Dark Ascension

by J. D. Brown

  “Not you too,” I groaned.

  “They have a right to know.”

  I blinked at Jesu as he turned away and headed toward the castle. A right? A freaking right? He must be joking. Maybe he got his English confused. No way could Jesu honestly believe my parents had a right to know anything. He was so lucky I wasn’t his girlfriend. He would have been in so much trouble.

  I winced.

  I’m not his girlfriend. Not anymore. And Bridget was lurking around the castle grounds somewhere, free as a bird. I wanted a drink, and then remembered I was pregnant.

  “At least this day can’t get any worse,” I grumbled.

  “There’s always tomorrow.” Maria patted my arm.

  I looked at her, but she simply turned away and followed Jesu without explanation. I figured she was being sardonic, but I was honestly too afraid to ask. What would tomorrow bring now that Nikolas’ reign had ended?

  VALAFAR

  Steam fogged the glass shower walls as hot water cascaded over my shoulders. I leaned toward the faucet, one hand pressed against the cool gray tiles, eyes sewn shut by the rivulets dripping from my lashes. Brinnon’s handsome face and tight body permeated my fantasies; his sensual lips around my cock, fingernails digging into my arse. I imagined those yellow irises looking up at me while he was on his knees. A ragged grunt punched from my lungs, and I sighed into the release. God damn, he drove me wild. I ached for his return already.

  My cellphone vibrated from its spot on the chrome sink just outside the shower stall. I blinked my eyes open, finished rinsing, and then shut off the water. Brinnon’s footsteps sounded in the hall just outside his chambers. I listened as the bedroom door opened and closed with his entry. He was alone, so I opened the glass shower door, stepped onto the posh rug, and grabbed the cellphone. Turning my back to the wall-length mirror, I tapped the screen and read the text message.

  Anything yet?

  The text was from Mummy Dearest, but I didn’t need caller I.D. to tell me. The blinding hot flashes behind my eyeballs confirmed it. Find the ring, the command whispered.

  I replied to the text with a phallic-shaped emoji.

  The bathroom door swung open. Brinnon took a step inside then jolted to a stop. He smelled like chocolate and sex and the ashes of his father. His vacant gaze quickly sharpened as he scanned my naked glory, and his mouth curved into a grin. Then his gaze lowered to the cellphone in my hand, and his expression turned serious.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing.” I pressed the lock button to darken the screen and then set the phone aside.

  Brinnon bit his lip as he stared at the phone. Whatever his suspicions, he seemed to think better of it, and his glorious gaze met mine. “Were you there? Did you hear my speech?”

  Disappointment deflated my chest. “You thought I could stand among all those witnesses?”

  He shrugged. “You can phase. No one would be the wiser.”

  It wasn’t the first time he asked for more than I could give. He knew the limits of our romance. I’d made them quite clear. His commanding officer had guards stationed in every corner of the castle. If it wasn’t because the Alpans could not phase, I wouldn’t even be here.

  Brinnon lowered his gaze. “I just thought, since Ema was present...”

  I crossed the tiled floor and cupped his jaw in both hands before kissing him softly. He tasted like fire. The smoke of despair. Everything in him must be burning. My cock jumped against the silk swathing his warm thighs. I couldn’t help it.

  “I’m sure your speech was lovely.”

  His breath feathered against my lips in a small chuckled. “Good thing I came to change. You got me all wet.”

  “That’s what she said, love.” I winked, and then released him.

  Brinnon went to his closet and opened the doors. “I’m going to be busy for the rest of the night. Probably all morning, too.”

  I watched as he tore off his jacket, tossed it on the bed, and then removed his tie. “Let me guess; phone calls to make, documents to sign, arses to kiss?”

  “More like witnesses to interrogate.” He eyed me while popping open his shirt buttons. “You ought to be one of them, you know.”

  I cocked my brow. “You can interrogate me all you want, love.”

  “I would if I thought you would tell the truth.”

  I lifted a hand to my heart and gasped. “I’m insulted. How dare you know me so well?”

  Brinnon rolled his eyes. “Get a towel. You’re leaving a puddle.”

