Hidden Runes

by G. Bailey

  “You can’t just come here and claim to be a child of our beloved queen. You have no keeper to bless you and prove your birth,” keeper Cadean exclaims in a pompous voice. “Now leave. You are not welcome here.”

  “I bless her and recognize her birth. She is who she says she is,” keeper Grey says, walking to keeper Cadean’s side, and lowering his hood. Whispers break out in the crowd of Protectors as the keepers stare each other down. I smile as I watch Erica slowly lose her shit, but then she seems to gain control, plastering a big smile on her red lips. She stands up and walks over to me, stopping a few feet away.

  “I lost my sisters, and I never thought I would be lucky enough to find another family member. This is truly an amazing day!” she says, her voice overly sweet and she comes closer. “Can I hug my sister?” Her question is loud, and I can’t help my instant reply.

  “No. You can fuck right off,” I answer, and the Protectors gasp in horror. Shit, I was meant to be nice and fake. Ah well, no going back now.

  “Don’t worry, I understand you haven’t had a good upbringing…and you have become, well, this. I still want to be your sister and welcome you to your home,” she says, smiling sweetly once again. She is playing the crowd. The little bitch. I walk to her side, standing extremely close so only she can hear me.

  “I am going to kill you,” I warn her, and she keeps a smile plastered on her face as she turns to me.

  “Good luck with that, sister. Whatever saved you, won’t work next time.” Erica walks back to the throne as keeper Grey comes to my side, placing his hand on my shoulder.

  “We should leave and give the Protectors some time to plan,” he suggests, and I don’t miss the we in that statement. They are going to try and kill him for what he has done.

  “Sure. I only have one more thing to do,” I say, and lift my dagger in my hand. I pull back and throw it, and it lands in the heart of keeper Cadean. The Protectors scream as I walk over to him, his hand clutching the dagger and his mouth parted in shock.

  “What have you done?! Murderer!” Erica screams, but she isn’t brave enough to come near me just as I get right in front of the keeper. I lift his head with my hand, his eyes seem somewhat scared of death. After what he did, he should be.

  “This keeper killed my mother. Our mother. I will not let him live,” I shout, making sure everyone hears me.

  “That isn’t true,” Erica says, shaking her head and when I look over at her for a second, I can see she is truly shocked. She doesn’t know.

  “It is. Keeper Grey even heard the deal he made with the demons that killed Eella and nearly me as well,” I reply. “I have other proof, but it isn’t needed.” I ignore everyone shouting and making demands that I be taken away. I lean down, pulling the dagger out of his heart and watching the life leave his eyes. The light of his soul floats out his body, flying up through the ceiling as he falls on the gold floor. I wipe the blood off my dagger on my dress and turn around.

  “Let me make one thing damn clear. Anyone that attacks my family, that kills anyone I love, will have the same fate as this keeper. I protect my own, and I get their revenge. Always,” I shout into the crowd, and see a few Protectors flash me a look of respect, even if most look terrified. I walk over to keeper Grey and open a portal without looking back once. Star jumps in, and I give him a quick look.

  “I will stay. I am next in line to lead the keepers. The test begins soon, I look forward to seeing you there, princess Evelina Ravenwood,” he says, smiling at me before bowing his head then walking over to the keepers. I don’t miss how he purposely steps over keeper Cadean’s body on his way.

  “See you soon, dear sister,” Erica calls out, again using that stupid innocent sweet tone. I don’t even reply to her as I walk through the portal and go to the only place I know as home.

  Epilogue

  Erica

  “Cex, we have a problem,” I whisper, keeping my voice as seductive as possible as I lay my hands on his chest. I should be terrified of the dangerous glint in his eyes when he grabs my hands and squeezes them tight as he pulls them off his chest, but it only makes me desire him more. I try to forget the determined expression on Evelina’s face as she strolled in the throne room like she owned the entire city. She owns nothing. She is nothing. I will be queen.

