Crimson Thorn, Obsidian Throne

Crimson Thorn, Obsidian Throne

daniel musyimi · Ongoing · 158.2k Words

389
Hot
489
Views
0
Added
Add to Shelf
Start Reading
Share:facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsappreddit

Introduction

In the hidden, ancient vampire city of Nyxus, where blood purity dictates status, Seraphina "Sera," a dhampir (half-vampire, half-human), lives as an outcast, enduring constant bullying and scorn. The powerful and aloof Pureblood Prince, Lord Kaelen Vorokh, embodies the rigid hierarchy that dismisses her. However, when torment pushes Sera to her limit, her dormant and unique dhampir abilities erupt with shocking force, marking her as someone far more significant than the society presumed.

Her newfound power emerges at a critical time: an ancient, devastating plague resurfaces, targeting only pureblood vampires and proving resistant to their magic, throwing Nyxus into panic and chaos. Ancient texts and forgotten prophecies hint that only a being of mixed blood, wielding abilities like Sera's, can uncover the plague's origin and find the means to stop it.

Thrust into an unwelcome spotlight, Sera must embark on a perilous quest to save the very society that oppressed her. This forces her into an uneasy alliance with Lord Kaelen, who must confront his prejudices as he realizes their survival depends on the dhampir he once overlooked. "Crimson Thorn, Obsidian Throne" will chronicle Sera's journey from bullied victim to a powerful heroine, her dangerous quest to stop the plague, her navigation of treacherous vampire politics, and the slow-burn evolution of her complex relationship with Kaelen amidst ancient secrets and epic stakes.

Chapter 1

The cobblestones of the Alleys of Sighs were slick beneath my worn boots, reflecting the perpetual twilight of Nyxus in greasy rainbows. Another midnight cycle, another delivery of near-empty blood-protein nutrient packs from the Lower Cisterns to the kitchens of House Valerius. My arms ached, not from the weight of the satchel – it was pitifully light, the packs mostly air and watery residue these days – but from the constant, soul-deep weariness of being Seraphina, the dhampir. The half-breed. The Crimson Thorn in the side of pureblood society.

Nyxus, City of Eternal Night, our magnificent, hidden vampire capital, was a breathtaking prison. Towering gothic spires clawed at the perpetually moonlit sky (or so the upper-crusters claimed; down here, we only saw the oppressive glow reflecting off the cavern roof far above). Opulent manors, carved from obsidian and veined with blood-quartz, clung to the cliff faces, their windows like glowing, malevolent eyes. But for dhampirs like me, and the even less fortunate human blood-thralls, Nyxus was the Alleys of Sighs, the Sump District, the places where the refuse of pureblood life trickled down.

A burst of cruel laughter echoed from a side passage, making me flinch. I knew that laughter. Lady Isolde Valerius and her sycophantic clique. My stomach tightened. I tried to melt further into the shadows cast by a crumbling buttress, hoping they’d pass without noticing me. No such luck.

"Well, well, what have we here?" Isolde’s voice, sharp and brittle as breaking glass, cut through the alley's gloom. She stepped out, flanked by her usual two shadows, Lucian and Drusilla – young, arrogant purebloods whose only discernible talents were cruelty and toadying. Isolde herself was stunning, in the way a perfectly crafted ice sculpture is stunning – all sharp angles, flawless pale skin, and eyes the color of frozen amethysts. Tonight, she wore a gown of blood-red velvet that seemed to drink the dim light.

"It’s the half-breed mongrel, Lady Isolde," Lucian sneered, his lip curling as he looked me up and down. "Still scuttling about with the kitchen scraps."

"Such a pity it pollutes our air with its… diluted presence," Drusilla added, her voice a saccharine poison.

I kept my eyes downcast, clutching the satchel tighter. This was their favorite game: find the dhampir, torment the dhampir. "My lady," I murmured, the obligatory address tasting like ash on my tongue. "I am on an errand for your House."

"An errand?" Isolde tapped a perfectly manicured nail against her chin, feigning contemplation. "Or perhaps just enjoying the ambiance of the sewers where you belong?" She glided closer, her expensive perfume – nightshade and something cloyingly sweet – assaulting my senses. "Look at me when I address you, dhampir."

