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

by Bailey Dark

  Briar sits up straighter. “What do you mean?”

  I purse my lips, breaking the deep breath I take in, trying not to get caught in the gentle waft of her sweet and succulent scent. “After Lux killed Drogaem, there was no blood heir to his throne. The laws of inheritance had to be changed, but those who inherited his place as Death were much weaker.”

  Her brow furrows and that little pout returns. “I don’t think you’re weak, Kane.”

  I toss my head back and laugh, but I keep my smile firmly on my face so she knows I’m not laughing at her but myself. “If you could have seen Drogaem then you would know real strength. I’m nothing compared to him, Briar. But I’m glad you think so highly of me.”

  She turns her head, looking out at the water with a stern expression. “I said I wanted to be your wife and I meant it.”

  For some reason her words fill me up with so much pride that it eclipses even the moment when I first inherited my place as Death. The feeling is unexpected and it takes me a moment to gather myself. Briar notices, but says nothing.

  “But Drogaem could pull mountains from the earth and kill hundreds of thousands in a single breath,” I tell her. “He was unmatched through the ages. Everyone feared him. He commanded legions.”

  “Legions of Nephilim.” She shudders, the scent of her fear strong in the small space between us.

  Her pain twists in my chest and I brush my thumb over her lower lip. “It’s power, Briar. The more power, the better. Especially in the underworld.”

  “I don’t think it’s the amount of power, but how it’s used. Whether it’s for good or for evil, true power is revealed through the smaller actions, the intricate details more than the grand gestures,” Briar supposes. “If Drogaem always ruled with an iron fist, there must have been a different reason Lux killed him. He had to have been evil, but why Lux and not one of the other Gods? And why only then?”

  Her questions spark my own curiosity. The records of the past are constantly updating, so it’s possible that there’s more to Lux and Drogaem’s story than any of us are aware. Only Death and his goddess can ever tell us the entirety of their tale. Briar’s brilliant smile catches my attention.

  “What?” I ask. “Why are you smiling all of a sudden?”

  “You frown when you’re thinking. And your right eyebrow slowly begins to lift if you think you’ve had a particularly brilliant idea.” Her observations render me silent, which causes her to giggle to herself. “But I like it best when you’re intrigued.”

  Her smile makes me smile. “And why is that?”

  “Because the corners of your mouth twitch and you get this sly grin that makes me think things I shouldn’t,” she confesses, looking down at her hands with red cheeks.

  I palm the back of her head and tug her closer. Briar’s eyes stay locked on mine until the last second. The first touch of my lips and she melts against me like hot butter. My other hand grips her glorious ass and I lift her onto my lap. Her trouser clad thighs straddle my legs as she settles against my chest.

  My fingers tangle in her hair, pulling lightly on the strands, causing my innocent little bride to arch against me. Her hips begin to move like she had done in our dream and I groan into our kiss. The vibrations connect us as much as our lips do. She tastes of the tea she packed in her bag, that was abandoned when the Reaper souls appeared, and that sweetness that makes my eyes roll into the back of my head. Briar sucks my tongue experimentally and my eyes fly open. She leans away from me and I feel the need to toss her onto the ground and sheath myself in her heat. The scent of her arousal reaches my nose, and unsavory thoughts race through my mind.

  “Kane. Willem,” she pants as she slides off my lap and returns to her place at my side.

  It’s where she belongs. I already miss her heat and the slight weight of her in my arms. My Briar feels like home. Not that I know what a home -a real home- feels like, but I imagine it’s full of warmth and so much affection that the walls bend outward.

  Willem returns, wearing his clothing once more, and sits across from us. His eyes lift and I see the flames flickering among the blue in his gaze. Never before has the Reaper souls affected Willem so much. Now that I think of it, his behavior has grown increasing odd with each step we take toward the Archech.

  Briar leans against my shoulder and I kiss the top of her head. “So, we’re going to retrieve the crown?”

  I nod, my chin resting on the crown of her head. “Yes. The Archech is the place where Drogaem is buried. It’s where we’ll find the crown.”

