When I had him seated deeply inside me, Tepeyollotl gave a deep grunt of satisfaction. “So good. I had forgotten the incredible pleasures to be found in the flesh. What else may I give you, little queen?”
“You can feed from me.”
“You would take Mountain Heart, the jaguar god, as Blood?”
For a moment, I was afraid I’d offended him, but he laughed roughly and nudged his hips upward, sliding even deeper into me. I twitched and jerked in his arms as if he’d electrocuted me.
“Very well. I’ve never been Blood before. What else, my queen?”
I fisted my hands in the heavy cords of his hair on either side of his face, and he obligingly lowered his head so I could touch my lips to his. “I liked little queen.”
“Ask,” he rumbled against my lips. “So I may fulfill my little queen’s every desire.”
“Can you give me a daughter, Mountain Heart?”
“Yes. On one condition.”
I pulled back enough to look into his eyes. I stared back at myself, mirrored in his gaze. But this time, I knew who I was, what I wanted most of all, and I wasn’t ashamed of that truth any longer.
“If I must call you my little queen, and he is your alpha, then you must call me your heart.”
Tears burned my eyes. He stated his intentions so clearly. I could keep Eztli. He would always be my alpha. Tepeyollotl would bend to my wishes, even as he gave me the strength and control I had secretly desired. And, of course, he would give me the child I so desperately needed to continue the Zaniyah line.
All I had to do was love him, too.
No more hiding. No more secrets. No more fruitless external searches, when the truth I needed had been hidden inside me all along. I stared up at him, proudly, my eyes shining as brightly as his. “My heart, please make me yours for all time.”
He turned my head to the side, baring my throat. And this time, when he bit me, I screamed with pleasure, not terror.
The End
Read the rest of the Their Vampire Queen series, starting with Queen Takes Knights.
About the Author
Joely Sue Burkhart has always loved heroes who hide behind a mask, the darker and more dangerous the better. Whether cool, sophisticated billionaire, brutal bloodthirsty assassin, or simply a man tortured by his own needs, they all wear masks to protect themselves. Once they finally give you a peek into the passionate, twisted secrets they’re hiding, they always fall hard and fast. Dare to look beneath the mask and find love in the shadows.
Read more from Joely Sue Burkhart and sign up for her newsletter.
Sovereign of Souls
Legacy of the Phoenix Series: A Prequel
Caia Daniels
Sovereign of Souls
Legacy of the Phoenix Series: A Prequel
An Eternal soul was once immortal and safe from extinction… Until now.
Since humanity's inception, the Goddess Seraya has led Genesis, a council of Celestial and Eternal warriors charged with protecting human life and the three realms. But as Demon and Fallen factions fight for control of the mortal realm, they gain momentum when a weapon comes into play, leaving all Eternal souls at risk of losing their immortality...
Including half of Genesis and Seraya’s three soul mates.
After a sparring match with the elusive dagger leaves Seraya’s daughter Nova in jeopardy, Genesis must find the weapon of mass destruction and counter its effects before Seraya loses one of her own, setting into motion an ancient prophecy that foretells the downfall of Genesis and a terrifying reign of darkness for all three realms.
As Nova’s health worsens, Genesis must make allies of their enemies if Seraya and her council has any hope of saving them all in the Great Eternal War to come.
An RH Urban Fantasy Prequel
1
~ Titus ~
Twenty-One Years Ago…
Blazing with amethyst energy, swirls of iridescent light arc out from Seraya’s coalescing power as she casts a portal between realms. A blast of heat fills the air surrounding the southern gate that separates our realm from the mortals’.
Buildings in a shadowed alleyway resolve into view as Aravot’s pleasant floral fragrance is replaced by the rotting stench from a nearby dumpster in the Mortal Realm – known by us as simply, Jagat.
“One second.” Seraya orders, eyes closed. Pausing is her way of preparing me to spring into action. Brows furrowed in deep concentration, she seems to be listening, but I know better.
