Three Deadly Trials (Battle for The Dark King Book 1)

by VS Winters

  "He didn't accept the words, what else could it be?" Pimea asked in a soft voice.

  "Well," Shael said carefully. Pimea stood behind her, looking through the woods. "The three points of the knot signify wholeness. Unity."

  "Unity," I repeated. My mind was buzzing with realization. "Ingredients three. Unity. Both of you come here."

  "Eden--"

  "Just come here, I'm not going to hurt you. The old man wants three of us. We are the points of the knot. If we say the words, each of us taking one that will complete the knot," I looked at the old man whose smile had widened. I smiled back and motioned for the other two. "We need to unite to complete the task, just as we would have to form allies among the other kingdoms. Now, come on."

  Grabbing Shael's hand in one of my own and Pimea's in the other, I began by reciting the first word.

  "Love."

  "Honor," Pimea said with a shaky voice.

  Shael looked over her shoulder again. Her large eyes were flooding with concern. I followed her gaze to the treetops. Something was moving up there, watching us. With a gentle nudge, I urged her to continue to answer the riddle. I gave her an encouraging smile as she looked back at me. With a nod, she brought the last piece of the puzzle together.

  "Protection," She whispered, the word left her lips like a melody.

  We gulped in unison as the world exploded into a dazzling kaleidoscope of colors. I held tightly to the other women as we stood against the ferocious wind blasting us in the face. A roaring began in my ears just as it had at the start. I could feel the spell waver as we were pushed out of the magical tunnel and back into Rowan's castle. My shaking knees hit the floor. I wanted to cry out with relief.

  "Did we do it?" I urged, glancing over at Pimea who had also not been able to keep on her feet. She nodded and pointed to the thrones, where Rowan stood. His eyes were alight with satisfaction as he made his way to us, helping Pimea and me to our feet. I notice Kariye sitting on a bench on one side of the room, being tended to by a healer. Her wounds didn't look deep but she seemed shaken up.

  "Well done, all of you," Rowan said, his eyes lingering on mine for a second longer than either of the other two. Was that surprise that I saw, hiding deep inside of those pale eyes? "You have passed the first Trial; therefore, each of you will automatically be qualified for the second. You may return to your quarters. We shall celebrate tomorrow with a feast."

  "Wait, that's all? We don't get a prize?" I said, mostly as a joke. Rowan turned to smile at me with his perfect set of lips. He didn't say a word as he turned again, making his way back to the throne.

  "Come on," Scott said, nearly causing me to jump out of my boots.

  "Jesus, Scott, could you not do that?"

  I heard giggles coming from the other people in the room but ignored them as Scott wrapped his arm around my shoulders and squeezed. Feeling Rowan's stare on me, I looked back briefly, with enough time to see him burning a hole in the back of Scott's head with his eyes.

  "I'm so proud of you, Eden!" Scott practically screamed it through the halls as we exited. He must have been loud enough for the entire place to hear him. I looked at him with a grin. "You completed the first Trial, and in record time!"

  "Well, Pimea and Shael helped with that. Plus, the Nymph girl was bested by someone that wasn't us three. Which leaves Lavinia, Sephial or Nija."

  "Indeed," Scott's eyes grew darker. "Leave it to the three who tilt toward evil to best another in the first round of the Trials."

  "Oh, and Nija's got it out for me. She called dibs."

  "Called what?"

  "She told the others that I'm hers, to best that is. And I guess they listened to her. Lavinia was close enough to rip my throat out, but she didn't."

  "The protection spells wouldn't have allowed her to 'rip your throat out.'"

  "Do you have to get all teacher-y right now?" I stomped my foot as we approached my room door. "I just freaking won the first Trial. Be happy for me."

  "I am!" Scott cried with a laugh. "Now get some sleep, you've earned it. Only two more days until the second Trial. You can tell me all about it tomorrow."

  "Roger that," I said with a salute before entering my room. I bathed myself from head to toe as best as I could before sliding into a comfortable sleep dress. The bed had never felt so fantastic against my skin as it did that night. I'm not even sure if my head hit the pillow before I was out like a light.

  Chapter Sixteen

  My lessons with Scott came to a close the next day. It was around dinner time when he realized that he had all but bored me to death by making me learn alchemy basics. He must have seen it in my eyes because, after several hours of the same thing over and over, he finally told me I was free to go and get ready for the feast. Ellie had already brought a gown for me to wear, it was lying on my bed when I returned, along with a pair of pale blue flats.

  The dress was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Fabrics that mimicked chiffon, if chiffon had been crafted by the gods, subtly changed from violet to aqua depending on where the light hit them. There were no sleeves on the dress as it was held up by a piece that circled my neck, leaving my shoulders wholly exposed. In the center of the neckpiece was an enormous oval-shaped amethyst. Connecting that piece to the bottom half was a line of smaller amethyst, which were set in gold casings.

