Beauty & Rage (Broken Crowns Book 1)

by Natalie Bennett

  She walked off throwing the drapes open as if sunlight would come streaming into the room.

  “Excuse me, who are you?”

  She spun on her tiny booted heels and placed fuzzy manicured hands on her hips.

  “I am Edna Korvic, designer of high fashion and instiller of etiquette.”

  “Those professions don’t go together.”

  Brown eyes glared at me over the rim of librarian glasses. “Well, now they do. The king himself has given me my demands, and as such it’s my job to have you ready for dinner this evening. Now get out of bed before I get a spray bottle.”

  Suddenly much more agreeable, I got out of bed and did as I was instructed. The process was painfully tedious.

  Edna only came to my hip. I was positive the bun on top of her head was a method of making her feel bigger than she was.

  Because she was so small, she needed to stand on a footstool to do everything. After a thorough shower, things were waxed, my brows plucked, my hair combed till it shined, and my nails manicured.

  Then came all of the clothes, carried and wheeled into the room. When everything was finished, I found myself in a form-fitting black gown of lace and sequins with matching heels. My hair was left to hang down, a combed brooch of Reyes’ insignia added to one side.

  Edna stood back and smiled for the first time since she came into the room.

  “Beauty and grace. Just keep your mouth shut, or you’ll ruin it.”

  “Oh, how shameful that would be,” I deadpanned.

  She expelled an exaggerated breath and went to the doors, pulling them open and loudly announcing that I was ready.

  ~9~

  The whole palace seemed to have changed from the last time I’d walked its twisted halls. Dramatic chandeliers hanging from the ceilings were now on, and all the dimmed candles and sconces sat lit along the walls and sleek banisters.

  Dylan and a guard I’d learned was named Wesley escorted me down to the lower level.

  The citadel was no longer eerily silent, full of nobility and high-class supes now inside Reyes’ fortress.

  Multiple heads swiveled in my direction, bowing in respectable custom. I kept my face impassive, engaging with none of them.

  “Here we go,” Dylan said quietly, giving me a heads up as we neared one of four rounded arches that led to the banquet hall.

  I shoved down the nerves that wanted to overcome me, curling and uncurling my fingers.

  “Be docile, be sweet, and you’ll be fine,” Dylan advised, even quieter.

  “We know what it's like,” Wesley added from my other side.

  I nodded, giving them a grateful smile but internally rejecting the advice.

  I would never dumb myself down to a lamb amongst wolves, for I was a wolf too and had teeth just as sharp.

  Entering a massive room with long cypress tables, I was guided towards the one in the center. Reyes sat at the end in a high-backed black chair larger than the rest. My heart tripped when our eyes met.

  Beautiful tiger orange hues roamed over me, and a smile of appreciation bloomed on his face.

  The room had gone completely silent as I entered and everyone rose from their chairs. Not to have risen would be disrespectful to not only me but their beloved king. Still, I took immediate note of the bowing of heads, showcasing loyalty to a queen they did not know.

  Relief swept through me when I saw Scarlett and Jacinda also standing from their seats at my table.

  They were unharmed, at least on the outside. Something was off with Scarlett, though.

  Her green eyes met mine, two shades brighter than before, and she gave a reassuring smile. Jacinda was facing the opposite direction.

  Reyes' hand came out when I reached him. I took it, watching him shamelessly raise it to his mouth and kiss the back of it as all eyes in the room watched on.

  I was then guided to the opposite end to sit in a chair much like his. Once I was settled, my two chaperones moved to take their posts, I imagined somewhere behind me, and the rest of the room reclaimed their seats.

  The silence lingered, stares now openly cast my way. I fought the urge to shift uncomfortably.

  “Is there nothing else to amuse yourselves with?” Reyes asked the room loudly.

  The conversation started back up immediately. I almost laughed as a man at the table beside me asked someone about the weather.

  Food trays were wheeled out and dishes were loaded, servings passed around.

  I noticed the variety. There was something for everyone. Shifters would eat nearly anything, usually having bottomless stomachs. Vampires tended to eat raw meats and over-indulge in wine. All other demi and supes ate normally, with a few choosing to be completely vegan.

  A plate was placed in front of me, but all I could manage were a few bites.

  My mind was on my two friends and taking in a much as Reyes’ court as I could.

  “I’m so glad to see you,” I told the girls softly, looking each of them over.

  “Us too. I thought that brute would never let you out of that room,” Scarlett replied, scooping up a bite of peas.

  I kept him saying that I was never a prisoner to myself. That’s what it had felt like.

  After being alone with him for gods knew how long, every breath outside of those walls was like a gulp of fresh air.

  “I’m sorry about Gideon,” Jacinda signed.

  I swallowed and nodded, giving her a slight smile. Refusing to have him buried here was the cause for the shiny urn sitting on the dresser beside my tarnished crown.

  It was impossible to think of my father and not feel pain. I ignored the hurt of losing him and the utter way I’d failed thus far as his heir. I didn’t mourn the fall of Zenith or question why tragedy had come for me in spades.

  Now that I was back in the realm of the living, so to speak, it was hitting home all over again. I was acutely aware that not one of the supes in the room belonged to my region, which meant they were still in constant hardship.

