Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 30: It is official

The hour was creeping closer to midnight, and the Sexton tower bell would soon chime softly to announce the late hour.

Inside the room where Ruelle had fled hours ago, June sat stiffly on the edge of her bed. Stupid Ruelle, she thought, as the memory of her roommate stabbing Alanna resurfaced. There was still a flicker of worry—Alanna had stormed off in fury, but neither she nor Ruelle had returned. Would she have to face the consequences for letting Ruelle escape?

Suddenly, the sound of heavy boots thudded down the corridor, growing louder with every step. June turned wary, nervously smiling as the door swung open, but it wasn’t Alanna.

A guard stood in the doorway—tall, stoic, his face unreadable. His eyes scanned the room before he questioned,

"Ruelle Belmont. Which are her belongings?"

June blinked in confusion, her mind catching up to the moment. "Her belongings?" she repeated, her tone bordering on doubt.

Her heart skipped with excitement. Could this be it? Was Ruelle being expelled from Sexton? She barely managed to keep her voice steady as she gestured to the opposite side of the room. "That side. Is she being kicked out?"

The guard crossed the room without responding and began methodically pulling open drawers, gathering Ruelle’s sparse belongings—clothes, a few worn books, and the knitting needles that had fallen to the floor earlier. Each item he collected felt like confirmation that her roommate was finally being removed from her life.

stab a vampiress, and now she was going to pay the price. She muttered to herself, "She was

left the room, Ruelle’s belongings in hand. As the

burning with fury and her earlier stabbed hand wrapped in bandage. June couldn’t help but wonder why the vampiress’s hand hadn’t

her outside! She must

Alanna’s tone but quickly seized the opportunity to share the news that had brightened her own mood. She said eagerly, "Her things were just

be right. Sexton doesn’t just

stop herself with her imagination running wild, she added, "She must be

like Ruelle. No, the stables would be a kindness, Alanna thought with disgust. That girl was probably used to filth, to the stench

deserve the luxury of stables. I will

air felt thick with the tension. The sound of the quill scratching against parchment broke the otherwise quiet room, with Mr. Mortis

her other side stood Lucian, quiet and brooding. The gravity of what lay ahead weighed heavily on her, pressing down on her with every second. She

leaned in slightly and whispered, "You’ll

spoke, his dry voice cutting through the silence, "Miss Belmont, you are aware of the implications

swallowed hard, the sound of her own heartbeat filling her

"You understand the terms, Mr. Slater? Miss Belmont will be