Reluctantly, I lifted my gaze to meet hers. Her amethyst eyes glittered with malice. This was the routine. The verbal barbs, the subtle magical pressure they sometimes exerted – a chilling coldness, a wave of nausea only I would feel – just enough to remind me of my place, to keep me cowed. Dhampirs were stronger than humans, yes, but pathetically weak compared to purebloods, especially those from noble houses like Valerius, whose lineage was thick with ancient power. We were tolerated because we could perform tasks in the brief, dangerous hours of twilight or deal with the human world in ways purebloods found distasteful or risky. Tolerated, but never accepted. Always the other. Always less.

"Still dreaming of being something more than refuse, Sera?" Isolde purred, using my given name with deliberate familiarity to emphasize my lack of status. "Still hoping some pureblood lord will overlook your tainted blood and elevate you from the muck?"

My jaw tightened, but I forced myself to remain silent. Any response would only prolong the torment, invite escalation. The memory of last week’s “game” – where Lucian had “accidentally” tripped me, sending me sprawling into a puddle of refuse while Isolde and Drusilla shrieked with laughter – was still fresh.

"Such a dull creature," Isolde sighed dramatically. "No fight in it at all. Hardly worth the effort." She flicked her wrist dismissively. "Be gone, then. And try not to leave too much of your half-breed stench behind."

They swept past, their laughter echoing again as they disappeared towards the more opulent avenues. I waited until their footsteps faded, my hands clenched so tight my knuckles were white. The shame burned, hot and familiar. The anger, a constant companion, simmered just beneath the surface, carefully banked. Showing it would only bring worse.

I continued my delivery, the satchel feeling heavier now. The weight wasn't physical; it was the crushing burden of their contempt, the hopelessness of my existence. This was my life: endless servitude, casual cruelty, and the constant, grinding reminder of my inferiority.

The Valerius kitchens were a chaotic inferno of heat and frantic activity, even at this late hour. Pureblood chefs, often lesser nobles themselves, barked orders at dhampir and human servants. I deposited the nutrient packs with the scullery master, a fat, wheezing vampire who barely acknowledged my presence, and turned to leave, eager to escape back to the relative anonymity of my tiny hovel in the Sump.

As I passed through the grand service entrance, the main courtyard of House Valerius spread before me for a moment, a vision of stark contrast. Torches blazed, illuminating intricate obsidian carvings. Purebloods in silks and velvets moved with languid grace, their laughter musical, their faces animated. And standing on a high balcony overlooking it all, speaking quietly with Lord Valerius, was him.

Lord Kaelen Vorokh. Prince of the Night, Master of the Obsidian Spire, one of the most ancient and powerful purebloods in Nyxus, a key figure on the ruling Vampire Council. He was a legend, a nightmare, a distant, terrifying god. Even from this distance, his presence was a palpable force, radiating power and an aura of absolute, unyielding authority. His long, dark hair caught the torchlight like polished jet. His features, even shadowed, were sharp, aristocratic, beautiful in a way that promised only danger.

He was the embodiment of everything I wasn't, everything I could never be. The pinnacle of the pureblood society that crushed dhampirs like me under its heel. I had never been close to him, never dared. But I knew his reputation. His justice was said to be as cold and unyielding as the obsidian of his spire. He upheld the ancient laws, the rigid hierarchies, without question, without mercy. He likely didn’t even see dhampirs as individuals, only as a necessary, if distasteful, part of Nyxus’s ecosystem.

Our eyes met.

Or at least, I thought they did. For a fraction of a second, his gaze seemed to sweep across the courtyard, across the service entrance where I stood frozen, a tiny, insignificant shadow. There was no recognition, no acknowledgement, just the brief, indifferent assessment of a predator scanning its domain. Then his attention returned to Lord Valerius.

The moment passed. But it left me breathless, my heart hammering. The sheer, overwhelming power of his presence, even at a distance, was suffocating. He was the system. He was the obsidian throne that kept my kind in the dust.

Clutching my cloak tighter, I hurried away, back towards the Alleys of Sighs, towards the Sump. The brief glimpse of pureblood opulence and power, epitomized by Lord Kaelen, only made the bitterness of my own existence sharper.

