Someone was in my room.
I woke up knowing it. Felt it in my bones before my eyes even opened. The air was different. Colder. Like something had sucked all the warmth out.
I didn't move. Didn't breathe. Just listened.
Footsteps. Soft. Deliberate. Moving toward my bed.
My heart slammed against my ribs. The knife I'd stolen from dinner was under my pillow. I'd put it there just in case, and now I was grateful for my paranoia.
The footsteps stopped right beside my bed.
I grabbed the knife and rolled, slashing upward.
My blade hit nothing but air.
"Impressive." A woman's voice. Amused. "Most humans freeze when they sense a vampire."
I scrambled back against the headboard, knife raised. The woman stood at the foot of my bed, and she definitely wasn't supposed to be here.
She was small. Delicate-looking. With white-blonde hair that fell to her waist and eyes that glowed red in the darkness. She wore a dress that looked like it was made of shadows, constantly moving, never quite solid.
"Who are you?" I demanded.
"Kira." She tilted her head, studying me like I was an interesting puzzle. "I'm here to kill you."
My grip tightened on the knife. "Pretty bold, announcing that."
"I'm honest. It's refreshing." She moved closer and I saw her fangs. Longer than the other vampires'. Sharper. "Lucian thinks he can protect you. He's wrong. You're a liability, little Lightbringer. And liabilities don't survive long in this castle."
"Get out."
"Or what? You'll stab me?" She laughed. "That's adorable."
The door exploded inward.
Lucian stood in the doorway, and he looked like death itself. His eyes were pure silver now, glowing like molten metal. Shadows writhed around him like living things.
"Kira." His voice was so cold it could freeze blood. "Step away from her."
Kira smiled. "Hello, my king. I was just getting acquainted with your pet."
"She's not my pet. She's my bride." He moved into the room. "And you just broke about six of my laws by entering her chambers uninvited."
"Laws are boring. You know that." Kira glanced at me. "Besides, I wanted to see if she was worth all this fuss. If she could actually defend herself."
"She pulled a knife on you in three seconds. That's better than most vampires would do."
"She pulled a knife. She didn't use it." Kira's smile widened. "There's a difference."
Before I could blink, she moved. Faster than I could track. One second she was at the foot of the bed, the next she was right in front of me, hand wrapped around my throat.
I couldn't breathe.
"You see?" Kira said conversationally. "Slow. Weak. Human. She'll be dead within a week, Lucian. Why waste time pretending otherwise?"
My vision started to blur. Black spots dancing at the edges.
Then light exploded out of me.
Pure. Blinding. Golden light that burst from my chest like a supernova. Kira screamed and flew backward, hitting the wall so hard the stone cracked.
I gasped for air, my hands glowing like miniature suns.
Lucian was at my side instantly. "Breathe. Just breathe."
I couldn't. My chest was on fire. My whole body was burning from the inside out.
"She's losing control," Kira said from across the room. She looked singed. Hurt. "Her power's going to tear her apart."
"Cassia." Lucian grabbed my face, forcing me to look at him. "Listen to me. You need to pull it back. Pull the power back inside."
"I can't.."
"Yes, you can." His eyes locked on mine. "Feel it. All that light. All that heat. Imagine pulling it back in. Like taking a breath in reverse."
I tried. God, I tried. But the power was too much. Too big. It wanted out. Wanted to destroy everything in its path.
Including me.
"Lucian, she's going to explode," Kira warned.
"She's not." He pulled me against his chest. "Cassia, focus on my voice. Nothing else. Just my voice."
His heartbeat. I could hear it. Slow. Steady. Dead-slow because he was dead, but there. Real. An anchor in the chaos.
I grabbed onto that sound and pulled.
The light flickered. Dimmed. Slowly, agonizingly, it retreated back into my skin.
When it was finally gone, I collapsed against Lucian, shaking.
"That was close," Kira said. She sounded impressed. "Another few seconds and she would have taken out half the castle."
