All Chapters of The Vampire's Human Bride: Chapter 51 - Chapter 55

Mavros’s POV“Your Highness, this is what you asked for.”Cylas placed a small black box on my desk and carefully opened it, revealing a stone nestled against black velvet.At first glance, it looked like a piece of amber trapped inside crystal. The stone was no larger than my palm, smooth and oval, with a translucent surface the color of burning embers. Thin veins of gold and orange ran through its center, glowing faintly as though a tiny flame had been sealed within it.I picked it up, and warmth immediately spread across my palm.It wasn’t the harsh heat of a fire. It was gentle. Steady. Soothing. Within seconds, the warmth traveled through my fingers and up my arm, sinking pleasantly into my body.Cylas watched as I examined it. “That’s the finest firestone in existence, Your Highness.”I looked up at him.“According to the records, only three firestones of this quality exist in the entire world, and this is said to be the finest among them.” He let out a weary breath. “I went thr

Winter’s POVThe palace was already far behind us when I finally dared to look outside. I lifted the carriage’s curtain, only a little, just enough to peek outside without drawing attention. The sight made my chest tighten. We had actually done it. Sorin had gotten us out.I still didn’t know how he had managed to arrange everything so quickly. The carriage, our clothes, and passing his orders to the guards at duty to let our carriage through without checking inside. We wouldn’t have escaped if it wasn’t for him. Without him, I would probably still be inside the palace trying to think of some ridiculous way to climb out of a window.I only hoped no one would find out that I left the palace. I don’t want Sorin to be in trouble all because of me. I pushed the thought aside and looked outside again. We were already entering the center of the kingdom.The streets were wider here, lined with tall stone buildings standing close together beneath steep roofs. Shops filled the lower floors,

Winter’s POVThe carriage ride back to the palace felt nothing like the ride into the city. Before, I had been curious, excited even, but now I could barely look outside. I sat silently with my hands clenched beneath my cloak while the wheels rolled over the stone road. Again and again, the same words echoed in my head. Another blood bag. I could still see the old man standing on the platform with his head lowered while vampires laughed at him. I could still hear them saying he was too old. Too weak. Not worth the price. And then, when no one wanted him, they had simply decided to drain his blood. As though that were the natural conclusion to a life no one wanted to buy. I swallowed hard and turned toward the window. The city passed by outside, but I no longer saw it the same way. Earlier, I had thought the streets looked almost peaceful. Now all I could think about was what existed beneath that normal appearance. Humans being sold. Humans being owned. Humans working their e