  She pulls back and looks up at me with curiosity. “What happens when you put the crown on?”

  I don’t know. The realization of my own ignorance is something I wasn’t prepared for. Here we are, on a journey that will define future generations for eons, and I have no idea what will happen when the crown is on my head. “No one knows. None of those who came before me were brave enough to venture toward the Archech.”

  Briar looks thrown off. “Why?”

  “They say there’s a special key needed to enter,” I say. Willem flashes me a warning look. I try not to let him see just how much Briar affects me. “But it’s just a rumor. We’ll figure out what to do next when we get there. The important thing is finding Archech first.”

  She nods, leaning back into me. “Does anyone else know about it?”

  I sigh heavily, closing my eyes to blanish the guilt that builds inside of me. “Only the legend of Drogaem’s death. No one else has taken interest in the rumors.”

  But again, I don’t know for sure. Anyone else could have followed the same trail I have. My head spins dangerously and I breath in lungful’s of Briar’s scent to comfort myself. She’s entirely unaware of the power she holds over me. And I can’t let her know. Not yet, anyway.

  In fact, allowing Briar to see how she affects me isn’t a good idea for either one of us.

  I can be kind to her without being weakened by her. She sits up and I stand, offering her hand. “Let’s spar.”

  She nods eagerly and follows me to a place where she isn’t in danger of being burned by the fire. Briar rolls her shoulders and unclasps her cloak, sliding it off and setting it aside. The curves of her figure feed my deprived eyes. For too long she has hid behind that dark cowl. Now, seeing the way her leather trousers cling to her legs and the way her corset press her breasts higher, I can’t imagine why men allow this lovely creature to go unnoticed.

  Briar blushes beneath the spotlight of my attention and I adore her bashful stare. I stalk toward her and shove her off her feet with barely a nudge of my arm. She rolls into a crouch, hand going for her dagger, but it’s predictable. I step around her, wrapping my arm across her chest, my claws pressed to her neck. Squeezing just a bit she growls and tries to shimmy away, but I am much stronger. I disarm her easily and toss the blade toward the ground. It wobbles where it juts out from the dirt. Briar rushes me, but jumps to the side when I reach for her. She slides between my legs and pops up behind me, climbing my back.

  I feel her breath on me as she whispers, “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “Seeing me.”

  I don’t know what she means, but I flip her onto her back.

  Chapter 9

  Briar

  I should kill him.

  I know I should and yet I can’t bring myself to do it. Willem walks away from us so many times, but I find myself bewitched by the thoughts of Kane’s kisses. Each time we’re alone together, I feel like I want to press myself against him until we are one.

  My father wants me to kill a man I’m not certain deserves it. Even so, with what Kane strives to teach me, I know his death would be meaningless. The laws of inheritance have nothing to do with blood. The children have nothing to do with who ascends to power.

  If I kill Kane another Death will take his place and the process begins anew. It solves nothing. My father’s bitter resentment for the god who failed to save his wife from suffering would still exist whet
her Kane holds the title or not. Mortals are unaware of just how insignificant their influence really is. If bloodlines are useless, then are the Collection ceremonies? Why bridge lineages if inheritance means so little now? Kane knows this. But he still wishes to marry me for reasons I still can’t quite fathom.

  His tender care has become something I rely on, but it still feels unnatural to see that kindness within him. And his kiss. By the Night, his kiss is addictive, a lure that keeps me coming back to him even when I know I shouldn’t. Those strong, imposing hands on my body set me on fire despite Kane being cold to the touch. I can’t kill him. His death changes nothing.

  So, I won’t kill him.

  The weight of a thousand worlds lift from my chest and I feel the metaphorical shackles that trailed behind me since we left the castle fall from my ankles.

  I am brought from my thoughts by the sound of horses. Jumping to my feet I hurry over and look across the water as Willem manages to wrangle them back across. I smile, thankful that they hadn’t met the demise that I had imagined in my head.. Kane winks at me and I feel my heart stop for a moment. I can see the amusement in his eyes and he looks away to avoid laughing.

