The sun had barely set when Ariana was led into the south wing—Damien's forbidden wing.
Only one vampire was allowed to reside here.
Asra.
Tall, raven-haired, with an expression as unreadable as the moon. She stood barefoot in a training circle, twin daggers gleaming at her sides. Unlike the others in the court, Asra didn't dress in elaborate silks or command the room with seductive power.
She radiated control. Calm. The kind that could kill in silence.
"Damien sent you?" Asra asked without looking up.
"No," Ariana replied, stepping into the circle. "I asked for you."
Asra raised an eyebrow.
Ariana unwrapped her cloak, revealing tight leathers Damien had given her—not decorative. Functional. "I want to learn to fight."
"You want to learn to kill," Asra corrected. "Good. Because if Xander reaches into your dreams, defense won't be enough."
Ariana swallowed. "He's trying already, isn't he?"
Asra didn't answer.
She just threw a dagger.
It landed an inch from Ariana's foot.
"Pick it up."
---
Later that night…
Ariana's muscles ached. Her palm was cut, her arms trembling from hours of brutal instruction. Asra had pushed her relentlessly, without sympathy.
But Ariana didn't back down once.
"You're better than I expected," Asra admitted as they sat in the circle, both drenched in sweat.
Ariana glanced at her. "You didn't want to train me."
"No," Asra said. "Because I knew the moment I did… I'd care."
Ariana looked away.
"There's something else you should know," Asra continued, her voice quieter now. "I was there the night Damien killed Selene."
Ariana turned to her, pulse quickening.
"She was losing control," Asra said. "But what they don't say is… Xander pushed her to it. Whispered in her ear. Fed her bloodlust like poison."
Ariana's heart pounded. "Why?"
"Because Damien never wanted to rule. He was the second son. Quiet. Dangerous. Xander was the golden one—until Damien saved the Elder's life in battle. That's when everything changed."
"And now?" Ariana asked.
Asra stood. "Now Xander wants to finish what he started. And if he gets to your mind…"
---
That night, Ariana slept alone in her chamber.
Damien was gone—investigating court traitors. Asra had retreated to her solitude.
The room was cold.
Too quiet.
She lay down, exhausted. Her body ached. Her thoughts wouldn't slow.
And then… she dreamed.
Only it wasn't a dream.
She was standing in the ritual chamber. The runes were burning.
A man stood across from her—taller than Damien. Older. Beautiful in a cruel way.
Xander.
"Hello, little queen," he purred, voice curling like smoke.
Ariana stepped back.
"You're not real."
"Oh, I'm very real," he whispered. "And now that Damien has touched your soul, so can I."
The dream shifted—chains wrapped around her wrists, the room spinning into a twisted mirror of the real chamber. Firelight danced across her skin. She was naked. Exposed.
"You're mine now, too."
He reached for her—
But a blade of light split the space between them.
Ariana woke up screaming.
Damien was already there—eyes glowing, hands gripping her arms.
"I felt it," he growled. "He touched your mind."
Ariana clung to him, shaking.
"I saw him. I felt him."
Damien pressed his forehead to hers.
"That's it," he said through gritted teeth. "I'm finishing the ritual. Tonight."