by C. A. Worley
Her pulse increased slightly.
“No one will harm you,” he assured, “but I want to prepare you for the possibility of … unpleasantness. I can be harsh. In fact, it’s often necessary. When I am, some do not react well and I am forced to take measures to ensure my word is final.”
“I understand what you are, Viktor,” she replied. “You do not have to explain. I can handle it.”
His green irises illuminated in the darkened nook. He brought her frame against his own and rested his chin atop her head.
“Yes, little witch, I believe you can handle just about anything.” I’m counting on it, he wanted to say.
“Come,” he broke away and opened the door, allowing her to step through as he held it ajar.
Eden wasn’t sure what to expect. The tales of the Prajna court were all so dreary and bleak. She’d envisioned a gloomy hall, void of sun, with minimal furnishings.
Brushing past Viktor, she found quite the opposite. In fact, she had to shield her eyes from the brilliant light flooding the throne room. It took several hard blinks before her vision adjusted.
The room was absolutely glorious.
The stone inside was a much lighter shade of grey than the rest of the castle. It looked like it had been washed with a bleaching agent.
Twenty or so pews were placed on either side of a large aisle. The walkway was covered with a long red carpet, which ran the entire length of the chamber.
Dozens of stained glass windows adorned the far wall. They were full of reds, oranges, and yellows, depicting flames.
Eden held up the palm with her marking, allowing a small flame to form, then gestured towards the windows.
“Coincidence?” she teased.
“I’d say prophetic,” he replied in a serious tone. “Did you know vampires are attracted to fire?”
“Can’t fire kill you?”
“Yes. Interesting, isn’t it? To be drawn to that which could easily take your life?”
“You just described the prey of all vampires.”
Viktor shrugged unapologetically. “Every living thing has its vulnerabilities.”
“Even you.”
“Even me. I am, after all, soul-bonded to an elemental with control over one of my few vulnerabilities.”
She held her palm between them. “But you trust me.”
“Implicitly. The question is, Sieva, do you trust me?”
Eden grinned and closed her hand. “Absolutely.”
Viktor let out a low growl, but refused to approach her. If he touched her, court might get postponed indefinitely.
Her cheeks pinkened, knowing what that low rumble meant. She reached for him and he shook his head.
“I regret there is no time for that. We have less than a minute before the doors open,” he said.
“Oh,” Eden replied, her arousal dying rapidly. “Where should I sit?”
The door had led them onto the dais. A large wooden throne sat in the center. It was painted black with gold accents along the arms and legs. The padding for the seat was dark red.
Sitting on the top of the high back was a large golden hawk with emerald eyes. It was the same figure on Viktor’s bedposts. There was no mistaking this was the King’s chair.
Back and to the left sat a smaller, daintier version of the same throne. It was obviously meant for the Queen.
“Here,” he clipped, striding to the right side of his seat, clearly indicating she was not going to be seated on the feminine throne.
Eden hesitated, thrown by his tenor. She wanted to ask him why he seemed bothered by her question, but the click of the locks echoed across the stone and the large doors swung open.
She had not been crowned Queen, so it was presumptuous of her to take the sovereign’s chair. She dismissed it from her mind and moved to the small bench next to him.
Viktor stepped in front of his throne and waited. Eden remained standing, as well. In Gwydion, one did not sit until the King allowed it. Not knowing the customs of this court, she decided to follow the rules of her own.
Castle guards entered first, taking their posts around the room. Dozens of Prajna began filing in soon after. No one spoke. The silence was broken up by the soft, periodic clacking of their shoes upon the floor.
Eden surveyed the small crowd gliding fluidly through the space. Vampires were such graceful creatures. They entered as though following the steps of an orchestrated dance, knowing exactly where and when to move.
A familiar white-blonde head of hair moved up the aisle. Once the vampires in front of her moved into the rows to take their seats, Eden had a clear view of Bianca.
The female vampire only had eyes for Viktor. When Bianca finally noticed Eden, she drew up short, her entire body blanching. It disturbed the flow of others moving around her and the spell of the dance was broken.
As if forced, Bianca woodenly performed an about-face and exited the room. It had to be the result of the pact Viktor made on the balcony. Eden was impressed with the effects of such a power. She was also wary of someone misusing it.
Viktor exhaled loudly. Bianca was lucky she’d noted Eden’s presence when she did. He was close to leaping off the dais to deal with her. It wouldn’t be the best introduction to the Prajna court, yet he would do it to prevent Eden from any level of discomfort.
Eden was going to have a hard enough time of it, as it was. If Bianca did anything to cause problems between he and Eden, he would be very tempted to break the contract he made with Dmitri.
It would likely mean forfeiting his throne, but what was his life without his sieva? He would gladly give it up now, if his successor could be counted on to deal with the Prajna’s major issues.
Unfortunately, his brother was selfish and would not care to do what was necessary to find solutions. Luka had not once shown concern over the lack of new matings or live births. He only appeared to care about himself, choosing to spend his days with a vat of wine or between the legs of a female from the Komora.
