The joyous revelation that Anastasia was the Chosen One had barely settled when unrest began to stir among the crowd. The presence of a vampire—even one as young and gentle as Peter—was a wound to the long-standing hatred buried deep in the hearts of the Varethians. Murmurs grew louder. Distrust spread like wildfire. Several soldiers at the edge of the gathering stiffened, their eyes narrowing, their hands moving to unsheathe weapons.
“He may be a boy,” one soldier muttered darkly, “but he’s still a vampire... our enemy.”
The air thickened with tension as the soldiers prepared to strike. But before they could move, two figures stepped forward with fierce resolve.
Jeremiel and Lydia—still weeping from the revelation that their long-lost daughter was not only alive but the Chosen One—now
