House of darkness, p.1
House of Darkness, page 1
House of Darkness
HYPATIA RHODES
Copyright © 2025 by Hypatia Rhodes
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover by Ever After Cover Design
Map by Cartographybird Maps
Crests by Spookyyetiart
Edits by Owleyesediting
Formatting by Books and Moods
Contents
Vampire Houses
Playlist
Readers Beware
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Want more of House of Darkness?
“Where does such tenderness come from?
These aren’t the first curls
I’ve wound around my finger—
I’ve kissed lips darker than yours.
The sky is washed and dark
(Where does such tenderness come from?)
Other eyes have known
and shifted away from my eyes.
But I’ve never heard words like this
in the night
(Where does such tenderness come from?)
with my head on your chest, rest.
Where does this tenderness come from?
And what will I do with it? Young
stranger, poet, wandering through town,
you and your eyelashes—longer than anyone’s.”
Marina Tsvetaeva
Vampire Houses
(Kora-key)
Virtue: Knowledge
Countess: Andromeda
Beast Form: The Raven
(Ree-oo-gin)
Virtue: Discipline
Count: Enso
Beast Form: The Dragon
(Fee-all-rav)
Virtue: Strength
Countess: Ylva
Beast Form: The Arctic Fox
(Sooz-en)
Virtue: Love
Countess: Wu
Beast Form: The White Snake
(Kohl-ee)
Virtue: Happiness
Count: Laki
Beast Form: The Wolf
(Burr-sook)
Virtue: Power
Count: Codran
Beast Form: The Badger
(Lev-is)
Virtue: Tradition
Count: Alexander
Beast Form: The Lion
(Jav-all-ee)
Virtue: Courage
Count: Edward
Beast Form: The Boar
(As-zoo)
Virtue: Prosperity
Countess: Mona
Beast Form: The Fish
(Pan-theh-ruh)
Virtue: Patience
Count: Itzcoatl
Beast Form: The Panther
Playlist
House of Darkness was heavily influenced by music, and therefore has a full playlist intended to be used as a mood building element for the entirety of this novel. Start at song one and listen through the entire playlist while reading. Unfortunately, an entire novel’s worth of songs is too long to include here. So, to find the full list of songs with their corresponding chapters and the Spotify playlist, follow the QR code below. The list can also be found on Hypatia Rhodes’ website or any of her socials. Enjoy!
Thank you to my friends and family for all their love and support over the years. Especially to Asa and Claire, my babes that have had my back since the beginning and rooted me on through this whole process. To my mom, for being my number one cheerleader. To my beloved Gordon, my very own real life Roman that has helped me through the darkness.
Also, to the wretched men who crept their way into the darkest parts of this story from my own life. Though it is my strength that allowed me to overcome you, I am happy to use your backs as stepping stools to my own success. I hope you choke.
Finally, thank YOU for reading this and giving me a chance. I hope you find a home here in these pages as I have. So much love.
Hypatia
Readers Beware
This book contains sexually explicit content. It also contains dark material that may be triggering to some. Such content includes murder, torture, abuse, addiction, discussion of child loss, slavery, fade to black sexual assault, knife play, blood play, masochism, and BDSM.
If you are not frightened, then take my hand. The tsar is waiting…
Chapter 1
ESTRELLA
Darkness followed me wherever I went. Looming walls of black velvet, interrupted only by the blue and silver banners of the current vampire tsar, bore down on me. My black heels clicked across the smoky quartz floor, coated with the aura radiating from the vampires around me that had settled in a thick fog, the different colors of their powers blending into a muddy black.
My uncle, the Kulta Headmaster, reminded us how fortunate we were upon entering the family carriage—an acolyte family rarely saw the inside of the tsar’s city estate, even one as esteemed as the Kultas. But perhaps it was the beatings and threats that dampened any sense of gratitude. Being at the tsar’s castle was no different from the events in the academy ballroom; this was merely an auction, and we were the wares.
Which is why a vampire was currently coiled around me. We were supposed to be dancing, yet he had abandoned the pretense, choosing instead to rake over every inch of me while swaying side to side. His orange aura radiated off him in smoky plumes and seeped into my skin, filling my lungs with thick, poisonous vapor. Brick-colored hands glided over my exposed collarbone, tracing the edges of my revealing dress, before grasping the gold collar around my neck. He wrapped his fingers around its embossed surface, forcing my head back until my straw-blonde hair tumbled over my shoulders. I did my best to accommodate his wandering gaze without flinching.
