1. Calix

Chapter one

Calix

L ike the obedient husband I’m supposed to be, I wait for Helios to return home from his feeding. He’ll be back any moment now, after tormenting whoever he pleases—likely wreaking havoc on some poor human before draining them dry.

It’s expected for us, as creatures of the night, to possess control and grace. Only the weak are unable to control their blood lust. According to vampire beliefs, our ability to control our urges should strengthen with age. Well, Helios is old as fuck, and yet he only gets worse the older he gets. That lack of control disgusts me.

He disgusts me.

As if summoned by the gates of hell, the door opens and Helios strides in. “Calix, my love. You look gorgeous tonight.” He clicks the door closed behind him and shrugs out of his bloody jacket. “Already on the bed, eagerly awaiting me, I see.”

My cheeks flame, and I bite back my smart-ass remark. I’m on the bed because he demands it, nothing more. When my eyes trail up his pants and see he isn’t tenting his trousers, I relax, letting him see a smile on my face. He must have gotten his rocks off with the human. I just pray he didn’t kill the innocent thing.

“How was your feeding tonight, husband?” I ask, trying to ignore my own hunger. Being a little hungry every once in a while is good for me , I remind myself. The more I can control my urges while hungry, the more it means I can walk amongst humans when I escape this hell.

Helios takes off his gloves by tugging at each fingertip until the material slips off his hands. He tosses the gloves onto his dresser and spins around to face me. He smiles then, combing a hand through golden curls.

My eyes follow the movement, just as the daylight ring on his pinky finger sparkles. Helios sits next to me on the bed. I flinch and try to hide it by standing.

“Beautiful young thing,” he says, as if lost in a fond memory. “Reminded me of you, before you were turned. He had long blond hair and vibrant blue eyes. Not quite as pretty as you were, but still my type.” He grins.

“Sorry I no longer please you, Helios,” I bite back as I walk toward our bedroom window. In some weird, fucked-up way, I know Helios was paying me a compliment, but I never wanted to be a vampire. Never wanted to be here.

“Aw, don’t be like that.” His silver eyes gleam. “You know how sexy humanity is to an immortal.”

Once, Helios admitted he enjoyed seeing me jealous. Just another good reason to continue pretending. I’m always pretending around these vampires, ever since I was kidnapped at just fifteen.

A soft tapping sound comes from the door.

“I asked Nico to join us.”

My stomach growls loudly and Helios chuckles. The heat returns to my face.

Helios stands to answer the door, pausing in front of me. He traces a finger over my cheeks. “I love how you can still blush, my sweet. Give it a hundred years or two, and that will go away. But for now, at least, I can pretend my young husband is still human.”

It takes all my willpower not to pull away. Instead, I stare into his gaze, never breaking eye contact, as if we are equals. I used to quiver under these vampires, scared of making a wrong move. Oh, how far I’ve come. Sometimes I pretend to still be the meek little human they stole in the middle of the night. Though I plan and plot, moving across the imaginary board until I, a mere pawn, can take them all down.

Nico enters the room, his eyes immediately locking on mine. Excitement radiates from the handsome young witch, and hope swirls in my stomach. As soon as Helios turns his back to shut the door, Nico gives me a quiet nod.

My mind races, and I wonder if there’s any way to be alone with my friend. Helios walks past me and into our bathroom. “Helios,” I purr.

His head pops out of the bathroom door. He arches a brow and smirks. “Please shower. I can smell him on you.” I narrow my eyes for good measure. “I don’t want to smell your dinner while we make love later.”

His smile grows even wider. “Of course, dear.”

Once the water turns on, I reach for Nico’s hand and tug him toward the bed eagerly. I press a finger to my lips, even though it’s unnecessary. We both know we can’t say anything without my husband hearing. Just in case, we both peer behind us as Helios starts singing under the shower’s spray. Such a pity that someone so monstrous can possess such a pleasant voice.

Quietly, Nico pulls a cloth out of his pocket and unwraps it. My eyes widen when I see the syringe. He pulls me in close and whispers directly into my ear. “The potion only weakens,” he says, too afraid to say anything more with a vampire so close.

