BLAIR'S POV
I woke up not to the sound of my struggling heart, but to a silence so profound it felt like a dream. For the first time in ten years, the anvil on my chest was gone. My breath came easy, deep, and sweet. I felt… powerful.
But as I opened my eyes, the sight before me was anything but peaceful.
Damien sat in a velvet armchair by the bed, his head leaning back, his eyes closed. He looked… exhausted. The legendary Prince of Shadows, the man who had survived a millennium of sleep, looked like he had just fought a war single-handedly. His skin was paler than usual, almost translucent, and the dark circles under his eyes spoke of a toll I didn't yet understand.
"You're awake," he murmured without opening his eyes. His voice was a mere ghost of its usual thunderous baritone.
"Damien? What did you do to me?" I sat up, realizing my silk dress had been replaced by a gown of the finest white lace. I felt light, as if I could fly.
He finally opened his eyes. They weren't the aggressive crimson of a hungry predator anymore; they were a soft, weary ruby. "I stabilized you. Your heart… it was rejected by the soul-bond. I had to force my essence into your core to keep it from shattering."
I reached out, my fingers trembling as I touched his cheek. He didn't flinch. Instead, he leaned into my touch, a low sigh escaping his lips. "You saved me."
"I claimed you," he corrected, his voice regaining a hint of its steel. He stood up, towering over me once more, though the fatigue still clung to him. "And because I've claimed you, things have changed. I've sent word to the Council. There will be no Target Thirty-One. Not next month. Not next year."
My breath hitched. "What? But you said you needed a thousand—"
"I need you," he interrupted, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that made my new, strong heart thrum. "Julian was right about one thing—your blood is a catalyst. It's denser, more potent than anything I've tasted. As long as you are by my side, I can sustain the Ash Curse without the need for the mindless slaughter of others. You are enough for me, Blair."
He walked to the balcony and gestured for me to follow. As I stood beside him, I looked down at the courtyard. Julian was still there, chained to a stone post, looking like a broken doll in the moonlight. But when he saw me, he didn't look relieved. He looked terrified. He mouthed two words that sent a chill down my spine: "Run, Blair."
Suddenly, a loud, screeching cry echoed from the sky. Huge, leathery wings blocked the moon as three figures descended, landing with bone-crunching force on the balcony railing.
The Council's Enforcers.
"Prince Damien," the lead enforcer hissed, his face hidden behind a silver crow mask. "You have declared a cessation of the Tithe. You have chosen a broken mortal over the restoration of the Vampire Throne. This is treason."
Damien stepped in front of me, his shadows erupting like a tidal wave of ink, sharp and lethal. The air became so cold that the lace of my gown began to frost.
"She is my Sovereign Bride," Damien's voice roared, echoing across the valley. "Any hand that reaches for her will be severed. Any soul that covets her essence will be devoured. Go back to your masters and tell them the King has found his Queen. And she is not for sale."
The enforcers snarled but didn't dare move against him. They took to the skies again, their departure a silent promise of the war to come.
Damien turned to me, his hands finding my waist. He pulled me flush against him, his face buried in my hair. "They will come for us, Blair. My own kind will hunt us. You are no longer just a sacrifice; you are the reason my kingdom will burn."
I looked into his eyes, feeling the dark, intoxicating pulse of his blood within mine. I knew this 'health' was a lie. I knew my heart was only beating because he willed it. But as he crushed his lips against mine in a desperate, possessive kiss, I realized I didn't care about the cure anymore.
I was the bride of a traitor King, and for the first time in my life, I was ready to fight for a tomorrow I wasn't supposed to have.