Awakened By The Shadow King (Captive 0f Shadows Book 3)

by Bailey Dark

  Kane reaches out to touch me but I move around him. “What’s wrong?”

  “I feel strange.” Shaking my head, I slowly move back toward the fountain.

  “Wonderful,” Kane replies dryly. “Exactly what every man wants to hear after they’ve been intimate with a woman.”

  There’s a bit of humor in his voice, but I see right through it. He is not as unaffected by that kiss as he pretends.

  “I’m feeling emotions that aren’t mine,” I explain. “I hear thoughts that sound…”

  Kane tilts his head to the side and narrows his eyes as he walks toward me. “Like what?”

  “Like you.” My face heats up out of fear, embarrassment, or something far more sinister than I am willing to unravel in my mind.. I don’t know what I feel anymore or if what I’m feeling is actually me.

  Looking down at my twisted and unruly dress, I quickly straighten myself. Without a word, Kane steers me toward the door. I thought for sure he would take me back to my room without another word, but he has other thoughts, surprising ones.

  He takes my arm and guides me through the narrow passages of the castle, telling stories as we go about his time before he was Death. .

  He shows me a hidden passage beneath the staircase that leads out of the castle as well as a few rooms that were concealed with wards like the garden. “The castle didn’t look like this when I first became Death. I made it in my own image. If there’s anything you want or need, just ask. I’ll make it for you.”

  His offer is at odds with the man I’ve grown to know as my betrothed. There are several sides to Kane that I never expected. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”

  I try my best to smile at him and hope that he does not see the tension behind my eyes. After several walks around the grounds, he escorts me to the doors of my room. “Gather your things, we leave in an hour. There is no need to continue waiting.” He reaches out and touches my arm, sending that same heat blazing through me once again. “And don’t be frightened, I will be by your side the entire way.”

  We part ways only to prepare for our ride, the beginning of our journey through the underworld. I am not mentally prepared to leave so quickly, but Kane is right, there is no use in waiting any longer.. I slither into a pair of leather trousers, a muslin blouse, and a corset that accentuates my ample breasts and my feminine hips. Dark riding boots and a hooded cloak complete the ensemble. The servants wait by the door to take what little I have chosen to bring with me.

  I sense eyes on me as I walk down the stairs, the heel of my boots clicking against the stone. My gaze lifts and I see Kane standing beside the door. His clothes aren’t much different than my own, but the way the shirt stretches across Kane’s chest causes my heartbeat to stutter. He shifts on his feet as if he wants to run toward me, but anger replaces the longing that had been in his eyes a moment ago. The guards open the door and Kane takes the lead, as always, while I trail behind him.

  Willem quirks a brow as we walk into his line of sight. “I hope you’re finally ready. “Nearly expected you to wear a gown, Princess.” The reaper spits the word as if being a princess is something to be ashamed of. “This isn’t some coronation or Day of Collection. The dangers ahead are beyond anything you can imagine. So, I’ll ask you this only once. Are. You. Ready?” His intolerance of mortals is unfortunate, but it’s his willingness to betray Kane that sets my teeth on edge.

  I reach behind me and flash my dagger with a flourish before returning it to its sheath. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

  There’s a look akin to approval on Kane’s face as he mounts his steed. A breath of relief escapes me as I realize that the horses are quite normal and not the feral, winged creatures that pull the carriage. I place my foot in the stirrup and push off the ground with the other as I lift myself into the saddle with practiced ease. Leaning forward, I press my cheek to the horse’s back as my hand runs down its side. I am introducing myself, giving thanks for its willingness to carry me across the treacherous lands.

  “I didn’t know you could ride.” Kane’s words are laced with humor and Willem belts out a stream of laughter.

  Whatever joke they share at my expense is lost on me, so I cluck my tongue and allow the horse to set the pace. Kane has a small smirk as he does the same riding close but leading us through the castle gates and away from the place that had become a home of sorts to me. Once we reach the city, I notice lanterns streaming between the lamp posts. The souls who dwell here dance about in vibrant colored clothes. Music filters through the streets and a rare smile curls on Kane’s lips. Willem scowls at those we pass, but he gives a few scantily clad fae women a look of interest.

