Chapter 4 Entering the Crimson Vale

ARIA'S POV

"What test?" I grabbed the guard's arm before he could walk away. "What happens tonight?"

But Lady Morgana was already gliding toward us, her crimson robes trailing across the black stone. The vampire guard yanked free from my grip and disappeared into the shadows.

"Welcome, precious brides." Morgana's voice was honey over poison. She stopped in front of me, her ancient eyes studying my face. "Especially you, First Bride. Lord Sebastian has been waiting centuries for someone like you."

"What does that mean?" I demanded.

Morgana's smile widened. "You'll find out soon enough." She clapped her hands once. "Take them to the Sanctuary. Prepare them for tonight's... evaluation."

"Wait—" Elena started to protest, but vampire guards surrounded us, grabbing our arms.

"Don't fight," I whispered to her. "Not yet. We need to learn the rules first."

Elena nodded, though her jaw was clenched tight.

The guards marched us toward the palace. With each step, I tried not to stare at the impossible realm around us. Snow fell upward, defying everything I knew about the world. The three moons cast overlapping shadows that moved on their own. And the cold—it wasn't normal cold. It felt alive, like it was reaching inside my chest.

The Obsidian Palace loomed closer. Up close, it was even more terrifying—black ice walls that reflected twisted versions of ourselves, towers that pierced the purple sky, and windows that glowed with red light.

We passed through gates made of bone and iron. I tried not to think about whose bones they were.

Inside, vampire nobles lined the corridors, watching us pass. They didn't hide their hunger. One man licked his lips as a young bride walked by. Another woman smiled, showing fangs.

"Fresh meat," someone whispered, and others laughed.

The youngest bride—the girl who looked barely eighteen—started crying again. "I want to go home. Please, I just want to go home."

"There is no home anymore," a vampire said cheerfully. "There's only here. Only us. Only death."

"Shut up!" Elena snapped at him. "Leave her alone!"

The vampire's eyes went black with rage. He moved toward Elena so fast I barely saw it, his hand raised to strike—

"Enough." A new voice cut through the corridor, cold and absolute.

Everyone froze.

A man stepped out of the shadows at the end of the hall. Tall, with dark hair and ice-blue eyes that seemed to glow in the dim light. Power radiated from him like heat from a fire, making the air thick and hard to breathe.

Lord Sebastian Thorne.

Even from fifty feet away, I felt his presence like a weight pressing down on my chest. Every vampire in the corridor bowed their heads. The one who'd threatened Elena practically dropped to his knees.

"The brides are not to be touched before the ritual," Sebastian said quietly. "This is law. Break it again, and I'll remove your head."

It wasn't a threat. It was a promise.

The vampire fled.

Sebastian's gaze swept over all of us, cold and assessing. When his eyes reached me, they stopped. For three heartbeats, we just stared at each other.

Up close, he was devastatingly beautiful—sharp cheekbones, pale skin, a mouth that looked like it never smiled. But his eyes were what caught me. Ancient. Tired. Like someone who'd lived too long and seen too much.

Those eyes studied me with an intensity that made my mark burn.

"First Bride," he said softly. "Aria Thornwell."

Hearing my name in his voice sent shivers down my spine. "Lord Sebastian," I managed to say.

His head tilted slightly, like I'd surprised him. "You're not afraid."

"I'm terrified," I corrected. "But I won't give you the satisfaction of seeing it."

Something flickered in his expression—maybe surprise, maybe amusement. It was gone too fast to tell.

"Lady Morgana mentioned a test," I continued, lifting my chin. "What test?"

Sebastian's eyes never left mine. "Morgana likes her games. She believes First Brides should prove their worth before meeting me." His voice dropped lower. "Most fail."

"And when they fail?"

"They die." He said it simply, like discussing the weather. "Tonight. Quickly. Before they can suffer through twelve days of waiting."

My stomach twisted. "That's mercy?"

"That's tradition." Sebastian took one step closer. The temperature dropped. "But you won't fail."

"How do you know?"

His smile was cold and sharp. "Because I didn't wait eight hundred years for someone weak." He turned to the guards. "Take them to the Sanctuary. The First Bride comes to the West Tower at midnight. Alone."

"Wait—" I started, but he was already walking away, his black cloak disappearing into shadow.

The guards shoved us forward again. We climbed stairs and walked through corridors until we reached a section of the palace with golden doors. The Sanctuary.

Inside was a large room with six beds, each draped in silk. Windows showed the impossible sky. A table held food and wine. It looked like a luxury prison.

"You have until midnight," a female vampire guard said to me. "Then you face Lady Morgana's test. If you survive, you become Lord Sebastian's bride. If you fail..." She shrugged. "Well. At least it will be quick."

She left, locking the door behind her.

The six of us stood in silence. Then the youngest bride collapsed, sobbing. Two others joined her. The fourth—a quiet woman with kind eyes—started praying.

Only Elena and I remained standing.

"A test we don't know about," Elena said grimly. "At midnight. With Lady Morgana, who clearly hates you." She looked at me. "Any ideas?"

Before I could answer, something moved in the corner of the room.

We all spun around.

A girl stood there—maybe sixteen, with dark hair and eyes that glowed faintly red. A vampire. But she wore a servant's dress, not noble clothes.

"How did you get in here?" Elena demanded. "The door is locked."

The girl smiled nervously. "Secret passages. The palace is full of them." She looked directly at me. "I'm Iris. I'm here to help you survive."

"Why would you help us?" I asked carefully.

Iris's expression turned sad. "Because I was human once. Three years ago, I was chosen as a bride. Lady Morgana turned me during her test—I became her servant instead of dying." She stepped closer. "But I remember what it felt like to be afraid. To be hunted."

"What's the test?" I asked urgently. "What does Morgana make us do?"

Iris glanced at the door nervously, then whispered: "She takes you to the Blood Maze beneath the palace. If you find your way out before dawn, you pass. If you don't..." She swallowed hard. "The maze feeds on fear. It shows you your worst memories, your deepest terrors. Most girls go insane before they find the exit."

My blood ran cold. "And if we go insane?"

"Lady Morgana drains you herself. She says it's merciful—you won't suffer through the ritual." Iris grabbed my hands. "But there's something else. Something worse. Lord Sebastian doesn't know about this test. Morgana started it fifty years ago, after he began pulling away from her. She's been killing First Brides before they can meet him properly. She's jealous."

Elena cursed. "So she's going to try to kill Aria tonight, and Sebastian won't even know until it's too late."

"Exactly." Iris squeezed my hands tighter. "But I know the maze. I can draw you a map—"

The door suddenly slammed open.

Lady Morgana stood there, flanked by six guards. Her smile was pure venom.

"First Bride," she purred. "It's time."

I looked at the window. "It's not midnight yet—"

"I changed my mind." Morgana's eyes gleamed with malice. "We start early. Right now." She gestured, and two guards grabbed my arms. "Let's see if you're truly worthy of Lord Sebastian's attention. Or if you're just another weak human who'll break like all the others."

They dragged me toward the door. Elena lunged forward, but other guards held her back.

"Aria!" she screamed.

"I'll survive!" I shouted back. "Remember our deal—we survive together!"

But as they pulled me into the dark corridor, I heard Morgana whisper in my ear: "Your mother survived the maze, you know. Twenty-five years ago, she walked these very passages." Her breath was cold against my skin. "Want to know what secret she was hiding? What Lord Sebastian discovered that night?"

My heart stopped. "What secret?"

Morgana laughed softly. "Survive the maze, little bride. Then maybe I'll tell you why your mother had to die."