The castle was more than gigantic
One moment we were traveling through thick forest, branches scraping against the carriage windows. The next, the trees fell were milles away and we're somewhere else. A bridge spanning nothing but darkness, like someone had built a castle on the edge of the world and dared it to fall.
"Welcome home," Lucian said.
I pressed my face to the glass. "That's not a home. That's where nightmares go to breed."
"You'll get used to it."
"Will I live long enough to get used to it?"
His smile was sharp. "That depends entirely on you." For some reason that terrified me
The carriage wheels hit the bridge and I looked down. Mistake. There was no ground below us. No water. Just an abyss so deep and black it felt like staring into the space between stars. Like if I fell, I'd fall forever. This isn't a real place, everything still felt like a dream.
My stomach twisted. "What happens if someone falls off this bridge?"
"They don't come back." Lucian's voice was flat. "The Void doesn't give back what it takes."
Great. Married to a vampire, living over a literal pit to hell. This was going amazing.
The carriage stopped in a courtyard lit by blue flames. Torches that burned without smoke, without heat. Magic, probably. Everything here felt wrong in a way that made me want to throw up.
Lucian opened the door and stepped out. He turned back, offering his hand. Gentle man, huh as if
I stared at it. Last time I'd touched him, I'd felt everything. His loneliness. His exhaustion. A thousand years of living compressed into one horrible moment of understanding.
I wasn't ready to feel that again. It was to weird
"I can get out myself," I said.
Something flickered in his eyes. Disappointment? Relief? "As you wish."
I climbed down, and immediately wanted to climb back in.
The courtyard was full of vampires.
At least sixty of them, maybe more. All beautiful in that uncanny way that made you want to look closer and run screaming at the same time. They wore clothes that probably cost more than my village's yearly income. Silk. Velvet. Jewelry that caught the torchlight and threw it back like knives.
And they were all staring at me.
"My court," Lucian said quietly. "Be polite. Be careful. And whatever you do, don't show fear."
"Too late for that."
"Then lie better." He placed his hand on my lower back. Not grabbing. Not forcing. Just... there. A warning and a protection all at once. "Cassia Thorne, allow me to introduce you to the people who will spend the next three days deciding whether you deserve to live."
A woman stepped forward before I could process that absolutely terrifying statement.
She was tall. Taller than me, taller than Lucian. Pale skin of course it's a vampire thing, black hair falling past her waist in waves that moved like they were underwater. Her dress was red. The color of fresh blood. The color of every bad decision I'd ever made. Reminded me of the blood of that bastard I killed... By mistake
"So." Her voice was honey over broken glass. "This is the Lightbringer."
She circled me slowly. I felt like a rabbit being evaluated by a wolf. No. Worse. Rabbits were food. I was an insult.
"She smells human," the woman continued. "Weak. Breakable. Are we certain she has power, or is this another one of your failed experiments, Lucian?"
"Seraphina." Lucian's voice carried a warning. "Choose your next words carefully."
"I'm always careful." She leaned in close enough that I could see her fangs. "Tell me, little human. Do you even know how to use that power? Or did you just stumble into it like a child playing with fire?"
Something hot flared in my chest. That same golden heat from the marketplace. My hands tingled.
"Want to find out?" I met her eyes. "I can demonstrate. Might leave a mark though."
Silence.
Then Seraphina laughed. The sound was genuinely delighted, which somehow made it more terrifying. "Oh, I like this one. She has teeth." She smiled wider. "Metaphorically speaking, of course. Unlike us."
"Seraphina is my oldest advisor," Lucian said. "She's been with me for eight hundred years."
"And I've seen every one of your mistakes," Seraphina added. "This one might be the most interesting yet."
A man stepped forward. Blond hair, blue eyes, young-looking but with something ancient behind his gaze. He bowed, but it felt mocking. "Dorian Blackwood, my lady. Second-in-command and chief strategist." He straightened. "I give you two weeks before you run."
"That's generous," someone else called out. Laughter rippled through the crowd.
My face burned. Two weeks. They were betting on how long I'd survive.
"The last human who stayed here lasted eighteen days," Dorian continued conversationally. "She tried to escape through the eastern gate. The shadow hounds caught her before she made it to the tree line."
"Shadow hounds," I repeated.
"Giant wolves made of living darkness." He smiled. "They guard the perimeter. Very effective. Very hungry."
Lucian's hand tightened on my back. "Enough, Dorian."
"I'm simply being informative. She should know what she's walking into." Dorian's eyes glittered. "This castle has rules, little Lightbringer. Break them and you'll discover why humans don't belong here."
"What rules?" I asked.
"Never go to the lower levels after dark," Seraphina said. "Never enter the west wing. Never, ever try to leave without permission. And most importantly" She leaned in close. "Never make us regret letting you live."
The golden heat in my chest pulsed. "Is that a threat?"
"It's a promise."
"Seraphina. Dorian. Everyone." Lucian's voice cut through the courtyard like a blade. "Cassia is my bride. My chosen queen. In three days, she will be your ruler. You will treat her with respect or you will answer to me."
The vampires went still. That unnatural stillness that made them look like statues instead of people.
"Of course, my king," Seraphina said. But her smile promised violence.
Lucian guided me toward the castle entrance. The crowd parted, but I felt their eyes on me. Judging. Calculating. Waiting for me to fail.
