Chapter 2

Dusk was falling when I awoke in agony.

The petrification from the Blood Blight felt like a million ants gnawing at my bones.

I had to swallow the last three high-concentration doses of poison, the only thing masking the fact that I was a dead woman walking.

I forced myself out of bed. There was a grand performance to put on tonight.

Lily's bright laughter echoed from the living room. I pushed myself to descend the spiral staircase and saw her nestled in Vivienne's arms, chattering away.

"Aunt Vivienne, this curse is so cool! I want to learn it!" Lily pointed excitedly at a page in the book, which illustrated a ritual for making a living person bleed in agony.

"Of course, my clever little Lily," Vivienne said, gently stroking her eternally youthful golden curls. Her eyes, however, held a trace of disgust for the "monster child," a look Lily was oblivious to.

The moment Lily saw me, the smile vanished from her face. She deliberately shrank deeper into Vivienne's embrace.

I tried to approach, wanting to see what she was reading.

"You smell... off," Lily wrinkled her small nose, pressing herself tighter against Vivienne. "Don't come any closer."

It was the stench of death. My body was decaying, but they thought it was just a side effect of medication.

"One moment, darling," Vivienne said, feigning concern as she looked at me. "Isolde probably has important matters to discuss."

"I don't want to hear it," Lily made a face at me. "You're boring."

I faltered.

To protect her, I had to constantly force her to control her bloodlust.

Vivienne, on the other hand, only encouraged her indulgence, teaching her cruel ways to amuse herself.

A child can't distinguish between indulgence and genuine affection; she only sees it as "love."

"It's all right. You two carry on," I managed a smile.

In the dining room, Miles was enjoying a glass of warm stag's blood, holding a holographic map of the clan's territories.

He barely glanced up as I entered.

"You look dreadful," he frowned, his tone holding no concern, only distaste. "Don't forget the Elder Council meets tonight."

"I need to talk to you." I sat down across from him.

"What is it now? More of your family rules?" He finally looked up, his impatience clear.

"It's about the Blood Covenant," I said, producing a parchment scroll. "I want to amend our prenuptial agreement."

Miles took the scroll, his red eyes widening. "Isolde, you're relinquishing control of all your territories?"

"Including the Progenitor's Ring." I removed the ancient, power-infused ring from my finger and placed it gently on the table.

"What?" He shot to his feet.

I watched him calmly. "I'm also transferring my entire art collection to Vivienne. Even the classical oil paintings passed down through the family."

"Even the fourteenth-century manuscript of The Kindred Origins?" Miles's voice trembled. "It's priceless!"

"She has a better appreciation for art than I do," I answered coolly. "Think of it as my early wedding gift to her."

The air went still, the only sound the crackling of the fire in the hearth.

Miles slowly sank back into his chair, his eyes a storm of conflicting emotions. "Isolde, what the hell are you playing at?"

"I'm not playing at anything," I said calmly. "I'm just ready to let go."

"You know, don't you?" He fell silent for a long moment, his expression turning wary.

"Miles, a vampire's sense of smell is very keen."

I pointed to his collar. "Your shirt smells of Midnight Orchid. The perfume I custom-blended for Vivienne two hundred years ago. It's one of a kind."

He was silent, a flash of embarrassment crossing his face at being caught.

"I don't blame you," I continued. "I've lived for hundreds of years. I'm too old-fashioned, I don't know how to enjoy the pleasures of modern life. Vivienne is passionate and uninhibited. She can give you a fire I can't."

"Isolde!" He slammed his hand on the table, cutting me off. "Stop talking like you're… done. Like you're leaving."

"I'm calling a clan meeting tomorrow," I said, rising to my feet. "I will officially transfer my shares in the tech empire to Vivienne. She will become the new chairwoman of the board."

"Tell Vivienne to prepare herself. Even as a newly turned fledgling, after tonight, she will be an incredibly wealthy woman."

"You're insane!" Miles leaped up, an inexplicable panic rising in his voice as he yelled, "You are Isolde Vance! You don't just hand over your empire! Fight me, dammit! Scream at me!"

"I'm not insane." I looked out the window. In the garden, Vivienne was doing donuts in the limited-edition sports car Miles had given her, with Lily shrieking in delight.

"I just want all of you to be happy."