Back in my cramped, damp room, the only sound the drip of water from a leaky pipe, I sank onto my thin straw pallet. Dreams of escape, of dignity, of simply mattering, felt like foolish fantasies. But as I drifted into an uneasy sleep, a tiny, stubborn ember of defiance still glowed within me. I was Seraphina. I was a thorn, yes. But thorns were made to endure. And sometimes, even the smallest thorn could draw blood from the careless hand that tried to crush it. One day, I vowed silently, one day things would be different. I didn't know how. But the thought was a shield against the despair, a tiny spark in the endless night of Nyxus.

Last Chapters

You Might Like 😍

Violent Little Thing.

Violent Little Thing.

290.3k Views · Completed · sheridan.hartin
Fuck off? I lent over to her side of the car, grabbed her hips and ripped her over to straddle my lap. This girl was something else, I knew it from the start. Now I needed her to know just who I am and what I am capable of. I held one hand firmly on her waist and the other to her throat. It wasn’t tight enough to hurt her, but it would keep her in place for now.
“Angel, you have a filthy fucking mouth”, I whispered low into her ear.
“Luciano…” Finally, an expression on her face. A real one she wasn’t hiding from me. It wasn’t fear though. It was lust. My girl likes this. I pulled her down further so she could feel just how much I was liking it too and the most enchanting gasp came from her mouth while her eyes rolled back for a moment.
————————————————
Do you enjoy a damsel in distress and a knight in shining armour? If so, then this book is not for you. This five foot nothing, FMC, Ariana Salvatore is a ruthless assassin, trained and tortured to be the most deadly weapon. She's got a heart of gold, a filthy mouth and a will to survive. She's on the run from her father's heavy hand and deadly demands. What happens when not one but three powerful mafia men pine for her? Will they be able to share? Will her past catch up to her? And what about her ex fiance? The ruthless, beast of a man her father had arranged for her to marry? This book is a whirlwind of events, violent, spicy and not for the faint hearted.
Omega Bound

Omega Bound

206.2k Views · Ongoing · Veronica White
Ayla Frost is a beautiful, rare omega. Kidnapped, tortured, and trafficked to rogue clans and corrupt alphas to do with as they pleased.  Kept alive in her cage, broken and abandoned by her wolf, she becomes mute and has given up on hope for a better life until one explosion changes everything. 

Thane Knight is the alpha of the Midnight Pack of the La Plata Mountain Range, the largest wolf shifter pack in the world. He is an alpha by day and hunts the shifter trafficking ring with his group of mercenaries by night. His hunt for vengeance leads to one raid that changes his life. 

Tropes:
Touch her and die/Slow burn romance/Fated Mates/Found family twist/Close circle betrayal/Cinnamon roll for only her/Traumatized heroine/Rare wolf/Hidden powers/Knotting/Nesting/Heats/Luna/Attempted assassination
Surrendering to Destiny

Surrendering to Destiny

220.1k Views · Completed · Allison Franklin
Catherine is not only a rogue half-breed, she is also the result of mate-bond infidelity, was abandoned as a baby and, to top it off, she can only shift during the full moon. When Catherine left the only pack she'd ever known in order to escape the new alpha, the last thing she expected was to find her mate... let alone for him to be the mouth-watering, heavily tattooed, lead warrior of the most feared lycan pack on the continent.

Graham MacTavish wasn't prepared to find his mate in the small town of Sterling that borders the Blackmoore Packlands. He certainly didn't expect her to be a rogue, half-breed who smelled of Alpha blood. With her multi-colored eyes, there was no stopping him from falling hard the moment their mate bond snapped into place. He would do anything to claim her, protect her and cherish her no matter the cost.

From vengeful ex-lovers, pack politics, species prejudice, hidden plots, magic, kidnapping, poisoning, rogue attacks, and a mountain of secrets including Catherine's true parentage there is no shortage of things trying to tear the two apart.

