A Crown of Blood and Ashes

by Elle Middaugh

  He pursed his lips and shook his head. "Nothing, it's just... Darren is my best mate. And I don't want to see him like this for the rest of eternity, you get me?"

  "Sort of. I mean, this whole situation was his great idea, so...."

  Jared kicked at the deck. "I honestly don't care whose idea it was. I know I helped you guys out the other night, but if you can't figure some shit out, and soon, then you're gonna have to cut ties. I've never seen him so wrecked."

  Numbness spread through my limbs. The scent of the chlorine suddenly felt toxic in my lungs. He wanted me to give Darren up? To take on the role of Lady Varek Wells... permanently? The coven leader was charismatic enough, and surprisingly, nice enough that I had no doubt I could make it work. But I didn't want to make it work. I wanted Darren.

  "You seem like a sweet girl, and all," he continued, "and Darren's obviously crazy about you. But I've known him for a hundred years. That's a hell of a lot longer than you, I reckon. And I don’t like seeing him so stressed."

  I scoffed. "You think he'll feel any better about seeing me with Varek if he can no longer see me himself? I didn't choose this, Jared, but I'm trying to do what I can with the shit cards I've been dealt."

  He cocked his head. "You didn't choose to marry Varek? He twisted your arm, did he?"

  I glared at him and stomped up the pool steps.

  "I know you're only looking out for your friend, but I love him!" I could barely believe the words as they tumbled from my lips. "And I would leave with him at any given second if he would only give me the word. It's him doing this, not me. I was literally thrown to the sharks by my own damn parents. How could you possibly think this was my fault?"

  Jared stroked the stubble on his chin, then reached up to rub at the buzzed hair on his head.

  "You love him? After a week of knowing him?"

  I shook my head, still in awe of the revelation myself. There was no denying what this had turned into. There was probably a little infatuation and a lot of lust involved too, but there was definitely love.

  "Yes," I said, but the word had little substance. It was frail and floated on the air like a feather.

  Jared said nothing more. He just nodded again and walked away.

  The thought of sinking back into the water crossed my mind, but I fought the urge. Instead, I slipped from the manor as silently as I could and stumbled through the dark forest beyond, waiting impatiently for Darren to arrive at our crumbling little haven in the woods.

  19

  Darren

  “Darren, hold up!”

  I froze in my tracks. Varek had, for some reason, caught back up to me.

  “Where are you going in such a hurry?” he asked, looking me up and down curiously.

  Where was I going?

  "The pub," I said flatly. It actually sounded like a pretty good idea.

  But Varek shook his head. "Not now, you're not. I just had some unexpected time free up. Come on, we're going to have that little chat about your betrothal."

  Great. Just fucking great.

  I followed him down the hall and reluctantly into his office. He sat at his desk and propped his feet up.

  "Have a seat," he said, gesturing to the leather-backed seat across from him.

  I did as ordered and waited silently for him to continue.

  He stared at me for a while before grinning and waking his computer up. As soon as the black screen disappeared, the image of a beautiful woman filled the screen. She had tanned skin, dark eyes, and long black hair. Perfect breasts were nearly spilling from an elegant gown. It had to be Princess Yasmin.

  I swallowed hard.

  "She's a beauty, isn't she?" Varek asked, eyeing me closely. "Nothing but the best for my heir."

  I couldn't deny it. She was beautiful. But she wasn't Autumn.

  "Can I ask you a question, sir?"

  He casually folded his hands behind his head. "Shoot."

  "Why another witch princess? Why another witch at all? There are plenty of vampire covens to choose from."

  His grin widened into a devious smile. "It's all about power, my son. The more, the better. I recently had a revelation. Why fight the witches when we could harness their power and use it for our side?"

  My eyes narrowed. "Harness their power?"

  "In a way." He shrugged. "Forming solid unions with them is a surefire way to get them on our team.”

  I cleared my throat. "So what exactly does Princess Yasmin have to offer? Other than a fantastic rack and a gorgeous face?"