  My eyes are wide with wonder and curiosity. “What are they celebrating?”

  People brazenly walk in front of the horses. Kane huffs in annoyance, slowing his horse to ride next to me. “A new phase in the lunar cycle. There are few things to celebrate here in the underworld, but we take pride in them.”

  Kane’s voice begins to fade in the noise of the jovial atmosphere. A loud pop sends a burst of confetti into the air. Shards of colorful paper rain down upon us as a deafening noise catches my attention. The rustle of feathers and scuffling of robes against rotting wood consume my senses. Suddenly I’m back in the opera house, catapulted into the past. The Nephilim races towards me with hatred in his eyes.

  White light engulfs the room. I watch the Nephilim explode. Chunks of flesh and bone rain down like confetti. The spray of blood never reaches me, but the sensation of a thousand ants crawls across my skin. Sights, smells, and sounds amplify tenfold. A scream bubbles up from my throat, but a cold touch against my cheek pulls me from the memory. Endless black pits stare back at me. I feel Kane’s shadows as if they were physical beings themselves.

  “The Nephilim…” I see flashes of Kane’s bloody and battered face. Bile burns my throat.

  “Look at me.” The sharp command causes my eyes to return to his riveting gaze. “He’s gone, Briar. He’s dead and there’s no way he can get you. You’re safe.”

  “He could come back…”

  “There are only two types of death,” he says. “You know this. The body and the soul. He’s gone.”

  Kane steers his horse closer to mine. His thigh brushes against me as he reaches over to tuck a lock of hair behind my ear. “You might not trust me yet, but I won’t let anything happen to you. We have to leave, but we’ll talk about this soon.”

  He spurs his horse on and leads us out of a gate I was unaware existed. It wasn’t the gate I had once used in my foiled plans to escape.

  The jasmine scented wind is stronger beyond the walls of the city, and gives some comfort in the unsteadiness I feel leaving behind the cover of the castle.

  Willem and Kane ride ahead, but stay within sight. I see their mouths move and swallow thickly. Kane’s profile is breathtaking. Though the bruises and cuts are gone, I can’t help but see them when my eyes close. There’s something about the white light that lingers at the front of my mind. It’s brighter than anything I’ve ever seen and strong enough to kill a creature as fierce as the Nephilim master. And I’m different. I can no longer hide behind the lies that gave me comfort in the beginning. I am different.

  I don’t know if the change is due to the violence I witnessed that day or the light itself. I don’t know if the emotions and thoughts I have are because of this light, if the gods chose to intervene to save Kane, or if the Nephilim simply leeched one too many souls. An endless list of questions fight for space in my head, leaving little room for much else. And, on top of everything else, Willem and Aiden’s plot to dethrone Kane. Guilt and something darker fills my heart.

  Is there no one in Kane’s life who isn’t trying to kill him?

  Even Lilith and his mother scheme and plot behind his back. The looks the two women exchanged the night of the ball were anything but subtle. It’s clear that Desona favors Lilith. Whatever bond they share is enough that Desona cares little for what her so
n wants. With a mother like that, it’s no surprise that Kane and Aiden have trouble expressing themselves. Aiden hides behind his sarcasm as much as Kane uses his anger as a shield.

  The sounds of celebrations grow faint. I look over my shoulder at the walls that protect those within the city and wonder if I’m making a mistake going on this journey. I begin to doubt myself. Kane’s threat to my father and the mystery surrounding my purpose at his side don’t help matters. But an unsettling sense of destiny tethers me to the men ahead of me.

  My attention returns to the road and Kane meets my gaze from where he sits perched in his saddle.

  “Are you alright?” he asks.

  I want to be defensive and toss a snappy comment out, but the realization that he has absolutely no one who wishes him well stays my tongue. Shame colors my cheeks and I duck my head bashfully. “I’m fine.”