I nod, taking it carefully from his hands and wrapping it back up. Tears spring to my eyes, and I mouth the words ‘ thank you ,’ before tugging him into a fierce hug. He nods against me, trembling slightly, reminding me he’s just as much a prisoner as I am.

“You must drink, Calix,” he says out loud. “To keep your strength up for such an important night.”

He tilts his neck in the traditional submissive pose, but I shake my head. I’ve always refused to drink from him like this. I know how intimate feeding can be, and I never want to force my friend to feel aroused the way I was when I was a blood slave. I reach for his wrist and bring it toward my lips.

Nico yanks his wrist back and exposes his neck again. “You’ll get more this way. You need your strength. Please, drink from my neck, Calix.”

A chuckle comes from the bathroom, but luckily the shower is still on. No doubt Helios heard Nico and just assumed the witch wanted to feed me… among other things. I narrow my gaze. Nico is smirking. He said it out loud because he wants Helios to hear. Nico wants me to feed. My friend is trying to help me, but I hate feeding this way. I feel like it’s an act that should be done between lovers. Not friends or people who are trying to nourish me.

I frown, pulling him close to me. My fangs elongate, already eager for his blood. When I sink my teeth into my friend’s throat, I make sure to push arousal through the bond—it’s either that or pain. Nico immediately moans. Without preamble, I feed quickly and efficiently, then clean him up by licking the wound closed. Loud enough for Helios to hear, I tell Nico to keep his phone on and to wait for my text, as I may want to feed after my husband and I have fooled around.

Nico nods, understanding my meaning. If I can help it, I will never have to touch that vampire again after tonight. I might enjoy sex, especially when it’s the only way for me to escape the boredom of being held captive. But I would prefer to have sex on my own terms, not as leverage to save my life.

When I was fifteen, a rogue vampire by the name of Dante came to my house and killed my parents. He initially took me intending to use me as a bargaining chip, but when no one came searching for either of us, he figured he would use me as a blood bag instead.

For years, rage and fear ruled my emotions. I wanted revenge, but I was too scared and fragile to take it. I was only human, after all. Back then, all vampires scared me, but shortly after being taken, I discovered only rogue vampires are the evil ones.

Fortunately, other than being held against my will and randomly treated like food, Dante wasn’t necessarily mean to me. Not until I turned nineteen and someone from his nest mentioned how pretty I was. Being such a powerful figure, he realized that my beauty could gain him plenty of favor amongst the rogues living in their court. So, he showed me off like a toy, his pretty little blood slave . He became obsessed with me and the attention I brought him. Eventually, he passed me around to all his friends. I had to learn quickly how to harden my emotions to survive.

Terrified of being drained dry, I used my body to my advantage. A year later, I met Helios, a prince amongst the rogues. He was all power, grace, and control. The complete opposite of Dante. At first, he would request just my time, showering me with gifts and conversation before feeding from me.

Once Helios had his mind made up, he told Dante that he wanted me.

Dante refused to give me up. One night, I overheard him tell Helios the reason he killed my family. A seer told him that a Darkblade Witch would be his downfall. Helios chuckled and called Dante a fool. Helios reminded him I was still a Darkblade Witch, and that he’d gladly take me off his hands to prevent the seer’s prophecy. Helios even promised to keep me captive in his mansion.

To my surprise, Dante agreed, but only if he could have one more night with me. Out of all the vampires I worried about, it turned out to be Dante who took my human life away from me. It was Dante who lost control and drained me dry. Realizing he fucked up, he turned me into a vampire before it was too late.

Helios was angry when he found me. He didn’t need another vampire, but he could always use more humans to feed from. Nevertheless, he took me in and taught me how to feed. How to control my urges and deal with new abilities. At first, it was as if the prince of rogues was my savior. But after a while, Helios’s true colors finally bled through. It turned out he was a monster, the same as all the other rogues.

