Crown of Smoke and Blood

by Sadie Jacks

  Vari put her elbow into my back. “Hello, I’m—uh, that doesn’t matter. But I did kill Michael. He was going to kill, or has already killed, five women. Five women that have done nothing wrong.”

  Hector stepped up to the porch, his black-brown eyes narrowed. “And what business is it of yours that he killed these five women?”

  Vari pushed up to her tiptoes, got in the ancient’s face. “Because he played with them like they were nothing but meat. And truthfully, he launched himself at me. I just happened to have my blade in his way.”

  Shut up, shut up, shut up! I yelled at her.

  She batted the air like I was nothing but an annoying gnat. “Do you treat humans as nothing but a food source?”

  Hector smiled, the tips of his fangs pressing into his bottom lip. “Isn’t that all they are?”

  I caught her around the waist before she could launch herself at him. The tip of her short sword whistled through the air right in front of his nose.

  Hector’s dark eyes widened before they bled fully to black. “Little girl, you don’t know who you are playing with.”

  Vari struggled in my grip, lashing out and kicking. It was easy to hold her. Almost too easy.

  One second I’m holding her, the next I’m flying through the air and crashing into Hector and Ambrose—who’d moved up to stand behind his friend.

  Gideon’s laughter poured out into the night.

  I was once again staring up into the sky, laying on my own lawn, gasping as my useless lungs spasmed under the hard meeting with the ground. The woman was tiny. Weighed less than a fly. And she flipped me around like a rag doll. I should be embarrassed. Emasculated.

  All I felt was a sense of wonder and bright lust that I couldn’t quite figure out.

  The sounds of a fight broke out on my porch. The noises of brutal kicks landing on vulnerable body parts and punches cracking into bones were loud with my enhanced hearing. Hector and Ambrose were taking a beating.

  It brought a smile to my face as I finally managed to roll over. If they wanted to dance with the tiny brutal weapon that was Vari, they could give it their best shot. I’d gladly watch as they failed.

  I hid my smirk as Ambrose landed next to me on the grass. His pale blue eyes wide. A look of excitement and desire pulled at his features.

  Within a moment, I was up on my hands and knees. Snapping my jaws at him, I got in his face. “Don’t even think about it.” I shoved him down and jumped to my feet. Standing over him, I felt a red haze descend over my mind.

  Crouching down into the predator’s stance, I advanced on him. He’d thought to take what was mine. Touch her. Taste her. Consume her. Now he had to die.

  Ambrose scrambled back on his feet as if he were a crab. “Koehn, get a hold of yourself. She is merely a woman.”

  Vari’s shriek of outrage had me stopping my forward advance. I turned to look at the porch. Saw Hector and Gideon had her pinned against the house. Her arms splayed wide. A short blade stuck out of her belly.

  All thoughts of Ambrose gone, “Vari!” I jumped up to the porch. Rushed forward. “What the feck have you done?” I reached out for the knife.

  Gideon knocked my hand away, pushed up into my face. “No. Not until you tell me what is really going on.”

  I shoved him away so hard he stumbled back. I shifted my attention to Hector. My mind cataloguing all of his weaknesses. “Let her go, or so help me God, I’ll rip you into shreds and ash the rest of you.” My voice was nothing but a low growl in my chest. The words barely discernible to my own ears.

  Hector’s face paled under the makeup. He let her go, scooted to the side. His head bowed, his hands out to the side in surrender.

  Gideon moved forward. “What the feck is happening, Koehn?”

  All I could see, could focus on, was Vari. The pain etched in her face. The sweat that beaded on her brow. She wasn’t supposed to be hurt. Ever. And yet here she was, still on my property with a blade rammed into her belly.

  Ignoring Gideon, I wrapped my hand around the short blade. Magic and blood dripped from it. Slid and caressed the skin between my fingers.

  Vari winced. “Koehn.” She swallowed, shook her head. “I’m sorry.” Blood bubbled up over her lips.

  I shook my head. “You’re not leaving me. Not like this.” I rubbed a finger over her bottom lip. Felt the rest of the Council move up behind me.

  “What is she?” Gideon asked.

