Dark War Chronicles Box Set One

by A. L. Kessler

  He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. What can I do for you, Coran?"

  "I need you to get in contact with the territory in Philadelphia, just let whoever it is there know that Renee and I will be traveling out there for a week. Her brother has...passed away."

  Lucius didn't like the sound of that. "How did he die?”

  "He was slaughtered and his body was dumped." Coran pulled Renee to his side. "We'll be out there for the funeral, help get things arranged, and then we'll be back home."

  Human life was precious to other humans. He didn't know much about Renee's brother, but he knew enough about Renee. He had no choice but to let them go, even if it meant Coran being gone. "Okay, I'll contact them. I'll also call on some other people to help fill the void you're leaving in my security."

  "I know, but this is—"

  "Important. Go." Lucius sighed. "I need to make some calls."

  Danielle flipped another page in the book of history, going over notes and drawings from the 1700's. Everything she read was fascinating and she found herself wondering why the Hunters of the old world broke off and formed the modern day Hunters. The connections disappeared in the 1700’s, no longer did they keep in contact with the Hunters overseas. They could have learned a lot or retained more information, other than a tiny bit about summoning demons. Of course, that information could be dangerous.

  "So you had a good night?" Joey asked, leaning over her. "Seems like you and Orion are really hitting it off."

  She waved her hand at him. "You should learn to keep your thoughts to yourself. Do you know how creepy it is that you can do that?"

  "You don't even know the half of it." He smirked and sat down next her. "The elder masters are all talking about how an Elite took on a demon. That's impressive. Of course, you failed to mention in your report how you had the help of another demon and a Fae. They are going to expect more of you now."

  Dani shrugged and closed the book. "Really, it doesn't matter. They didn't even know there was a demon around. They are more focused on the vampires. Which led to a dangerous situation." That took her to the heart of the vampire territory.

  "In which you were able to meet Luc—"

  "Do not mention that. I swore to him that I wouldn't let that information get back here." She hissed.

  Joey held his hands. "Okay, that's fine. Did you learn anything interesting?"

  "Oh yeah, lots." She muttered and shook her head. "But I don't have time to be concerned about that. I need to figure something out in regards to the Fae and Orion."

  "You think you can get his throne back for him?" Joey's eyes widened. "That is dangerous territory. More dangerous than taking on a demon. The Queen of Blood and Darkness isn't known for being kind. She's not going to willingly let him come in and take over."

  Dani leaned back. "The queen has a weakness, that much I know. That is the information I was bribing him with to get his help."

  "So what's the problem?"

  She clicked her tongue. "I don't know if he wants the throne back and I think..."

  "You're in love with him." Joey wrinkled his nose.

  Dani huffed. She didn't want to use those words, but yes, she loved him and she was starting to think there was nothing she could do about it. Orion seemed to be fighting against some sort of feelings too. He'd give her loving caresses and hold her, hell they'd slept together twice, but there were times that he seemed to push her away. Like he was scared of her humanity.

  Humanity.

  What would he think if he knew about her being a bound human? Maybe that would help the situation. Maybe if he realized she wasn't going to be like Renee, she wasn't going to grow old. Of course, she knew he couldn't commit himself until Tegan returned.

  "Tegan." Joey frowned. "I can see a clear picture in your head, but you don't know what she is."

  Dani glared at him. "Seriously dude, stop that."

  "Sorry, you really need to learn how to block your thoughts better." He frowned again, seemingly distracted. "That really should be standard training here." Jumping up, he flashed her a grin. "Good luck with your love life. Just remember, don't throw out the gifts life gives you...sometimes they are just what you need."

  "I'll try to keep that in mind. Have a good night, Joey." She tucked the book under her arm and grabbed her coat off the back of the library chair.

  He gave her a salute as he wandered up the stairs to look at the books. She went out the door and pulled out her phone. She frowned when her call went straight to Orion's cell phone. "Hey, it's me. I want to talk to you...about something important. Call me."

