Clara has married into the von Sture family to repay a family debt, and for years she has endured the cold contempt of her husband Julian. He is a pawn of his first love, Vanessa, and does whatever she says. When Clara's adoptive father and his wife are attacked with silver weapons, only the Blood Pool can save them. Clara begs, but Julian refuses to answer, and the sealed pool lets both elders die on her anniversary night.
During the Blood Tide, Vanessa rushes to the pool and tries to seize the Origin Stone and take the throne as Vampire Queen. Clara reveals her hidden power, and the stone responds to her alone. Her adoptive father had secretly passed her the empire and the ultimate pool authority before he died. Julian learns the truth too late, falls to his knees, and watches Clara take iron control of the vampire empire without him.
