Prologue

Thirty years ago

Lady Ravenwood lay in bed, her body wracked with pain from labour. The sky was dark, devoid of even a sliver of moonlight. She gazed up at the heavens and prayed that her child would not be born on this ominous night. She felt a sense of foreboding, especially given the current happenings. She could feel her child struggling to be born, but she clenched her lower body to prevent it.

She called out for her servant maid, Agatha, and asked if her husband had returned.

Agatha came over to the bed and changed the soiled sheet under her mistress. “No, My Lady, he has not yet returned. I’ll ask William when he comes up. The master should be back soon. Please hold on.”

Lady Ravenwood sighed and squeezed the sheets with all her might. Her toes curled from the pain, and sweat dripped down her neck and back, soaking the bed sheets.

Lady Ravenwood was hiding in a safe house outside the city limits. It was a small country house, far from prying eyes. Her husband had spared no expense in ensuring her comfort and protection, especially after they learned of their child’s impending arrival. But still, Lady Ravenwood couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible would happen.

“Please, can you bring me some water?” Lady Ravenwood asked Agatha, her voice strained.

The maid bowed and hurried out of the room to fetch a glass for her mistress. As she descended the stairs, she saw William, the master’s butler, talking to a stranger. When William noticed her, he dismissed the man and led the maid into the dimly lit kitchen.

“The master hasn’t yet returned, and there have been sightings of hunters. He should have been back by now! How is the lady faring?”

Agatha expressed her concern with a shake of her head and knotted her fingers together. “She’s losing too much blood and refuses to give birth without her husband. If this continues, we may lose them both!”

William nodded thoughtfully and let go of the maid’s arm. “Keep her comfortable so long as it’s safe, but I fear we cannot delay much longer. The master has given us specific instructions if he doesn’t return.”

The maid tilted her head and rushed to get her mistress water. She then climbed up the stairs and carefully placed the glass in the lady’s trembling hands. Lady Ravenwood had paled considerably since the night began. Her brown hair was plastered over her forehead, and deep shadows made her eyes sunken. It was a terrible sight, especially for those who knew how beautiful the mistress was in good health. Her dress was stained with blood, and she was sweating profusely despite the cold temperature of the room. Agatha had done everything she could to assist her, but the lady’s condition seemed to be deteriorating by the minute.

Agatha moved her lady’s legs and changed the towels again. The blood kept dripping down, and she could see how weak she had become.

“Mistress,” Agatha said gravely. “We cannot wait any longer. You need to push! If you don’t, your baby will die.”

Lady Ravenwood inhaled sharply as another burst of pain erupted in her lower back. She had stayed the pains of childbirth for as long as she could, but she knew Agatha was right. As much as she didn’t want her child to be born that night, she also didn’t want to be the cause of their death. With a resigned sigh, she nodded and extended her hand, and the maid took it quickly, caressing it gently as the lady pushed. She cried out and sank onto the bed once the contraction had passed.

A gush of water and blood accumulated under her, and she pushed again when she felt another sharp stab of pain. Agatha went between her legs and cupped the baby’s crowning head. “One last push, My Lady. I’ll be able to pull the baby out after that.”

Lady Ravenwood howled and screamed as she contracted her belly muscles and pushed the child out.

The room was eerily quiet as the maid cleaned and wrapped the newborn baby girl in a soft blanket. That silence would have created anxiety for any other new mother, but not here, not with this most particular child. Agatha smiled comfortingly at Lady Ravenwood, who was too weak to hold her child. She placed the baby onto Lady Ravenwood’s breasts so she could gaze upon her child and feel their warmth.

Lady Ravenwood’s face was pale and drawn. “I don’t think I’ll make it,” she said weakly. “If Eddy’s dead, and I won’t be here to protect her, you must keep her safe. Please ask William to bring the documents. I must sign them before I can no longer do so.”

Agatha bowed her head, acknowledging her mistress’s request. She left the baby close to Lady Ravenwood and hurried down the stairs to find the master’s butler.

William was talking with another man when Agatha interrupted them. “The child lives, and the lady has requested you, William,” she said. “It doesn’t look good. Can you bring the documents? I think Lady Ravenwood will need to make a few changes.”

“I have bad news as well,” said William. “Hunters have killed the master. I don’t know how they knew his whereabouts, but someone tipped them off. His car was ambushed when he was on his way back.”

William moved to the main parlour and opened a trapdoor on the floor. Inside, there was a safe that contained the documents Lady Ravenwood requested. The papers were the deed to the Ravenwood’s wealth and were of great importance to the future Lady Ravenwood.

The butler closed the trapdoor and hurried Agatha to their mistress’s bedroom. When they both entered, all was silent, and they half feared their Lady had died. But then, they heard her weak voice. “Thank you, William,” she said. “Please bring the documents to me. I must sign them before it’s too late.”

The new mother slowly removed her ring and gave it to him. As she handed over the ring, the maid who was standing nearby observed her mistress’s face and realized that something was wrong. Her lips had turned an ominous shade of purple-blue, and her breathing was laboured. The maid’s heart skipped a beat, wondering if Lady Ravenwood would be strong enough to make it through the early morning.

“Her name is Maxime Seraphine Ravenwood. After my passing, she’ll be the heiress to the Ravenwood title and wealth,” Lady Ravenwood explained.

The butler took out a quill and inkwell and scribbled down the information on the parchments. He was careful not to make any mistakes, knowing how important and delicate the matter was. Once he finished writing, William turned to the lady and gently pricked her finger. The lady winced in pain but held her composure. He then did the same to the baby, who let out a small cry—the first since her birth. William collected their droplets of blood, one by one, and carefully placed them on the document. With each drop, the ink changed colour slightly, indicating that the blood was absorbed into the document and sealed the information within.

He then carefully folded the parchments and affixed the Ravenwood crest using the Lady’s ring.

“It’s done, Mistress. What is to become of the child?”

Lady Ravenwood gazed at her newborn baby with a mix of emotions. Her lips trembled with sadness as she spoke, “We must hide her until she’s ready to face the world. It’s best if she grows up not knowing anything about her true nature. She’ll be safe but alone. This decision pains me more than I can express, but it’s necessary. She can pass as a human, and we must protect her. I wish things could be different, but they’re not. Will you watch over her, William? Agatha? Please ensure that no one discovers she’s a half-blood.”

William took Lady Ravenwood’s hand and vowed to watch the little girl closely. After all, she was now his mistress, and he would do everything he could to protect her.

Blood and oath bound him and Agatha to be the child’s humble servants until the day someone put a stake through their vampire hearts.