The Prince of Prajna was irresponsible and shallow. Viktor thought Luka and Bianca might just be perfect for each other. If only …
Luka hadn’t always been like this. Viktor’s heart grieved the close relationship he and his brother once had, before their father had twisted and broken them both.
In truth, watching his younger sibling’s spirit die at the hands of their father was the breaking point for Viktor. It had spurred him into taking action when he did—and both brothers paid for the action gravely.
Viktor was fortunate. He now had Eden and was starting to forget what life had once been. Piece by piece, she was putting him back together.
Luka had no one to mend his soul. Viktor blamed himself, and he prayed to the Goddess he would find a way to set things right.
Seeing so many hopeful faces enter and take their seats, Viktor knew he needed to hang on to his position as King, if only to see if the birth of a child could break the cycle. He owed his people that much, especially since he might be the cause of their plague.
Theron seemed sure it was possible, once Viktor bonded and conceived, the rest of the clan would follow suit. Could it really be so simple?
He glanced at Eden, thinking of her carrying his young. He was staggered by how much he wanted it to be her. For if his sieva bore him young and broke the curse, he would never be forced to lay a finger on the Queen.
Guilt surfaced, pushing his organs into his throat. For the first time since he’d killed his father, Viktor felt nauseous.
* * *
Eden shifted her legs, trying to get some blood flow back into them. She’d been sitting still for hours, taking in Viktor’s court.
A few of the vampires caught her stare, only to quickly looked away. It was the same behavior they exhibited with Viktor. It reminded her of how the wolves behaved in front of their alpha.
All in all, it wasn’t as cutthroat as she’d imagined. A handful of petitioners came across as brutish, yet did not question Viktor’s judgement. He w
as firm but fair, and the Prajna appeared to respect his handling of things.
The bulk of the people had come for information, having heard he’d been seeking answers to the current birthrate issue.
Eden’s heart broke for the couples, especially the mated sievas who had been together for hundreds of years. Viktor spoke vaguely of his visit with Theron. He told them only that he’d brought it to the priest’s attention and they were actively seeking answers. It was enough to appease them for now.
He refrained from introducing Eden or even mentioning he had found his sieva. Viktor made it clear to her, early on, word had spread, and by his command. It was easy enough to decipher who the female elemental sitting next to him was.
She thought he might mention the details of how clans procreated in ancient times, but he didn’t so much as hint at it. Eden wasn’t sure she wanted an entire kingdom waiting on her to become pregnant, anyway. If it didn’t change things, she’d prefer not to be blamed for the failure.
After each petitioner finished, he or she exited. A handful were escorted by the guards. Viktor had just finished with the last one as Yuri walked up the aisle, a small scroll in his hand.
“My liege,” Yuri greeted as he went to one knee. He always held to protocol when acting in official capacities.
“Rise,” Viktor gently ordered. His manner with his friend was far different than it had been with the people.
“Two things, my lord. A missive just arrived. The messenger said it was urgent.”
Viktor held out his hand for the scroll. “And the second?”
Yuri’s eyes darted to Eden, then back to Viktor. “There is one more petitioner. She, ah, cannot enter the throne room at the moment.”
Eden could guess who it was.
“Any idea what she wants?” Viktor asked.
“No. I think it best if you speak to her sooner rather than later. In private.”
Viktor sighed. “Very well. Please stay here with Eden while I go deal with the issue.”
He rose and positioned himself in front of Eden. “Feel free to walk around, but please stay in the throne room until I return.”
The odds of Eden being in any sort of danger here were extremely low, but Viktor would take no chances. Yuri and the other guards would suffice as protection until he returned.
“It’s okay, I don’t mind,” she told him when he didn’t make any move to depart.
Eden stood and waited for him to touch her or show some sign of affection. He did neither. Only a curt nod acknowledged her statement.
“I’ll return as soon as possible.” He jogged down the stairs and out the doors.
Eden’s stomach dropped. She would have to come to terms with his prior life, which included a castle full of females. The sooner she did, the easier her life would be.
“Well, that was entertaining.”
Yuri’s head snapped towards the door at the back of the dais and two guards ported in front of Eden so fast she yelped at being startled.
A large and handsome male was sauntering towards her, ignoring Yuri’s dirty look. His size, hair, and skin tone were almost identical to Viktor’s.
“Oh, back off. I’m hardly a threat to my brother’s sieva,” he said.
“Careful, Luka. I would advise not pissing him off today,” Yuri threatened.
“Such sound advice, Yuri. Thank you,” he bowed mockingly.
The male turned to Eden. She could barely see him through the sliver of space between the guards.
“Hello, Eden. Allow me to introduce myself. I am your … well let’s see, I’m not your brother-in-law seeing as he’s not your husband,” he tapped his chin with his index finger.
“Hmm. Well then, what is Viktor to you, a being born to a faction who does not recognize mates?” his taunting grin widened at Yuri’s snarl.
“Oh, alright, I’ll stop with the teasing. I am Luka, second in line for the throne of Prajna.”
This was the type of vampire who gave the Prajna a bad name. Viktor may have been hardened by life, but Luka was embittered by it. Those who clung to such acrimony were often dangerous. If he thought Eden an easy target, he thought wrong.
