Still, it wasn’t time to let the Spine be broken. I couldn’t allow one single color or emotion to be the ruling force as it fell. I needed all of them to work together.
I dropped to my knees, slapping a hand on the ground this time, and yanked on the magic, pulling it back from the mountain.
It wasn’t listening.
I pulled harder.
Still nothing. It just wasn’t obeying me more than locally.
“What the hell…”
“What’s going on?” Drez gasped, sliding through the dirt and landing on his knees next to me.
“It’s not listening to me. I need the tremors to stop.” I panted.
Trying again, I pulled as hard as I could on the magic. It wobbled and almost started reversing, but it was localized and weak…
I flopped back on my backside and slapped both of my hands on the ground. “I have to stop it.”
His hand dropped on to my shoulder, and he gasped. “Jallina!”
She ran over and knelt next to me, grabbing my hand.
“Oh, Kimber. When was the last time you had sex?”
“What?”
“Drez, your hand.” She held hers up, and Drez slapped his hand into her palm.
A shock of energy went through me. Pure, clean power and I slapped my hand back on the ground again.
“Stop!” I drew the magic back, down, away from the Spine where it was trying. “Stop, stop, it’s not time. Come back and rest.”
The tremors started to slow this time. There was no sudden stop as there had been the last time. This time, it took its time settling, relaxing, and I saw the blue blending back into the other colors.
It finally stopped.
I pulled my hand off the ground.
I let go of Jallina’s hand.
“No, no!” Drez tried to stop me from moving away from him.
Then everything went black.
Chapter Seven
~ Gwynnore ~
Japri, Ultima Esperanza, Chile
Pacific Coast
One day with the crown on my head and shit had already taken a dive for the worse. My ass was killing me, each butt cheek aching and protesting my chosen vantage point—chilly and jagged rocks weren’t made for relaxing on. But I continued to sit high on a small boulder, cold and uncomfortable, while I evaluated the soldiers assembled.
My first official task as Queen was here.
The men and women sat or stood, their postures relaxed as they talked quietly to one another, waiting patiently for me to give instruction. None seemed bothered by the crumbling, dusty mess where I’d decided to hold this process. Their clothes already sported dirt and filth just by walking in here.
I considered the two men who were lying side-by-side on the ground, both staring up at the ceiling of the cave—the cave where I’d been crowned as the new Queen just this morning. I glanced up, eyeing the black rock. The ceiling didn’t appear all that remarkable, and neither man was talking to anyone else. I flipped through the tablet on my lap while the boulder and pebbles continued to bite into my ass. I scrolled until I found their pictures and then wiggled my backside to get the circulation flowing again. A quick scan of their profiles had my black brows rising. The outward appearances of the men were as different as night and day, but their profiles indicated they were cousins…and extremely old. Nearly two thousand years old.
And apparently mute for almost a thousand.
I swiped my palm over the screen, turning the viewer black, wondering if someone had tampered with the files. Felicia, a general in our vampire warrior forces, had done as I’d asked. She’d sent the best pairs of vampire soldiers for me to decide who I’d like to have as my private guards, but I hadn’t expected her to send individuals who couldn’t, or wouldn’t, speak. Communication in dangerous situations was necessary, and sign language with swords in your hands wouldn’t be feasible. Even if a sword through a chest was the universal language of ‘you’re fucked.’
I’d rather not have a sword through my chest.
I glanced at the pair once more.
The man with skin the color of midnight shifted and placed the back of his head on his cousin’s stomach, getting more comfortable as they continued to stare at the ceiling. His cousin placed his milk-pale hand on the other’s forehead, leaving it there, the contrast of skin color beautiful. He didn’t move any further, just enough to indicate it was okay for the cousin to use him as a pillow. Each man was perfectly at peace, thousands of years being in each other’s presence obvious.
My lips curved up on one side.
Well, now that they were more at ease, perhaps I should start up this evaluation. I wouldn’t want anyone getting too comfy during this. The eval wasn’t meant to be simple.
I set the tablet aside and slid down the curve of the boulder, my black leather pants taking the brunt of the rocky edge digging into my legs and butt. I landed with fluid grace on the floor, a puff of dust shooting out from under my black boots, coating them in a film of dirt. I brushed off the back of my pants as everyone’s—including the cousins—heads snapped in my direction. I watched each individual as I walked closer, all jumping to their feet or straightening to their full height, standing at attention.
I stopped in front of the group of twenty soldiers. My blue eyes ran over each person. These vampires had muscles on top of their muscles, not one ounce of fat to be found. They weren’t all the same, though. No, they had different body types. After the day I’d had with the stronghold attack, this might provide entertainment.
I placed my hands behind my back and cleared my throat, speaking over the wind whistling inside the cave—the opening from the blasts still in disarray and in need of repair. “I’m sure you all know who I am by now and why you’re here. I know you were given orders from your general to be here.” I started walking up and down their formed line, but I didn’t look at them now, allowing them a moment to listen and think on their own. “I don’t want you here if you don’t want to be. The two individuals I pick to protect me will be dedicated to me—and only me. Anything I ask of you, you will do. You will follow my orders no matter what they are. This is not the vampire army, a camaraderie of brothers and sisters in arms. This is a lonely life you’ll lead—all for the Crown. You won’t have friends. You won’t have lovers. You won’t have a family. You will only have me.”
