A Crown of Blood and Ashes

by Elle Middaugh

  Deidra put her palm up to my mouth and eased me into a chair.

  “Your Highness, please. Your mouth is flapping like a clapper on a duck’s behind.” She grabbed a hot-pink potion from a shelf and handed it to me. “Drink this.”

  I popped the cork and started chugging.

  Her eyes went wide and she snatched the bottle back. “Not all of it at once!”

  “Sorry.”

  She put a hand over her heart and slowly eased into the chair across from me. “Now. How do you feel?”

  I took a deep breath and felt my body slow. My muscles relaxed. The nerve endings in my skin muted. Even my blood seemed to stream more leisurely. A drunken dizziness circled my head, calming me but not impairing any functions. It was incredible.

  “I feel fantastic. Thank you.”

  She carefully handed me the bottle back. “Keep it with you. When you feel on the verge of another meltdown, do yourself a favor and take a deep swig.”

  I giggled softly. “Yes, ma’am.”

  She smiled and folded her hands across her lap. “So your vampire is competing to win your hand. How romantic!”

  My gaze narrowed, but I kept my smile. “You’re not like the other witches, are you?”

  She chuckled. “What would ever make you think that?”

  I rolled my eyes. “I mean, you don’t despise vampires like everyone else.”

  She shook her head, and the longer it rocked side to side, the farther her smile fell. “I was in love with a vampire.”

  I’d suspected as much, but still my mouth fell open. “What happened?”

  She raised a brow. “What do you think?”

  My heart sank. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Thank you. It happened a long time ago. Before you or your parents were even born, in fact. But it still hurts like it was yesterday.” She reached for my hand, then hesitated. Probably because I was a royal. But then she grabbed it anyway. “You remind me of myself all those years ago. Hearing about you and your vampire breathes life back into me.”

  I smiled and put my free hand on top of our others. “If he wins this competition, I’ll be sure to bring him by so you can meet him.”

  “When he wins,” she corrected me. “Never underestimate the tenacity of a person in love.”

  My eyes went wide, and I pulled my hands back. “Oh, we’re not in love yet. More like lust at the moment, actually.”

  “It may be in the early stages, but don’t undermine what you feel. Love doesn’t always make sense on a temporal scale, but that doesn’t make it any less real.”

  Admiration filled me as I stared at her. “How’d you get to be so wise?”

  “I’m old as dirt!” she said, through a gruff laugh. “If I wasn’t wise by now, I’d have been dead and gone a long time ago.”

  I chuckled along with her, then resolutely stood. “Well, it’s that time.”

  Deidra stood too and bowed her head. “May the best man win.”

  I left her shop as nervous as hell, despite the calming effects of the potion.

  Then I entered the lower levels of the palace, where the competition that would determine the rest of my life was just beginning.

  9

  Autumn

  I stood at the giant double doors at the end of the hall and couldn’t help but pause.

  Music pulsed on the other side. Laser lights flashed beyond the doors’ silhouette. The cheers of the crowd were almost maniacal. Impatient. Hungry. I shouldn’t keep them waiting.

  With a final breath, I threw the doors open, and the cheers magnified deafeningly. It was difficult to keep my balance with the erratic lasers darting around, but I thankfully managed to stay upright. My heart felt like it was wedged in my throat. I wasn’t even certain if I’d been breathing at that point. A spotlight found me and followed my steps to the edge of a balcony. I smiled and waved at an endless sea of faces.

  Then the booming voice of an announcer filled the charged air.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, Princess of the American Witches, Autumn Delarose!”

  If I’d thought the cheers were deafening before, I was dead wrong. The sound was now so earsplitting, I almost mistook it for silence. If it wasn’t for people’s open mouths and hands in the air, I might’ve been fooled. All the best mages in the kingdom were set to compete for my hand, and everyone had their favorites. My favorite just happened to be a vampire in disguise.

  My father and mother took the stage down below, and the spotlight quickly found them instead of me. Thank God.