Determined to survive, I hardened my emotions even more. I buried my fear and sorrow somewhere deep within myself. I suppressed my sadness, thoughts of my family, memories of my best friend, and any dreams I had for my once-human future. I shoved all my emotions into this tiny little treasure chest deep inside my heart and locked it away.

Then, I seduced the murderer in my bed.

I must admit, being this monster’s husband is better than being a living blood bag. Dante gave me a gift the night he turned me. Not only was I no longer a blood slave, but I now had new abilities, speed, and strength. The night of my wedding to Helios, I vowed I would do everything in my power to learn how to become even stronger.

And when the time comes, I will seek revenge on those who decided to hold me against my will.

***

I’m dreaming of the dragon with amethyst wings, again. I used to sleep often as a human, now? Not so much. When I was trapped in that hell with Dante, I dreamt of him often—my pretty, jeweled dragon who would save me from this horrible castle. It only took me a year to realize fairytales aren’t real, and I’m no princess. A dragon won’t be the one to save the day. No. I need to save myself.

Cool hands wrap around my waist, and I still. My eyes snap open. Crimson curtains. Black brick walls. I’m in my room, the cold dark place that feels more like a prison than a home. Regardless, I relax when I realize it’s just Helios wanting more. Always more.

I take a deep breath and count to five. It’s the only amount of time I allow myself to come to terms with my situation and place my imaginary mask back in place. Prying his hands off me, I try to slide out of bed only to be stopped with a deadly grip around my neck.

Even though I’m undead, my heart rate quickens at the threat. Helios’s grip tightens, and he snarls in my ear. “What did the little human mean when he said ‘You must drink… To keep your strength up for such an important night.’ What’s so fucking important about tonight, dear husband?”

My mind races before settling on a quick answer. “Tonight is my birthday,” I snarl back.

His fingers loosen their hold. Thank the gods I’m not facing Helios, because my gaze unconsciously darts to my robe, concealing the potion that renders vampires immobile for a couple of hours.

As soon as he lets go, my inhuman vampire speed is taking me as far away from Helios as possible. I lean against the far wall near the sliding door to our balcony. Since I moved so quickly, it caused the blackout curtains to flutter.

Helios growls. “Get away from the window, Calix. Do you want to burn yourself in the morning sun?”

“Well,” I say, trying to distract him. “Aren’t you going to say happy birthday?”

He grits his teeth, still on edge. I force my face to relax and give him the sultry look I’ve perfected over the years. “Helios, aren’t you going to say happy birthday?” I repeat.

His face softens. “Happy birthday, dear. How old are you? I never keep track of such trivial things.”

“Thirty.”

“Right, thank the gods you can’t age. Nineteen suits you. Could you imagine me trying to show off a thirty-year-old human?” He laughs.

Anger rushes through me. Bastard . “I was twenty when I was turned against my will,” I snap. I walk to the closet door that’s partially open, pull out my robe, and tuck my phone into the pocket.

He waves a hand in the air dismissively. “Don’t ruin it for me, Calix. If I say you look nineteen, then you look nineteen.”

I wrap the white terry cloth around my body, feeling vulnerable—another useless emotion that does nothing but hurt me.

“Take it off. I don’t like it when your body is covered.”

Helios has been becoming more and more impatient with me lately. Not to mention, I see the way he eyes Nico. If I’m going to escape this hell, I’ll need to do it sooner rather than later. I have to run before Helios decides to just get rid of me once and for all. My hand slides into the pocket of my robe. As soon as my fingers touch the cloth that hides the potion, relief rushes through me.

“I would like my gift first,” I reply.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

I roll my eyes. “My gifts. For my birthday. Please tell me you got me something.” In the ten years that I’ve been imprisoned here, Helios has never gotten me a birthday present. The necklace around my neck is a pleasant reminder of the birthdays I used to celebrate. It’s the one thing I allow myself, something from my old life that I cherish to this day.

“This is fucking ridiculou—”

“I want to see the sun,” I interrupt. “That’s what I want, for my gift.”

Helios’s eyes widen with shock.