I pivoted and strolled back to the small boulder I’d been sitting on, waving my left hand toward the exit of the ceremonial room. I spoke over my shoulder. “If you leave, it won’t be held against you. Decide now. You have until I reach the top of this rock before the process begins. Anyone left in this room will start sparring on my command, and you won’t stop until I give the order.”
I gripped the cold rock and placed my feet in the divots marring the stone. I began climbing at a leisurely pace as rustling commenced with the soldiers, quiet decisions made behind my back. I wasn’t lying. This would be one hell of a solitary life. They needed to know that going in. The last problem I wanted was my personal guards feeling trapped. It needed to be their decision.
At the top of the boulder, I brushed off my hands and stood to gaze out into the darkness of night through the hole in the mountain, the hole in my stronghold.
My teeth ground together in frustration.
The Overlords were keeping quiet on their thoughts of the attack, facts alone only allowed for my eyes. I knew why. It didn’t make it any easier not being party to their theories. The Overlords didn’t want Master Niallan knowing vampire affairs…not until he was crowned king. Which meant, my true reign to protect my people couldn’t begin until shit was handled with Nial.
The Queen was below the King.
I sniffed at the thought. Current law was a bitch.
The Overlords were handling the attack, the investigation into it, the repairs to the stronghold, and added soldiers to our ranks at this castle. At least, they kept me in the loop, permitting me to see any discoveries about the attack—unlike Mast
er Niallan, who was kept entirely in the dark.
But I didn’t know the real information.
What was inside the Overlords’ heads.
Not until the king and the queen were both crowned.
The Overlords would hand over information then.
I rolled my shoulders and pushed the stress away to focus on the task at hand. My personal guards needed to be chosen. I turned around on the boulder and focused on the soldiers below me.
None had left the ceremonial room.
I didn’t allow my surprise to show.
They all wanted the job. Good.
I sat down and grabbed the tablet, motioning to the area in front of me. The ground was littered with debris from the blasts and restoration tools, none of it easy to work around—just like a battlefield or close quarters would be.
I stated, “Pair up with your partner, and don’t hold back for even a second. Kill shots aren’t allowed and no guns. The test starts now.”
With a burst of vampire speed, the fighting began.
I crossed my legs and leaned my elbows on my knees, peering down into the battle. Blood flowed almost immediately, flying through the air and splattering against the boulder I sat on and turning the loose dirt under their feet to bloody mud. The clang of swords clashed constantly. I fiddled with a lock of my black hair as the breeze caught it, brushing the strands across my cheek, tickling my skin.
One pair of soldiers eventually crawled out of the frenzy, their arms dragging their bloodstained bodies behind them. Looked like their legs had been sliced one too many times. Once on their feet again, wobbling but alive as they hung their heads in defeat, I turned my attention back to those still fighting. Those two were out of the match.
My eyes narrowed at what I witnessed. I growled, “I said don’t hold back! I see you down there. Don’t think I don’t!”
Jaws clenched, and swords moved even faster.
“I don’t care if they’re soldiers you’ve fought next to for millennia. Right now, they’re your enemy.” My constricted gaze landed on a pair backed into a corner, their blocks slow, and their footwork clumsy in their hesitance. “You want this job, then you show me what the hell you have inside you.”
Thank fuck someone listened.
The cousins decided to show me what they were really made of. My jaw dropped, a bit comically and unqueenly if I was honest with myself. I snapped it shut before anyone saw. The remaining contestants didn’t stand a chance—any lingering hesitation quickly gone as they fought for their lives. I had said no kill shots…but we were going to need a medic or ten soon. The cousins had bided their time, waiting for the others to lose their stamina.
Smart. Cunning. Skilled.
Everything I fucking wanted.
They were a wet dream of blood and talent.
“Stop,” I whispered. Wondering…
Instant stillness. I damn near came in my pants.
Labored chests heaved, and soldiers fell to the ground in exhaustion, a few swords clattering onto the stone from limp hands. The cousins lowered their swords from their attack and sucked oxygen but weren’t worn out. As one, they turned to look at me, their shoulders wide and strong, their heads held high. It was as if the night sky turned the world upside down, one as pale as the moon and the other as dark as the heavens, both shining from below, staring up at me.
I blinked myself out of my poetic musings and turned my attention from them, speaking to the others who were barely breathing. “I want each of you to head straight to the infirmary. And thank you for trying, especially knowing who you were up against, as I’m sure you all did. Leave us.”
You just couldn’t beat God-given talent like that. The other soldiers—my people—would only hurt themselves further if they continued on.
I quickly turned my gaze back to the cousins. “You two, stay.”
They nodded, silent.
I hummed under my breath. That wouldn’t do.
