"Casey Moore will not be marrying any of your sons."
The entire hall fell silent.
"She is the First Princess of the Moore Vampire Clan," he declared. "And she is my fiancée. If anyone will be marrying her, it would be me."
"Who are you? So what if you were engaged? Can't she have more suitors?" Another handsome noble asked.
"I am Dave Krawler, First Prince of the Obsidian Wolves. Our houses are bound. My claim was made the day she was born."
Then, he turned to me.
In that moment, the hundreds of eyes on us vanished. There was only him. He took both of my hands in his.
His voice softened, but it was still loud enough for all to hear. It was a vow.
"Casey," he began, his stunning black eyes holding mine. "Tonight, you will perform a sacred ritual. The world is watching you, waiting to see what power you call forth."
He squeezed my hands. "However, I want you to know, it does not matter."
"I do not care what you summon. If you call forth a mighty dragon that darkens the sky, I will stand by your side and help you rule it."
"If you call forth the smallest, weakest pixie," he said, a small smile playing on his lips, "I will still stand by your side and protect it with my life."
"Your power, your status... that is not why I chose you."
He leaned in, his voice a passionate whisper that seemed to fill my entire world.
"I chose you because your heart is strong and your will is iron. You are my partner. You are my future Queen. Nothing and no one will ever change that."
He leaned in and kissed my forehead softly, and then stepped back.
A collective gasp went through the audience.
From the platform, King Krawler nodded once, a look of deep pride on his face.
My father, Alfred, also showed the slightest hint of a smile.
My heart felt like it would burst. The nervousness, the stinging anger at Amelia... it all melted away.
"Your Majesty, it is time. The moon is high in the sky, and this is the time when the spiritual realm is the closest to the physical realm. We should start the ceremony right away."
A man dressed in a more traditional attire stepped forward and bowed.
My father, Alfred Moore, stood up once more. This time, his face was serious.
The time for parties and declarations was over. It was time for the main event.
He looked at me. "Casey. It is time."
He pointed to the center of the main stage. There, inlaid on the marble floor, was a complex circle dyed in silver and crimson. It pulsed with a faint, magical light.
The summoning circle.
I let go of Dave's hands and took a deep breath.
I stepped onto the summoning circle. The moment my foot touched the silver lines, the crimson center flared, bathing me in a warm, red light.
The man who had spoken before, the family's High Ritualist, bowed. He was an ancient vampire and had been with my father for years now.
"Young miss, please repeat after me."
"By the First Blood and the Eternal Night, I call."
"By the First Blood and the Eternal Night, I call," I repeated, my voice shaking only slightly.
The crimson light on the floor brightened, swirling like liquid ruby around my feet.
"By the Pact of Shadows and the Abyssal Throne, I seek."
"By the Pact of Shadows and the Abyssal Throne, I seek," I declared, my voice growing stronger.
A deep, resonating hum filled the hall. A new light, a pure, dark shadow, began to twist with the red.
"To the void, I offer my will. Send me a partner."
"To the void, I offer my will. Send me a partner!"
"To the abyss, I offer my strength. Send me a guardian."
"To the abyss, I offer my strength. Send me a guardian!"
With every line I spoke, the power surged. The circle was now a blinding vortex of red and black energy. It roared.
My hair, once neatly pinned, tore free from its bun. My dress whipped around my legs in a wind that came from nowhere.
The High Ritualist raised his arms and shouted the final binding line.
"Heed the call of the Moore bloodline! BREAK THE VEIL AND APPEAR! MY FAMILIAR"
I screamed the words with him. "BREAK THE VEIL AND APPEAR! MY FAMILIAR"
BOOM
It began with a ripple.
The center of the circle, right in front of me, wavered. It looked like the air above a fire, distorted and unstable.
Then, the ripple became a wave.
A shockwave of purple light erupted from the circle like a wave of energy, spreading across the entire hall.
"What is happening? Who is coming from the other side?"
The light was absolute, overwhelming the entire room with everyone in it. I heard a sharp gasp from my mother.
Even my father, Alfred Moore, shielded his eyes.
The crystal chandeliers above us rattled violently. I heard the distant sound of glasses shattering.
Far above the Moore Mansion, beyond the dark clouds, the night sky tore open.
A crack of purple lightning flashed briefly; however, it vanished before anyone could notice.
Back in the hall, all I could do was shield my eyes. I had been to many summoning rituals, but none of them were like this.
My eyes were watering, and dark spots danced in my vision. I
The stage was covered in a thick, white mist.
And in the mist, there was a shape.
It was tall. It was a man.
A low murmur went through the crowd.
"A humanoid... she summoned a humanoid familiar!" someone whispered in shock.
"Impossible! How can the familiar already have a humanoid form? Isn't it achieved after decades of strengthening?"
"What immense power! That light... it was divine!"
The crowd was buzzing with excitement.
They were all looking at the shape, waiting for it to be revealed.
But I... I felt nothing.
There was no connection. There was no sudden, magical bond tying me to my new familiar.
I could not feel its power. I could not sense its 'qi' or its demonic energy.
There was... nothing.