Guilty Crown (The Darkstorm Legacies Book 1)

by Bree De'leon

  “No, we thought it best to not inform her of his—

  “Fucks sake, she was to be made aware of his presence the day she turned sixteen, that blood of hers could do more damage than you and your kind know. If her blood were to touch the Oblivion when it moves through dimensions it will release a hell upon this earth that none of you can defeat. Especially with the black moon approaching.” His voice resonated, shaking the ground beneath them, expanding his wings, one black decaying, the shape of a bat, the other pure white, feathered to perfection.

  “Is he a—”

  “I am a demigod, yes, born of both a God and a Demon.” He interrupted, the radiance bursting from his shell of a body. Sebastian looked up, clenching his teeth as the ground beneath them fell in, sending the two men down into the catacombs of Isadora. Simons voice echoing in the walls. “Follow this path and the past will lead you to the future.”

  “Where the hell are we?” Alexander coughed, feeling another sickness fall over him, this time the source emanating from the prince, gathering himself Sebastian receded the powers. His eyes focused on the stone, and skeletons in the undug grave.

  “Interesting, these markings are of the old country, back when we began a new here in Isadora, before I was born,” Sebastian whispered, running his fingers along the etched letters, unable to read them. “The words are foreign I can’t read them, let’s go.” He motioned for the soulkeeper to follow, his green eyes memorizing and examining the letters etched onto the wall.

  The darkness will rise with the age of the black moon.

  __________

  A knock broke Dymtri’s thoughts, he watched as his chamber doors opened with caution, entering was his mother. She analyzed her sons state, his knuckles white with scrapes and blood, she carefully approached him.

  “How are you feeling my son?” Her words gentle and soft, she placed a motherly hand on his shoulders, embracing her child.

  “I am fine mother, just how could that half breed bring me to my knees?” The anger filling his voice, burning with hatred, she looked around the room for any spies that could bring them both to their deaths.

  “I know not my son, but I promise you, that you will be heir to the throne, and you my son will be a great king.” Her silk voice wrapping around him as she brought him into a motherly embrace.

  “I have a plan, do not fret with trivial things mother, I will rid the pest from our halls.” He promised, wrapping his arms around her waist.

  Victoria felt a sudden fear wash over her, a fear she could not allow to hold her. He released her, walking away and disappearing into the crowd. Victoria held tight to her necklace, a symbol of her marriage to Sebastian, their union though not happy, meant the world to her. Her tears began to fill her vision. “What has become of our son, Sebastian?” She whimpered, falling to the ground, clutching tight to her chest.

  Hearing a whimper from her brother’s room, Rena peaked her head around, seeing her stepmother crying on the floor, her silk red dress sprawled around her.

  “Stepmother?” Rena asked, barely audible, cautious of Victoria’s venom.

  “What do you want witch?” She cursed, her fangs sharp. “Haven’t you done enough harm to this family?”

  “I heard you crying and I wanted to assure that you were alright.” She replied, her eyes holding Victoria’s. “I apologize for my intrusion. I will take my leave.” She continued, turning away from her stepmother.

  “Wait, come back Morena.” Victoria stood, straightening her dress. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t blame you for your father’s mistakes, I just can’t understand, the power you hold, my son suffocating within it...” She lost her voice, remembering the smoke strangling Dymitri.

  “Do not worry, you are his mother, not mine. Mine died years ago, I don’t blame you for hating me. But I do not understand this power that I possess, whatever it is, it protects me and me alone.” She answered, hearing the whispers of the darkness within her head. “I care for you Victoria, since the day I arrived.” She continued.

  A warmth fell over Victoria as she stared down at her stepdaughter, a girl who she could not bring herself to love, no matter how much she longed for a daughter.

  “Why do you care for me?” she asked, her hands now resting on Rena’s shoulders.

  “It’s obvious really, after my mother died you were there to help pick me up. You insisted on bathing me personally, to make sure that I was sparkling, and after every scratch or bruise, you would make sure that Liliana healed it—there were times you would even sing me to sleep when I woke with a nightmare. You were a mother to me, and I will always love you for that.” Rena replied, her eyes welling with tears as she struggled from collapsing, it was only Victoria’s strength that kept her up, her knees buckled beneath her.