I lifted the tablet and viewed their profiles again, clicking and reading more as the losing soldiers helped each other out of the ceremonial room. The area quieted. The breeze and a lone wolf howling in the distance was all that could be heard.
My eyes scanned the pages for a full five minutes until I was certain these were the bodyguards I wanted. Their marksmanship scores were through the roof, and they’d been together with the vampire army since they were twenty years old. Special Forces for the vast majority of it. They were trained killers…and spies when need be. I now saw why Felicia sent them, despite their decision to not speak.
And the confidential files said it was a decision.
I turned the tablet off and tossed it down off the boulder. One of the cousins caught it deftly out of the air. I grunted in good humor and slid down the boulder, again landing easily on the bloody mud. I walked to stand directly in front of them as I tapped on my phone, letting Felicia know who I’d picked and to make the proper arrangements. Stuffing my phone back into my pants pocket, I gazed up into their contrasting eyes, each cousin much taller than I was.
I started pulling my hair up into a ponytail, using the hair tie around my wrist to hold it in place, now pretending not to look at them. “I want you two as my bodyguards. But only if I know you’ll speak when you need to. Your decision to stay mute for the last thousand years is none of my business. What is my business is making sure I stay alive.”
Hair now in place on top of my head, I looked back up at them, done giving them a chance to hide their expressions at my dictate. “Say something. I need to know you can move past this to save my life when need be.”
Crow rubbed the top of his short black hair with the edge of my tablet while his sword dangled from his other hand. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. His voice was gruff, unused. “I’m thirsty.”
Phoenix tossed his head, moving his sweaty blond locks out of his eyes, acting bored. “Talking is overrated.”
I hid my grin by turning around and drawing out my two short swords strapped to my back. “Almost a thousand years of silence, and that’s what you two have to say?” With my back to them, I snorted and swung my arms a few times, loosening them up. They didn’t answer me, and I didn’t expect it. I moved along. “So, your duties are as such: Once I’ve picked my personal assistant, you’ll each receive my daily schedule, though your job starts now. Your pay will reflect that of a royal guard on your next paycheck and your own personal quarters will be moved to the royal guard chambers. One of you will always safeguard my personal quarters, while the other guard will be with me. No one is to enter my room without my permission. There are no days off, as I have no days off. Figure out your own sleep schedule—though, if you are too run down, I’ll trust you to pick reliable soldiers to take your place for a few hours so you may rest. You’ll tell no one of my activities. If you do, I’ll have your heads chopped off without mercy. You’ll be my eyes and ears along with my protection. If I ask to bite you to look into your memories, you will allow it. Do you understand and agree?”
A moment of quiet, then eventually…
“Yes, your majesty,” Phoenix grunted.
Crow cleared his throat, his voice still gruff. “Yes, your majesty.”
I nodded and turned back around to face them, my swords still in my hands. “I’m in the mood to spar for a little while. One of you go to my new quarters and stand guard. The other stay here and work with me. I don’t care which does what. The general knows you’re my royal guard now, and you’ll have no issue entering the royal area. If you do, have them call me.”
Crow turned and started to walk toward the entrance with a pensive expression on his handsome face, Phoenix staying behind to spar with me. Though, the dark-headed man stopped, done deliberating whatever he was thinking about, and asked, “I have one question, your majesty.”
“Whoa. You’re becoming chatty. The horrors.”
He flicked a glare over his shoulder, silent.
My lips twitched. “Ask your
question, Crow.”
He cleared his throat again, his questioning quiet. “Were you being obtuse? Or do you really not know why we’re silent?”
“That was two questions.” I swung my swords to keep my arms loose, acting unbothered by his question—the personal nature behind it. “Let me ask you this. Are you two really cousins?”
They were old. Black and white did mix in vampire culture back in their birth years, defying human cultures at that time. But they looked absolutely nothing alike. At all. They didn’t even have the same accents. If I had to guess, one had grown up in Germany, the other in France.
Crow snorted. “You know our parentage is a lie.”
“I lied too.” I tipped my head to the exit. “Go on now, and I’ll promise to never ask you about her.”
He swallowed hard, his throat constricting and releasing with the telling action. He tipped his head in appreciation, and then he marched out of the room, my tablet still in his hand.
I raised my swords up in preparation for a fight but kept my tone honest as I stared at my other guard. “I’ve got a lot on my mind, and my concentration is waning. Don’t go too hard on me.” The man was much more skilled than I was.
Phoenix nodded, mute, and lifted his own sword.
The fight was on.
Our swords hitting, again and again, shattered the relative quiet, silencing the howling wolf outside hidden on the mountain.
Sweat beaded my brow. My feet skipped around debris. The smell of blood was still in the air. My grunts of effort stung my own ears. Occasionally, rocks crumbled down from broken walls, clattering loudly in the background as we moved throughout the damaged chamber.
But my thoughts were still elsewhere.
My parries scarcely registered in my own mind.
Off to my right, a deep, masculine voice, one of sin and sex, commented, “Sloppy, your majesty.”
I risked a glance in that direction.
King of Gods (Vampire Crown Book 2) Page 8
