Prologue — The Witch and the Vamp

The gentle wind lifted up the beautiful dark blue curtains of the large window, allowing them to dance and gently sway in the wind. The woman standing before them sighed, opening the large double doors, walking toward the balcony, and glancing over the suburban town she was in. She watched the light traffic in the streets below, normal people going about their day.

"Fragile little humans," she muttered underneath her breath, turning away. Her large purple gown swirled behind her as she made her way towards the sofa.

Lifting her long pretty legs up onto the sofa, she laid down, eyes studying the cream-colored ceiling as she ran her long fingers through her purple hair. She bit her lip, reaching for a hand mirror and bringing it toward her face to reveal her beauty in its prime definition: soft blood-red lips, paired with mystic green eyes.

"Perfection," she whispered, eyeing all that reflected back at her.

After a moment, she sighed, swinging her perfect legs over the side of the sofa. Her toes wiggled in the soft carpet, and she chuckled to herself. She deserved all of this. It was her hard work, and hers alone, that had brought her to this very moment. Her gown sagged from her shoulders, but she didn't mind. Reaching down to her ankle, she rubbed the sudden growing ache that had developed. She suddenly sat up, rolling her eyes as the balcony curtains lifted and a strong wind blew in.

"Alec," she hissed, "must you always arrive uninvited?" Her gaze fixed on the empty balcony. A figure stepped out of what seemed like thin air. A smart black suit adorned his body. He had dark eyes, and his pitch-black hair swayed in the wind. Alec gave her a wicked smirk, his fangs already out as he licked his lips while taking in her appearance.

"Hello Stephania."

She lifted her hand up and a thick robe flew into it. She covered herself up, flipping her luscious hair back effortlessly as she eyed him and stood up.

"I see this realm is doing you a lot of good," Alec began, glancing around. His posture was impeccable, towering over everything. A grim dark aura surrounded him.

"What can I say? I work hard," she replied with a slight shrug, sweeping her gaze across the room with a smirk of her own.

The vampire sped toward her so suddenly her breath hitched at the feel of his cold dead hands grasping her neck and pulling her in.

"Who did you bewitch now, witch?" he whispered lowly, trailing his fingertips across her lower jaw.

She held her position firmly, even as her breathing increased, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

His sharp gaze landed on a picture hanging from the wall of a human man with his arms around a young girl. He chuckled at the sight, pulling back.

"Poor fool."

Stephania glared at him, rubbing her neck.

"Is it too much to ask you to be civil for once?" she spat. He turned away from her, studying the villa.

"Oh my dear Stephania, I would love to be civil—if I was capable of it." He turned back around to face her. "How is my daughter?"

Stephania sat down on the sofa, crossing her long legs, aware of his eyes following her movements. She played with her fingernails poshly as she replied.

"Fine, the girl is fine, not that you care." She looked up at him before sighing. "She is adjusting well to this new arrangement. As long as she has all the Gucci and Versace this tiny human realm has to offer, she's happy," she explained in an uninterested tone, her fingers trailing the outline of the cushion beside her.

"I suppose that's something she has in common with her whore of a mother," Alec casually replied. Stephania shot him a glare, and he chuckled.

"How dare you! She is her father's daughter after all," she hissed back.

Alec smiled, showing his fans.

"I would be careful if I were you, Stephania. You know very well not to push my boundaries. I can be very...uncivil," he replied, his eyes glowing a deep shade of brownish grey. "I have shown you mercy despite my nature. Do not take it for weakness. The consequences could be…deadly."

She gulped slowly, a shadow of fear crossing her pretty eyes.

"At least show me some respect. I have helped you a lot in the past, Alec. You must remember that," she countered, although the fire in her tone was lost, replaced with growing submission.

Alec scoffed.

"You mean how you helped me find the dragons by leading me to the bands of Arkiah?" he stated plainly, as if the task was no accomplishment at all. He failed to recognize the fact that the dragons had been thought to be dead ever since the Great Battle five thousand years ago. Only they weren't. They had been growing by the thousands, awaiting a prince with a golden dragon, who, according to prophecy, would bring about the extinction of all other races. Without her help, they would never have known about the prophecy or the breeding dragons in the heart of Ignere, the dark forest.

"And where did that get us? The golden dragon boy is now somewhere in this filthy human realm, challenging our thrones! The prophecy to end us all nears with each fleeting moment, and he's being overseen by Abigail of all people, the mother protector, the most powerful witch in all the realms! Very soon he will come of age and take hold of his destiny. While his idiot of a father sends his little spies to my kingdom, with each passing second, the dragons grow stronger, and when they find their prince, they will strike. The prophecy shall be fulfilled, and then what will become of your so-called help?"