  “Go, now, I hear that you must train with that deadly curse of yours.” Victoria barked, stepping away from the girl. Bowing her head, Rena turned away leaving to the arena.

  __________

  Anjou approached the dungeons, her heels echoing across the walls, each prisoner begging for mercy, her eyes were hollow, passing them with not a glance at their sunken faces. Following the black stone stairs into the Oblivion opening, she stopped, her blue eyes searching the area, she waited, tapping her heels against the broken floor. The smell of sulfur and mold crept through her nostrils. The candles flickered, the pebbles on the ground shaking as the Oblivion awoke, the creatures claw visible in the flesh against the door. She watched him try to escape, ignoring his pleas and moans of pain. His eyes found hers, gold circled in purple, his black hair tangled, his skin mangled and torn.

  She stared at him through the magical glass that held him. He lunged at the vampyre queen, feeling the shock of the magic bring him back to his shadow existence.

  “Anjou, please free me.” He begged. She felt her heart harden once more, narrowing her eyes, she walked towards the magical door, watching the monster in front of her vanish into darkness, a shadow of a man that once ruled this land with carnage and despair. “Lilith...my love, save me.” He cried, his sobs turning to whimpers. As he curled into a ball, his pain unbearable to watch, she sneered at the beast.

  “No one is going to save you, Nite.” Anjou’s words rang in his ears, breaking his spirit further. “You never loved her, you could never love her,” Anjou snapped, clenching her fist around the rusted locket. “She is dead because of you.” She broke him further, watching him crawl away, covering his ears the chains visible on his bruised wrists. “Now, stay put like a good dog, and stop roaming my castle walls.” She finished, turning on her heel, shaking with anger and sorrow, tears burning her cheeks, the steam of her silence suffocating the air. Locking him into darkness, leaving the world of the Oblivion.

  __________

  In the arena, Amelia stood on one side and Rena the opposite. The walls were made of pure black diamond stone, the strongest stone in the country. The floor was dirt and sand, littered with traps and weapons, there were no seats for viewers, just an empty room, there was only one door, in the entire arena. The pillars reaching high into the ceiling. No fancy decorations just plain warfare and armory. Lucille stood between the two girls, keeping his back straight.

  “Now, we begin with basic training today, to strengthen your physical bodies to hold the powers you possess. Do I make myself clear?” His voice roared through the arena. The girls prepared to attack, bare fist no weapons no powers.

  Rena was the first to attack, disappearing from sight she was behind her maid in a moment, kicking her across the room and slamming her into the wall. Spitting blood, she wiped the blood on her sleeve, moving in a swift motion to match to her mistress’s speed. She took the princess by the arm and tossed her into the air with ease. Analyzing the physical abilities between the two girls, Lucille noted each one’s strengths and weakness.

  Rena’s strengths: Speed, agility, and defense able to dodge and maneuver around Amelia’s attacks. Rena’s weakness: Physical, unable to expose the weakness of he
r opponent.

  Amelia’s strengths: Speed, physical strength, able to exploit the weakness of her opponents. Amelia’s weakness: Defense, unable to properly block an attack when one is landed.

  Taking each one’s strengths Lucille activated the traps, forcing them to work together. With Amelia’s physical ability to shield herself and others the bear trap snapped in two and the firing arrows bursting apart. His eyes watched, he pressed the activation for a large stone rock to be dropped down onto them. The boulder rolled with speed and virility that Amelia was unable to move quick enough—Rushing to her side with her agility Rena shoved Amelia out of the way, and jumping high into the air with grace, landing daintily on top of the boulder.

  “Very good girls, now try facing off this.” He smirked, releasing a giant beast covered in scales and slime, it had a large nose with two tusks coming out of its huge mouth, the monster had only one eye— a cyclops. Sweating and breathing intensely the girls stared at each other, before they attacked, Rena on the defense end of the beast and Amelia on the attack. They moved with grace and speed, each one weakening the monster itself, before finally it slouched over, unconscious.

