The Vampire Duke and His Demon Bride

The first thing Evelina Ashbourne remembered from her dream was the fire. Not the warmth of it. The screaming. Flames climbed the walls of a palace she had never seen before, swallowing silk curtains and golden pillars. Smoke rolled across the ceiling in thick black clouds. Somewhere beyond the flames, someone was calling her name. Not Lady Evelina. Not Evelina Ashbourne. Something older. Something that sounded as though it had been waiting for her. She tried to run toward the voice, but her feet would not move. A man stood at the end of the burning corridor. He was tall, dressed in black, with his back turned toward her. His dark hair fell just below his shoulders, and the flames reflected strangely against his skin. Then he turned. His eyes were red. Not brown. Not hazel. Red. Evelina tried to scream. The man lifted his hand. "Come back." The words echoed through the burning palace. Evelina stepped backward. "I don't know you." His expression changed. For the briefest moment, something almost like sadness crossed his face. "You will." The ceiling collapsed. Evelina woke with a gasp. She sat upright so quickly that the blankets fell to her waist. For several seconds, she didn't know where she was. Her bedroom slowly came into focus. The faded blue curtains. The narrow wooden wardrobe. The small fireplace that had gone cold during the night. The little table beside her bed. Morning sunlight slipped through the curtains, pale and grey. Evelina pressed a hand against her chest. Her heart was pounding. Again. The dream had returned. She hated that dream. She had been having it for as long as she could remember. Sometimes the details changed. Sometimes the man disappeared. Sometimes she saw a woman running through the flames with a baby in her arms. But the fire was always there. And the voice always called her back. Evelina pushed the thought away. It was only a dream. She repeated the words silently. Only a dream. She climbed out of bed and crossed to the small mirror near the window. Her reflection looked perfectly ordinary. Twenty-one years old. Dark brown hair tangled from sleep. Brown eyes. A pale nightgown. Nothing strange. Nothing supernatural. Nothing worthy of a nightmare. She reached for her brush. As she began working through the knots in her hair, a sudden sting flashed beneath her collarbone. Evelina winced. She dropped the brush. Her fingers immediately went to the spot. There was nothing there. No cut. No bruise. Yet the skin felt strangely warm. She frowned. Then someone knocked. "My lady?" Evelina looked toward the door. "Come in." The door opened, revealing Mrs. Finch, the Ashbourne family's housekeeper. The older woman carried a small breakfast tray. "Your father requests your presence downstairs." Evelina sighed. "That sounds ominous." Mrs. Finch gave her a knowing look. "It usually is." That made Evelina smile. She quickly dressed in a simple cream-colored morning gown. The dress was perfectly respectable, though it had been altered several times. Her family could no longer afford to replace clothing simply because fashion had changed. When she reached the dining room, her younger sister was already seated. Seraphina looked up from her tea. "There she is." Evelina sat opposite her. "Good morning." "You're late." "I was asleep." "You have been asleep every morning for twenty-one years." Evelina raised an eyebrow. "And yet somehow I continue to wake." Seraphina laughed. Their father did not. Lord Edmund Ashbourne sat at the head of the table. He was a handsome man despite the grey beginning to show at his temples. His shoulders were straight, his clothing neat, and his expression unusually serious. Evelina immediately knew something was wrong. She looked at the empty chair beside him. Their mother had once sat there. Lady Elara Ashbourne had been dead for seventeen years. Evelina barely remembered her. Only fragments remained. A soft voice. Warm hands. The smell of lavender. And occasionally, a song she could never quite remember. Her father cleared his throat. "Evelina." She looked at him. "Yes, Father?" "I received a letter this morning." Seraphina leaned forward. "From whom?" Edmund ignored her. "From the Royal Palace." Evelina stopped. The silence that followed seemed heavier than it should have been. Then Seraphina gasped. "The marriage season." Their father nodded. Evelina groaned. "No." Seraphina stared at her. "You haven't even heard what he said." "I don't need to." Her father frowned. "You will attend." "Father—" "You will attend." Evelina leaned back. "I have no interest in parading around a ballroom while a collection of strangers decides whether I'm suitable for marriage." Seraphina's eyes widened. "You make it sound dreadful." "It is dreadful." "It is a ball." "It is a marketplace." "An elegant marketplace." "Still a marketplace." Seraphina rolled her eyes. Their father finally placed the letter on the table. "The Queen has formally opened this year's marriage season. Every unmarried daughter of a noble house has been invited." "Then every unmarried daughter may attend." "Evelina." She recognized the tone. It was the tone her father used when he had already made his decision. She looked at him. His expression softened slightly. "Our family has obligations." Evelina's irritation faded. There it was. The thing they never discussed. Money. The Ashbourne estate had once been prosperous. Their family name was still respected, but respect could not repair a leaking roof or pay servants. The east wing had been closed for two years because they couldn't afford the repairs. Several fields had been sold. Their carriage had been replaced with an older