  I shook my head. I still didn’t have that answer. There was no way I was going to be able to answer her. “Doesn’t matter. She’s mine.”

  Hector and Ambrose snarled low behind me. “She does bear your scent.”

  I tried to shrug them off. Tried to push their presence from my mind.

  “Koehn, it’s okay.” Vari smiled up at me. Blood oozing down the side of her mouth onto her chin. “It’s better this way.”

  Gritting my teeth, I snarled. “Not having you isn’t better. Ever.” Raising my wrist, I scored my fang over my flesh. Cursed when nothing welled. I was low.

  Feck. Doing an internal check, I wanted to scream at the fates and the heavens and any god who had perpetually ignored me. No, no, no. Being this low was practically impossible. Not after all the blood I’d had today.

  “Here.” Gideon has his wrist up and open before I could yell at him. He shoved his wrist into her mouth.

  “N—”

  The evening shimmered around us as Gideon’s magic added itself to the mix of unstable supernatural powers that ebbed and flowed around Vari like the tides. My upper lip curled as I fought not to kill him right then and there.

  But when Vari seemed to come to life right in front of my eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

  “By the gods, what is she?” Hector breathed behind me.

  Shrugging back the urge to pounce on her and feast from her vein, I shook my head as I grabbed the knife from Vari’s belly. Pulling it out in one short, sharp motion, I sucked in a breath as pain rippled over her features. “Sorry.”

  She shook her head slightly, her mouth still plastered to Gideon’s wrist. When her eyes began to sparkle once more, she shoved the Council member’s arm away. Wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Thank you. But don’t ever do that again.” She glared up at Gideon.

  His eyes widened as his face went slack. His eyes bled to black. “Mine.”

  Vari’s eyes widened right before I turned to him, my eyes narrowed down to slits. The feck she was his. She was mine. Now. Tomorrow. Always.

  Gideon shoved forward like he didn’t even see me. He tried to walk right through me. Stumbled when he ran into the barricade that was my body. “Mine.”

  I caught his throat in my fingers that had turned into claws. Getting in his face, I snapped my jaws at him. “She’s mine. Touch her and die.”

  He shook me off. Uncaring that I almost ripped his throat out. Pushing me aside, he stepped forward. Reached for her. “Mine.”

  Vari snorted as I spun. “No. I’m not yours.” Her black locks danced in the low light of the porch as her head shook back and forth.

  “She’s mine, Gideon. Don’t make me take you down.” I bent low, readied myself to pounce on him.

  Ambrose stepped between them. His wrist welling with crimson. He shoved it against Gideon’s lips. Jabbed him with a quick punch to the solar plexus.

  Gideon gasped.

  I finally felt the magic drop around us as Gideon straightened. Shook his head. “What the feck?” He grabbed at his skull, shook it like a dog. “I don’t feel so well.” Then he crumpled to his feet in front of me.

  Vari sighed. Sought me out in the dark. She didn’t hesitate one second to find me in the evening’s gloom. “Did I just get another vampire addicted to me?”

  Chapter 23 – Vari

  The words were out of my mouth before I could think all the way through them. Shite. Way to just stick your foot in your mouth, V. Real classy.

  Koehn straightened and moved towards me, his dark blue eyes bl
ack in the dark. “What does that mean? Addicted to you.” One black brow rose as he narrowed his eyes at me. “Do you know what’s going on?”

  I shook my head. Forced myself not to retreat from his anger. “No. I don’t.” And it was the truth. As far as I knew it. “Lift his shirt. Does he have a mark?” See? Easily verifiable.

  Koehn studied me for a long moment before he bent down and raised Gideon’s shirt.

  Shite. Feck. Damn it. I bit back the growl as pale skin was revealed. I wanted to lick and touch it. Not quite so badly as with Koehn, but I could still feel my fingers itching. I shoved them behind my back.

  Koehn glanced up at me. “He doesn’t have it.”

  I smiled, nodded. “See?”

  He got to his feet. “Then why is your heart pounding? What aren’t you telling me?”

  “How about we take this indoors, yes?” Hector said. “We’ve tarried too long outside as it is. Ammy, help me pick up Gideon.” The ancient bent down and waited for his blood brother to aid him.