  It comes out as a squeak. I wait for him to berate me for lacking any form of confidence, but Kane nods his head as though he doesn’t believe me.

  “We don’t have to talk about it now, but I want to know the real reason eventually,” he says, parroting words similar to the ones I said the day we returned to the underworld.

  I nod in agreement and watch as his horse picks up speed, returning him to Willem’s side. My hand slides down to the horse’s fur, and I keep my eyes perched on the both of them as we make our way quietly through the shadows of the helm, surging deeper into a world I have never known.

  Chapter 4

  Kane

  Briar falls behind for the second time. I feel the tension in my chest that often comes with my bride's worries. The questions I know she wants to ask dangle above our heads without any reprieve in sight. I slow my speed. We’ve ridden hard for hours and signs of fatigue already appear on her lovely face. If I can lessen her worries even a little, I would consider it a small victory.

  “You asked if I expected you to befriend my former lovers,” I begin. “I don’t. I’ve lived a long time, Briar. I won’t deny that I’ve taken lovers in the past, but they don’t matter. Lilith and I are just friends. She is no threat to you.”

  Her shoulders sag with relief. “She’s very beautiful.”

  So are you. The words never leave my lips, but I feel the truth of them. “There’s no chance that Lilith and I will ever get back together. What I had with her was toxic at best. I have no desire to return to that point in my life.”

  “What is it you want then?” Her words are gentle and curious.

  “I want to hear more stories about your childhood,” I answer with a grin.

  She chuckles and rolls her eyes, looking ahead as we ride. “If I tell you everything, you’ll grow bored of me.”

  Ah, so that’s what this is about? Perhaps not all of it, but it’s an obvious worry of hers.

  My lips twitch into a barely-there smile. “You continue to surprise me, Briar. Each time I think I have you figured out, you do something to throw me off. Put those fears aside. You won’t bore me. If anything, I might bore you.”

  Her eyes widen comically and I resist the temptation to lean over and steal a kiss. I open myself to the bond just enough to feel the breathtaking essence of her curiosity as it mingles with her ever present yearning.

  She lets her eyes fall as she shakes her head. “You rule the underworld. You’re Death, a god. Nothing about you is boring, Kane.”

  Willem snorts, but wisely keeps his mouth shut.

  My eyes glance to him and I hold back the irritation his response stirs in my chest. Turning back to Briar, her eyes quiet that anger enough to imagine as if it were never there. “My point is, some of the things that keep you up at night might bother me as well. You’re my bride, Briar, if I can carry some of your burdens, then I’ll do so without complaint.”

  Her eyes roll. For a moment I think I imagine it, but the disbelief in her steely gaze frustrates me. Briar huffs. “I think I’m just tired. I don’t mean to be irritable.”

  I nod my understanding, looking away as I search the tree line for any enemies hidden in the shadows. Gnarled, twisted trees cluster together in the tense forest. Red leaves and vines create an illusion of bleeding wounds. My power spreads across the ground, prodding for signs of life. “Let’s set camp. There should be a stream nearby. The trees will provide enough cover and the horses need to rest.” I tuck the map into the lapels of my jacket. Briar eases her cloak down, scowling at the trees as though she saw something my darkness couldn’t.

  “What is it?” I ask.

  Her eyes are steady, staring into the darkness. “This is the Blood Forest.”

  I nod, following her eyes outward. “It is. Does that bother you?”

  Her head shakes in denial, but I sense her fear as vividly as the sadness from before. I ease the horses through the thicket and toward the stream. I stop in a small clearing and dismount. As I turn to lend my hand to Briar, I find she is already down, opening up the satchels strung over her horse.

  Willem pushes past me. “I’ll get some wood for the fire.”

  I watch as Willem disappears through the trees to gather firewood. Briar lays out the bedrolls, keeping a polite distance between the three of us as if she and I weren’t tangled around one another a few hours prior. The absurdity of it all brings an honest smile to my lips. I tie off the horses close to the rushing waters of the stream so they can drink. As Briar digs through her bag, I pull my bedroll beside hers. The look of utter annoyance on her face causes me to chuckle lightly.

