A Crown of Blood and Ashes

by Elle Middaugh

  My throat tightened. Was this our reality now? I didn't know if I could take seeing him like this day in and day out.

  "Hey, bruv!" Jared shouted as we drew closer.

  Darren turned and waved.

  Then his hazel eyes fell on me, and I watched as what little life they had left drained out.

  16

  Autumn

  I stopped in my tracks. This was a bad idea. He didn't want to see me. What we had was now just a painful reminder of what could never be.

  Or could it?

  God, I hated not knowing what I should do.

  My heart throbbed in my chest, gearing me up for fight or flight. Which would it be? Panic flooded my system, making it even harder to choose. I suddenly felt sick. As my cheeks flushed, I spun around and started walking away.

  It wasn't that I wanted to give up on Darren. It's just that I wasn't yet ready to face whatever reality we were now in. Maybe that's what he'd been doing, too? Not giving up on us, but prolonging the inevitable conversation that would rip our hearts in two.

  "Autumn, wait."

  He surprised the hell out of me by calling my name, but I couldn’t stop my retreat. I was already committed to leaving. Glancing over my shoulder, I watched him stand up, set his drink down, and follow me.

  Lyra tried to get in line after him, but Jared smoothly intervened.

  "Sit down, love. Have a drink."

  Darren caught me halfway to the exit and wrapped his arms around my waist to stop me fleeing.

  "Where do you think you're going, Princess?"

  His words took me back to our sneaky meeting in the palace. Where he'd taken my arm and pulled me into the dark. Where he’d kissed me and promised he could make me happy when he won.

  Little did we know....

  "I was just leaving. I can tell you don't want to see me, and I can't stand to see you look at me like that."

  "Like what?"

  "Like I just killed your dog."

  He chuckled. "I'm more of a cat person, myself."

  I rolled my eyes, but smiled nonetheless. "Like I killed your newborn kitten, then."

  Closing his eyes, he pulled me closer and nuzzled his lips into my neck. "I've missed you."

  Tears stung my eyes and I fought like hell to blink them back.

  "I miss you too."

  He lifted his head, and I watched as his gaze moved from my eyes to the eyes of nearly every person in the club. They were watching us. No doubt wondering what the future lady of the coven was doing with the heir's mouth on her neck.

  "Come on," Darren muttered, leading the way out of the club.

  Back in the dim light of the open hallway, I felt horribly exposed. What if Varek saw us? What would he even do? As far as I knew, he didn't know of the romance between Darren and me. All he thought was that Darren had won me as ordered. Unless Darren had told him more than I realized? But even still. The fear of getting caught was maddening. Like a buzzing in the back of my head that kept me from focusing on anything but doubt.

  Darren cocked his head toward a side door and in a low voice said, "You leave here. Walk straight until you hit the tree line. I'll meet you there in five minutes."

  I waved goodbye to him, hoping it'd help keep up appearances, and pushed through the door.

  Outside, it was nearly darker than in the club. The moon was new and virtually nonexistent. The sky was completely shrouded in inky blackness. Wind rustled through the trees up ahead. Splashes from the pool floated over to my ears, along with laughter and lighthearted shouting. I smiled, wishing my life could be that easy.

  Speaking of.... It would probably be a good time to practice shadowing again. Not that anyone could see me in such darkness, but still. While I’d mostly gotten the hang of it back in the stairwell, it certainly couldn’t hurt to train some more.

  I reached out, feeling the shadowy darkness caress my skin from all angles, then pulled it closer. It slid across my body like silk, separating me from reality by the thinnest of threads and essentially making me invisible. Since it was already so dark, I couldn’t be certain I’d shadowed completely, but it was definitely better than nothing.

  Anxious to see Darren, I started walking. It was nearly impossible to tell how far away the forest actually was. I was forced to hold my hands out in front of me as a guide. When I finally reached a tree, it knocked me off-balance and I fell into a pile of old oak leaves. Giggling to myself, I stood and dusted off my dress.

