The Dark Princess (The Balance Series Book 3)

by Janelle Stalder

  “Do you have any leads?” She asked, moving to sit on the old porch swing that creaked loudly beneath her weight.

  He leaned against the railing, his long legs crossed at the ankles as they watched each other. It had been so long since they’d interacted, until recently. “Not right now, but once I talk with Cillian, I’m sure we will be able to get some names together.”

  “Who would want to hurt her, and why?”

  He tilted his head. “I’m not sure who would be this stupid, but I can’t say I’m all that surprised either now that I have felt the residual effects of her powers.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She’s strong, Vivian. Really strong. She hasn’t even reached her full maturity yet. By the time she turns eighteen, there will be no way to hide her from my kind.” He crouched down. “Until I figure out who is behind this, I’m going to need her to keep a low profile, just to be safe. I’ll have someone come and ward the property so no other demons can come here, and then she needs to stay close to the house.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not caging her up, Caleb. She deserves to live her life still. Just like any other normal teenage girl. She needs to go to school, see her friends.”

  “She’s not a normal girl,” he said gently. “This is not a normal situation, by any means. I understand if you want her to still go to school, but maybe not until after this is over with?”

  “Who knows how long that could take.”

  “Fine,” he said, letting out a slow breath. “She can keep going to school, but then she comes straight home. I’ll have someone watching over her whenever she’s out.”

  “Thank you,” she said.

  His eyes glanced up where their door had been. “Maybe you two should come back to the penthouse.”

  “No,” she said immediately.

  “It would be the safest place for you both,” he argued. “No one would dare attack you if you were both under my direct watch.”

  “We’ll be fine here. You said you could ward the place. It will be safe after.”

  His jaw ticked, those eyes growing colder as they did when he was mad. He stood, and she watched him, watched the way his shirt stretched tightly across his tense muscles.

  “There’s another option for Hope,” he said. “I’m...” he looked up, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m reluctant to allow it, but if we can’t pinpoint who is after her, it might be the safest course. Collin has been doing some research, and while unprecedented for one of our kind, it’s a viable option.”

  “Why are you reluctant then?”

  “Because it would mean she’d have to be sent away - from both of us.”

  ***

  After boarding up the front door and watching as Caleb drove off into the night, Vivian made her way slowly back upstairs. She stopped at Hope’s door, looking in to see if she was asleep, something she hadn’t done in years. The even rise and fall of her chest told her she had finally crashed. Shutting the door, Vivian headed to her own room, quickly getting changed and crawling into bed.

  Turning on her side, she looked over at the empty half of the bed. Reaching out, she traced the space with her hand, wondering what it would be like...She shook her head with a huff, flipping onto her back.

  Pushing away whatever feelings had been worming their way into her mind, she thought back instead to what Caleb had revealed to her tonight about her own lineage, and what that could mean for Hope. Like Caleb, she was against the idea. It was a last option, if any, in her opinion. All she could do for now was pray that Caleb figured out who was after their daughter, and stopped them - for good.

  Cillian laid down on the couch, groaning as every bit of his torn skin screamed in protest. Thankfully, Alexej, that bastard, had instructed them not to tear his wings, not that it made it any better.

  “You’ll heal in another couple of hours, you big baby,” Collin said, handing him a glass of whisky.

  It was a bit difficult to drink whilst laying on your stomach, but Cillian made quick work of it anyway. The liquor burned down his parched throat. “How pissed is Caleb?” He asked, his voice hoarse.

  “Can’t say,” Collin replied. “I missed the part where Hope actually told us what the hell was going on. He sent me to gather you instead.”

  Cillian grunted, holding out his empty cup for more. Shaking his head, Collin got up and just grabbed the entire bottle this time, filling both their cups and putting it on the table between them.

  “I’m going to hazard a guess though, and say he’ll be majorly peeved. What would make you think it was a good idea to bring her to the horde lands? You know how testy those vamps are.”

  “I didn’t exactly know that was where we were going until we got there,” he managed to get out through clenched teeth as he shifted his body. Bloody hell, but did those blades hurt.

  The ding of the elevator singled Caleb’s return a moment before he came striding through the doorway to the sitting room, stalking over to Cillian’s prone body on the couch with purposeful strides. He stood over him, the scent of rage and danger surrounding him. Cillian knew he was barely controlling his anger right then.

  “Is she okay?” He asked, knowing full well that might not be the best way to start this conversation. Ever since Collin had said she and her mother had been attacked in their home, he’d been admittedly worried.

  “She’s fine,” he said shortly. Cillian met his eyes, the two of them locked in a wordless conversation. He said what he couldn’t aloud, and knew Caleb heard him loud and clear.