Nobody can sense humans like my soulmate.
As Chayah, Eternal Mother of Humanity, Seraya is the leader of Genesis, the first family of immortal warriors that protects the three realms.
Tense and ready to dive into a fight, I clench my hands, pumping more blood through my fingers.
Our elite team waits while Seraya uses her keen senses, searching for the presence of her mortal children who’d be shocked to see a group of dagger-carrying immortals bursting through an imaginary hole in the wall of a condemned building.
Gateways appear as portals to some other place to mortals who can actually see them. For average humans, portals are a shimmering haze. Fortunately, they’ll likely forget the scene since immortal magic doesn’t register much in a human’s psyche. For the most part, magic is incomprehensible to them and handy for us wishing to remain unseen. Regardless, we still take pains to ensure few mortals see anything out of the ordinary.
A Siamese cat arches its back, hissing at our sudden intrusion before darting off into the gloom.
Shouts from familiar voices ring out a street over. A clang and clatter, and it’s clear the battle is nearby.
I look to Seraya, hoping she’s deemed it safe to launch through the portal.
Amethyst eyes fly open, a determined gaze overcomes the face I’ve loved for a hundred thousand years. Or something like that. We stopped counting when humans started.
Meeting my stare, Seraya nods. That’s all I need.
Sprinting now, I pass the barrier between our worlds, energy of the gateway sliding over my skin. Not surprisingly, I’m already sweating in the muggy Charleston air.
I never did like this damn town’s weather.
Footfalls pad softly as I run toward the sound of fighting; my breathing is easy and regular. As an Eternal, I’ve had much time to work on my physique and stamina. I can outrun any human by a huge margin.
Surprise is our friend. Stealth is our aim.
Salty air says we’re downtown near the Battery. It’s a moderately busy area, but the alleys don’t get much pedestrian traffic this time of night. Eyeing the dimly lit intersection ahead, I determine the battle’s just around the corner. I slow down and raise a fist over my shoulder, signaling those behind me we’re stopping.
As I duck low and peer around the corner, Seraya’s reassuring hand rests on my leg.
She always finds the most loving ways to communicate. This tells me everyone is with us, ready and waiting for my signal. If she’d squeezed my leg instead, I’d know something wasn’t right and to wait. Tapping would mean I needed to hurry. The signals are numerous, and I know them all.
But then, we’ve seen it all.
“Oh, crap. No.” Unidentified shouts echo from around the other side of the alley wall.
Calls for backup snap my head forward to our Eternal team of Demon Hunters. My bond brother Zander is standing beside Remliel, a Celestial Guardian – humans call them Angels. Both are protecting Remliel’s Gemini soul mate, Nova, who’s kneeling behind them.
My eyebrows rise sharply as I calculate the count of Demons and Fallen Celestials facing Zander’s thin wall of divinely-forged weapons. Twenty or more are bidding to overpower our team.
Not on my watch.
Turning back, I grimly flash ten fingers twice, and our squad of eight gasps in response.
This is no ordinary scuffle. Two quick hand signals give the team their instructions; my half turns with me, and the rest follow Seraya.
Quick as a br
eath, we’re sprinting into the fray.
Right before I reach Nova, who appears injured, I bound up and leap over the shoulders of our enemies. Catapulting into a cluster of Fallen, I try to get past.
Daggers flashing, I easily carve through an arm on my left and a torso on my right. I plant my feet firmly on the ground and then summon my very essence… and push. My spirit explodes outward, forcing the cluster apart and breaking their charge. Using energy this way can drain me fast, but a few times won’t hurt.
The Fallen closest to me are dazed by the push, so I take advantage of their momentary stupor to slice several deep slashes into those within reach.
One of the few Demon Shadow Shifters still roaming Jagat, evident by her red eyes, screams in pain as my blade bites through her arm and into the membrane of her wing.