  She stuck her phone in her pocket and headed out to the parking lot. She needed to tell him how she felt and what was going on.

  Orion pulled up to the townhouse after work. He didn't really want to stay here while Coran and Renee were gone, hating how empty the house was, but he really didn't have a choice. If he went to Lucius' than he would be reminded of Tegan. He hadn't heard from Kaden yet, so he had no idea if the demon had gone after Tegan. Worse yet, Orion felt a pain in his heart when he realized that he wouldn't be waking up next to Danielle tomorrow. With it being the ass crack of dawn, there was only one thing that would take the edge off his power after work.

  He needed a drink. Going to The Disappearing Act was out of the question. Mae would be ready to close it down and would put him to work. Tegan would be ashamed at how her bar was starting to go downhill without her there. He went straight to the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of vodka. One of the downfalls of being a Fae was he couldn't get drunk easily, but he could get a buzz off of this, and he was determined to enjoy it.

  Sometime later, the empty bottle sat next to him. His phone had rung but it was too far away for him to really care. He doubted it was Dani and he knew it wasn't Tegan. It dinged to let him know that he had a voicemail. He didn't care. Looking at himself in the mirror, he wondered how he’d gotten to this point. He'd dropped his magic and his glamour and stared at his shredded wings in the mirror. Green and black ribbons were all that remained, hanging off the hollow bones that made up the shape of the fairy wings. He never wanted to see them, but something about being around Danielle made him realize what he was again.

  A broken prince. Whose throne had been taken from him. Now he was mated and had nothing but Lucius' wrath to share with his mate. And the ability to watch her grow old. Great gifts for her.

  Right.

  He laid his head on his knees, letting his hair fall over his eyes. At some point in drinking he’d gotten hot and took off his jeans so that he sat there in the nude. His body had scars and they reminded him of the ones he'd seen on Dani's body. There was so much about each other that they didn't know, but he wanted her forever. He would do anything to keep her from Lucius, even if it meant leaving his territory. But he didn't have anywhere to go.

  With a rush of rage he stood and slammed his fist into the full-length mirror he'd been staring at. How had he become this pathetic creature?

  "Orion?"

  Dani's voice caught him off guard and helped clear some of the fog. He had enough time to pull his pants back on before she came up the steps and spotted him through the open door of his room.

  She licked her lips and her eyes wandered over him. The look in her eyes was clear. Mine. She wanted him. He cursed, realizing his glamour was still down. "Dani, look, I can—"

  "Your wings, that's what she did to your wings?" She reached out to touch him, but he folded them together, much like a butterfly, to keep the ruins from her touch and her pity. "Orion, that woman is a monster."

  He snorted. "You're telling me."

  "I wanted to talk, but I see you had other plans tonight." Her eyes flickered to the bottle on the ground. "Roommates out of town? So thought you'd have a party of one?"

  He loved her sarcasm when she was getting defensive. "I'm almost back to being sober, it doesn't stay in my system long." He pulled his glamour back over him and once again he appeared flawless, just like when he was on sta
ge.

  "You've been hiding yourself from me." She crossed her arms.

  He pulled her into a hug. "I've been hiding from everyone. It's been years since someone saw me without my glamour."

  "Do you regret that I did?" She asked.

  He mocked her by clicking his tongue. "No, I don't. If anyone got to see me, I'm glad it was you."

  "Why?"

  "Because you, too, carry scars that you don't want people to know about. People ask questions and it brings up the past." He brushed a hand over her cheek. "My little Hunter, I'm sorry." He closed his eyes and dropped his glamour before kissing her deeply.

  She parted her lips to let his teasing tongue into her mouth and they devoured each other. She pulled back. "I don't want to hide things from you anymore."

  "Me either." He flattened his wings. "You may touch them, just be gentle. They still hurt some days."

  She brushed her hand over the top curve of the wing and watched as it quivered under her touch. A shock went through the wing and into Orion's spine and he cried out, his back arching. Turning his head, he saw the impossible happen. The thin fabric of the wing started to knit itself back together. Orion gasped as Dani touched the other curves and the same thing happened.

