King Of Shadows: The Shadowcrown Duet

by Kay Elle Parker

  He hummed softly. “Yes, so it would seem. Would you like me to investigate?”

  Allianna smothered a grin. Sending him to investigate wasn’t an exercise in sneak tactics. Even if he could move like a ninja on those clodhopper feet, his size would always betray him. “Not yet, Dhur. Antzel’s arrival is imminent and I’d like you to be here...”

  “For protection?”

  A sharp pain hit her in the chest, blinding her with intensity. Guilt was a wicked bitch, slicing at her heart when she least expected. “No, in case I need you to pull me off Kian’s body. Antzel will die tonight, but I need you to make sure I don’t damage the body any more than necessary if I lose control, Dhur.”

  “He’s not there, Allianna,” Dhur assured her, his voice dropping below a whisper. “Saving his physical form won’t spare his eternal soul.”

  “I don’t care.” She sat straighter on the throne, feeling the thrum of the demon’s presence drawing closer. By the way the army in front of her shifted to attention, so did they. It appeared Antzel’s precarious emotional state preceded him. “It’s the form he will be remembered by, and I don’t want it marred. Kian was more of a king than Antzel could ever hope to be.”

  “Amen to that.” Dhur eased back to stand behind the throne as the doors to the hall exploded open and the demon in question stormed into the room like a wet cat, all bristling flesh and spitting eyes.

  The Shadow warriors began to hiss in unison, an ominous sign for the beast. Warriors only banded together to produce that particular sound when they felt they or their hierarchy was threatened. It meant almost immediate retaliation.

  Allianna lifted her hands and drew their attention back to her with a gracious smile. “Thank you, my friends. There is no need for hostile measures. I have not asked you here to fight for me, not today. Your willingness to stand in my stead is appreciated but not required. Today, I ask you stand as witnesses to the revival of the Shadow realm, and the rightful placement of the Crown.”

  Antzel glowered at her. “What do you think you are doing, wife?” he asked between clenched teeth as he moved carefully down the narrow aisle made from solid walls of soldiers. “You should be in bed, resting after your ordeal.”

  Memories flashed like disco lights in her mind, taking her back to the altar chamber and the atrocities committed against her. Dismissing them with a shake of her head, she arched an eyebrow at the demon in Lord’s clothing. “An ordeal perpetrated by you and your mother, Antzel. I believe the rape of the Shadow Queen carries the penalty of death—a punishment which has already seen Itzel’s heart crushed in my hand.”

  He paled, which pleased her. “You lie!”

  Calmly, Allianna inspected her nails, her palms, and picked traces of blackened flesh from beneath her fingernails. How careless of her not to remove every trace of the necromancer from her person. “The bitch that spawned you died by my hands a few hours ago, Antzel. I snapped that plate of armor clean off her chest and pulverized her still-beating heart in my hand while she knelt at my feet. I left her to rot in her chambers beneath our feet.”

  Fists clenched, practically vibrating with fury, Antzel’s face displayed the exact moment he registered the truth. For a split second he looked like a lost little boy, fragile and damaged by the loss of his mother. Then his eyes began to glow the darkest shade of red and that...enlightening moment disappeared forever.

  “So many lives you’ve ruined,” she said flatly and set her hands on the edge of the throne. Pushing to her feet, she heard the soft cheers coming from the crowd. “I thought I’d offer you the opportunity to experience grief as I know it.”

  “She was my mother, so what.” Valiantly trying to keep himself together, Antzel swallowed hard as he essentially disowned his mother. “She would have led us to a status beyond immortality if you hadn’t been so fucking hung up on Kian and that annoying Second of his.”

  She could see his mourning running through his blood. Good. Let him have a taste of what his actions did to the world. “Immortality in exchange for my son, Antzel. Seriously. How low can you sink? Handing him over wasn’t a problem, was it? You were waiting to throw him at the first individual capable of helping you to attain the Crown.”

  “You mean our son,” he corrected with an edge of his usual arrogance.