  He stood there for another moment before growling and prowling over to the sideboard to grab a glass before coming back to drop into the remaining empty chair. Collin wordlessly filled his cup.

  “What a fucking nightmare,” Caleb said, leaning his head back as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Alexej?”

  “Appeased, for the moment,” Collin said.

  “Well, that’s one less thing to worry about.”

  For now, Cillian thought. He hadn’t forgotten about Hope’s promise to Alexej, but was reluctant to mention it. A promise made to a vampire was never forgotten.

  “Who do we think is behind this?”

  Collin snorted. “Beats me, but I don’t think it’s the vamps. Whoever brought the hounds there did so to mislead us into thinking it was them.”

  “I’m starting to think whoever is behind this is also responsible for all the squabbles happening in the demon realm,” said Caleb.

  “You think they were trying to keep you occupied down there?” Cillian asked, lifting himself up onto his elbows, even though it hurt like hell.

  “It fits,” he said. “With me gone, it means one less threat.”

  Collin sat forward. “Maybe it wasn’t a coincidence that Hope and Vivian were attacked the same night Cillian was indisposed as well.”

  “Who was it that attacked them?” Cillian asked.

  “Dusek,” Caleb answered.

  Cillian growled. “That lowlife blade for hire? Whoever is doing this sure doesn’t mind dealing with riffraff.”

  “I think they’re going with whoever they can easily manipulate. Even the hounds are an odd choice,” Caleb said. “They’re practically feral, and not the most intelligent. I’m going to put it out there again, could it be Maverick and the other deserters?”

  “I can’t see them coming to the human world to launch an attack,” Collin said.

  Cillian nodded. “I agree. The more I think about it, the more I doubt this is their doing. The only thing they care about is the demon realm. They wouldn’t come up here, it’s not their territory.”

  “They can’t come down to Erebus either,” Caleb argued.

  “True. We can keep them on the list, but I wouldn’t put them at the top,” said Collin. “I’m still leaning toward an unknown source.”

  “Who gave you the tip about the hounds?” Caleb asked, looking to him.

  Cillian fought ba
ck the anger crawling its way up. “Lilith.”

  Collin laughed.

  Caleb gave him an incredulous look. “Lilith? And you trusted her.”

  “I suppose I didn’t think she’d be dumb enough to send us into a trap,” he defended, although he knew now it had been a stupid move. And he had no doubt she knew exactly what they had been walking into. Her pride had been wounded, and Hope had been made to suffer for it. The woman was incorrigible in her thirst for violence.

  “Alexej will give me some names of people he knows have been in his lands. We’ll narrow this down quickly enough,” Cillian told them. “I’ll look into each one myself if I have to.”

  “Without Hope’s help,” Caleb said.

  Cillian stiffened as he met his leader’s hard gaze. If there was anyone he unwaveringly respected, it was Caleb Banks. He was a far superior king than his father had been. Up until now, he never had an issue with Caleb’s decisions. Until now.

  “I won’t keep her caged up,” he said, his tone firm. He could see Collin’s eyebrows shoot up in his peripheral vision as he watched the two of them.

  “What is it with everyone tonight?” Caleb said, putting his glass down on the table. “I’m not asking you to keep her locked up, I’m telling you not to bring her into situations that put her at an unnecessary risk.”

  “She’s strong, Caleb. Capable of holding her own. By the time she comes of age, her powers will rival even your own. I can sense it.”

  His leader stared at him, his mouth a thin line. “I know, I sensed it today too.”

  “Then she needs to be able to start wielding that power. What better way than letting her help defend herself? I won’t discourage her or tell her no. If you want that, you’ll have to do it yourself.”

  Collin snickered. “Chicken. You just don’t want to piss her off.”

  Cillian looked at him with his own raised brows. “Would you? I’ve seen what that girl can do.”

  “What about the other thing you’re not telling her?”

  His muscles tensed. “What of it?”

  Caleb searched his eyes. “Will you not tell her?”

  He shook his head once.

  “May I ask why?”

  “I have my reasons.”

  Caleb nodded slowly, picking up his glass as he swirled the amber liquid around. “Get the names from Alexej and we’ll see where we get with them. I want whoever is behind this found, and I want an example made out of them.”

  Sixteen

  Falling

  School sucked.

  I couldn’t think of a time where I’d felt as miserable as I did the next day when my mother had insisted I go to school. Not only was I exhausted, but I couldn’t focus. Everything my teachers said flew in one ear and out the other. Even Emily couldn’t break through the haze I was wandering around in.

