Waking up the next morning might just be the hardest thing I have ever done.
Not because I slept poorly—because I did not sleep at all.
Vampires do not necessarily need sleep. At least, that is what I have been told. Yet I am fairly certain some vampires do sleep. Silas, for example. The man somehow looks lazier every time I see him, which makes me believe he spends half his existence asleep somewhere.
But me?
I simply lay there the entire night with my thoughts.
And my thoughts are cruel.
They drag me back to yesterday—to the dogs, to the outing with Cassian, and most of all… to the king.
The way he reacted when he saw me.
The way the air changed.
The way everything felt wrong.
Those memories pile on top of one another until it becomes almost impossible to breathe, let alone leave my bed.
Gods, this is annoying.
Eventually, I force myself up.
If I stay here any longer, I might start thinking again—and thinking is clearly not good for my sanity.
I walk to the servants' quarters where we bathe. The communal baths are already filled with other servants preparing for the day. The moment I enter, the whispers begin.
They are not even subtle about it anymore.
The glances.
The quiet snickers.
The way some of them stare at me as though I am some privileged little whore who slept her way into her sire's favor.
I pretend not to hear it.
But being a vampire means I hear everything.
It is… annoying.
Still, I decide I will make the best of today.
After bathing, I dry myself quickly and head straight to the library.
Hopefully, Cassian will be there.
He usually is.
But when I arrive, the massive wooden doors creak open to reveal an empty room.
That is new.
This might actually be the first time I have ever arrived at the library before Cassian.
I shrug and decide to start without him.
Or at least try to.
One particular scroll catches my attention on the highest shelf. I noticed it yesterday but did not have the energy to investigate it then. Now, curiosity wins.
It takes far more effort than it should to retrieve it.
After several embarrassing attempts, stretching and nearly climbing the shelves, I finally manage to pull the scroll down.
Triumphantly.
Carefully, I roll it open across the table.
And then I pause.
Because when I say there are a lot of things drawn on it…
I mean a lot.
Lines. Shapes. Symbols. Markings.
Some of them look like figures, though I cannot quite tell what they are supposed to represent. Others are oddly shaped forms scattered across the parchment.
Each of them labeled.
Places.
Cities, perhaps?
Are these places around Greyhaven?
I continue scanning the scroll until my eyes catch something familiar.
Greyhaven.
There it is.
Marked on the northern part of the scroll.
My eyes widen.
So this… is a map.
A map of the world.
I stare at it for a long moment.
I had never really thought about places outside Greyhaven before. Not seriously. I had spent so much of my life simply surviving that imagining a world beyond it never crossed my mind.
I suppose some naive part of me assumed Greyhaven was… everything.
How wrong I was.
There are countless other places drawn across the scroll. Vast spaces labeled oceans. Winding lines marked as rivers. Smaller areas called springs.
Entire territories.
Entire worlds.
And suddenly I realize something uncomfortable.
I have explored almost nothing.
While I am still studying the scroll, the library doors creak open again.
Cassian walks in.
He pauses when he sees me.
"You started without me."
"Yes," I reply with a small smile.
My eyes remain on the scroll.
"What are you reading?" he asks.
"Something like… a map to places that are not Greyhaven."
Cassian steps closer and glances at the parchment.
"Ah. You found the encyclopedia."
I blink. "Encyclopedia what?"
He chuckles softly.
"It's essentially a map of the world. Something like that."
"Huh."
I look back at it, overwhelmed.
"It's a lot. I didn't know there were places outside Greyhaven."
"In your defense," Cassian says, leaning casually against the table, "you've never been outside Greyhaven."
"True."
I squint at the markings again.
"The names are weird."
"Tell me about it."
I glance at him.
"Have you been to any of these places?"
"Not all of them. But I've been to about seven different towns outside Greyhaven."
My eyes widen.
"Seven?"
"I've seen many different creatures and people."
I freeze.
"Creatures?"
Cassian raises an eyebrow.
"You mean… not everyone out there is a vampire or human?"
"On the contrary," he says calmly, "you would be amazed."
He points to different markings on the map.
"These oceans, rivers, and springs often act as boundaries between territories. Yes, there are vampires beyond Greyhaven. There are witches as well."
My curiosity grows.
"But there are also many… undiscovered creatures beyond Greyhaven's borders."
