The Vampire King’s Chosen Blood

Chapter Two: The Night Court

I woke up screaming. My voice echoed, sharp and broken, bouncing off cold stone walls before dying into silence. I sat up fast, my chest rising and falling like I had been running. My hands shook as I touched my face, my neck, and my arms. Everything was still there. Still human. Still me.

The forest was gone. The village was gone.

I was lying on a wide bed covered with black sheets so soft they felt unreal. The room was huge, lit by tall candles that burned with blue flames. The walls were carved with symbols I did not understand, old markings that made my head ache when I stared too long. I was not home. Fear settled deep in my stomach.

I slid off the bed slowly, my bare feet touching the cold floor. I was still wearing my wrapper and blouse, but they had been cleaned. My hair, which I had tied before going to the stream, now fell loose down my back. Someone had touched me. Not in a bad way, but without my permission.

"Hello?" My voice sounded small in the large room. There was no answer.

I walked toward the tall doors at the far end of the room. Before I could touch the handle, they opened on their own. Two men stood outside. They were not human. Their eyes glowed faintly red. Their skin was dark and flawless, their movements too smooth and too controlled. They wore long black robes trimmed with gold, and both bowed slightly when they saw me.

"Good evening, Lady Amara," one of them said.

Lady. My throat tightened. "Where am I?"

"You are in the Night Court of Aru," the other replied. "Under the protection of His Majesty."

My heart skipped. "The king?"

Their expressions changed just slightly. "Yes," the first one said. "The Vampire King."

My legs weakened. Vampire. So it was not a dream. Not madness. Not fear playing tricks on my mind. The stories were real. The night people, the blood drinkers, the immortals our elders warned us about but spoke of only in whispers.

"I want to go home," I said. My voice cracked, but I lifted my chin. "You cannot keep me here."

The men exchanged a look. "I’m afraid that is not possible," one said gently. "Not anymore."

Anger flared inside me, hot and sudden. "You kidnapped me!"

"We brought you," he corrected. "Because you were chosen."

"Chosen for what?" I demanded.

They did not answer. Instead, they stepped aside. "Please," one said. "The king is waiting."

Everything in me screamed to run, but where would I go? This place felt endless, heavy with power and night. I followed them. The corridors were long and wide, lined with tall pillars carved like ancient warriors. Torches burned with the same blue fire, casting shadows that moved even when nothing passed them. Other vampires watched as we walked by. Men and women, some beautiful and some terrifying, but all of them powerful. Their eyes followed me with hunger, curiosity, and something darker.

I wrapped my arms around myself. At the end of the corridor stood massive doors carved with symbols of the moon and the sun locked together. The guards stopped and one knocked once.

"Enter," came the voice.

That voice. The same one from the forest.

The doors opened. He stood at the center of the room dressed in black and gold, his presence filling the space like a storm waiting to break. His hair was dark and pulled back neatly, his face sharp and beautiful in a dangerous way. His eyes met mine. Red. Not wild or cruel, but controlled. Watching.

King Zareth.

Every instinct in me screamed that he was death. And yet, my heart beat faster for a reason I did not understand.

"You may leave," he said to the guards. They bowed and disappeared, leaving me alone with him. Silence stretched between us. "You scream when you wake," he said at last. "Most do."

"I am not most," I replied before I could stop myself.

One eyebrow lifted slightly. Amusement flickered across his face. "No," he said. "You are not."

I swallowed hard. "Why am I here?"

He walked closer. Each step was slow and deliberate. I held my ground even though fear crawled up my spine.

"Because your blood is rare," he said. "And because fate does not ask for permission."

I clenched my fists. "I am not some animal you can cage."

Something dark flashed in his eyes. "You are under my protection," he said firmly. "No one will touch you without my consent."

"That does not make this right."

For a long moment, he simply looked at me. Then he sighed. "You were born into a story older than your village," he said. "Older than this kingdom. And now, that story has found you."

I shook my head. "I don’t want this."

"I know," he said quietly.

That surprised me. He turned away, walking toward the tall windows that overlooked the night. The moon hung low and full, bathing the land in silver.

"You will stay," he continued. "You will be taught. You will be protected."

"And if I refuse?"

He looked back at me. "Then the world will tear you apart before the next full moon."

Cold fear settled in my bones. He took one final step toward me, close enough that I could feel the chill of his presence and the heat beneath it.

"You belong to the Night Court now, Amara," he said. "And whether you like it or not, you are mine to protect."

My breath caught. I did not know which frightened me more: the danger outside these walls, or the way my heart responded to the king of monsters standing before me.