  10

  WALKING BACK FROM THE Arena, Rena noticed the throne room doors shut, with two Druids standing guard. Dripping with sweat, she approached with caution, unaware that her grandfather inside was spiraling into madness.

  __________

  Month: Trais- 29th—Year: 1511 AF

  Grygori paced back and forth, his hands shaking uncontrollably, his ember eyes twitched filling his spirit with unease and paranoia. The halls were filled with chaos, the nobles preparing to leave the palace to their winter homes, or across the seas to their personal islands. His concern shifting between Drake, the cunning councilman who could manipulate with no detection, his eyes watching the kings every action, and mistake. His son, Sebastian, powerful enough to bring a kingdom to its knees, what was his plans for his father, how would they attempt to rid the king of his power. A sudden knock on the throne room doors startled the king, his sword drawn his black robes tattered and hanging off his slender shoulder.

  “Your majesty, the lady Morena wishes to see you.” The Druid announced, standing straight, his armor glistening in the moonlight. Grygori s eyes snapped towards the door, his teeth clenched, a fear loomed over him fueling his paranoia.

  “What does she want?” He demanded, taking the Druid by the throat, his fangs cracking at the tip. He released the Druid, his throat sore and weak. “Send her away. Inform everyone that no one is to enter my throne room.” His translucent skin peeling away, decaying from within. The Druid bowed.

  “I apologize milady, the king will see no one.” He bowed at the princess, standing stoically at his post once more, refusing to answer any further questions she may have.

  “Do not fret, I just wanted to inform him of how my training was is all.” She smiled, continuing down the crowded hallway towards her chambers.

  __________

  Month: Trais-30th—Year: 1511 AF

  Sebastian sat in the dark corridor, figuring the layout of the catacombs. Alexander read the ancient texts upon the wall, together they figured out the riddles for each trap and each possible escape. Finding a rotting staircase, the vampyre took notice of the paintings, old vampyres shaking hands with soulkeepers of the ancient senate. How could we be linked to these creatures, the hollow king made sure we would be at war for all time when my mother attempted peace three hundred years ago? Sebastian thought, memorizing the fading picture, the words etched out.

  “Tell me Sebastian, why have a Kingstrial for your daughter’s hand? It seems to me that the logical thing to do would be to marry her off to a kingdom you wish to ally yourself with.”

  “It is necessary. I refuse to allow my daughter to marry a man that could not protect her. Much like my son, he must marry a woman who is strong enough to survive the tests for becoming queen.” He answered, his eyes still searching for any hidden traps as they ascended up the stairs and into a large room. The ceiling rising high into the sky, the decrypted walls peeling off the stone that once stood strong, the tapestries that hung here were now fallen to the ground covered in dust and dried blood.

  The moonlight illuminated the room, displaying an old statue, an ancient soulkeeper, the marble was chipping away, and covered in vines. The man stood tall, his robes flowing, around him drips of light, upon his head a moonstone decorated in silver—Aurelius Reinhardt, the hollow king. A solemn feeling swept over them as the room shifted, the dust dissipating, the stained-glass windows unbroken, the tapestries rising to the ceiling as the ghosts from the past came alive, their ghostly figures walked right through them. In moments everything was back to the hollow dust covered room, beneath a tapestry a gold shine caught Sebastian’s keen eyes, the moonlight directly above it. Stepping over to the tapestry, he found a locket—small, bits of dried blood upon its surface. Opening the locket, his eyes widened at the painting within. Three women stood, two tall standing on each side of the shorter girl, the first woman was slender, and elegant, her cold expression unforgettable—Anjou. The girl in the middle, petite, standing arm in arm with Anjou, her doe eyes wide with joy. The third, similar in height, with a stoic angelic face, her eyes caring—Aya. He recognized his mother and the late queen of Kindred, but the uncanny resemblance of the other girl, he could not shake. Why does she look so much like my daughter? His thoughts interrupted when Alexander stepped forward, leaning in to see closer.

  “What could your mother be doing in the picture I wonder?” Alexander said, stepping in front of Sebastian, searching the room for any further clues to escape. “It appears this was a throne room of sorts; the exit must be this way.” He continued, finding the broken door.