"The dragons may come," Stephania replied calmly, "but without their prince, they will not win. I guarantee you, they will lose. Actually"—she twirled away, smirking—"I'd say they already have."

At those words, Alec turned sharply, eyeing the witch, studying her calm and confident demeanor curiously.

"You've found him," he stated plainly, reading her like an open book. His eyes narrowed as he took a step closer to the witch. "You've found the dragon boy."

She offered him a cocky smile, leaning back with one leg swinging over the other.

"That's right, I've found him. He's residing in this small town of Torent. Why do you think I relocated here?"

"He is here?"

She rolled her eyes.

"I thought you said my help was worthless," she spat.

The vampire moved quickly toward her, his powerful hands gripping her neck and lifting her up in one swift motion. She gasped for air, bare feet inches from the ground.

"Watch. Your. Tone. Witch," Alec hissed through gritted teeth. "Do not forget whose presence you stand in."

He tossed her back onto the couch like a ragdoll, his eyes blazing.

"I brought you into this realm, and I can take you back to the witch kingdom, straight to the square of Riota, and watch as they burn you to ashes. You know what they do to your kind, especially to a dark rebel leader," he threatened.

She nodded quickly, straightening her gown.

"Forgive me, my lord."

He growled as he moved away, facing the window, not giving her another look as he walked onto the balcony to study the scene below him.

"So, the Prince of Dragons is somewhere in this little town. Abigail's protector magic is stronger than I presumed," he stated, watching the wind lift the curtain, before glancing back at Stephania.

She gulped, head lowered, refusing to meet his gaze. She was not ready. She knew that when she looked up, he mustn't see any fear in her eyes.

"I assume the plan is already in action?"

"Yes," she replied, rubbing her sore neck, "he will never know."

Alec nodded at the good news. The sooner the better.

His eyes trailed toward a coffee table a few feet away, and he walked toward it.

"Is this your latest victim?" he grunted, lifting one of the many photos that were spread over the table. They had all been burnt in a certain spot.

"Yes," Stephania replied sighing, "the girl is a nuisance."

"You may have scorched her face, but even I can see that she is beautiful." He looked up at her, humor dancing in his soulless eyes. "Is that why you despise her?" He paused, facing her. "Because she's prettier than you?"

"She is not!" Stephania argued, a viciousness in her tone.

"Oh my dear Stephania," Alec began, trailing a finger over the girl in the photo, "even after all your spells and potions, your beauty will always be artificial." He turned to face her with a cunning smirk. "Why don't you show me what you really look like?" he asked, lifting one eyebrow.

"You say my beauty's fake, yet I've lured many a man, even the great Alec the Fourth, pure-blood vampire and king of kings?" she asked slyly, getting up in the sexiest manner.

She walked over to him seductively, swinging her hips.

"As for the girl," she whispered, "she's my human husband's other child." She trailed a manicured hand over his black suit. "I've managed to bewitch him, but there's a part of him that wants his daughter, a part that even I can't change, and the little prick doesn't even deserve it. She gets on my nerves, little miss perfect."

"We wouldn't want that, now would we?" Alec mocked, dropping the picture.

"No, we wouldn't," Stephania replied, slowly brushing invisible specks of dust off his tailored suit. "But as you can see," she continued, glancing at the table full of burnt pictures, "I've got it handled."

Alec watched curiously as she walked away.

"What have you done to the poor girl?" he asked with a curious glance at the picture, though he was quite enjoying her display of cruelty.

"I've entwined her destiny with one so wicked that even the boy's own father, who is thought to have been molded by the moon herself…wouldn't want it," she replied as she turned around, her feather light gown twirling behind her.

"King Damian?" King Alec replied, even more intrigued, a humorless chuckle escaping his lips. "You gave her…" He trailed off, marveling at her wickedness. "No, you wouldn't...you couldn't have…" he replied, glancing at the pictures.

"Yes, I did," Stephania replied with a wicked grin plastered to her features.

King Alec watched the witch, surprised at her confession, then he chuckled darkly, tossing the picture back on the coffee table.

"Poor girl," he said, turning to face Stephania.

"That's right, Alec," she replied, laying back on the couch, her feet back up in the air as she lifted the hand mirror and stared at her reflection.

"I gave her Legion."