Both Are Mine for the Taking

My sister and I slept for a thousand years. Tonight, we would Awaken. We would become true High-Bloods.

Our Sire, Countess Lylandra, brought us two men. We had to choose a Blood Thrall.

A cold, celibate priest.

A young, harmless noble prince.

In my past life, Lilith grabbed the prince by the neck and vanished into the shadows. She left me with the cold-hearted priest.

The prince's blood was sweet, his soul pure.

He was supposed to be the perfect sacrifice for the Awakening ritual.

Lilith should have become a High-Blood without any trouble.

But she fell for the prince's sweet words and gentle lies.

She poured her ancient power into him.

She forged a false blood bond to help him seize the throne.

On his coronation day, he plunged a dagger dipped in blessed silver into her heart.

With his own hands, he carved out her new Blood Core.

He offered it to his werewolf allies.

Lilith nearly turned to dust.

And me? The priest helped me purify my blood. I broke the vampire curse.

I no longer feared the sun or blessed silver. I became the legendary Daywalker Queen.

Jealousy drove her mad. She used her last drop of power to unleash a kin-curse. It killed us both.

Then I opened my eyes.

I was back. Back to the night we chose our Blood Thralls.

This time, Lilith chose differently. She wrapped herself around the priest, a vision of seduction. Her blood-red wings spread, ready to carry him away.

My fangs slid from my gums.

A choice? Why should I have to choose?

The priest and the prince... Both are mine for the taking.

My sister and I slept for a thousand years. Tonight, we would Awaken. We would become true High-Bloods.

Our Sire, Countess Lylandra, brought us two men. We had to choose a Blood Thrall.

A cold, celibate priest.

A young, harmless noble prince.

In my past life, Lilith grabbed the prince by the neck and vanished into the shadows. She left me with the cold-hearted priest.

The prince's blood was sweet, his soul pure.

He was supposed to be the perfect sacrifice for the Awakening ritual.

Lilith should have become a High-Blood without any trouble.

But she fell for the prince's sweet words and gentle lies.

She poured her ancient power into him.

She forged a false blood bond to help him seize the throne.

On his coronation day, he plunged a dagger dipped in blessed silver into her heart.

With his own hands, he carved out her new Blood Core.

He offered it to his werewolf allies.

Lilith nearly turned to dust.

And me? The priest helped me purify my blood. I broke the vampire curse.

I no longer feared the sun or blessed silver. I became the legendary Daywalker Queen.

Jealousy drove her mad. She used her last drop of power to unleash a kin-curse. It killed us both.

Then I opened my eyes.

I was back. Back to the night we chose our Blood Thralls.

This time, Lilith chose differently. She wrapped herself around the priest, a vision of seduction. Her blood-red wings spread, ready to carry him away.

My fangs slid from my gums.

A choice? Why should I have to choose?

The priest and the prince... Both are mine for the taking.

...

"My dear daughters, to think you would both Awaken at the same time. Before you are two men. Each of you will choose one. They will be your Blood Thralls for the ritual."

Our Sire Lylandra's voice echoed through the cellar, mixed with the metallic scrape of chains.

I slowly opened my crimson eyes.

Chained to stone pillars were two men, bound by holy silver etched with runes.

To the left, a priest.

Even in chains, he radiated a suffocating stillness.

His tailored vestments were torn, revealing a lean, solid frame.

His gray-blue eyes were terrifyingly calm, as if death was just a peaceful return to his god.

To the right, a prince.

Young, handsome. Strands of golden hair stuck to his brow.

His amber eyes burned with royal pride and defiance.

My sister, Lilith, was the first to rise from her stone coffin.

She moved with a practiced fragility.

"Lady Lylandra," she murmured, biting her lip. Her voice was pitifully sweet. "May I choose first?"

Our Sire nodded, intrigued.

Lilith's form dissolved into a wisp of blood-red mist, reappearing instantly before the priest. She reached for him.

