Shadow Empress (Night Elves Trilogy Book 3)

by C. N. Crawford

  I loved her, and it made no fucking sense without the mating bond. What was the point of the Norns if we felt this way without them? And yet here we were, clinging to each other in a silvery pool underneath the stars, when we should have been … doing something …

  I couldn’t remember what we should have been doing, because nothing existed in the nine realms right now but Ali.

  Fairy wine. It was revealing our true feelings, and I wanted to open my mouth and tell her it wasn’t just the wine. That these emotions were real. But I couldn’t make a fucking sound. I’d given my voice for something—was it for her? That would make sense. I’d give anything for her.

  She ran a finger along the edge of my jaw, and a shudder rippled through every muscle in my body. I thought of tearing off the rest of her little clothing and sliding into her.

  “Galin …” Ali whispered. “I think this wine is very potent.”

  I drew her in, until her bare skin was pressed against mine. It wasn’t just the wine for either of us, was it? I wanted to say it out loud. I wanted to explain, but I couldn’t. I ached for her, to tell her everything. To have her.

  Her eyes widened as I ran my hand along the curve of her back, feeling her soft skin.

  “There was something about a sword,” she whispered.

  Even if I could have spoken, I wouldn’t have been able to answer her with anything resembling coherent speech. All I could think about was the feel of her perfect body against me. I slid my hands all the way down under her ass, and lifted her. Her legs wrapped around my hips, and I pressed her against the edge of the pool. I had her right where I wanted her.

  She nuzzled into me, her lips like burning embers along the side of my neck. Primal, dominating instincts tightened my muscles, and I thought of pulling aside her little panties, of biting her neck and thrusting into her …

  I had to restrain myself. There was a reason why, I thought … More than one reason for restraint. There were so many reasons …

  It was just that after that kiss, the reasons escaped me.

  I knew we were in the pool, but I couldn’t feel the water any longer. Only Ali’s soft skin under my fingers, the heat from her body wrapped around mine. I could feel her pulse, the rhythm of her heart beating against me.

  Her hands slid down my chest, her expression mesmerized. An ancient instinct arced through me, hot as flames.

  And then, my mind went blank. I lost any scrap of restraint I had, the chains on my resistance snapped. She’s mine.

  I leaned down, my lips crashing against her neck. I pressed my canines against her skin—just enough that she would know she was mine, rooting her in place with my hands, my teeth. Her thighs clenched around my body, back arching. She gasped loud, then moaned.

  Ali and I belonged together. Fate or not, she was my mate, and I would claim her in the old way. My teeth pressed down harder. A groan escaped her, and her legs wrapped tighter around me. Her breasts, barely constrained by the camisole, pressed against my chest. My tongue swirled over where my teeth had been, tasting the faintest hint of blood.

  I ran my fingers down her spine, thinking of ripping the lace off her. But before I could, I felt a new sensation: her teeth on my neck, piercing the skin. A low growl rose from her. It was as if I’d been struck by lightning. I couldn’t speak, but my entire body shuddered with pleasure. She had an arm round the back of my head, and she pulled herself against me.

  I ripped off the rest of her little camisole, exposing her perfect breasts completely, nipples peaked in the night air.

  Oh gods. I couldn’t think straight.

  Her silver eyes were locked on mine. “You’re wearing too many clothes Galin.”

  But she arched back, and I lowered my mouth to her breasts and took one of her nipples in my mouth. As my tongue teased her, her legs tightened like manacles.

  But I wanted her totally and completely naked, stripped for me.

  I reached down, ripping through the last bit of lacy fabric.

  Mating bond or not, I’d give anything for this Night Elf. It made absolutely no sense.

  And yet it was.

  Chapter 35

  Ali

  A deep vibration, an insistent hum radiated from my core—a need that was both torture and pleasure at the same time. Just like the feel of his teeth at my throat.

