Page 9 of Blood Sings (Beyond the Gloom #1)

In ancient times, the concept of blood factories existed only in the minds of hopeless dreamers. Feeding was easy then. Humans were plentiful and easily controlled, lost in their wars and lust for power. But the Empire of Transylvania, led by my forefather Aurelius, made a crucial error—it neglected to enforce feeding regulations.

A human Changed , then a hundred, then a thousand more. Millions succumbed to bloodlust without proper guidance. Entire cities were abandoned overnight. Kings and their subjects vanished without a trace. Dynasties disappeared forever.

Chaos plagued my great-great-great-grandfather’s rule. The only silver lining that saved Solanthia from complete annihilation was that mixed-breeds couldn’t perform the Change. Still, with so many bloodthirsty killers on the loose, the outlook remained grim.

Aurelius, sick with remorse, took action to eradicate the hybrids. He imposed strict prohibitions against purebloods feeding on human blood, urging brilliant minds to find a more sustainable solution. Over time, other mortal races multiplied—ieles, varvas, balaurs—establishing dominions and competing for territory. Solanthia had other enemies to worry about.

The first blood bank appeared on Republic soil in the year 658, and not a single drop of mortal blood had been drawn by fang since then.

The doors burst open, and Ivan and Gregor stormed in, herding five terrified mixed- breeds. Primal fear permeated the air. An undercurrent of terror that only enhanced the swirling scent of their blood as their hearts pounded more and more of the delicious substance around their bodies.

It was intoxicating. Their heightened emotions only synthesized the aroma for my fangs to—

No.

I will not.

Saliva flooded my mouth, my fangs aching. I swallowed thickly, disgusted at my own reaction warring with predatory hunger.

Shock soon gave way to fury.

I launched to my feet, wood splintering under my grip. “What’s the meaning of this?” I demanded, the sound of my voice muffled over the roaring in my ears.

Silence.

Blood from shallow cuts tainted the mortals’ rags. A visceral pain seared through me, as if someone had plunged a hand into my chest and squeezed my heart.

“Explain yourselves!” I roared.

The guards exchanged nervous glances, eyes darting toward the exit. In the corner, three women huddled together, sobbing, their clasped hands a pitiful defense against a room of hunters.

Petru seized my elbow, forcing me back into my seat. “Sit down!” he hissed.

I reacted on pure instinct.

The crack of my hand against his cheek echoed off the vaulted ceiling. Petru’s head snapped to the side, loose strands of ebony hair falling free from his hair tie.

Shadows writhed beneath the table as his eyes, blazing scarlet, locked onto mine.

I staggered, one hand clamped over my mouth, the other still gripping the mangled backrest. Splinters bit deep, drawing blood that soaked into my sleeve.

The air hrked with Mother’s Darklings, plumes of dark smoke billowing on the outskirts of my vision. “Aurora, be careful or you’ll ruin your dress,” she said, her voice deceptively calm. I knew that tone—it was the devil’s whisper before hell broke loose.

She seized my wrist, her grip like iron as she wrenched my hand free.

I swallowed a cry of pain, silently pleading with her to spare the mortals. Her eyes flashed, irises shifting through shades of crimson. The vein on the side of her neck throbbed with repressed fury.

“Petru, dear,” she told my brother, her voice honey-sweet and just as deadly, “there’s no need to overreact.” But her false calm fooled no one.

I’d never seen Elena so livid. Public humiliation was her greatest pet peeve—whether personal or against the Tepes name. My loss of control didn’t just embarrass her. It dishonored our entire coven. For the heir to attack family… It was unthinkable.

Family drama stayed private. We didn’t air our dirty laundry in public. First Victoria and now this; it was shameful.

I lowered my gaze to the dark blooms on the table—dahlias, marigolds, roses—feeling the blush spread to the roots of my hair.

“Brother, please forgive me,” I murmured. Then, louder, “I apologize for my behavior. I don’t know what came over me.”

Elena’s smile was as false as the Great White the varcolacs worshipped. At her summons, a servant waltzed in with a new chair, ignoring the whimpering mortals as if this were just another day at the Tepes household.

“Everyone remembers their first time, dear. Isn’t that right, Alexandru?” she drawled, her nails biting into my shoulders as she steered me to my new seat—close enough to control any further… outbursts.

Alexandru’s gaze fastened on me and wouldn’t let go. “I can’t fathom how you kept her away from fresh blood this long.” He huffed. “Lev selected them on his last expedition beyond the walls. He wanted the best for his betrothed.”

The. Best. For. His. Betrothed.

Ice spread through my chest, my breath shuddering high in my throat. I felt so livid, I no longer cared if my composure revealed my weakness. That bastard . He did this to infuriate me, to flaunt his reach and influence over the Republic. Lev Wurdulak was above the law, and he wanted to ensure I knew it.

This was no courting gift—it was a power play, another damn twisted game.

Lev knew I wouldn’t harm the mixed-breeds. He wanted me to witness their suffering, to break me, make me compliant. Mother’s words had nearly blinded me to my hatred, and I had been close to caving in and going through with this alliance. But now? My loathing for him blazed with supernova intensity.

If he thought killing five souls would win me over and make me accept his hand, he could kiss this farce of a marriage goodbye. I would never be ready to tie myself to a man like him.

Over my dead body.

“Princess?” Alexandru’s voice cut through my seething thoughts. “Hopefully, you won’t keep us waiting too long? I believe I speak for everyone when I say we’re… ravenous.” His playful smile faltered at my glare.

