The Lily Harper 8 Book Boxed Set

by HP Mallory

  “Ye will pay fer the part ye played in this,” the larger of the two men said, fixing his angry gaze on Saxon before he looked at me. With a mixture of regret and exhilaration, I didn’t fail to notice that his eyes never strayed to my breasts, or down to the junction of my thighs. Instead, his attention remained entirely on my eyes, without any aversion or distraction, as if he were immune to all of my feminine charms.

  We shall see about that! I promised myself.

  “State your name, warrior,” I demanded as I studied him. I found it thrilling how he stared at me with such vehemence and anger. Although I saw hatred in his eyes, there was something else there too … something I had a difficult time detecting.

  “Dude, why’z she actin’ like she don’t know us no more?” the smaller one demanded before bracing his hands on his hips while his belly undulated with the effort.

  “Because she doesnae know oos,” the larger one replied, his eyes never leaving mine. He cleared his throat, and when he spoke next, his tone of voice could have cut steel. “Ah am Tallis Black, the bladesmith.”

  “And you?” I demanded of the smaller one.

  “Bruce,” he answered while furrowing his brows together and sticking his chin out. I assumed his comical expression was intended to convey defiance. “Bruce Wayne, but my alter ego is Batman, bitches! An’ you give me a chance an’ I’ll bust open a can o’ whoop-ass on all three o’ those fugly ass chickens! An’ you too, Saxon, you little bitch,” he added with a snarl at the man standing beside me. Then his eyes found mine again. “An’ once I’m done with them, I’m gonna beat you over the head with the memory stick ’til you remember who the hellz you are!”

  “You should not speak so indignantly to your queen,” Saxon warned him before taking a step nearer me.

  “Saxon is absolutely correct; you would be wise to listen to him, Bruce,” I informed the smaller man as I slowly approached them. The lovely creature at my side immediately extended her wings, the arrow still sticking out of the one on her right side. She didn’t seem to notice and, instead, hissed at the strangers, but I quieted her with a loving smile and a soft pat on her naked shoulder. Her two winged allies also dropped down from the sky and landed. Each of them stood next to me in solid allegiance to their queen.

  “What the fuck happened to nerdlet?” Bruce asked his friend before staring at the nymph to my left and gawking at the one on my right. “The furies are like … her pets!” he exclaimed. His circular eyes widened as they landed on me again. The closer I came to him, the more he glowed. It was an unnatural, ethereal light, and I eventually realized he was a creature unlike any of the others that surrounded me.

  “What manner of creature are you?” I asked while eyeing him suspiciously. I crossed my arms over my chest because his insolent eyes persisted in consuming my breasts.

  “What manner of creature am I?” he railed back, shaking his head and throwing his hands into the air. He looked frustrated. “You know what the hellz I am! The real question you should be asking is: what the fuck manner of creature are you?!” Screeching his reply at me, he slammed his hands down onto his ample hips. “All I know is one minute we’re all on the same side, busy fightin’ the Army of the Undead, an’ all of a sudden, that dickhead over there shows up,” he continued while motioning to Saxon, “an’ he takes you away on a field trip! The next time I see you, yer lookin’ like somethin outta Beetlejuice an’ talkin’ smack ’bout bein’ a queen?”

  “’Tis the crown,” Tallis Black interjected as he eyed the crown on my head with visible suspicion. When his eyes fell back to my face, they seemed sterner and more calculating.

  “I am your queen,” I informed them curtly. I’d grown tired of their antics. “You should bow down to me and address me only as ‘Your Honor’ or ‘Your Royal Highness.’ Your dissidence shall not be tolerated nor indulged.”

  “Dude, what the hell’s gotten into her?” Bruce asked his tall companion. “She’s actin’ like she doesn’t even know who we are!” He faced me again and shook his head. “Shit! Maybe that zombie back there actually did manage to suck most of her brain out!”