"Get out," Lucian said.
"I was just testing her.."
"GET. OUT." I could see the rage in his eyes. "Before I forget you're my sister and rip your throat out."
Sister?
Kira laughed. "You always were too protective, brother. It's going to get you killed one day." She headed for the door, pausing to look back at me. "She's stronger than I thought. Maybe she'll last two weeks instead of one."
She disappeared into the hallway.
I sat there, still shaking, trying to process what had just happened.
"Your sister just tried to kill me," I said.
"Yes." Lucian's jaw was tight. "She does that. To everyone."
"And you're okay with that?"
"No. But Kira's been insane for about three hundred years. Can't really change her now." He stood up, moving to check the broken door. "I'll have guards posted outside your room from now on."
"Guards couldn't stop her."
"No. But they can warn me faster." He looked at me. Really looked at me. "Are you hurt?"
I touched my throat. It was already bruising. "I'll live."
"That's not what I asked."
I met his eyes. "She scared me. And then I lost control and almost killed myself. So yeah, I'm hurt. My pride's hurt. My confidence is hurt. Everything hurts."
He moved back to the bed, sitting down beside me. Not touching. Just... there.
"Kira was testing you," he said quietly. "Seeing if you were worth protecting. If you could actually fight back."
"Did I pass?"
"You blasted her through a stone wall. I'd say yes." He reached out, then hesitated. "May I?"
I nodded.
His fingers brushed my throat, gentle over the bruises. Cold against my hot skin. "She could have killed you. Easily. But she didn't. That means she's decided you're interesting."
"Great. Being interesting to a psychopath vampire. Exactly what I wanted."
His mouth twitched. Almost a smile. "Welcome to my family."
We sat in silence. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving me exhausted and shaky.
"Your wife," I said suddenly. "Elise. Did she ever lose control like that?"
His hand stilled on my throat. "No. She wasn't a Lightbringer. She was just... human. Normal. Perfect."
"Tell me about her."
"Why?"
"Because everyone keeps comparing me to her and I want to know who I'm supposed to be living up to."
He was quiet for so long I thought he wouldn't answer. Then he said, "She was a healer. Like you. She found me after a battle, half-dead, and instead of running she patched me up. Didn't care that I was a vampire. Didn't care that helping me would get her killed if anyone found out."
"How did you fall in love?"
"Slowly. Then all at once." His voice was raw. "She was stubborn. Brave. Completely insane for staying with me. But she did. For five years, she stayed. And then the Order found out. Took her while I was away. By the time I got back..." He stopped.
"You don't have to"
"They burned her alive in the town square. Made it a spectacle. A warning to anyone who would consort with monsters." His eyes were distant. Haunted. "I heard her screaming from three miles away. I ran. But I was too late. I'm always too late."
My chest ached. "Lucian.."
"You want to know why I'm really marrying you?" He finally looked at me. "It's not just about the power. It's not just about fighting the Order. It's because every time I look at you, I see a chance. A chance to save someone this time. To not be too late."
"I'm not her."
"I know." His hand cupped my face. "You're sharper. More dangerous. More willing to fight. You're nothing like her, Cassia. And maybe that's why I can't stop thinking about you."
The air between us went electric.
"This is a bad idea," I whispered.
"Terrible idea." But he didn't move away.
Neither did I.
We sat there, inches apart, the space between us charged with everything we weren't saying.
Then he stood up. "I should go. Let you rest."
"Lucian."
He paused.
"Thank you. For saving me. Again."
"That's what husbands do." He moved to the door. "Even the dead ones."
He left, and I lay back down, my heart still racing.
Tomorrow I'd try on a red wedding dress.
Tomorrow I'd face whatever came next.
But tonight, I couldn't stop thinking about the way Lucian had looked at me.
Like I was worth saving.
Like I was more than just a weapon. Is this all in my head?
Like I was someone he could maybe, possibly, learn to love.