by C. A. Worley
He did a double take when he saw Viktor and Yuri approach. Luka’s posture folded ever so slightly, like it did whenever he was reprimanded as a child.
Movement drew the King’s attention to inside the cell. Bran was pacing agitatedly. Bianca was sitting on the cot in the corner, no longer shackled. Eden was nowhere in sight.
“Viktor,” Luka exhaled.
“Where is she?”
“Dmitri,” Luka seethed. “He took her.”
One second Luka was staring into his brother’s face, the next he was staring at the ceiling, pain exploding across his jaw. Grunts and curses to his left had him lifting his head.
Yuri and Bran each had a hold of one of Viktor’s arms. Luka hurried to sit up, in case his brother got loose. Warm hands gained hold under his arms, helping to lift him to his feet. Bianca.
“Best if we do as little touching as possible right now, dove. A bit of a crisis happening. Mind staying over by the cot so Viktor doesn’t kill you?”
Once Luka was standing, Bianca backed away, returning to her previous spot in the corner. Raptly, she watched his hand wipe the trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.
Luka turned back to his brother despite his cicatrice screaming at him to pick up his sieva and port away. He couldn’t abandon Viktor, no matter how many times his brother drew blood.
“I told you to protect her! To stay as close as possible. How did he get to her? How, damn it?!”
“He masked his scent. We didn’t know he was here until he was close enough to grab Eden,” Bran’s voice rang out with regret. “He said Agatha figured out how.”
This time, Yuri swore. Masking scents would be a huge obstacle in their search.
“Let him go,” Luka told the males still holding onto Viktor. He didn’t know why they bothered. The enormous brute could get free if he truly wanted.
Viktor jerked his arms out of their grasps, but refrained from attacking Luka again. He needed his wits about him.
“How long ago?”
“Eleven minutes,” Bianca’s quiet voice answered from the shadows.
“You will not address me,” Viktor warned. “I’ve no use for conniving traitors or their daughters.”
Luka stepped menacingly towards his brother, his cold gaze sharpening as he did. “Watch how you speak to her, Viktor. This is neither the time nor the place. I suggest you focus on finding Eden.”
“You stand up for her? What is wrong with you?”
Luka lifted his left hand and held his palm in front of Viktor’s face. The faint silver glow reflected in the King’s eyes. His pupils grew small.
Viktor’s head swiveled towards the female vampire. Reluctantly, Bianca lifted her palm. Viktor didn’t have to ask again. He knew what was wrong with Luka.
“I propose,” Yuri’s deep voice interrupted, “we shelve this for now and go after Eden.”
“Indeed,” Viktor groused and Luka dropped his arm. “Now, I suggest you start from the beginning, Brother, and be quick about it.”
Luka couldn’t help the twitch of his lips. Eden had said the same thing to him, almost verbatim. She really was the perfect match for Viktor. Sobering, Luka relayed what had happened as succinctly as he could.
Viktor’s fury compounded with each passing word out of Luka’s mouth. He’d made the mistake of believing Dmitri would not be brave enough to sneak into the castle.
Dmitri had been an advisor only. He wasn’t a warrior. Any one of the castle guards could have easily subdued him, if they’d gotten their hands on him. It was one of the reasons why Viktor had so readily believed his father had offed him.
He tried not to blame Luka. The male had, after all, just found out Bianca was his mate. Anyone would have been distracted by the influence of the cicatrice. Viktor didn’t know how his brother was reacting internally and it wasn’t the time to ask.
“… then he said you could see her again in the Netherworld,” Luka finished.
“Netherworld? You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“Then I think I know where he is.”
Four stunned faces blinked at him.
“Where?” Luka demanded.
“Diavol Crest.”
Yuri scratched at his short beard. “Why would he go there?”
“After Father—Nikolai—killed Dmitri’s sieva, that’s where he went to spread her ashes. The eddy below the ridge is extremely powerful. He told me, had he been a braver male, he would have thrown himself into the vortex so he could see her again in the Netherworld. I made him promise to never speak such nonsense again.”