  Licking my lips, I forced myself to unlock my legs from him just long enough that I could help rip his trousers off. They were now the only barrier between me and satiation. I glanced down at the full length of him, my heart beating faster. I leaned back, resting my elbows over the edge of the pool. Once more, I wrapped my legs around him. A deep desire had built in me, and I needed to be filled. My thighs clenched around him.

  His hand slid up my back, gripping my hair possessively, pulling my head back just a bit to expose my neck.

  I shifted my hips, and I exhaled a shaky breath as he slid into me.

  Pinning me to the side of the pool, he thrust hard, moving faster. His teeth were on my throat once more. An intense shiver ran through me, and the vibrating hum overtook my senses. My head fell back as I gasped, losing myself in waves of ecstasy. Galin gripped my waist roughly as he filled me again and again.

  A moan escaped my lips and I threw my head back farther, staring at the stars that beamed above us. An intense and overwhelming pleasure was building inside me, and I brought down my gaze to look at Galin again. His eyes locked on mine.

  As he plunged into me, I felt as if my soul were twining with his. The Norn had severed the soul bond; she had cut me free of him. Then why was I fucking him again, and why did it feel like love? Why did my heart feel like it was about to explode? Why was I calling his name over and over?

  The water of the pool churned like a maelstrom. I clenched around him, body shattering. The pressure had passed the point of no return, and I felt my fingernails digging into his back. I was biting him again, because he was mine. My mind turned as black as his eyes, and my body went limp. I slumped against his chest, catching my breath.

  Galin held me tight. My entire body felt like it was vibrating. Not like before—this was far softer, a sort of delicate, tingly feeling that came in soft waves.

  Strangely, I realized tears were running down my cheeks, but I had no idea why. Galin stroked my hair.

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I kept saying. The fairy wine had made me delirious.

  Galin scooped me up in his arms like I was a bride, and I looked up into his perfect face, a divine face. The darkness had faded from the whites of his eyes.

  I brushed a lock of wet hair from his forehead. “Galin,” I murmured. “There was something we were supposed to do.”

  My eyes started to close as he carried me. With my head nuzzled into him, he lifted me from the pool. I felt the water dripping off my naked body, and wondered if I should get some clothes.

  There was a sword …

  The bed was even softer than I remembered, and I found myself sliding under the sheets. Galin slipped in behind me. His strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me close to him.

  For the first time in years, I felt at peace.

  If only I could remember what it was I was supposed to be doing.

  Chapter 36

  Galin

  I awoke cold and shivering. For a moment I panicked. Where was Ali? Then I felt her next to me, and I understood why I was freezing.

  She had stolen the covers.

  I reached over, trying to redistribute the blankets, but she only pulled them closer to herself.

  “Mmmgghh …” she mumbled, still asleep. Then more clearly, “Nooo, Galin …”

  But the room was ice cold, and I was naked. I tried again. This time as she pulled the covers away, I distinctly heard her call for Skalei. Now that was unnerving. She could potentially stab me in her sleep.

  Even more unnerving, a shadow loomed at the edge of the bed.

  I gripped the covers. Where was the sword? My chest unclenched only when I saw it lying o
n the floor. We really needed—

  Galin, whispered a voice. My body went tense as I tried to make out who—or what—was talking to me.

  Galin, said the voice again. It is time to return to your queen.

  Dread slithered over my skin. The voice wasn’t in the room. It was in my own skull. There was, unfortunately, only one person I knew who could do that.

  What are you doing here Ganglati? I answered in my thoughts.

  You have broken your vow to the goddess. You were meant to be her consort. Not the Night Elf’s. The shadow at the foot of the bed grew larger, lengthening until it loomed over me. Ganglati studied me with pale eyes.

  Fuck.

  My mind worked frantically. Was the shade really here at Hela’s bidding? Or was something else going on? He and I weren’t exactly friends. Even though he’d spent a week living within me, he’d been Hela’s right-hand man for millennia.

  I was going to have to choose my words carefully.

  What are you talking about? A shiver rippled over my skin. The room was so cold now that my breath clouded each time I exhaled.

