Blood Freed (Vampire-Cursed #4)

23. Chapter 23

23

Chapter 23

Soren

T he Chamber of Dawn looms before me, its eastern wall a chilling warning of what awaits. The air feels heavy with the weight of tradition and finality, heavy with death.

Vampire elders fill the tiered seating that curves around the chamber’s western wall, safely shadowed from the coming sunrise. When the time comes, darkened screens will drop into place, protecting them from the deadly rays.

It’s a protection that I won’t receive.

In the seats, I recognize faces I’ve known for centuries – Arabella, her expression carefully neutral, takes pride of place in the center, avoiding my gaze. Nearby is Victor Valmont, who looks as if he’s here for a casual outing. There are more arriving, some looking less comfortable than others. Lucien sits behind Arabella, perfectly poised in his tailored black suit, a slight smile tugging the corners of his lips.

The guards lead me to the middle of the chamber. Their ceremonial red robes brush against the floor as they position me on the execution mark – a circle carved deep into the stone. The cuffs binding me are inscribed with ancient symbols, their silver core burning against my skin.

The Grand Elder rises, her voice carrying across the chamber. “We gather to witness the Sun Trail of Soren Daire, found guilty of betraying his maker and our sacred laws.”

The formal words wash over me as I stand straight-backed, refusing to show weakness. These chains can’t bind my dignity. But something shifts in my awareness – a familiar warmth trying to break through the magical barriers. Mia. Her presence feels desperate, searching.

“Face the east,” Arabella commands.

I turn toward the wall that will soon open to reveal my death. The first hints of pre-dawn light peek through the seams of the ancient mechanism. Mia’s attempts to reach me grow stronger, more frantic. The magical wards fight against our connection, but I feel her there.

“You can survive this, Mia,” I whisper. “Find a way.”

God, if only I’d been able to find a way out of this mess. She’d be safe now.

The wall begins to groan, ancient gears turning. A thin line of pale light appears at the seam.

More Council members file into the chamber. Alaric enters, his modern suit a stark contrast to the ceremonial robes around him. Our eyes meet briefly – there’s a flicker of something there, maybe respect. He takes his seat near Arabella.

The burning in my wrists intensifies as I fight to maintain my composure. My thoughts drift to Mia. Her family is powerful, resourceful. They’ll help her through this. She has to survive – the alternative is unthinkable. The Blackwoods have ancient magic running through their veins. Surely they’ll find a way to break the blood bond before my death takes her, too?

The wall continues its slow ascent. Lucien rises from his seat. “Before we proceed, I’d like to say a few words about our…fallen brother.” His voice carries the perfect blend of regret and authority. “While Soren’s actions have brought us to this moment, we must remember that his betrayal stems from a deeper illness affecting our kind. The Bloodbane remains a scourge that we must work to eradicate from our kind. If anything, this series of events confirms how important it is for us to find a solution. The Blackwood witches appear to hold a key, and I am committed to pursuing this avenue.”

Several voices murmur in approval.

My jaw tightens. The casual mention of Mia’s family name makes my blood boil. Worse yet is the implication that Lucien plans to position himself to exploit Mia’s family without sanction.

Fuck. Someone among us has to see through him.

I think about Marcus. About Selene and Elias and the others who’d stood for me at the hearing. They won’t let this go. I have to believe it. For Mia’s sake.

That’s if she survives.

She will, goddammit!

I maintain my stance, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response. But inside, rage burns hotter than the approaching dawn.

Arabella rises, her bearing regal. “For millennia, our laws have preserved order among our kind. They are the foundation upon which vampire society stands.” Her voice carries clearly in the empty space around me. “Without these laws, we descend into chaos. Into anarchy.”

I almost laugh at the irony. Here stands the Grand Elder, preaching about order while Lucien’s corruption spreads like a cancer through our ranks. The very laws she upholds have become his weapons, twisted to serve his ambitions.

“Each law was written in blood,” she continues, “each tradition forged through sacrifice. To disregard them is to dishonor every vampire who came before us.”

The Assembly members nod in solemn agreement, so caught up in their own self-importance they can’t see how their precious bureaucracy has rendered them useless. While they’ve debated over ancient rules, Lucien has built his empire right under their noses.

“The punishment must fit the crime,” Arabella declares. “Betrayal of one’s maker is among our gravest offenses. The Sun Trail is not merely execution – it is justice.”

Justice. What a joke. Maxwell’s death will go uninvestigated, buried under mountains of paperwork and procedure. The missing witches will become statistics in some dusty report. And Lucien will continue to manipulate the system, knowing the Assembly is too paralyzed by its own rules to stop him.

I catch Arabella’s eye for a moment. There’s something there – a flicker of doubt, perhaps? But she looks away quickly, returning to her rehearsed speech about duty and tradition. Even if she suspects the truth, she’s too deeply entrenched in the system to act.

The eastern wall continues its relentless rise. Soon, the sun will pass judgment on me while the real criminal sits safely in the shadows, protected by the very laws he’s corrupted.

The ancient mechanism groans one final time as the wall opens completely. My heightened senses catch the first hints of dawn – the subtle shift in air pressure, the way the darkness begins to soften around the edges.

For a moment, absolute silence fills the Chamber. Even Lucien’s smug satisfaction feels muted in the face of what’s coming.

I lift my chin, determined to meet death with dignity. Five hundred years of existence, and it comes down to this moment.

The first rays break over the horizon, painting the sky in shades of amber and rose. Beautiful and deadly. My vampire instincts scream at me to run, to fight, to do anything but stand here. I hold my ground. It’s not like I have much choice in the matter.

I think of Mia. Of her incredible bravery and her huge, unwavering heart. Of the way she looked at me like I was worth saving, even after everything. The memory of her touch burns brighter than any sunrise.

The light grows stronger.

Any second now…

I look directly into the sun.