“You are quite beautiful,” he purred, his slimy voice crawling over my skin and leaving a trail of something sticky behind. I knew I would feel that residue long after I bathed in the lukewarm water of the acolyte’s quarters.
“Thank you, sir,” I replied, the words scraping from my dry throat. His true name was Edward, the Count of the Javali House, but it didn’t matter. I was to call him “sir” as a symbol of my servitude.
His hand trailed down, sliding over the low bust of my corset bodice to the tight bustle over my rear. I shuddered but remained silent. Complaining or reacting was not an option, especially when my cousins around me received the same treatment. My twin was out there somewhere, likely reveling in the groping and suffocatingly sweet words. She believed we were princesses in this story; I knew we were chattel.
“I’m thinking about the fun we could have if you came home with me,” he murmured, gripping my bustle tighter to press his hips against mine. I didn’t want to dwell on what I felt—the scratchy red fabric of my gown was the only barrier between me and his… slime.
“That would be a dream, sir,” I said. More like a nightmare, one I had endured countless times.
He leaned closer, the scent of his cologne and hair wax overwhelming my senses. Slicked-back chocolate hair brushed against my temple as his fangs scraped over my earlobe. “Imagine how powerful our spawn would be.”
I wanted to kick him, just to feel the edge of my heel dig into his groin and hear him howl. It wouldn’t do anything but get me whipped, but I could do it. It might make him think twice before saying the word “spawn” again.
The thought of being reduced to warming this monster’s bed and producing wretched, bloodthirsty offspring made me want to scream. Instead, I lowered my eyes, allowing a lazy smile to spread across my lips. This would be my life, regardless of my desires. The Kulta family produced some of the most highly sought-after acolytes on the Ulara continent. My unique ability to breed with these monsters defined my very existence. I would be sold off to a vampire like Edward to aid in creating the next generation of vampires. As if we needed more.
The venom found in a vampire’s second set of fangs could also create vampires, but the process was brutal, slowly killing the victim while the venom took hold. B esides, a vampire’s beast form wasn’t transferred through bite. No, acolytes were far preferable to the vampire elite.
As the song ended, Edward released me. I felt a wave of relief at his absence, even as the ghosts of his fingertips lingered on my flesh. I inhaled gratefully, pushing past the smoky aura clogging the air. He opened his mouth, likely to utter something dreadful, when a new aura enveloped us, choking out the orange fog and bathing us in an overwhelming black.
Another vampire emerged from the shadows like a wraith of the night, his hand creeping through the darkness until it found Edward’s shoulder. The newcomer’s aura was overpowering, snuffing out the light around us like liquid black. Tendrils of darkness spidered through the air and wrapped around my limbs like warm vines. This was no smoky power typical of vampires I had met; this was an ink-like blackness that left a void in its wake.
“May I step in, Edward?” His voice was like honey—thick, sweet, and dripping with amusement.
Edward's reaction was explosive. A snarl ripped through the sultry orchestral music, and he began to change. His fangs stretched to the length of my hand, thick as my pinky. Horror crept through me. We were taught that a vampire's bite could be pleasurable if they chose, but there was no way those didn’t hurt. Spikes as long as my forearm tore through his embellished suit jacket at the shoulders. What stood before me now was the beast form of the Javali House, ready for blood. He spun to face the newcomer.
Vampires had never terrified me as much as my headmaster and his whip, but even I knew to be fearful now. Powerful and violent, vampires left acolytes caught in their brawls in pieces. I tried to step back but found the newcomer’s power binding my legs. Panic gripped my heart. Edward lashed out with his claws aiming for the man’s face.
The man caught Edward's wrist with a steady hand. Shadows unfurled around him, revealing a face like that of a dark angel—rounded, with a dimple popping at the corner of a smirk. Dark curls framed ruby eyes that glowed in the surrounding darkness.
“Oh, Edward, you may want to rethink that choice.”
He stepped from the shadows, revealing a tall man with broad shoulders clad in the most exquisite black fabrics. He didn’t shift forms, but he didn’t need to. He was magnificent and terrifying all on his own. Tendrils of black spiraled through the air, commanding obedience and respect without uttering a word.
The air crackled with intensity as they sized each other up. I didn’t move—didn’t even breathe—as I awaited the inevitable destruction.
“Of course, sir.” Edward dipped into a stiff bow, his spikes retreating into his shoulders. He turned back to me, his eyes lingering over every inch before he spun and disappeared into the fray.
It made no sense for Edward to leave without a fight. Amicability and reason weren’t in a vampire's nature. His absence could only mean he knew he wouldn’t win against this newcomer, which should terrify me. But it didn’t. At least now I might avoid the sensation of those massive fangs puncturing my skin.
