Todos los capítulos de The Blood Empress & Her Mortal King : Capítulo 11 - Capítulo 20

POV Natalie"You expect me to wash your skin after threatening to break my neck an hour ago?"I kept my voice steady, though my heart pounded against my ribs like a trapped bird. I stood at the edge of the sunken marble bath, steam rising in thick, fragrant clouds that smelled of crushed nightshade and sandalwood.Adrian stood at the edge of the pool, his dark robe already unfastened, revealing the broad, bronze expanse of his chest and the sharp, silver scarred lines of his shoulders. The dagger he had given back to me sat warm and heavy against my thigh, tucked securely inside the secret fold of my dress."It is not an expectation, Natalie. It is the protocol," Adrian said without turning around. His voice was low, carrying a strange, raspy grain that hadn't been there earlier. "The eclipse occurs at midnight tomorrow. The blood in my veins must be purged of shadow grit, or the ritual will tear me apart from the inside out.""And why must I do it?" I demanded, picking up the heavy b

POV Adrian"If the High Council catches us beneath the sanctum, they won't settle for the dungeons, My Lord," Dax whispered, his voice barely a breath against the cold stone. "They'll burn us on the library steps for high treason.""Then stop breathing so loudly and keep your hand on your hilt," I muttered back.I pressed my thumb against the center of the vault's iron door. Shadow magic bled from my pulse into the black steel, devouring the ancient ward glyphs one by one. The lock gave a heavy, wet click like bone snapping underwater and the massive door creaked open an inch.Smell came first: stale air, dried parchment, dead blood, and ozone."Stay at the threshold," I instructed, slipping through the narrow gap into the pitch-black gloom of the forbidden vault beneath the Grand Library. "If the outer wards flicker, give the signal and lock me in.""Lock you in?" Dax hissed through the door. "Are you mad?"

POV Adrian"Look at the sky, Sovereign," Commander Kael muttered, his voice trembling as he stood beside me on the high balcony. "It isn't even dusk, and the light is dying."I didn't answer him right away. I kept my hands resting heavy on the stone balustrade, staring out over Aethelgard.The sky wasn't blue, nor was it turning the soft gold of twilight. It was bruised a deep, unnatural purple that looked like rotting fruit, bleeding dark violet down over the mountain peaks. The Red Moon was moving into alignment, hours ahead of schedule."The shadow is reaching the outer courtyard," Kael continued, his boots shifting nervously on the stone. "The men are panicking. The servants are hiding in the kitchens. They know what night this is.""Let them panic," I said, my voice low and flat. "Panicking keeps them alert.""They think you won't survive the night," Kael blurted out. He instantly winced, catching himself. "My Lord... I mean""Th

POV Adrian"The ritual of the ember begins, Sovereign," High Priest Williams’ voice scraped across the silence like iron against slate.I didn't turn to face him immediately. I stood at the edge of the high dais, looking down into the obsidian expanse of the Great Cathedral. Below us, hundreds of vampire lords, council members, and high ranking commanders stood packed shoulder to shoulder. Silk cloaks, polished black chainmail, and jewel encrusted hilts glimmered under the dark vaulted arches."You're eager tonight, Williams," I said, keeping my voice low and level. "Or are you just impatient to see if my blood gives out before the second chant?"Williams struck his heavy gold staff against the stone. THUD.A flare of blinding crimson fire erupted from the central altar, leaping thirty feet into the dark ceiling. The crowd below gasped in unison, a low ripple of dark reverence running through the hall. The heat slammed into my face, smelling

POV Adrian "Get on with it, Williams," I growled, my voice reverberating off the cold marble pillars of the Grand Cathedral. "My patience was exhausted three hours ago." High Priest Williams did not flinch. He stood at the base of the obsidian altar, his gilded robes rustling as he raised his withered hands toward the vaulted ceiling. "The Sacred Altar does not bow to sovereign impatience, Adrian," Williams countered, his tone steeped in irritating solemnity. "The divine choice requires blood, silence, and absolute obedience." "I am giving you silence," Lord Cassian chimed in from my left, a slick, mocking smile playing on his lips. "Though I doubt our Sovereign has much obedience left in his veins. Look at him, Your Grace. He can barely stand." I turned my head slowly toward Cassian. "Say that again, Cassian. Closer to my sword." "Enough!" Williams barked, slamming his ceremonial staff against the stone floor. THUD. "The ritual of the Sovereign Bride is the foundation of this re