Prince by Blood and Bone: A Fantasy Romance of the Black Court (Tales of the Black Court)

by Jessica Aspen

  “Get them through,” Logan yelled, behind him. For the first time, fear raised its ugly head inside his gut, but he was too busy fending off blast after blast of his mother’s power to see what was happening.

  He pushed back against her assault, digging deep into his store of energy and pushing back at his mother he was able to rise to his feet and check on Bryanna.

  Logan had the portal open, and he and Solanum fought to protect it from the stream of soldiers pouring into the courtyard. The flags of the Black Court still waved outside of the wall, and he realized, with some surprise, that the court was waiting to see what happened before throwing their support behind the queen.

  Bryanna and her family were now separated from the portal by the fighting. There was a flare of yellow-green flames, and screams, and his sight of the women was cut off behind a cloud of sulfuric smoke.

  “Run, run, little boy. Run as fast as you can.” His mother laughed. Her laughter grew louder even as her blasts of power became wild, shooting off a pillar next to his head.

  “Trina, go!” Logan shouted.

  Another blast glanced off the stones near his feet. Kian risked a glance. He had to know what was happening to Bryanna. The queen’s advisor, Haddon, had his weapon up, the bloodied tip ready for a killing blow. Logan lay below him, the shaking tip of his sword falling fast. The portal’s energy flickered and collapsed. Solanum howled and turned, his massive jaws hinging wide, he lunged at Haddon.

  A new rush of soldiers poured in, cutting off the puca from reaching the queen’s advisor.

  Kian struggled to see what had happened to the women. A shock wave of power, blacker than his own, blue-black aura hit his shield and exploded. He flew backward, and lay stunned, on his back, searching for the remnants of his tattered Gift.

  “I’ll end you once and for all.” The Morrigan stood over him. He stared up at her towering form. Her eyes blazed and all of the skulls on her necklace chattered their rage and in her eyes he could see his death.

  He’d never truly understood it before, never truly wanted to see it, but he saw it now. She hated him. He’d always thought it was just neglect, but it was more than that. When he’d been small he’d never really known who this woman was, who came into his quarters occasionally and used brutal tests to evaluate his education and his Gift. It had taken years to understand what others thought a mother should be. To him, his nanny was the person to love, a mother was someone to fear.

  Her hair was a wild nimbus of black, crackling static. “I never wanted you.” Spit foamed at the corners of her mouth. “All you’ve ever been is trouble. I’ll have you married off to that girl and then we’ll drug you and torture you until you think you want to give her your Gift. You’ll be begging to give it, and when you do, it will all be mine.” His mother raised her voice. “Agrona!” she shrieked.

  The name echoed around the courtyard.

  Kian lay on the ground, blood in his mouth and the smell of defeat fresh in his nostrils. He mustered his energy and raised his shield, but its power was nearly translucent. His mother knew too much about his magic, she saw every move and countered it. He had no recourse, no way to defeat her, and no defense against the blow he knew was inevitable.

  “You can’t win against me,” she said and raised her hands. “I’ve been wielding our family’s magic for thousands of years longer than you and I can see exactly how little power you have left. Surrender, or take the consequences.”

  Power crackled along her fingertips. She wouldn’t wait for him to give in, he could see it in her eyes. She wanted to strike at him. She had enough hatred built up that the only thing holding her back from killing him now, was that she would lose his power.

  She thought he was defeated, but he refused to be finished. If he was finished, Bryanna, Logan, all of them were dead. He closed his eyes and dug deep for the gleam of golden magic hidden underneath the blue and black of his aura. The strand that—now that he knew it was there—glowed under everything, supporting and holding up his Gift.

  He pulled on the new magic. It was strange and familiar all at once. Strong—much stronger than his weakened shield. He tugged at it and the power poured out, easily forming a rich, golden ball that glowed and surged into his palm.

  He threw it at the queen.

  It hit her shield and exploded into golden fireworks. Tiny sparks tunneled past her wards and into her defenses.

