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Prologue

For some reason, I never thought that my mother would die before me.

In our world, my mother was akin to the goddess Krae. The mother of all vampires. A powerful warrior of a woman whose lust for blood was as strong as her maternal love for her people.

Vampires fled their covens, cut ties with their families, came from all over the country just for a chance to kneel at her feet and pledge their allegiance. If she had been like any other vampire queen, she would have turned more than half of them away.

All those who attempted to appeal to her risked the same. Be rejected by her and forever become an outcast rogue, whose only hope being a small coven who took pity on them.

But she never turned them away.

They loved her for it. Worshipped her because of it.

And I had been born into that love. Blinded by it like the people.

I got firsthand experience with just how much the vampire world was enamored with my mother, and it only made me love her that much more. Without her, no one would join Father. She brought light to his darkness. She brought empathy to his coldness.

Before her, Father simply had a coven. Because of her, it turned into a family. We were royalty because of her.

But this…

This wasn’t love.

My hands caressed her cheeks. I desperately tried to wipe away the black vine-like markings on her face, but it was no use. The magic had already worked its way through her entire system. Her eyes were red, her mouth open as her teeth desperately searched for flesh.

She had been gasping for air by the time that I showed up, but it quickly turned into shallow breathing and small whimpers.

This is poison. Witch posion.

But why?I couldn’t understand why a world that seemed to love my mother so much would hurt her.

The cathedral was empty, with only the stone-carved goddess Krae to witness the crime.

Normally, the sacred place was reserved for prayer to the goddess and additions to the family. Up on the stage, there was an empty crystal bowl, which vampires used to fill with their own blood as an offering to their king.

Krae was supposed to watch over it all. Give her blessing for our new additions and strike down whichever ones she didn’t approve.

But she never interfered. Even when my mother was dying.

She had been sprawled across the steps, her hand outstretched as if trying to crawl toward the goddess. The image of her perfectly manicured hand reaching for help that would never come would forever be burned into my memories.

It’s as if shetrulybelieved the immobile statue could save her. As if the legend of Krae wasn’t just a tool used to control the masses of vampires at her feet.

For the first time in my existence…I felt hopeless.

The woman I owed my life to—the one I loved more than anyone else—was dying, and there was nothing I could do to save her.

“Father!” I screamed, my voice breaking.How many times had I called out to him?

Yet he still didn’t come to her rescue. He wasn’t far. But even so, with our hearing,someoneshould’ve heard me.

My gaze traveled to the all-powerful goddess, her eyes burrowing into mine. The same expression that seemed so gentle turned malicious. Like she waslaughingat my struggle.

Mother let out another whimper, this time managing enough strength to bring her hand to my cheek. It was as cold as the stone beneath her.

She tried to speak, but no words came out. The only sound filling the space was the wind being forced from her closing throat.

“Don’t. Don’t push yourself too hard,” I pleaded.