  “She isnae herself,” Tallis Black agreed, his eyes never leaving mine. His expression was brazen, almost disrespectful. It was not the way any subject should look upon his queen. But I didn’t object. There was something about him that thrilled me and caused a bizarre sensation to stir from deep inside me.

  “I have grown weary of your tiresome conversation,” I informed him. I figured he must have been the leader of the two. Turning to my winged friends before I gestured toward the two strangers, I said, “You may apprehend them now.”

  In response, my feathered companions, the “furies” as Bruce referred to them, fully extended their wings. The snakes on top of their heads slithered and wriggled up and down and back and forth in fervor and excitement. The furies flapped their impressive wings a few times before lifting themselves into the sky. When they were maybe ten feet above me, they flew out until they reached the two strangers. I was surprised when Tallis Black showed no resistance to my creature as she dropped down on top of him. Instead, he simply offered himself to her by lifting his hands into the air.

  “You do well to yield to my minions without a fight,” I commended him.

  He glanced at me as his eyes narrowed. “If Ah wanted tae, Ah would kill each o’ yer furies with a single stroke o’ mah sword.”

  “Well, fortunate for them that you don’t want to,” I rebuked him, with my nose in the air.

  “Aye,” he said with a brief nod. “Loocky fer ye an’ them.”

  “Do not harm either of them,” I warned my furies. I figured Tallis Black would certainly be of more use to me alive than dead. However, I wasn’t quite so convinced about his companion, Bruce Wayne.

  “You’re givin’ in just like that?” Bruce railed at Tallis Black. The larger man didn’t respond except to briefly nod his head, keeping his eyes fastened on mine.

  “What the fuck, dude?” the slovenly one continued, shaking his head in obvious disagreement. But Tallis Black didn’t respond.

  My fury dropped down until she was hovering just above Tallis Black’s head. Then she extended her claws and wrapped them around his wrists, straining with the effort as she lifted him into the air. Meanwhile, the other winged goddess lifted Bruce, also struggling with the weighty burden.

  All at once, I realized I didn’t know where to take my two prisoners, so I turned toward Saxon. “I fear I am still new in this role,” I started, trying not to sound ineffectual, but having no alternative. “Do I possess a citadel somewhere, or some other form of refuge?”

  Saxon nodded and smiled at me broadly. “Yes, my queen, you do, and I will happily lead you there.”

  ***

  One Day Later

  Alcazar, my citadel and home, was constructed of stone and built into the face of a mountain in the center of the City of Dis. It was deliberately built on top of the most precipitous cliffside in the entire Underground City. It appeared as if by magic, perched on the edge of an abyss that dropped down into the river, Styx. It could only be reached by way of a very narrow, long bridge, which lay suspended across the widest part of the river.

  Standing three stories tall in some areas, a series of Ionic columns comprised of onyx mimicked the ancient architecture one would expect to find in Rome. Four statues of knights stood as high as the wall itself that surrounded the citadel. They were built into the wall, and so old that their faces were indistinguishable. One was missing its head and the others lacked various limbs. The largest statue was that of the king, which stood in the center at maybe thirty feet tall. The king was depicted wearing a knight’s helmet as well as armor. He held his broadsword directly in front of him, looking eager and ready to go into battle.

  Alcazar had stood empty for hundreds of years, awaiting the return of its queen. Or, at least, that’s what Saxon relayed to me. At some point, it was outfitted with more modern conveniences, like running water a
nd electricity, although it still remained unoccupied, waiting patiently for the day when it would celebrate life once again.

  And now that day had come …

  “My queen, your bedchamber has been prepared,” Saxon informed me. I strolled across the stone courtyard that connected the east wing of the citadel to the west. There were lamps every ten or more feet that lit the entire quadrangle, casting interesting shadows all over the faces of the stone walls. Curious creatures, which Saxon termed “Watchers,” busied themselves with various tasks. They were all involved somehow in making the citadel a more comfortable living space for me.

  I looked forward to my first night in my new accommodations.

  “And I must inform you of a visitor, with whom you are scheduled to meet later this evening,” Saxon continued. Strangely, he seemed a bit tense when delivering this news.