  “Please welcome your hosts for this evening’s festivities!” the announcer continued. “King and queen of the American Witches: Sergio and Estelle Delarose!”

  My father nodded gracefully, his features completely at ease. My mother’s stance was relaxed at his side. They didn’t seem to be worried about a thing in the world. They clearly had complete faith that this plan of theirs would work. Whatever it was.

  “Lords and ladies of our great kingdom, I warmly welcome you to the event of the century.” More cheers broke out. “And vampires of the Northeast Covens, my people and I welcome you to the beginning of the end of our war.”

  What. The. Ever-loving. Fuck?

  Complete and utter silence washed over the arena in that moment.

  Vampires? Why were they here? Wasn’t Darren supposed to be the only one? This wasn’t some sort of trick, was it?

  My blood went cold, and I took a deep swig of the hot-pink potion.

  At least there was a reason for the odd time of day the competition had started....

  My father stretched his arms out wide. “For too long, we have been slaughtering one another, risking extinction of entire kingdoms and covens and peoples. But after tonight, a treaty will be drawn and a promise will be made. A union between our kinds will form; one that must never be broken. We’re far stronger together than we are apart. To prove this beyond any shadow of a doubt, we are offering our own daughter’s hand in marriage to the most powerful vampire heir!”

  The spotlight flashed back up to me, and my features were magnified on a big screen. The shock and utter bewilderment that was plastered to my face was embarrassing. How could they have done this to me? Kept this from me? From the entire kingdom! And why?

  There had to be some sort of fucked-up reason for all of this. There couldn’t be an end to the war, not as long as each side’s current leaders remained in power. So what was the catch?

  “I don’t expect everyone to be on board with this idea right away, but I do expect your obedience and loyalty to your king’s commands.” Dad eyed the crowd with stern eyes and thin lips. “So, without further ado, let the competition commence!” Light applause followed them off stage, and the announcer kicked it into high gear. Eleven vampire heirs were called out by name and coven and lined up on stage in a pair of black pants or cargo shorts for our viewing pleasure.

  I signaled for Lyra to grab me a chair. Leaving was not an option for me. I could tell she didn’t want to go either—probably didn’t trust to leave me alone—but still, she did as ordered. When she returned, I sat down and drew my fingers to my mouth.

  As far as I could tell, they all appeared ashen regardless of their underlying skin tone, and they were all confident and sexy as hell. Each man had a handsome face, incredible arms, broad chests, and washboard abs. But only one of them caught my eye. Darren.

  Literally. He found my gaze from across an arena full of people and held me there, captivated. Heat rose and spread through my core, washing over my skin in waves. I licked my lips and realized my breathing had become shallow. It was insane, the effect that man had on me. An ache swirled viciously to life between my thighs and forced me to cross my legs the other way. My lust for him was intense, but I hadn’t realized it was that bad.

  He bit his bottom lip, but couldn’t hide the sexy smirk that appeared. Finally he looked away, and my posture wilted. I even missed his gaze when it was gone. I really did have it bad.

  The guys jum
ped down from the stage and began limbering up. As they stretched, the announcer called out the names of the first two fighters. Darren—of course—and a vamp named Hammond.

  The announcer began counting backward from ten. “Ten... nine... eight...” Darren rolled his neck from side to side and shook out his fingers. “Seven... six...” The other guy, Hammond, smiled and flexed his biceps. “Five... four...” I scooted closer to the edge of my seat, peering nervously across the balcony. “Three... two... one.”

  A loud horn echoed through the arena, signaling the official start of the match.

  Darren lunged, attacking hard and fast. I thought he might wait for Hammond to make the first move, but no. He landed blows at Hammond’s cheekbone, jaw, abdomen, and chest. His assault came so quickly, the other vamp didn’t seem to have a chance to process it, let alone react.

  But then Hammond found his bearings, and jabbed Darren in the ribs.

  The match’s momentum slowed. They circled each other strategically. Darren’s face was cold and calculating. Hammond’s was angry and aggressive.