Only, now Viktor was soul-bonded himself, he knew it wasn’t nonsense. It was the result of the crushing grief over losing a mate. It might have been enough to twist Dmitri into something he might not have been otherwise.
Bianca sniffed. Her claws had come out and were digging into her palms. Luka wanted to pull her hands into his and had to fight to keep them at his sides.
Viktor didn’t allow himself to pity Bianca. That was a situation he would have to sort out later. For now, he needed to use her.
“You cannot go alone,” Luka warned his brother.
Viktor’s eyes narrowed, looking to Bianca. “I do not intend to.”
* * *
“What are you waiting for?” Eden grunted.
The moon came out from behind the darkened clouds and she could see Dmitri had ported them to a high cliff above the ocean. The wind whipped her hair across her face so hard it stung.
“Are you really so eager to die, female?”
“Not particularly.”
Eden knew he was waiting for Viktor to come after them. She’d had to use her magic to control her pulse, fearful Viktor would be able to pick up on her distress. She would not allow Dmitri to harm him.
Now that they were away from the castle and alone, she needed to figure out how to get some distance between them. A few inches and she could blast him with enough force to prevent him from reaching her again. Her fingers were crawling with power, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Inopportunely, Dmitri still had one arm wrapped around her front and his claws had yet to retract. He hadn’t punctured her breastbone, but he could do so easily if she tried burning him.
At least his left hand had removed itself from her abdomen. She wouldn’t have believed his proclamation if not for Luka’s panicked glance at her stomach. That swooshing sound he’d heard had not been water. It must have been the babe’s tiny heart pumping blood.
Dmitri drug her close to the edge. A small jolt of fear accompanied the adrenaline her body started to release. She could swim. She could even part the water. She could not, however, survive a two-hundred-foot drop.
If he’d only release his talons, she could use her power. Maybe even use the wind to send him off the cliff. Would a vampire survive it? No, it would be best to use flames.
“Why are you doing this, Dmitri? Viktor loved you.”
The band around her chest tautened and she whimpered. She’d struck a nerve.
“It has nothing to do with Viktor,” Dmitri censured. “A witch on any throne outside of Gwydion cannot be allowed. No faction can have an outsider reigning over its people. It upsets the balance of power.”
“You made that contract with Viktor a century ago. You couldn’t have known an elemental was to become his mate.”
“It was more than a guess. Did your father teach you nothing of portents?”
He spun them so his back was to the ocean. His focus on the space between the cliff and the tree line. Searching. Waiting.
“My mother never predicted I’d be in Prajna. She arranged for me to go to the Northland. Besides, she hadn’t even been born yet when you tricked Viktor into doing what you wanted.”
Dmitri huffed. “Stupid girl. Your mother wasn’t the only seer in Imperium. My wife had visions. Not as strong or as frequent, but she dreamt of Viktor mating with someone who was not vampire. It could not be allowed.”
&nbs
p; “He was willing to give up the throne. If you’d just left well enough alone, even after all you’ve done, Luka would have taken his place and Bianca would be Queen.”
“Oh, she’ll still be Queen.”
“When Viktor told me you asked him to take care of her, I’d thought you an honorable male.”
Eden blew out a humorless laugh. “How mistaken I was.”
“Despite what you might believe, I did make arrangements for Bianca for her benefit. I love my daughter.”
“She does not believe it. Did you see her face when you appeared? When she realized what you’d done? Horror. Disgust. Shame.”
Dmitri laughed. “Bianca is resilient. Nothing gets to her. She was raised to be so. She’ll get over it.”
“I don’t think you know your daughter as well as you think you do.”
“Hush. I grow tired of this conversation.”
Eden altered her stance, testing his hold. He flexed and she stilled. She might not be able to break his embrace. Her mind started flipping through her last-resort options. None of them were good, but if she was going to die, she intended to take him with her.