  “You mean the problem of your assassin sister still being alive?” he growls out, and I can barely understand his words with how angry he is. I scream in pain as he suddenly throws me across the room, and I smash into a mirror. The mirror cuts into my skin in dozens of places, and I lay still as Cex walks over to me.

  “I didn’t know,” I bite out, fearing the look on his face as he stares down at me.

  “If I didn’t need you, you would be dead,” Cex points out emotionlessly, and lifts me up off the ground with one hand.

  “But you do need me,” I cough out as he wraps his hands around my throat, and his eyes glow redder than before.

  “I have a plan, a way to make sure Evelina is no threat to you becoming queen,” he tells me and slides a hand down my body to my ass. He lifts me onto the dressing table behind us and steps in between my legs, still forcing my gaze up to him with a tight hand on my throat.

  “What plan?” I manage to cough out.

  “Do you think I can trust you?” he murmurs and laughs low.

  “Yes,” I whisper. “I love you. I would never betray you.”

  “You will be queen, and then maybe I can trust you,” he states, making my heart pound from both fear and desire. “For now, you will do what I tell you, and we will destroy Evelina Ravenwood together.”

  “How? Show me something at least. I do not know how to beat her in the test,” I confess, and he tilts his head to the side with an evil sneer.

  “Come with me,” he says suddenly and lets me go. I fall to the floor, but I quickly force myself to get up and run after Cex as he walks through a portal he makes. I sway a little when I get to the other side and feel thankful that demon portals do not knock me out anymore.

  “Where are we?” I ask, looking up at the massive house which is lit up with dozens of lights. I can hear traffic in the distance, and we are stood in a garden with massive walls.

  “Somewhere we can get power, and lots of it. Evelina won’t be able to fight you, not after we finish our work here,” Cex states and grins at me before walking straight towards the house, and I don’t pause as I walk after him and see what I think is an angel fly into the sky.

  Pre-order Runes of Black Magic here…

  Book Three

  Defending my claim to the throne will be easy, but defending my heart? That’s where everything could go wrong.

  Entering the royal court of the Protectors was never going to be easy for someone like Evie, but at least she isn’t alone. Trex, Connor and Nix are determined to show everyone who Evie really is and that she is not just the heartless assassin they all believe and fear.

  With whispers of war, the angels gone missing, and tests that are far deadlier than anyone could have predicted…who will win the throne?

  The Protectors aren’t the only ones that are whispering, because demons don’t forget.

  Death is not the end…and demons will survive.

  18+ RH series. Book three of four.

  Prologue

  Evie

  “I’m not good at admitting my feelings, but what you said about being brave…well, it hit home. I can’t run from feeling anything all the time. I just can’t anymore,” I whisper. “I love you. It’s that simple.”

  “It’s okay to love them too. I never thought I could share you in a million years, but it doesn’t feel like sharing with them. It feels like they are family,” he tells me.

  “It does feel like that, huh?” I muse, knowing that, for some reason, it just works with us all together. I never thought I’d have feelings for more than one guy, let alone think about a future with more than one, but here I am. Though I never once imagined being a princess, so it’s a strange
year right now. I lean up, resting my chin on my hands as I look down at Azi’s contented face. “I don’t want to bring up anything bad right now, but we should talk about it. Did you find out anything useful?”

  “Why don’t we get dressed and get those Protectors of yours together. It’s a long story that I think everyone needs to hear,” he tells me.

  “A good story?” I ask, being hopeful.

  “Not exactly, Vi.”

  Fifty-Eight

  Evie

  The arrow leaves my bow, swiftly slamming into the middle of the target, and I am pulling my next arrow out of my quiver in the next moment. I turn to my left, shooting the next target dead in the centre when I hear him walking down the basement steps.

  “It’s six in the morning, Evie. Why are you awake?” he asks me, and only a fool could miss the worry in his voice. I don’t want him to worry about me. I am more than capable of looking after myself. It’s them I’m more concerned about. We stayed with the demons for five days while they recovered from the Protectors’ attack, and then Trex explained we could hide out in a cabin where Keeper Grey could find us. I run my eyes over Connor who, other than looking a little tired, seems perfect. Too damn sexy perfect, if I’m admitting the truth to myself.