  "Ah, I'm so glad you asked!" He minimized the page that held her face and clicked on another window, expanding it. The image of a brewery popped up on the computer screen. "Her family is very well known in the brewing industry. Aka, very rich. We can use that wealth to fund campaigns against our enemy covens, securing our place as the ultimate vampires around."

  I almost scoffed, but that wouldn't have been wise. "So we're forming relationships with our enemies to take down our other enemies. I suppose it's not the first time something like that has happened. I just don't understand the sudden change of heart."

  "You don't have to understand. You'll feel the same thing soon enough, yourself. All you have to do is listen to your maker, and everything will be okay in the end."

  Right.

  I took a deep breath, gritted my teeth, and nodded.

  "Good," Varek said, nodding back at me. "Because she'll be here in the morning. I just sent Carter to retrieve her."

  "What the fuck, Varek?"

  He jumped from his chair and leaned across the desk. He was so close I could see the gold flecks in his brown eyes.

  "Do not talk back to me, Darren Porter. I know you're not okay with this. That you're playing along just to make me happy. I appreciate that. I really do. But you need to do a better job at keeping up the charade. Outbreaks like this aren't helping your cause."

  I looked to the floor and nodded again.

  Varek sat down slowly.

  "When you meet Princess Yasmin tomorrow, I want you to be sexy and charismatic. I want you to win her heart and her hand. If all goes well, her mother and I will have a deal drawn up by the end of the day."

  "And what do you want me to do with the princess?" I asked. "Take her on a date?"

  Varek smiled, but there was something about the way it touched his eyes that terrified me.

  "No date required, son. You'll be attending my wedding and reception all day. Such a perfect atmosphere for young love to bloom, don't you think?"

  I hated him. I hated him so much.

  "You're marrying Princess Autumn tomorrow?"

  His stare became calculating. "Is there a problem with that?"

  "No, sir. Just seems a bit soon."

  He sighed. "Well, she refuses to fuck me until things are final, so I figured I'd kick it into gear. I can't wait to get into those panties. I've been dreaming about it every night since she got here, waking up to wet dreams like a stupid fucking kid again." He laughed and ran his hands through his hair.

  My dead heart felt like it was dying all over again.

  Not only was he going to marry my princess, but he was going to be fucking her. I’d known that day would come, and honestly, I was a bit surprised it hadn't happened already, but I still couldn't stand the thought. To hear it out loud literally sickened me. I'd barely eaten for the past three days, but what little blood I'd consumed was threatening to bubble up my throat. I needed to get the hell out of there.

  "Well," I said, trying to come up with something final to say. “Good luck with the wedding tomorrow. I'll do my best to entertain Princess Yasmin during the vow exchange. The reception shouldn't be a problem. I'm sure she loves to drink and dance."

  "No doubt she does. But you won't be with her during the ceremony. You're my heir. Of course you’re going to be my best man!" He laughed out loud. "What the fuck were you thinking?"

  Hello, Mr. Porter, welcome to your own personal hell. Please take your place next to the devil himself
and pretend your entire life didn't just go up in flames.

  I forced a small grin. "I don't know what I was thinking, sir, but it would be... my honor."

  "Damn right, it will be! Now get out of here. We both have a lot of shit to plan for tomorrow."

  I rose, bowed my head, and got the fuck out of there as quickly as possible.

  Outside, the air felt only a tiny bit thinner. I could barely breathe as I rehashed all I'd learned. Princess Yasmin would be arriving tomorrow. I was to woo her and win her hand. I wondered if Varek would steal her from me too once the deed was done? Varek and Autumn... were getting married.

  Fuck.

  I’d told Autumn it was for the best, but now that it was actually happening I didn't know if I had the balls to go through with it. Could I honestly stand there, two feet from them, and allow the union to take place? To watch the woman I loved marry the man who made me?

  I literally stopped moving as the words spun around and whipped me in the face.