Despite the hardships, a burning desire and willingness to trust will help forge a strong bond between the two... but no bond is unbreakable. When the secrets kept close to heart are slowly revealed, will the two be able to weather the storm? Or will the gift bestowed upon Catherine by the moon goddess be too insurmountable to overcome?
The Ex-Wife's Redemption: A Love Reborn

The Ex-Wife's Redemption: A Love Reborn

144.4k Views · Completed · Emma Blackwood
When my son was hospitalized with a high fever, Henry Harding was with his ex-lover—a final betrayal that shattered what little remained of our marriage.
The pain of my unwed pregnancy is a wound I can never speak of, as the child's father vanished without a trace. Just as I was about to take my own life, Henry swooped in, offering me a home and vowing to treat my fatherless child as his own.
I've always been grateful to him for saving me that day, which is why I've endured the humiliation of this lopsided marriage for so long.
But everything changed when his former flame, Isabella Scott, returned.
Now, I'm ready to sign the divorce papers, but Henry demands ten million dollars as the price of my freedom—a sum I could never hope to scrape together.
I looked him in the eye and said coldly, "Ten million dollars to buy your heart."
Henry, the most powerful heir on Wall Street, is a former heart patient. He'll never suspect that his so-called shameful ex-wife orchestrated the heart beating in his chest.
The Human Girl Who Tamed Alpha King

The Human Girl Who Tamed Alpha King

268.4k Views · Completed · Amelia Rivers
Don't stop," I begged, my hips bucking against his touch, every nerve screaming for more. "Fuck, Jace, please…"

"Eyes on me," he growled, voice thick with lust, practically vibrating through me. "I wanna watch you lose it when I make you come."

My climax slammed into me, wild and unstoppable, as he rasped, "That's it, baby."

The next morning, my heart shattered into pieces. There was Scarlett—throwing herself into Jace's arms, her body pressed intimately against his chest, her hands possessively claiming what I thought was mine just hours ago.


Raised by werewolves, human Aria Silverbrook has always lived as an outsider. When her adoptive father flees with her to escape a dangerous Alpha's advances, they find sanctuary with the powerful Moon Shadow Pack. But Aria never expected the overwhelming connection she feels to the pack's mysterious Alpha, Jace Carter—or how his young daughter Aurora instantly claims a piece of her heart.

Jace's royal Primal bloodline makes him exceptional among Alphas, his wolf Phantom towering over others. When Aria enters his territory, something stirs within him. As the Blood Moon approaches, he debates revealing the truth: she is his destined mate who will unlock his full potential.

Near her eighteenth birthday, Aria notices disturbing changes. Her wounds heal unnaturally fast after saving Aurora from a rogue wolf. A strange voice whispers warnings of transformation, while her lifelong wolf-paw birthmark takes on new significance.

Is Aria truly human? What secrets will the Blood Moon reveal? And as she falls deeper for Jace despite jealous pack members threatening their bond, can she embrace a destiny beyond anything she imagined—becoming Luna to a Wolf King?
You Rejected A Silver Wolf

You Rejected A Silver Wolf

181.8k Views · Completed · Princess Treasure Chuks
After being hated and rejected her entire life, for a mistake she made in the past, Lady Rihanna, daughter of the Beta decided to leave Black Hills.
Wandering off as a rogue, she heightened her powers and became the fearsome dread called Your Silver.
Accompanied by her silver wolf, she was ready to unleash hell on all who rejected her but then she meets her second chance mate, Alpha of Black Rose, who she couldn’t refuse.
An evil is rising that'd need the blood of the silver wolf to succeed. Would Rihanna forsake her pain and work with her mates, old and new?
Or would she charge head-on to the evil risking her own life? Enjoy this enthralling read!!
My Husband Wants An Open Marriage

My Husband Wants An Open Marriage

194.1k Views · Completed · Elysian Sparrow
It’s true what they say about marriage: one partner’s always happier than the other.

Julie's world is shattered when her husband, Ryan, reveals that he wants an open marriage. His reason: he needs a child as they've been unable to have one. Julie reluctantly agrees to save her marriage.

The next day, Ryan returns home with his secretary, confirming Julie’s long-held suspicion that their affair was taking place behind her back.

Julie, heartbroken and enraged, seeks solace in a bar, where she meets a fascinating stranger named Luke, who changes the game. Julie confides in Luke over drinks, and he proposes a risky plan: he will act as her "boyfriend" to turn the tables on Ryan.