  Going with what her instincts dictated, Allianna stepped toward him. “I mean my son sired by the man who taught each and every soldier here in this room. A man who was braver, stronger, and ten times the king you’ll ever make, Antzel. Islador is the father of my son, not you. Your line dies today.”

  She thought she might have imagined the demon’s knees give way. She sure as hell didn’t imagine the sheer outrage that blanketed his face, the shock and puzzlement that was soon eclipsed by unadulterated rage. “I find it funny, Antzel, how a few days can change everything in life. Take you, for example. With Kian as your host, you had everything. A throne, a kingdom, a woman who loved you, and a man who would have defended you until his last breath. A son. Now? Your mother and advisor is dead. The man who would’ve defended you is dead by your hand. Your son is another man’s and your woman abhors you to the depths of her soul. So much so, she’s about to take your throne, your coveted crown, and rule your kingdom while you explain yourself to Lucifer.”

  Antzel’s demeanor was shifting rapidly from stunned to apoplectic. His stance, his stride...he sent off beacons of aggression with each purposeful step toward her. “So many lies spewing from those pretty lips,” he hissed. “They looked better wrapped around my cock, wife.”

  “Kian’s cock,” she corrected, lifting a finger and wagging it at him.

  The bastard growled at her, and Allianna just laughed. She wagged that same finger at Dhur as he moved to protect her, and she could feel the animosity brewing between demon and golem. “How the fuck did you get that thing into my realm?”

  Allianna lifted her eyebrows innocently. “Dhur? He’s been here all along, my Lord,” she said sarcastically, smothering a grin as the demon looked baffled. “I used to think he was just my imaginary friend, you know? But seeing as you can see him too, I guess he must be real. I’ve got to tell you,” she continued, dropping her voice to a whisper, “he really didn’t like what you did to me in the altar room, husband. You might want to watch your back.”

  With perfect timing, Dhur slammed his heavy fist into his palm twice, rock cracking on rock like a double-barreled thunderclap. The sound almost deafened her, but it was worth it to see the demon pale.

  “You’d dare make a mockery of me?”

  There it was. Allianna’s insides twisted with nerves and excitement as she finally got what she wanted from the monster making her life so complicated. In silence, she called the shadows forth, relaxing as they slithered along the ground like thick fog.

  Three defense systems in place, ready to rock and roll.

  “I would’ve given you the fucking world, you stupid bitch! First the realm, then hell, and then an eternity in the one place from which we’re banned. We could have ruled the mortal plane, Allianna, and our son would have been the prince of heaven.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Bullshit, Antzel. Overthrowing Lucifer is a death sentence. If you succeeded in killing him, do you honestly think you’d have the strength of character to subdue millions of demonic creatures without them running riot and destroying everything, including you? Lucifer rules hell for a reason, you idiot—he’s the only one who can.”

  “I can!” It was a furious roar laced with indignation, and it accompanied the shimmer of transition over his body.

  Allianna held her ground as the shimmer rippled over mortal flesh, biting her tongue to stop from screaming when Kian’s skin began to shred. Blood dripped in rivulets down toned muscles, dripping musically from fingertips as the body she wanted so much to save was rendered into bloody strips of human meat.

  The walking carcass bulged, almost throbbing in places, as Antzel’s true form emerged. Blood was a waterfall now, spi
lling from widening splits, pooling on the stone floor and turning her stomach with the scent of so much fresh blood. She was barely capable of keeping the bile down as hunks of skin and muscle fell away, plopping wetly into the blood.

  There were shouts from around the room as soldiers formed into units, their leaders braced and anticipating her orders. No doubt many of them hadn’t believed their Lord had been hijacked by a demon; there could be no doubt now.

  The remnants of Kian’s body exploded in a wet mess, spraying blood and gore over much of the hall. Allianna wiped it from her face without betraying her emotions, but only just. There would be more than just Kian’s blood on her before the night was over.

  “Nice of you to show your true colors, Antzel.”

  Dhur was busy murmuring prayers behind her, and several warriors echoed his sentiments as her army moved into a circle several men deep around them, creating the ring for the final showdown.

