Page 1 of Cruel Vampire King

Chapter 1

Holakas was reported to be the most beautiful city on the southern continent. At least, that’s what the Holakas family would have the people of Taimarah believe.

The vampires had ruled the kingdom for centuries now, and had founded the city, named after themselves, shortly after they conquered the old kingdoms that had been there. According to the vampires, they ‘united’ the kingdoms into one unified entity covering half the continent.

It spread from the Humbolt Sea to the west all the way to the Monkshood Mountains in the east, bordered by the kingdom of Peche to the south and Ananke to the north.

I’d never been to Holakas before I rode in on a high-speed intercity train. The clacking of the wheels running over the tracks grew softer as we passed through the gates. Around me, the other passengers pressed their noses to the windows and gazed out at the city in wonder. Towering skyscrapers built out of multi-colored glass shone in the morning light, reflecting rainbows on the streets below. Besides the trains, there was no driven traffic; everyone was on foot or riding bicycles in their designated lanes.

For a moment, I was distracted by the sights as well. I hadn’t expected to find so many garden plots in the streets. It seemed like a river of green wound its way next to the train tracks, bursting with colorful flowers, vegetables, and fruit. There were no fences or guards around these plots. Maybe there were cameras to stop people from plundering the gardens?

Shaking those thoughts from my head, I checked the dimly lit screen over the seats opposite me, showing where wewere and what stops were next. My hands tightened on my knees. It had taken years of preparation, but I was finally here.

“Do you think they’ll broadcast the Blood Trials again this year?” one of the young men next to me asked his buddies eagerly.

I studied him in my peripherals. He was tall and muscular, with a neck tattoo of a bloody dagger. His dark hair hid the tips of his ears, but he had a certain graceful fluidness, even in standing still, that marked him as an elf.

He and his buddies started to talk about what they’d do if they were conscripted into the Trials. I tuned them out as soon as they started to brag about how easily they’d kill each other. It amused me to imagine their reaction if I stood up and said I was here to volunteer.

If they looked at me, they’d see a badly scarred woman who didn’t look threatening. The bulky sweater I wore hid my muscles, and my legs were so short that I had to push my feet to tip-toe for them to reach the floor. Humans tended to be shorter than most of the other species, but I was small, even for a human.

I got off at the next stop and made my way through the streets toward the colosseum. This was the day I’d spent the last four years dedicating every day to prepare for. I was going to win the trials, no matter what I had to do.

I was going to get Darcie back.

A bored-looking orc with a heavy jaw and protruding lower tusks sat at the entrance of the colosseum. She was one of several scribes taking the names of the volunteers.

“Name,” she said, not looking up at me.

“Elara Tideborne,” I answered.

She typed my name into her laptop. “Age?”

“Twenty-two.”

“Species?”

“Human.” I had some selkie in my heritage, but they didn’t need to know that.

“Right. Your number is—” she cut off abruptly when she looked up at me. Her eyes widened.

I smiled, my scarred lips twisting in a way I knew unsettled people. With the turtleneck I wore, she could only see the old burn scars that disfigured the lower half of my face. They traced lower, down my neck, and wrapped around my body in a wave that ended at my hip. Few people had seen the full extent of these scars.

The orc cleared her throat and handed me a sticky label. “Your number is five-oh-four. You’ll need to head to the blue banner for your qualifications.”

“Thanks.” I stuck the label with my number to my sweater and headed to the banner. There were several banners through the wide, open space of the colosseum, under which milled various configurations of people.

Netting created a dome over the colosseum, diffusing the sunlight. Undoubtedly, that was to ensure our vampire lords could watch with greater comfort. Vampire skin was sensitive to sunlight, especially fresh-turned vampires. The ones with vampire heritage tolerated it better, but it still gave him burns and sunstroke faster than many other species.

Tall walls rose up around the opening of the colosseum, lined with rows on rows of seating. A few dozen vampires milled about in these seats already. I imagined that once the Trials actually began, their numbers would swell greatly.

I swept my gaze over the vampires sitting above us, seeking out any familiarity in them. Disappointment hit me when I recognized none of them, but I chided myself quickly. I wasn’t here for revenge, and assassinating anyone this early in the game would only ruin my chances to save Darcie. I hadn’t dedicated my life to rescue my sister only to blow it now because I was impatient.

A tall, thin woman with a severe haircut clapped her hands, calling for our attention. Her silver eyes glowed, marking her as a vampire.

“Welcome, Volunteers, to the Blood Trials. Before we accept you into the Trials, you will have to prove your worthiness to be here,” she said, clasping her hands behind her back. “It’s not entertaining to watch small, weak people be torn to shreds, and an insult to the Gods for organizing these Trials in the first place.”

Her gaze landed on me, and a sneer twisted her lip. I gazed back coolly. It didn’t matter if this woman thought I couldn’t make it. Being underestimated was just one of my advantages.

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