The summons came at midnight.

A black raven landed on the balcony, its feathers glistening like oil under the moonlight. It carried a seal marked in blood the crest of the Blood Court.

Lucien’s eyes darkened the moment he saw it.

“They know,” he whispered.

Aiden, standing behind him, frowned. “The Council?”

Lucien broke the seal. A single line was written in crimson ink:

“Lucien Vale and his fledgling, Aiden Cross appear before the Court at dawn. Judgment awaits.”

Aiden’s stomach twisted. “What will they do to us?”

Lucien’s voice was calm, but his hands trembled slightly. “If they decide you’re a threat… they’ll destroy you. And me with you.”

The Blood Court was not a place it was a legend carved into the bones of time.

Hidden beneath the catacombs of Rome, it was said to be older than the Church itself, older than kings. The air reeked of incense, ash, and sin.

Aiden walked beside Lucien through the endless corridors, each step echoing like a heartbeat in a tomb. Statues of ancient vampires lined the wall, pale gods of the old world, their stone eyes watching silently.

Lucien’s grip on Aiden’s hand tightened. “Don’t speak unless spoken to,” he warned softly. “And whatever you do… don’t look into the Queen’s eyes.”

“The Queen?” Aiden whispered.

Lucien nodded. “Lira. She rules the Court and once, she ruled my heart.”

The doors opened with a deafening creak.

The chamber was vast, lit by blood-red torches. Twelve thrones formed a crescent, each occupied by a figure draped in shadows. And in the center sat the Queen herself, Lira, the Vampire Sovereign.

Her beauty was inhuman. Silver hair flowed like moonlight over skin as pale as marble. Her lips, painted crimson, curved into a knowing smile.

“Lucien Vale,” she purred. “You still remember how to kneel?”

Lucien bowed low, jaw clenched. “Your Majesty.”

Her gaze drifted to Aiden. “And this is your forbidden song?”

Aiden swallowed hard but said nothing.

Lira rose slowly, descending the marble steps like a goddess descending from the stars. She circled Aiden, studying him as though he were a piece of art.

“So fragile,” she whispered. “And yet… I can smell the power inside you. Tell me, boy, do you sing?”

Aiden hesitated. “Sometimes.”

“Then sing for me,” she said.

Lucien’s head snapped up. “No.”

Lira’s eyes glinted. “You forget your place, my love.”

The court fell silent.

Aiden felt the bond inside him pulse. Lucien’s anger flared, his protectiveness burning like fire through their connection.

But Lira only smiled wider, stepping closer to Aiden.

“I remember when your master defied me once before,” she whispered, voice dripping with venom. “Now he does it again… for a mortal.”

Her fingers traced Aiden’s jaw. “I see why.”

Aiden shivered. Her touch was ice seductive and cruel.

Lira turned to the council. “He has turned a mortal without our blessing. He has risked the secrecy of our kind. What punishment should fit such defiance?”

The council murmured among themselves, some eager for blood, others curious about the prophecy Lucien had unleashed.

Then, unexpectedly, one of the elders spoke.

“The boy’s voice carries power. The prophecy speaks of a mortal song that awakens the old blood. If that is true… he belongs to us.”

Lira’s smile returned, sharp as a blade. “Yes. Let him prove his worth.”

She turned back to Aiden. “If you survive tonight’s test, you’ll walk among us. If not…” Her eyes glowed crimson. “Your ashes will feed our altar.”

Aiden’s voice trembled. “What test?”

Lucien stepped forward. “No. You’ll test me, not him.”

But Lira only laughed, cold and melodic. “You can’t protect him forever.”

Chains of crimson light burst from the floor, wrapping around Aiden’s wrists and ankles. He was pulled into the center of the chamber as the torches flared brighter.

From the shadows, a creature emerged, ancient, twisted, more beast than man. Its fangs were long as daggers, its eyes black voids.

Lira’s voice echoed through the hall. “Face your hunger, fledgling. Feed or die.”

Aiden gasped, his fangs extending involuntarily. The beast lunged.

Lucien roared, trying to break through the barrier, but the chains of the Court held him back. “Aiden!”

The creature’s claws tore across Aiden’s shoulder. Pain shot through him, but with it came something else. Power. Pure, unrestrained, ancient power.

His blood boiled. His eyes burned red. He moved faster than thought, slamming the beast into the marble floor, fangs sinking into its throat.

Blood flooded his mouth, thicker, darker than before. The chamber filled with gasps and murmurs.

When it was over, Aiden stood over the fallen creature, chest heaving, lips stained crimson.

Lira clapped slowly, her eyes gleaming. “Beautiful. The mortal has become the monster.”

Lucien broke free of his chains and rushed to Aiden’s side, catching him before he fell.

“I told you not to touch him,” he snarled at Lira.

Lira tilted her head, smiling wickedly. “Oh, I didn’t touch him. The blood did.”

She leaned closer, whispering to Aiden as he trembled in Lucien’s arms. “Remember this feeling, little singer. Hunger is the truest form of love.”

Then, with a wave of her hand, the Court’s torches dimmed. “Take them away. Let them prepare for the next dawn. Judgment isn’t over.”

As the guards led them from the hall, Aiden clutched Lucien’s hand tightly. “I felt it… something inside me woke up.”

Lucien nodded grimly. “That’s what she wanted. To see if the prophecy is true.”

“And is it?” Aiden whispered.

Lucien looked at him, his expression torn between fear and awe. “If it is… then you’re not just my love, Aiden. You’re their weapon.”