Julie agrees, setting off a chain of events that will challenge everything she thought she knew about love, loyalty, and herself.
The Alpha King's Human Mate

The Alpha King's Human Mate

395.8k Views · Ongoing · HC Dolores
“You must understand something, little mate,” Griffin said, and his face softened,

“I have waited nine years for you. That’s nearly a decade since I’ve felt this emptiness inside me. Part of me began to wonder if you didn’t exist or you’d already died. And then I found you, right inside my own home.” 

He used one of his hands to stroke my cheek and tingles erupted everywhere. 

“I’ve spent enough time without you and I will not let anything else keep us apart. Not other wolves, not my drunken father who’s barely holding himself together the past twenty years, not your family  – and not even you.”


Clark Bellevue has spent her entire life as the only human in the wolf pack - literally. Eighteen years ago, Clark was the accidental result of a brief affair between one of the most powerful Alphas in the world and a human woman. Despite living with her father and her werewolf half-siblings, Clark has never felt like she really belonged in the werewolf world. But right as Clark plans to leave the werewolf world behind for good, her life gets flipped upside down by her mate: the next Alpha King, Griffin Bardot. Griffin has been waiting years for the chance to meet his mate, and he's not about to let her go anytime soon. It doesn't matter how far Clark tries to run from her destiny or her mate - Griffin intends to keep her, no matter what he has to do or who stands in his way.
Mated To The Cold Hearted Alpha

Mated To The Cold Hearted Alpha

254.2k Views · Ongoing · Alice Tumusiime
Warning 18+ ⚠️MATURE READERS ONLY⚠
"You want me to fuck you, I know it"
"As much as you don't like me, you're my mate and you can't deny it."
He stood up behind me, one hand holding my hip, and leaned down, his breath ragged against my neck, his voice was husky,
"You'll listen to your body... what it wants... and my body... what it needs. Only the pleasure that a small bite can bring."

At the age of 15, I was shocked to hear the ruthless Alpha claim that I was his mate.
To make matters worse, he killed my father, who was trying to protect me. At that time, I successfully ran away from him.
However, when I turned 18, I fell into his trap again.
I hated him and wanted revenge, but the moon goddess had a different plan for me.
I was his mate, and we were fated to be together. No matter the circumstances, my body couldn't resist him.
The Luna's Vampire Prince

The Luna's Vampire Prince

143.7k Views · Completed · Bella Moondragon
Prince Rafe leans over me, holding himself up on one elbow as he gazes at my face. I feel his eyes wandering over every surface from my brow to my eyes, down my nose, to my lips and chin, and then returning to hold my gaze for a second. The small smile at the corner of his mouth makes me think he likes what he sees.
His hand is cool when it brushes a loose curl from my cheek, but I don’t jerk away from him. I have no idea what’s going on. I don’t understand why I’m here. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow. It seems like a lot of powerful people want me—dead or alive. And yet, all I can think about right now is how badly I want this vampire’s hands on my body.


I live in a desolate village on the edge of the Vampire King’s lands. This used to be wolf shifter territory, but now, we are just trying to survive.
When I mess up and find myself in a culling, I know I’m dead. No wolf shifters ever survive these events.
And after the stunt I pulled in the middle of the village, Prince Rafe probably wants me dead.
Is it a good thing or a bad thing when a vampire looks at you like you’re a snack?
Something tells me, once I reach the castle, I’ll be missing my miserable existence in the village.
But then—it turns out I have no freaking idea who I even am, and when the royals start referring to me as Princess Ainslee, I realize my life is about to take a turn—for better or worse.
Stuck With My Three Hottie Boss

Stuck With My Three Hottie Boss

163.1k Views · Completed · Oguike Queeneth
"Your pussy is dripping for us, begging for us to use it." His deep voice sent shivers down my spine.

"Do you want that, buttercup? Do you want us to give your little cunt what it craves?"

"Y…yes, sir." I breathed


Joanna Clover's hard work through university paid off when she got a secretary job offer to her dream company, Dangote Group of Industries. The company is owned by three mafia heirs, they don't only own a joint business, they are also lovers and had been together since their college days.

They are sexually attracted to one another but they share everything together including women and they change them like clothes. They are known as the world's most dangerous playboys.

They want to share her but will she accept the fact that they fuck each other?

Will she be able to navigate business and pleasure?

She has never been touched by a man before let alone three, all at the same time. Will she oblige?