  Ganglati’s pale eyes shifted to where Ali slept next to me. He didn’t have to speak for me to understand his meaning. You cannot deny this.

  If they knew what Ali meant to me, her life would be in danger. I couldn’t let them realize. Oh, the Night Elf? She means nothing to me.

  That’s not what our goddess thinks.

  I frowned. He had to be lying. How could Hela know what I was thinking? She was trapped in Hel. I was in Vanaheim. Her power didn’t extend beyond the walls of her realm.

  Unless—I looked down at the runes and dark shadows swirling over my skin. A terrifying realization began to solidify in my brain.

  She means nothing to me. I repeated the lie. A bit of fun to pass the time. Nothing more.

  I see you found Surtr’s sword, said Ganglati. Did your Night Elf help you?

  What difference does it make? Panic was rising in me, and I cursed the fairy wine I’d been given. Ali needed the sword to fight the draugr. And Hela could use it to bring down the iron walls that surrounded her kingdom. Did Hela realize this?

  You forget your master. The vapor that drifted off the runes on my chest began to thicken. Horror caught at me, as I understood that Hela’s runes were more than just a loan of magic, more than a way to track me. They let the shade into my mind.

  Worse, they let him control me. I felt my muscles stiffen as Ganglati took hold of me. It is time you returned to your queen.

  I have lost my voice, I told him. I cannot cast a spell.

  Do not worry about that.

  If I couldn’t fight the shade, Ali could. I was reaching for her to shake her awake, when my muscles locked. My arm stopped, my fingers clenched on air. I was stiff as a statue. Panic gripped me. I needed to be here to protect her. I needed her to have the sword, to stop the draugr.

  You will do what I say, whispered the shade from the darkest recesses of my brain. Now get the sword, and let’s get out of here. The goddess needs it.

  My mind screamed, but I found myself doing as I was commanded, unable to resist.

  The sword was in my hand, then I was vaguely aware that Ganglati was asking me to write something—a note to leave by Ali’s side. I couldn’t even focus on what I was writing. I was using all my mental energy to fight Ganglati’s power. I raged against him, my soul screaming. For just a moment, I thought I’d broken free, that I could move my arm—

  Then the shadowy magic on my chest began to condense. Twisting around me like the coils of a serpent. Thicker and thicker, until my vision was completely obscured. A sharp tendril of horror coiled through me.

  The chill deepened. My feet became ice, my fingers completely frozen. For a moment I was weightless. Drifting in a frigid void.

  Then my feet were on solid ground again. And I heard a new voice—even more unwelcome in my ears.

  “Welcome back, my king,” said Hela. “I see you have completed my task. Now, let us go and free our people from the iron walls.”

  Chapter 37

  Ali

  I sat up in bed, instantly remembering what I’d been forgetting.

  The sword. The fucking sword. The fairy wine had clouded my memory completely. I supposed I’d needed it to make the portal, but gods damn.

  I needed that sword to defeat the draugr, and we had to—

  I turned, looking at the empty space where Galin had been. And I could feel the icy chill of Hela’s magic freezing the air. Almost as if she’d been here …

  Inky magic spilled through the room, raising the hair on the back of my arms. It was like a residue of evil. Had Galin been using magic?

  The sheets were still rumpled, and he’d pulled the covers off me. Where had he gone?

  Whatever he was doing, I didn’t have time to wait for his input. I crawled over to the edge of the bed to grab the sword—

  My heart skipped a beat.

  The sword was gone. With my head cleared, I was certain I’d left it there. The thing had been hot as coals, and I remembered pushing it off the bed onto the stone floor.

  My pulse was hammering out of control, and I jumped out of bed. Had Galin done something with it?

  I whirled, looking back at the bed. And now—I noticed something I hadn’t seen before. A little note lying on the pillow.

  With a thundering heart, I crossed to pick it up.

  I am bringing the sword to my goddess and queen, Hela. Do not try to come for me, or Barthol will be slaughtered.