We passed through doors so massive they looked like they'd been made to keep giants out. Or in. The entrance hall was cavernous. Black stone floors polished to a mirror shine. A staircase that split into two directions, spiraling up into darkness. More of those blue-flame torches casting everything in cold light.
"Your rooms are in the east tower," Lucian said. "You'll be safe there."
"Safe from what?"
"My court." He started up the stairs. "Not everyone is pleased about this arrangement."
"Yeah, I noticed." My legs were shaking. Exhaustion catching up with terror. "Why do they hate me?"
"Because you're human. Because you're a Lightbringer. Because I've ruled alone for three hundred years and bringing you here changes everything." He glanced back at me. "And because if you lose control of your power, you could kill every vampire in this castle."
I stumbled. "What?"
"Lightbringers create and destroy. Your power is light, and we're creatures of shadow. You're a walking weapon, Cassia. They're right to fear you."
"I don't know how to use it," I whispered. "I've used it twice. Both times were accidents. I can't control it."
"I know." He stopped in front of a door. "That's why your training starts tomorrow. But tonight, you need rest."
He opened the door and I stepped into luxury I'd never imagined.
The room was enormous. A bed big enough for six people, curtains of silk and velvet. A fireplace with actual wood burning, casting warm light that fought against the cold blue of the castle. Furniture that looked ancient and expensive. Windows overlooking the dark forest where shadow hounds apparently waited to eat anyone stupid enough to run.
"The bath is through there," Lucian said, pointing. "Fresh clothes in the wardrobe. Pull the bell cord if you need anything. A servant will come."
"Are the servants human?"
"Some. Others are vampires who choose to serve." He moved toward the door. "They're all paid fairly. I'm not a monster, Cassia."
"You're a vampire king who just told me I'm a weapon that could kill everyone here."
His smile was sad. "Yes. But I've never claimed to be good. Only honest."
He started to leave, and panic flared in my chest. "Wait."
He paused in the doorway.
"When is the wedding?" My voice came out smaller than I wanted.
"Three days. We need time to prepare." His silver eyes caught the firelight. "And you need time to decide."
"Decide what? I already agreed."
"You agreed to escape execution." He stepped back into the room. "But marriage to me isn't just survival, Cassia. It's power. It's danger. It's choosing to stand beside a monster and pretend you're not terrified."
"I am terrified."
"Good. Fear keeps you alive." He came closer. "But in three days, I need to know. Are you doing this because you have no choice? Or because you're brave enough to want it?"
"What's the difference?"
"Everything." He reached out, stopping just short of touching my face. "A bride who fears me will die in this castle. A queen who fights beside me might actually survive."
My breath caught. "What if I'm neither?"
"Then we'll both find out what happens when a Lightbringer burns everything down." His hand dropped. "Sleep, Cassia. Tomorrow, we start your training. You'll meet the seamstress for your dress. You'll learn the rules of this court. And you'll begin to understand what it means to be mine."
He left before I could respond.
I stood there, heart pounding, staring at the closed door.
Three days.
Three days to learn how to control power I didn't understand. Three days to survive a court that wanted me dead. Three days to decide if I was a victim or a player in whatever game Lucian was playing.
I crossed to the window and looked out at the darkness.
Somewhere down there were shadow hounds. Somewhere behind me was a castle full of vampires who thought I wouldn't last two weeks. And somewhere in my chest was power that could destroy them all if I lost control.
A knock at the door made me jump.
"Come in."
A girl entered. Human, young, maybe fifteen. She carried towels and wore a simple dress. "Begging your pardon, my lady. I'm Mira. The king sent me to help you prepare for bed."
"I can manage.."
"Please." Her eyes were wide. Frightened. "If I don't help you, he'll think I disobeyed. I can't... I need this job, my lady. Please."
Something in her desperation made me nod. "Alright."
Relief flooded her face. She moved to help me out of my dress, her hands gentle but quick. "You're very brave, my lady. Coming here."
"I'm not brave. I'm trapped."
"Aren't we all?" She said it so quietly I almost missed it.
I looked at her. Really looked. She was thin. Too thin. And there were faint bruises on her wrists, barely visible under her sleeves.
"Who hurt you?" I asked.
She went still. "No one, my lady."
"Mira."
"The castle hurts everyone eventually." She helped me into a nightgown. "That's just how it is."
"Lucian said.."
"The king is kind," she interrupted. "But he can't be everywhere. And there are things in this castle that even he doesn't control."
Ice slid down my spine. "What things?"
Her hands shook as she braided my hair. "The lower levels. After dark. There are... sounds. Screaming sometimes. And things that move in the shadows that aren't vampires."
"What are they?"
"I don't know. No one who goes down there to find out comes back the same." She tied off my braid. "Whatever you do, my lady, don't go to the lower levels. Don't ask what's down there. And if you hear screaming at night, put a pillow over your head and pretend you didn't."
She curtsied and practically ran from the room before I could ask anything else.
I stood there, cold despite the fire.
Things in the lower levels. Things that even the servants feared.
I climbed into bed, but sleep felt impossible.
In three days, I'd marry a vampire king. In three days, I'd become queen of a castle that might be more prison than palace. In three days, I'd either learn to survive this world or become another story about a human who didn't last.
I thought about Lucian's words. A bride who fears me will die. A queen who fights beside me might survive.
I wasn't sure which one I was yet.
But I knew one thing.
If I was going to be trapped in this castle, I wasn't going to be a victim.
I was going to learn their rules.
And then I was going to break every single one.