"Undiscovered?"
"They refuse to let us enter their lands."
I frown.
"So the seven towns you visited?"
"Mostly inhabited by humans, vampires, and witches."
"Then how do you know there are other creatures?"
Cassian shrugs slightly.
"Because whenever you approach certain borderlands, someone always stops you."
"Someone?"
"Or something."
He folds his arms.
"Either they have secrets they don't want outsiders discovering… or they simply don't want us there."
"That's not nice."
Cassian laughs quietly.
"No, it isn't. But boundaries deserve respect."
He straightens.
"So. Do you want to continue studying the encyclopedia, or have you had enough?"
I roll the scroll slightly.
"I've had enough."
"Good."
He cracks his knuckles lightly.
"Now, shall we spar?"
I stare at him.
"In the library?"
"Relax," he says. "Not destructive sparring."
I cross my arms.
"We'll wreck the shelves."
"No. Remember when I taught you how to be stealthy?"
"Oh."
"The silent steps," he continues. "Keeping your movements quiet so that only a highly trained vampire would detect you."
"Yes."
"Well," he says, smirking slightly, "today I'll teach you another form of stealth."
"And that is?"
"How to sneak up on people."
My eyes brighten immediately.
"Oh, that's going to be fun. I'm going to practice it a lot on you."
"Sneak up on me?" he says incredulously.
"Purely for practical reasons," I reply with exaggerated seriousness.
He laughs.
"Very well."
Cassian spends the next hour teaching me the basics.
Move lightly.
Shift your weight slowly.
Imagine you are floating.
People notice sudden changes in movement, he explains. The trick is to blend into the rhythm of a room so naturally that no one senses you.
It is fascinating.
Unfortunately…
My mind is not in it today.
I fail several times. Forget half the instructions. Lose focus entirely.
Eventually, I give up and return to studying the map.
Cassian notices.
But he says nothing.
He simply stays in the library with me, watching quietly.
After what feels like forever, he finally speaks.
"Did you enjoy our outing yesterday?"
I blink.
The question catches me off guard.
"What?"
"You know," he says casually, "sometimes people need fresh air. To leave the castle. To see something different."
He shrugs.
"That's why I took you out."
He studies my face.
"I just wanted to know if you enjoyed it… or if you would rather stay in the castle."
"Oh."
I smile faintly.
"No, I actually had fun."
His expression softens.
"I realized something yesterday," I continue. "Dogs really love me."
Cassian chuckles.
"That much was obvious."
"I mean, I always knew animals liked me, but… yesterday felt different. Maybe I'm a dog whisperer."
I laugh.
Cassian shakes his head, amused.
"You did do an outstanding job with them. It was almost like you were communicating just by looking into their eyes."
"See?" I grin. "Dog whisperer."
He smiles, though I notice a thoughtful expression linger on his face afterward.
I decide not to question it.
Instead, I return to examining the map again.
There are so many places.
So many cities and towns with strange names.
Places I will probably never see.
Still, I want to know they exist.
Unfortunately, the scroll only shows the locations. It does not tell their stories.
After a few minutes, I sigh and roll the parchment closed.
Cassian watches me.
"So today," he says slowly, "we're mostly going to sit quietly in the library."
"That's it?"
"I've taught you the basics of everything I can."
He folds his arms.
"The rest is up to you to develop your skills."
I narrow my eyes.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"So we're done?"
"Done, done."
"Hm."
He hesitates.
"But… because you've been spending so much time training with me instead of performing servant duties…"
My stomach tightens.
"I spoke with the king."
Of course he did.
The king will not speak to me.
But he will speak to his cousin.
"And I suggested we remove you from the servants' quarters."
My head snaps up.
"What?"
Cassian raises his hands quickly.
"You didn't do anything wrong."
"Then why?"
He sighs.
"I've been hearing the whispers."
Of course he has.
We share the same abilities.
I hear them too.
"They're calling you names they shouldn't."
"If you move me," I say flatly, "the rumors will get worse."
"Maybe."
"But it will keep you safe."
I stare at him.
"Who would hurt me?"
"No one should."
"So you're worrying for nothing."
"I'm not," he says firmly.
"Everything I'm doing is for your safety."
My sire.
The words echo uncomfortably in my mind.
I fall silent.