I laugh bitterly. “Gods, your face. I don’t want to commit suicide, dear husband. I just want to walk out into the sun for a minute.”

His gaze drops to the daylight ring on his pinky finger.

I walk over to him and caress the cool metal with my fingertips. “Can I?”

“No.” He spits the word out like a curse. “If this is some trick to run—”

“No trick. Just let me go on the balcony. I can’t jump from a third-story building onto the rocks below. I can’t run. I just want to feel the sun on my skin.”

He studies me for a moment before he finally nods. Helios twirls the ring with his thumb. “Okay, three minutes. You walk outside, take in your fill, then you walk right back in.”

My heart pounds. Holy shit, I never thought he would say yes. He tugs his ring free and holds it out to me. With trembling hands, I pluck it from his open palm. The ring fits perfectly onto my ring finger, a fact I’ll find ironic later, I’m sure.

Pushing the door open, I walk out into the sun for the first time in ten years.

Sunshine sparkles on the blue lake in front of me and birds chirp in the distance. I’m hit with a sudden wave of sadness. Why did I ever take my freedom for granted? Is it possible that the dam of emotions I’ve suppressed for so long could really be broken by a bird’s song or the warmth on my skin?

Tears flood my eyes. This isn’t sympathy for my previous human existence, it’s rage towards my captors. Anger for my lost future, and fury for my family, who were murdered in front of me. I stagger. Overwhelmed with emotions.

I gasp.

“The sun is beautiful, isn’t it?” Helios stands by the balcony door, wrapped in shadows. I wonder if he has a special attachment to the sun because of his name, or if most vampires just crave what they can’t have.

I tilt my head upwards and enjoy the warmth like a cat in the sun. After what seems like only a minute, Helios speaks up. “Time’s up, Calix. Come back inside. Now.”

The intensity of his demand tightens around my chest. It’s as if my heart is constricted by chains. I stand there under the sunlight for a moment longer. Helios snarls. Pasting a fake smile on my face, I walk back into the room and throw my arms around his neck.

“Thank you.”

His grip around me becomes dangerously tight. “Next time, you’ll listen, or you won’t like it when I punish you.”

The last thread of control snaps. With inhuman speed, I yank the syringe out of my pocket and plunge it into Helios’s neck.

Helios reaches for me furiously, hand stretched out and almost wrapping around my throat when the potion kicks in, causing him to freeze in place.

To my shock, Helios speaks, still able to talk. “What the fuck have you done?”

I stumble back a step, lips parted, heart racing. After a minute of just standing there like a deer caught in the headlights, I finally move. The first thing I do is text Nico.

Calix: I need you. Come to my room. ASAP.

“You foolish fucking boy. Fix me,” Helios demands.

I rush back into my room and start shoving clothes into a duffle bag. Then, with shaky hands, I yank the mini fridge in the corner open and stuff a small cooler with blood bags. Fuck. Where the hell is Nico?

Helios is still frozen in place by the balcony door. “If you run, I’ll find you. How long does this potion last?” Helios chuckles. “A few minutes? Hours? How far do you think you can get before I come after you?”

Don’t listen to him. This is my only chance for freedom. I’ll never have an opportunity like this again. I just want to be free. It’ll be worth it when I get far away from this place. Away from these evil vampires who want to control every aspect of my life; when I eat, when I sleep, who I fuck. Soon enough, my life will be my own again.

The soft click of the door sounds behind me, and I whip around in time to see Nico take in the scene. His mouth falls open and sweat beads on his forehead.

From this angle, Helios can’t see the door. “Who is that? Nico, is that you? I can smell your fear, boy. Come over here and help me.”

Nico turns wide eyes my way. When his gaze sweeps over my body and to my bags, Nico visibly relaxes, looking relieved. The kind smile he gives me thaws my cold heart. It’s been so long since someone seemed concerned about my well-being. I finish shoving clothes into my duffle.

“Did he hurt you?” Nico asks, lightly touching my shoulder. I shake my head.

“Nico!” Helios roars. “Get over here and help me.”