  “I couldn’t sleep,” I reply, shooting another target on the right, just before Connor stops next to me, placing his hand on my arm. I look up at his messy bed head of blond hair and the concerned expression in his eyes and sigh. “I’m getting bored of waiting in this cabin for news while Hali is with a demon. Erica is still not dead, and nobody knows what is going on.”

  “It’s only been two weeks. Keeper Grey will make preparations—”

  “I don’t care what he is doing. I agreed to fight for my throne rather than murdering my sister straight away. I never agreed to sit in this cabin with three Protectors who are just as bored. Also, I don’t like the fact that Azi is looking for his brother all night and day while I worry what is going to happen when he finds him,” I growl out. Connor doesn’t reply, he just steps in front of me and slowly pries my fingers off the bow.

  “Look, I didn’t want to use my secret weapon to get you out of here…but desperate times and all that,” he says, taking my bow out of my hands. “I cooked you a plate of bacon, crispy just how you like it.”

  “You could have just started with that,” I mutter with a small smile on my lips. Connor leans in a little closer to me, reaching his spare hand over and tucking some of my hair behind my ear that has gotten loose from the messy bun it was in. I stare up at him, my lips parting as his fingers pause on my cheek.

  “I will clean up here, go on up,” Connor suggests, and I nod, ignoring the burning tension that sends shivers over my skin as he moves his hand away. Two weeks of desire-filled looks and all of them doing their best to stay out of my way is driving me mad. I thought Connor and I were going somewhere, now I feel like the forbidden princess or some shit. I nod, stepping away as I swallow my frustration and walk up the stairs of the basement. The dim lights are on in the corridor, and I walk quietly into the open plan kitchen and lounge, seeing a plate of bacon on the counter. I pick up the plate before going and sitting down on the sofa, nibbling on the pieces in silence for a while. There is nothing but silence and the noise of me crunching on bacon in the cabin until I hear the familiar sound of heavy paws walking to me. Star walks to the side of the sofa, resting her massive head on the arm as she gazes at the bacon.

  “You’ve grown again, girl,” I say, not feeling so shocked about her growth anymore but wondering when it will stop. In just two weeks, Star has grown to my shoulder height, and all of us have been struggling to non-stop feed her while she has her growth spurt. I chuckle as Star turns her head to the side, flashing me those puppy dog eyes. “I’m not Connor or Nix. That doesn’t work on me,” I warn her, shaking my head when she starts purring, and I sigh, knowing Star is making me go soft as I feed her two pieces of bacon. Connor walks into the room, jumping on the sofa next to me and grinning.

  “So, you’re sharing now? Awesome,” he says, going to pick up a piece of bacon, and I slap his hand away, glaring at him, and he laughs. “Only Star, huh? How is that fair?”

  “She’s cute and doesn’t avoid me,” I say, and Connor stops laughing, understanding what I mean straight away.

  “I’m not avoiding you, trust me, Evie. I want nothing more than to be with you all the time, but—” Connor pauses as Star suddenly jumps in front of us, crouching low, growling as all the hairs on her back stick up in the air. I reach down the side of the sofa, pulling out my hidden dagger before standing up straight, right behind Star next to Connor. I stare at the space near the fireplace where Star is fixated on as the air starts to shimmer seconds before a blue fire burns a portal into existence. I hear Nix and Trex run into the room, but I don’t take my eyes off the portal as a man in a white cloak steps out the portal, his head hidden in the cloak hood. The man lowers his hood as Star stops growling, and his familiar eyes lock with mine before he bows his head.

  “Princess Evelina Ravenwood. It is good to see you again.”