  In one swift motion, Hammond lurched forward with brutal speed and made contact with Darren’s chest, sending him flying backward by about ten feet. Then he was pinned, with Hammond’s fists landing punch after punch into his now-bloodied face.

  “One!” the announcer shouted, timing the pin.

  I jumped to my feet and leaned out over the banister.

  Come on, I thought nervously. Get up.

  If he stayed down for longer than three seconds, it would be over. He would lose.

  “Two!”

  “Come on!” I shouted out loud, momentarily oblivious to how absorbed I’d become.

  With less than a second to spare, Darren rolled them both to the side and reversed their positions. His fingers squeezed Hammond’s throat hard enough for his fingernails to draw blood.

  Relief thundered through my veins like a tidal wave.

  “One!” the announcer cried again, this time in Darren’s favor.

  Hammond struggled, thrashing his head side to side in a desperate attempt to break free. His face turned pink as his oxygen supply dwindled.

  “Two!”

  He smashed his fists into Darren’s forearms, trying to break his iron hold, but it was no use. He was losing energy. His swings were getting sloppy.

  “Three!” the announcer shouted. “Darren Porter moves on to the next round!”

  Darren immediately released his opponent’s throat and stood, reaching down to help the defeated vamp up.

  Don’t do that, I mentally advised, shaking my head. That’s one of the oldest tricks in the book. Though, I did admire his sportsmanship.

  But to my surprise, the vamp simply took Darren’s hand and pulled himself up. They patted each other on the back, and Hammond exited the stage. Apparently vampires were more trustworthy than I gave them credit for.

  Darren’s eyes floated up to the balcony and he winked at me.

  My heart didn’t just flutter stupidly in my chest; it banged around my rib cage like a hostage. I clearly had an addiction to that man.

  He cocked his head ever so slightly to the left, and I followed his gesture over to a ruby red exit sign.

  I raised my eyebrows and mouthed, “Exit?”

  He nodded once and jumped, disappearing into the darkness surrounding the stage.

  I rushed to follow, but Lyra grabbed my arm. Her grasp was firm, so I yanked out of it with force.

  “Do not touch me again,” I commanded, allowing my frustration to get the better of me.

  She bowed with a scowl. “I was merely trying to keep her Highness from doing something reckless and wrong.”

  That made me snap.

  “News flash, Lyra!” I shouted half-manically. “My crazy-ass parents invited him here! And if he wins this thing, I’m going to be married to him! So you better learn to shut up and keep your prejudice to yourself.”

  She wisely bit her tongue as I stormed from the balcony.

  I had a vampire to meet up with.

  My vampire.

  10

  Autumn

  I practically ran down the hallway toward the side exit. The clicking of my heels echoed loudly off the walls on either side of me. The hall was dimly lit and completely empty; everyone else was still consumed with the competition going on in the main arena.

  Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me into a shadowed nook in the wall. Some sort of closet? I had no idea. I was almost never down there. The alluring scent of woods and spice enveloped me, and I was positive it was Darren. I could get drunk on that smell alone.

  "Where do you think you're going?" he asked playfully, darkly.

  It gave me heated shivers.

  As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I noticed he had an unzipped hoodie on, with the hood pulled down over half of his gorgeous face. A face that had just taken a beating in that last fight, but that was already healing.

  I carefully touched his cheekbone, gliding my finger across his jaw and over to his mouth before replacing my touch with my lips.

  He groaned as our mouths connected, and immediately deepened the kiss.

  I was so glad to be standing next to him, pressed into him, kissing him. But I was also so afraid that he was going to get hurt worse, or that he wouldn't win this stupid thing somehow. The thought of him losing was paralyzing. I hated the possibility of being married off to someone else—much less a vampire I didn’t know....

  When he finally pulled away, he ran his fingers through my hair. "God, I missed you."

  "I missed you too. I can't believe you're actually here. That any of you are. I had no idea my parents would set something like this up. I don’t know what they're truly up to, but it can’t be good."