  Antzel was a nightmare. Her soul shuddered in horror at the thought of this thing being inside her, and she was pathetically grateful that the child growing in her womb was not a product of his biological influence. She’d have cut herself open and ripped it from her dying body if her son had been fathered by the demonic asshole.

  In some respects, Antzel was similar to his mother. His limbs had the same skeletal appearance and his head was a little reptilian, but other than that, he was more scorpion to look at. Six legs supported an insectoid-like body almost six feet in length. He sported a curved tail like a scorpion, but where the stinger would be, there was a serrated spike that seemed to have a mind of its own.

  To Allianna’s mind, he resembled a centaur but without the grace and beauty of the equine form. His torso was black, plated like his mother’s, and vaguely human. Spindly arms with those bony black fingers that could rake down a chalkboard and drop a man to his knees.

  Or gut a man who got in Antzel’s way.

  His head was chunkier than Itzel’s, a heavy angular thing that oddly fit the rest of his body. He looked around, a spider’s set of blood-red eyes assessing the room and his foes until they focused entirely on her. Jagged-edged teeth gleamed at her as he grinned in predatory delight. “I admit, it’s been tedious remaining in such a dull human form. So many limitations.”

  Pain sheared through her head, sharp enough to bring tears to her eyes. She resisted the urge to press trembling hands to her temples, to dig through her skull and rip the torment from her brain. Whatever she’d taken from Antzel was awakening quickly in response to exposure to his pure form.

  “But you were so pretty in that form,” Allianna choked out, feeling life surge along the bond between the demon and the stolen power. Her hands began to tingle and shake despite the fists she made. “I guarantee you’ll look far better in this guise when I’ve finished with you.”

  Antzel’s arms spread wide as though encouraging her to strike. “My vicious wife wishes to see me dead. Tsk. My cheating whore of a wife believes she is too good for me, little high and mighty princess born of a mortal and an archangel. So innocent, she let another man fuck her.”

  Burning shards of pain sliced between her shoulder blades, twin stabs that nearly caused her to drop to her knees. She heard material rip, heard Dhur’s gasp. “I never fucked Islador,” she wheezed before her lungs seized and the only sounds she could make were whimpers. “I wish I had.”

  That murderous tail lashed out at her faster than she expected. She raised her arms to block the blow, but she knew flesh would be no barrier against the vicious serration. Whooshing air surrounded her, filled her ears as excruciating agony dropped her onto hands and knees.

  Everything stopped in a heartbeat. There was no more pain. Time became inconsequential. She wondered if this was the crucial moment where her life ended, and judgement was cast.

  “What the fuck?” Antzel sounded...scared.

  Allianna looked up, perplexed to find herself cast in shadow. The ones at her command roiled around her but they weren’t responsible for the darkness bathing her in protection. She blinked in surprise, unprepared to discover a dark green canopy above her head, shielding her.

  Were those feathers?

  They shifted when she moved, mimicking the motion of her arms, and she felt the tug of them originating from where the pain had struck her shoulders. Experimentally, dismissing the demon for a few precious moments, she swept her right arm to the side and was stunned to the core when a wing—a fucking wing—gracefully mirrored the gesture with a soft whisper of air.

  The same happened with her left arm, and Allianna laughed delightedly. This had to be a sign from the Almighty. Had to be. Swinging her arms gently, she was mesmerized by the immense span of her new attachments, the glitter and sheen of the colors. Colors she chose to believe were another sign from above, because she didn’t sport the beautiful iridescent colors of her father’s wings.

  Her feathers were the green of Kian’s eyes, edged with the silver of Islador’s.

  Allianna loved them immediately, for that reason alone.

  Antzel made a choked sound, drawing her attention back to the irritating little pissant in front of her. Bolstered by her new weapons, riding the high of the power whipping through the link between Antzel and herself, Allianna snapped her arms out to the sides and grinned as her wings extended to their full breadth and splendor.

  “Angel versus demon,” Alli threw the words down as a challenge. “Do you think it matters you’re no more an angel than I am, and I’m just as much demon as you?”