  “No rest for the wicked, then?” I crossed the royal blue carpet, not giving a damn if I left a trail of wet footprints in the fibers. Brinnon finished unbuttoning his shirt. I slid my fingers under the collar and pushed the silk away from his broad shoulders, down his firm biceps. He felt both soft and strong all at once.

  He watched me, his gaze lingering well below the flat plains of my stomach, and then he met my eyes. “I am glad you’re here.”

  The shirt fell away and I lifted my hand to his neck, just under his jaw, where I slid my thumb over his lips. If only I could kiss away his delicate feelings. I knew what he meant; he was glad I was here for him—for his father’s funeral and the coming coronation—even if I could not be by his side, could not be seen supporting him, loving him, holding the ashes of his heart together. But he was wrong. I was here for Ema.

  No—worse—I was here because mother commanded it. My time with Brinnon, like my time with Ema, was limited. I had but days left, maybe hours. The headaches were a constant reminder. How was it so easy for him to forget the fleetingness of it all? Did he simply cling to the moment out of necessity, or was he truly so naive to think I could stay—that I ever had the option of such a luxury—when my very presence was a danger to us both?

  My lungs burned and I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

  “Christ, Val.” Brinnon grabbed my wrist and removed my hand. “I have to go.”

  I nodded and then went back to the bathroom to dress. The wall-length mirror was much more difficult to avoid this time, as it often was when I felt sorry for myself. I hated the ugly, old man on the other side. I dressed quickly, avoiding his gaze, but Brinnon was already gone when I returned, leaving me alone with my demons.

  CHAPTER 3

  I entered my room to find Mom snoring in bed, the covers pulled up to her eyelashes. Thank goodness vampyres didn’t sleep. She made the bedsheets smell like a dirty hamster cage. I went to the bathroom and ran the shower faucet. My hair smelled like smoke and my fingers itched to scrub the scent away. Pyres were worse than open caskets. Add one burning body to the list of mental images I wished I could erase. And, because I had literally been to hell, I couldn’t help wondering if Nikolas’ dead essence now lay atop a mountain of other lifeless essences—or if he had been wrapped in eternal spider silk like Apollyon.

  I need therapy. Years and years of therapy.

  I showered, dried, and wrapped a towel around my torso before going back into the bedroom. Someone had left a dinner tray on the nightstand while I was washing. I lifted the lid to find a bowl of chicken noodle soup—the pre-cooked canned type that was more water than chicken or noddle—and a peanut butter sandwich.

  Being pregnant meant I had to eat human food again. My parents’ presence provided the perfect excuse for Maria to fill the kitchen pantry with non-perishable items, but no one in the castle knew how to cook for a human, so canned soup and sandwiches quickly became the main course of every meal. I could have done my own grocery shopping and cooking, but the point seemed moot when everything tasted like chalk to my vampyric tongue.

  I reset the lid over the tray and then went to the dressing nook for underwear, jeans, and a T-shirt. I dressed and slipped my feet into my trusty canvas sneakers, when a loud crash sounded in the hallway. The guards shouted in German as I ran to the door and threw it open. Peering into the hall, I immediately saw the source of the commotion. My ex-boyfriend, Anthony, wriggled in the arms of an Al
pan soldier like a toddler mid-tantrum.

  “Let go of me!” Anthony threw a punch. His knuckles connected with the vampyre’s jaw, but the poor idiot didn’t know the creature he was dealing with. The guard didn’t even flinch. Instead, the soldier lifted all of Anthony’s six-foot-three frame by the seat of his pants and tossed him into his room before quickly shutting the door.

  Dad stood across the hall. He leaned against the frame of his open guestroom, watching the event. Jesu watched as well, but he was nothing more than a strip of shadow hidden behind the slim space of a door slightly ajar. His one visible eye seemed to look past me. He nodded and then disappeared into his room.

  Huh, what was that about?

  “Ema.” Dad gestured to Anthony’s room. “We should really say something to that boy.”

  I winced. “I have to check on Mom.” I turned away and noticed Princess Sara standing at the end of the hall. “Sara?”