  “No!” Wings and arms flailing she hit wildly at the golden sparks. The skulls swung back and forth over her bosom, shrieking their distress, the sound ringing almost as high as the terror in her voice. “Get it away! Get it away!”

  He tossed another ball into the deep fissures forming in her magic. “Bryanna, to me!” He readied another ball and lobbed it at the open gate. A gleaming force-field formed, slicing the soldier in its way in half, and taking the place of the disintegrated gate. A roar rose from beyond the wall. There would be no more reinforcements coming through. He began his destruction, working his way through the troll-kin in the direction of the small group of women circled around a wounded Logan.

  “Take that, you sleazy jerk!” Trina stabbed Haddon. The green man reeled away. Solanum’s shape blurred and re-formed into a black stallion. He reared up, his hooves crashing down and bouncing ineffectively off of Haddon’s radiant shield. The green man seized Bryanna’s red-haired sister and dragged her toward the queen.

  “To me!” he shouted. The last of the soldiers rallied around him, fighting back the puca.

  Kian lobbed another ball of energy at his mother. She didn’t know it, but she had already lost.

  “How are you doing this?” She looked bewildered. “You’re my son, mine. I’ve always been stronger.”

  “You’re done mother. Agrona couldn’t keep your little secret.”

  “I don’t understand,” the queen wailed. Her wings flapped in agitation. Gusts of wind swirled through the courtyard.

  “Don’t you recognize it?” He tossed a golden ball of power from one hand to the other. It had more power than anything he’d ever handled in his life. It rejuvenated him, soaring through his body, strengthening and augmenting his more familiar blue-black energy until it crackled with new life. “It’s king’s magic, Mother. Golden King’s magic.”

  “No.” The queen went white. Two spots of siren red flared in her cheeks and for the first time ever he saw her true age. “No. She would never have told you. She knows I would kill her.”

  “She’s already dead, mother.”

  “Noooo!” The queen stopped moving. She stood, wings outstretched, mouth gaping open. As if hearing her plan of draining his powers was dead had killed any way she had of making decisions. Haddon dragged Bryanna’s sister by her long red hair across the cobbled stones and opened a portal. Lunging at the queen he gripped her with his free hand and pushed her in.

  Trina sprinted away from Logan toward the portal, Bryanna right behind her. “Cassie!”

  Solanum morphed to human and grabbed Trina, blocking Bryanna with his body from flinging her self at the portal. “It’s too late.”

  Trina beat him with her fists. “Let me go, he’s taking her with him!”

  Haddon crossed into the portal, dragging Cassie behind him. The portal snapped shut leaving a courtyard filled with bodies, unsure soldiers, and the sounds of women’s screams.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  Bryanna waited as the last of the new visitors swore their fealty to Kian and bowed their way out of the main hall, heading for the mass of tents on the grasslands outside the keep. She leaned over and whispered in his ear. “I know we need reinforcements, but I hope we can at least spend the rest of the evening together.”

  He reached over and squeezed her fingers tight. “I know it’s a hassle, but if we’re to rescue your sister and destroy my mother, we’ll need more fighters than these.”

  She couldn’t believe it had been two months since the portal had swallowed Cassie. She squeezed his hand back, fighting the grief that sti
ll threatened to overwhelm her. Grief didn’t attract followers to their cause. Grief didn’t build armies. And grief wouldn’t do anything to rescue Cassie.

  These men and women would.

  Logan came back from settling the last bunch of new recruits into their quarters. “While you’re adding more warriors, be sure to add spell-casters and maids to your list. No one wants to clean this place, and we’ll need to add on more space soon, or find another place to house them.” He waved at the keep’s interior. “The Brethren never intended this to be more than an outpost. Agrona thought they would all move into the Black Court and be housed there.”

  Kian lifted a brow and snorted. “That would never have happened. Can you see my mother taking in all of the half-breed troll-kin? And Haddon would have shit in his pristine court breeches.”

  Logan grinned. “I’d have liked to have seen that.”