  "What's so funny?" Darren asked, from out of nowhere.

  I gasped and clutched my throat. "Jesus, you scared the shit out of me!"

  "I can shadow, you know," he said, running his hands through my hair and pulling our foreheads together. “The shadows even mute any noise I might make.”

  Good to know.

  I closed my eyes, savoring the feel of his skin on mine while it lasted.

  "Run away with me, Darren."

  His grip immediately slackened, and he didn't say anything for a long while.

  When I couldn't stand the silence any longer, I added, "I know it sounds completely crazy, and it'd probably be really difficult to manage, but I just want to be with you."

  He exhaled and kissed my forehead. "I want to be with you too. I thought for sure we had it all figured out. That all I'd have to do was win and we'd be set. But then Varek ruined everything."

  "He won't be able to keep us apart if we run away—"

  "But he will," Darren said, pulling away from me and pacing silently through the trees. "He's invested in this now. He might not give two shits if his heir runs off, but the woman he's planning to marry? Running away with his heir? Fuck no."

  The bleakness of his words filled me with doubt. Mostly because he was right. A man as powerful as Varek would never stand for being humiliated like that.

  I reached behind me and steadied myself on the rough bark of a tree trunk.

  "Well... you're heir. What if you were the coven leader? We could be together openly and no one could dispute it."

  He chuckled humorlessly. "Are you seriously suggesting that I kill my maker? My lord? The most powerful vampire in a hundred-mile radius?"

  I sighed and flopped my head back.

  "Well, not when you put it like that." I closed my eyes and racked my brain, trying to come up with some sort of solution that was tolerable. "What if we just kept meeting up in secret like this?"

  He stormed back over and pushed me up against the tree. "And what? Fuck you on the nights that Varek's too busy to put out?"

  Angry, I pushed at his chest. "I never asked for any of this, Darren! I'm not trying to play you. I don't want the best of both worlds. I'm just trying to gather the broken pieces of my life and reassemble them in a way that’s even remotely bearable."

  Suddenly, his lips crashed down onto mine, and we were frantic. My mind went blissfully numb as his tongue assaulted my mouth with a persistence and passion that literally dizzied me. My fingers found his hair, and I tightened my grip. His hips pushed into mine, and my back arched so that my breasts were pressed tightly to his chest. Even a millimeter of space between us was too much.

  I was high on this man, and he hadn't even bitten me.

  Wait.

  The world screeched to a halt and reality came screaming back. I called on my magic, letting it surge. It knocked him back a few feet before coating my skin in that same invisible layer of protection I'd used against Varek. But, thankfully, nothing changed. I was still crazy about him and practically dying for his touch.

  "What the hell was that all about?" he asked. His accent had really flared up.

  "I had to be sure," I said, bridging the gap between us.

  Darren's face twisted in confusion, but slowly morphed into a deadly glare of steel.

  "He tried something on you? He forced you against your will?"

  I shook my head quickly. If I hadn't, I'd be afraid he might actually try killing the guy.

  "He said he had a certain aura because he was so
powerful. Is that true?"

  Darren tucked his lips in and clenched his fists, but nodded.

  I smiled bitterly. "So there's nothing I can do? When he wants me, I'll have no choice but to want him back?"

  "There's always a choice. It's not so much that he's bending your will, but rather opening you up to possibilities you would normally suppress."

  I bit my tongue until I couldn't hold it anymore. "So you're saying that if I end up..."

  "Fucking Varek," he filled in, nodding.

  "Yes, that. Then... it'd be because I secretly wanted to?"

  He licked his lips and pulled away again to continue pacing. "Yes and no. I don't want to accuse you of anything. I know firsthand how seductive Varek's aura is. I might be straight but Varek is, like... ambisexual. Male or female doesn't matter to him. If you find yourself giving in, it won't be against your will, and you will enjoy it."

