It would change. It all had to change, down to the roots and practices of her people. She needed to engage plans, gather crews and get work started on her kingdom. Every moment she dallied, the deeper the rot sank into the foundations.
“Will you trust me, my queen?” Dhur asked.
Limp, done, Allianna nodded. “With my life, Dhur.”
There was nothing but air beneath her for a second as the golem scooped her up like a newborn and cradled her to his boulder of a body. She rested her cheek on a smooth cut of onyx on his chest and sighed, content to let him carry her from the destruction she’d created.
No more blood, no more fighting.
Never in her life had she wished to be a killer. The smell and splash of fresh blood wasn’t an aphrodisiac to her, but a repellent. Her veins didn’t swell with pride at causing pain, her heart didn’t pump with excitement with a victim’s screams. Yet she had butchered Antzel, ripped Itzel’s heart free of her chest with just a fist.
What was she in reality?
Fatigue pushed her mind in crazy loops. One moment she was justified by her actions, the next she was horrified and saddened. Flying through the air, she wished the Almighty would take pity upon her broken soul and reclaim her into his arms. Forgive her the sins she had committed and restore her to health, repair the damage she’d done to herself.
“What am I, Dhur?” she mumbled.
“Beautiful, my queen. Fierce and devastating. You earned the respect of your army today, and their loyalty. An army will tackle a family of deadly mountain trolls for a leader they can trust.” The golem’s stride was slow and steady, his arms secure around her. “Islador would be proud. He loved his men, his unit, and he would be pleased to know you’ve taken them all under your rather impressive wings, my Lady.”
She laughed weakly. “A new accessory, believe me, Dhur. I didn’t even know I had them in my arsenal.”
“You intended to fight the demon bare-handed?”
“Essentially. There was magic in my grasp. I thought it would be more effective than a silly little blade incapable of cutting through his chest plate. I’m alive and he’s not, that’s the only thing I care about now.”
“You were fortunate he didn’t kill you.” Dhur cleared his throat and ducked through a doorway, careful not to bring the walls down with the breadth of his shoulders. “I’ll run you a bath, my Lady. You rest your eyes here for a minute.” He laid her down with the utmost dedication to his task, hardly stirring a hair on her head as he moved her.
“Wait.” Allianna shot out a hand, grabbed his thick arm. All she wanted was to sleep, but this...this was important. “Isla did a lot of things in the name of the crown, Dhur. Bad things, good things. He followed orders as any good soldier of the realm does. I’m sure he wasn’t proud of many of them,” she said, thinking of how he had drugged her for Kian’s benefit. For her own. “But I have to say, bringing you home was the best thing he could have done. Thank you for being here with me today. For having my back.”
To her consternation, the golem avoided her eyes. The massive body hunched over as if in pain. “Islador didn’t have chance to tell you the truth about me, my Lady. I’m ashamed to tell you myself.”
Did she want to hear something that could change her view on the big guy? Not particularly. She held him in high esteem, no matter how short their acquaintance, but she understood he might need to get whatever truth plagued him off that barrel of a chest. “There’s no shame between us, Dhur. Say what you need to say.”
His arm trembled under her hand. “I was hired to kill Islador.”
Huh. Allianna absorbed the punch to her gut stoically as her thoughts whipped madly from anger to acceptance. It tickled her a little to imagine her strong warrior facing off against the huge golem and, essentially, adopting him. The imagery made her smile when she needed to most. “Antzel by any chance?”
“No. The necromancer.”
She scoffed in disgust. “That figures. Scrawny, underhanded bitch. Fingers crossed Lucifer roasts her soul on an open fire for the rest of eternity.” She rubbed her eyes tiredly. “So you were—I’m going to go with coerced, judging by the look in what I can see of your eyes—into murdering Isla. Considering he returned alive and with you in tow, I’m assuming things didn’t go to plan for Itzel. Islador won you over, didn’t he?”
Dhur nodded slowly. “He saved me from dying on a foreign plane. I would have been executed. I deserved to be for what I did to those mortals, to the scavengers set up to die so he would come. He gave me the rest of my life.”
