Crimson Veil (Book I)

Desperation in Fight

The room was dimly lit by the flickering light of the torches that lined the stone walls, casting eerie shadows as the heavy iron doors creaked open. Lucien, Dante, and Elena stepped into the heart of Kallista's lair, their hearts pounding with the weight of what they had just endured. Every muscle in Lucien and Dante's bodies was tense, ready for a fight, and Elena's breath came in shallow gasps, her mind spinning with fear and uncertainty.

Before they could take another step, a low, sinister laugh echoed through the chamber. "Thank you for walking straight into my chamber," Kallista's voice rang out, thick with amusement.

Elena's heart dropped as Kallista appeared from the darkness, her eyes gleaming with triumph. Her long, dark robes flowed behind her, and her smile was twisted with malevolent glee. She stood in front of them like a queen before her subjects, her power crackling in the air around her.

"You three," Kallista continued, her laughter growing louder, "have led her straight to where I want her to be." Her gaze fell on Elena, a predatory hunger in her eyes.

It was then that a figure emerged from behind a curtain of shadows, stepping forward with a slow, deliberate pace. Kallista's son. His dark eyes gleamed as he looked at Lucien, Dante, and Elena, his lips curling into a sneer. "Well, well," he drawled, his voice smooth and mocking. "Look who we have here."

Before Lucien or Dante could react, a sudden force slammed into them, pinning them against the cold stone walls with a violent crash. Both men struggled, their muscles straining as the invisible magic held them in place, their faces contorted in rage and pain.

"Lucien! Dante!" Elena cried, panic rising in her chest as she watched them fight against the magical bonds.

Kallista's son turned his attention to Elena, a cruel smile spreading across his face. With a wave of his hand, she was drawn toward him, her body moving as if under a spell. She felt his dark magic wrap around her, pulling her closer until his hand snaked around her waist, gripping her tightly.

"Hi, vessel," he whispered into her ear, his voice sending chills down her spine. His hand pressed firmly against her swollen belly, his fingers tracing the curve with an almost possessive touch. "Thank you for carrying my descendant... and his other half." He threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing through the chamber, dark and twisted.

Elena's eyes widened in horror. "What are you talking about?" she demanded, her voice trembling with fear.

Kallista's son leaned down, his long tongue flicking out to lick the side of her neck, making her shudder in disgust. "You're the perfect vessel, Elena," he murmured, his hand pressing harder against her belly. "You're carrying the next generation of power... my power. One child of darkness... and one born of light."

"No..." Elena whispered, her body tensing as she felt his magic begin to stir inside her.

He smirked, his eyes gleaming with cruel delight as he began to draw on her magic, pulling it from deep within her and directing it toward the children growing inside her. "Let's see what happens when we hasten the process, shall we?"

Elena gasped, her entire body convulsing as she felt the dark magic flow through her veins, ripping through her like fire. "No! Stop! What are you doing?" she screamed, clutching her belly as the pain intensified.

Her belly began to swell, growing larger with each passing second, the weight of it pulling her down as the magic hastened the term of her pregnancy. She could feel the children inside her—his children—moving, their growth accelerated by the twisted magic coursing through her. The pain was unbearable, her belly stretching impossibly fast.