by Stacy Reid
Her heart trembled. “It is just as cold and harsh, but our views on the law does not give us impunity to challenge it with murder and disgrace which you have done, Prince Quan. I judge you guilty of the crime of murdering fifty-eight souls of the castle, and I request the Senate to approve the trial.”
Prince Quan laughed and flowed closer. “Do you believe this is why the Senate has gathered, Princess Shilah? Do you believe that popinjay by your side had the power to command the princes of the land to gather at his request?” There was a wealth of knowledge behind those cold eyes. “No…it was done by my request.”
To her left, Prince Novar stiffened.
“If you wish to challenge me, Prince Quan, I accept.”
A cold smile curved his lips, as he too moved down several steps. “Do you now?”
“Yes. I am impure,” she said softly.
The Senate chamber blanketed with a startled silence. She waved her hands, and the empty chair to the left levitated and swept across the room. Kala’s face was white, her eyes wide with terror.
“An Alpha in the telekinesis genesis. I know the solitary life I face with my declaration. I must submit to the law or choose exile. I believe so strongly in the laws enforced to protect our kingdoms, I declare my status to the Senate. I do not sit on the sidelines, not imagining the fate or the hardship those who are impure experience. But I have watched the recordings of our history and the long, brutal fights of the Rebellion wars. I have seen children littering our streets, their throats crushed, their eyes filled with the horrors of their deaths. We have seen the evidence, and it is our duty as the rulers of Dxyriah to keep the bloodlines separate and never allow such consolidation of powers again into our land. It is our duty,” she said fiercely, spinning around, meeting the eyes of the princes and princesses of her kingdom.
“Well, this should be easy then, for with such a revelation she is not your next ruler,” Prince Quan said coldly.
A prince rose up, a silent wraith, blade in hand. Shilah frowned and before she could question his actions, he slashed, and blood spurted from her throat. The entire scene was surreal, an unimaginable nightmare of violence and gore and screams echoing from the gallery. “What are you—”
She stumbled, leaning against a high chair, gripping her throat. If not for the blood of her Darkan lover running through her veins, she would be bleeding to death. She could feel the flesh in her throat knitting from the inside, checking the flow of blood.
Pain slashed through her side as Megladine stabbed her.
Rah’s roar of rage was from a distance, and Shilah stared at her uncomprehendingly. “Megladine, what—”
Another stab in her shoulder blade drove her to her knees. They were betraying her family. She did not even want to understand what the prince had promised them, but the entire Senate was betraying her family. Shilah’s grief was overcoming her ability to function. Pain hazed through her mind.
Shilah lurched to her feet and stumbled back to the high chair when at least a dozen different members of the Senate stabbed her. Their attack was unrelenting, and she distantly heard Kala’s screams of denial. The pain had gone from a dull ache to agony in a few short minutes. Everything she had ever believed in trembled, and deep inside she wept. She could feel their intent to murder her, despite her family had been the rulers of this kingdom for over six generations. They had no right to covet her realm, except for the greed in their hearts and minds.
“Do you believe I did not see your arrival?” Prince Quan said with a smile at Megladine who hurried over to his side. “Do you believe me so weak you entered this city, and I did not know? You met no resistance because I wanted you here, Princess. The Symonrah bloodline will end today.”
Rah was held upright against the walls of the chamber by an unseen force. He struggled and screamed, but there was no give in the power that held him up. Pain and betrayal seeped from his aura as he stared at the woman he loved with his entire soul.
Megladine stared at him, a sob tearing from her throat. “I did this for us, Rah. I love you. And they…” she waved at Shilah and Kala. “Their barbaric laws make it impossible for us to be together. Prince Quan has a vision I believe in, my love, and you will believe in it too.”
Another wave of pressure slammed into Shilah, throwing her to her knees. Dozens of members from the senate swarmed toward her, attacking relentlessly.