  “Where do you think they’ll go now?” Bryanna had almost felt sorry for the Brethren when they realized they’d lost their leader and been abandoned by the queen. Almost. She’d grown tougher since she’d been that girl sitting in the sun in Albuquerque. She knew now that even healers had to cut their losses and make life changing decisions. She’d felt sorry for them, but not enough to ask Kian to change his mind when he’d taken over Caer Bol. Now, it was rebel headquarters for their growing group and the troll-kin were homeless as well as leaderless.

  Kian laid a kiss on her palm and she nearly closed her eyes at the rush. “They can go live with the White Queen for all I care,” he murmured. “Right now, I want to take advantage of this opportunity and steal you away.”

  His lips worked their magic along her skin, moving up her inner arm, and leaving tingles in their wake.

  “I’ll have dinner sent to your room.” Logan winked, and Bryanna flushed.

  “Send some to our room, while you’re at it,” Trina said from behind them as she came in a side door, her face pale and drained. “I’m exhausted. We can all use a night off.”

  “How’s mom? Should I check in with her?” Bryanna asked her cousin.

  Cassie’s kidnapping had been the last straw for Theresa. She’d collapsed and hadn’t left her bed in the weeks since the event.

  “She’s asleep, finally.” Trina collapsed into a wooden chair and rubbed her small, rounded belly. “I gave her some of that tea. Hopefully, she’ll be out until morning.”

  Kian rose and pulled Bryanna to her feet. “Come on. The best thing we can do for your mother is get her daughter back, and the best way to do that is to get our forces ready. We’ll be that much better prepared to rescue your sister.”

  “But it’s going to take so long.”

  He nuzzled her neck. “Aye, but in the meantime…” He swung her up in his arms.

  She laughed. He’d worked hard at distracting her from her grief, just as he’d worked hard to get them ready to attack the queen. He hadn’t shared with her his feelings about finding out that King Oberon, was his father. She wasn’t worried about it. Finding out your mother had lied to you and not only was your father alive, but her greatest enemy, was a lot to deal with. He’d shared other things with her and she knew, when he was ready, they’d deal with it. If only because he wanted to boost their army’s resources.

  “Kian, put me down. What are you doing?” She gripped his shoulders as he carried her to the door that led to the sleeping wing.

  “Taking my woman for a long deserved break from planning, and hostessing, and thinking.” He pushed the door open. “Logan, send that dinner up in about an hour.”

  “So you think it will take that long?” Logan called back.

  Kian laughed. “At least!”

  Over Kian’s shoulder, she saw Logan pull Trina in his arms and give her a long, intense kiss. Bryanna snuggled her head into Kian’s shoulder and sighed. Logan and Trina were happy and in love, and the baby was healthy. She, herself, was somewhere she’d never expected to be, in love with a prince of the fae.

  Kian carried her into their bedchamber and dropped her on the bed. He climbed on top of her and balanced on his elbows, his arousal pressing into her pelvis. “An hour won’t be enough tonight,” he murmured into her ear. “But it will have to do because there’s been no time to eat today and I’m starving.”

  She gazed up at him, tremors of anticipation thrumming along her skin at the thought of making love to him. “Are you sure you don’t want food first?” She’d thought it might grow stale, but after two months of working with him, waking up with him, loving him, every time seemed brand new.

  “You feed me,” he said, and brushed her mouth with his lips. “I need you before I need anything else, my love.”

  She rubbed her hands up under the sleeves of his tunic, stroking his skin and marveling that every muscle was all hers. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She opened her mouth and took him in, kissing him, glorying in the way he tasted and felt.

  “Now hush,” he said, against her lips. He rolled to his back, pulling her with him so she ended up astride his hips, his cock centered into her core. “Take this off.” He tugged at her top. She stripped it and her bustier off. Anxious, she leaned forward, and he took her into his mouth. He sank his teeth gently into her nipple and sucked.

  She rocked her hips, rubbing against him, pulse after pulse of pleasure racing along her nerves.

