Chapter 1

"Hell no. Absolutely not," I snarled, glaring at my sister—the Queen. Freya might have ruled over the witches, but she was still my sister. That thin bond of familial love was the only reason I dared speak to her like this. If anyone else tried, their head would've rolled before the words left their tongue.

"This is our only chance, Seraphina," Freya pressed, her voice calm yet firm. "I swear to you, this will be your last mission."

Her words barely registered as I paced the room, my boots clicking against the polished obsidian floor. My fingers itched to grab something sharp—anything—and hurl it across the room. My control was slipping, but I couldn't afford to lose my edge. Not here. Not now.

"You want me to sneak into the Vampire King's palace, act as a spy, and assassinate him?" I spat, my tone sharp enough to cut glass. "Have you lost your damned mind, Freya?"

Freya folded her arms, her gaze steady. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm asking you to do."

I let out a bitter laugh. It echoed off the cold stone walls, hollow and humorless. "You're throwing me to the wolves—no, worse. The lions. The bloodthirsty ones with fangs and claws that rip through flesh like paper."

"It's not a choice, Sera. It's a necessity," Freya said, her voice softening. "This mission could bring peace to our kind."

"Peace?" I stopped pacing and whirled to face her. "We haven't even had a real fight in a decade! The so-called 'new prince' seems content to stay out of our way."

Freya's expression darkened, and for a moment, I saw the weight of her crown etched into the lines of her face. "The fighting hasn't stopped; it's gone underground. The Vampires are planning something, and I need you to find out what it is before it's too late."

Her words hung in the air like a storm cloud. She wasn't wrong. I knew the Vampires had been hunting us for centuries. Our blood—the essence of witches—gave them strength, power, and immortality. The wars between our kinds had left scars deeper than any blade could carve. Still, this mission felt like madness.

"Freya," I said, my voice dropping to a low growl, "I am an assassin. I kill targets, no questions asked. I am not a spy, and I sure as hell am not a sacrificial lamb. How do you expect me to do this without getting caught and drained dry by those monsters?"

"Because you're the only one who can," Freya said. Her tone softened, almost pleading now. "You're the best, Sera. You always have been. No one else could pull this off."

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. She wasn't entirely wrong. My life as an assassin had hardened me, stripped me of fear and hesitation. I'd killed without remorse, spilled enough blood to drown an army. But this? Infiltrating the Vampire King's palace? It felt like a death sentence, one step away from madness.

"And if I do this?" My voice was cold, my gaze locking onto hers. "If I succeed, this will be my last mission, right? I can finally leave this life behind and travel the world like I want?"

"Yes," Freya said, her voice solemn. "I promise you."

A witch's promise was binding, unbreakable. It wasn't just a word; it was magic, a vow carved into the fabric of our existence. For the first time in this conversation, I felt a sliver of relief.

But then reality sank its claws back into me. My heart pounded against my ribs, a drumbeat of anxiety I rarely felt. The Vampire King was no ordinary target. The rumors painted him as a creature of nightmares—pale as death, cold as winter's breath, and with canines so long they scraped his jaw. They said his voice could make even the bravest souls crumble to their knees.

I didn't fear much in this world, but the thought of facing him sent an unfamiliar chill down my spine. Still, I wasn't about to let fear dictate my actions. I'd spent the last three centuries hunting vampires, cutting them down like weeds. The King would be no different.

"All right," I said finally, my voice steady but cold. "What's the plan?"

Freya exhaled, relief flashing across her face. "First, we need to perfect your disguise. No matter what, you cannot let them know you're a witch."

"That's easy," I said with a wave of my hand. "I'll suppress my spiritual pressure. It's nothing I haven't done before."

"And you think the Vampire King won't notice?" Freya's tone sharpened. "He's no ordinary vampire, Sera. He'll sniff out even the smallest trace of your magic."

I bit back a retort, knowing she was right. My magic might fool lesser vampires, but not him.

"What do you suggest?" I asked, though I dreaded the answer.

Freya hesitated, and that pause was enough to set me on edge. "We need to remove your drifts."

I froze. My stomach twisted as her words sank in. The drifts—three strands of white hair that marked me as royal and carried a fraction of my power. Without them, I'd lose twenty percent of my magic, including the ability to teleport long distances.

"Over my dead body," I hissed.

"Sera," Freya snapped, her patience fraying. "I'll leave one drift intact. You'll still have limited teleportation, and I can restore them when you return."

I wanted to scream, to tell her she was asking too much. But deep down, I knew I couldn't refuse. Freya wasn't just my sister—she was my queen. And her word was law.

"Fine," I said through gritted teeth. "But you'd better restore them the moment I'm back."

"I will," Freya promised.

"Now tell me," I said, crossing my arms, "how am I supposed to get into the palace without being noticed?"

"You'll disguise yourself as a maid," Freya said simply.

The laugh that escaped my lips was sharp and bitter. "Me, royalty, cleaning up after those bloodsuckers? You've lost your mind."

"It's the only way," she said firmly. "The only way to get close enough to the King without raising suspicion."

I stared at her, my mind racing. Every instinct I had screamed at me to run, to fight, to do anything but agree to this insane plan. But I couldn't back down. Not now. Not when my promise to my people and my freedom was at stake.

"Fine," I said finally, my voice as cold as the steel of my blades. "But if I fail, I'm taking as many of them down with me as I can."

Freya nodded. "I wouldn't expect anything less."