A good man, Allianna thought as her throat squeezed shut. One of the best. “Then I guess the truth is, you owed him, Dhur. Today, you paid him back in full by keeping his family safe. The slate’s wiped clean.”
She hadn’t known golems existed until she met him, but she didn’t think of them now as emotional creatures. Dhur proved her wrong, hitting her with a wave of relief and peace. The sound he made was long and low, quite painful in its execution, but when he was done...some of the tension in his shoulders and back dissipated.
“The slate’s wiped clean,” he repeated reverently. “Thank you, my Lady.”
She smiled. “Allianna, Dhur. Forget the formalities when it’s just you and me.”
“Allianna.” He rolled her name around on his tongue as though savoring it. “Thank you, Allianna. I...the realm is lucky to have a forgiving and compassionate queen.” He composed himself and gave her a quick nod. “I’ll go run your bath.”
Dhur lumbered away, rocking the walls of her chambers with his hurried footsteps, and Allianna let the smile spread when he tried to squeeze through the doorway to her bathroom. She’d have to find him some quarters big enough and sturdy enough to withstand his bulk and height.
When her eyes refused to stay open, she let them flutter closed as the sound of water hitting porcelain floated into the room. A moment later, a deep baritone voice, gravelly and yet ridiculously mesmerizing, reached her ears and she realized Dhur was singing.
A song she didn’t know, in a language she didn’t recognize, but it was stunningly beautiful. It followed her into dreams, into the waiting arms of Kian and Islador, and wove her subconscious into a web of joy where nothing and no one had the power to take them away.
Chapter Sixteen
Lucifer sat on the edge of the bed and watched his angel sleep. Circumstances over the last few days had spun out of all control, whipping free like a fire hose at full pressure, spraying everyone within reach with the toxicity of Antzel and his fucking mother.
Well, they were no longer capable of wreaking havoc in the Shadow realm anymore. He’d made damned sure they had no chance of causing the same chaos in his own dominion. Demons with their attitude toward hierarchy had no place in any society.
In the next room, the golem who had spent immeasurable time in some of Lucifer’s darkest prisons sang in a happy voice, surprisingly in tune. The devil had already made sure the beast would not take responsibility for what Itzel had done—and yes, Lucifer was fully aware of every detail of the necromancer’s plans. Perhaps Dhur, as Allianna called him, was entitled to some happiness of his own. After all, chances were slim he would ever return to his own family, his own realm.
Lucifer might be the biggest, scariest entity around, but his heart wasn’t completely made of stone and, contrary to popular belief, not every decision he made was designed to benefit himself. Most were, of course, but there were odd occasions where the interests of others edged out the selfish reward.
For the first time in centuries, since before his wings were stripped off their vibrant color and he was plunged into the hot, fiery depths of hell, Lucifer’s heart belonged to someone else. An angel with hair so white, eyes vivaciously blue, with a killer triumvirate of qualities he needed in a queen—the body of a warrior, the heart of a lioness guarding her cubs, and a soul that didn’t belong below the mortal plane.
Allianna slept on her back, her face lax and splattered with b
lood and gore. Her clothing and skin bore the same spray, some still damp and glistening in the low light. She had fought hard and well; watching her hadn’t been a hardship. In fact, she had been rather enlightening.
Remiel’s genetics had been passed to his daughter, no question. She fought like her archangel father, obviously had inherited the coveted wings along with her angelic looks, and she had been blessed with the vein of the Almighty’s vengeful streak, same as any of the archangels under his command.
He was willing to offer her a crown of fire befitting her nature.
She stirred slightly, a breathy moan leaving her barely parted lips while her eyelashes fluttered. Lost in dreams, she was oblivious to his presence. Her fingers clenched in the sheets, leaving smudges of blood on the sheets, a weirdly artful mix of black and red.
Lucifer drummed his fingers on his knee. She would never love him the way he desired, perhaps not at all. His proposal hadn’t gone down well—Antzel would be punished mercilessly for ruining Allianna’s sexual potential with his rushed mating ceremony and ham-handedness. Fucking idiot.