"I know you're trying to protect me," I say eventually, "but the way you're doing it makes me look like some weak vampire."
"I know you're not weak."
"Then why are you so obsessed with protecting me?"
Cassian freezes.
"That's the same thing you did before turning me," I continue quietly.
His jaw tightens.
"Why are you so determined to keep me alive?"
Silence fills the room.
Finally, Cassian exhales slowly.
"When I told you about the war that took Darian's parents…"
I nod.
"Yes."
"That war didn't just take Darian's parents."
His voice lowers.
"It took my parents."
My eyes widen.
"And Silas's parents."
"What?"
"I thought you and Silas were brothers."
"We're cousins."
He pauses.
"You see… the first king, Thaddeus, had three children."
And as Cassian begins explaining the long, complicated history of the royal bloodline, I listen carefully.
Because for the first time…
He is finally telling me something real.
Cassian tells me everything.
About the king.
About the bloodlines.
About his grandfather.
About how deeply connected he, Silas, and Darian truly are.
His father and Darian's father were almost twins—born only two days apart after a strange and difficult birth that lasted nearly three days. And Silas is connected to them through his mother, who was their father's younger sister.
Which means the three of them—Darian, Cassian, and Silas—are cousins.
Family.
The war that killed Darian's parents did not only take his family.
It took Cassian's parents.
It took Silas's parents.
And suddenly I understand something about Cassian that had always puzzled me.
Why he is so desperate to save people.
Why he acts as though every life is something he must personally protect.
Because he was not there to save the people he loved most.
"I wasn't a baby," Cassian says quietly. "I was a child, yes… but I was old enough."
His eyes drift somewhere far away.
"Darian went to war when he was eight. He watched his parents die. I was seven at the time. I could have gone too. I was trained. I knew how to fight. Even if they babied me a little, I could have tried."
He clenches his jaw.
"They kept the three of us hidden in the castle so enemies wouldn't know the royal bloodline still had heirs. But if I had been there… maybe things would have been different."
Ah.
So that is it.
His obsession with saving people.
His determination to keep me alive.
I sigh softly.
"I understand now," I tell him.
He looks at me.
"And honestly, it makes sense. You wish you had been there to save your parents."
He nods slightly.
"But you need to understand something too."
Cassian frowns faintly.
"You were seven years old."
He says nothing.
"Seven-year-old humans can barely count from one to ten," I continue. "They struggle academically. They cry when they fall down. They fight over toys."
I fold my arms.
"You were a prince who had been trained with swords and probably had two or three governesses teaching you etiquette. That doesn't mean you could have saved your parents."
Cassian watches me quietly.
"That idea in your head?" I say gently. "That if you had been there, things would have been different?"
I shake my head.
"That's just your mind trying to rewrite the past."
I gesture lightly.
"Look at Darian. He was there."
Cassian's gaze drops.
"And yet," I continue softly, "his parents still died."
Silence fills the library.
"All three of you survived," I say finally. "You're here. You grew up. You're strong."
I give him a small smile.
"Your parents would be proud of you. Wherever they are."
Cassian's expression softens.
"Yes," he murmurs.
"They would."
Then I sigh.
"But that doesn't mean you should make me look weak in front of the other servants."
He blinks.
"What?"
"They might talk," he says carefully.
"They will always talk."
I shrug.
"I don't listen to them."
"We can't not listen," he says dryly. "Our hearing is an ability we cannot turn off."
"True," I admit.
"But we can choose to ignore what they say."
I point at myself.
"And besides, the rumors are about me, not you."
Cassian studies me.
"Leave me in the servants' quarters," I say firmly. "If I'm ready to move, I'll tell you."
"If we move you now—"
"I'll look weak," I interrupt.
"I'll look like someone who needed protection."
I shake my head.
"I'll become a laughingstock."
He sighs deeply, clearly torn.
Then I tilt my head slightly.
"There's something else I've been meaning to ask you."
Cassian looks up.
"Ever since we first made contact," I say slowly, "there's been something in your eyes."
His expression tightens.
"A shadow."
He says nothing.
"Like there's something you want to tell me… but you keep holding it back."
"What do you mean?" he asks carefully.
I narrow my eyes.
"Don't pretend with me."
His gaze flickers away.
"You're worried about something," I say. "Something you're not telling me."
