

Seraphina once believed she was the vampire prince Alistair's one true love. Five years ago, he rescued her and declared her his soulmate. But when she was attacked by werewolves while pregnant, he sent all the healers to her stepsister Isabella, who had forged a "life bond" with him, causing her to miscarry. Over five years, he favored Isabella—stealing Seraphina's paintings, giving her the studio key, and planting flowers that Seraphina was allergic to. After the truth came out, she faked her death and escaped under the alias Phoebe Miller. She later became an art restorer, was discovered by gallery owner Julian, and rebuilt her life independently. Isabella died in prison, and Alistair, consumed by regret, became an arbiter. A year later, her Light and Shadow series succeeded, and holding Julian's hand, she finally found a peaceful life.

Seraphina once believed she was the vampire prince Alistair's one true love. Five years ago, he rescued her and declared her his soulmate. But when she was attacked by werewolves while pregnant, he sent all the healers to her stepsister Isabella, who had forged a "life bond" with him, causing her to miscarry. Over five years, he favored Isabella—stealing Seraphina's paintings, giving her the studio key, and planting flowers that Seraphina was allergic to. After the truth came out, she faked her death and escaped under the alias Phoebe Miller. She later became an art restorer, was discovered by gallery owner Julian, and rebuilt her life independently. Isabella died in prison, and Alistair, consumed by regret, became an arbiter. A year later, her Light and Shadow series succeeded, and holding Julian's hand, she finally found a peaceful life.

I was the second princess of the Phoenix Court. And I fell in love with a lowly black serpent. In my past life, just to be with him, I purposely picked that black serpent during the Sacred Bonding ceremony when we each chose our companion beasts. After that, we spent every night together. I didn't care what the whole clan thought. I was determined to marry him. But on our wedding day, that same serpent I'd given my heart to drove an arrow straight through me, killing me while I was three months pregnant. As I lay dying, I heard him hiss bitterly in my ear, "If it weren't for you, I'd have been with Seraphine by now. You should've died a long time ago." That's when I finally got it. All he cared about was power. And he'd been in love with my older sister all along—the sister who was next in line for the Phoenix throne. When I opened my eyes again, we were back at that same moment—the Sacred Bonding ceremony. Before everyone, he dropped to his knees and confessed he loved my sister. He begged not to be bound to me. The whole clan looked at me with pity. But I only smiled and pointed to a small white serpent resting quietly off to the side. That black serpent thought clinging to my sister would make him powerful. What he didn't realize was that only the one I chose would become the true heir to the Phoenix Court.