  The youngest of Nikolas’ children matched my petit height, but with a slender grace that was all her own. She hadn’t changed out of her funeral digs yet and still smelled of smoke. The dark attire made her ivory complexion seem paler, her golden eyes brighter, and her raven hair blacker. She tucked a strand behind her ear and lowered her gaze.

  “My brother asked me to fetch you.”

  “Brinnon? Sure. Where is he?”

  “Father’s office.” Her gaze lifted and a pale pink colored her cheeks. Hmm. I knew Sara was a timid person, but I thought we were past that. I’d have to remember to make an effort to repair our friendship.

  “Thanks.” I glanced over my shoulder at Mom. She’d rolled onto her side, but didn’t wake. I closed the bedroom door gently and then headed toward the tower stairs.

  “Ema,” said Dad.

  “Not now. Busy.” I waved him off while entering the tower, and then took the stone steps two at a time.

  The foyer and ballroom were uncommonly crowded. The castle had enough space to accommodate at least seven large families, but it was quickly becoming obvious that Nikolas’ brood liked to stick together in the common areas. I recognized a few faces as the der Wölfes glanced at me in passing, but no one I knew by name. One thing I noticed was how the male guests far outnumbered the females. I shouldn’t have been comforted by the fact, but just because I let Jesu go didn’t mean I was ready to watch him fall in love with someone else. Bridget or otherwise.

  I crossed the ballroom and ducked around the back wall, into the hidden corridor, where I made a left at the T-intersection. The large office door at the end of the hall stood ajar. I sucked in a deep breath, pushed the door open, and entered.

  Nikolas’ office—now Brinnon’s office—looked like the inside of Tarzan’s treehouse. Animal skins covered the floorboards and cushioned the furniture. Hunting trophies lined the walls, and I could swear their dead beady eyes followed me as I took a seat before the large polished desk.

  Brinnon sat behind the desk, in his father’s armchair. It was an odd sight. Nikolas had been very tall and very wide—corded with sinewy muscles—and I was positive his desk and chair had been custom ordered to his size. Brinnon—who in no way whatsoever could be described as small—looked like a dwarf in his father’s place. He had to be uncomfortable, but he hid it well; his statuesque expression portrayed the epitome of discipline.

  Tancred stood beside Brinnon, always the dutiful militant. Bridget’s perfect gymnast figure sat in the chair next to mine. Her booted legs crossed at the knees, causing the skirt of her dress to ride up her thighs. Really, who wears a tube-dress to a funeral? She kept her gaze pinned straight ahead, avoiding mine. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at her while trying to think of something passive aggressive to say.

  Brinnon cleared his throat. “Miss Ema, I’ve called you here because Miss de Loup has made me aware of some pertinent information.”

  “Shouldn’t you be with your family?” I kept my narrowed gaze firmly on the French vampire while talking to Brinnon. “Eating dinner and sharing memories?”

  Bridget glanced at her lap.

  “Ordinarily,” Tancred answered for his sovereign, “yes. But His Majesty felt—”

  Brinnon lifted a hand to dismiss his Second. “It’s about Apollyon. And Lilith.”

  That got my attention. I straightened my spine and stared at the Prince. “What?”

  Brinnon drew a breath. “At the battle in Panama, there was an ancient woman standing next to Apollyon. Did you see her?”

  My stomach twisted in knots. This was the first time anyone had mentioned Lilith since we got back, but no one knew how entwined I was with the crone. I nodded to indicate that I knew who he spoke of.

  “She’s a succubus,” Brinnon continued. “She’s the succubus; mother of them all. Lilith.”

  I already knew that, but I said nothing.

  “And now,” Brinnon turned his gaze to Bridget, “it would seem that Lilith is also Apollyon’s sister.”

  A little bit of bile rose to my throat. I swallowed it and winced. “I’m sorry, what?”

  “I heard them.” Bridget kept her gaze down, head bowed. “Apollyon called her his sister.”

  “Are you sure he didn’t mean it platonically?”

  She blinked and then looked at me. “No... no, I don’t think so.”

  Brinnon sighed as he leaned against the armchair. “Miss de Loup, can you give us a minute?”

  Bridget nodded and then rose from her seat.

