Alle Kapitel von VERONICA NIGHT: Kapitel 1 – Kapitel 10

“I don’t wanna stay alone! Why can’t I go with you this time?” Emma cried.I held her little face in my hands. “Emma, listen to me, okay? It’s just for a little while. Selene will make sure you have everything you need while I’m away.”She shook her head, holding on to my wrists. At ten years old, my little sister was stubborn enough to argue until she got what she wanted. But not this time.I had no idea whether I would return from the hunting games. Still, we were running out of food, and I couldn’t keep watching her go hungry. Winning a million coins was our only chance at a better life.“I don’t want to stay with Selene! I want to stay with you!” she protested.“Emma, please. Do this for me, okay? When I come back, we can do whatever you want.”She stopped crying and looked at me hopefully.“Anything?”I sighed in relief. “Yes, anything.”“Even the big berry tree?”My smile faded for a moment. A few months ago, some idiots had cut down her favorite berry tree. I hadn’t told her be

It didn’t take long before we heard the screams.I clamped my mouth shut as we watched the hunter in red emerge from the cave, blood covering most of his face. He dragged the girl out by her arm while she cried and begged him to let her go. The man she’d been with was nowhere to be seen, and judging by how hysterical she was, I could only assume he was dead.The hunter in red was a horrible sight. His dark hair hung messily over his forehead, and blood streaked his cheeks, chin, and the front of his clothes. There was something terribly wrong with the way he moved. He looked relaxed, almost bored, as though dragging a terrified girl out of a cave after killing her companion was just another ordinary part of his day.His red eyes moved over the forest, searching for something—or someone. Then he looked down at the girl and sighed.“Oh, would you shut the fuck up already!” he snapped, clearly annoyed.The girl tried to stop crying, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. She scratched at

For a moment, I couldn't move.His cold hand was still around my neck, and my back was pressed against his chest. His words kept playing in my head.We had a deal, Veronica Night. You broke it.The truth slowly sank in,I had broken our deal.My stomach twisted as another thought hit me.Debby.Was he going to kill her?No. No, no, no.I twisted in his grip, trying to free myself. I grabbed his arm and pulled at it, but he barely moved. It was like trying to fight a rock. No matter how hard I struggled, he didn't even seem to notice."Let go of me!" I snapped, digging my nails into his hand.Panic crawled up my throat. I had faced dangerous animals in the forest. I had survived situations that should have killed me. But none of that had prepared me for this man.He was too strong. Too fast. And I had no idea what he was capable of.There was only one thing left to do.Something I hated more than anything in this world.Beg.The thought alone made me sick, but I couldn't let my pride cost Deb

The castle was nothing like I had imagined.From the outside, it looked like something built to keep the world away. Its black towers rose above the surrounding forest, their sharp peaks disappearing into the clouds. Tall walls surrounded the grounds, and iron gates stood open to welcome the prince home.Vladimir didn’t slow down as we approached.Neither did the guards who followed us.I stumbled beside him, struggling to keep up with his long strides. My wrist still hurt where he had held it, and my legs felt weak after everything that had happened in the arena.I had no idea what awaited me inside those walls.I only knew I didn’t want to find out.The gates closed behind us with a heavy metallic clang.I looked back.For one foolish moment, I considered running,again but then look were that got me.I saw the guards stationed along the walls, their weapons hanging at their sides. There was nowhere to go, and even if I managed to escape them, I would still have to get past Vladimir.He ha

The next morning, I was dragged out of the dungeon before I had managed to get a decent amount of sleep.My back ached from lying on the hard floor, and my eyes burned from exhaustion. I had lost count of how many times I had woken up during the night because of the rats crawling near my feet. At some point, I had stopped trying to sleep and simply sat with my knees against my chest, waiting for the darkness to pass.Now, a guard stood outside my cell, looking impatient.“Move.”I pushed myself to my feet.“Where are you taking me?”He gave me a look that made me regret asking“You’ll find out.”He unlocked the door and grabbed my arm. I stumbled into the corridor, trying to keep up as he led me towards the stairs.For a brief moment, I wondered if Vladimir had finally decided what to do with me.Maybe he had grown tired of keeping me alive.Maybe today was the day I would learn what happened to humans who stabbed princes.Instead, the guard took me to a small room where a familiar maiden