The sun blazed over the Harcourt estate, casting long shadows across the stone courtyard. Perched high above Mirrowind Bay, the manor stood like a forgotten castle — cold, proud, and too quiet for a celebration.
Lena Hastings stood at the altar in a gown of white silk and lace, her chestnut hair braided neatly beneath a lace veil. She should have felt joy. Instead, her hands trembled. The man beside her — Edward Harcourt — smiled, but something about his smile didn't feel right. Not cold… just empty.
The priest's words echoed through the courtyard in a language she didn't understand. Lena's heart beat faster. The Harcourts were old money, she knew that — powerful, well-connected. But there had always been something else about them. Something hidden behind their polished charm.
Still, she smiled. What choice did she have?
The vows passed in a blur. A kiss sealed it. The crowd clapped. Doves scattered into the sky.
Lena was now a Harcourt.
---
The reception was a grand affair — gold-rimmed glasses, soft music from a string quartet, and guests dressed in clothes worth more than Lena's childhood home. She moved among them, smiling, nodding, feeling like she didn't belong.
There were whispers. Not loud, but constant. Some spoke in Latin. Others in something older, she thought. She couldn't make out the words, but they made her skin crawl.
"...custodiet..."
"...vocem...sanguinem..."
She tried to find Edward, but he had disappeared.
---
Far from the estate, in the lower town where the streets were narrower and darker, a young man sat alone on a bench, staring at a folded letter. Its wax seal was broken. The message inside was short:
"It must be done tonight. Before midnight. The vessel cannot survive the ritual."
Asher's hand trembled slightly as he read the note. His pulse quickened. He wasn't a killer. He never had been. But when they came to him, he was already deep in debt. The debts that the Harcourts had quietly engineered. He didn't know what their game was, but they had a way of twisting the knife.
They promised him his freedom. They promised to erase his debts — and his mistakes. All he had to do was follow through.
Lena had to die. It was as simple as that. But the longer Asher held the letter, the heavier it felt. If he didn't do it… he knew what they'd do to him.
They had his sister. And they would make sure she paid for his failure.
---
Back at the estate, Lena stepped into the garden for air. The roses were almost black in the moonlight. The sky had gone too quiet. No breeze. No birds. Just stillness.
A sound behind her. Footsteps.
She turned sharply.
A man stepped from the shadows — lean, wide-eyed, out of place in the garden of nobles. His coat was worn, and his hands trembled slightly.
"Who are you?" she asked.
He didn't answer. He took one slow step forward. His eyes locked on hers — but something changed in them. Whatever he came to do… he hesitated.
"You need to come with me," he said quietly. "Right now."
"What? Why? What's going on?"
"They're going to offer you," he said. "You're the vessel."
Lena blinked. "What are you talking about?"
But before he could answer, voices echoed from the manor — urgent, angry. Torches flared behind the trees. Someone had noticed her missing.
"I don't have time to explain," he said. "But if you stay, you die."
She stared at him. He didn't look like a hero. He looked scared. Like someone who had just made a mistake — or finally done the right thing.
"Come on," he said again, and reached out his hand.
Something in her chest told her to run. And so she did.
---
They fled into the forest, leaving behind the music, the lights, and the whispers. Behind them, the Harcourts were already looking. But they weren't monsters. They didn't need claws.
They had power. Influence. And a purpose.
And Lena had just ruined it.
---
By the time they reached the cliffs, the manor was no longer in view. The stars above were sharp and cold.
Lena finally stopped. "Tell me who you are."
He looked at her, guilt plain on his face. "My name is Asher. I was sent to kill you."
She stared at him, stunned.
"But I couldn't," he said. "I saw you. And something told me... you weren't supposed to die."
Lena's eyes narrowed. "Why? Why did you do it? Why did you take the job?"
He looked away, his voice heavy. "I had no choice. I was… blackmailed. They have my sister. If I didn't do it, they'd make her pay."
Lena's expression softened. She understood the weight of power — of being trapped. But she couldn't let him off so easily.
"And now?" she asked.
"As long as they think I'm with them…" Asher began, looking out over the cliffs, "…I can keep you alive. But only for so long. They'll come after you."
Lena's hands clenched into fists. She had no idea what this ritual was. She didn't know why they'd chosen her. But she knew one thing: She wasn't going to let them take her.
"We need to stop them."
Asher turned, surprised by the fire in her voice.
"I'll help you," he said, as the wind howled across the cliffs.
And for the first time, Lena didn't feel completely helpless.
To Be Continued...