The Black Prince (Shadow Unit Book 5)

by Tigris Eden

  “You have none.”

  “What do you mean, I have none?”

  “I said I released you, which means you no longer bring in the dawn. That will fall to someone else.”

  “It will?” Her voice filled with wonder. Happiness. Aurora must have felt a prisoner her entire life. “What do I do now? I’ve never had this type of freedom before.”

  “I can tell you what you won’t be doing—you won’t be leaving here. You’re free, but you will remain here. Learn what it is they do; watch over them. Help out if need be. Dike will keep you company.”

  “What!”

  Aurora tried to move around Enri, but some invisible force blocked her.

  “I’ll stop in and check on you again when the mood strikes.” He walked away, but before leaving her Enri said, “It was great seeing you again, little sister. Let’s do this again in another millennium or so. I will bring our brother next time—I’m sure he’d like to see you.”

  Enri took Yewa’s hand and when they reached the entrance to the hall, there were a dozen or so Death Walkers there waiting. Yewa stepped back into Enri’s chest.

  “I don’t want them anywhere near me.”

  “They come with the territory—get used to it. We’ll need them. Trust me.”

  “That was a dead end.”

  “No, it wasn’t. We learned a lot.”

  Chapter 16

  He was going to get his revenge on Hades and he was going to sit upon the Throne of Creation. Things were starting to look good. The really fucked up thing about all of this was even though he was unaware of his true identity, he’d managed to live up to his name. Chaos. He did it so well, he was fucked. He wasn’t lying when he said he was everywhere at all once. That was second nature to him. But he didn’t always see what needed to be done until it was right in his face, and most of the time when that happened, bad shit went down. Normally he wouldn’t care. But he was playing nice, for a change.

  He could have burned the sisters, but he hadn’t. He could have done more than imprisoned Aurora with them, but he didn’t. It would take her at least a thousand years to figure out what he had done, but she was no longer dawn. Which meant Earth was getting their first taste of true darkness. Well a version of it, at least. Until Enri was ready to offer up the information freely, things were going to stay the way they were.

  “They will embrace the darkness to receive the light.”

  Oh, now, Sound wanted to make an appearance.

  “I never left. I’ve been here the entire time, Chaos.”

  “I prefer Enri to Chaos.”

  “As you wish, Enri.”

  “Now that I know who I am—and what you are—care to shed some light on the subject of your purpose? You’re not to be believed, if memory serves me correct.”

  “I am to be taken seriously.”

  That, Enri remembered well.

  He ignored the voice in his head, and tugged Yewa into his side.

  “We are we going now?” she asked.

  “Someplace you’ll not like, but it is someplace necessary. I only ask that you stay by my side at all times and no more questions. I take you with me because now that we’re mated, others will know. I have enemies and they’ll seek you out to hurt me by hurting you.”

  Did I just fucking admit that out loud? Nope. He didn’t. He told her that to control the situation. He did have enemies. They would know he had a mate—there were spies everywhere. Some of them he’d identified, others he hadn’t. But he knew there was one who’d yet to reveal his true purpose in all this—but it no longer mattered. Enri would find him, had people on it now in high and low places. It was only a matter of time before the one who started them all on this ridiculous course of events would show themselves. Right now, he needed a quiet reprieve. He was going to enjoy the time he had left with Yewa. She deserved to experience a version of what it felt like to be loved. He owed at least that much to her. She’d become the shell of the person she was now because of him. The least he could do was show her some kindness and true pleasure. Replace all her ugly memories with one good one to wipe the others away.

  The music was otherworldly, and the lights flashed in a rapid succession. It took Yewa a few moments to adjust her eyesight. Enri told her to stay close and she did. His Walkers blended into the mix, and no one seemed bothered by the possibility of the undead among them. The crowd parted in a rippling wave as Enri walked through. This was not a place mortals gathered. This was a place much like Jorunn’s. But there was nothing good about the people here. In their true form, there were all manner of immortals, most—if not all—were demons. As the music played, she tried to find the words. Taea explained that it wasn’t just about the sounds, but the lyrics. The words spoke about being faded.