These First Generation Demons were divinely created to protect the Shadow Realm while Celestials were created to protect the Eternal Realm. Just as formidable as Celestials, Shifters can be ruthless. And though these Fallen immortals are easily injured by our divine weapons forged to counteract their darkness, their ability to transform into a shadow of mist makes for an easy escape.
Her cry alone has summoned a portal, and her body is already dissolving, making it convenient for evading banishment to the Shadowlands of the third realm.
Thrusting back, I drive the blade deeper but her body dissipates, suspending into the ether.
A loud whoosh closes the portal, and she’s gone.
Grunts echo between the buildings as I move toward the opposite side and vault onto a dumpster lid for height. This gives me a better vantage point and allows me a fast look at the situation. Is that…Azrael? Dammit. I hate that he joined the Fallen. Why is he here?
Muggy Charleston heat strikes my face as I spring into the air, sailing toward the nearest Fallen. My left foot crunches into his neck, sending him tumbling to one side. This clears my path, and I land solidly in the midst of a pack of three.
Having worked with my team for thousands of years, they know my expectations. They each push into the Fallen, dividing them, causing their line to crumble. Our job now is to draw attention while we thin their numbers. If any of our foes have fought me before, they may recognize this tactic. That’s a chance I’ll take.
Hacking away at enemies within our reach, we tempt them with separated targets. Each of us looks like an easy victory, though with sharp daggers to be wary of.
“Justie, are you good?” My vexing shout is just a feint to draw their attention toward the mouth of the alley where we first entered. Justie’s capable of surviving a large pack like this, practically alone. We just need another few seconds…
Battle cries fill the alleyway as Seraya’s team slams into the back of the horde. They’re too crushed together to attack now, smashed into a helpless ball of dark energy.
So many Tenebrous factions to keep track of. What the hell was Zander thinking, trying to defeat this lot? I silently ask my Gemini, who’s taking on three Walkers of her own. And though she can easily defeat them, twenty have dwindled to about eleven now, so I opt to come to her aide.
Shadow Walkers, who are generally much easier to overpower, are still tricky in large numbers. As former humans who chose to walk the path of shadows rather than Eternalize to the Summerlands of the Eternal Realm, these Second Gen Demons seek power, first and foremost. Anyone who’s faced a human with a taste for blood knows they can be as lethal as a Shifter under the right circumstances.
I turn to Seraya, and together, we force the three Walkers into a gap. We push the horde of minions back through the alleyway and into a larger space. A loading dock on one side opens up to the back of a storeroom, but the door is closed tightly.
Avoiding their daggers and claws, we whittle away at them until it’s clear they’re beaten.
Azrael appears to have ducked out. Pity. I would’ve loved to have found out why he came.
Pulling my dagger out of the heart of another Walker, the battle is won. We have some injuries to tend to, but we came out well.
One by one, the intact Walkers disappear through portals while the bodies of the dead dissolve into nothing. It will take a few months before they materialize in the Shadowlands, reformed and ready to fight again, just like the others who fell to our blades.
“Guess they don’t like my blood,” Nova says with a pained voice. “They just disappeared.” She accompanies her words with a giggle and hand gestures like evaporating smoke. “Poof.”
Remliel chuckles and grins at Zander. “Next time leave me one, Z.”
“Not a chance, dude. My body count isn’t gonna rise enough if I let you pick off the stragglers.”
“Zander.” I growl, pulling him away from the group. “What the hell was this?” He’s been getting on my last nerve lately, and after a careless fight that got Nova injured, I’ve lost my patience.
“We were tracking a lone Demon. I followed first into that alley.” Zander points his dagger at a dark gap between buildings further down. “I had him, ready to send him home, then I heard Nova scream. As fast as I could get back out, they were surrounded. I didn’t hear them jump in.”
Simmering silently, I turn and head to Seraya, who’s tending to Nova’s injury.
I wince. The sight of Nova’s blood makes mine run cold. An inch or two to the right, and it could’ve nicked her heart.