A shame, he mused, as she would produce damn fine offspring for him. Strong, fierce sons with the bloodlines to alter heaven-hell relations in future times. Beautiful and deadly daughters he could train in his image.
His gaze dropped to her flat belly and the life flourishing inside. She had no idea what was in store for her during the coming months. Her pregnancy would be strenuous, most definitely a challenge. Between hormones, bodily changes and dealing with everything by herself—the golem didn’t count—Allianna was facing a rough road.
Lucifer dipped his fingers into his pocket, drew out the reason for his visit. He was in two minds whether to leave his gift; on one hand, it was a very gracious gesture, one he might regret making. On the other, there could be positive undertones as a result of his generosity.
The bathroom fell into silence, both the water and the golem quieting. The faint rumble through the floor told Lucifer the beast was plodding his way back to Allianna, but it was of no consequence to him. Dhur couldn’t see the devil if Lucifer didn’t wish to be seen—golem minds were easily manipulated by their master—but it meant that he had to make a decision.
Lucifer rose from the bed and bent to kiss Allianna’s cheeks. He would have her as his queen one day, he promised himself, and all his best laid plans would reach fruition. But for now...he took her hand and pried it from the sheets. Her breathing was rapid, her body twitching as whatever dreams possessed her controlled her limbs.
Opening her fingers, he pressed his gift to her palm and curled her digits safely around it. “This isn’t over, little queen,” he told her as he stepped away. “Far from over.”
Dhur ambled through the doorway, humming under his breath now. A jolly giant with skin the color of midnight and a disposition not readily knocked off kilter.
Lucifer slipped into the shadows and studied him carefully. The creature appeared capable of taking care of the queen, for the meantime. Other safeguards would be set in place before Allianna woke from her nap. His eyes narrowed when the golem gently shook her and, when there was no response from the sleeping woman, frowned comically.
Dhur scratched his head for a few long moments, then shrugged his hefty shoulders and stripped her of her bloody clothing with clumsy but oddly efficient hands. When she was naked, the golem lifted her carefully and toddled back into the bathroom, murmuring quietly to her like a mother to her child.
So, the giant oaf was invested in Allianna’s wellbeing too.
Excellent.
Satisfied, for now, with the arrangement, Lucifer melted further into the shadows and away. There were things he had to see to in his own kingdom, but he would be back. As he’d told Allianna, this was far from over.
*
Everything was hot and wet and incredibly comforting.
Despite being under the wicked spell of sleep, bobbing along blissfully on that precarious edge of waking fully and floating away again, Allianna heard Dhur’s rough voice caressing the words of another song she couldn’t decipher. She moved her legs, heard water slosh quietly, and her mind rebooted into full awareness.
Laying in the bath, up to her chin in blessedly hot water, she thanked the Almighty for the plethora of fragrant bubbles hiding her from the golem’s view. A chill wormed down her spine at the thought of him seeing and touching her while she was naked, sleeping, vulnerable...but when he noticed she was awake, Dhur beamed at her like a child. There was no malice, no lust, no harmful intentions in his eyes.
“Hey! You’re awake!”
That smile was blinding with intense radiance, as though he thought she might sleep forever. Truth be told, she wanted to. Though the dream was almost nothing but shadows in the dark now, the faintest recollection trickled into memory.
Arms around her from either side, moving her body in a slow dance between her men. Her cheek on a broad chest, her back pressed against another. She’d been happy there, sandwiched between her king and her warrior, forever loved.
Allianna sighed and unclenched her fists, lifting her hands free of the water to run her fingers through her hair. Something thudded on the bottom of the tub almost inaudibly; she ignored it and smiled back at Dhur. “I needed this, Dhur. Thank you.”
She believed he would be blushing if his skin wasn’t made of stone. “I wasn’t sure...undressing you, I mean. Didn’t want to weigh you down with wet clothes, give you any flashbacks.”
