Chapter 1

I am the rarest Blood Witch from the Deep Smoky Mountains. I can nurture sacred parasites with my heart's blood to rebuild a person's life force.

The Crown Prince, Silas, was once declared dead after his heart failed. I used my own body as a vessel to raise the Twin Kings, the ultimate parasites, to restart his heartbeat.

But the first thing he did when he woke up was throw me into the Pit of Vipers. He watched as the poisonous snakes tore at my skin.

"Sienna risked her life to find the cure in the vipers' den for me," he hissed. "You stole her glory by using your dark magic first, causing her to suffer a terrible curse!"

In my moment of utter despair, my childhood friend, Sterling Pierce, rescued me. He gave me a grand wedding and took me into his home as his wife.

I thought I was happy until I was eight months pregnant. A gang of outlaws kidnapped me on my way to the chapel.

They used a cold blade to open my body. They ruthlessly harvested the miracle I carried, tearing it from my womb.

As I lay there dying, I heard a whispered conversation between Prince Silas and Sterling.

"The Blood Witch's power is only at its peak when she is about to give birth," Silas remarked. "But that was your own flesh and blood. You really have a heart of stone."

Sterling's voice was as cold as ice.

"I would do anything to cure Sienna's heart condition," he replied. "Nothing else matters."

At that moment, I finally understood. The happiness I thought I had was just a trap he set to steal the Essence of the Blood Mother inside me.

But they have no idea. Now that the Essence is gone, they are all dead men walking.

1

"What about Seraphina Vance?" Silas asked. "She can never have children again. She's essentially useless now."

Sterling glanced at me with a detached look. "I will take care of her. I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to her."

He paused, his voice growing sharper. "But if you ever mistreat Sienna, I will take her away from you."

The Prince snorted with confidence. "Don't worry. I would never fail her."

These two men stood before me. One was a man whose life I had saved, and the other was the husband I had loved with all my soul.

Now, they were discussing how to drain the last bit of value from me. All of this was to pave the way for the woman they both adored.

Grief crashed over me like a tidal wave. Tears I couldn't control escaped from the corners of my eyes.

A moment later, I felt a warm touch on my face. Sterling rushed to my side, panting, and pulled me into his arms.

"Seraphina, I finally found you!" he sobbed, his voice shaking with fake emotion. "Don't be afraid. I'm here now."

Watching him perform made me feel physically sick. I didn't expose him, choosing instead to fake a fainting spell in his arms.

When I finally woke up, the room smelled of rotting copper and blood.

I opened my eyes and saw several severed heads on the floor. They belonged to the outlaws who had attacked me.

"You're finally awake!" Sterling cried.

He pointed at the heads, his face twisted in mock rage. "I killed those animals for what they did to you. I've avenged you, Seraphina."

His eyes were red and swollen as if he had spent the night crying for me.

I turned my head away. I could feel the ancient power inside me becoming quiet and cold.

"Sterling, where is our baby?" I asked.

He let go of my hand, a flicker of guilt crossing his face before disappearing.

"The baby… didn't make it," he whispered.

"We are young. We can have others later. Right now, you just need to recover."

Fresh tears spilled out. I bit my lip so hard that the taste of blood filled my mouth.

My child was a living soul. To them, my baby was nothing more than a discarded tool.

Sterling held me while I wept, acting like a grieving father. Then, a maid knocked on the door, announcing that the Princess had just given birth.

Sterling's breathing hitched. "Seraphina, I have some urgent business to handle. Rest for now."

I didn't stop him. As I watched his desperate, hurried exit, a mocking smile touched my lips.

Sterling, since you are so heartless, don't blame me for what comes next.