Page 1 of The Vampire's Bride

CHAPTER 1

VALARIC

Asharp crack of thunder booms overhead as lightning forks across the dark sky, seeming to echo my mood. Tonight, my curse will force me to take a new bride. To make a bargain with a desperate mortal, chaining her fate to mine.

Heavy rain beats down relentlessly upon me, but it cannot cleanse my soul of the sins that I bear. Dread settles in my chest as I walk toward the manor to claim my mate. If I cannot break the dark spell that controls me, my new wife will meet the same terrible fate as the others.

The manor looms up ahead, an elegant and ancient structure, with a set of grand and intricately carved double doors at the entrance, suggesting this family is one of great wealth.

As I stand before the entrance, I glance down once more at myself. My black boots are covered in mud from the few steps from my carriage. My heavy, red cloak is completely soaked through. Even my dark tunic and pants beneath it are damp and clinging to my form.

I knock on the door and then smooth a hand through my hair, wringing moisture from the short, silken black strands that fade into silvery-white ends. Drawing in a deep breath, I stand tall and lift my chin, my face set in an impassive mask as I wait patiently for someone to answer.

If my hair does not already give away what manner of creature I am, my red eyes, pointed ears, pale skin, wings, and sharp, black claws surely will.

Hopefully, whoever opens the door will have been told to expect a Vampire.

A sudden ringing in my ears is the only warning I receive before the world freezes around me. Droplets of rain are suspended mid-air as suffocating silence fills the space. Dread slithers down my spine as I realize I’m caught in an enchantment—a time dislocation spell, where the world beyond this bubble moves at a snail’s pace. Minutes in here are mere seconds outside.

Unease moves through me and my shoulders tense. The goblin blood witch must be nearby.

“I see you received my summons,” her dark voice sounds behind me.

A deep growl builds in my chest as I turn to face her.

Reptilian amber eyes fix upon mine, a wicked gleam in their depths. Her long, violet hair is coiled in a bun atop her head, and an evil grin spreads across her face, her white fangs a stark contrast to her pale lavender skin.

“Wait until you see the woman I’ve found for you.” Talindra gestures to the door. “I think you’ll be very pleased with this one.”

I clench my jaw as a maelstrom of emotions swirls within. I refuse to allow her the satisfaction of knowing just how much her curse affects me.

“You can pretend not to care, but I can already see the haunted look on your face, Vampyr,” she says, using the name of my people in the ancient tongue. “I expect this one will be particularly difficult for you.”

I narrow my eyes. I want to ask why, but I know better than to play this game. Any questions I ask will only be met with more infuriating threats and riddles. But there is one thing I am desperate to know. “How long do I have this time?”

With a wave of her hand, she conjures an image of a rosebush. Dozens of buds are scattered among the thorned branches, a hint of red barely visible amidst the dark green leaves. “As with the others, you have until the last petal falls to break your curse.”

I don’t need to ask what happens if I do not succeed, for I have already failed four times before. But I do wonder something else. Something I’ve never questioned before but will now. “Why roses to measure the time?”

Talindra gives a casual shrug. “An hourglass would probably have been easier—more precise. But it makes things more interesting, not knowing when the end will come. Do you not agree?”

Murderous rage churns in my gut. Someday, I will end this creature. She will pay for all the pain and suffering she has inflicted upon others, and for daring to ensnare a Vampire in the dark magic of her curse.

She reaches out, and it takes every bit of my composure to remain still as she traces the tip of her claw across my cheek. “Perhaps this girl will be the one to break you. The one that will make you understand my pain.”

Talindra speaks of her deceased lover. The one she begged me to turn, hoping it would save his life.

“I warned you,” I remind her, trying but failing to mask my frustration. “Only one in three survive the transformation.”

Anger flashes in her eyes. “Someday you will love, Vampyr. And when you do, I will be the one that takes your beloved from you, just as you took mine.” A sinister smile spreads across her face. “I look forward to that day.”

With a snap of her fingers, she disappears, leaving me standing alone as the rain starts falling again.

The door creaks open, revealing a woman with blonde hair threaded through with silver. Her eyes are bloodshot, her face pale and drawn with sorrow. In those eyes, I see the reflection of my own torment and burden. I hate this facet of my existence, this part of the curse that binds me to this never-ending cycle of despair.

“Good evening, madam.” I bow. “I am Lord Valaric of Greyvale, and if you invite me in, I believe I may be of assistance to you and your family.”

She stares up at me with wide eyes full of hope and yet tempered by fear as she considers her answer.

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