  -Galin

  It was his handwriting. I’d know it anywhere.

  Betrayal cut me open, sharp as a knife in my heart. He was still loyal to her.

  I drew in a breath, waiting for the rage and burning anger that was sure to come, but to my surprise it was sadness that clenched at my heart. A lead weight of despair dragged me down to the bed.

  Be angry, I told myself.

  But my body was shaking uncontrollably, and all I could think was that he’d betrayed me. Why would he do that?

  Maybe he really didn’t feel anything for me. Perhaps—in the pool—that had just been the fairy wine. And now that the effects had worn off …

  Angry now, I wiped a few tears away with the back of my hand.

  I’d severed the bond between us. Last night had been a lie. He felt nothing.

  A few deep breaths, clenching my jaw.

  Galin or not—I still had to find a way to save this kingdom. I still had to get that sword back.

  Cold fury rippled through me as I pulled open a drawer and grabbed some clothes to slip into—black pants and a shirt. I crossed into the living room, startled to see the sun was already starting to rise, tinging the sky with peach.

  “Ali?” said a muffled voice through the door.

  “Yes?” I pulled it open to see Swegde. I stared, unable to come up with the words to tell him I’d failed.

  “I heard you screaming for Galin.”

  My throat was tight. “I have some bad news. We talked to the giants in Muspelheim. We were able to get the sword.”

  “Why is that bad news?”

  My jaw clenched. “Galin seems to have stolen it to give to Hela.”

  Swegde went completely pale. “How can you be sure? He seemed to genuinely want to help. I can usually tell when someone is mendacious.”

  For a moment, doubt flickered. But, no. “He left a note.”

  He shook his head. “Could it be ambiguous? Maybe a miscommunication.”

  “It says I am bringing the sword to my goddess and queen, Hela. And he signed his name. Oh, and he will kill my brother if I come for it.” Icy anger laced my tone.

  “What are you going to do?” asked Swegde.

  Pain seared me. I didn’t want to sacrifice Barthol—but I simply had no other choice than to try to get out of Hel with both my brother and the sword. “I’ll go after him. How much longer can you keep the draugr at bay?”

  “One more day, maybe—” Swegde looked
down. “It’s really bad. Yesterday some broke through the walls. They climb over each other. They turned my men—it’s hard to hurt the ones you love even when they’re so freshly dead.”

  “I’ll get the sword back. I promise.” I said it with more confidence than I felt.

  I whirled, scribing the portal spell, thinking of my love for Barthol. How I’d bring him back—despite what Galin had said. The portal opened in a flash, blazing brightly and filling the room with a crackling static.

  “Oh wow,” breathed Swegde. “You’ve gotten really good.”

  Right now my people needed me. And when I found Galin, there would be Hel to pay.

  Chapter 38

  Ali

  I stepped through the portal and into the depths of Hel. My feet squelched in black mud, cold rain spattered my shirt. This time, the cold didn’t bother me. Behind me, the portal shut with a sizzling pop.

  I’d managed to conjure the portal in the right place this time. Just in front of me was the narrow crack Barthol and I had snuck through. I glanced left and right, double checking there were no shades watching me. Then, quickly, I dropped down and crawled inside.

  I moved as fast as I could through the air shaft, passing over Hela’s chambers and making my way straight to the throne room. Breathing hard, I scanned the vast hall.

  Shades darkened the ancient flagstones. Row upon row of them stood or hovered like solemn statues, right up to the edge of Hela’s throne. The hall was deathly silent, like all of Hel was holding its breath.

  At last, I saw Hela, dressed in a white gossamer gown, her eyes gleaming with excitement. Galin lounged in a throne a few feet away. His eyes were downcast, his jaw rigid. Black vapor streamed off his skin. He was ready to do something terrible, I was certain of it.

  Anger flared in my heart, swirling with confusion. Why allow me to come along with him if he’d planned to betray me all along? Had he known he might need someone else who could conduct magic, that he could lose his voice?