  “A visitor?” I repeated as I turned to face him. I wasn’t sure what to make of his information. In general, visitors were not particularly good omens. Well, that is, if the last two were any indication …

  “Yes, the Master of the Underground City wishes to make your acquaintance,” Saxon informed me.

  “Who is the master?” I asked, my growing irritation drenching my tone. “As far as I understood, I am the queen, and therefore, the mistress of this realm and all its subjects?”

  “The master is in charge of managing the Underground City, my queen,” Saxon explained. “As such, you are now a resident in his domain.”

  “A resident?” I fired back angrily, my skin prickling from head to toe. “I am the Queen of the City of Dis! How dare you refer to me as anything less! I am not a resident!”

  “Yes, yes, please forgive me,” Saxon pleaded as he held his hands up in an attempt to placate me. “Yes, you are the queen, but you also must realize that there are other people in positions of power that you must ultimately associate with.”

  I began to calm down. His words started to make sense to me. Of course! It only figured that I wasn’t the only highly ranking official in this territory. Having accepted that truth, I realized how important it was for me to befriend anyone else that could help me. “The Master of the Underground City is a very important person for me to associate with then?”

  “Yes, that he is,” Saxon answered with a brief nod. “One could argue that he is the most important,” he added with a quick smile.

  “And how do you know this master?” I inquired. “Furthermore, how did you become aware that he wishes to visit me?”

  Saxon nodded as if my questions were understandable. “As your advisor, my queen, it is important for me to know the intentions of those who wish you ill as well as those who wish you well. It is my business to stay in contact with all of them, enemy or ally.”

  “Very good,” I said with a quick nod.

  “The Master of the Underground City is particularly interesting. He wishes to court you, my queen,” Saxon continued.

  A smile broke out across my face as I nodded. “Of course he does,” I said with an audible sigh. “But my acceptance of his advances is yet to be revealed.” I took a few steps away from Saxon, fully aware that his attention was fastened on my backside. He took great efforts trying to maintain the appearance of acting only as my loyal servant, but I knew his interest ran much deeper than that. The man wanted to have sexual relations with me. That was as obvious as the night was dark.

  “And what about my two prisoners?” I had to ask the one question that kept plaguing me since my arrival here. I turned on my heel to face him. “What has become of them?”

  “They are being held in the tower, my queen,” Saxon informed me while clasping his hands together.

  “Take me to them.”

  “Are you sure, my queen?” Saxon responded with a quick shake of his head. “The tower is hardly the proper location to receive a … lady.”

  “Do not argue with me, Saxon,” I chided as I walked past him. Realizing I didn’t know which direction the tower was, I added, “And do not make me repeat myself.”

  “Of course,” he answered with a brief nod. He started toward the tower, which loomed over the western part of the citadel. I followed after him, eager to be reunited with my prisoners. Well, one in particular, anyway.

  The tower overlooked the river, Styx. In order to access it, you had to travel up three flights of stairs, but they didn’t dissuade me in the least. The truth was, I’d longed to see Tallis Black since we’d first arrived in Alcazar. There was something about him that called to me … something I wanted, and needed.

  It took us no more than ten minutes to reach the top of the stairs inside the tower. When we did, Saxon led me down a wide hallway, constructed entirely of stone. The arched ceiling looked about forty feet tall. Supporting the ceiling were gigantic pillars, all boasting a scrolling serif design in gold leaf paint. Atop the pillars were detailed faces of strange creatures I didn’t recognize. I figured they must’ve been mythological beasts. They, too, were painted in gold. Flanking either side of the hallway was running water.

  “Where does this water go?” I asked Saxon. I didn’t fail to catch my reflection in the rippling water and had to admire my black tresses that matched the blackness of my eyes.

  He glanced down at the water with a shrug. “It’s the river, Styx. It drops off the cliff, flowing back into itself at the base of this mountain.”

