Page 3 of Vampire Solstice

“Fen says the same thing,” I reply with a rueful grin. “Probably why he wanted nothing to do with it.”

Kayla nods. “Power should go to those who respect it, not crave it.”

I smile at her. “Yet another reason I was brilliant to appoint you as the new Keeper of High Castle.”

The sound of heavy boots echoes through the chamber as the final petitioner steps forward. But before he can speak, the air changes. A low hum vibrates through the room, growing louder until the very walls seem to shudder.

“What is that?” I ask, gripping the arms of the throne.

Kayla stiffens, her hand flying to her blade. “Protect the queen!”

The hum crescendos into a sharp, deafening crack, and a blast of icy wind sweeps through the room. The torches lining the walls flicker and die, plunging us into near darkness. In the center of the chamber, a figure begins to take shape, her silhouette wreathed in shadow and frost.

The woman’s form solidifies—a hunched figure cloaked in tattered robes, her gnarled hands clutching a staff carved with glowing runes. Her eyes, dark and unyielding, lock onto mine.

“By fire and ice,” she intones, her voice reverberating through the chamber, “I gather here to curse the queen and king to the realms of the forgotten. Come sunset, may the curse upon us become your curse, until such is resolved. This I decree by blood and magic.”

The air around her crackles with energy as she thrusts her staff forward. A flash of light blinds the room, and the air is filled with the howling of wind. When the chaos finally subsides, the chamber is deathly still.

I blink, trying to focus as Kayla steadies me.

“What… what does this mean?” I ask, my voice shaking.

Kayla stares at the center of the room, her face pale. “That… cannot be possible.”

I follow her gaze and gasp. A massive, gnarled tree stands where the witch had been moments before, its roots twisting into the stone floor, its branches scraping the vaulted ceiling.

The doors burst open, and Fen strides in, his expression sharp as his gaze darts to me. “Ari, are you safe? What—”

He stops short, his eyes widening as he takes in the sight before him.

“Is that—” Fen begins, his voice low.

“Yes,” Kayla replies grimly. “The Mythos tree.”

“It hasn’t been seen since the vampires first arrived in this land centuries ago,” Fen says, his voice gruff.

“A witch summoned it,” I say quietly. “Along with a curse.”

Chapter 2

The Mythos Tree

“Clear the room!” I shout, my voice cutting through the rising panic.

Kayla doesn’t hesitate, barking orders to the guards. “Get everyone out, now! Seal the doors behind you!”

The guards rush to herd the remaining petitioners out of the throne room, their shouts mixing with the murmurs of fear from the crowd. The heavy groan of the tree and the faint cracking of stone beneath its roots grow louder with each passing moment.

As the Mythos pulses again, a faint glow spreads from its base, crawling outward like veins of molten fire. But instead of light, it leaves decay in its wake. The stone blackens and cracks, the air growing colder, heavier, as if the tree itself is sucking the life from the room.

“Kayla!” I call, urgency tightening my voice. “Send someone to the nursery. Make sure the princess is safe.”

Kayla nods, signaling a guard, who sprints from the room. “She’ll be fine, Ari. We’ll handle this.”

Yami shifts uneasily on my shoulder, letting out a soft, nervous trill. Baron growls low beside Fen, his fur bristling as he steps protectively between us and the tree.

“What’s it doing?” I ask, my eyes locked on the spreading rot.

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