I regarded his replacement with tense curiosity. He had a commanding presence, his unusual aura drawing in all light, demanding my attention. He was beautiful. He stepped forward, looming a head above me even in my heels. Then he dipped into a bow, his curls falling around his creamy cheeks and obscuring those all-consuming eyes.
“What’s your name, doll?”
Collecting myself, I curtsied. “Estrella.”
“Estrella,” he repeated, my name sounding like sin from his lips. It made me feel weak in the knees. He extended his hand. “May I have this dance?”
I took his hand, the burned ‘K’ on the back of mine flashing through my vision as the ever-present reminder that I was nothing. Nothing to anyone, including this man. Which made his mannerisms strange—asking for my name when he could change it to whatever he wanted, bowing to an acolyte as if I deserved respect, then asking to dance as if I had a choice. It was an illusion of civility, a waste of time, but a part of me enjoyed pretending. "Yes, sir.”
“Please, call me Roman.”
I was taken aback by the request, but I kept my expression blank. After all, I was trained to do anything asked of me. I took his hand, and he drew me into his embrace. As our skin touched, his darkness seeped into me like ink through paper, uncomfortable yet not unpleasant, like a warm velvet blanket over my chilled skin.
He swirled me across the dance floor, one hand cradling mine, the other brushing over my mid-back. Every touch was like chilled electricity lighting up my flesh, yet his careful contact offered a reprieve from the groping I had come to expect. Other couples dipped out of our way as we danced, subconsciously aware of his disconcerting presence and omnipresent power. He didn’t seem to notice, though. His eyes were locked on mine, as if I were the only person in the room. They burned into my soul like embers, and I wondered if he found anything there besides emptiness and hatred.
He spun me again and caught me smoothly upon my return. His hand remained firmly in place on my middle back, unlike others who would wander. “So, Estrella, what are your thoughts on the party?”
“It’s wonderful. I love the opportunity to meet new people,” I lied, the words slipping from my mouth with practiced ease.
He laughed. “It’s ridiculous and stuffy, and I believe you agree with me.”
My mouth parted at his remark, but I quickly composed myself—no expressions allowed. I could never reveal my true feelings. Batting my eyes, I looked up at him. “That is unfortunate. Why attend, then, if you don’t mind me asking?”
His glittering fangs flashed in a smile. “Why does any man attend these events?”
My heart skipped at his words. It was a ridiculous question, of course. His controlled demeanor might have lulled me into comfort, yet they were all savages—he was no exception.
“Have any acolytes caught your eye?”
His gaze swept over me thoughtfully, lips curling into a smirk. “Yes.”
As the song ended, he stepped back. His gaze lingered on me with curious intensity as he cocked his head. Unlike the others, his look was not of depraved hunger but one of profound understanding, as if he could see into my very soul. I dipped my head to break eye contact, but his fiery stare kept burning holes into my flesh.
“Are you a count, Roman?” I asked, eager to break the uneasy silence. Counts and countesses, rulers of the vampire Houses by sheer force, commanded immense respect. His status would explain Edward's reaction.
Roman chuckled. “You could say that.” He extended his hand for another dance as the music resumed. I accepted with a curtsy.
“And which house are you the count of?” I inquired as he led me gracefully around the floor.
“I don’t see why that matters,” he replied smoothly.
His avoidance was exasperating. I pursed my lips before I could think better of it, tempted to retort, but the headmaster’s hateful grin appeared behind my eyes. Attitude would result in a whipping. I quickly willed my face back to neutrality, but he saw through my façade. “You’ve got quite the attitude, Estrella.”
“I apologize, sir,” I stuttered.
“Call me Roman,” he insisted.
Frustration creased my brow. “I’m sorry, Roman.”
He chuckled. “Your attitude is refreshing.”
An involuntary laugh escaped me. My attitude, often scorned even by my sister, typically brought me trouble rather than admiration. His eyes widened in surprise, and a captivating smile spread across his lips. Suddenly, he dipped me, his hand at my sternum guiding the movement with a lover’s gentleness.
“Your laugh could bring a man to his knees, doll,” he purred.
My stupid heart spiraled. Over the years, vampires had used many lines to make me swoon, like, “Imagine how powerful our spawn would be.” But this time, the way he said it almost made me believe him. Almost made me think someone might appreciate my attitude and laughter as much as my body in this tight dress. But he was just a smooth talker, just like the others. I forced myself back to reality. The only reason a man was interested in me was for my body, and that was unlikely to change.
