Tainted Throne (Crown of Blood and Frost Book 2)

by CY Jones

  “You know you could save yourself the trouble and marry me instead. You won’t have to deal with my sister, or having to choose between Chaos and Kaiden. I’ll be glad to fuck you into oblivion every night, and you would never have to worry about me sharing our bed with another,” he whispers in my ear as he pulls me closer to his body. I try to pull away, but even with my extra vampire strength, he was stronger than me. I even tried to use my power, but I guess with my panicked state, I couldn’t get them to work either.

  Looking around, I try to catch a guards attention, but I don’t see any of Hera’s guards that usually are following me around to spy for her. I couldn’t even spot the ones in my command, or feel them which was odd. I was alone, trapped, and could only watch helplessly as Cardinal's hand slowly traveled upwards to palm my breast.

  “Let me go,” I scream, hoping someone walking by will hear me.

  “You don’t want me to do that, now do you, pet?” He asks sinisterly, using his other hand to slip under my dress and palm my ass.

  “You should let her go before I go find Kaiden and Chaos and tell them how you’re touching what doesn’t belong to you,” a voice says behind us.

  “Zephyrus, don’t you have something else better to do?” Cardinal asks annoyed, but moves away from me.

  With the shock wearing off, I pull my arm back and slap Cardinal as hard as I can muster and run over to Zephyrus’s side.

  “Don’t ever touch me again,” I spit out at him, shaking in anger.

  “You will pay for that, pet,” Cardinal says, holding his hand to his cheek.

  “Come on, let me take you back to your room,” Zephyrus says, pulling me away.

  As soon as were far enough down the hall, Zephyrus asks, “are you alright?”

  “Yes,” I reply still shaking.

  “You really shouldn't be walking around the palace alone. What were you thinking?” He chastises.

  “I was thinking I wanted some time to myself. You act like I knew Cardinal would follow me to do whatever he had planned,” I snap.

  “Well, you should have. You’re lucky I heard you scream,” he replies, his words laced with uncontrolled anger.

  “Why’d you even help me if you’re going to be pissy about it?” I ask him as we turn another corner to a familiar set of steps.

  “Be grateful I did,” he growls. We’re both silent the rest of the way to my rooms. As soon as we reach my door, I pause and say what’s on my mind. I was sick and tired of holding shit in just to be polite.

  “What have I ever done to you? It’s like you don’t even like me.”

  “I don’t,” he answers arrogantly.

  “Well, tell me how you really feel, why don’t you,” I say sarcastically.

  Sighing, he looks at me with an angry look that forces me to take a step back.

  “Look Winter, I’m sure you’re used to guys fawning all over you and all, but I’m not the one. If it wasn’t for this stupid alliance Willow and my brothers made with Tristan, I would have left you to your fate. I think you’re reckless, and your stupidity will only lead Willow to danger.”

  “What alliance?” I ask confused.

  “You don’t know?” He says incredulously. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Your lack of knowledge is going to get everyone killed. You need to stop playing the ‘I don’t know shit card’ and start finding answers on your own. Do something useful and go ask your little boy toy Tristan what I’m referring to,” he says, stepping away and ending the conversation.

  I let him get all the way down the hall before I tell him, “thank you. Who knows what would have happened if you didn’t save me.”

  “Yeah well, I hope for your sake your fighting skills improve, or Cardinal will be the last thing you need to worry about,” he replies shrugging his shoulders.

  He’s right. I’m not even angry at Zephyrus’s cold demeanor towards me. I’m more mad at myself for letting Cardinal get to me in the first place. I froze like a lost little girl praying to be saved instead of saving myself.

  “I’m sorry about my behavior. I should be more grateful,” I tell him honestly.

  He doesn’t answer, he just walks off further down the hall, and far away from me. Sadly, I turn the knob to my room and run inside like a coward.