  What is faded?

  Did they mean they wanted to fade away? But then words like love were thrown in, and that the person was wasted, and they longed to get to their loved one. That was the entirety of the lyrics. There was no other hook, just faded, wasted, and something about going downtown. There was an area serving drinks, and a scantily clad woman held a tray of glowing beverages. People who sat at the bar yelled at the bartender, trying to gain his attention as music pulsed through the speakers.

  Yewa could smell the sweat—and the cloying scent of too much perfume and cologne—mixed in with stale air and smoke. Somewhere in the distance, she could smell the lights, flashing above, as they overheated from too much use. The air was hot, stuffy.

  The walls were black, but there were large holes in some that opened to another area. People sat on oversized sofas, talking and drinking amongst themselves. Enri made his way over to a roped off area, and a very large demon—with horns like a bull—nodded its large head and allowed him to pass. His gold nose ring glinted in the light cast wildly around the room.

  “Enri, you sick bastard. Where the fuck have you been?” a rather massive male said. Seated on a large sofa surrounded by females in various stages of undress, he released smoke from his nose as he removed a pipe from between his lips. He wore brown leather pants, and no shirt. His black hair had distinctive locks, giving it the appearance of waves resting on his forehead. The whites of his eyes—large with small black pupils—were eerie as he assessed them both. When he spoke, his forked tongue was visible. A female with blood smeared across her lips smiled up at Enri as her victim sprawled lifeless on the floor. Yewa’s first instinct was to go to the male lying there and heal him, but Enri took hold of her wrist and held her firm.

  “You’re here with me, and that poor unfortunate soul knew exactly what he was getting into when he walked on the dais.” He looked over to the male who’d addressed him and nodded in his direction. “Stavros.”

  “Where the hell have you been? Phaedra has been bitching and moaning about your whereabouts for weeks. You know I don’t like having my balls in a vice. Phae is a nasty piece of work.”

  “I’m here, now.”

  “Who’s the female?” Stavros asked, interest in his eyes.

  Yewa didn’t like the way he gazed at her.

  A lascivious grin tilted the corners of his lips before he asked, “Is she for me?”

  “When the fuck have I ever brought you a female?”

  “First time for everything. I know she’s not yours; Phae would kick your ass.”

  “Phaedra can suck a dick. I don’t answer to her.”

  Enri tugged on her arm and Yewa almost tripped when he turned to sit, taking her with him. The male, Stavros, stared at the two of them. It made her uncomfortable. It was like he was dissecting them. Taking them apart and putting them back together until it all made sense.

  “You sure you want to do this here, man?”

  Enri turned dark eyes toward Stavros. “Who’s club is this?”

  Yewa watched as the other male’s throat bobbed nervously as he swallowed before answering. “It’s your club.”

  “It’s your club what?”

  “It’s your club Enri, sir?”


  That brought a grin to Enri’s face.

  “Name’s Chaos.” Enri’s eyes changed again, and this time it didn’t matter that it was dark where they sat. His orbs glowed with the stars, vast galaxies gazed out from beneath thick lashes as he observed his surroundings.

  When he smiled, the tiniest hint of fang showed. But that’s not what got her attention. What got her attention was Stavros. The male knew the name. The bronze tint of his skin turned green, and she knew the acrid smell tickling her senses was fear.

  Stavros quickly stood before dropping to his knees in front of Enri and Yewa, his forehead touching the sticky floor.

  “Lord Chaos.”

  “Aaah, so now you know me. I could have sworn the first and only time we’d ever met was in Hades, when I was first there. But that isn’t true, is it?”

  “I didn’t have a choice,” came the muffled voice of Stavros.

  “We all have a choice, and you chose wrong.”

  The women on the couch watched in rapt curiosity.

