Chapter 1: The night I was caught
had stolen many things in my life.
Food when I was starving. Coins when I needed to survive another week in the slums. Jewels from careless nobles who never bothered to lock their windows.
But tonight…
Tonight I was about to steal from the most dangerous man in the entire kingdom.
The vampire king.
The palace stood above the city like a dark crown of stone and iron, its towering spires cutting into the night sky as torches flickered along the massive walls. Even from the shadows of the alley where I stood, I could feel the power that lived inside those walls.
Cold.
Ancient.
Deadly.
Every child in the kingdom knew the stories about King Kael Draven.
The immortal vampire who had conquered three kingdoms in less than a decade.
The ruler who showed no mercy to his enemies.
The monster who had destroyed my home.
My fingers tightened around the rope coiled at my belt as I stared up at the palace windows glowing faintly in the darkness.
Most people would call this suicide.
Breaking into the vampire king’s palace alone in the middle of the night was the kind of stupid decision that usually got people killed.
But I wasn’t most people.
And I wasn’t here for fun.
I was here for the jewel.
The Bloodstar.
The most valuable gem in the entire kingdom.
A crimson stone rumored to be worth enough gold to buy freedom from the slums forever.
Enough to start a new life somewhere far away from this cursed city and the monster who ruled it.
I pulled the hood of my cloak lower over my face before stepping out of the shadows.
The palace wall loomed high above me, but I had climbed worse.
My fingers found the familiar cracks between the ancient stones as I began pulling myself upward.
Slowly.
Silently.
Every movement was careful, practiced.
The guards patrolling the walls carried torches, their voices drifting lazily through the night air as they talked about things that didn’t matter.
None of them looked down.
They never did.
Rich men always believed the danger came from outside their walls.
They never imagined someone might already be climbing them.
By the time the nearest guard turned the corner of the tower, I had already slipped through one of the tall palace windows and landed silently on the polished marble floor inside.
The palace was quiet.
Too quiet.
Golden chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, casting dim light across expensive paintings and statues that probably cost more than every house in the slums combined.
My boots made no sound as I moved through the hallway.
I knew exactly where the jewel would be.
The royal treasury.
Protected by thick doors and arrogant guards who believed no thief would ever be foolish enough to try.
I smiled faintly to myself.
Clearly, they had never met me.
The treasury doors appeared at the end of the corridor exactly where I expected them to be.
Two guards stood nearby, half asleep as they leaned against the wall.
Perfect.
I slipped into the shadows before they could notice me, pulling a small metal tool from my pocket.
Locks had always been easy for me.
People were complicated.
But locks?
Locks followed rules.
The metal tool slid into the keyhole.
Click.
The door opened slowly.
Inside, the treasury glittered with gold.
Jewels sparkled in glass cases.
Crowns rested on velvet cushions.
Ancient swords lined the walls.
But my eyes went straight to the pedestal in the center of the room.
And the jewel resting on top of it.
The Bloodstar.
Even in the dim light, the crimson stone glowed softly like a living heartbeat.
Beautiful.
Dangerous.
Perfect.
My heart began racing as I stepped closer.
Just one jewel.
One small theft.
And I could leave this kingdom forever.
I reached out and wrapped my fingers around the gem.
Cold.
Smooth.
Powerful.
A smile slowly spread across my face.
“I was wondering when someone would finally try.”
The voice behind me was deep.
Calm.
And very close.
My entire body froze.
Slowly…
I turned around.
And came face to face with the monster king himself.
King Kael Draven stood only a few feet away, his tall figure half hidden in the shadows of the treasury doorway. His dark coat fell around him like night itself, and his crimson eyes glowed faintly as they studied me with quiet amusement.
Ancient.
Dangerous.
Beautiful in a terrifying way.
And very, very real.
My heart slammed violently against my ribs.
Every story I had ever heard about the vampire king flashed through my mind at once.
Most thieves worried about being caught by guards.
I had just been caught by the king.
Kael’s gaze dropped slowly to the jewel still clutched in my hand.
Then his eyes lifted back to mine.
“Well,” he said softly.
“This is unexpected.”
My throat felt suddenly dry.
I had broken into the palace.
I had stolen the king’s most valuable jewel.
And now I was standing face to face with the most dangerous creature in the kingdom.
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
“Tell me something, little thief.”
His crimson eyes darkened.
“Did you truly believe you could steal from me…”
His voice dropped lower.
“…and walk away alive?”