  Images of Darren in Varek's bed had me strangely aroused. I wasn't particularly into man-on-man action, but the two of them together painted a pretty sexy picture in my mind. I had no idea if he'd actually done anything with his maker, and I sure as hell wasn't about to ask, but it made me feel a bit better to know he'd felt what I was up against.

  "I won't give in," I said, promising us both. "I'll use my magic to push him away."

  Darren walked back over and took my chin in his hand. "That won't help us keep up the illusion, now will it?"

  I sucked in a sharp breath of air. "Does that mean that we're really doing this? Being together in secret, whenever and however we can manage?"

  Darren's eyes were focused on my lips as he nodded. "I can't just not be with you. We don't have to have sex every time if you don't want, but I at least need to be near you. I can't imagine my immortal life without you in it."

  His words had me throbbing, and not just because they were extra romantic-sounding in his sexy accent.

  "You keep spouting off shit like that,” I said breathlessly, “and you'll have no choice but to fuck me every time."

  "I like the sound of that, Princess," he muttered into my lips. "You know what else I like the sound of? You, screaming my name while I'm fucking you senseless."

  A wave of heat shimmered across my skin and settled between my legs. This vampire was seriously sexy. It was kind of crazy to think that my unquenchable thirst for him had nothing to do with auras or compulsions.

  My lips parted, and his tongue slipped inside, working me into a panting mess of slow-burning desire in seconds.

  I moaned. "You're going to have me shouting your name through the trees if you keep this up."

  He abruptly stopped.

  "We definitely can't have that. But don't worry, I think I know where we can go."

  17

  Darren

  About a mile away from the manor, deep in the woods, was an abandoned pre-civil war house that was crumbling apart. It wasn't the most romantic—or even the most hygienic—setting in the world, but it was literally the only thing we had.

  I'd explored it before, I guess because I was simply too curious for my own good. So I knew that it had an empty basement level where we could throw a blanket down and roll around. Not that I'd thought far enough ahead to grab said blanket.

  When I agreed to meet Jared at the in-house club earlier, it was mostly just to tame my hangover with a hair of the dog. I never dreamed he’d walk in with Autumn and her bitchy maid in tow. I’d been trying to avoid her, but when our eyes locked, I knew there was no escaping what burned between us.

  Thank God Jared was such a fearless wingman. I didn’t even know how much I’d owe him for taking Miss Lyra off our hands, but it’d most definitely be worth it.

  I led Autumn through the entryway, which didn’t even have a door anymore, and around the corner to a set of stairs that led into the basement.

  She brushed her hand across the old stone walls, sending dirt and plant debris tumbling to the floor. Her eyes flitted around the room, moving from the ceiling to the floor as the cogs in her brain started spinning.

  "What are you thinking?" I asked, crossing my arms and watching her assess the place.

  "That this place has potential."

  I chuckled. "It had potential over a hundred years ago. Now I just hope it holds together long enough for us to use."

  She smiled and shook her head, slowly circling the room. "I think I can fix it up."

  "I could probably fix it up too, if I had the time. But unfortunately, neither of us does."

  She cracked her fingers. "Oh, it'll only take a minute."

  Before it dawned on me that—duh—she was a witch, a magical glow started forming in her palms. Wispy tendrils snaked out, awaiting her command, and I stared at them in wonder. It wasn't every day that I saw a witch at work. In fact, it was basically never.

  She waved a hand at the ceiling, which had holes where tree limbs and animals had fallen through the decaying floorboards above. The wood suddenly regenerated. Not fresh and clean like a brand-new piece, but dark and old-looking like the boards all around. I reached up and touched it. It was hard as a rock, not mushy and rotten as it appeared.

  Her hands then moved toward the walls, where her magic left a wake of stone so clean it practically sparkled. I have no idea how she did it.

  Then she reached the floor. Instead of tidying up the earthen base, she replaced the dirt with elegant stone tiles. They followed her magic like dominoes flipping into place.