Eden’s back arched slightly. Viktor was pulling at their bond. He was upset. She hastily tried to send calming vibes. Though she was hurt by his lie of omission, she still loved him. She didn’t want to die without him having that assurance. He would need it after she was gone.
None of this was fair. Or just. Viktor made mistakes, but he did not deserve Dmitri’s dastardly actions.
The longer they stood there, the more time Viktor had to find them. She would not allow Dmitri to take her mate’s life on top of hers and their child’s. Her heart split wide open. Could she really do this, knowing both she and the babe would perish?
It would be worse if Dmitri killed her in front of Viktor. Maybe if she took the traitor out, she could save Viktor from the pain of having to watch.
Closing her eyes, she leaned back into Dmitri, adjusting her feet to push off from the rocks. She called her magic, readying it to cover them both in a sudden roaring blaze.
It was the only way to prevent him from porting when she pushed them both over the cliff. She prayed his pain and shock would be enough to keep him attached to her as they fell.
One, she counted in her head, gathering her courage.
Two.
Three—
“Eden, no!” Viktor roared across the cliff, some twenty feet away from his sieva.
Her eyes popped open, flooding with tears. She cried out at the sight of her mate, both elated and frustrated he’d come for her.
Viktor didn’t move a muscle. He kept his captive’s body close, his hand around her throat. Bianca, to her credit, allowed her body to shake with fear.
“Viktor,” Dmitri snarled. “Let Bianca go.”
“Of course. As soon as you let Eden go.”
Dmitri’s hot breath came out hard against the side of Eden’s head. His body hummed with agitation, vibrating slightly against her back. Eden kept her power swirling in her hands, ready to be released.
The group remained locked in a standoff. Viktor allowed his claws to break Bianca’s skin. Her blood oozed between his fingers. Luka would be furious with Viktor, but it had to look real.
“F-father?” Bianca sobbed, a lifetime of dramatics culminating into a perfect performance.
“Don’t do it, Viktor. You’ll only curse yourself if you take my daughter’s life.”
“I’m willing to risk it, Deceiver. If Eden dies, so will your daughter.”
Viktor was tempted to swear it upon his name, to seal it with magic and force Dmitri’s hand. He’d sworn to Luka, before they’d left the dungeon, he wouldn’t do anything quite so drastic.
Dmitri stiffened. Torn. Viktor was The Heartless King of Prajna. He did not make empty threats. His internal conflict forced him to hesitate.
His mission or his daughter? If he could just get Bianca free, he could continue his mission.
“What are you proposing?” he asked.
“A trade,” Viktor replied.
“You know it won’t end here.”
“I know.”
“Very well. We’ll release them at the same time. You take Eden back to Castra Nocte, and I will take Bianca away.”
Viktor almost believed the male meant what he said. Almost.
Dmitri withdrew his talons from Eden’s chest. The fabric of her shirt was saturated in dark red liquid. Viktor strangled the rage building behind his stoic pretense.
“Walk towards your mate, witch.” Dmitri pushed her in Viktor’s direction. “Bianca, come.”
Eden stumbled forward, keeping Viktor in her sights. As she walked, she considered turning around and blasting Dmitri with power. Only the fact Viktor wouldn’t have come without a strategy stopped her. Nor would he want her involved in taking Dmitri’s life. Viktor had earned that right.
She didn’t know what he planned and she did not want to further traumatize Bianca. If Eden had more time, she could have made a better decision.
Bianca’s forlorn face didn’t so much as peek at Eden. Surely the female wasn’t going to willingly port away with Dmitri. Luka wouldn’t stand for it.
They passed, shoulders only inches apart. Eden was two steps past Bianca when she felt two hands on her waist. From behind.
“Say hello to your mother,” Dmitri hissed and used his vampiric strength to throw her over the cliff.
Viktor watched in horror as Eden’s body flew through the air and disappeared from sight. He sprinted to the edge, searching.
Dmitri’s hand shot out to grab Viktor. It never reached its target. An iron manacle clamped around his wrist just as Viktor disappeared.
