Chapter 3

After my father died, my mother raised me alone.

My bloodline was so rare and pure that I was extremely sensitive to my surroundings. To care for me, my mother, a master alchemist, had even given up her run for a seat on the Elder Council.

Julian had protected me like an older brother since we were children.

Whenever I was sick, he stayed by my bed. No one could persuade him to leave.

After graduating, he turned down offers from other families and chose the Howard family's Alchemy Sanctum instead, where he became my mother's most trusted subordinate. He told me, "Aria, I want to take care of you for the rest of my life."

When did everything begin to change?

Probably after my mother adopted Vivian.

Vivian was a pale, frail, low-ranking vampire whose parents had abandoned her. Yet she always put on a brave face. "I'm fine. I can get through this."

At first, my mother told me, "Vivian has no family to depend on, and her health is poor. As her big sister, you need to look after her."

Later, she'd hold Vivian close and frown at me. "Look how sensible and independent Vivian is. Can you stop being so fragile and making every little thing about you?"

Even today, on our way to exchange our wedding vows, Julian had taken a detour because Vivian made a fuss about wanting cake from a dessert shop with a long line. He'd even forced the carriage down a deserted back alley, and that was where the hunters ambushed us.

A second before the ambush, he shielded Vivian in the front seat.

They were both safe, while I took a silver bolt in the back seat.

Blood kept rising in my throat, and cramps tore through my abdomen.

The will to live kept me conscious. I can't die here.

I braced a hand against a stone pillar and tried to stand. "Please... help me get out of here..."

The attendant across from me glanced up impatiently. "We're not allowed to do anything without Lady Howard's permission."

I swallowed hard, tasting iron. "Then summon a carriage for me... take me to another healer..."

"Sure." The attendant rose, her voice cold. "But you need authorization to call a carriage, and Lady Howard revoked yours long ago. How will you get one?"

My throat tightened.

Ever since Vivian came to live with us, my mother had insisted that I learn to be frugal, like Vivian supposedly was.

Vivian received over 10,000 blood crystals a month and had high-level access to resources, while I had to submit a detailed request for every expense.

Yesterday, I'd asked my mother for a carriage to the Elder Council. She'd glanced at the request and tossed it back. "A carriage for such a short trip? Vivian walked miles every day when she lived on the streets, and she never complained!"

That was why Julian had picked me up in his carriage. My enchanted ring, which I used to send messages and store things, had disappeared in the crash.

When I said nothing, the attendant sneered. "Go back and wait. Lady Howard said she'll treat you after everyone else. She's made the rules clear. No one can break them."

My legs shook, my knees buckled, and I began to fall.

A pair of hands caught me firmly.

It was Mira, her eyes red and her face tight with worry. "Use my authorization for the carriage!"

The other attendant panicked. "Mira, do you want to end up scrubbing bone tools in the blood dungeon too?"

Mira pulled me close. "I became an alchemy attendant to save lives, not to stand by while one of our own suffers!"

As Mira half-carried me toward the exit, my fingers brushed a cold badge in my inside pocket.

It was a private token from Castor Rothwell, the High Prince of the Night. He had given it to me himself.

He'd said, "Whenever you're ready to leave the family holding you back, activate this badge. I'll come to you at once."

Suddenly, my mother called out behind me. "Aria, where are you going? Vivian lost a lot of blood. Come give her half a measure of your pure blood for her potion."

I could hardly believe what I'd heard. "She only has... a scratch on her arm. It's barely an inch long..."

"Vivian is frail. Every drop of her blood is precious!"

My mother's voice hardened. "You're a Howard. Think of the family!"

I was gasping for breath, my voice so hoarse it barely sounded like mine. "Mom... my blood... did you read my results?"

I'd been researching how to turn my pure blood into healing potions for our people.

The experiments had failed. A week ago, I'd finally learned that my blood caused a rare rejection reaction.

I'd gone to her, but before I could say anything, Vivian had called her away.

As she passed me, she'd said coldly, "I'll look at it when I have time!"

From my mother's blank expression, I knew she still hadn't read it.

I used the last of my strength to explain. "Mom... my blood causes severe rejection... I can't give her..."

My mother paused, then let out a cold laugh. "Rejection? Is that the best excuse you could come up with?!"

"Pure silver makes the rejection worse. I..."

"Enough!"

She cut me off, her gaze ice-cold. "Aria! Being a pureblood doesn't make you better than anyone else. Vivian got hurt protecting you, and you won't even give her a little blood? You make up a ridiculous excuse like that instead! I'm so disappointed in you!"

She waved over the guards standing nearby. "Take her into the alchemy chamber!"

As the guards dragged me away, I slipped the badge into Mira's palm, hiding our hands behind her body.

I rasped out two broken words. "Castor... activate..."