  “You can’t do that,” one drunken female slurred. “Stavros owns Asphodel.”

  Enri’s gaze snapped to the one who was talking, and Yewa knew things were going to get out of hand, so she spoke up instead, hoping to calm the brewing storm. “You know nothing. This place belongs to Lord Chaos. Show some respect and kneel.” Her voice was clear, authoritative.

  The female’s eyes widened before she too, dropped to her knees. “Talia. Rae,” the woman hissed at the others, and they quickly followed suit. Enri had completely lost interest in the females, his gaze, now on hers.

  “I’m impressed.”

  She shouldn’t be happy she’d impressed him, but was. He gently nipped her lip with his fang, drawing blood. Enri sucked her wound until more blood rose beneath the skin, and her lips plumped with pain. When his tongue touched hers, Yewa surrendered. You are in big trouble. The simple act of kissing threw her off course. She was trying to run damage control, but she was the one succumbing. She knew he’d leave horror in his wake when he finally tired of her. She had no doubt he would. She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. They were in a club full of people, but there was only them.

  Everything around them disappeared. Those kneeling at Enri’s feet, the sounds of the partygoers, and the music. His tongue mimicked the actions she knew he wanted to do to the very heart of her, and that had Yewa releasing a whimper. The kiss was scintillating, soft, and wet. Greeted with nips and bites for her actions, Yewa sighed. They were rewards. Little gifts with his tongue and his lips.

  “I had no idea this was going to be that type of party. And really, Stavros, now you’re kneeling?” A female voice laughed.

  Yewa pulled back, but Enri pulled her forward, keeping her on his lap.

  The woman standing before them was tall, lithe. Skin—and lots of it—showed. Her nipples and the hair between her legs were the only things covered. The rest of her clothing was see-through. It looked as if she was wearing spun silk. Her inky black hair fell in waves to her waist and curled at the ends where it hugged her hips. She was so pale, almost white, and the veins beneath her skin shone with prominence. Everything on her was defined. From her nose to her high cheek bones and cat-like eyes. Like her brother, she had a forked tongue.

  “Phaedra.” Enri’s lips thinned.

  “Enri,” Phaedra said haughtily

  “You and your brother have a lot to answer for.”

  “I think it’s the other way around. You come back from wherever it is you’ve been, no word. Nothing. What, did you think I’d wait for you forever?” Her hands rested on her hips, and Yewa noticed her fingernails appeared coated in some sort of metal sharpened into claws.

  “You’re not that memorable Phaedra. I’m here because you two thought you could fool me.”

  “How did we think this? My brother and I have been nothing but loyal to you.”

  “Then why is it you show such disrespect to me now? Why are you not on your knees, like your brother and his bitches?”

  Phaedra took in the scene, and she seemed to notice the severity of the situation. Her mouth opened as if she were going to say something, but then she closed it again.

  “I see you finally understand.”

  Yewa watched as the other woman’s knees buckled, and she dropped to the floor in a painful thud, her head immediately following suit as it connected with the ground.

  “Lord Chaos,” she hissed.

  “Yes, Lord Chaos. How quickly you forget me.”

  “We did not,” Phaedra insisted.

  “Oh, but you did. Otherwise, how else were you led to betray me? You two, my much-trusted soldiers. Was I really that hard on you? I treated you as if you were my own.”

  It was obvious they knew Enri prior to his memory loss. Somehow, they’d either been friends, or some sort of council to him. Enri wound his fingers around one of Yewa’s braids. He pulled her hair between two fingers, rolling it back and forth.

  “I’d like to see your hair down,” he spoke softly in Yewa’s ear.

  Her flesh felt warm and chilled at the same time as she shivered in his lap. She squirmed, not realizing she sat on the hardening flesh of his maleness. It made him groan.

  “You can’t do shit like that. Not yet,” Enri complained.

  “I didn’t mean to.”

  He grinned, kissing her on top of her forehead. “I know you didn’t mean to, but your body is saying something entirely different. And if I thought you were the type of woman to let me fuck you, right here, right now, in front of all of them, I would.”