  It was certainly clean enough to fuck on, but she didn't stop there. Squeezing her eyes shut, she added a king-sized bed in the center, with silky black sheets that poured across the mattress like a river of ink. She then put a stone fireplace across from the bed, made of some sort of magical flames that didn't seem to emit smoke. And for the final finishing touch, she hung a chandelier made of crystal prisms that caught the fire's glow and cast soft rainbow highlights across the walls and floor.

  I was utterly speechless, but she didn't seem to notice. She dusted off her hands then put them on her hips, admiring her handiwork.

  "There. Much better."

  Finally, she glanced at me. I didn't know what she saw in my face, but once she did, she backpedaled.

  "Don't worry! I reinforced the ceiling so that none of the light would shine into the forest above. No one will be any the wiser if they come upon these ruins in the woods."

  Finding my voice, I started with a tease. "Have you made the walls soundproof, as well?"

  Light rose from her palms and puffed through the room in a cloud of shimmering dust.

  "I have now," she said with a smirk.

  "Good."

  My hands found her hips and I quickly lifted her onto the bed. It was plush and sleek and allowed her to sink deep into the feathers as I crawled over top of her. She stared up into my eyes, a look of adoration painted on her face. I'd never seen that look on a woman's face before, and certainly never from a witch. I usually got looks of heady desire and lust, but nothing more. It sort of came with the territory of being a vampire. But this was different. Sexual, yes, but more than that. Deeper. Terrifying.

  "We can't stay long," she whispered. "I have to give Varek my answer tonight."

  That statement alone probably should've given me a limp dick, but it didn't. I was beginning to come to grips with the fact that it wasn't her fault, and honestly, I was just glad to be near her again. I couldn't help myself. There was something extremely sexy about a girl who'd defy all odds to be with you.

  So I kissed her and tried not to think about the fact that she'd soon be Mrs. Varek Wells. She might be his wife, but no matter what, she'd always be my princess.

  I slowed my movements, taking my time despite the fact that time was limited. For some reason, I didn't want this to be crazy wild cave sex like before. I wanted to go slow and worship her body properly. So I started by simply touching her. Gently caressing my fingertips across the skin of her arms, down the silken side of her dress, over the arch of her hips, down her lean thighs, and
back up again.

  She smiled at me curiously, no doubt wondering what the fuck I was waiting for. But I just kept running my hands along her body, until she eventually shut her eyes and started savoring the sensations I'd stirred up.

  By the time I finally kissed her again, she was not just ready for my mouth, she was desperate for it. Her tongue raked across mine like I was the only man in the world, and I half wished it were true. At least then I could have her all to myself. Fucking Varek.

  But I couldn't think of shit like that now.

  I slid my hand from her hip, across the flat plain of her stomach, and up to the curve of her breasts. The dress needed to go. I found the zipper behind her back and slid it down until the material slackened all around her. She took a few deep breaths, and I knew she was into it. So I played it up further, taking my time as I dragged the material down her body. When her nipples peeked out, I lowered my face and gently kissed each one.

  She arched her back up into me.

  I loved being in control of her body. Making it do exactly what I needed it to. As I sucked on those deliciously hardened nipples, I managed to pull her dress the rest of the way off, pausing only briefly when I realized she hadn't been wearing any panties underneath. My cock swelled. Was this for Varek, or me? Or simply for the sake of fashion?

  Shut up, Darren. It doesn't even matter.

  She moaned as my lips pulled a little harder at her breasts, and she ran her nails through my hair, driving me mad. But instead of moving lower and tasting her like I wanted to, I forced myself to move on to the other nipple, savoring another long buildup of that sexual tension we both loved so much.

  Her skin felt amazing on my lips. Soft and firm, hot and ready. I listened patiently, painfully, as her breathing quickened.

  She was so turned on, I was having a hard time trying not to imagine how wet she was. This round of pleasure was for her, not me. Her body worship, not mine. Was it kinda fucked-up that I actually liked making myself wait? Withholding my own pleasure until it was almost painful?