  I reach for my cloak, but he snatches it from my hands. “Only use it when we get to the village.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I don’t want anything obstructing my view of that delicious backside as you ride ahead of me today,” he says teasingly. My mind sputters without a hope in sight of building an intelligible thought. Not when he looks as though he wants to devour me. “Get on the horse, Briar. We can’t wait much longer.”

  The command causes me to shiver and I obey.

  By the way he looks at me, I can tell he likes my obedience. My dagger no longer feels like its weight will pull me back to the ground as I mount my steed. The gentle horse tosses its mane and snickers. I pat his side affectionately and Willem rolls his eyes. He says no more than a few mumbled words here and there, doing nothing to help my suspicion of him.

  “We’re only about three days away from the sea,” the Reaper announces.

  “The sea?” I ask, thinking of my dream with Kane.

  If the beaches are full of golden sand and blue skies roll overhead, I’ll try my hardest to get him into the water. A wet Kane causes all sorts of feelings to rush through me and I let out an unladylike snort. The bewildered expression on his handsome face only causes me to laugh harder.

  He looks at Willem with a quirked brow, but the Reaper only shrugs irritably. “Yes, the sea. It’s our only way of reaching Archech.”

  Kane’s eyes flood with black for a second before returning to normal. “There’s a village nearby.”

  I watch him with obvious admiration. Did he use his powers to enhance his vision? With so much power already in hand, why does he need the crown? I want to ask him these questions but each time we gravitate towards one another, Willem shoots us a look of disapproval. Though I now know what the journey is for, I still don't have even the slightest understanding as to what role I play in all of this. Kane is still vague when I ask or some other threat against our lives drives us out of one of the territories.

  But a village means people and people usually means an inn where I can take a bath. I close my eyes and groan at the thought of scrubbing the dirt, grime, blood, and ash from my body. When Kane smelled my hair the other night, I thought I would die of embarrassment, but the man seems unfazed by it.

  Following Kane’s lead, we make it to the village before noon. The sky is lighter here than other areas of the underworld, more like a shade of yellow than orange and purple more than crimson, but beautiful, nevertheless. We ride through the streets as people glare up at us. They’re even so bold as to cut through Kane’s path.

  I open my mouth to ask Willem, but his glare shuts me down. Kane grabs my hand and explains the sudden hostility. “The village is far from the capital. I doubt they hold the same loyalties as those in the city. It’s likely they don’t even recognize me as their king.”

  “But you’re more than a king, you’re a god,” I argue.

  Kane flashes another wink in my direction and I fight the urge to fan my blazing cheeks. Three guards appear in armor that’s different than what the castle guards wear. They obstruct our path, but seem more polite than the villagers themselves.“Welcome to Phaendar, strangers. Our leader requests to see all newcomers who pass through town before allowing them to roam freely.”

  I expect Kane to protest, but he gives a curt nod instead. The shock of it nearly causes me to fall from the saddle. Phaendar guards lead us to the stables where three young boys wait to tend to the horses. Kane walks ahead with Willem and once again I am left to trail behind them like a lost pup. We enter some sort of council room. A beautiful woman stands at the center. Six robed men surround her. I feel the warmth of a fire and smell the wood burning, but there’s no hearth in sight. Magic. My hackles rise when the woman sashays over to Kane.

  She practically licks him with her eyes and I feel the strange need to bury my dagger into her sockets until blood spills from between my fingers. Such violent urges have never crossed my mind before. I move to stand beside my betrothed as the woman offers her hand. There’s something about her that strikes me as familiar. She smiles broadly and I see fangs. The darkness of her eyes confirm my suspicions. Vampire.

  “I am Elluine. Phaendar is under my protection,” the woman says. Seduction wraps around her words.

  Suddenly I can feel the dirt on my skin and overwhelming insecurities cause me to lower my gaze. Kane kisses the back of the woman’s hand and introduces himself. “Kane Enfer of the line of the Gods. This is quite an establishment you have here.”

