Semua Bab Bound to the vampire lord: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Santa stood for a long moment after the door closed behind Hannah, staring at the empty space she’d left. The girl had swept into his room with all her chatter, explanations, and bright smiles, then vanished just as quickly, leaving the air feeling quieter than before.He dropped down on the edge of the bed, exhaling slowly. His head was still buzzing with everything she had said—the clans, the pure-bloods, the feeders, and worst of all, the bonding ritual.Santa leaned back until he was staring up at the carved ceiling. He rubbed his palms over his face. Bonding ritual. Hannah had spoken of it as if it were natural, something everyone here understood, but for him it was nothing but a terrifying unknown. He could still hear her voice echoing in his head, light and casual, as though she weren’t explaining the kind of thing that could change his life forever.She had mentioned preparations—things he’d be called to do before the ritual. Some sort of bath, with herbs and hot water, though

The knock echoed again, soft against the wooden door.Kieran was the one to reach for the handle. I lingered just beside him, my shoulders tight, my chest wound up like a knot I couldn’t untangle. The door swung open and revealed Hannah.She wore white too, her robe flowing much like mine, but she carried it with far more ease. Her eyes flickered in mild surprise when they landed on Kieran.“Master Kieran,” she said lightly. “I didn’t think you’d be here.”Kieran’s voice was steady, unshakable. “He’s ready. We were just about to leave.”“Good.” Her gaze shifted to me. “I came to see if you were done, and if you needed help finding the Grand Hall.”Kieran gave the faintest nod. “No need. He’s finished. We’re on our way.”We stepped into the corridor together. Hannah fell in beside me, and Kieran trailed just behind, his shadow pressing like a weight I couldn’t shake.Hannah glanced at me. “Are you prepared for it?”A faint laugh slipped out of me, though it wasn’t really a laugh. “I do

When I opened my eyes, the light hit me too hard. It was white and sharp, flooding my vision, forcing me to shut them again. For a few seconds, I just lay there, listening to the faint sound of my own breathing. My body felt heavy, sore in places I couldn’t name. When I tried to move, a dull ache ran through my arms, like I had been lifting something heavy all night.Slowly, I tried again. My eyes blinked open, little by little, until the light wasn’t so painful anymore. I stared at the ceiling first—smooth and pale, almost too clean. Then the walls came into view. I didn’t know this place. The air smelled faintly of smoke and something woody, like cedar.And then it all came rushing back.The ritual.The blood.Perth’s voice.The knife slicing across my palm.The bowl. The dizziness. The cold.I sat up quickly, heart thudding fast. My gaze went straight to my hand. I turned it over, searching for the wound, but there was none. Only smooth skin and, faintly across my palm, a reddi

The knock on my door came again, softer this time. I blinked, pulling myself from my thoughts, and went to open it.Standing there, smiling up at me, was Hannah. She looked like a ray of sunshine that had somehow wandered into this gloomy mansion—short blonde hair, bright eyes, and a warmth that felt too alive for a place filled with vampires.She was a head shorter than me, but the energy she carried filled the hallway.“Hey there” she said cheerfully, waving her hand beside her head. “You’re actually in this time. I knocked twice before and thought maybe you’d disappeared or something.”I stepped aside to let her in. “You make it sound like I was planning to escape.”She laughed lightly as she walked past me. “Wouldn’t blame you if you were.”I shut the door behind us and leaned back against it. “So, what brings you here?”She sat down on my bed like she’d done it a hundred times before, crossing her legs and smiling up at me. “Just checking in. You’ve been through a lot since you g

The hand on my shoulder tightened slightly, and I spun around, my breath catching in my throat.Perth stood there, tall and composed, his expression unreadable under the dim, bluish glow of the luminite. His black shirt blended almost completely into the shadows, but his eyes—sharp and pale like glass in the dark—fixed on me with quiet disapproval.“I thought I told you not to wander too far,” he said, his tone calm but edged with something cold. “What are you doing here?”My heart was still racing. I swallowed hard and glanced back toward the wall, where that strange metal object had been lying just a moment ago. “I was just—” I stopped, blinking. The spot was empty.The dust had shifted, like something had been dragged away, but there was no sign of the equipment. No gleam of metal, no faint crest in the dirt. Nothing.“It was just here,” I muttered under my breath, crouching slightly, running my hand over the ground. “I’m not seeing things. I swear, it was right here—”Perth’s voic