Lily awoke with a gasp, her lungs burning as though she'd been underwater for hours. The air was thick with incense, a heady mixture of smoke, spice, and something sweeter she couldn't place.
She was lying on a stone altar in a vast circular chamber. High above her, a dome ceiling glittered with ancient symbols that seemed to shift and shimmer when she tried to focus on them.
Candles burned in tall iron holders around the room, their flames flickering with an unnatural blue light.
She sat up quickly, her heart slamming against her ribs.
Azrael stood at the far end of the chamber, clad in black with crimson embroidery, a long ceremonial blade resting across his palm. His blood dripped slowly from a shallow cut on his hand into a waiting silver goblet.
Around them stood figures in hooded robes, their faces shadowed but their attention fixed entirely on Lily.
"What is this?" she demanded, her voice unsteady but fierce. "What are you doing?"
Azrael's gaze met hers, dark and impossibly ancient. "The ritual must be completed. You belong to me by blood, by mark… and soon, by soul."
Lily's skin crawled. "You're insane if you think I'm letting you do this."
Azrael smirked. "You don't have a choice, little one. Fate has already claimed you."
As if summoned by his words, a searing pain erupted in her wrist where the mark lay. She clutched it, gasping as it glowed brighter, a deep red pulse in time with her racing heart.
Azrael approached, the goblet in his uninjured hand.
"Drink," he commanded.
Lily recoiled. "Not a chance."
His crimson eyes narrowed. The room's temperature seemed to drop.
"Refuse, and the bond will consume you from the inside out," he said, his voice soft, dangerous. "You'll burn in agony, piece by piece, until there's nothing left but a hollow shell."
The hooded figures began chanting, their voices a strange, hypnotic cadence that made the hairs on Lily's arms stand on end.
Azrael knelt beside her, his expression both cruel and beautiful. "I am offering you power, protection… immortality. To stand at my side as queen."
"I didn't ask for this," she snapped, though her voice trembled.
"Neither did I, no one chooses their fate, it just happens and it's our responsibility to push through or give up" Azrael murmured, his eyes flashing something; unreadable pain, maybe, or memory. "But the bloodline chooses. The mark chooses. And now, so must you."
The pain in her wrist intensified. Her vision blurred at the edges.
"Drink," he urged again, holding the goblet to her lips.
Lily hesitated. Fear warred with survival. If what he said was true… could she survive this without giving in? The burning in her veins felt like it would rip her apart.
Tears stung her eyes. "I hate you."
"I can live with that," Azrael whispered.
She knocked the goblet away, sending it crashing to the floor, blood splashing across the cold stone.
Gasps echoed through the chamber.
A thick, crackling silence fell.
Azrael stared at her, and for a terrible second, Lily thought he might strike her down then and there.
Then he smiled a dark, wicked thing.
"So be it," he said softly.
He reached out, his fingers brushing her throat, and before she could move, he bit her.
A sharp, hot pain as his fangs pierced her skin. A rush of fire and ice flooded her senses. The world spun, the bond between them snapping tighter like an invisible chain.
Her scream echoed through the chamber.
But beneath the pain… a strange warmth bloomed.
A pull. A connection.
Her heart faltered, skipped, then beat in perfect sync with his.
When he finally pulled back, his lips were stained crimson, his eyes wild and victorious.
"There," he murmured. "The bond is sealed."
Lily's vision swam. The pain in her wrist vanished, replaced by a steady warmth.
She hated him.
And yet, some terrible, primal part of her craved more.
Azrael rose, addressing the gathered robed figures. "She is mine. The Blood Oath is complete."
The room erupted in murmurs.
Lily clutched the altar's edge to stay conscious, her body trembling.
Azrael's gaze found her again. "Rest now, little queen. Your new life begins soon."
The world faded once more.
But this time, the darkness welcomed her.
She felt herself falling.
Not through the air, but through darkness. A heavy, endless dark that wrapped around her like a thick blanket. She could hear voices in the distance. They spoke in a strange, old language, and though she didn't understand the words, something inside her seemed to respond.
You are marked.
You belong to him now.
A cold shiver went through her.
She gasped and sat up, her heart pounding. The room had changed. She was back in the dark stone bedroom with the huge bed and flickering fire. The heavy curtains hung over the windows, and shadows moved along the walls.
Everything felt sharper. She could hear the fire crackle, the wind whistle outside, and even soft footsteps somewhere far down the hall. Her skin tingled. Her body felt different, as if something inside her had shifted.
She looked down at her wrist. The strange red mark was still there, but it wasn't glowing anymore. It was warm though, as if it had sunk deep under her skin.
The door opened.
Azrael stepped inside, quiet as ever. His dark hair was loose around his face, and those deep red eyes locked onto her. He leaned against the door and crossed his arms, just watching her.
"I thought you would sleep longer," he said.
"What did you do to me?" Lily asked, her voice shaking.
Azrael walked closer. "I told you. The bond is sealed."
She pushed herself up to sit straighter. "I feel… wrong."
"That's because you're changing," he said. "Your body is reacting to my blood. The bond is waking up inside you. You'll feel stronger, faster. Your senses will sharpen. And you'll crave things you never have before."
"I don't want any of this."
"You will."
He sat on the edge of the bed, too close. His presence made her skin prickle.
Lily tried to stand, but her legs gave out. Azrael caught her, his hands steady on her shoulders.
"Easy," he murmured. "The first day is the hardest."
She slapped his hands away and glared at him. "Don't touch me."
Azrael only smirked. "You're mine now, little queen."
"Stop calling me that."
"I like the way it sounds."
The door opened again. A young girl stepped inside, carrying a tray. She had pale blonde hair and wide blue eyes filled with fear. She looked about Lily's age.
"My prince," the girl said, bowing her head. "I brought something for the lady to eat."
Azrael didn't even look at her. "Leave it on the table."
The girl hurried across the room. Her hands trembled as she set the tray down. When she turned to leave, her eyes met Lily's. In that single look, something passed between them.
A silent message.
You're not alone.
Then the girl slipped out the door, vanishing like she had never been there.
Lily's heart raced. She had no idea who the girl was, but in that moment, she knew one thing, someone in this place didn't want to see her trapped here.
Azrael moved to the window. He stared out into the night, silent for a while. The firelight made his pale skin glow and cast long shadows across his face.
"There's a lot you don't understand, Lily Evans," he finally said. "About this world. About what you are now. About what you mean to the people here."
"Then tell me," she said.
He turned to her, his expression different this time. Less cold. Less cruel. There was something else in his eyes. Sadness maybe. Or regret.
"Every generation, one is chosen," Azrael said. "A human girl with ancient blood. She's marked and bound to the Prince of the Night. Not just to be a bride, but to save this world from what's coming. You didn't ask for this. I didn't either. But the bloodline picked you."
Lily stared at him, her stomach tight with fear and anger. "Why me?"
"I don't know," he said softly. "But you're the last."
She swallowed hard, her throat dry. "I don't believe you."
"You will."
He walked toward the door, his voice low as he spoke again. "Rest now. Tomorrow, everything changes."
Then he was gone, leaving Lily alone in the flickering light.
She looked down at her wrist, tracing the mark with her fingers. She didn't know what she had become or what would happen next, but one thing was clear, she wasn't going down without a fight.
And maybe, just maybe, she wasn't alone after all.