d also learned that I possessed
magic, and it made me curious.
Titus and I fit together with our magic. We made each other stronger,
better. I wasn’t sure what happened to him, but the time without him, the
not knowing, helped me make up my mind. If I had to choose between the
abbey, my home and the only life I’d ever known, and him, I’d choose him.
I didn’t know what that meant for my future and whether it meant a life of
adventure or staying in one place. But if I had the opportunity. I’d choose
him.
These were the thoughts I had as I kneeled in the garden, pulling weeds,
the hot sun beating down on my back. I’d forgotten a hat, and soon it would
be time to take a break and go inside for a cool berry drink. As if to assuage
her guilt in the matter, High Priestess Merci had taken to cooking more,
running the kitchens, and making extra treats for the sisters. Recently, she’d
taken wild blueberries and created a sweet drink out of them that was
refreshing and cool after being outdoors.
I sat back on my heels as the outside door to the garden opened and
closed.
Tucking a stray wisp of hair behind my ear, I turned in that direction,
expecting to see one of the sisters.
Instead, there was Titus.
His blue eyes met mine, and he leaned against the gate, his gait relaxed,
easy. Crossing his arms, he winked at me, then glanced around the garden
to ensure we were alone. His shirt was torn and open. He’d lost his shoes,
and his feet were bare, pants rolled up to his knees.
My heart lurched. With a small cry, I was up and running. He caught me
in his arms, and I was laughing and crying all at once as I pelted his face
with kisses.
“I was afraid I’d lost you,” I admitted once I caught my breath, studying
his face as if he might disappear again.
“Never, my heart is yours,” he murmured, pressing another kiss on my
lips. “I was concerned, though, about whether you had escaped the
mountain caving in, but here you are, free and as beautiful as the day I met
you. No, I take that back. Even more so. You are radiant in the light.”
I giggled. “You flatter me.”
“No, I honor you for what you’ve done. I came back because I couldn’t
stay away. I know I told you that I’d honor your wishes and leave you be,
but my heart wants nothing more than to be by your side.”
“Titus, I had time to think while you were away, and. . . I adore you. I’m
proud to stand by your side and live a life with you, even if it means leaving
this place.”
Titus’s eyes went wet, and he kissed me hard. When he spoke, his voice
was gruff. “You are so good to me. I don’t deserve this, you, your love.”
I put my hand over his mouth. “Life isn’t about finding or getting what
you deserve. It’s about living in gratitude because we are blessed. Out of all
the people in the world, we found each other. I don’t deserve you either, so
let’s make the most of it. Let’s live in the light with our gratitude and joy.”
“You are so wise. That is the priestess in you. Do you have a moment? I
want to show you something.”
 “I have all the time in the world.”
He laughed and opened the gate. Taking my hand, he led me not south
to the village but north to where the waterfalls thundered. We walked at a
sedentary pace even though we were headed uphill.
“What happened to your brother?” I asked.
Titus stroked his jaw, shaking his head. “I’m a bit ashamed to admit it,
but he outplayed me. He was orchestrating all of this from the beginning.
The letters, putting you and I together. I only wonder how he knew about
your runes and that you were full of magic.”
“Had you never seen anything like it before? You seemed to know a fair
bit about my magic.”
“I felt it when I touched you, but he, on the other hand, never came near
you, not that I know of.”
“He warned me away from you.”
“Probably another tactic to make you doubt yourself and make your
magic stronger. Or make me try harder. The curse could only be broken by
true, unconditional love and light. Doubt makes one choose. Regardless,
he’s cleverer than I would have given him credit for. He’s free now, free of
the curse I dragged him into and asked that we part ways for good. I cannot
deny him that. I’ve been the cause of so much suffering.”
“And now you’re the cause of so much goodness.”
“It’s kind of you to say so.”
“It’s the truth. The vampires are gone, and the heavy burden darkness
used to bring has lifted from the village.”
Titus paused as the thunder of a waterfall grew louder. Taking my hand,
he pulled me to him, his voice low and husky. “And what about you? What
do you want?”
“You,” I whispered. “Your love and adventure and an opportunity to use
magic again. We fit, you know, so perfectly together. Our magic balances
us.”
“I noticed that too.”
We slipped through the meadow, down to where the waterfall cascaded
into a river, and Titus took my hand. He led me into water that surged
around my ankles, then up to my knees, soaking my dress. He glanced back
at me, a mischievous smile playing across his lips, then led me up to the
thunder.
 I recalled the first time we’d met. When he took me beneath the
waterfall into the caverns, and as we slipped under the flood, I expected to
arrive into another labyrinth of tunnels. Instead, we walked into the shade
of broad trees, where a matching waterfall ran and a meadow twisted away.
I spun around, soaking wet. “Where are we?”
“I’ve never seen another soul here,” Titus said, “but then, I’ve only
come to this place in the dead of night. I’ve wanted to show it to you for a
while but figured it would be better in daylight.”
“This is lovely. I’ve never seen the like.”
“Isn’t it? Even richer in daylight. I always came here at night and
wondered, if I were ever free, perhaps this place would be a boon, a place
of peace just waiting for us.”
I kissed him with a new urgency, and he slowly peeled off my wet dress.
Examining me from every angle, he laid me down in the lush grass and
made sweet love to me to the sound of the waterfall and the rainbows
dancing in the light, spreading dewdrops of water like jewels. I closed my
eyes, dwelling in the moment with a full heart and a happy soul, and this
time, when my runes tingled and began to glow, I knew it was because of
the magic of love.

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 AUTHOR’S NOTE

Thank you for reading Elegy of Twilight. It occurred to me, as I wrote, that
Sylvester is a mysterious man. I gave you just enough to make you curious,
and just enough to make myself curious, too. He’d devious, manipulative
and smart, and he’s going to the city of Solynn, which means he deserves a
story. So keep an eye out for the next Tower Knights tale coming in 2025.
If this is your first Tower Knights tale, and you’re curious about the
Sorcerer of Music, read Music of the Night.
If you want to know the story about the knight who called down a
demon to haunt the King of Hearts, read Song of the Dawn.
If you loved Titus’ attitude and want more of that vibe, read Lured by
the Dusk.
If you’re curious about the King of Hearts, read Melody of Midnight.
Get a discount on signed hardcovers when you visit
angelajford.com

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 WHAT TO READ NEXT
Enjoyed this story but want more? Check out the Tower Knights collection: complete, stand-alone
spicy fantasy romances.

Phantom of the Opera meets Beauty and the Beast in

this gothic-inspired dark fantasy romance.
A haunted tower, a mysterious instructor, and the lure
of the music of the night. . .
Get a discount on signed hardcovers when you
visit angelajford.com

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 ALSO BY ANGELA J. FORD
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Chronicles of the Four Worlds (epic fantasy)

A complete six-book epic fantasy series spanning two hundred years, featuring an epic battle between
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read as a stand-alone and features a different couple.

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A complete epic fantasy duology featuring a warrior princess with a dire future who embarks on a
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Lore of Nomadia Trilogy (epic fantasy romance)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Angela J. Ford is a bestselling author who writes epic fantasy and

steamy fantasy romance with vivid worlds, gray characters and
endings you just can’t guess. She has written and published over
30 books.
Aside from writing she and her husband own The Signed
Book Shop. A one-stop shop for readers to find signed books and
book merchandise.
If you happen to be in Nashville, you’ll most likely find her
enjoying a white chocolate mocha and daydreaming about her
next book.

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