The young witch looks frightened, but he’s brave. Braver than I was at his age. A decade ago, I couldn’t imagine myself just not responding to the furious vampire. Nico’s magical bloodline allows him to fight the vampire compulsion radiating from Helios.

“Tell me what’s going on. Are you both running? Together?” Helios laughs as if the mere thought is funny. “How fucking romantic.” The longer we ignore Helios, the angrier he gets. There is nothing romantic between Nico and me, but something tells me Helios could never understand.

I zip the duffle closed and secure the latch on the cooler filled with blood bags.

“Both of you are going to fucking pay for this shit. Nico, you’re dead. Fucking dead, you hear? I’m going to feed from you until you're dizzy and confused. Then I’m going to take that virginity you treasure so much.” Despite Helios’s cruel words, a moment of relief washes over me. At least they didn’t take that from Nico, too.

“And you, dear husband, I know how much you hated being passed around. I saved you from that, you foolish boy. I saved you from nightly torment, and this is how you repay me?” Helios snarls. “I’m going to make you watch while I take this little witch apart. Then when I’m done with you, if you’re lucky, maybe I’ll return you to Dante and his friends.”

Blood rushes to my head, and I feel the moment my emotionless mask crumbles to ash. Panic. Rage. Fear.

During my blind panic and all the blood rushing to my head, I don’t realize that Nico’s heart rate has picked up speed. It’s not until I hear the whimper that tumbles from his throat do I register his fear. Helios’s arm is no longer stretched out, somehow, it’s down at his side.

I gasp.

He’s breaking through the spell. If he’s strong enough to move now, that means I might only have a few more minutes. Helios is talking to Nico still, trying to compel him from a distance. When that doesn’t work, the threats start up again. Continuing to break through the spell even further, Helios turns his head.

Then, he smiles. It’s a cruel, wicked thing that promises pain and torture.

Tears pool in Nico’s eyes. It’s like looking into a mirror of my past self. There is so much sorrow and fear there.

“You only have two minutes, maybe three, Calix. Come here and maybe I’ll forgive you. Come here and I won’t hurt the little witch.”

“You won’t hurt him?” I ask, hearing the lie in his words.

“Come here. Drop to your knees and beg.”

My head jerks up and I see it.

There’s a wild, almost animalistic look in Helios’s eyes. He’s excited. Turned on. A true predator, taunted by his prey.

My soul is burning with a rage so hot that I’m surprised he can’t sense it. I’ve been a captive for too long. Stuck with these rogues for over a decade. I’ve been dreaming of the day a beautiful dragon will save me. Dreaming of the day when I will save myself.

I’m so fucking tired of dreaming.

The cold, constricting chains around my heart snap, and with all my inhuman speed, I rush to his side. One second, I’m by the bed, and in the blink of an eye, I’m by Helios’s side, images of all the awful things he will do to us playing like a reel in my head. “All right, husband, you wanted me by your side? Here I am.”

And before I can fully register my true intentions, I shove him with all my vampiric strength. He stumbles through the open balcony door and into the sunlight.

At first, nothing happens, and when his angry, bewildered eyes snap up to meet mine, I panic. I slam the door shut before he can walk back into the room. I don’t know what I expected; maybe for Helios to burst into fire and scream in pain? For his body to start smoking and sizzle under the sun’s rays?

Either way, I’m not prepared for the way red magic swirls in the air and lights up around his body right before Helios turns completely black and slowly crumbles into a pile of ash.

A sob startles me out of my shock. I spin around and gather the crying witch into my arms. “Hush, now. That monster doesn’t deserve any tears. We’re free, Nico. We can leave. No one will ever hurt us again.”

Nico embraces me tighter, as he repeatedly murmurs ‘ thank you ’ between his sobs.

“No one will ever hurt us again,” I repeat as the witch pulls away from me with a happy, watery smile.

He waves a hand through the air and chants a spell. Just outside the glass door, Helios’s ashes drift away on a magical wind. Nico smiles. “Never again.”

I twirl the daylight ring on my finger. For the first time in over ten years, hope swirls in my chest.