  There were, however, demis. And I was positive some belonged to Zenith—or had.

  All were noticeably bound to someone of Purgatory, having survived whatever chemical we’d been injected with.

  Being a mostly female species, I was surprised to see at least a dozen males here as well. They didn’t look as miserable as I’d expected.

  In fact, most were smiling and as physically close to their partners as they were able to get without being in their laps.

  That did little to help me feel better. How many were still out on the streets, unprotected? And my worry wasn’t solely for them. Every one of my people who struggled gave me cause for concern.

  As I was fed, fucked, and coerced into mating, they suffered. What I’d allowed to go on was terrible, goddamn shameful. I’d become so complacent.I’d become weak-willed, the last thing a queen should ever be because it made us easier to kill.

  I had a niggling suspicion that that’s exactly what Reyes wanted.

  When I badgered and pestered, I always wound up with his cock inside me. Had I majorly overlooked his main tactic of evasion?

  Was keeping me mute some part of a grander scheme? After all, what king wouldn’t want an obedient queen, one who shut her mouth unless it was to swallow his come or stroke his ego and eagerly spread her legs? That would leave Reyes free to do as he pleased with the power he’d stolen.

  Or perhaps this was something else entirely. The day prior, he’d claimed to no longer have my heart, but when had I ever given it?

  I was missing something vitally important.

  Reyes was hiding something. I had every intention of figuring out what the hell was going on. Things could not go back to how they were before.

  Reyes stopped mid-sentence at his end of the table and slowly turned his head to look at me, no doubt sensing my rapid changes in emotion.

  I diverted my gaze from him and belatedly noticed the two near-identical men sitting on either side of him. I reached for my glass of lemon water, bro
w furrowing in confusion as I let my eyes shift from one to the other.

  It was clear they were triplets. What I didn’t understand was why Reyes had never once mentioned them. Then again, I’d never even seen him eat until tonight. Everything from their bronze skin, dark hair, and build were the same.

  One had eyes of marigold and looked much friendlier than his kin. The other was indifferent. His eyes were amber, and the right side of his face was scarred.

  Having a single Reyes was bad enough. Three all together? Gods help us all.

  I looked back to the girls, gently worrying my lower lip as it dawned on me what it was about my best friend that was different. “Which one was it?”

  “The one that looks the nicest, but is probably the most fucked up,” Scarlett muttered.

  So the one with marigold eyes, then. I glanced down at my plate of gorgeously presented food, appetite completely gone.

  “This isn’t on you, so don’t you dare go down that path. You can’t control everything.”

  Her reassurance didn’t detract from the guilt I felt. I took a sip of my lemon water, wondering what else was going to go wrong. “And outside of this?”

  “I’ve heard things about things,” Scarlett replied, forcing an upbeat tone.

  “You always do,” I retorted in the same manner.

  It was important to choose words carefully. Those with heightened senses would be listening to our conversation.

  “There’s a room with a—”

  “What are your plans for that one?” a rotund vampire asked suddenly, gesturing towards Jacinda.

  “She already has a claim on her.”

  Reyes answered him but aimed his devious smirk at me. On the one hand, I was relieved the greasy bastard would be getting nowhere near Jacinda. On the other, what did that smirk mean?

  “Well what of you, Cassimere? You don’t usually do cheeky.”

  Him speaking so freely and not addressing the sovereign by their titles let me know that they were well acquainted.

  “I appreciate the concern, but believe me, it’s being handled,” Cassimere replied.

  A smug smile followed his answer, eliciting a glare from Scarlett. The entire table laughed lightly at the exchange.

  I stared at Reyes, letting my displeasure shine through. Joking or not, this was not a topic that should ever be discussed with guests or residents of court.

  The conversation continued to flow, but my mind was in a million other places. I remained in my reverie up until the atmosphere of the room dramatically shifted.

  I was absentmindedly reaching for my freshly refilled water when it happened. From my peripheral, I witnessed one vampire bite into the dinner guest beside them.

  From there, things spiraled.

  Succubi and incubi began pairing up with other supes, and a different kind of feast began. Jacinda, Scarlett and I sat stock-still, clear shock written across our faces as well as a few of the newly arrived demis.

  My stomach coiled as the audible sound of fangs going into flesh and bodies coming together replaced all other sounds in the room.

  Second away from fleeing the scene as fast as possible, Reyes appeared at my side, ever calm and collected.

  “Come.” He held out a hand, and I graciously accepted, letting him help me from my chair.

  He traced his thumb over my skin as we walked away from the table.

  “Wait,” I protested softly. I couldn’t leave Jacinda and Scarlett again.

  Reyes continued towards the exit, commanding one of my guards just as reached it. “Wesley, escort Lady Faud back to her room.”

  Lady Faud?

  It was strange hearing Jacinda’s full title when it was so rarely spoken.

  “What about—”

  He swiftly cut me off. “She and Cassimere feed together.”

  That shut me up. I’d misread her reaction as being the same as mine when she was trying to avoid my eye.

  I frowned, trying not to visualize how that worked. I’d never seen Reyes feed, but I assumed his brother fed the same way as him.