Dmitri’s head jerked up and he was staring into the bright green eyes of his daughter’s sieva.
“Miss me?” Luka taunted.
Dmitri tried to port but the iron prevented it. Luka had a hold of the chain attached to the handcuff. Dmitri jerked, trying to free it so he could at least flee on foot.
Luka’s grip was true and Dmitri couldn’t get the chain from the Prince’s grasp. Alarm erupted through his body. This could not be the end.
He could not be taken. He was the last of the Sephtis Kenelm. He had yet to replace the others. It could not end like this.
With his free hand, Dmitri reached down and pulled the knife from his boot.
“Luka!” Bianca shouted in warning, erringly drawing his attention away from her father.
Dmitri struck, his blade sinking deep into Luka’s chest. Luka fell to his knees and his hold on the chain loosened. Dmitri pulled away, his sole concern to ensure the death of either Viktor or Eden.
Or both, he hoped.
Chapter 30
Eden’s weightless body plummeted towards the swirling dark water below. Her stomach rose to her throat and she struggled to remain calm.
The full moon was bright enough to hint at how far she’d fallen. She could hear the roiling eddy’s powerful clashes against the rocks.
Facing the sky, she used her magic to call to the air and wind, desperate to slow her fall. Earlier, she’d been able to part the sea and walk through it. Now, she feared she didn’t have enough energy left to both break her fall and fight the whirlpool.
Drops of ocean spray landed on her exposed neck and hands. She yelped, knowing she was dangerously close to her death.
Her momentum had decelerated. She hoped it was enough. Eden closed her eyes, preparing for the worst. Suddenly, her body jolted and compressed.
She waited for the painful fingers of frigid water, for the burn from the lack of oxygen. Instead she felt … warmth and two giant arms crushing her tight.
“Open your eyes, love.”
Eden’s lungs expelled all the air she’d been holding in. Her body racked with soundless sobs at the realization she was safe in Viktor’s unrelenting embrace. She could have been killed, both she and their child.
She clung to Viktor, shaken. They were safe, all three of the
m. Safe in their chambers, away from Dmitri. The impression of his name in her consciousness terminated her temporary respite.
Viktor’s lips landed on Eden’s forehead, then her temple, then her mouth. Abrupt and unyielding. His heart had stopped when he’d watched her go over the cliff.
He wanted to taste her tongue, to strip her bare and devote hours to loving her in their bed. He wanted to hold her, to convey what she meant to him. Viktor needed to atone for what he’d done to his mate.
It would have to wait. He had to eradicate the menace who had dared to put his hands on Eden. He lowered her until her feet landed on the floor.
“I have to go back,” he told her.
“I know. Don’t go alone. Take Bran or Yuri, and a dozen guards—or more.”
“I’ll be okay, moj vestica.”
Eden caressed his jaw. “I need you to come back to us, safe and preferably in one piece. Please don’t go alone.”
“If it will make you feel better, I’ll grab the wolf on my way. I’ll send Yuri up here to stay with you until I return. Do not leave these quarters, Eden.”
“I won’t.”
Viktor planted one last searing kiss upon his mate’s lips and then ported away.
* * *
Ignoring his daughter’s shout as she ran to her mate, Dmitri moved to the edge of the cliff. There was no sign of either Viktor or Eden. With any luck, her body had hit the water and Viktor went in after her.
Though, he doubted the King had perished. Viktor could have gotten her in time by porting to her in the air.
Dmitri held up his arm. He needed to get the shackle off so he could get himself to safety and come up with a new plan.
He turned back towards Luka, thinking he would search him for the key. Bianca stood in his way.
She took in the sight of her beloved father. She’d always been so proud of his sacrifice, so confident in his love for her. He’d gone to great lengths to ensure she was well off after he’d disappeared.
Bianca bit back the devastating disappointment of discovering not only was he a traitor to the crown, he’d used her as a pawn to suit his own purpose. She was done being used.