"I've told you everything I'm worried about."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm very sure."
He straightens.
"You don't need to worry about it."
I study him for a moment longer.
Then I sigh.
"If you say so."
I stretch slightly.
"So since you're done with me… does that mean Silas is done with me too?"
Cassian raises an eyebrow.
"I can go back to the servants' quarters, change, and head to Silas's lab."
He nods.
"Yes. You're dismissed."
By the time I reach Silas's laboratory, I realize something.
I never actually went to the servants' quarters to change.
Instead, I came straight here.
Old habits, I suppose.
When I push open the lab door, I immediately notice something familiar.
Silas isn't here.
Just like Cassian earlier.
The room is empty.
I sigh.
"Well," I mutter to myself, "I'll start without you."
I glance around the laboratory.
Truthfully, we have not begun any new projects recently. After the incident with the spider lilies, Silas has mostly been focused on maintaining the existing specimens.
So I spend my time reviewing everything he has already taught me.
Mixing compounds.
Testing small reactions.
Improving my handling of certain toxins.
We have developed several poisons together—ones that could easily save our lives if used properly.
Silas has also taught me how to improvise with whatever materials are available.
Still, I keep glancing toward the door.
Waiting for him to walk in.
Waiting for his usual irritated greeting.
Why are you here early today?
But he never comes.
Minutes pass.
Then more.
Just when I begin to think he might not show up at all—
The door creaks open.
I don't even look up.
"Took you long enough."
"How could you?"
I freeze.
That is not Silas's voice.
Slowly, I turn around.
The king stands in the doorway.
Internally, I groan.
Why is he here?
He barely even acknowledges me.
Instead, he asks coldly, "Where is Silas?"
"I don't know, Your Majesty."
He spares me a brief glance and immediately turns to leave.
I frown.
Why did he even come into the lab if he wasn't going to greet anyone? He didn't even call out from the door to see if Silas was inside.
Now he's leaving like it's somehow my fault that Silas isn't here.
Annoyance flares inside me.
"Why are you avoiding me?"
He stops.
Slowly, he turns around.
"Excuse me?"
I walk closer.
"Why are you avoiding me?"
"I beg your pardon?"
The torches flicker along the lab walls, casting shadows across his face.
For some reason… the lighting reminds me of something.
Something I cannot quite remember.
"You keep avoiding me," I say firmly. "And I don't understand why."
His jaw tightens.
"Silas said you look guilty."
His eyes flash.
"He said that?"
"Yes."
"Why would I be guilty?" he asks sharply.
He tries to appear intimidating.
But it doesn't work.
Because Silas was right.
The king looks… guilty.
"You are avoiding me," I continue. "And I don't know why."
I pause.
"And the strange thing is… I feel closer to you because of it."
He frowns.
"I don't understand what you're saying."
"Maybe you're thinking too much," he adds coldly. "Focus on your training."
"Cassian is done with me."
That clearly surprises him.
"Is that what he said?"
"Yes. The rest is up to me."
I gesture around.
"And Silas seems done with me too, since he's not here."
"Silas is probably busy."
"He prefers this lab over his room," I point out. "You know that."
"You're overthinking," the king says.
Then he turns toward the door again.
"If you'll excuse me, I'll go find Silas."
He reaches for the door handle.
And pulls.
The door doesn't move.
He frowns.
"Hm."
"What happened?" I ask.
"The door isn't opening."
I blink.
It is always funny watching a vampire pretend they lack strength.
"Just pull it harder," I say casually. "Even if the lock is jammed, the door will open. You're stronger than the wood."
He slowly turns to look at me.
"Do you think I haven't tried that?"
I grin.
"Maybe you're not the strongest vampire after all."
I step forward and grab the handle.
"Let me try."
I yank the door.
Hard.
It doesn't budge.
I blink.
"Huh."
I pull again.
Still nothing.
"Why isn't it—"
I glance back at him.
He gives me a look that clearly says I told you so.
"Maybe you're strong," I say defensively. "Try hitting it."
He does.
The door still refuses to move.
Great.
"Hello?" I shout suddenly. "Is anyone out there?"
Silence.
"Hello! We're trapped in the lab!"
Nothing.
I sigh.
"I don't know any potions that could break this," I admit.
"Trust me," he mutters, "if there were one, I would have thought of it already."