  Koehn grabbed my wrist, yanking me inside with him. His grip was strong. Almost biting.

  Plucking at his fingers, I tried to get free. He shouldn’t have been able to hurt me. Not with his paltry strength. Another thing that was wrong. “I’m sick of this shite.” I yanked my hand down. Rushed into the kitchen.

  “Where the hell do you think you’re going, lass?” Koehn shouted after me. His footfalls were lighter than whispers on the wood floors.

  Grunts and low curses came from who I could only assume were Hector and Ambrose. A heavy thump boomed through the house, then the door slammed shut. “Does he have rocks in his shoes?”

  “More like his head. Come, we don’t want to miss the show,” Ambrose said.

  Their scents preceded them into the kitchen.

  Where Koehn was stalking me around the middle counter. “What is going on, Vari? And don’t try to fob me off with your excuses and supposed lack of knowledge. I’m done playing nice.”

  I stopped in my tracks, turned to face him. “Done playing nice? What do you think to do to me that hasn’t already been done, Koehn? Torture? Starve me? Bleed me dry?” My laugh was slightly hysterical. “I’ve been through all of that and survived. Nothing you could do to me will ever break me.” I crossed my arms, challenged him.

  He pushed into my personal space. “Why did you ask if you’d gotten another vampire addicted to you? Did you know your blood was addictive?”

  I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t give him any of my blood. I took his, remember?” I shoved by him. The man was irrational and childish.

  Ambrose and Hector removed stools from under the center countertop. Sat down as if they were settling in for a long, entertaining evening. Hector waved me on, his black-brown eyes glittering under the bright lights.

  “Tell me who you are, Vari. Between the five of us, we can probably come up with some solutions. But nothing is going to get fixed if you don’t let us help you.” Koehn’s words were spit through his clenched teeth.

  I moved to the far side of the kitchen. Hopped up on another kitchen counter. Did the damn man have to have counter space in spades? Why couldn’t he have just been some measly human who didn’t know his arse from his hat?

  “Because if someone else had found you, I doubt you’d be alive right now,” Koehn answered for me. “And stop talking to me in your head. Put your barrier back up.”

  I stuck my tongue out at him. “It’s your fault the melting didn’t work. So don’t you dare take that tone with me, you overgrown baby man.”

  “Right-oh, lass. Give it to him,” Ambrose shouted as he thrust his fist in the air. “Give him the whatfor.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You’re not helping, Grandpa. So shut your mouth.”

  Hector snorted as his eyes twinkled. “You tell him, sweetheart.”

  “You, too.” Was the world going mad? Was that it? This whole plane of existence was crazy. That had to be it. It wasn’t actually me that was off, but the world I’d stepped into.

  Koehn barked a laugh. “No. It definitely is you, Vari. Now, start talking.” He pulled out a stool next to Hector. Swallowed hard. “Please.”

  I studied the three men. Weighed my options. If Koehn was right and it was me and not the world, then I was in deeper shite than I’d originally planned on. And if Tavis was correct and that my other escapes hadn’t brought me to this place before, none of my caches or secret storages would be available. I was literally weaponless, planless, and hopeless.

  Koehn’s teeth grinding together brought my attention back to the room. “You’re none of those things. And for the love of the saints, put up your barrier.”

  “I say, chap, are you saying you can hear her in your head?” Hector asked.

  Koehn looked at the smaller man. Gave a short nod.

  Ambrose sucked in a noisy breath. “That’s impossible.”

  Koehn snorted. “I’m finding that things are rarely impossible with Vari in the mix.”

  The words should have been a compliment, but I didn’t feel any pleasure from them. The pit of despair I carried with me roiled and bubbled. They were depending on me. But right now, I just wanted to melt into a puddle and down the drain.

  Drain.

  Rusted tubes leaking water in a slow drip, drip, drip.

  Dungeon.

  My siblings.

  My only family.

  “You’re not alone now, Vari. Just fecking talk to us.” Koehn slammed a fist down onto the countertop. A loud crack sounded just as the corner of the stone broke off and crashed into the floor. He sighed. Lifted his head up, eyes closed as if asking for divine intervention. “That was polished granite.”