  Mom hadn’t heard from my dad before I’d left, so I didn’t know if Cillian was safe, or if he’d gotten any information from Alexej, or - anything! I didn’t know anything, and yet I was expected to go about my business as if everything were normal.

  I was having a hard time even looking the other students in the eye. People I’d gone to school with my whole life, and now I felt completely out of place, even more so than usual. I was the daughter of the devil. Some princess of the demon world. I half expected people to raise their fingers at me, in the shape of a cross, and banish me from the school.

  “Watch it,” someone said, just as my shoulder collided with theirs.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled.

  “You Okay, Frenchie?” I looked up to see Aaron watching me from where he stood, leaning against the lockers. “You look like someone killed your puppy.”

  “I’m fine,” I said, not stopping.

  He fell into step with me. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so down. What’s the matter with you?”

  I gave him a skeptical look. “Why do you care?”

  He grinned, hitching his thumbs through the straps of his backpack. “I don’t. I’m just - curious.”

  I rolled my eyes, picking up my pace, which he matched effortlessly. I watched him in my peripheral vision, something nagging at me. An uneasiness was slithering its way up my spine that I couldn’t seem to shake as we walked silently side by side down the hall.

  “Hope!”

  Just like that, whatever had been blossoming in my gut, dissolved. Gabe was walking toward me, a smile on his face that didn’t seem to quite meet his eyes as they glanced at Aaron by my side.

  “I’m out of here,” Aaron muttered, branching off down another hall.

  I watched him leave, that distant, lingering feeling present that I couldn’t put my finger on. Then Gabe’s body was there, blocking him from my sight.

  “Hey you,” he said.

  “Hi,” I said, managing to pull my lips up into something of a smile.

  “I’ve seen you a couple of times today, but you’ve been in your own world. Everything okay?”

  I nodded, tucking a piece of hair back behind my ear. “Yeah, I’m just tired.”

  “Late night with your mom?”

  Oh geez, I had completely forgotten he’d been there last night with my mom. What would have happened if he’d been there when goat-man arrived?

  “Yeah, you know...lots of talking and...what not,” I said, tripping over my words. I was a horrible liar. Clearing my throat, I tried to fake a better smile, pulling myself up straighter. It was no use. I instantly slumped again, giving up on the whole facade. “Actually, I feel like crap,” I told him. “I really don’t want to be here.”

  He grinned. “Why didn’t you just say so? I know the perfect thing we can do.”

  “You - what?” I didn’t get much else out as he gripped my hand, pulling me along behind him. My skin tingled where ours met. I followed helplessly behind him as he led me out the front doors and to his little red car without breaking a stride. He only let go of my hand when he opened the passenger side door for me.

  I hesitated, looking back at the school for a moment. “Won’t we get in trouble for this?” I said, squinting against the bright sun as I turned back to him.

  “Do you care?” He challenged, raising his brows.

  I paused and then got in. Screw it, I thought. I’d never skipped before, and right this moment, school was the last place I wanted to be.

  “That’s my girl,” he said before shutting the door.

  My stomach somersaulted at those words as I watched him smoothly fold his body into the seat beside mine. Throwing on a pair of aviators that hid those eyes, but made him look good enough to be on the cover of a magazine, he gave me a mischievous grin as he started up the car. I returned that grin, letting my head fall back against the headrest as we left the parking lot. Putting my window down, the warm breeze outside blew by, stirring up my hair, sending it flying around my face in a flurry of dark tresses. I loved it. I didn’t care if I was going to have messy hair like a mad woman, I felt a million times lighter as we sped down the road. I didn’t even care where he was taking me, I was just glad to not be sitting in a classroom.

  We drove in a comfortable silence the whole way. He took us down the winding roads along the coast where I watched the waves of the ocean crash against one another in the beautiful turbulence only the water can create. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, nothing to block out the sun or darken the day. No vampires or winged demons to burst my figurative bubble. It was just me, Gabe, a beautiful afternoon, and the rumbling of his sports car. It was, in the simplest of words - perfect.

  When we eventually pulled off onto a quieter road, and then into a small parking lot, I finally looked around to see where he’d brought us. Knowing him, I was expecting to have another surfing lesson thrown at me. That didn’t seem to be the case though, as I took in the trails around us, surrounded by trees and the promise of cliffs.

  “Where are we?” I asked. I’d never been here before. Mom wasn’t one for hik
ing, or any outdoor activities that were overly strenuous.

  “It’s a surprise,” he said. His body practically hummed with excitement. “Would you trust me to lead the way if I blindfolded you?”

  “Blindfolded me?” I said, unable to hide the shock in my voice. “Why?”

  “Because I’m afraid you’ll wimp out on me if you see where we’re going.”