Page 133 of The Vampire's Bride

“Prince Raine is right. The mages will not simply go away.” Eben growls. “They conquered Snowhelm. Next, they will invade Aralon, and then they will come for Morrowynd after that.”

“How does your loyalty figure into all of this?” Damar asks.

“Raine said word of my marriage to Juliet has spread throughout the kingdom. That there are many who believe we are part of some prophecy written thousands of years ago by the Lythyrians. A prophecy about a—"

“Fallen Knight,” Damar finishes my sentence. “Of course,” he murmurs. His brow furrows deeply in contemplation. “It fits perfectly.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask.

“‘A blade once wielded in the light, now tempered by darkness. A blade in the shadows,’” Damar says, repeating the same words Raine said to me. He meets my gaze evenly. “Youwere a Shadow Blade knight that was turned. You were human once… you walked in the sunlight.”

He shakes his head. “How could I not have seen it? The Fallen Knight will be bound to a sanishon—an outsider. When you told me that Juliet was your fated one, I should have realized.”

“Then, you believe it’s true?” I ask incredulously.

“Yes.” His eyes snap to mine. “Raine believes this prophecy will turn the people to our favor.”

I nod. “He thinks it will grant House Greyvale more power on the High Council as well, which will elevate his voice as well if I publicly support him.”

“He’s right.” Damar frowns. “It’s a clever strategy on his part, but it’s also a risk. I won’t cast a vote on the Council for something I do not believe in.”

“I reminded him that you are the one who sits the Council for our House. He is aware.”

Damar nods before turning his gaze back to me. “Does Juliet know she is your ashaya?”

Guilt fills me. “I have not told her.”

“Perhaps you should. You must mark her as well, Valaric. We have too many enemies for her to remain unclaimed.”

Despair builds deep within. “How can I claim her? The witch will know if I do, and she’ll use it against me.”

“And if you do not claim her, she might be hurt anyway,” he counters. “I understand your concern, but Juliet is at risk from not only the witch, but from others of our kind. Someone could challenge you for her if she remains unmarked.”

“You believe that will keep her safe?”

“I do. But in truth, I cannot be sure,” he admits. “Sometimes there are no good options. But still, you must choose.” He repeats the advice he has given me at least a dozen times before.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him how the witch already changed my curse so that Juliet will die if we fail to break it. The only one who knows is Eben. And only because he is vital to my plan to save her if everything goes wrong.

Closing my eyes, I picture Juliet’s face. She is everything to me, and I cannot bear the thought of losing her. “I will think on it.”

“Did the prince say anything else?” Damar asks.

“He told me about the Northern Veil,” I tell him. “He believes the mages may have tampered with the wards, attempting to unleash the dark creatures on the other side of the barrier into Morrowynd. ”

“Or perhaps they wanted to reawaken the Ancient Ones,” Aerlyx offers.

“Impossible.” Damar scoffs. “Even if the Veil were to fall, the wards around the ruins of Ruvkyrn are impenetrable. They were made that way so that no one could ever reawaken the Ancient Ones from their eternal slumber.”

“It’s not impossible,” Aerlyx interjects.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

He glances at Damar. “You underestimate the power of the Mages. If anyone could find a way to break the wards, it would be them. They possess incredible abilities, far beyond what we assume.”

“You truly believe this?” Damar asks, a hint of skepticism in his tone.

Aerlyx nods. “Their dark magic is powerful and dangerous. It is destructive and chaotic at its most basic level. You should not underestimate them.”

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