  Love. God, had it somehow gotten to that point? No more falling, just hopelessly floundering in a salty sea of it?

  I forced my feet back into motion and tried to think it through.

  Maybe if I had Princess Yasmin around, it wouldn't be so unbearable? Not that I'd ever love her or want to be with her. But it might help a bit with my insane jealousy, knowing that Autumn was bitter and miserable too.

  This was so fucked-up.

  And now I had the pleasure of meeting up with her and pretending like everything was fine. If I was only going to see her every few days, then I needed to make our time count. I couldn't wallow in self-pity for a situation I'd caused. I needed to man up and get my shit together.

  Pulling the shadows around me, I slipped from the back door and ran through the trees.

  She was already there and waiting when I arrived. Unfortunately, her servant was too.

  "What the fuck are you doing here?" I sneered at the girl. She had desecrated our secret spot and officially made it un-secret. My last nerve was about to snap.

  “I’m sorry,” Autumn apologized quietly. “I don’t know how she followed me.”

  Lyra ignored her. "I could say the same thing about you, vampire. Sneaking around with the princess when she's engaged to your maker... it's despicable."

  "You're fucking despicable, you know that? All you do is run around ruining everything."

  "Ha! At least I don't run around fucking everything."

  "Only Autumn," I clarified with a wink. "Now leave. And keep your mouth shut about this or I'll cut your damn tongue right out."

  She scoffed. "As if I'm afraid of you."

  Still, she looked nervous. It made me happy in a psychotic kind of way.

  "But don't worry," she added, rising from a crumbling pile of stones and making her way toward the door. "For now, it would be counterproductive to inform Varek of your treachery. The moment it becomes lucrative, however, feel free to start sweating bullets. He'll have your balls long before you have my tongue."

  I laughed almost maniacally. "Maybe I should just take it now, then?"

  "Darren," Autumn warned.

  Her voice instantly snapped me out of my insanity. I moved aside and gestured for Lyra to exit. Not that it mattered. The house had plenty of holes that could double as doorways.

  When the girl finally left, Autumn stood and wrapped her arms around my neck.

  "What's wrong?" she asked me quietly.

  Either she didn't know, or she assumed I didn't.

  "Tomorrow," I said flatly. "Your wedding. My betrothal."

  Realization hit her eyes first, followed by sadness, and anger, then... I couldn't quite tell. Resignation? Disgust? I hated it, either way.

  "I don't want you to marry another witch," she said.

  I shook my head. "I don't want you to marry another vampire, either."

  She looked hopeful. I needed to nip that in the bud. I held her at arm's length and shook my head.

  "But we can’t run away together. It’s basically impossible, and would surely be a death sentence."

  "So, what then?" she asked, backing away and folding her arms across her chest. "We stay, but refuse to marry the ones we're slated to wed?"

  I growled and started pacing. "What do you suggest? That we kill the ones who stand in our way?"

  She sighed. "It would be simpler if you were the coven leader. But no. All things considered, Varek is actually pretty nice to me. I wouldn't wish death on him."

  "Oh great, so now you're warming up to him?"

  "Would you kill him even if I wasn't?"

  Silence filled the air as I tried to deny her question.

  "Exactly," she said, shaking her head. "There is no happy ending. No answer to this stupid question. We're just forever stuck dealing with the consequences of other people's actions."

  More silence ensued. I had no idea what to say. I just knew I hated every single bit of what was happening. It was beginning to feel like some Romeo and Juliet shit. Where it'd literally be easier to be together if we were dead. Well, dead-dead.

  I walked back over and pulled her in close to me.

  "No matter how awful my life becomes, as long as I have moments like this with you, it'll be worth living."

  She nuzzled her face into my chest and breathed deeply. I had no idea what she was thinking. Hell, I didn't even know what I was thinking. But this was the strangest sensation in the world. Whatever it was, I loved the intensity of it, but hated the gut-wrenching pain.

  This ache would soon feel like nothing, though... after tomorrow.

  No.

