MasukEvery 25 years, a human from one of the five elite dynasties must marry into one of the five vampire houses to keep the peace of the Accord, a treaty between the ten families. Now it’s Margot’s turn to marry except she’s taking her dead sister’s place to marry the King of all vampires. Preserving the peace and producing a Crimsonborn is her duty, but she was groomed for society, not submission. Her immortal husband to be is not only the vampire king, Nathaniel Blackwell, but a calculating man who doesn’t want or need a wife. Or so he claims. Both bound their duty, their attraction is challenged by the pressures of the court, the mysterious death of Margot’s sister, and the gilded cage of their marriage. In their word, peace is dependent on blood and contracts, love might be the very thing that tears it all apart.
Lihat lebih banyakWelcome to the world of the Crimson Accord.
Before you step into Nathaniel and Margot’s story, I want to give you a glimpse behind the curtain. Their world is layered with centuries of history, intricate politics, and old secrets that shape every choice they make. This chapter is here as your guide, so when unfamiliar terms or traditions appear, you can navigate them with ease and immerse yourself fully in the intrigue, danger, and desire that drive this tale. You’ll also find a quick reference to the Founding Ten families, including where they are based and the business they control, so you can keep track of the many characters and houses for an easier reading experience. Thank you for joining me on this journey. Now… let’s begin! Glossary: The Crimson Accord: The 200 year old treaty that binds the five vampire houses and five elite human dynasties. Every 25 years an arranged marriage between one vampire and one human house takes place during The Crimson Ball at Tencrest Manor. The accord stopped the vampire and human war. These marriages are to produce a Crimsonborn. The Eternal Order: A name to describe the ruling body of the vampires consisting of five founding families. The Founding Ten: A name to describe the ten families, five vampire houses and five human dynasties. The Eternal Court: The judicial and ceremonial body who meets during the Crimson Ball at Tencrest Manor each year formally. The five members are voted in, one from each vampiric household. They enforce the Accord, govern over the vampire population, and are responsible for the Registry. The Elite Humans: Or just Elites. This is another name for the human half of the Founding Ten. The Binding: A rare and ancient magic effect triggered by the ceremonial blood toast during an Accord marriage. It increases attraction and lowers emotional boundaries between the couple. It was created to increase the likelihood of a Crimsonborn being produced. The Crimsonborn: A child born from a sanctioned Accord marriage. Half human, half vampire. Children outside of Accord marriages are impossible. Without these children, the Accord will collapse. They age slowly and have the option to turn after the age of 18. The Crimson Registry: A registry of donors consisting of elite humans who offer their blood for favors of the Eternal Order. It is considered scandalous for prominent family members to enroll but lesser relatives often do. Tencrest Manor: A large estate located in Charleston, SC. The Founding Ten meet once a year for the Crimson Ball. The Eternal Court often meets during this time as well as Accord marriages. While considered neutral ground, the current king lives here full-time. The Crimson Ball: An annual and invitation only month long event. Five members from each of the Founding Ten families stay for a month and engage in business deals, Accord marriages, and Eternal Court proceedings. ___________________________________ The Founding Ten Families: Vampire Houses- House Blackwell: Based in Charleston, South Carolina. Oversees finance and wealth management for the Accord. House Vortova: Based in Anchorage, Alaska. Controls the private military that enforces the Accord. House Caerwyn: Based in Vermont. Experts in vampire lore and the Binding. House Moreau: Based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Controls the Registry and oversees the blood clubs that host Registry donors. House Slavius: Based in San Francisco, California. Keepers of the archives and preservation of the Crimsonborns. Human Dynasties- Astor: Based in Manhattan, New York. Masters of high value real estate. Chen: Based in San Francisco, California. Leaders of the technology industry. Deveraux: Based in Miami, Florida. Owners of luxury hotels. Harlow: Based in Detroit, Michigan. Expert in transportation. Rossi: Based in Chicago, Illinois. Influential in medicine.The water runs pink for what feels like hours. But eventually, I see that it’s clear and I assume that the blood is off of me. When I slipped in the ballroom, I hadn’t expected to wear someone’s blood for so long. It wasn’t lost on me that I washed away the last remnants of life from someone. I didn’t know who. And I think that might have been the worst part. Nathaniel runs the washcloth over every crevice my body has. He is so gentle that it makes me realize how close I was to death. Whatever last piece of stone facade I was attempting to wear had dropped in the shower and I wept softly. I cry for those that died, my family that has been broken even more, but mostly I cry for the confusion. How did I get tangled up in this? I look up to my wonderful husband, the vampire King and see that he doesn’t hold the same confusion. I don’t know what Lucien said to him, but I suspected their conversation answered all of the unasked questions that lied between us in the small space. He scru