  He sighed. "I don't know either, but I do know what my maker is up to. And I don't like it."

  My face deadpanned. "What do you mean? Am I going to be in trouble if you win?"

  "Not if I can fucking help it. I'll protect you with my life inside that coven, I promise you."

  For some strange reason, I believed him. Maybe it's because I felt the exact same way? Not that I'd actually be able to do much to protect him here... but anything I could do, I would do. If this ended badly... God, I hadn't even thought of it before, but if it did, I'd use every ounce of magic I possessed in order to keep him safe.

  "So what does your maker have planned?" I asked, staring into his face in the dark.

  His eyes dropped to the floor before hesitantly glancing back up at me. "We don't have time to get into all that now. I really just needed to see you again. To touch you and taste you. I'm becoming a damn addict."

  Well, that made two of us, then.

  I didn’t particularly like his avoidance of my question, but I understood that our time was short.

  Frowning, I asked, "Does that mean you're going to go?"

  He nodded. "I think we both better get our asses back to where we're supposed to be before we get caught. I don't want either of us doing anything that might get you hurt."

  I shook my head, hands resting on his bare chest through the unzipped hoodie. He was always trying to keep me safe. Maybe it was because I'd saved his life? Maybe he felt like he owed it to me? Or maybe he just cared? Whatever it was, I liked it. Especially when he said it in that sexy accent.

  "I don’t want to leave, Darren. This is stupid. Let's just...."

  He smiled and lowered his forehead down to mine. "Run away?"

  "I mean, yeah! Why not? It'd make everything so much simpler."

  "Believe me, I've thought about it, but simple isn't the word for what it'd be. Just trust me, Princess. I can win this thing. I'm fit and strong, and most of all, I'm fucking determined. And when I win, I'll make sure everything is okay. We can be happy together, I know it. I just need to take care of it the right way."

  I laughed quietly. "The right way, huh? By winning me?"

  "No, that's not what makes it right. I mean, I want t
o have you openly. I don't want us to be hiding or running, you know? If we're going to take a real shot at this, and I hope to God that we are, then let's do it as shamelessly as we can."

  I slid my hands up his chest and hooked them around his neck.

  "You amaze me, vampire."

  I’d kept that last sentence as tame as I possibly could. What I really wanted to say was how much I was falling in love with him. How alive he made me feel. How desperately I needed him to come out victorious.

  "And you arouse me, my witchy princess,” he retorted cheekily.

  Just to see, I slid a hand from his neck, down his chest and abs, past the sexy trail of hair that led to the top of his black fighting pants... and felt the proof of his words. I rubbed him, my breath quickening when he groaned.

  Then he grabbed my hand, stopping my torture, and brought it to his lips.

  "Meet me after the competition?" he asked. Hope filled his tone, reassuring me.

  "Of course. When and where?"

  He glanced over his shoulder at seemingly nothing. "Right here, but I’m not sure what time. This contest is supposed to be done by sunset tomorrow."

  My eyes widened. "Tomorrow? My parents expect you guys to fight all night and all day?"

  He grinned. "It’s not that hard to believe. Vampires are resilient creatures. We can actually function quite well on next to no sleep. And don't even get me started on our stamina and endurance...."

  I laughed and kissed him. I couldn't help myself.

  He kissed me back, hard and fast.

  "We truly have to go. We've stayed too long already. And if I stay a second longer, I’m gonna have you moaning up against the wall."

  My God, he was hot.

  With a quick squeeze, he released my hand and disappeared into the dim hallway as if it were pitch-black. Shadowing at its finest. I'd never seen a vampire do it until now, but it was clearly an incredible gift. I wished I could dematerialize into the darkness at will.

  At will.

  I glanced down at my palms, and my mind started contemplating. Could I? I wasn’t a vampire, but as a witch, I certainly had powers of my own. Could I somehow manage to shadow? I usually used my magic for creativity or convenience. I didn’t even use it all that much. It was definitely something I’d have to practice.