  Scarlett told me everything, though. Did she think I’d have judged her for this?

  “You would have.”

  “Stop doing that! I would not.”

  “Duvessa, you just judged everyone in that room,” he retorted coolly, adding, “You judged them for being what they were.”

  That had me drawing up short. I pulled my hand free of his and turned to face him. The halls now mostly empty, we stood in the middle of the staircase alone, dancing flames from candles adding shadows to our faces.

  “I judged them for devouring their partners so hedonistically. I judged them for discussing things that had no business being discussed at a dinner table. And you…you should have known better.”

  He tilted his head to the side and regarded me silently for a moment.

  “You think you can tell me how to rule my court? What I can and can’t do?”

  “I can, actually,” I retorted calmly—not an easy task when I wanted to rage at him for all he’d done.

  “Is that right?” he smirked.

  “When you decided to bend fate to your will, there was a power exchange. You may have half my region, but I also have half of yours. I’m a regent, not a goddamn consort.”

  His face fell back into its usual impassivity, but his eyes conveyed he wasn’t unbothered by my words. I may not have been the best at reading emotions, but that evil glint had me mentally bracing for whatever he was about to say.

  “You’re right,” he began quietly. “I suppose you do have power. Maybe you should use it on finding the rest of the half-breeds that scattered because every other one of your subjects is dead, their corpses feasted on by the crows and maggots. I made sure of that.”

  Dead? Is this what he’d meant all those times he had claimed to be ‘handling’ it?

  He took a step forward, bringing us nearly chest to chest, raising a hand to cup the side of my face. “They begged for mercy so beautifully. Some prayed their queen would save them. It’s almost as if she’d abandoned them in her abdication.”

  “Abdication?” My posture turned rigid, a sudden coldness lancing my core.

  “I would never abdicate to you or anyone else. Not ever. The only way to truly dethrone me is to remove my head from my shoulders.” I knocked his palm away from me, thoroughly disgusted with him and myself.

  Not even the demon inside me could look beyond what he’d done, but I was wise enough not to attack him openly.

  “You’re going to regret this.”

  “Are you threatening me?” He grinned as if I’d made a joke.

  “I promise you that you’re going to wish you never stole my crown with your filthy fucking hands.” I turned on my heel and walked away from him. He didn’t follow for once, and I was all the more grateful.

  I reached the third level, and Dylan appeared like a mirage, falling in step beside me.

  “That was commendable. There’s hope for you yet,” he chirped.

  “You were there?” I tried to picture where’d he have been standing.

  “I’m always near. I must protect and watch over you.”

  An annoyed sighed expelled from my lungs.

  “He weaves a web with careful words and dark seduction.”

  What? Glancing at the vampire from the corner of my eye, I began to wonder if he’d had a bit too much wine.

  “You’re not completely caught yet. Be careful about how you move. He has something coming.”

  “Ugh,” I growled in frustration. “I’m not in the mood to decipher riddles.”

  “My words are meant to keep you safe. It will make sense soon. Here, this is a spare.”

  He grabbed my hand and pressed an object into my palm, folding my fingers back so that it didn’t fall when he let go.

  Not giving me an opportunity to question his ominous words, he pulled open the door to my bedroom and gestured for me to enter. I brushed past him, closing the door behind me.
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  Resting my forehead against the cool wood, I unfurled my fingers and revealed a silver skeleton key.

  I eyed the keyhole right in front of me and attempted to insert it with no luck. It didn’t remotely fit.

  Dylan said this was a spare, but to what?

  Unsure what I was supposed to do with it now, I decided to hide it in the bottom drawer of my dresser beneath some of the bras Edna had brought in that morning.

  Once it was safely tucked away, I stood there for a few seconds, running a finger over the crack in my crown. That first night, when I took it from Reyes, I hadn’t noticed it was broken. I never picked it up again, afraid it would break apart entirely. My father’s ashes were secured in the golden urn beside it.

  Looking at the items and thinking of everything that had occurred up to this point, I knew I had to do something to stop this madness from going any further.

  I had lost so much already. I’d been stupidly foolish and allowed myself to become little more than a broodmare.

  I had no way of knowing if Reyes would inject me with that drug of his again just for the sake of fucking me endlessly. That gave me a small window of time, but there could be no more delaying; it was time to take action. I could not risk falling pregnant.

  I knew that was what he wanted; he didn’t have to say it. He’d all but spelled it out when he spoke of how compatible my kind and his now were. But that couldn’t be his ultimate goal.

  As I walked to the bathroom, I massaged my temples. Reyes claimed to have slaughtered all the supes in my region, but that wasn’t possible unless every high-level servitor perished the same night my father had.

  There was a contingency plan crafted by my wise mother, and if they were truly loyal to the Vasiel reign, then those remaining would have put it into effect.

  Standing in front of the mirror, I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and then began the tedious task of removing the heavy gown all the while trying establish what Reyes’ mission was.

  He was not doing this for simple self-gratification. I suppose it could just be for heirs, but this seemed too great a conquest for that.

  While I doubted it was he who had launched the attack against Zenith, I was positive he knew it was coming.