“I’m not planning to,” I replied, frost dripping from every syllable.

Alexandru Wurdulak, Lev’s right hand, was a master of court politics. Though he seemed friendly, there was something about him that communicated incredible violence, as if he knew he was the most powerful person in the room and didn’t need to prove it. I had no doubt he could single-handedly annihilate everyone at the table.

It spoke volumes about my state of mind that, at that moment, I almost wished he would.

Alexandru rose, his Darklings swirling impatiently around him, and extended a hand. “How gracious of you, princess.”

Victoria folded her arms, pushing her breasts higher. The harlot. “Save your efforts, Alex. You’d wither away long before Aurora would harm her little pets,” she sneered.

Oh, how I longed to snap her neck, just to silence her for a moment.

Alexandru appraised me with sharp eyes, his smile as dangerous as a stray sunbeam—alluring, yet lethal. With an exaggerated bow, he offered his arm to Katerina, and they vanished in an instant.

I should have fled, but paralyzing terror rooted me to my chair. Without Elena’s support, I was powerless to save them. The mortals’ fate sealed.

Agonized screams shattered the air, each cry a dagger to my soul.

Katerina stalked toward the iele male cowering behind an armchair, his ivory wings jutting out like a neon sign. He scrambled back, sweat-slicking hair plastered to his face, and crumpled to the floor. The sickening crack of fragile bones snapping turned my stomach, and I stifled a sob. Blood and feathers trailed in his wake as he tried to get away from her.

Katerina blurred, seizing him by the collar, her razor-sharp fangs bared. “Look what you’ve done!” she snarled, tearing into his neck.

I watched, transfixed with horror, as pure anguish contorted the iele’s face, his body convulsing while Katerina drank greedily. His eyes, wide with terror, met mine for a fleeting moment. I witnessed the light in them flicker and fade, like a candle guttering out. All that he was and could have been was gone in an instant.

Sated, Katerina let out a satisfied sigh and discarded him like a ragdoll. His lifeless form collapsed to the floor with a muffled thump.

My stomach heaved. I tore my gaze away, only to see Alexandru tormenting another victim—a varva desperately summoning his magic. A water globe swelled between his trembling hands, twirling on its axis, growing bigger and bigger and—

The original melted into his Darklings, becoming one with the shadows. They expelled Alexandru behind the mortal.

His lips nearly touched the man’s ear. “Boo!” he whispered, shattering the varva’s concentration.

The globe burst, sloshing on the hard floor. Aquamarine eyes glazed with dread, silently begging for mercy.

But the Wurdulak wouldn’t have it. Alexandru gripped his neck, and the crunch of vertebrae echoed like breaking glass.

I stifled a scream, my hand firmly pressed against my mouth.

One by one, the Wurdulaks and my family disappeared into swirling darkness, leaving me alone at the table. The remaining women wailed as my ‘guests’ drained them dry, not even bothering to ease their suffering with blood magic.

My eyes burned, but I had no tears left. I wanted to vanish into the night, to unleash this sickness festering inside me at the uncaring stars. But it wouldn’t go away. It coiled tighter around my heart, its claws raking against my ribs—a reminder of the monster I was born to be. Horror, grief, and outrage tore me apart. I was drowning in a sea of red, suffocating. And still, that primal part of me hungered, filling me with self-loathing.

So, yes, I was beyond tears. Almost beyond sanity.

By Derzelas’ eternal fires, the sounds of our bloodlust were awful. I could hear them ripping flesh. It wasn’t quiet, elegant, or graceful. It was noisy, animalistic, and unbearable.

The reality of our violent nature crashed into me like a battering ram. For a century, I’d lived in denial. Without synthetic blood, I would become this—a bloodthirsty beast preying on the weak for a quick fix. The thought made me shudder. I’d sooner face the sun than turn into a cold-blooded killer.

Elena shadowed back to her chair, blood sloshing over the rim of her goblet. “You’ll have to get used to this, dear,” she said coldly. “Animals are for slaughter. Otherwise, it’s just a waste of good land.”

The discharged outliers… who will return to the Republic…

Nausea roiled within me. If I didn’t leave—now—I’d vomit right here at the table. I stood, chair scraping against the floor.

“I can’t—” I choked out. “This isn’t who I am.”

Elena set down her cup, fixing her gaze on me. “I’m sorry you had to find out like this, dear. The Red Moon is approaching. It’s best to acclimate to Lev’s way of feeding. Who knows, you might even enjoy it.”

Her betrayal cut so deep it stole my breath. I lifted my eyes to the ceiling, unable to look at her anymore. She had ambushed me—and lied about the fate of the outliers. My heart bled, shattering into jagged shards. I should’ve known by now that I could not escape her manipulation, no matter how far it pushed me.

Clinging to the last threads of my self-control, I navigated the sprawl of lifeless bodies. My fists clenched, the pain of the splinters grounding me. I knew losing my temper now would change nothing. It wouldn’t bring them back.

A human girl, not Changed yet, lay curled up on the floor. Her neck bent at an unnatural angle, bite marks marring her pale skin. Blood seeped into her clothes, her face frozen in an expression of utter terror.

This night had carved a wound so deep it would never fully heal. There was no reality where I could forgive Elena for this.

She was dead to me.

The pain seared like the inferno that had followed Father’s passing. Only, I knew, with time, it would dull to an ache—something I could learn to live with.

As the doors closed, Elena’s final, twisted barb slipped through the narrowing gap, “Happy Birthday, my dear!”