crimson oath

the devil's bargain

Ethan's sword trembled in his grip.

"What did you say?"

Lucien stood beneath the moonlight as though he had all the time in the world.

"I said," he repeated calmly, "that if you kill me tonight, your sister dies before sunrise."

"You're lying."

The words came out sharper than Ethan intended.

Lucien's crimson eyes never left his face.

"Am I?"

Rage exploded inside Ethan.

He charged forward.

"You don't get to speak her name!"

The hunters shouted behind him.

"Captain, wait!"

Lucien sidestepped Ethan's attack effortlessly.

Steel sliced through empty air.

Again.

And again.

Every strike missed.

Finally, Lucien caught Ethan's wrist.

"You fight with your emotions."

Ethan twisted free.

"And you kill innocent people!"

Silence.

Lucien's expression darkened.

"You think everything you've been taught is true?"

"I know what vampires are."

"Do you?"

The wounded man at the base of the tree groaned.

Ethan glanced toward him.

The man's neck was injured, but he was alive.

Alive.

His breath hitched.

Lucien noticed.

"Interesting," he murmured. "You expected a corpse."

"You fed on him."

"He volunteered."

Ethan stared at him.

"That's impossible."

Lucien released a quiet laugh.

"You hunters really know nothing."

Before Ethan could respond, one of the hunters stepped forward.

"It doesn't matter!" the man shouted. "Captain, this is the Crimson Prince! We have to kill him!"

Lucien turned toward the hunter.

For the first time, something dangerous flashed across his face.

"Careful."

The warning came too late.

A deafening scream tore through the forest.

Everyone spun around.

Another hunter crashed through the trees.

He was covered in blood.

"They're here!" he cried.

"Who?"

The hunter stumbled to his knees.

"Rogues! There are dozens of them!"

A low growl echoed through the darkness.

Then another.

Then another.

Red eyes appeared between the trees.

One pair.

Five.

Ten.

Twenty.

Ethan's heart stopped.

Rogue vampires.

The hunters raised their weapons.

"We're surrounded!"

Panic spread through the group.

"We need to retreat!"

"We can't outrun them!"

One of the vampires lunged.

Chaos erupted.

A hunter screamed as claws tore into his shoulder.

Another was dragged into the darkness.

Blood sprayed across the forest floor.

Ethan cut down one attacker, then another.

But more kept coming.

Too many.

He looked toward Lucien.

The Crimson Prince stood motionless.

Watching.

"What are you doing?" Ethan shouted.

Lucien sighed.

"I hate cleaning up other people's messes."

Then he moved.

He became a blur of black and crimson.

A rogue vampire's head hit the ground.

Another burst into ash.

Another collapsed with Lucien's hand buried in its chest.

Ethan froze.

Lucien wasn't protecting the rogues.

He was slaughtering them.

The remaining vampires hesitated.

Fear flashed across their faces.

One whispered in horror.

"The Prince..."

Lucien's voice turned cold.

"You dare attack under my territory?"

The rogues fled.

Those who didn't were dead within seconds.

Silence fell over the clearing.

The surviving hunters stared.

No one spoke.

No one knew what to say.

The monster from their nightmares had just saved them.

Lucien brushed blood from his gloves.

"Pathetic creatures."

Ethan lowered his sword.

"Why?"

Lucien glanced at him.

"I don't enjoy watching idiots die."

"You saved us."

"I saved you."

The distinction sent a chill down Ethan's spine.

"What do you want from me?"

Lucien studied him.

For a moment, his expression softened.

"You really don't know."

"Know what?"

Lucien stepped closer.

Close enough for Ethan to notice the tiny scar beneath his left eye.

Close enough to realize that the feared Crimson Prince looked exhausted.

"You carry something people would kill to possess."

"I don't understand."

"You will."

Lucien's gaze shifted toward the eastern horizon.

"You have until sunrise to decide."

"Decide what?"

"Whether you hate me more than you love your sister."

Ethan's breath caught.

"If anything happens to Lily—"

"You'll kill me?"

Lucien's smile returned.

"You can certainly try."

He turned away.

"Wait!"

Lucien stopped.

"How do I know she's alive?"

The forest remained still.

Then Lucien reached into his coat and tossed something toward Ethan.

Ethan caught it instinctively.

His blood ran cold.

A silver hair ribbon rested in his palm.

Lily's favorite ribbon.

She never went anywhere without it.

"You..." His voice broke. "Where is she?"

Lucien looked over his shoulder.

"Come to Blackthorn Castle."

The moonlight caught his crimson eyes.

"Come alone."

"And if I don't?"

Lucien's expression became unreadable.

"Then pray you're not too late."

He disappeared into the darkness.

Leaving Ethan standing in the clearing.

Surrounded by blood.

Clutching his sister's ribbon.

One of the hunters grabbed his arm.

"Captain, don't go."

Another shook his head.

"It's a trap."

Ethan stared at the ribbon in his hand.

Maybe it was a trap.

Maybe Lucien intended to kill him.

Maybe the Crimson Prince was the monster everyone believed him to be.

But Lily was all he had left.

He closed his fingers around the ribbon.

Then looked toward the distant mountains where Blackthorn Castle stood.

"I have to go."

The hunters fell silent.

The oldest among them finally spoke.

"If you step into that castle..."

His weathered face turned pale.

"...your life will never be the same."

Ethan tightened his grip on his sword.

"It already isn't."

Far away, hidden beyond the forest and wrapped in mist, the towering silhouette of Blackthorn Castle watched beneath the moon.

And somewhere inside its walls...

Lily was waiting.

Or so the Crimson Prince claimed.