  I’m glad Chaos didn’t come by my room to explain whatever Hera had on him. I couldn’t deal with that shit right now. Not after the incident with Cardinal. Instead, as soon as I walked into my room, I immediately take a shower setting the water to as hot as I can possibly get it in an effort to burn Cardinal's touch from my skin. I hated him. I hated that even though I’m far away and safely locked in my room, I still fear him. I hated myself for being so weak. If my father was here right now, he would be ashamed of me. A true warrior would be out seeking vengeance, and not holed up in their room, locked away in fear.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Winter

  After my scalding shower, I lay naked in my bed. I wasn’t asleep long before I’m pulled out of my dreams and into the strange field from the other night. Just like before, I can see the strange glass coffin shining in the horizon like a beacon. This time, I don’t hesitate when I run towards it. Fear is not going to get the best of me this time. I had to see the man inside. My determination was at full force this trip, but as I reach the coffin, I see it’s completely empty. What the hell? Wasn’t someone laying inside here the last time I was here?

  “You came back,” a voice says behind me, startling the hell out of me.

  Turning around I see the owner of that voice belongs to a man so beautiful my mouth couldn’t even begin to form words. I was literally speechless, and all I could do is stand there like an idiot and stare at the stranger’s beautiful face with my mouth wide open.

  “Who are you?” I finally ask.

  “My name is Prince Argos,” he answers.

  “Prince of what?” I question.

  “Prince of the Summer Fae,” he answers, staring at me like I should already know this.

  I should have known he’s Fae. His ears are slightly pointed and he is so fucking gorgeous. It seemed liked the man didn’t have a single flaw. His golden skin is so clear, it could have been carved from marble. I take in his dirty blonde hair slightly longer in the front covering a strong forehead and a pair of the most unusual eyes I have ever seen. One a warm caramel brown, and the other a familiar emerald green. His lashes are long and full, and at the moment he’s giving me a smile that would make any red blooded women drop their panties.

  “Sorry, I don’t mean to stare,” I tell the stranger.

  “No problem, I’m used to it, or at least I was before I was imprisoned here.”

  “Imprisoned by whom?” I ask.

  “So many questions from someone whose name I don’t even know,” he says chuckling.

  “I’m sorry, I guess that was rude. I’m Princess Winter of House Storm,” I reply.

  My name shocks him, I can tell, but he’s quick to recover, and clears his face of all emotion.

  “I didn’t know Queen Elana had another child,” he inquires.

  “She didn’t, Prince Lucas is my father.”

  “And your mother?” He prods.

  “Why so many questions from someone I don’t even know?” I reply, turning his previous statement back on him.

  “Pardon me princess, I don’t mean to be rude. It's been so long since I’ve had a conversation with someone other than myself. Before I was imprisoned in this hell hole, relationships between the vamps and Fae were forbidden, punishable by death. So imagine my surprise when one of the first people to dreamscape into my cell and be able to wake me in the last couple of hundred years is half vampire and half Fae.”

  “Interesting theory. What does any of that have to do with me?” I ask panicking. There's no way in hell he can know the truth just by looking at me. Who the hell is this guy?

  “I can see I’m making you uncomfortable, and believe me, princess, that was not my inte
ntion,” he says brushing away a couple of long strands of hair from his different colored eyes.

  “You could have fooled me,” I mumble, folding my arms in front of me, taking on a defensive stance.

  “There's no point in trying to BS me Winter. Only someone with strong blood ties to the Summer Fae has the ability to dreamscape, and even still, the ability may be impossible since it’s a rare manifestation. Although, I can say your coloring and features are a little off. More in tune with the Winter Fae than summer. White hair and violet eyes, but your golden skin contradicts that. You are quite the puzzle, Princess Winter of House Storm.”

  I decide to deflect, I don’t know this man past Eve, no matter how hot he is. Prince Argos is far too clever for a guy who's been sleeping the past couple hundred years.

  “What’s dreamscaping?” I ask.