They would kill her and Kala today. A raw, savage wildness roared in response, urging her to retaliate, but she could not use her powers to murder these people. Her people. Everything around her blurred, and it took a moment to realize her eyes were swimming with tears.
A swell of voices holding heavy grief swamped her senses, and with a sense of shock, she realized the very people who murdered her, also mourned her. They believed she and her family stood in the way of progress for their kingdom, that they held onto laws that made them weak.
The knowledge broke her apart and shattered something deep inside. A stirring came in her mind, she closed the link with all her Imperial strength. Lachlan Ravenswood could not know she leaned against a high chair, being relentlessly stabbed. Shilah stumbled and dropped to the ground, too weak to stand. Prince Quan’s polished boot came in her periphery, and everyone held back.
“Your death will not be in vain, Princess Shilah,” he said, something akin to regret gleaming in his eyes. “Your and Princess Kala’s body will be mounted above the Senate as an example for those who honor the old laws. This will spark a revolution, parts of the city will burn, we will lose people, but we will rebirth in a world that is stronger than before. Our people will be unified, and Serange will enter a new era.”
In her periphery Kala trembled, and her eyes swirled with power. Her voice echoed in the Senate, as she said, “Mercy and love shall lead the kingdom to ruins. It will come, a creature of darkness and terrifying rage and it shall slaughter, and feast…you are its anchor to the light, and your death must not come to pass.” Then Kala gasped, and trembling stumbled over to a chair and lowered herself in its comforting cushion as the vision released her.
Prince Quan grabbed Shilah’s throat with the power of his mind and crushed. A wail of agony slipped from her, a sound that should have been impossible given the merciless hold he had on her neck. For a moment she felt as if every bone in her body would shatter. Her mind expanded, but instead of fighting him she reached out to Lachlan, wanting to see him, to feel him.
A monstrous, remorseless fury pounded through their link with such suddenness that it was shocking. His roar of agony slammed through their connection, and as impossible as it seemed, Shilah felt the force of the speed and unremitting rage hurtling through the Darkage and towards her through the distant stars.
“I love you!” his declaration was a garbled roar of rage and pain. “Fight for me.”
Even at such a distance, her light and soul anchored Lachlan and gave him peace, pleasure, and love. Even if they were not together for years to come, should her thread of life snap, and their connection severed, the world would see the monster within. Her people would suffer for the darkness would blame them.
Nothing in her life had prepared her for the siege on her senses. Lachlan emotions poured through their link. Rapid images of the first time he saw her, the awe he’d felt, the reluctant attraction, the fierce sense of his other half completing his soul. They morphed to his fear when she was attacked in the forest, his rage, his hope that she would walk by his side forever. The soft musical sound of her laughter as it had wrapped itself around his heart and sinking into his bones and lit inside his soul with happiness. The taste of her skin. His feelings were strong to the point of crushing.
And then it flamed through her. Love.
Hopes and dreams which had once fragmented around her reshaped and bloomed through her like molten lava. “I love you,” she whispered achingly to him, even as the darkness of death called to her.
“Then do not leave me,” the quite plea had no violence throbbing in i
t, just anguish and love. “I am but a shadow without you, Shilah Symonrah.”
“For you Lachlan Ravenswood, I will become.” Her promise tore at something she wasn’t even sure she recognized. It ravaged her sense of justice, the gentle teaching of mercy and love her parents had instilled, and her sense of honor and duty to her people.
It was upon that promise of love and understanding what she meant to the man and monster, Shilah broke everything she’d ever believed in. The men and women standing before her would always try to kill her, to plot and overthrow her realm. Justice was not enough and would never be enough.
“Queen of darkness you shall become and at your feet the blood of our people will flow,” the whisper of her sister floated on the air, mingling with the shocked murmurs of her people at the wave of power that washed across the chamber.
Her soul shattered. A cry slipped from her, and uncaring that she might appear weak, tears slid down her cheek. And then she released the unremitting swell of her power. She crashed into Prince Quan’s mind, ripping through his memories with brutal precision finding his darkest fear and multiplying it in his thoughts. His brutal hold on her throat released, and she could feel the crushed muscles already healing. Without Lachlan’s blood in her veins, she would have died.