  Elluine bows at the waist, showing a respect to her king that the others failed to do. Her guards and the others in the room follow suit. I wait patiently for Kane to introduce me, but he does not. He even fails to notice Willem.

  “Please stay here for the night,” Elluine offers. “It would be our pleasure. Freshen up and get a good night’s rest and in the morning, I can help you arrange provisions for the rest of your journey.”

  I look on in silence as Kane talks to the beautiful village leader. They discuss everything from vampire taboos to the mundane tasks of leading a people. These are things I can’t hope to compete with. Willem is right. As a princess, I’m practically useless even in my own kingdom. And since arriving in the underworld I have yet to do a single act of any value.

  After a while, Kane and I follow a servant upstairs. They leave us alone in the room and I feel his gaze on me once more, but I shake it off.

  A warm bath sits in the corner. Without thinking, I strip out of my clothes and sink into the fragrant waters. Kane stands in the center of the room watching me, his eyes roving over my curves. I push away the explosion of heat it causes, and keep a simple gaze, staring away from him.

  “What’s wrong with you?” he asks gruffly.

  I watch the droplets of water roll down my hand. “Nothing.”

  He sighs deeply and continues to watch me. I am not budging from my stance. I’m tired of beautiful women, of jealousy, of dirt. I need desperately to find my own self again.

  Kane grows annoyed with my silence and storms out of the room. I take my time cleaning up and dressing into something I packed in my bags. The flowy, clingy fabric of my gown is quite comfortable despite how sheer the fabric is. I pin the front of my hair back to frame my face and leave my waves loose about my shoulders.

  The natural blush of my cheeks looks healthy in the candlelight. I exit our bedchamber and head toward the sound of pleasant conversation. Kane looks up and the room goes quiet. Every pair of eyes turns to stare as I walk toward him. He sends a threatening glare to the man beside him and I take a seat without needing his commands or expectations. I sit because I wish to and not because I am invited to do so. Elluine smiles kindly, but I can’t bring myself to return the gesture. I reach for the goblet beside the fresh plate of meats, cheeses, and crusted
breads. The sweetness of the wine is surprising, but I down half the contents before Kane has time to stop me. He shakes his head and mumbles something I can’t hear.

  A wonderful warmth spreads through my belly.

  Willem joins the others in conversation as a nymph plops down into his lap. He smiles and trails a finger along her impressive cleavage. I finish the wine in my goblet and pick at the food on my plate, licking my fingers clean. A pair of black eyes follow the path of my tongue and I giggle drunkenly, leaning against Kane. “Do you think she’s pretty?”

  “Who?” he asks quietly.

  “Elluine, silly.”

  “Briar, I think you’ve had enough to drink. The wine has vampire venom in it. How much did you drink?” His hand lays flat against my forehead. My skin feels like it’s burning.

  “All of it,” I laugh with a hiccup.

  “All of it!” Kane stands and yanks me against his chest. He wraps an arm around my waist and holds me up as he all but carries me back to the room.

  “Do you find Elluine pretty?” I ask again, this time an irritation in drunken mumbles.

  “No. Why would you ask that?” he grumbles.

  “She’s beautiful. Like the way Lilith is beautiful.” I feel him pull me through the door of our room. He lays me on the bed, but I lock my arms around his neck. “Kiss me, Kane. Make me feel like I’m beautiful. I want to know what it feels like.”

  I curse myself as tears begin to fall from my eyes, slithering down the side of my face before disappearing into my hairline.

  “You are beautiful.” Kane’s lips are on mine before I can call him a liar. Because he is. He’s a liar. He thinks Elluine is pretty. I’m not beautiful, not in the way they are. Not the way Rose and Delphine are. I’m just Briar. The taste of Kane blocks the rest of my thoughts from ruining the moment. His thumbs swipe my tears away and his tongue tickles the roof of my mouth.

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispers against my lips.