  Pain laced through them and took over Orion's body. He fell to his knees, gasping and clenching his eyes closed as the fire ran through his body. With a final shock, silver threaded through the green and black wings. He stayed where he was, head resting against the floor as he caught his breath.

  "Oh my God, they are beautiful." Danielle swallowed and ran her hand over them again.

  This time no pain came, just the soft, soothing touch of his mate. Orion lifted his head up and looked at her. "You healed them." He couldn't believe it, centuries of going around with torn wings and she'd healed them with a touch.

  "What does that mean, and please don't hide the answer from me." She knelt in front of him.

  He laughed, a joyful laugh. "You're my mate, Danielle. The one fate has chosen for me."

  "You mean like fate has chosen Renee for Coran?" Danielle ran a hand through his hair and he gave a contented sigh.

  "Yes, just like that, except this is Fae mating." He chuckled and rolled over so he could lay his head in her lap and willed his wings to disappear, the magic allowing them to be tangible and visible only when he wanted. "It means that you will never be satisfied with anyone else but me, you will crave me, and, well...only I can get you pregnant."

  "And for you?" She asked, her voice shaking.

  He smiled up at her. "You're the only one who will ever satisfy me...the only one who can, well..." He looked at the bulge in his pants. "Get it up."

  "You joke at a time like this?" She cracked a smile. "Do you crave me too?"

  "Oh yes, without a doubt, but I also didn't want this...because you’re mortal. I don't want to watch you die. I'm selfish, I know."

  She leaned over and kissed him. "I thought that might be why you've been pulling away. Which is why I came here tonight."

  It was coming; she was going to tell him the same thing. She didn't want to grow old while he didn't age. He sucked in a breath, but she put a finger to his lips to keep him from speaking. "We talked about not hiding things from each other. So I have to tell you this."

  He could see the hesitation in her eyes and he took her hand and kissed the palm. "No secrets here." He reminded her.

  "I'm bound to a vampire, please don't freak out." She rushed. "It wasn't by choice and he's locked away. He's not a part of my life at all, except once a year I check on his grave. That's all."

  Worry replaced the hesitation and he smiled up at her. "You won't age."

  "Nope. Forever twenty-one." She laughed. "It's such a great age, I wanted to stay that way."

  He snorted. "I have to say that is the best news I've heard in a very long time." The pain in his chest eased. He could spend the rest of his life with her, but there was still the matter of negotiating with Lucius...if he stayed under Lucius' watch. "How does the Hunting Society feel about taking in a Fae?"

  "You want to join us? What about Lucius and Tegan?"

  "I have a feeling that Lucius is just going to kill me when Tegan comes back. I’d rather live and stay with you, and if that means joining the Hunters, then so be it." He sat up and pulled her into his arms, kissing her head. "I just want to be with you and have you be safe. That's not going to happen if you have to negotiate with him again.”

  She snuggled into him. "You don't like working for him." It was more of a statement than a question.

  "No, not really. I tolerated it, but it's not where I want to stay forever. The way he's handling the situation with Tegan is just horrible." He shook his head. "But don't worry. I'll find a way."

  And he would. He had a mate to protect now and he had to keep her best interests in mind.

  "What about getting your throne back and returning home?"

  Before Dani he had never thought about going home. Even with her claim, it hadn't been a possibility because of his wings, but now...now he could use his magic to go home because his wings were intact, which meant that the ability to shift realms was also back. He held Danielle in his arms as he contemplated her words. "It would mean killing the queen, which may cost me my life."

  "What if I told you of a weakness she has?" She whispered.

  Orion swallowed, could there be such a thing? "What is it?"

  "There's a dagger that used to reside in the Seelie Court. It now lays in the Hunter's Headquarters’ museum." She looked at him. "I can get it for you. It’s rumored that if stabbed, regardless of where, the victim dies."

