"You truly mean it?" Severus gasped. "Yes, I do." Sidia nodded."That's wonderful!" Severus clapped his hands together and started pacing behind the desk. "I was so worried after what happened with my mother that you would hate me.""About that," Sidia replied. "I don't want to see such an act of violence again. I know this is the way you have ruled your empire, but it's not the way the world works anymore. If you want to bring humans and vampires together, then you must adapt."Severus kept pacing, his face unreadable in his hurried movements."Did you hear me?" Sidia asked."Yes, I heard you." He abruptly stopped. "We can discuss this and come to a better solution for handling such matters. I will not renounce my mother's punishment for the time being, especially since she consented to it. I am still the emperor, and even if you disagree with me, I will need you to respect that."Dread at that statement stabbed at Sidia, but she ignored it. People could change their minds. If

CATARINA'S POVUsually, Catarina and her mother Iris would share a large bowl of vegetable soup from the cauldron in the brothel kitchens. It never had any herbs or meat. It was just broth and the cheapest produce from the market. However, one night they received a bowl with chunks of savory venison and large slices of buttered bread. One of the most frequent customers, a member of the clergy in the Vatican City, adored Iris. As a result, he started making monthly payments specifically for Iris to eat better, sleep better, and most importantly, see no other customers.The brothel mother used the large payments to construct a separate attachment behind the brothel just for Iris and Catarina. It was a lovely room, and they had the most comfortable beds and the nicest clothes. For once, Catarina didn't shiver through the night or starve through the day. The man taking care of them seemed very nice, too. He always spent some time praying over the little girl before sending her outside to

Severus sat back on the couch, draping his arm over Sidia once more. The rest of the court continued their celebration. They talked and laughed, and some fed off their human companions. Even without music, there was something sensual and inviting about the scene. Sidia wanted to immerse herself in that desirous state of being once again, but she was too worried about the future, too worried about getting out of this situation and stopping Severus from doing whatever it was he really intended to do to humanity.She turned to look at him, smiling as sweetly as she could. "Severus, now that we have a date set and the coven knows how important I am, I think it would be safe enough for me to walk about alone. I'd like to learn how to navigate the castle by myself." It was risky to ask for such a thing, especially in front of the court. However, in front of an audience might be the only way she could get what she wanted. "Hmmm." Severus didn't have much to say, but his arm tensed around

Time ceased to exist for Sidia. She barely kept track as it was, not being able to see the sky or the sun. Since arriving at the coven, time didn't matter anymore. Immortal beings who didn't truly need sleep or to follow a schedule didn't care about time. Still, Sidia felt as if she could somewhat sense its passing for the most part. As she sparred with Marcus, learning the sword for the first time, what little grasp she had completely vanished.She hung on to his every word, never making the same mistake twice. She corrected her form immediately every time, and he never had to repeat instructions on a technique. They moved through various repetitive forms, applied them to combat, and bantered the entire time. "Your hands can do more than turn pages, little scholar," Marcus teased her at one point. "I'm impressed."She was too flustered to concoct any brilliant comeback and usually settled for a stern glare or increased focus with her weapon. Her muscles burned, sweat poured down h

He was so cold, but why did she feel so wonderfully warm? Marcus melded his lips with hers, and Sidia moaned. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling in his long, dark, and unbelievably soft waves of hair. His tongue explored her mouth, and he tasted like cool peppermint. Sidia squirmed in his vice grip, her desire overwhelming. Suddenly, she was pressed against a bookshelf, but the wood digging in her back didn't matter. All that mattered was Marcus running his hands over her body, squeezing her hips as he pushed into her. Marcus didn't need to breathe, but she was almost dizzy. She didn't want to stop kissing him, didn't want to stop tasting him. It was better than anything she could have imagined, and she didn't know how she was going to stop.Marcus seemed just as out of control. He stopped kissing her mouth and moved to her neck, his teeth scraping across her flesh. Sidia moaned again, panting and gasping as his tongue slid across her throat. He grinded again