  I didn’t know what that meant, but I had a feeling he was blaming me. “Sorry?”

  Hector and Ambrose chuckled softly. “He’s enough quid to not miss it when he replaces the stone, girl.”

  I didn’t think that was actually the problem, but I didn’t say anything else. I licked my lips. There was something I could say. And hopefully it would make up for all the damage I’d done to Koehn’s life in less than twenty-four hours.

  “Before I tell you everything you want to know, I need a blood vow from each of you.” I pulled my small dagger from my boot.

  Koehn held out his hand without lowering his head. “Yes.”

  I looked at Hector and Ambrose. Raised a brow.

  “What will this vow entail?” Hector asked.

  I opened my mouth.

  “Doesn’t matter. If you speak a word of her to anyone, I’ll kill you myself. Now put your damn palms up.” Koehn growled at them both.

  Their hands were up and facing the ceiling in less than a second.

  I blinked at Koehn. I could tell he wasn’t the oldest one of this small Council. But the power he wielded over the other men was considerable. What had driven him to such power at such a young age?

  “We’ll discuss that later. Go on with your vow,” Koehn answered my silent question.

  “Damn it. Stay out of my head.” I glared at him.

  He smiled, and I saw the old Koehn for a brief second. “Figure it out for yourself. You don’t hear my thoughts spilling out of my head.” He waved his fingers at me. “Now stab me and get on with it.”

  “Oh, I’ll stab you all right.” I leaped forward.

  He caught me by the wrist, spun me in mid-air and slammed me down on the middle counter. “Maybe later, Vari. But let’s get through this first.” He took my dagger from my fingers and scored his palm. “I vow not to speak a word of Vari or her story to anyone outside this house.”

  He handed off the dagger to Hector, who repeated the words.

  Then Ambrose.

  When their magic filled the space in between my cells, I nodded. Tried to shake off Koehn’s hold. “Let go of me, you arsehole.”

  He held me down for a moment longer. Just because he could. Then let me up at his leisure. “You were saying?”

  I scooted off the counter and resumed my seat
on the far side of the kitchen. I cleared my throat. “My name is Vari. I’m the twenty-third daughter of King Atavian.” Even saying his name made the bile back up in my throat. I hated him more than anything else in any universe known or unknown.

  They all sat in silence as my words landed. I waited with bated breath for their reactions. Tensed my body to run if they turned on me.

  Koehn shook his head. “Okay. And?”

  And? What the hell did that mean? My mouth dropped open. “B-b-but I’m…” I squinted at him. At all of them. “You’ve never heard of him?

  The three men who’d just vowed not to speak of me all shook their heads in silence.

  “Magda spoke of him like he’s a monster, but that’s all I know.” Koehn looked down the line. “Old Fae king. Ringing any bells?”

  “What have bells got to do with anything?” I demanded.

  Hector chuckled. “Just a saying, my dear. No offense meant.” He shook his head again. “I’ve never met the man myself. Ammy?”

  Ambrose shook his head as well. “I think you’ll need to back up a bit in your story if you’re wanting us to help you.”

  Well, that was almost discouraging. I mean, I should be happy that none of them knew King Atavian. He was a monster, after all. But for them to have next to no useful knowledge of him at all was…perplexing, to say the very least.

  “Let me get you started,” Koehn offered. He turned to his Council. “Tavis explained it like this: there are actually two Faerys. One that most current supernatural creatures know about. And Old Faery. What we call the Old World when discussing the origins of Faery as a people and culture.”

  Both Hector and Ambrose nodded. “Okay.”

  Koehn turned back to me. Waved a hand. “And go.”

  I glared at him. “Do you know about the curses? The experiments? The wars? The Coming?”

  All three men once again shook their heads.

  “No. But those do sound quite horrifying,” Hector added with a small smile. “Please, tell me more.”

  I narrowed my eyes at the group of men. The magic and the essences inside me told me they spoke nothing but the truth. But it was unfathomable. How could these supernatural creatures know absolutely nothing of the Fae?