  I nodded, content with his explanation, and continued forward. I was careful not to trip over the crevices in the stones underfoot. The hallway led us to a large iron door for which Saxon produced the key from his pocket. Once he opened the door, I saw a very dark room, which was dimly lit by a handful of lanterns that hung in random locations, an anemic flame burning in each one. The room was rectangular and had steel-barred cells on each side. The embellished arched ceiling was held up by stone pillars. But these columns were slightly different from those in the hallway; they weren’t covered in gold leaf paint. Instead, they depicted large stone snakes wrapping around each one, imbuing the room with a menacing feel.

  “I’m only interested in visiting the bladesmith,” I informed Saxon as soon as we reached the middle of the room.

  Saxon nodded, taking a few steps before turning to his right toward a prison cell, which he faced squarely. I strode up next to him and glanced inside, immediately recognizing Tallis Black. He was attached to the wall by chains on his hands and feet, but they were long enough to allow him to sit.

  “Where is the key to his cell?” I asked.

  Saxon faced me with a frown. “My queen,” he started.

  “Don’t make me repeat myself,” I said between clenched teeth. I held my hand out, palm facing up. Saxon didn’t respond. He simply dropped the key he’d used to open the iron door into my hand. I closed my fingers around it and nodded to him. “You may leave now,” I finished.

  “I fear that is not a good idea,” he started to argue with me.

  “Then wait outside of the door, if you must,” I ordered. Holding my chin in the air, I glared daggers at him. “I wish to speak to my prisoner alone.”

  Saxon just stood there briefly before reaching inside his pocket and producing a small blade. He handed it to me. “You might need this,” he offered.

  “Whatever for? He’s chained to the wall,” I exclaimed. Shaking my head, I accepted the blade anyway. Saxon simply nodded wearily before leaving the room and closing the large, iron door behind him. I breathed a sigh of relief once he was finally out of my sight. Then I turned to face my prisoner. Pushing the key into the lock, I opened the cell door.

  “When thou shalt be before the radiance sweet of her whose beauteous eyes all things behold, from her thou’lt know the journey of thy life.”

  - Dante’s Inferno

  TWENTY-FIVE

  Tallis Black glanced up at me when I entered his cell, but gave me no greeting. Eyeing me forlornly for a moment, he dropped his attention down to the cold stone ground below him. I pushed the blade Saxon gave me into my cleavage bef
ore closing the cell door behind me. Then I strode up to my prisoner. I didn’t appreciate this more melancholic, disinterested side of him. On the contrary, I expected and wanted him to greet me with ugly epithets and a livid tongue.

  “Why do you and your companion feign an acquaintance with me, and yet, I do not recognize either of you?” I demanded. I stood in front of him with my legs shoulder-width apart and my hands on my hips.

  He didn’t respond so I kicked his foot, hoping to get a reply from him. But when that failed, I approached the middle of his body and bent down until we were at eye level. I couldn’t resist the impulse to touch him and ran my index finger down the side of his face, tracing a large scar that bisected his cheek. At my touch, he immediately pulled away and refused to look at me.

  “How dare you not respond to your queen!” I exclaimed. “Look at me when I address you!”

  “Ye arenae mah queen,” he spat the words at me, keeping his head down, and refusing to acknowledge me with his eyes.

  My growing anger exploded inside me and I reached for his face, holding each side of his head firmly between my hands. I forced his head upright so that his face was across from mine and kept it there, not allowing him to move. He responded by glaring at me with intense, raw rage in his eyes.

  I snickered, enjoying this rebellious side of him. It actually thrilled me to my very core. “Answer my question—why do you pretend to know me?”

  “Whit is the point?” he fired back. His burning eyes appeared midnight blue in the very low light supplied by the burning torch on the wall beside us. “Ye are sullied now. Ye cannae find ah way back tae yerself.”

  “What do you mean by that?” I demanded. I was honestly taken aback by his words. I shook my head and tried to convince myself it was just the musings from someone I shouldn’t trust, someone who wanted something from me …