Eden placed her hands on the guards’ arms to slide them apart. They didn’t budge.
“Please give me space,” she respectfully requested.
They were used to being ordered about. She would not treat them the same as others did. Eden was still very alone in Prajna and a little diplomacy might go a long way with Viktor’s men. If only the same could be said for his brother.
Yuri nodded to the guards and they stepped to the side, one at each of her shoulders.
“Ah, there you are. Luka, second in line. Feel the need to say that aloud, did you? In case people don’t have a clue who you might be? How frustrating it must be to have to announce it in order to earn recognition.”
Luka’s malicious grin fell away as he registered the insult. It took him a second to recover. Eden could tell he wasn’t used to being spoken down to.
She knew she would be tested. It was disappointing, though, that the test was coming from someone who should be nothing less that completely loyal to Viktor. There was only one way to deal with a male like Luka.
“So, the witch can bite back. How very interesting.”
Eden’s hands flung to the sky and she allowed her power to shoot long flames from her palms. The guards recoiled, but Luka stood his ground.
“The witch can also burn you alive,” she threatened. “I suggest you choose to act in a manner befitting of the second in line. Might I add that I have a tremendous amount of control and can burn very specific areas of the body?”
She didn’t know how he would react. She half expected to have to burn off his eyebrows to prove her ability. What she didn’t expect was his full-bellied laugh. Loud and rolling, and almost cheery.
Eden extinguished the flames and dropped her arms, nervously glancing at the others standing close by. The guards were eying her warily, while Yuri’s jaw was hanging wide open.
“What in the bloody hell is going on in here?” Viktor bellowed from the doorway.
“Oh, someone’s in trouble now,” Luka winked at Eden, just before getting thrown across the room by one very angry Viktor.
Chapter 17
“Viktor, stop!” Eden yelled.
He currently had Luka pinned to the wall by his throat.
“Do not worry, Eden. I don’t think suffocation will kill him,” Yuri supplied.
“Yes, well, hooray for that,” she shot back sarcastically. “I had it under control, Viktor. This isn’t your fight.”
If he interfered, the Prajna might not believe she could hold her own. Eden refused to be seen as cannon fodder.
He stiffened, slowly swiveling his head towards his sieva. “I disagree. Adamantly.”
She rolled her eyes and approached him from the side.
“He didn’t threaten me. He didn’t make any move to come at me. He was rude—,” her eyes snapped to Luka, “beyond rude, but not physically aggressive.”
Luka’s face pinched, feeling his brother’s claws slowly extend against his throat. He watched in awe as Eden put a hand on Viktor’s arm and the claws retracted. Few dared to touch the King when he was in a mood, much less achieve in calming him.
Eden needed to diffuse the situation. She felt a hint of guilt having been the one who escalated it, but she would stand by her decision to teach Luka a lesson he would not soon forget.
“I was simply trying to put him in his place and assert my … well, ah dominance, so he would know I wasn’t to be trifled with. Can we not talk about it without killing him?”
“Not likely, my dear,” Luka snorted.
Viktor ignored his brother and stared at Eden, replaying the scene he’d witnessed when he’d returned to the throne room.
Guards surrounding his mate, fire coming out of her hands, and Luka. Laughing. His brother had been genuinely amused.
Viktor had assumed Eden was in t
rouble. She wasn’t.
He loosened his hold around his brother’s neck. “Why were you laughing at my mate?” he accused.
Eden rolled her eyes again, risking Viktor’s usual reaction. This was getting ridiculous.
“She threatened to burn off my manhood. No one’s ever spoken like that at court. It was the grandest thing this room has ever witnessed.”
“Is this true?” Viktor asked.
“No!” she retorted, while the guards and Yuri all replied, “Yes.”
“Eyebrows. When I said I could burn specific parts of the body, I was going to burn away your eyebrows.”
Viktor let go of Luka and the male dropped to the floor, coughing. The King pointed a finger in his younger brother’s face.
“I never want to walk in on something like that again. She is my sieva. If I’d truly thought you’d been a threat, this would have ended very differently.”
Viktor worried he was going soft. First Bianca, now Luka—the only two Prajna he really couldn’t kill. The next person to upset him would not be so lucky.
“Yes, I’m aware,” Luka panted.
“Good,” Viktor punctuated, then crooked a finger at his little warrior. “Come here, little mate.”
Eden advanced with apprehension. When she was within reach, he hooked her around the waist and pulled her against his frame.
“I think you scared every last guard in the room, as well as poor Yuri,” he chided gently.
“I—”
“While I can appreciate your need to, how did you word it, assert your dominance? Let’s keep the indoor fires to a small flicker unless there’s real danger, shall we?”
Eden crinkled her nose, wanting to argue she could easily control her power. She could cover her own body in flames without so much as a twitch of a burn. It’s not like she would have burned down the castle.
“Okay,” she agreed instead of arguing.
Viktor kissed her cheek and whispered into her ear, “I panicked when I saw you. I did not like the feeling. Help me to never feel it again.”
She squeezed his hand when he straightened. She understood how it must have looked. At least he didn’t tell her she was supposed to let the guards manage things, should anything like this happen again.