one. Even the silverware on the table had become noticeably thinner. Evelina knew. She simply hated acknowledging it. Her father continued. "There are debts." "I know." "I don't want you to marry simply because of money." "Then why am I being sent to a ballroom filled with men looking for wives?" He looked away. "Because I want you to have choices." Evelina almost laughed. Choices. That was what everyone called marriage when they wanted a young woman to accept it. Her father reached for the tea. "I will not force you into a marriage." Evelina studied him. "Promise?" "I promise." She relaxed slightly. "But," he continued, "I expect you to attend." She closed her eyes. "Of course." Seraphina clapped her hands. "Wonderful!" Evelina stared at her. "You are enjoying this far too much." "I've been waiting for this season." "You are eighteen." "Exactly. I have been waiting eighteen years." Evelina laughed despite herself. Their father shook his head. "You both have until the first ball." Seraphina immediately began talking about dresses. Evelina stopped listening. Her attention drifted toward the window. Outside, the Ashbourne estate stretched across the misty countryside. The gardens were beautiful even in their neglected state. Bare rose bushes lined the stone path. The fountain no longer worked. Beyond the estate stood a dense stretch of woodland. Evelina had always disliked that forest. She couldn't explain why. Sometimes, when she looked at it for too long, she felt as though someone was watching her from between the trees. A cold breeze moved through the room. Evelina shivered. Her hand instinctively went to the place beneath her collarbone. Again, warmth. She frowned. "What is it?" Her father's voice pulled her back. "Nothing." He watched her for a moment. Then his expression changed. Just slightly. Concern. Fear. Evelina noticed. "Father?" "Nothing." He stood. "I have business in town." He left the room. Evelina watched him disappear. Seraphina lowered her voice. "He's worried." "About the debts?" "I don't think so." Evelina looked at her. "What do you mean?" Seraphina shrugged. "Sometimes Father looks at you strangely." Evelina's stomach tightened. "What kind of strangely?" "Like he's remembering something." Before Evelina could answer, Mrs. Finch entered. She carried another envelope. "My lady." Evelina looked at it. "Another letter?" "Yes." The envelope was thick and expensive. There was a black wax seal stamped with an unfamiliar crest. A raven. Evelina stared at it. For some reason, her heart began beating faster. "Who is it from?" Mrs. Finch hesitated. "The Duke of Valemont." Seraphina nearly fell from her chair. "The Duke?" Evelina's fingers tightened around the envelope. Everyone knew the Duke of Valemont. Duke Lucien Valemont. The most powerful unmarried Duke in Aurelia. He was rarely seen at court. He didn't attend ordinary social gatherings. He had no known interest in marriage. Rumours about him were endless. Some said he was cruel. Some said he had killed a man in a duel. Others said his family had owned Valemont Manor for centuries without ever aging. That last rumour was obviously ridiculous. Evelina broke the seal. Inside was a single sheet of heavy cream paper. The handwriting was elegant. Precise. Almost unnervingly so. Lady Evelina Ashbourne, You are cordially invited to attend a private gathering at Valemont Manor following the opening of the royal marriage season. Your presence is requested. —Lucien Valemont, Duke of Valemont Evelina read it twice. "Why would the Duke invite me?" Seraphina leaned across the table. "Because he wants to marry you." Evelina laughed. "Don't be absurd." "I'm not." "He's never even met me." Seraphina's expression changed. "Are you sure?" Evelina looked at her. "Of course." But as she said it, something strange happened. For one brief second, the room disappeared. She was back in the burning palace. The dark-haired man stood before her. Red eyes. Black clothing. That same voice. Come back. Evelina gasped and dropped the letter. The vision vanished. Seraphina jumped up. "Evelina?" She stared at the floor. Her breathing became uneven. The black wax seal lay beside her chair. The raven. She didn't know why. But she had seen that symbol before. Not in a book. Not on a family crest. In her dreams. Evelina slowly bent down and picked it up. The moment her fingers touched the wax, a sharp pain shot through her hand. She pulled away. A tiny drop of blood appeared on her fingertip. The wax seal cracked. Not because she had pressed it. It simply split apart. Evelina stared. Seraphina stared too. "What just happened?" "I don't know." Neither of them noticed the faint red glow beneath Evelina's collarbone. Neither noticed the way the shadows in the corner of the room shifted. And neither heard the quiet whisper that seemed to come from nowhere. Evelina. She looked around. "Did you hear that?" Seraphina shook her head. "Hear what?" Evelina's pulse raced. Nothing moved. The room was silent. Then, outside the window, a black raven landed on the stone ledge. Evelina froze. The bird stared directly at her. Its eyes were unusually dark. Almost intelligent. For several seconds, neither moved. Then the raven spread its wings and disappeared into the morning sky. Evelina watched it go. She didn't know it yet, but hundreds of miles away, inside a dark chamber at Valemont Manor, a man stood beside an enormous window. Lucien Valemont held an old silver ring in his hand. The same ring he had worn for centuries. A servant stood behind him. "My lord." Lucien didn't turn. "She's here." The servant lowered his head. "Are you certain?" Lucien's fingers tightened around the ring. He had