  Fifty-Nine

  Evie

  “Keeper Grey, it is good to see you as well,” Trex formally replies for me when I’m silent for far too long. I’ve never been one for small talk or lying about my feelings. This keeper has had me waiting for two weeks, and I want an answer first. I keep my eyes on Keeper Grey carefully as I stroke Star’s head. Keeper Grey has cut his hair short, the sides are braided back, and there is now a black circle on his right cheek that I have no idea what it means. Trex walks past me to shake Keeper Grey’s hand, drawing my attention to the fact Trex has a sword in his hand, and he looks tense. I glance over at Nix, who is leaning against a wall and watching me back. He looks like he just woke up, his wavy, long black hair is messy, and Nix hasn’t bothered to put on a shirt like Trex, just low hanging black joggers. I run my eyes over his chest of tattoos that go all the way up his neck and down his arms, part of me wanting to step closer and examine every one of them.

  “How are you, Evelina?” Keeper Grey asks, making me turn my head to look at him as he goes and sits next to Trex on the other sofa.

  “Perfectly bored. You?” I reply, making him laugh as I cross my arms and wait for his reason for leaving me here so long. When he notices I’m not laughing and being quite serious, he stops laughing and sighs.

  “I know you must be frustrated, waiting here with no news for so long, but there have been problems to sort out since your last visit to the Protectors. Murdering Keeper Cadean and revealing he killed our beloved queen was a shock. Let alone that our queen had a child out of mating wedlock,” he explains to me. “There was a lot of mess to deal with to make it safe for you. I do not want you coming back to opposition from the people when, as princess, you should be welcomed.”

  “Will Evie be welcomed?” Nix asks before I can ask the same thing. I glance at Nix, his arms are crossed against his chest, making every part of his chest seem more defined. More muscular. More everything I struggle to pull my eyes away from. I never understood romance movies where the girl seemed star struck by guys without their shirts on…not until these guys. Not until Azi. I can’t keep my demon out of my head, and I hate that I can’t be next to his side, helping him look for his brothers or any news. Azi is worried, and that isn’t good.

  “Yes, she will be, or the keepers will deal with anyone that goes against her. Evelina is our princess and a rightful heir to the throne. She will be treated like a royal, and I hope Evelina will learn how to gracefully act like one as well,” Keeper Grey replies firmly, and I nod at him with a smirk. Graceful isn’t something I’ve ever been called before. Or asked to be.

  “So that means I can’t kill anyone for pissing me off?” I ask, and Keeper Grey laughs again. Why does he always laugh when I’m being serious?

  “You are so funny, Evelina…but no. It’s very important you gain favour with your people. I have planned many ways to gain this ov
er the next two weeks before the first test,” he tells me, and I scowl at him.

  “Gain favour? How exactly?” I ask him. I’m not the type to chat with rich asshole Protectors to get them to like me. I know exactly how that would end. With my dagger in one of their feet.

  “By being nice, for one,” Trex informs me, like he knows what Keeper Grey is thinking. “By not being your charming, stab-happy self.”

  “Ha-Ha,” I sarcastically reply, rolling my eyes at him before looking at Keeper Grey. “What is your plan?”

  “For one, you come back with me and move into a royal apartment. I have made an entire penthouse suite safe for you, and your demon friend has access as well. Everything is planned. I think it is best that I inform you as we go,” he tells me, and I laugh this time, even though I think he is being serious.

  “Move into the Protectors’ with Erica and her psycho lover walking around? No thanks. I don’t want to be murdered in my sleep,” I say. Knowing Erica, there is literally a chance that would happen. She seems to like trying to kill me.

  “First off, Erica would not get away with hurting you. If she did and was caught, I would not allow her to take part in the test and win the throne. The throne needs a high keeper’s blessing, and I am the only high keeper left now. Things have changed, Evie; once, you were an assassin most were scared of, but now you have supporters in the city. Many liked your need to get revenge on the man that killed your mother. They saw it as an honourable killing fit for a queen,” he explains to me, and I don’t think I’m the only one shocked by that as I see the guys’ faces.