Prologue
-Rebecca-
There was so much noise in the house. I pressed my eyes tightly together as my mother pulled me along with her, moving swiftly. My small legs could barely keep up, so she picked me up and ran through the house with me. She had to stop abruptly when an attacker cut down a servant right in front of us, blood covering us both. She made a sharp turn, retracing our steps, but others were already on our tail, forcing her to change direction again.
I had no idea where we were headed. The attackers seemed to have appeared out of the blue. My father was nowhere to be seen, nor was Vanessa. Both were in the nearby town. My father had an important meeting with other upper-class vampires, and Vanessa wanted to go buy new dresses for the upcoming party. It was just me and my mother, along with all the servants who now lay dead on the ground.
My mother rushed to her bedroom, quickly closing and locking the door before setting me down on my feet. She looked around frantically, her breathing fast and shallow. I stood there, staring at her, before glancing down at myself, seeing the blood that stained my once pristine white dress. It had been so beautiful at the start of the night when I put it on, but now it was ruined.
“Rebecca...” My mother crouched down in front of me, placing her hand on my shoulder, her sweet smile attempting to reassure me. It usually calmed me, but now her eyes held fear, and her smile failed to make me feel safe.
“It’s going to be okay,” she said, though I had a feeling it wouldn’t be. “Your dad will be back soon.” Confusion filled me. It felt as if she were speaking only to me, as if she wasn’t trying to convince herself that everything would be fine.
“He will make sure everything is all right.” My father might be a powerful lord, but he could also fight. He had made sure he could protect his mate and children, but he wasn’t here.
“It will be fine...” Suddenly, there was a lot of shouting outside the door, followed by loud banging. The door remained locked, but the banging grew louder—bang, bang, bang. There was almost a rhythm to it, and it was clear the doors would not hold. My mother quickly grabbed my arm and led me to the wall beside her bed. It looked like an ordinary barrier, until she found a small corner of a hidden door. She opened it, revealing nothing but darkness beyond.
“You be a good girl and stay there,” she instructed, pushing me inside.
The banging against the door intensified, and I looked from the door to my mother. She smiled again, trying her best to appear calm.
“Okay?” she inquired. I simply nodded, unsure of what else to do. “Don’t come out until your father retrieves you, understood?” Again, I nodded, and then my mother slowly closed the door. I could see tears welling in her eyes before she shut it completely. When it closed, I was enveloped in darkness, but I could glimpse through a small crack in the door to see what was unfolding.
My mother had only managed to position herself in the center of the room before the assailants burst through the doors to her bedroom. In they stormed, savage attackers, all clad in blood and grime-covered leather attire. They uttered no words.
Instead, they descended upon her, thrusting her to the ground and tearing her dress apart. She screamed, she cried, she fought back, as they took turns with her. They simply laughed. I knew I shouldn’t watch. I knew I should look away, but I couldn’t. The horrifying sight of them forcing themselves on her seared itself into my mind, before I had to witness one of the attackers plunging their sword into her neck, blood spilling onto the floor as my mother lay completely still. After that, they departed.
Yet I heard one of them say, “Kill the child if you find her...”
They didn’t. I sat there in the darkness, unable to move, unable to do anything, as I watched the body lying on the ground, her blood covering so much of the floor. I did not know exactly how much time passed, but I had a feeling that dawn was close, when my father suddenly came running, freezing as he entered the bedroom and found my mother on the ground.
He walked over to her slowly, dropping to his knees. He didn’t dare touch her, but for the first time in my life, I saw my father cry. He didn’t stay quiet for long. He let out a powerful roar that shook the house and made me whimper. The sound drew his attention to me, and he looked to where the door was.
I felt afraid. I couldn’t decipher what was safe and what wasn’t anymore. Not after what I had seen. Where had he been? Why wasn’t he there? My father approached the hidden door slowly, reaching for the corner that seemed to stand out a little. He opened it, and I screamed, moving back even further.
“Rebecca...” he breathed out, relieved.
He attempted to touch me, but I recoiled. I didn’t want anyone to come close to me, so I moved back, uncertain of the size of this hidden room. Soon, I felt something against my back, unable to retreat any further.
“It’s okay,” he reassured. “I’m here now.”
He extended his hand, but I simply shook my head and curled into a ball.
“Mom!” I could hear my sister’s voice. There were several years between us, which was why she had been in town rather than at home.
“Take her away,” I heard my father command some of his fighters. Those fighters he had brought with him to ensure his safety on his journey. Instead, we were the ones who needed them.
“No! Mom!” I could hear my sister’s cries, but they gradually faded away. My dad turned to me again, attempting to maintain the façade of the powerful warrior he was and reassure me enough to approach him.
“It’s okay,” he said, continuing to extend his hand to me. “Come out, Rebecca. They are gone.”
I shook my head, unable to move. I was shaking so badly. I couldn’t forget what had happened.
“Come on,” he encouraged.
Once more, I shook my head. I simply didn’t feel safe leaving the small room. Eventually, my father had no choice but to reach inside and grab me. I fought him, hissing and crying, until he pulled me out of the room. But when I was finally enveloped in his warm embrace, I stopped fighting and cried as he held me.
Nothing was the same after that night... not him... not my sister... not me.