  He gives me a small smile, knowing exactly what I’m doing, but he decides to humor me anyways.

  “Dreamscaping is what you’re doing now. The ability to enter dreams of others in a parallel world of the dreamer’s making.”

  “So, right now I’m crashing your dreams?” I question, trying to understand.

  “In a way, yes. When you first came here, your presence was enough to wake me from the deep slumber that snake Hera put me under to trap me here.”

  “Wait,” I interrupt him, holding my hand up. “That doesn’t make any sense. If you’re awake, how am I in your dreams?”

  “I’m awake here, but wherever my physical body is stored is still slumbering. Whatever potion Hera used to poison me with has kept me this way for hundreds of years.”

  “Not that I’m at all surprised, but why did she trap you here in the first place?”

  “Love makes you do funny things, I guess,” he answers.

  “Love. You mean you two were a thing?” I ask shocked.

  “Yes, well once upon a time, I use to live on the wild side, and I fell in love with a beautiful vampire,” he answers, sadly.

  “And instead of living happily ever after she locks you away in a deep slumber for all eternity like some demented sleeping beauty? Unbelievable. That’s pretty harsh, even for Hera,” I tell him still floored that Hera would do such an unspeakable thing.

  “Not all fairytales have happy endings Winter. Didn’t anybody ever tell you that?”

  “Actually yes, and recently,” I admit, looking away.

  We’re both quiet after that. I suspect he’s reminiscing on his bad choices in women, and I’m trying to figure out how and why I’m even here. As far as I know, I don’t have a drop of Summer Fae in my blood, and Prince Argos pretty much verified the Summer Fae are the only ones with this particular skill set, so how am I even here?

  “Maybe your blood is the one calling me into your dreams,” I say, trying to rationalize this.

  “We’re still playing this game are we?” He says arching his brow. “That theory is highly unprovable, but whatever you need to tell yourself is none of my business.”

  “So, where are we?” I ask, ignoring his comment.

  “One of my favorite places in the summer lands,” he answers, lowering himself onto the lush grass.

  “Then what's next?” I ask, taking a seat across from him.

  “What do you mean, young one?”

  “Young one,” I scoff. “I’m eighteen human years, and an adult in the laws eyes.”

  “And I’m over a thousand fairy years, so in my eyes, you are young.”

  Rolling my eyes, I expand on my last question. “What’s the plan? How do I break you out of this joint?”

  “So quick to anger Hera. I heard she is Queen now, and since I’m quite positive she is not your mother, since you're admitly hiding your Fae heritage, I can assume something has happened to your father. Either she killed him out of spite, or he left on his own, giving up the crown to protect you. My instinct is telling me it’s more the latter than the former.”

  Ignoring that spot on conclusion, I decide to give him half the truth. “I’ve met Hera, so yeah, freeing you to piss her off will be totally worth it, and how did you even hear about Hera being Queen if you’ve been locked up here for so long?”

  “I did say you were one of the few people to visit me here. You need to pay better attention to information that’s freely given.”

  “Oook,” I say drawing the word out. “And who was the other person?”

  “Chaos. Prince of Spring, and lord of the vampires. I don’t mean to be rude, but if the decedent of our maker couldn’t free me, I have little hope that you can,” he says sadly, running his fingers through the blades of grass.

  Fucking Chaos. You would think he would have said something. Like hey, be careful about pissing Hera off, because even though she can’t actually kill you because of your bond with Kaiden, she can however put you in a deep sleep and imprison you forever in a deep dark, dirty dungeon somewhere, until someone who’s crazy and powerful enough with rare dreamscaping magic happens to stumble upon you, and break you out. When I get back, me and my mate need to have a really long talk about all the things he’s been keeping from me. That boy is full of secrets, and the list is adding up. Like how did he visit a long lost prince locked away, and how did he know anything about it to go looking for him to begin with?