Feeding a dark fear in the prince’s mind, he screamed and slapped at his head. His eyes landed on her, and she felt the buzz of his powers as he gathered them to attack. She flashed, using shocking speed to rush behind him, grabbed him with her telekinesis and slammed him into the wall.
The princes and princesses of the Senate surged towards her, their mental waves slamming into her mind. She spun with grace, twisting to keep them in her site. “I am an Imperial,” she taunted, ignoring the blood dripping to the stone floor from her stabs.
Her powers surged, and she felt the life pulse of every man and woman in the Senate. She dipped into the well of her power, connecting to the Psychic Network of her people. Shilah did not stop there. With a harsh scream, she allowed the well of her energy to spill through her veins. Then she unleashed the power that was now a throbbing beat inside her and crashed past thousands, millions of barriers into people’s mind. The energy arced and spread until it consumed every cell in her body.
Her presence was a dark throb of energy within their minds as she connected with every citizen of the three kingdoms of Serange, a feat no Imperial telepathic had ever done. The sensory overload crushed her head in a vice and twisted hard knots in her stomach. She waded through it, uncaring that blood ran copiously from her nose.
“I am not my brother who was slaughtered with his family for greed. I am Shilah Malia Symonrah, and all who come for my bloodline will only know death. Citizens of Arcadia, I judge your crowned Prince Quan guilty of the crime of murder, and treason against Dxyriah and his fellow Serangites.” She fed to their minds, her memories of his vicious attack, her fear, and the horror of fleeing to another realm. She shared everything. “I judge him guilty for his crimes against this monarchy and the punishment is death.”
Shock echoed from several minds, denial roared from thousands, and thousands of others agreed. But what they wanted did not matter. Not in this instance. With ruthless precision, she found his thread of life, and slice it. He dropped to the ground, his screams of terror no more.
In her sister’s eyes, she saw the regret, the love, and the fear.
Darkness flowed through Shilah, violence blossoming through her mind as she waded through, slaughtering, and sending a message to the traitors of her realm. Those who had not fallen hurriedly bent their knees and bowed their heads to her power and sovereignty, but she showed no mercy. And with the neural connection formed with all citizens across the three kingdoms, they witnessed it all. Their impressions flowed through her.
The Dark Queen
The red queen
Queen of Darkness.
But she remained unmoved, flashing with speed, ripping through minds, and commanding death. She stood in the center of the carnage she’d just wreaked. From the Senate, she’d kill over one hundred people. Sorrow rose in her, but she battled it down. They could not know with this sacrifice, what she had saved her people from. And what she had to save Lachlan Ravenswood.
Kala wept, staring at the bodies on the floor, then she pushed to her feet and stared at Shilah. There was gentle acceptance in her eyes. “I’ve always seen myself on the throne, in your stead, Shilah. I simply never knew how I got there. Now I know. I promise you, I see that I will be at the helm of a revolution years from now, and I will also be at the helm of the ashes our world will rise from. I see the peace and happiness of our citizens, and a man whose face I yet cannot see but know I will love him with every emotion in my soul. I’ve not seen you beside me, and for so long I feared it was because you died…. But I just saw a vision of you years from today, with your children and your mate beside you.”
Shilah’s legs trembled, and then she fell. Her body made no impact, instead powerful hands caught her and gathered her close. A finger touched her cheek with exquisite gentleness. Her heart sang when she recognized the familiar, comforting feel of Lachlan. She wanted to wrap her body around his and lose herself in his protective strength. She inhaled deeply. “You came.”
“Always.”
Then the shadows swallowed them, and he took her away.