  They continued out, they found another staircase, simple in structure, the ledge rotting and cracked, the light from the moon emphasized the decay of the ruins. The beauty now ripped apart, dried blood and molding flesh swept over the palace. Stepping forward, Sebastian noticed a door to his left, opened just enough to see within, the broken furniture and chains, the wall destroyed, now just a giant hole to the outside. He felt a sensation come over him the moment he stepped through the bedroom door, a woman’s arms wrapping around him. Her voice soft, I forgive you...

  __________

  He froze. His eyes wide as the walls began to fix themselves, the summer air gone, taken place by the cold of winter. A girl stood on her balcony, her brown hair blowing in the wind as she stood atop the ledge, her pure white dress blowing against her. Her honey brown skin radiant beneath the moon, she was beautiful and tragic; the tears filling her eyes as she let herself fall from the ledge, a howl behind her cried—Lilith. In a moment she was in his arms, not his but familiar arms, his mother’s arms.

  “Lilith, why?” his mother cried, he felt the sting of tears swell her eyes. She saw the pained look in Lilith’s eyes, responsibilities she could not live up to. Setting her down back in her room, the walls quiet only chains within the shadows listened.

  “I can’t anymore Anjou, I want this to be over, so much war and death. I wish it all to end.” She screamed. Holding her head as she fell to her knees. A smoke filled the room, shifting through time, Sebastian found himself outside, surrounded by dandelions and ferns, the smell of the ocean filled the air.

  Lilith laid against the grass, her hair tangled, her smile bright as she sat up the moment her eyes met his.

  “Anjou, you are here early? I thought you were called away for meetings.” Lilith giggled, embracing the vampyre, her warmth filling her with joy.

  “I was; however, I was able to get the meeting done with quickly so you would not get into trouble.” Anjou teased, taking a piece of the dandelion from Lilith’s hair. The young girl giggled.

  “Silly, I would not dare get into trouble when my knight is away.” She teased, kissing her cheek. Sebastian could feel the heat flush over his mother’s body, she embraced her tightly. Not wanting to let the human girl go.


  “That is exactly what you would do, silly girl.” Anjou laughed, placing the girl down on the meadow. The moon was shining bright in the night sky, giving only the moonlight for the two to see through.

  “Anjou, no matter what happens, don’t let anything change your heart. You are a good woman, and I love you.” Lilith gazed directly into Anjou’s eyes, her smile soft filled with genuine. “I know that Aya says that there is darkness coming to Isadora, and I know my brother will do everything to defend it... but if something were to happen—”

  “Shh, Lilith don’t say things like that. The Darkstorms will fight whatever danger comes this way. The Familiars are our most trusted allies, and you are my dearest friend. I would die before anything were to happen to you. Do you understand.” Anjou interrupted, taking Lilith’s hand in hers. Watching her emotions flicker across her face. Anjou felt her heart flutter each time Lilith would blink, her brown eyes capturing hers.

  “I know you would never let anything happen to me. I was being silly of course. The Darkstorms will protect us, they are the best of the best.” She laughed, dancing through the meadows, her dress flowing gracefully. Anjou watched, her eyes calm, and her heart warm. She pulled her close, taking the girls cheek in her palm, leaning down she pressed her lips softly onto hers.

  The image faded once more, blackness circling Sebastian, a sickness filled his heart as he watched in horror as the lycans and silvers attacked, and the destruction of Isadora. Still watching from his mother’s eyes, her strength unmatched as she slaughtered the beasts around her, each one clawing and snapping their teeth in her direction, above her a woman was flying high in the sky, her olive skin covered in the blood of humans, and soulkeepers alike, her laughter haunted the city, her pink eyes glowing with excitement as she watched Anjou struggle beneath her.

  “Vampyre, we are only just beginning, this country will be ours.” The woman cackled, summoning a black sword in her hand. Beside Anjou, her father—General Uther, his eyes shifting hues, black, purple and blue, he whispered under his breath summoning his power, a purple black smoke gathered around him, sharpening as he released the power through hundreds of lycans and silvers alike.