"Lilith," our Sire stopped her. "He is a Knight of the Holy Temple. Holy light flows through his veins. Are you certain you can handle him?"

"It is because he looks so... dangerous," Lilith said, turning back. Her face was a perfect mask of distress. "I could never let him harm my dear Elena. Sister, you should take the prince. He looks young and gentle. He should be much easier to control."

Our Sire was clearly pleased with this charade of sisterly concern. "Lilith, you honor your title as the elder sister."

She produced a crystal vial of aged blood and tossed it to Lilith. "The blood of a saintess from a century ago. It will fortify your power before the Awakening."

"Thank you for your gift." Lilith accepted it gracefully, but the flash of greed and triumph in her eyes didn't escape me.

I scoffed inwardly.

Such a flawless performance.

With a thought, I wrapped the prince in tendrils of shadow. I pulled him toward my coffin. "Then thank you for your 'generosity,' sister," I said softly.

Lilith glided over. "Sister, the prince's blood must be wonderfully sweet. Do enjoy it. As for me, I suppose I'll have to make do with this stubborn priest."

Her stare was raw hunger. A desire to conquer and devour. She wasn't "making do."

I just smiled.

We'll see who gets the soul.

Lilith and I were embraced nearly a thousand years ago. Only now could we undergo the final Awakening and become true High-Bloods. The price of this power was the soul of a powerful and pure mortal.

We could just drain any mortal dry. But our Sire taught us a secret.

A powerful, pure soul, willingly sacrificed for love. Fusing their blood of "true love" with our own.

This could break the vampire curse.

We could become the legendary Daywalkers.

Daywalkers. Beings who could walk in the sun.

The ultimate dream of every vampire.

In my last life, Lilith snatched up the seemingly pure-souled prince, Adrian.

She thought all noble princes were foolish and romantic, easy to make fall in love.

She begged our Sire for a glamour. A magical balm to hide her vampire nature. She became a mysterious noblewoman.

She "happened" to meet Adrian in a moonlit castle garden. He was smitten at first sight. Soon, they were spending every night together at his country estate, like any mortal couple in love.

But as Adrian "fell" for her, she fell for him.

Foolishly, Lilith hid from our Sire's watchful eyes as she transferred her own ancient blood-power to Adrian, helping him plot to take the throne.

While she was drunk on his sweet nothings, he was secretly plotting with our sworn enemies—the werewolves.

She never knew. Adrian was a half-breed, born of a human and a wolf.

The day of his coronation.

Lilith would never forget how Adrian, in front of everyone, plunged a dagger dipped in blessed silver into her chest and carved out her still-unstable Blood Core.

"For the glory of the pack!" he roared, holding his bloody trophy high for the werewolf army below.

A thousand years of power, gone in an instant.

As for me, I was forced to take the priest. I knew he would be difficult.

But his holy power shattered our Sire's dark restraints. I thought I was dead for sure.

Instead of killing me, he saw a chance for my "redemption."

He told me that killing the innocent would cast me into eternal darkness, but saving lives could earn God's forgiveness.

Under his guidance, I began to use my powers for good. The more good I did, the stronger the Holy Light's protection over me became.

Finally, when the Black Death swept through the city, I poured out a thousand years of my blood-power to cleanse the city of the plague.

When it was done, the people, grateful I had saved them, built statues of me.

They prayed for me day and night in the churches.

The priest channeled their faith. He used its immense power to forge my Blood Core anew.

I broke the curse of my blood, bathed in the sunlight, and became the Daywalker Queen, protector of the city.

But Lilith returned, and she could not stand it.

She used a forbidden ritual, igniting her last dregs of power to unleash a curse strong enough to destroy a city. It took us both down.

Now, we were both back.

A slow smile spread across my face.

Oh, Lilith. My dear, sweet sister.

If you insist on choosing my priest, then I'll just have to take the man you once loved. I'll take his heart first... and then his future crown.