  She didn’t like the things he said, but her body responded, anyway.

  “Oh, don’t act so shy; you’d love it, Yewa. To be open for everyone to see, knowing they wished they could be you, or better yet, me, so that they could play with your beautiful flesh. Watch you as your eyes burst with your desire to be penetrated. I’d get so deep inside you, you’d never want me to leave.”

  That made her squirm more.

  What was he trying to accomplish?

  His goal is to drive you insane with lust.

  “I’m going to own every inch of your skin, but I promised I wouldn’t until you asked me to. Are you ready to ask me?”

  Yewa’s eyes widened at his question. She knew her body was ready for the things he offered and more. Just not on display. No, she didn’t want that. She didn’t want everyone to see her the way he did. With Enri, he looked past her scars and saw right to the heart of her. What he saw, he liked. She didn’t want to be judged by others. But for Enri, she would have endured if it had been the only way for him to do all of those things he’d just mentioned.

  “I can’t.”

  At that he laughed, pulling her tight in his arms. “You can, but right now I’m going to have to deal with Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber. Up you go, I don’t look all powerful with a beautiful woman sitting in my lap.”

  He thinks I’m beautiful.

  Yewa awkwardly removed herself from Enri’s lap and sat on the couch as he stood, rising to his full height. When he was like this, he was unyielding, cold. The air around him pulsed with his arrogance. Looking from the outside, she could see how others would deem him formidable.

  “I want you up on your knees and your faces eye level with my cock. Because the only way either of you are going to survive the night is by ensuring you give good head.”

  The two pieces of shits kneeling in front of him thought they’d pulled the sheet over his eyes. They did. Yeah, that may have been the case, but he was going to get the last fucking laugh.

  Sent by Hades to watch over him and monitor his movements right before his memory was wiped, they’d thought they were alone in Hades’s garden, but they weren’t. He’d been there—watching, waiting. Disturbed by how easy it was for Hades to turn people against him. That had been a long time ago. Enri wasn’t that person anymore. He’d been corrupt before, ruthless. But there had been moments he’d shown kindness and he’d done s
o to the brother and sister kneeling before him. Taken them in and given them a home when abandoned by their demon mother.

  “How many times did you two laugh at my expense?”

  “Never,” Phaedra said, her voice small.

  “I’m sure the benefits were worth it right? You both tried to fuck me, although Phaedra, you”—Enri tilted his head in her direction, smiling— “you, got to do that figuratively as well as literally.”

  Her eyes searched his. Her gaze silently asked for forgiveness.

  “How was it? Did you both enjoy it?” He roared. He was pissed now. But he needed to keep a check on his anger. They’d expect their death to be quick, painless. They should have known better. He had other ideas for them.

  “We didn’t have a choice.”

  Enri bent forward and lifted Phaedra’s face to leer at her.

  “There are always choices. You could have come to me for help. You didn’t.” Enri stepped back quickly, making Phaedra’s head snap forward with force. He didn’t want Yewa to see him act like this. No, she needs to know what you are. What you do. True. He wasn’t one for hiding. He didn’t like when people put on a front. If he was going to be all about his shit, he wanted others to be, too. Something the siblings should have realized.

  “My father and Hades are both going to die, and everything will be in its right place. That includes the two of you.”

  “Fuck, I was only trying to protect my family.”

  “Stavros, you and I both know you’re full of shit. I said to give good head, not weak ass excuses.”

  Stavros cursed, but remained kneeling.

  “Lord, En–, I mean… Lord Chaos, Erebos said you’d never regain your memory. I didn’t think it mattered. Fuck, who doesn’t want to sit at his side and watch as others scramble to do your bidding?”

  “You could have possibly had that with me, Stavros. Now, we won’t ever know.”

  “You act as if I was the one who contributed to your memory loss. The deed was done before either myself or Phaedra knew anything about it.”