  “For your safety,” I say smoothly.

  She chews this over, but comes to the conclusion that arguing with me is useless.

  A rustle at the edge of our campground turns both our attention. Huffing with annoyance, Willem returns with the firewood and throws it down in the leaves. He meanders about, not speaking, clearing a space in the center of the small clearing. As if he knows the damp air will chill Briar, he takes his time starting the fire.

  Walking back to the bedrolls, I take a seat, glancing over at Briar who is staring up through the canopy. Dark clouds scatter through the crimson sky as the moon rises beyond the horizon. “And night has found us.”

  Briar curls towards the fire when the first spark lights the kindling. She shivers slightly and pulls her cloak tighter around her body. “It’s a bit more nefarious from down here in the woods.”

  Willem brushes his hands on his trousers and plops down on his bedroll, leaning back on his elbow. He stares into the flames with a cunning look on his face. “Did you read about the Beast of the Blood Forest in your books?”

  “Beast of the Blood Forest?” Briar asks nervously.

  I can tell she tries to keep the tremble out of her voice, but even without the soul bond, I would have been able to sense her fear. Willem crosses his arms over his chest and scoots back to the edge of his roll, leaning against a stump as he recants his tale.

  “Legend states that many moons ago, a mindless soul wandered a bit too far into the Blood Forest. When he found himself charging in circles, he became more and more panicked. In his frenzy and fear he cried out for the gods to save him and help him find his way home. He thought surely the Gods could hear him in a forest where he was the only one crying out for them. But what he didn’t know was that the trees of the Blood Forest sing louder than his own hollow voice could carry. Their enchantment muffled his cries and filled his head with song. He became ensnared by this song, lured to a place only the lost can find, a place where he was cursed to roam the forest for eternity, his fear growing to an explosive and shattering point each and every night.” Willem’s voice drops and his eerie blue eyes flash in the night. “When his anger reaches a fevered pitch, he transforms into a hideous monster and devours anyone who dwell here for too long.”

  I reach out with my shadows, smirking to myself as it creeps toward Briar. The cold touch of darkness brushes against her and a blood-chilling scream fills the air. Willem can't contain his laughter and the sheer terror on Briar's face sends me hurling over the edg
e with him. She looks between us, her face panicked and confused, until realization dawns. Her mouth drops open and she grabs a stone, throwing it in my direction. Her arms cross and she tries to give us an angry stare, but our laughter echoing through the trees tips her reaction. Her lips curl upward and she begins to laugh, the jovial spirit inside of her growing stronger until she too is toppling over with a bellowing giggle.

  Her beautiful eyes sparkle as the flames of the campfire reflect in their depths. We all catch our breath and sit back up. Briar looks up at the fire, the breeze gently swaying her hair from side to side. "So, now that you've had your fun, I want to hear a real story."

  Still holding a half grin on my lips, I shrug. “What do you want to know?"

  "How did the two of you meet?" She asks.

  Willem's eyes shift around the camp. He looks uncomfortable with the change in topic. I run a hand through my hair and turn toward Briar. "Do you wish to know how we became friends or when we first saw one another?"

  Her beautiful pouty lips pucker. "I guess both."

  I glance over at Willem, finding him staring at the ground. "We first met on the battlefield. I was preparing to inherit the title of Death and he was reaping his first soul. I suppose it was our nature that brought us together on that fateful day, but we didn't become friends until centuries later."

  Willem jumps to his feet, ending the conversation right then and there. "I'll take first watch. Get some sleep. Your wounds might be healed, but you're both still recovering."

  He stomps through the underbrush and out of sight.

  Briar furls her brow but I can feel her suspicion fade almost instantly, exhaustion taking its hold. She pulls back on her covers and slides into her bedroll. I ball up my blanket and tuck it beneath her head before reclining on my own bedroll. We face one another, silently observing the expressions on our faces as a world of secrets and lies hide behind our eyes.