"There was nothing wrong with the lock earlier."
I narrow my eyes at him.
"Did you slam the door when you came in?"
"I did not slam the door."
"Are you sure? You're always grumpy when I see you."
"Excuse you."
"Excuse us," I correct.
I cross my arms.
"So… how do we get out?"
"I don't know."
Then an idea hits me.
"Oh!"
He looks suspicious already.
"Cassian my sire," I say brightly. "He has excellent hearing. If we shout loud enough, Cassian might hear us."
"That… might actually work."
I grin.
I inhale deeply.
"Cassian!" I yell. "Cassian, if you can hear me, we're trapped in Silas's lab!"
The king stares at me like I have lost my mind.
"What?" I ask.
"Why are you shouting?"
"So he can hear us."
He sighs.
"You can communicate with him through your mind."
I blink.
"What?"
"Hasn't he taught you that?"
"No."
The king looks genuinely offended.
"And he said he's done with your training?"
I stare at him.
"You mean we can talk through our minds?"
"Yes."
"How do you think I communicate with my cousins?"
My jaw drops.
"That's possible?"
"Yes."
"How?"
He looks exasperated.
"Why didn't he teach you that?"
I cross my arms.
"Well since you know so much about it, why don't you contact him?"
"I'm trying," he mutters.
Then he groans.
"Our mind link is blocked."
"Blocked?"
He glares at the stubborn door again.
"What is wrong with this door?"
He looks genuinely frustrated.
And suddenly, I realize something.
I am trapped inside a laboratory.
With a man who clearly does not want to be near me.
I sigh.
"Well," I mutter.
"This should be fun."
It feels like eternity passes.
Silence fills the laboratory, thick and suffocating.
We are trapped together… yet somehow still separated.
I sit on one of the worktables while the king stands near the door, staring at it like he expects a miracle to happen at any moment. Like someone will simply walk in, open the door, and free us from this awkward imprisonment.
Maybe that is exactly what he is waiting for.
Strangely, he does not seem very bothered by the situation.
But I am.
No matter how calm and mighty he pretends to be, I can feel the tension in the air. He clearly does not want to talk to me, and frankly, I do not want to talk to him either.
If his pride is so high and mighty, I refuse to let mine crumble first.
So I stay quiet.
I inspect my nails.
I examine the bottles on the shelves.
I look at everything in the room again and again, pretending to be fascinated by things I have already memorized—anything to distract myself from him.
Meanwhile, he does not even bother pretending to distract himself from me.
And if I am being honest…
That actually hurts my pride a little.
Eventually I notice the lab growing darker.
Night has fallen.
Which means we have been trapped here for hours.
I thought Silas would come before evening. At the very least, he usually checks his laboratory once before the day ends.
But nothing.
No footsteps.
No voice.
No shadow under the door.
Nothing.
Wouldn't he have come by now?
Why isn't he here?
This entire day has been annoying, and now it has somehow managed to become even worse.
When I finally lift my head again, I catch the king staring at me.
"Why are you looking at me?" I ask sharply.
The annoyance in my voice is obvious.
He says nothing.
That only irritates me further.
"You are so weird," I mutter.
Still nothing.
"You walk into the lab, act like it's my fault we're trapped here, and then you give me attitude—as if you haven't been giving me attitude since the moment you saw me."
He finally looks at me properly.
"What do you want from me, oh great Majesty of Greyhaven?" I add sarcastically.
He sneers.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means you have an attitude problem."
I slide off the table.
"You behave like an injured donkey."
His eyes narrow.
"Did you just compare me to a donkey?"
"That's exactly how you're acting."
I gesture dramatically.
"You're mysterious for no reason. You brood around like some bell ringer hiding in a chapel tower."
His expression goes completely still.
Honestly, he looks like I just slapped him across the face.
Which is ridiculous.
Because people do not slap kings.
"I am nothing to you?" I continue bitterly. "Then why act like this? Why avoid me?"
His voice turns cold.
"You mean absolutely nothing to me for me to avoid you or waste my time with you. So excuse me for ignoring you."
The words land like a blade.
That hurts.
Again.
And the worst part?
He does not look even slightly remorseful.
"You know what," I snap, "I prefer Cassian's company. At least he's calm and nice. Not like you, stabbing people with your sharp tongue every time you speak."
