The Price of Power

The night was thick with silence, an eerie contrast to the battle that had just ended. Smoke curled in the distance, and the scent of burning flesh and blood was still heavy in the air. Anne gripped the ancient book tightly, her knuckles white against the leather binding. The weight of its words sat heavy in her chest, the truth threatening to shatter everything she had once believed.

She was a weapon.

Created, not born.

She stared at the ink-stained prophecy again, the words burning into her mind:

'A child of both bloods shall be born, a weapon forged in the fire of war, bound by neither, yet stronger than both.'

The Dragire. That was what she was. Not a child, not a person, but a construct meant to bring an end to the centuries-old war between vampires and dragons. But there was one thing even the book didn't seem to know—what that power would cost.

Lucian stood across from her, watching her reaction carefully. He had been there when she read it, when her whole world shifted beneath her feet. She could feel his presence, steady and unmoving, but it did nothing to quiet the storm inside her.

Finally, he broke the silence. "What are you thinking?"

Anne exhaled sharply, shutting the book with a snap. "That my mother didn't tell me the whole truth."

Lucian frowned. "You think she knew?"

"She had to," Anne said, shaking her head. "Why else would she have kept me hidden for so long? Why else would she have warned me to never lose control?"

Lucian hesitated before answering. "Because she was afraid of what you could become."

The words hit harder than Anne expected. Her mother—Bela—had always been harsh, always cold, but had she truly been afraid of her own daughter? Had she known just how powerful Anne was?

A sudden gust of wind rustled the trees, and Anne turned her gaze upward. The moon, high and watchful, seemed to whisper secrets she couldn't yet understand. And then, just beyond the treeline, she saw movement.

"We're not alone," she murmured.

Lucian's hand immediately went to his sword. "Vampires?"

Anne shook her head. "No. Worse."

From the shadows emerged a figure clad in black, his pale skin almost luminescent in the moonlight. His crimson eyes gleamed with something sinister, something ancient. He stepped forward, his movements deliberate and graceful, like a predator closing in on its prey.

Valtheris.

Anne stiffened. She had known he was lurking, manipulating things from the darkness. But she hadn't expected him to reveal himself so soon.

"Ah, the Dragire," he purred, his voice smooth as silk. "I was wondering when you would start asking the right questions."

Lucian tensed beside her, but Anne raised a hand, stopping him. She met Valtheris' gaze without flinching. "You knew."

The vampire lord smiled, his fangs gleaming. "Of course, child. I have known for centuries that one like you would come. The harbinger of change, the end of an era. And yet... you still hesitate."

Anne's fingers tightened around the book. "You don't know me."

Valtheris chuckled. "Oh, but I do. You see, I was there when the first attempt to create a Dragire failed. When your mother thought she had found a way to end the war without bloodshed. A noble dream. A foolish one."

Anne's breath caught. "First attempt?"

The vampire lord took another step forward. "Did she not tell you? That you were not the first? That there were others before you?"

The ground beneath Anne seemed to tilt. Her mother had lied to her, yes—but had she lied about this too? The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

Lucian moved closer, his voice low. "Don't listen to him, Anne. He wants to manipulate you."

Valtheris smirked. "Oh, I have no need for manipulation. The truth is often more damning than any lie. And you, my dear, are standing on the edge of something far greater than you realize."

Anne swallowed hard, forcing herself to stay calm. "What do you want?"

"To see you embrace what you are," Valtheris said simply. "To stop denying the power inside you. Your mother tried to suppress it. The dragons fear it. But you? You are neither dragon nor vampire. You are beyond them. You could rule them."

The words sent a thrill through Anne's veins, the Dragire inside her responding to the call of power. But she clenched her fists, forcing it back. "I don't want to rule anyone."

Valtheris tilted his head. "Perhaps not yet. But you will. The war is inevitable, Dragire. And when the time comes, you will have to choose a side."

Anne's jaw tightened. "I've already chosen."

The vampire lord laughed, the sound rich and amused. "Oh, my dear child. No, you haven't."

Then, in a blur of movement, he was gone, melting back into the shadows like he had never been there at all.

Lucian let out a breath, his hand still clenched around his weapon. "That was a warning."

Anne nodded, staring at the place where Valtheris had stood. Her heart was still racing, her thoughts tangled and wild. He had known the truth about her before she did. He had known about others like her.

She had always thought she was alone. But maybe she wasn't.

Maybe there were more secrets buried in her past than she ever imagined.

And if she wanted to survive, she would have to uncover every last one of them.