  “Ah,” she said. “Too many clothes.”

  “I can work with that,” he said, and he gripped her hips, moving her faster and angling his erection up. She settled onto him, working her clit through the fabric, wanting him inside her, but unwilling to stop.

  “Kian,” she said, her breathing ragged. “I need you.”

  “Not yet.” He moved over to her other nipple and pleasured that one. Waves of arousal rushed through her. And she came, just by his hands on her hips rocking her hard against him, by his mouth sucking and taking her in, by the fact that it was Kian and just the taste and the smell of him could stop her in her tracks.

  This man could bring her with barely a word, a touch. This man, a prince of the fae, believed she could do anything. Cure impossible curses. Heal broken hearts. Rescue her sister from the clutches of the Black Court.

  This man, kissing her, stroking her, sending electricity directly to her core, he believed in her. And she believed in him.

  She shuddered slowly to the end of her orgasm.

  “Now,” he said, mischief glinting in his fae eyes. “Now, my love, we’ll take our time.”

  And she knew they’d be there for hours, or at least until dinner came and more decisions had to be made. Because while Kian would spend all night making sure both of them were satisfied, she was confident that in the morning, he’d be moving heaven and Underhill to get her sister back and to destroy the queen.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  The throne room was empty. No one loitered on the benches. No one waited for an audience. No one dared to come close to the rage of the queen.

  Haddon sent a quick tendril of power around the room to double check he was alone and eased into the consort’s throne. It contoured magically to the curve of his ass. As the queen’s right hand man he’d stolen the opportunity to sit in it more than the prince ever had. It knew him and welcomed him and he liked to think that it knew that he, Haddon, once whipping boy to the queen, would be sitting here officially, very soon.

  But not yet.

  With the prince still alive and the court in unrest, he’d been unable to take control of the throne. Besides, Kian would come for the girl and when he did, he’d need someone else to conquer. He’d toss the prince the queen and from there he’d step to the throne. Since the debacle in the north—once she’d killed a few prisoners and destroyed her quarters—she’d been in a relatively stable, if constant, state of anger. Now she was playing with her new toy, the new mirror, the red-headed MacElvy girl.

  He’d bide his time. The throne would wait. It had been waiting for him for years.

  Dear Reader,

&n
bsp; Thank you for reading Kian and Bryanna’s story, Prince by Blood and Bone. I’ve always heard the second book in a series is the most difficult, but until this book I had never experienced it. My spicy, shifter twists were all easy to write, even books two and three. The stories just flowed. But this story, Kian’s story, was much more difficult.

  Partially, because it required fitting into the complex world building of The Dark Huntsman. Partially, because the basis of the book, the Beauty and the Beast fairytale, takes place mostly between two people in isolation. But really it was because I wanted it to be just as good, maybe even better, than The Dark Huntsman.

  I had plans for this book to be published several months before it was truly ready. And I could have published it. But it needed more work. More editing. And more heat, before I could let it go to you, the readers. And so I hope it is not the dreaded second book, but instead I hope it’s truly a book that can stand on its own and give you a satisfying love story between two complex characters.

  I hope it’s a book that you love.

  And I have to apologize for the cliff-hanger. I sincerely expected to have book three, Broken Mirror, ready to go so that the wait would not be long to discover what happens to Cassie while she’s in the Black Queen’s clutches. I’m like you and I don’t want to wait for the next book, but life and the polishing of Prince by Blood and Bone intervened. And so, I am now planning a 2015 release date for Broken Mirror. If it’s ready early, I’ll definitely let you know!

  In the meantime, I’m releasing a totally different venture for me, a modern Gothic novella. Ghosts of Christmas Past, A Haunted Holiday’s novella, will definitely be out 2014. You can find an excerpt at the end of this book. And if you would like to find out what happens to Cassie and Theresa between the attack at the safe-house in Albuquerque and Cassie’s abduction, I’ll be publishing their story, too. (Hint, hint! Newsletter subscribers might get Cassie’s intermediate novella for free!)