  He took a sharp breath. He'd heard of the knife, it'd originally belonged to the Unseelie Court, the dark court...his court. "They die alright, and their soul is killed as well. They never return to the earth."

  "That's harsh, but it's a way to kill her. You just have to get close enough to do it." She shrugged. "It's not like she didn't take everything away from you."

  To kill a soul was unforgivable, but Danielle was right, the queen deserved it and it wasn't like the Unseelie Court wasn't used to dark magic. "I have a way to get close to her, but you aren't going to like it."

  "You're going to try and seduce her, huh?"

  He laughed. "Yes, and get away with it as long as I can. Can't sleep with her because you're my mate, but I might be able to get close enough to kill her. If you can get me that dagger."

  Chapter Eight

  Markus smiled when Tegan started to wake. The woman pushed herself up off the dirty ground with a groan. Her hands lifted to the blindfold, but Markus put a hand on her back. "Now, now, don't. You know better than that."

  He’d retrieved her right after they’d opened the tomb. Now they stood in front of the opened entry, where Tegan would serve her purpose. Now the Father would again receive his soul.

  Markus pulled Tegan up by her hair. "Are you ready? This is what you were created for. He is waiting in there. As soon as the witch puts the soul back, then he'll wake. He'll call for blood, your blood, Tegan. You should have been chained in there with him, waiting for his resurrection."

  Her body shook and she dug her heels into the ground as Markus dragged her towards the tomb. The huge stone wall arched up, forming a cliff at the top. The door had been cracked open and was still stained by the blood that had opened it. Markus had to give the Original's credit, when he and the Circle finally located the tomb, it had been well-hidden by vines and overgrowth. The door hadn't been marked, and the symbol didn't show up until the blood touched it.

  Markus dragged Tegan forward and the woman fought him the whole way. She thrashed her body from side to side and tried to kick him. In the end she became a dead weight, but he still dragged her inside with ease. The stone corridor was now lit with torches, the Circle having come before him in preparation. It opened into a cavern and in the middle lay a corpse. The decaying brown skin sunk against the bones, the eyelids were sunken in, and the lips had been pee
led back from the teeth, showing the Father's fangs.

  One of the hooded members stood there with a witch. The old woman had her gray hair pinned up in a careful bun and her gray eyes pegged Markus with a hard stare. "You promise you'll leave my granddaughter alone if I do this for you?" Her accent was thick Italian; she was the only witch who knew how to work with a soul. It'd taken the Circle years to hunt her down.

  "Yes, as soon as his soul is back in place, we'll remove the people watching her. You have my word." Markus smirked at her, but snarled when Tegan stomped on his foot and tried to bolt away from him. The woman was determined to fight against him, but he yanked her hair, pulling her back to him.

  The witch bowed her head and held her hand out to the hooded member for the stone. The vampire dropped the round item into her hand. The witch licked her lips. "He'll be blood-starved when he wakes up."

  "That's what she is here for." Markus shook Tegan who turned towards the witch.

  "Please, don't do this. You don't understand what will happen if you raise him."

  The witch shook her head. "I know that my granddaughter will live." She whispered and started to chant, the stone in her hand beginning to glow as a black circle appeared around the corpse and the witch.

  Tegan backed up, hissing as if she felt the magic. Markus shivered when the power floated through the air. The witch shoved the stone through the fragile skin of the corpse and left it in the chest cavity as light spread through the body. The brown skin started to turn into pale flesh and mold over the bones. The eye sockets filled out, life returned despite the pale sunken cheeks.

  The lips filled out and covered the teeth. The eyes shot open and the vampire slowly sat up as if pulled by strings. His red gaze caught Markus' and then went to Tegan.

  "My gift to you, your Blood Human." Markus threw Tegan to the floor at the foot of the slab.

  She screamed as the monster descended on her. He yanked her head to the side and sank his fangs into her. She clawed and pushed at him, but the vampire didn't budge. Markus laughed. "We'll let you two get reacquainted and we'll be outside when you are done. We have a lot to catch you up on."