Queen of Darkness (War of Heavenly Fire Book 1)

by Devyn Sinclair

  “It can’t be worse than this,” I say.

  Clear understanding dawns in his eyes. And his voice is not unkind. “Yes. It can.”

  He grips my arm and smoke curls around us, smothering us as we descend to hell.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  _______

  Hell is shrieking. The sound is so loud that it echoes back on itself, making my ears ring. It only gets louder when Cassian and I appear out of his smoke. Tartarus already knows my crime. They saw the High Trinity alive and well. The ones who are left saw thousands slaughtered. Evaporated and burnt by the angels I was supposed to murder for my crown.

  I want to turn to Cassian and tell him that we can leave. That we can run together right now and leave this place behind. But we both have too many enemies. Both took vows to serve the darkness. They would never stop hunting us.

  I chose this. I must accept whatever fate is in front of me now. And peace spreads through me. It was worth it. To save them.

  Cassian walks me towards the throne, hand gripping my arm harshly. We have roles to play, and he will not be able to hold back. If I am to be tortured, Cassian will be used to do it. My father has had years of practice exploiting our weaknesses.

  Arad is on the throne. He says nothing. Does nothing. Black eyes watching me come closer. I stand before him, in front of the altar, and stare back. Telem comes down the stairs, and his hand slams down on my shoulder, forcing me to my knees. Pain radiates from the impact, and again when the stone of his flesh crashes into my jaw. I fall, knocked against the stone.

  And when my eyes stop shining with spots that are not real, I kneel again. This is the pain I am accustomed to. This is the pain that I can accept and take. And I do take it. Telem beats me into the ground, and each time I rise back up to my knees. Forever, each blow eliciting a cheer for the screaming crowd. For beating the traitor. I’m bloody when my father holds up a hand to silence them and stop Telem. He hits me one more time anyway, blood spattering onto the stone in front of me.

  My father does not stand as he usually does when he addresses the crowd. He sits lazily and gestures with his hands. “So the Vessel returns. Victorious, I see.”

  Laugher echoes in the chamber.

  “Tell me, Vessel. Were you incapable of killing the High Trinity?”

  I say nothing. I have already decided to say nothing. Whatever fate he hands down for me, my words will not change it. And my actions have already spoken.

  “Were you overpowered by them?”

  Blood drips from my face onto my shirt. I do not move. I do not speak.

  “Did you practice the skills of seduction on them so they let you into their beds?”

  I find a smooth spot on the stone in front of me. Just like when I focused on that damned greed bit of carpet. I focus on that smooth piece of stone with all my waking energy.

  “Surely,” Arad says, “Your soul-bonded king wants to know what the High Trinity’s cocks tasted like.”

  A small bit of round smoothness. Like a depression worn from a drop of water hitting the same spot over and over again.

  “The Court and your King would like an explanation of your betrayal.”

  Little round spot. Little round spot.

  Arad does stand then, coming down the stairs and closer to me. “I believed you were the one,” he says quietly enough for only me to hear. “I was so sure of it that I helped you win.”

  I look up at him. He was the one that made Nissa slip. That let me win the fight early. “I would have won that fight anyway.”

  “I couldn’t take that chance. Not on Nissa’s temper and her abilities. You were always meant to rule. But now,” fire lances across my cheek as he slaps me, “you are less than nothing.”

  “Then kill me,” I say. My mouth is thick with blood. My words slurred with it. “Kill me.”

  Arad smiles. “You would like that wouldn’t you. To think that your efforts won you some grand gesture of sacrifice. But it will not. You bound yourself to Tartarus. And she will exact her payment from you.”

  Arad looks up and nods to someone I cannot see. I cannot move. And the new pain blends into the old pain. I am stomped and spit on, clothes torn until I have none left. I cannot bring myself to kneel now. I don’t know that I could move.

  “Behold your Queen,” Arad calls to the jeering crowd. He lets them scream it for a while before bringing them to silence. Even now, he knows how to be theatrical. And they will always love him for it. “And she will be your Queen,” he says into the silence. “Being bound to the flame cannot be undone. But even as the Queen, she will be a slave.”

  Roaring applause.

  Cassian’s power reaches for me. It eases some of the pain. Enough for me to move. To return to that kneeling position. They will try to break me. But they cannot break something that is already broken.

  “Behold your King,” Arad says, pointing to Cassian. “When the flame passes to him, let him rule well, and show you how Tartarus deals with traitors.”

  Hands pick me up again, and I’m carried. Pulled. Dragged. To the altar. This time I face the throne as they lock me in the chains. I cannot lift my head to see what’s coming. It does not matter.

  Whip, Cassian says into my mind. I will numb the pain.

  Don’t. They will know.

  “Before someone can earn the honor of being a slave,” Arad says to the Court, “one must learn their place.” Metal snaps around my neck, and then burning fire, searing hot to my skin, and I scream. It burns and boils and is so much worse than everything else. I don’t want to scream.

  I bite down hard on my lip to stop, but the pain does not subside. The metal tight against my skin, and through the burning pain I know that it is welded shut.

  I am what I pretended to be for the Trinity. A slave. Nothing more than what they tell me to be.

  The first last of the whip bites into my skin, and I bit my lip again. I let the pain pass through like it’s nothing. I cannot feel pain if I am nothing. But Cassian is not the only person who holds the whip. Telem holds it next, ripping open my flesh. And every demon that survived Ellismer. And finally Arad himself.