Fuck, no. The idea of being pinned again, useless, scared the spit from her mouth and choked the breath from her lungs. “No, you did the right thing. I wouldn’t have...coped well with that.” It took some admitting, that weakness. “I’d appreciate it if you kept whatever you know between us, Dhur. That period of time is not for public consumption.”
Dhur’s mouth dropped open and he looked shocked she thought he might divulge her personal information. “I would never say a word. Never. Not that I know much, but I wouldn’t do that.”
Allianna closed her eyes, wishing she’d zipped her mouth shut. The golem now looked like a wounded puppy that’d just had its legs kicked out from under it. “I’m sorry, Dhur, of course I know you wouldn’t. It’s a sore subject for me, and I’m cranky and tired. I trust you.”
Dhur nodded, but she could tell she’d hurt his feelings. He turned his back to her as she sat up in the water and started to wash sweat and blood off her wonderfully soft skin. The stench of dead demon was replaced with vanilla, and she took her time to shampoo and rinse each individual streak of blood from her hair.
Weight dropped off her shoulders as the dirt of a miserable day came off her skin, leaving her feeling clean and light. Shoving out of the water, she pulled the plug and glanced around for a towel before the last of her bubbles disappeared.
“Here.” Without so much as glancing at her, Dhur handed her a towel. He waited patiently until she wrapped it around her body, then faced her and gave her another to turban her hair. Once she was suitably toweled, he reached out and plucked her from the tub, carrying her yet again into the bedroom.
“I can walk, Dhur,” she assured him gently, trying so hard not to mark his pride for a second time. “I’m tired but I can manage.”
“Shouldn’t have to,” he grumbled and sat her on the edge of the bed. “I’ll leave you to get dried and into bed. I’m gonna go hunt some food up, check on things out there. I think your army was preparing for a party.”
She sighed. “I really am sorry, Dhur.”
The golem studied her and nodded. “You really are forgiven, my Lady. Get your feet up and rest while I’m gone. Tomorrow is going to be hectic.”
Yes, it was. Mindless of the towels and her wet hair, she flopped backwards and wiggled into position against the pillows. She watched him thunder away with a purposeful stride and hoped the rift she’d cracked between them was sealing up. Because she needed a friend, badly. Needed a shoulder to cry on and someone to talk to.
She yawned, c
racking her jaw, and surrendered back to sleep. Food would be there tomorrow. Dhur and the realm would be waiting for her when the dawn came, as well as all the problems she’d inherited and needed to repair. Until then, she could lose herself in the arms of her men and find happiness in dreams.
*
The last of the water chugged down the drain, gurgling around the small orb almost blocking the plughole. The remaining bubbles hissed and popped with quiet purpose, sounding louder they should have in the dark bathroom. No light was left, just damp and steam and dissipating bubbles.
Balanced on the plughole, supported by tiny metal struts, the orb rocked in tiny jerks, picking up motion as it began to circle the hole. Faster and faster, it started to glow subtly, a faint pinprick in the heart of the ball growing until the whole thing flashed color as though keeping pace with a heartbeat.
It skipped out of the plughole, skating around the tub now and getting faster with every rotation. Throbbing violently with vibrant color, the heartbeat rhythm getting louder and louder, pumped by adrenaline.
The shiny sides of the ball exploded outward, sending shards of the thinnest glass tinkling over every surface like fairy dust fired from a cannon and illuminating the room with the light contained within.
A figure was spotlighted in the glare for several seconds as time suspended, adjusting to the rude intrusion into the realm, then he collapsed into the bathtub with a hard grunt and uncomfortable groan., flesh steaming with cataclysmic heat.
As the light faded, words whispered into the dark.
“Fuck, it’s good to be home.”
To Be Continued...
Kian, Islador and Allianna’s story continues with Queen of Shadows
Expected to release April/May 2019
Other Works by Kay Elle Parker:
The Insomniac Series:
Crossed Wires
Snapped Wires
Hangman’s Haunt Series:
King Of Shadows: The Shadowcrown Duet Page 22