  “Wait, Chaos is part Spring Fae. How did he dreamscape here if it’s some kind of rare summer ability?” I ask, challenging him.

  “He piggybacked off a Summer Fae who used their magic to locate me, but I can say you are the only one whose presence here was strong enough to actually wake me. I felt you enter just like I felt them, but you, young one, are special. Your presence was strong enough to free me from that horrible glass coffin.”

  “Maybe that’s a sign that I can actually free you,” I tell him.

  Unlike him, I wasn’t ready to give up. Not just yet. He didn’t deserve to be here, and if it pisses off Hera to free him, then so be it. She can’t keep getting away with this crap. She has no care about whose lives she ruins. Plus, I feel some sort of familiarity with the prince of Summer, even though I’m certain I’ve never met him before. Something keeps drawing me to him. Something I can't explain. It’s like the same pull to my mates, but different.

  “As far as I can see it, Chaos couldn’t wake you, and failed to free you, since you’re still here. How about we make a deal you and I?” I propose. “I help free you, and in return you will owe me a favor to be cashed anytime of my choosing.”

  I can practically see the mischief shining in his different color eyes. A smile graces his beautiful full lips, and he holds out his hand taking my hands in his.

  “You have a deal, Princess Winter of House Storm.”

  As soon as the words leave his mouth, the magic in the air sparks and a tattoo of swirling vines with brightly blooming flowers burn on both of our wrists, sealing the deal.

  “I see you’re learning our ways quite quickly, young one. I hope you know what you’re doing. You will need that quick wit of yours if you’re going to survive making powerful enemies like Queen Hera, but I guess if you located my body, then maybe you’ll be strong enough to wake and free me. Not to mention once you return me to my father, you would have made a very powerful ally. Powerful enough to help you claim a crown, so to say.”

  For once, since I’ve come here, Prince Argos was looking at me with hope in his eyes, but before I can reply I’m wrenched out the dream, and all goes black before I awake in my bed.

  “Morning, beautiful,” Chaos says, laying next to me, holding me close.

  “Morning,” I mumble, yawning wide.

  “Do you always sleep nude? Not that I’m complaining or anything,” he asks, kissing me softly. I want to answer him but his lips are very distracting, so instead I open my mouth wider taking the kiss deeper. We have so much to talk about, and I’m still mad as hell at him for keeping things from me, but he is so dang gone distracting. Before long I give in to the kiss, and his hands are all over my body, making me wet and ready, and he
slides easily into me sending me into pure bliss for the next hour.

  When we come up for air before Chaos can distract me again, I blurt out, “we need to talk.”

  “This sounds serious. Usually when humans say that it means something bad,” he says, sitting up. I watch as the sheet falls exposing his drool worthy abs spiking my already overactive sex drive, and I quickly look away so I can concentrate on the conversation we need to have. “What have I done to upset you, beautiful? Did I not fuck you properly enough this morning?” He teases, reaching for me.

  “You fucked me just fine,” I tell him, leaning out of his reach.

  “Then what is there to talk about so early in the morning? If I’m not meeting your needs I’m happy to remedy that,” he says seductively, successfully reaching me this time and kissing me deeply.

  “Chaos, I need to focus, and I can’t do that when you’re kissing me,” I laugh, breaking away.”

  “Ok, beautiful. What is it we need to discuss?”

  Swallowing hard, I hold up my wrist and show him the marking from the deal I struck with Prince Argos last night. I guess with our early morning sex session he was too distracted to take notice, but that’s not the case now.

  “Where the hell did you get that?” He growls, jumping up. An angry expression crosses his usually carefree face, and it’s scary enough to frighten even me.

  “I struck a deal with him last night,” I answer softly.

  “What? How in the hell did you even meet him in the first place? Have you any clue what you have done?” He yells outraged. I’ve never seen Chaos this angry before, especially not towards me. He’s always flirting, or causing trouble somewhere, living up to the meaning of his name, but never angry.