CHAPTER 1 THE BLOOD

GABRIELLA’S POV

“Ouch!” my mistress’s daughter, Catrina, screams as the family doctor, Nicholas, makes a cut on her wrist. She furiously glares at him whilst the droplets of her precious blood drip into the tiny bottle in his other hand.

Our great kingdom, Everleen, is ruled by three, mighty vampire kings who happens to be brothers. Their mate is expected to have a special blood, the Portion, that is the key to giving the vampire kings unimaginable powers.

Whoever the lucky girl is, she is given the special name, the Vessel, meaning the bearer of the most powerful blood.

They have been searching for her for more years than I have been alive. Each year, all young females of Vampire blood submit samples of their blood to the great palace. So far no one’s blood was found to be special by the kings.

It's the beginning of another year and all young females of vampire blood that have reached the age of eighteen are submitting samples of their blood to the big palace in hope of being the special one, the Vessel, and the mate of the Vampire Kings.

“My father will have your stupid head cut off if you let out an extra drop of my precious blood than is necessary to fill this bottle!” Catrina threatens.

Just like me, Nicholas is a human that lives in service of our Vampire masters. They are the superior race, the ones with most wealth and ageless beauty. Though I have seen several of them act jealous of the beauty of some humans.

“Just a little more dear,” Catrina’s mother urges her beloved daughter.

Once the tiny bottle is full, she takes the bottle and hands it to me while Nicholas presses a cloth against Catrina’s wound to staunch the bleeding.

“Take it to the Kings’ service men outside. Hurry your lazy feet before my daughter’s sample get’s left behind,” she orders.

I nod and make my way out with the bottle in hand. But in my haste, I slip on a wet potion of the kitchen floor and fall forward on my belly. Time seems to slow as I watch in horror as the bottle drops from grasp, hits the floor and the lid pops off. The bottle rolls across the floor while Catrina’s blood spills out with incredible speed, leaving the tiny bottle totally empty.

“Shit!” I gasp in a low voice, yet somehow our masters hear it.

“What’s happening?” Catrina’s mother yells from the other room. My heart races like a wild drum as I hurriedly clean up the mess with a dump cloth.

“Hurry up human! If my blood is left behind I’ll have you skinned alive!” Catrina harsh voice warns.

I can already imagine her furious face when I tell her that her precious blood is gone. She would kill me on the spot.

Maybe I do not have to tell her.

With trembling hands, I grab a knife from the utensils rack. Nausea washes over me as I lift my sleeve a little and press the knife against the part of my wrist that is always covered by cloth. The pain is sharp and immediate, but it is nothing compared to the hell Catrina would give me if she found out I spilled her precious blood.

Blood wells up quickly and I tilt my hand, holding the tiny bottle underneath the wound so it fills to the brim with my blood. I pick up the lid and close the tiny bottle as tightly as possible. I tear a piece of my chemise and use it to tie the wound before hurrying out of the house to the front yard where a carriage belonging to the Kings’ servicemen awaits.

I bow in respect to the two men inside before handing them the jar.

Guilt gnaws at me as I watch the carriage pull out of the compound. If Catrina ever discovers what I did, she would surely skin me alive. But a part of me doubts she can have the special blood. I like to think that the vessel would be someone kind. Perhaps that is the reason it is so hard to find her among Vampires. Kindness is not a virtue most possess.

I go back into the house and go about my other duties of cleaning and making dinner while listening to Catrina and her mother in the next room discuss the potential of her being the mate of the Vampire Kings.

Obviously every young female vampire that reached the age of eighteen submitted their blood to seek the opportunity, because it's not just about becoming the queen of the wealthiest kingdom, it’s also about becoming the wife of the Triplet vampire kings. They are more formidable than normal vampires with great powers and have dazzling beauty because of their royal origin.

Not that I have seen them, but I have heard all the incredible rumours. The woman that turns out to have the special blood will spend the rest of her life in an imposing palace and with a luxurious life. I messed Catrina’s blood sample, but I am certain she cannot be the one with the special one anyway.