  “You too,” he murmured to his Second.

  Tancred gave the Prince an uncertain look, but he joined the vampire in the hall and shut the door behind them. Brinnon waited until their footsteps faded. Then he placed his palms flat on the mahogany desk.

  “Dad explained to us—to Mom and Sara and I—why he wanted you. Why he would risk everything for that contract, despite what you are. That’s why we agreed to sign it.”

  I bit my lip. Despite what I am? I wasn’t sure why he was telling me this, but anticipated the worst. “I did my part. I stopped Apollyon.”

  “And we’re grateful,” Brinnon insisted. “But Apollyon was only half of the problem. Lilith could be—”

  “No.” I pressed my hands against the desk and stood. “Lilith is gone. While you were all unconscious, I made Valafar promise to take her away. We won’t be seeing either of them again.”

  Brinnon blanched and his brow pinched in the center. He studied me a moment. “I am not demanding anything right now. I only want to know if you will fight with us again when she comes back.”

  I blinked at the Prince and sat down.

  When she comes back. Not if she comes back.

  I wanted to believe Lilith was gone for good, because she scared the crap out of me, but I wasn’t that naive. I took great pains to hide Apollyon’s ring for a reason. “It’s not as if I have a choice.”

  “But you do.”

  I looked at Brinnon and narrowed my gaze in suspicion.

  “At least until I convince the rest of my family to sign the contract,” he explained. “You still want it?”

  “The contract? Yes.”

  Brinnon nodded. “Then I think we should keep this information about Lilith to ourselves.”

  “Okay,” I agreed.

  “One more thing; I need to question your parents and friend.”

  I tensed.

  Brinnon must’ve noticed because he raised both hands in defense and explained. “It’s just procedure. I have to file their statements with the R.E.D.”

  “I was hoping we could keep my family out of it.”

  “Sorry, the Council and the R.E.D. already know. There were too many witnesses involved in their rescue.”

  All the soldiers. Half of them died that night. Who attended their funerals?

  “What will happen to them?” I asked, referring to my parents and Anthony.

  “Your father is free to go as soon as I have his statement.” Brinnon wet his lips and then looked to the side. “Anthony and your mother may prove a more dif
ficult task. As long as they remain ignorant to the truth, the R.E.D. will likely send them home with a reason never to contact you again.”

  I furrowed my brow. “What kind of reason?”

  Brinnon shrugged. “Oh, they’ll say you’re undercover for the government or some such nonsense. They’ll probably keep a close eye on them both until they feel confident neither one will try contacting you.”

  I winced. Mom wasn’t the type to just let things go. “What if they don’t co-operate?”

  “Then I suppose you’ll be adding their names to the contract.”

  Was that a threat? Would the R.E.D. hurt Mom or Anthony if they didn’t stay away? I swallowed a lump welling in my throat. Of course, I had already planned on adding Mom to the contract. She was Romani, born and raised. Whether she knew the truth about vampyres or not, she was still fair game to the Elite who murdered the Romani to keep the bloodlines pure and prevent people like me from being born. Despite what you are, Brinnon had said.

  “Can it wait until morning?” I asked.

  Brinnon nodded. “I’ll call you down after their breakfast.”

  I nodded and then stood.

  “And thank you,” he added. “For coming to the service today.”

  “Sure,” I murmured, but my mind was already a million miles away as I left the office. Could Lilith really be Apollyon’s sister? That would make her my great aunt. It would make Valafar my cousin. Many times removed, but still, they would be family. Holy cow, my brain hurt just thinking about it. But if the implication was true, then maybe Lilith wasn’t my enemy. She did rescue me. Twice. Maybe Lilith was protecting me the entire time, leading me to what she thought was my destiny to destroy Apollyon.

  But to what end?

  Lilith was the one who helped raise Apollyon from the dead in the first place. Why set the prophecy in motion? What was in it for her? And what did it have to do with my children?

  CHAPTER 4

  “Ema, wait.”

  I was halfway across the ballroom when Bridget called out. My eyelids squeezed shut as I stopped in my tracks and sighed. No use pretending I didn’t hear her. I opened my eyes and faced the French vampire. “What?”