Chapter 2 CHA

(ELARA MONTOYA POV)

Still smelling faintly of old ash and the cloying scent of cheap blood-tea, I arrived at the back entrance of The Sire's Manor. I scrubbed my face and neck with an unused bucket and sponge, scrubbing the last vestiges of Annabella's humiliation off my skin. I had to swallow the last piece of the muffin Lili gave me-the final, mundane comfort-to stop the gagging reflex. My blueberry-stained tunic was the least of my worries.

I grabbed a heavy-duty refuse bag, a broom, and a scent-dampening mask. I slipped into the industrial basement. No way was I touching the aftermath of a Blood-Feast with my bare hands.

I started in the Grand Hall, next to the Sire's private study. I should have put on the mask first. Gods alive and dead, the hall reeked of spoiled Vita-Mix, stale mortal blood, and the disgusting, sticky-sweet vampiric pheromones. I fought the rising gorge, the synthetic blood-tea trying to escape my throat. This was the aristocracy, the leaders of the Crimson Talon Clan, yet they were as filthy as any mortal gutter trash.

Priceless silk tapestries were stained with wine and what looked suspiciously like liquefied vital organs. Satin throws were tossed into a sodden, putrid heap in the corner. Worst of all was the trail of used blood packs-the Clan equivalent of a mortal condom-stuck to the column near the Sire's study door, arranged in a grotesque tally mark.

They celebrate their depravity.

I loaded the sheets into a large silver hamper and wheeled it toward the industrial laundry. My internal rage was a tight, cold knot: these vampires were so wasteful they needed three washers running constantly, while I survived on weak synthetic supplements.

I dug out the clear safety goggles I had secretly stolen from the Clan's medical lab and put them on. I started prying the used blood packs from the column, the sight of the tally marks making my hands shake.

The ventilation grate above me began to vibrate. Whispered voices bled through the metal.

One was the Sire's: deep, gravelly, and ancient, a voice that was a constant mix of seduction and mortal threat. It crawled over me like a Shadow-Spider.

"The Blood Moon is rising, Sire. One more week," a voice said.

The Sire's low growl made me shudder. "How many Fledglings are in this cycle? How many shall Ascend for the first time?"

My broom dropped. One week. I knew instantly what they were discussing. In one week, the younglings who had reached the proper age would attempt their Ascension, the moment they claimed their full lineage powers. I was one of them. My goal-my immediate, life-altering goal-was standing in the way of their power structure.

I kept my eyes on the study door, my heart hammering a chaotic rhythm against my ribs.

"Six, Sire," the Elder, Xender Calderón, began. His voice was colder, more surgically brutal than the Sire's. "And this time, Elara Montoya will be trying for her Ascension."

My blood ran cold. They weren't just discussing the cycle; they were using my name. My breath hitched, tasting like ash and metal.

"It is time for her. We have been monitoring. Her blood scent has shifted. It is time."

My scent has changed? I lifted my scarred wrist and took a discreet sniff. I didn't smell like the expensive Nightshade perfume purebloods favored. What had they detected? And why did Xender sound so... cautious?

The Sire cleared his throat, the sound like dry bone grinding on stone. "What in the Abyss are we going to do with her?" His voice was a snarl, as if I were a noxious, dangerous infestation.

Xender's response was immediate and chilling: "We make her fight her way in the Clan. We exploit her."

"And haven't we been doing that?" The Sire laughed, a long, rasping cough. "She has no true place here. That is the problem. But I think, perhaps, she could be of use."

Someone violently kicked a piece of furniture-a sound of raw frustration. "We should have simply disposed of her with the traitors."

I leaned closer to the vent. I didn't recognize that voice, but the sentiment was deadly clear.

"No." The Sire's voice dropped, becoming heavy with ancient, absolute power. "Even the dregs have a purpose in this world. We simply have to define hers. She will bend to my will, or she will be completely Blood-Broken."

Blood-Broken. That term was reserved for the most ancient, barbaric torture, the ultimate erasure of a vampire's will and power. It sounded like something out of a horror scroll.

A shiver, not of fear but of pure, focused terror, ran down my spine. The first Ascension was meant to be a moment of glory, a claim to power. For me, it had been twisted into a death sentence-a moment they planned to either exploit or destroy me.

I gripped the broom handle, my knuckles white. My goal was no longer just survival; it was to use this Ascension week to become the weapon they planned to exploit, and then turn it on them. I had one week.