I cross my arms.
"You are a self-preserved bastard."
His eyebrow lifts.
"What?"
"Yes," I say stubbornly. "A self-preserved bastard. That's the best way to describe you."
"You clearly ran out of insults," he says dryly.
"I could call you whatever I want," I shoot back.
"I am your king."
"And I am your servant," I reply. "So be it. Kill me right now if you want. I don't give a damn."
"You've lost your mind."
"No," I snap.
"I've lost my sanity being trapped in a room with you while you sit there acting like silence is better than my company!"
Then suddenly—
He snaps.
"You consume me, Isolde!"
The words hit me like thunder.
I freeze.
"You consume me," he repeats, voice rough. "You make everything around me shrink until you are the only thing left."
He runs a hand through his hair, frustrated.
"You become the center of everything even when you are not supposed to be there."
I stare at him.
"What are you saying?"
"I've been avoiding you because you've left me with no other choice!"
His voice rises.
"You are a danger to my rule. A danger to my life. And every instinct tells me to keep you away."
He breathes heavily.
"But every time I put distance between us… you find your way back."
His jaw tightens.
"And it drives me insane."
I am stunned.
"You have no right to say that."
"I have every right," he snaps.
"You want the truth? Fine. The truth is you make me lose control."
His voice lowers again.
"Yes. I am the brutal king everyone fears. The one Greyhaven loves to hate."
He gestures toward the door.
"But I am also the one who keeps them alive."
His expression darkens.
"I only trust my cousins. They are the only ones I confide in. And even then… there are things I cannot tell them."
His eyes lock onto mine.
"And then you arrive in the castle. A stain on my cousin's conscience because he couldn't resist saving you."
My heart tightens.
"And suddenly," he continues, "I find myself drawn to you."
His voice becomes rough.
"When I think I can ignore it, it pulls me back. When I think I can control it… it gets worse."
He exhales sharply.
"And when I think maybe just one taste will satisfy whatever this madness is…"
My stomach twists.
"…I take that taste."
My breath catches.
"And I try to let you go."
He shakes his head.
"But you keep coming back."
I swallow.
"What taste?"
He stiffens.
"I don't want to talk about that."
"Let's talk about it now."
"There is no point."
"There is every point," I insist.
"There is no one here but us. We don't even know why the door locked. So we might as well be honest."
I step closer.
"I'm tired of being treated like I'm invisible."
He studies me carefully.
"I don't think you want to know what I feel."
"Oh really?" I say.
"Because I want to know everything you feel."
I hesitate before continuing.
"I'm confused too."
His eyes narrow slightly.
"You cloud my thoughts," I admit quietly.
"And I want to understand why."
I gesture toward him.
"I want to understand why you look at me the way you do. Why you glance at me during events that have nothing to do with me."
My voice softens.
"That night… when you looked at me like you were asking for guidance."
My chest tightens at the memory.
"My heart squeezed when I saw that look."
I shake my head.
"I thought vampires weren't supposed to feel anything."
He gives a bitter laugh.
"Apparently we do."
Silence falls again.
Then finally—
"I want you."
The words echo in the quiet room.
"That's the only explanation I have right now," he continues.
"I want you."
His gaze burns into mine.
"And not in a way where I take you and forget you."
His voice drops lower.
"If I have you… no one else should."
My heart stutters.
"And that," he finishes, "is a problem."
I stare at him, stunned.
"So… you want me?"
He exhales slowly.
"I don't even understand what I feel."
He looks almost angry with himself.
"I've only ever cared about two people in this world—my cousins."
His voice softens slightly.
"But ever since you arrived… I'm afraid I might start caring about you just as much."
He swallows.
"And that terrifies me."
A pause.
"But as terrifying as it is…"
His voice rises.
"I don't want it to stop."
I stand there frozen.
Is this the moment?
The moment from all those romance books?
Where the confession happens and everything changes?
I have always wanted to be loved.
And now… someone is confessing to me.
But instead of excitement—
I feel overwhelmed.
Confused.
Terrified.
I open my mouth to speak—
When suddenly—
Silas's voice echoes from outside the door.
"Why is this locked?"
The door explodes open a moment later.
Fresh air floods the lab.
And before I can stop myself, I point at him and shout
"You did this intentionally!"