We may be immortal, but healing can be slow. An injury fatal to humans would put an Eternal out of commission for weeks. Eternals are humans chosen by the divine – Goddesses like the Mother, Gaia and Seraya – to Eternalize after their mortal death and become warriors serving Genesis to protect the three realms. With the way things have been going down there lately, Nova’s service is needed now more than ever. We can’t afford for any Eternal to be sidelined.
“Zander.”
My call brings him over. He must not have seen Nova’s gaping chest wound.
Wide eyes, short breaths…his agitation is palpable now.
“This went badly. You need to be more careful with others involved. Nova’s not one of your insane Hunters, even though she’s tough as nails. If you don’t have your flanks covered, at least be mindful of the Guardians with you.”
Eyes downcast, Zander thinks I’m being hard on him.
He’s not wrong. My time as a Genesis Elder has taught me taking unnecessary risks often results in disaster. One of these days, Zander’s impulsiveness will bring him to ruin. The last thing I want is for him to go through that. I’ve made many mistakes and watching him make the same is senseless. He deserves better.
“You’re right. I get carried away when I have one cornered. I need to watch that.” Zander admits. “Sorry, Titus. This is on me.” His exhalation carries remorse as he frowns, staring at Nova’s bloody wound.
“She’s going to be okay. We’ll have her mission-ready in a few days.” I pat his shoulder for good measure. “But this could have been a disaster. Pull your head out of your ass and make sure your team is covered. We can’t afford needless mistakes.”
With a gruff rebuke hanging in the air, I march over to Seraya and kneel to inspect Nova’s injury.
“You ever going to ease up on him?” Seraya’s disapproving stare pierces my soul as she glares. “He’s still a newbie. He’s done quite well, even you have to admit. Now give me some room to work.”
That’s my girl. Concern for everyone – all at once, all the time.
I know she’s right. I like Zander, but I get so damn irritated with the kid.
My hand slides along her shoulder as I move off to inspect the rest of our team. I can feel her emotions as if they’re my own – both a blessing and a curse of being her Gemini. She’s irritated but not livid. I need to fix this. Sighing to myself, I decide later will do. I have wounded to deal with.
Back with Remliel, seems he took a blade to the arm. “Can you bend it?”
“Here, you look too clean.” Remliel grins, flicking drops of his blood at me. His chuckle
is reassuring. “Don’t get worked up, I’ve cut myself worse than this shaving.”
Leave it to Remliel to lighten the mood. If he can jest, he can fight.
“You say that, but how many times have I carried your slack ass through a portal after a battle?” I’m relieved he’s okay. Worried about Nova, but better. “Did you see what got to your Gemini? Nova’s usually too alert to get sideswiped. Did she banish the one that stabbed her?”
“That’s what has me worried,” he says. “I didn’t feel a thing. Not a whisper. We weren’t ready, really. Zander had that one cornered.” He points across the way to my bond brother. “Then there was a swarm around us. I don’t know why they weren’t more obvious…I can usually smell their evil stench miles off. But out of nowhere, a herd had us on the run. Nova partially blocked the thrust that got her or else she might have been worse off. The bad news is I’m ninety-nine percent certain Helena was with them.”
My head snaps around at the mention of our oldest enemy.
“Are you kidding? We haven’t seen her in half a century. Now all of a sudden she shows up to ambush you three?” I run my hand through my hair then fold my arms, cupping my chin in the fingers of my right hand. “Why now?”
“Not sure. Before today, she was rumored dead after Chayah buried her dagger in Helena’s chest. Guess not.” Remliel narrows his gaze, wrinkles creasing his forehead. “I don’t know what she’s up to, but when Helena makes an appearance, it’s not a good omen for any of us.”
Just as I turn around to look for Seraya, she’s disappearing through a portal, probably off to gather her thoughts. Something she does often. But now isn’t the time to disappear, now is the time to strategize and get things together.
Realms and Rebels: A Paranormal and Fantasy Reverse Harem Collection Page 122