Lachlan flowed with the shadows, taking his mate away from the place which had filled her with such an abject sense of despair and betrayal. Picking images of the castle from her thoughts, and how much she had missed the palace, he roiled with the shadows, breaching the fortress and spilling into her palatial chambers. He felt edgy, the sense of terror that he’d lost her still coating his senses. A terrible craving to forge their bond in the most primal way pummeled him. He ruthlessly contained the need, for her, for himself, and because he wanted to show her, he loved her more than anything in his entire world. That she could trust him to place her happiness above anything else.
Her tears wetted the skin of his neck where she’d buried her face, softly sobbing. Lachlan did not disturb her, he merely used memories of her home to fill a large gold inlay bath with steaming water. Her incredibly long and very pale lashes fluttered against his jaw. Her eyes opened, her gaze flicked up to his face, lingered on his mouth for a heart-stopping moment before her eyes met his. He set her gently on her feet and stripped the bloodied garment from her body. Lachlan had the curious sensation of tumbling forward. He wanted to drag her into his arms and kiss her forever, but he only stooped and removed her boots. With a swirl of the shadows, he could have her undressed within a second, but he wanted to savor touching her. How he’d missed her.
After removing her boots and every strip of blood-soaked clothing, he stood and loosened the tightly braided plait her hair had been caught in. The entire time she watched him, with huge, somber eyes. Her small teeth bit nervously at her lip, drawing his attention to the fullness of her soft mouth.
The softest of hand touched his cheek. “Hello, Lachlan Ravenswood.” Then with a sigh, she hugged him, tightly, breathing in his scent, and releasing the air of fear that had lingered within her. Trust flavored her senses, and he returned her fierce embrace.
With a swirl of the shadows, he had her immerse in the spacious bath.
Large, heart-stoppingly vulnerable eyes peered up at him. “Will you not join me?”
Another pulse of shadows and he was in the bath, naked, with her sitting astride him. Her eyes were wide pools of pain and haunting emotions. Their link flowed with energy, with her raw power as she sank into his mind seeking comfort. He held her, offering her warmth and protection without asking anything in return.
“I killed them,” she whispered. “Men and women I’ve known my whole life without offering them the benefit of a trial as our law demands.”
“You defended your life.” And saved them from a far worse death than what he would have subjected them to if he’d arrived and found her lifeless body.
“I
cannot stay here in Serange.”
“If you wish to remain and govern your kingdom, I will ensure it is done.”
A watery laugh slipped from her. “I want to be at your side, loving you now and forever. The laws that I fought so hard now to upheld will require Kala to be crowned Dyxriah’s ruler. I…I will advise her and help her select the team needed to shepherd her into her rule, but when that is all over I want to live where ever you are, Lachlan Ravenswood, for I love you, quite desperately.”
Everything in him—every thought, every one of his senses, arrowed on every nuance of her face.
“I entrust my heart to you,” his mate vowed softly, her eyes soft with love.
His heart pounded, and his mouth went dry. His body burned for her, an unmerciful, relentless, savage need. “And I will keep it, always.”
She smiled, and her happiness burned along their thread. The chain of their link curled around their body like the whip of dark silver fire.
“Life in the Darkage will not be easy. The seven kingdoms will march to war soon. But I promise you, I will protect you with every breath in my body, always. Your life and happiness will always be my priority.”
She leaned in and brushed her lips against his, then lower over his jaw. Her tongue was like a stroke of silk across his skin. She barely touched him, featherlight, but it was the most sensual sensation he’d ever experienced.
“And I promise you the same, Lachlan Ravenswood. I am not as soft and fragile as I seem. I will guard your happiness and soul with every breath in my body, and you’ll have my love forever.”
Her voice caressed him like a physical touch, soft, smoky, soothing, sensual, and the darkness within was content.
“I must warn you, I do plan to stay in Dxyriah to aid my sister for several days, and to register for exile. I do plan to visit Serange often, and my sister, if it will be allowed.”
“It will be,” he promised, working very hard to keep his tone mild, and not to echo the brutal resolve flowing through his veins. Anything that would cause her unhappiness was a threat.