I drifted in and out of sleep. It grew quiet as the adrenaline left everyone’s bodies and pure exhaustion took over. We were safe but the shadow of doubt hung over us as we waited our chance to go upstairs and survey the damage. All I wanted was to crawl into my bed and cry. I couldn’t grieve. Not really. Not here. Deep down though, I knew I couldn’t handle seeing the chaos leftovers that lingered in the hallways above me. I waited patiently, not wanting to see any more dead bodies today. Grieving meant that I would eventually need to make plans for my father’s funeral. I expected my cousins would need guidance with my aunt’s will. I wondered how we would frame this. A car accident? I was glad it wasn’t my job to come up with that lie. Julian and a guard had taken turns dropping off food and blood for us. It was nothing special, homemade pizza and blood bags, but taking that first bite I realized how out of touch I truly was. It felt like a privilege to eat, like I was so lucky to b
The echoes of boots and broken glass echoed the halls as Sasha and I navigated the debris. The scent of lemon oil filled the air around me. Around ten staff members had volunteered to help clean up. I wouldn’t force them to clean up this wreck. Luckily we had enough guards willing to help that it would be done soon. Each room was swept for bodily fluids. Broken vases and windows were swept up. Sasha and I had spent the past hour boarding up windows. It was fast and efficient. Gratitude poured out of me for my people. The humans here showed perseverance that wasn’t easy without immortality looming over you like the Eternal Order. Sasha and I discussed plans as we walked, helping as we saw some struggle. A few times, I had to tell someone to take a break, a breather from the nauseating destruction. The sun was shining bright on Tencrest Manor. It was a new day. But the remnants of the damage Lucien did would last for years to come. I would have to earn trust from everyone back. Secure
The air in the basement is thick with fear and stale air. I descended the steps slowly, hyperaware of my every move. Down here, the bodies had already been removed and puddles of blood were the only evidence of a fight. At least only in the hallway. I peered into the bar area, the door hanging by a hinge. Seeing Lucien’s blood satisfied me little at this moment, but I did feel the wave of relief knowing it was over. At least for now. I still didn’t know what cadet houses we could trust. An investigation would happen next. More lives lost no doubt, but the necessary culling of the enemies wasn’t negotiable. I would kill every threat to the Accord and my family and then I would wash my hands of this mess.I walked into the front of Cassia’s office and all heads snapped to me. My every move was watched like a hawk as the room went dead silent. Their eyes begged questions, but mine only had one thing they were looking for. Margot. As I walked, the crowd shifted. People scooted around the
From somewhere nearby, a door slammed. The chatter that filled the room slowly came to a lull as footsteps pounded against the hard floor. I stood before I knew why, sensing it was important. When Matthew turned the corner, I could see the lines of distress on his face. He carried a limp Celia in his arms and I rushed to her.“Celia!!” I screamed, my voice breaking as the breath was knocked out of me. Exhaustion was setting in, but I felt the chair being scraped against the floor and the crowd parted for me. I wasn’t acting very royal, but nobody dared to criticize me. “She’s alive,” Matthew sputtered out. “She’s…alive” He said the words as though he was unsure though. And I understood why the closer I got to her.Her head was hanging backwards in her unconscious state exposing her pale neck. I reached a hand to touch her, but my hand shot back to me, surprised by the coldness of her skin. There were rips in her clothes. The blood stained them in spots that told me it wasn’t goo
By the time I reached the ballroom, reinforcements were patrolling the grounds heavily. They hadn’t bothered turning off their car engines and I could hear the roar of 15 SUVs guzzling gas nearby. The air buzzed with radio chatter as groups did another sweep of the estate. It was a relief to see trustworthy people in this space that had been violated with rogues. I wasn’t fully aware of Sasha’s operation, but I was extremely surprised to see he had many more men than he let on. For once, I wasn’t upset about the misguided assumption. He barked orders with the kind of precision only decades of discipline could carve into a man. He wasn’t a foreigner to war, having fought several historical ones himself. The guards move in synchronized lines, sweeping the perimeter. A few of them carried flamethrowers. It was a crude but effective weapon against rogues. The sound of fire licking across the grass filled the space between the crowd. I stood at the stairs, watching the sunrise catch












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