  Antzel’s tail swayed from side to side, a cobra ready to strike but unsure what to aim for. It was quite hypnotic really, the tail itself sinuous in its rhythm and movement, while the lethal tip surveyed its prey with eerily blind accuracy. “Death won’t care what you are when he cuts you down, little bitch.”

  With a flick of her wrist, she lashed out at the demon, sending a silver-tipped wing slicing at his plated chest as a warning. She didn’t expect the spray of blood that followed, or Antzel’s howl of pain, as her weaponized limb cut effortlessly through what should have been impenetrable.

  Shadow warriors crowed loudly, thousands of feet stomping in support against stone, making enough noise to bring the roof down on their heads as Antzel retreated a few steps, his fingers pressed to the wound but too narrow to staunch the flow of blood.

  Allianna didn’t hesitate, stalking forward with her wings outstretched like an avenging angel. She would never be more than a tainted hybrid of bloodlines, she knew that, but in that moment when the demon cowered before her, her angelic heritage surpassed the demonic influence she’d brought into herself.

  In that moment, she was what she could have been in another lifetime. A paragon of justice and righteousness, dealing out punishment as it was warranted and removing evil from her sight.

  “You’re in my realm now and here...here, I am death.” She lashed out again with the full stretch of her ten-foot wing and shuddered with almost sexual pleasure as another wound opened in his flesh and blood splattered. “You’re a coward, Antzel. Not fit to lead my people. Retreating from a fight against a woman half your size.” Another quick slash, a pained whimper. “Fight me, you spineless fucker. Give me validation to spill your guts over the floor.”

  Something sparked in several red eyes as they blinked. His feet scrabbled on the stone as he charged forward, struggling for purchase as he skidded in place. Much like his mother had done, Allianna remembered with a quick twitch of her lips.

  Leading with his tail, he used it to distract her as he lunged, jabbing his needle-like fingers into her feathers in an attempt to disable them. He roared when several of his digits snapped off at the knuckles, broken clean off by the almost metallic weave of her feathers.

  “Again!” she demanded furiously, using the broad side of her wing to smack him sideways. She didn’t care that he cradled his disgusting hands, whimpering pathetically. Shit, she’d taken his cock with more dignity than he could handle broken fingers. “Kings
don’t cry, Antzel. They don’t rape their women or bind them with dark magic. Kings stand tall in front of their people and fight to the last breath.”

  “This wasn’t supposed to happen!” he shouted, jabbing at her with the point of his tail as she advanced on him mercilessly. He was backing himself into an impossible position—the circle of warriors around him wasn’t stepping back to allow him room anymore.

  They stood fast, obviously scenting his fear and the impending kill.

  Allianna ducked one of his half-hearted attacks, hissed as the teeth wedged into his tail scored her shoulder with a line of fire. Ignoring the burn, she tried to separate her arms from her wings. Killing him would be so much more satisfying with her bare hands around his throat. “You chose the path that made this happen. Everything happening right now is down to you and your actions, your choices. It’s the price of the blood you have on your hands, Antzel, and it’s long overdue.”

  He glared at her, so fiercely she could taste the hate in his beady little ruby eyes. She met it without blinking, refusing to be intimidated by a creature so abhorrent. Then he smiled slowly, the cunning smile of an adversary with something up his sleeve, and her heart hitched.

  Antzel moved like lightning, scurrying forward as the demon bond in her brain flashed bright white. Blinded by the pain tearing her head into useless chunks of brain matter, she had no defense against the whip of his tail slicing across her lower belly. She cried out, her wings cocooning her as she wrapped her arms around herself.

  She dropped to one knee as the wicked serration hacked at her calf, her thigh, sending her sprawling onto the floor of the great hall. Her leg hurt—God knew it fucking hurt—but her stomach was her main priority. The survival of her son was imperative.

  “Submit, Allianna, and I will let you live.”

  Over my dead body, she thought, and forced herself back onto her feet. She might be swaying unsteadily, the smell of her own blood might be thick in her nostrils, but she wouldn’t submit when so fucking much was at stake.