  I gritted my fanged teeth and decided, right then and there, that this was not how I would go down. Weak, hopeless, docile. No.

  I had to do something.

  And suddenly, I knew exactly who I needed to see.

  20

  Darren

  Darkness hung heavy in the night air, and the kingdom was silent. Pulling the shadows closer, I slipped through the gates with barely a whisper of sound. It didn’t matter that the witch king and queen had struck a deal with the vampires; I still wouldn’t put it past them to execute me if I was found slinking about their streets at night.

  Autumn seriously owed me when I got back to the coven. Not that she had any clue that I was even here. I’d kept this impromptu plan a secret. I didn’t want to get her hopes up if it turned out to be a bust.

  I'd only ever been to Lady Deidra's shop once, but I remembered it being fairly close to this gate. In fact, I was pretty sure it was the little shop across the street with zero lights on. Shit.

  Did she live inside the shop, or perhaps somewhere nearby? If I broke in, would I somehow be able to find a potion that would work? I didn't even know exactly what I was searching for.

  Bypassing the front door, I slipped around back and studied the windows. They were made of stained glass and maybe an inch thick. Tapping lightly, I waited to see if I'd hear any shuffling within.

  When no sound at all came, I chanced tapping a little louder. Maybe the old bird simply hadn't heard me the first time?

  A faint glow appeared in the center of the pane, getting brighter and brighter, until all four corners of the glass were lit up. A blurry silhouette holding a candle stood just beyond my reach.

  "Lady Deidra!" I whispered. "It's me, Darren. I need your help."

  The candle disappeared from the window, and a second later I heard the locks on the back door coming undone. She whipped the door open and pulled her night-robe in tightly.

  "Darren? As in, Princess Autumn's vampire?"

  "Yes." I couldn't bring myself to deny it. Technically, Princess Autumn's vampire was about to be Varek, but who gave a shit about that, anyway?

  Deidra pinwheeled her hand, ushering me inside.

  I quietly made my way over to the table we'd sat at after I won the competition for Autumn's hand. It felt like yesterday, though I supposed it'd only been about a week.

  Was I insane for being here? Was all this
too much too soon?

  "What's wrong, young man?" she asked, taking a seat across from me. "Is Princess Autumn in trouble?"

  I shook my head, unable to decide how to answer. "Yes and no. She's not in any physical harm. But...."

  One brow rose eerily high on her head. "But?"

  I sighed. "There's been a change of plans. When we got to the manor, my leader, Varek Wells, decided that Autumn was so beautiful he wanted her for himself."

  She nodded. "An apt observation."

  "Right." I paused, noticing my knee had started bouncing. "Listen, I'll tell you the whole story, but it might sound like I'm rambling a bit."

  "Please,” she said, bowing slightly, “carry on."

  I nodded. "She's slated to marry him tomorrow."

  Deidra’s eyes went wide, but her mouth stayed closed.

  "Autumn has asked me numerous times to simply run away together, but I know that's not the answer. Of course, leaving her to marry another man against both our wills isn't the answer either, least of all when she'll be expected to respond... sexually."

  The old witch nodded slowly, taking in the story bit by bit.

  "I can't stop the wedding from happening. It would be suicide. And I can't run away with her for the exact same reason. But if there's any way that I can keep her safe beyond that, a potion of some sort, or something, anything that will help with this Varek-situation... then please let me know."

  Deidra folded her hands atop the table. Her nails were long and perfectly manicured.

  "So, based on everything you just told me, it seems the part you're mostly concerned with is Princess Autumn having sex with another man. Yes?"

  I could feel the jealousy start to rise just thinking about it.

  "Yes. For selfish reasons, obviously. But mostly because I don't want her doing anything against her will. Varek has an intense sexual aura that could turn anyone on. If he wants to have sex with her, and he's already told me as much, then she wouldn't be able to deny him. His aura would simply convince her that sex with him was exactly what she wanted."

  Deidra stood and hobbled out into the main potion room. Apparently I'd finally kicked her into gear.