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DANTE

The forest holds its breath as I move through it, each step calculated and silent. The creatures that normally fill the darkness with sound have gone quiet, as if they sense what’s coming. I don’t blame them. The power gathering here is enough to make even my vampire instincts scream danger.

I complete my third circuit around the stone circle, cataloguing every potential vulnerability. The ancient monoliths stand unmoved by the drama about to unfold within their boundary. Felix has stationed protective wards at strategic points. I can see the glimmer in the dark as I pass.

A twig snaps nearby, and I spin, fangs dropping instinctively. A moment later, I catch a familiar scent.

“It’s just me,” Felix says, emerging from the tree line. He carries a stack of ancient books, his arms straining under their weight.

I retract my fangs but don’t fully relax. “You shouldn’t be wandering around alone.”

“I’m not exactly defenceless,” he replies.

“I know, but still.” I feel a pang of guilt. In a few hours, this man will die. And if all goes well, he’ll be reborn as something else entirely.

“Here, let me help with those.” I take the books from him, the weight is nothing to my vampire strength.

“Thanks. I need to set up the inner circle. Luke’s bringing the rest of the supplies.”

I follow him into the stone circle, setting the books where he indicates. As he draws complex sigils on the ground with chalk and herbs, I resume my watch, circling the perimeter, eyes and ears ready.

“Dante.” Luke’s voice cuts through my thoughts as he approaches, carrying his own supplies. “All quiet so far?”

“Yeah. The sword is still being elusive. What are we going to do if it doesn’t show up?”

He shakes his head, a worried look on his face.

“How’s Gaida?” I ask.

“Preparing.” Luke’s tone gives nothing away, but I catch a flicker of concern in his eyes.

We reach the stone circle, where Felix has already created an intricate pattern of symbols across the ground. The air feels charged, heavy with magick.

“I need to keep moving,” I say, turning to leave.

Luke catches my arm. “Dante.” His voice lowers. “If this goes wrong, if the ritual fails or if Gaida can’t turn him?—”

“It won’t come to that.”

“But if it does.” His grip tightens. “Gaida will need both of us. All her focus will be on Felix, and she’ll be vulnerable.”

I understand what he’s not saying. If Felix dies permanently tonight, Gaida might break. And broken Blood Queens are probably dangerous to everyone in their vicinity, themselves included.

“I’ll protect her,” I promise. “No matter what.”

Luke studies me for a moment before nodding and releases my arm. An understanding passes between us. Her life above ours.

I continue my patrol, moving further out into the forest to secure a wider perimeter. As I walk, I reflect on the strange family we’re forming. Gaida at the centre, bound to Luke through blood, soon to be bound to Felix the same way. And me... what am I in this configuration?

Bound by blood, but in a different way. Bound by choice. By loyalty that runs deeper than any magickal connection.

Even without the blood bond, my devotion to Gaida is entirely my choice. Our choice. We know we belong together. She wants to have kids with me.

Kids.

That one thing that has always made me shudder.

It’s not that I don’t like kids, but the thought of being responsible for them and not turning into my parents, and the parents of every other pureblood vampire, has made me not want to have them.

Gaida does. She has made that clear. She has made it clear she wants that with me.

A familiar scent reaches me, sweet and distinctive. I turn to see Gaida approaching through the trees, her face pale but determined in the moonlight.

“Hey, gorgeous,” she murmurs.

Something warm unfurls in my chest at her words, her simple faith in me.

She laces her fingers through mine. “How are you holding up?”

The question catches me off guard. Everyone’s concern has been focused on Felix, on the ritual, on what comes after. No one has thought to ask how I’m doing.

“I’m fine,” I say automatically.

Her amused look tells me she’s not buying it. “And we all know what fine means.”

I chuckle. “No, I’m good. Just thinking.”

“About?”

“The future.”

“And what did you decide?”

“What makes you think I had something to decide?”

“Because you haven’t given me an answer yet.”

“About the kids.”

She nods.

We walk in silence for a moment, the moonlight filtering through the trees creating patterns on the forest floor.

“I want them,” I say finally, the words coming out easier than I expected. “With you. I want a family.”

Her steps falter. “Really? You’re not just saying that because...”

“Because you might die tonight?” I finish for her. “No. I’ve been thinking about it since you first mentioned it. I was scared.”

“And now you’re not?”

I laugh softly. “I’m terrified. But I realised something. My parents, your parents, Corvus’s parents, were terrible not because they had kids, but because they were terrible people. I’m not them.”

She squeezes my hand. “No, you’re definitely not.”

“Besides,” I continue, “our kids would be beautiful. Smart. Probably stubborn as hell.”

“Definitely stubborn,” she agrees, her smile warming something inside me.

We reach a small clearing, and I pull her to a stop.

“After tonight,” I say, cupping her face, “when Felix is turned and Mashtar is gone, I want us to start planning our future. All of us.”

“All of us,” she repeats, leaning into my touch. “I like the sound of that.”

I kiss her, pouring everything I feel into it. My love, my fear, my hope. She responds, her body fitting against mine perfectly.

We pull apart and keep walking again, this time in silence.

When we reach the circle, Felix and Luke are deep in conversation, their heads bent over one of the ancient books. They look up as we approach, relief visible on both their faces.

“There you are,” Felix says, coming to meet us. “We’re ready to begin the preparatory ritual. We need to cleanse the space before midnight.”

“I’ll keep watch,” I say, stepping back.

Felix looks at me with unexpected intensity. “Actually, I’d like you to participate in this part. We need four points for the containment circle. One for each element.”

I blink in surprise. “I’m not exactly ritual material.”

“You’re exactly what we need,” he insists. “Earth, air, fire, water. Four elements, four of us.”

I look to Gaida, who nods encouragingly. “He’s right. We need you, Dante.”

“What do I need to do?” I ask.

Felix smiles. “Just take your place at the northern point. I’ll guide you through it.”

As I move to my assigned position, I catch Luke watching me, his expression unreadable. Then he nods, a small gesture of acknowledgement and respect. Perhaps he understands better than I thought what it means to find your place, to belong.

We form a circle, the four of us connected by purpose if not by blood. Felix chants in an ancient language, words that vibrate with power.

In this moment, with power flowing between us, our differences fade to insignificance. Vampire and sorcerer, sired and unsired, ancient and young, we are united by something stronger than any of those distinctions. By choice. By loyalty. By love, in all its complicated forms.

And as the preparatory ritual reaches its climax, power flares through the stone circle like lightning, I feel something I haven’t experienced before: belonging. This is my place. These are my people. And whatever comes after midnight, I will stand with them.

For Gaida. For all of us. For this strange, improbable family we’ve created against all odds.

With the ritual complete, we step back.

Felix checks his watch. “Less than an hour until midnight.”

Less than an hour until he sacrifices himself to save us all.

“We need that damned sword,” I mutter. “Gaida. You need to call it.”

She gulps, but with a fierce nod that makes me love her even more, she pushes her fear aside to do this thing. This thing that will have far reaching consequences for all of us, but most especially her and Felix.