Chapter 1

Bound to the cross, I slowly looked up. My voice was hollow.

"Valerius, do you really want to see? Once the mirror wakes, there's no going back."

His hateful eyes instantly flared with rage.

He crushed his wine glass. He roared. "Enough! Who are you threatening? Today, you will apologize for terrifying Tania. You will pay for betraying our Court!"

The vampire elite hissed in agreement.

"Tear the traitor apart!"

"She sold us out to those Fallen! All because she envied Lady Tania!"

"Start the mirror! Let her burn in agony!"

Valerius looked down at me. His voice dripped with fake pity. "Evelyn, apologize to Tania now. Confess your sins. I might make your burning... a bit faster."

Tania looked up at him. She whispered weakly, "Don't be like that, Valerius. I believe Evelyn didn't mean it..."

She turned to me. Tears welled up in her eyes. She looked so kind. She looked so innocent. "Evelyn, just confess, okay? Please. I don't want to see you suffer."

I stared at her. My eyes were dead. Her act was pathetic.

"Tania, are you absolutely sure you want them to see my memories?"

Her face froze. I kept going. "I want to see it too. I want to see how you—and all of them—can live with yourselves after this."

I looked past them. I found two figures in the crowd.

Julian Vane. My own brother.

He wore the Court enforcer's uniform. His face was stone.

His eyes burned with a judge's fury. They looked so much like mine.

"Even if the Lord shows mercy, I will end you myself," he said coldly. "You stained the Vane family's honor."

Then came Cassian. My bloodsworn guard. My childhood friend.

He stood there with red eyes. His handsome face was twisted in pain.

"Evelyn, why?" he choked out. "Tania trusted you so much. She was so forgiving. How could you... how could you try to kill her? You don't deserve her mercy."

Every word was a silver dagger. They stabbed into my already shredded heart.

They used to be the most important men in my immortal life.

But now, they were Tania's loyal knights.

"Fine," I whispered. "Since you all want to see it so badly, let's begin."

Valerius's voice echoed through the catacombs. "Begin the trial! Let everyone see how she betrayed me. Let them see how she betrayed this Court!"

An elder sighed. He activated the crimson circle.

The giant Blood Mirror above me glowed. A dark red beam pierced my veins.

Agony shot through me like a million silver needles. It was pulling out my memories.

The Crimson Trial drains a vampire's blood to project their past.

It shreds the soul. It feels like burning under the noon sun.

It is the cruelest punishment for traitors.

I felt the mirror sucking my life away. But I didn't fight it.

Instead, I felt a weird, perfect peace.

Let them watch as long as they want. Let them see what I did for them in this short, pathetic life.

And let them see how they repaid me.

In the red light, Tania's smug smile was crystal clear.

She was waiting for my ruin. She was waiting for me to die in shame.

I looked at her. I looked at the three men. I saw their coldness. I saw their disgust. I saw their impatience.

I said softly, "Valerius, Julian, Cassian. This is my last gift to you. I hope... you can handle it."