spent four hundred years searching for a bloodline that should have disappeared generations ago. Four hundred years remembering a little girl in a forest. A little girl who had looked at a dying vampire and refused to be afraid. A little girl who had pressed her bleeding hand against his lips and whispered that he would be all right. He had never forgotten her face. He had never forgotten her blood. And now, after centuries of silence, that blood had awakened. Lucien closed his eyes. For the first time in four hundred years, the ancient vampire felt something dangerously close to hope. "Prepare the manor." The servant hesitated. "For the marriage season?" Lucien opened his eyes. They were no longer grey. They were crimson. "For Lady Evelina Ashbourne." The servant bowed. "Yes, Your Grace." Lucien looked toward the distant horizon. He could feel her. Not clearly. Not yet. But enough. The girl who had once saved his life was gone. Yet her blood had returned. And this time, he would not lose her. Not to the humans. Not to the vampires. Not to the demons. Not even to fate. Lucien looked down at the invitation bearing Evelina's name. His expression softened. "Come to me." Far away, Evelina shivered. She had no idea why. She only knew that somewhere beyond the quiet hills of Aurelia, something ancient had awakened. And it was waiting for her. Evelina folded the letter carefully. She still couldn't understand why the Duke of Valemont wanted her at his estate. Perhaps it was simply a matter of courtesy. Perhaps he was looking for a wife. Or perhaps he had sent the invitation to every eligible woman in Aurelia. She tried to convince herself of the last possibility. It was easier. Seraphina, however, looked unconvinced. "You should go." Evelina glanced at her. "You were listening when I said I don't want to marry." "I was listening." "Then why are you encouraging this?" "Because attending a ball isn't the same thing as marrying someone." Evelina considered that. Unfortunately, her sister had a point. She looked again at the invitation. The Duke's handwriting was neat and deliberate. There was something almost formal about it. Not romantic. Not flattering. Just a request. Her father's words returned to her. I want you to have choices. Perhaps attending wouldn't hurt. "Fine." Seraphina's face brightened. "Fine?" "I'll attend the opening ball." "And Valemont Manor?" Evelina hesitated. "That depends." "On what?" "Whether I survive the first evening." Seraphina laughed. For the first time that morning, Evelina did too. Neither sister noticed their father standing quietly in the doorway. Lord Edmund's gaze rested on the invitation. His expression changed. Only for a moment. But Evelina noticed. "Father?" He straightened. "What?" "You know the Duke?" Edmund looked at the seal. "No." The answer came too quickly. Evelina narrowed her eyes. "You hesitated." "I was surprised." "Why?" Her father walked into the room and took the invitation from her hand. His fingers tightened around the paper. "Because the Duke of Valemont does not usually involve himself with families like ours." "Families like ours?" Edmund immediately released the invitation. "I meant families of our financial position." Evelina studied him. There was something he wasn't saying. Again. But before she could question him, he turned toward the window. "You should go." Evelina frowned. "You're encouraging me now?" "I'm encouraging you to see what opportunities the season might bring." His voice was calm. Too calm. Evelina knew her father well enough to understand when he was hiding something. But she also knew when he wouldn't answer. She took the invitation back. "Then I'll go." Edmund nodded. "Good." He left the room. Seraphina watched him disappear. "That was strange." "Very." Evelina looked down at the invitation. The black wax seal caught the morning light. A raven. She had never seen the Valemont crest in person before. Yet the design seemed strangely familiar. She couldn't explain why. Perhaps she had seen it in one of Father's old books. She dismissed the thought. "Come," she said, standing. "Where?" "We have a ball to survive." Seraphina immediately brightened. "And a dress to find." "We are not buying a new dress." "We absolutely are." "We cannot afford one." "We can borrow one." "From whom?" Seraphina smiled. "Vivienne." Evelina groaned. "That woman will make me wear something covered in feathers." "Only if you let her." "I won't." "You will." "I won't." "You will." They disappeared down the corridor, their argument fading through the old house. For the first time in months, there was laughter in the Ashbourne estate. But several miles away, in the quiet halls of Valemont Manor, laughter was the last thing on anyone's mind. Lucien Valemont stood before the tall windows of his study. A servant waited behind him. "The Ashbourne family has accepted the invitation." Lucien remained silent. After a moment, he turned. "And Lady Evelina?" "She will attend the opening ball." Lucien's expression remained unreadable. "Good." The servant hesitated. "Your Grace, may I ask why?" Lucien looked toward the invitation resting on his desk. Evelina Ashbourne. He had known that name for years. He had waited longer than anyone could imagine. But he would reveal nothing yet. Not to the girl. Not to the court. And certainly not to the vampire council. "Because," he said quietly, "this marriage season is going to be very different." Outside, the bells of Aurelia began to ring. The season had begun. And somewhere within the crowded capital, a young woman who wanted nothing to do with marriage was about to walk directly into the path of the most powerful Duke in the kingdom.