  I do not know how many times I lost consciousness. It did not matter. They woke me up and started again. They will extract their vengeance. He said he would not kill me, but I am not entirely sure. My soul feels light, and I think that I could float all the way to Asterium. Maybe I will see my angels there. Maybe they will not hate me for what I have done. I pass out again, and this time I do not wake up.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  _______

  When I wake I am bound. I do not know where I am, except that no one will ever find me here. Most that disappear into the depths of the Underworld do not ever come back out. There are monsters here.

  I am made of pain, a living thing. My back is torn to shreds, pressed against the rough surface of stone. When I flex my fingers, they do not move. My hands are enveloped in metal. Mittens of solid iron and chains that bind them down. My feet are the same. Metal bands pin me to this stone. Even one across my forehead. They have turned me into an unwilling statue. I reach for my power, but that is gone too. Stifled.

  The door to whatever hole they have stored me in opens, and Arad comes into view. “I was informed that you were awake. One must watch traitors carefully.”

  He gestures beyond where I can see, and a man with wings is dragged into view. An angel, but he is not my angel, and he is not Cassian. He looks terrified. More so when he sees me. “Get on with it,” Arad says.

  The terrified man takes a breath. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Heal her.” Arad must see the confusion on my face. “Pain fades after a little while. It all becomes one. And for your punishment to be effective, you need to be able to feel it. So I will have you healed, and we will start again.” He leans close, sour breath hot on my face. “If you were not the Vessel and my claimed air, you would be bound to this stone for the rest of your life. I would keep you alive and heal you ever
y day just for the chance to flay your skin anew. You cost me the world, and I will extract the cost of it from you.”

  He walks away, furious, and the angel puts his hands on my skin. Cool power ripples across it, and relief. It will be short-lived. The angel is looking at me with unimaginable pity and sadness. If there wasn’t metal covering my lips, I would tell him not to be sad. That it was worth it.

  “Unfortunately,” Arad says. “You are the vessel. So I don’t have a choice. I cannot keep you here forever. But you will be here until every debt you owe is paid. You owe many debts, Arielle. And lucky for you, I have one of the best debt collectors that there is.”

  I hear the door open again, and Cassian steps into view. His eyes travel my body quickly, assessing. He has not seen me like this. Not yet. Arad hands Cassian a piece of paper. “Her first debt. Find me when you are finished.” The king grabs the angel and hauls me away, the door slamming behind him.

  Cassian walks away from me to face the wall. And he strikes it with enough force that it cracks. His power floods my mind. An open connection.

  I knew it would be you.

  He shakes his head. I hoped that it wouldn’t be.

  We’re not that lucky.

  Turning and looking at me. Just because Arad is not here does not mean he is not watching.

  I know.

  It means he cannot help me. He cannot make me feel nothing. They will want to hear me scream. But they are alive. It was worth it.

  It was worth it. I tell him.

  He opens the piece of paper, and I’m close enough to see him suck in a breath. But the connection is still open between our minds. Out of my sight for a moment, I hear the hiss of flame and the scrape of metal. White hot spikes are in his hands.

  This is nothing. I will not be afraid. They are alive.

  “I’m sorry,” Cassian says.

  I’m not.

  “You knew the consequences for betrayal. You’ve always known.”

  Yes.

  He gives me a chance to close my eyes, and my skin begins to burn.

  To be continued…

  Hello my beautiful readers! I hope you enjoyed QUEEN OF DARKNESS, the first installment in the WAR OF HEAVENLY FIRE trilogy! I’m so excited to finally have this book out in the world with you. I had the best time writing it, and there’s more of Arielle and her harem coming very soon.

  But I do have one question. If you like this book, would you consider leaving me a review? I love hearing from readers about what they loved, and even what they didn’t. Review like yours help others find books!

  There are more words coming to you very soon, and I hope to see you there.

  ~Devyn

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  About the Author

  Devyn Sinclair writes steamy Reverse Harem romances for your wildest fantasies. Every sexy story is packed with the right amount of steam, hot men, and delicious happy endings.

  She lives in the wilds of Montana in a small red house with a crazy orange cat. When Devyn's not writing, she spends time outside in big sky country, continues her quest to find the best lemon pastry there is, drinks too much tea, and buys too many books. (Of course!)

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  Coming soon from Devyn Sinclair

  Breathless

  Book Four of the Carnal Court

  Pre-order here

  The fate of faery is in my hands, if it doesn't kill me first.

  Kari Taylor barely managed to save her best friend from a brutal death at the hands of her enemies. Though they escaped unharmed, they were not unscathed. Her captive mate is still bound to her tormentor, and the fate of all faery rests on Kari’s shoulders.

  But the past has come back to haunt them. Kari’s human lover has been accused of crimes against the fae, and those charging him are hell-bent on making him suffer. The fae have long memories, and remorse matters little to them. Especially when it’s only the life of one fragile, insignificant human. Revenge will do just fine.

  Danger closing in from every direction, there is only one choice: petition the goddess of faery to save Kent’s life, even if he might die in the process. With the heart of faery crumbling and her lover’s life hanging in the balance, Kari must decide whether to gamble on faith, or face the darkness that’s determined to take her life.

  BREATHLESS is the fourth book in a steamy, medium-burn full-length reverse harem fantasy romance series. No choosing, no cheating. Mature readers only, and beware of cliffhangers!