  The gown hugged me around the waist and flowed loosely past my toes in a mixture of duotone patterns. Six bangles, three for each arm, were also adorned with gems, and a single piece of the multicolored cloth was linked between each arm-set. These were placed strategically by Ellie so that the fabric along my arms merged beautifully with my dress skirt.

  She also set a silver circlet atop my head. The metal had been crafted with skilled hands; some of the intricate loops were no thicker than a strand of hair. Gems matching the gown had been set into the circlet so that they would catch the light even in the dimmest of settings. It would be perfect for the feast, which would be taking place in the largest of the keep's gardens, one I hadn't been to thus far, and just after sunset.

  Ellie didn't pin my hair back that night but instead focused on leaving it in its natural, curly state, hanging down to my hips. She swiped a bit of onyx onto my eyelashes before sending me on my way. Scott had shown me the way earlier, as he would be too busy to escort me. I was proud of myself when I arrived, on time, and in the right place.

  In utter awe, I gazed around at the setup. Heavy wooden tables had been placed on the lush grass underneath enormous white canopies. Twinkling lights that looked like a million fireflies lit up the dining area, dangling down the sides of the canopy to give the soft appearance of walls. I stepped further in, taking deep breaths of the many aromas of food that filled the air as servants began to fill the tables.

  Watching as they strode by with arms full of plates, I looked at all of the different types of food they carried. Lemon and pepper salmon, cheese-covered potatoes, roast duck that had been seasoned and cooked to golden perfection, as well as hundreds of other things. An assortment of sweets lined the tables, as well as spiced wine and ale. Music was filling the air alongside the smell of food. It sounded like someone plucking the strings of a harp, which went nicely with the random chatter.

  Snatching a piece of cinnamon bread off of a serving platter, I ignored the glare from the servant and walked through the hanging lights for a better look of the garden itself. What lay on the other side resembled the other gardens I had been in before. With its enormous fountain that spat a melodic flow of water down into its base, I made my way around it and noted that there was no one else venturing like I was.

  Just beyond the fountain I could see something pale on the ground at the far end of the garden. Whatever it was, it was being lit by moonlight. Deciding to investigate, I approached the break in the hedges to find a cobblestone path. With a look back, I ate my last bite of bread and started to make my way down the path.

  It twisted and turned into somewhat of a maze. With no fear o
f getting lost, I started to turn down different corners. The moon lit the pathway enough for me to see the gems on my dress glittering in its light. I felt like a child, sneaking into my father's room while he slept to crawl into bed next to him. The thrill of it was intoxicating.

  "Are you lost?" Rowan said softly from over my shoulder. My heart leaped inside of my chest as I spun on my heels to face him. A roguish grin was pulling at his lips. I gave the area a quick survey, as though I had no idea how or when I got there.

  "Yeah, I think I am." I lied with pursed lips.

  "How did you even get in here?"

  "I, uh, well…" My mind went blank as his fresh aroma hit me right in the face. God, he smelled so good that it made me want to taste him.

  "I'm impressed with you. I didn't expect that you would make it past the first Trial, and yet, you were one of the first to return." He said, changing the subject. I sighed in relief and held my ground.

  "It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," I shrugged and wagged a hand in front of me. "No big deal."

  Rowan slipped his hand into mine before it had time to fall back to my side. With a gentle pull, he drew me closer, smoothing a rogue curl behind my ear as he gazed into my eyes. My breath hitched in my lungs as I saw the usual hard-ass look on his face soften.

  "It is a big deal, Eden." He whispered, leaning closer.

  "Wait," I said, leaning my head back to keep eye contact. "Did you just say my name?"

  "Eden is your name, is it not?" He purred.

  "Well, yeah, but you always call me 'Witch.' Why the sudden change?" I didn't trust this. Not that I didn't like the sound of my name on his tongue, I was blindsided by it.

  "I like Eden better, don't you?"

  I opened my mouth to agree but was interrupted by a loud boom followed by whistling coming from the direction of the castle. I bent my neck to locate the source, only to find a stream of sparks shooting into the colorful sky above us. Rowan lifted his head to watch with me as the line traveled further until it finally exploded into a shower of glittering colors.

  "Fireworks," I breathed, looking back at Rowan, who was still watching the sparks of light as they disintegrated, making way for the next two fireworks that had just been shot off. My stare traveled from his eyes, which were shifting colors due to the lights in the sky, down to his perfectly kissable lips. Without allowing myself another second to think about it, I raised onto my tiptoes and pressed my mouth against his.

  His eyes flashed back to view me as I closed mine and parted my lips against his. Flicking my tongue across his bottom lip, I felt his hands lower to my waist, pulling me even closer as he pushed his own tongue in between my open lips. I moaned as he retreated it so that he could nibble on my lip. Why was I enjoying it so much? I was supposed to hate this guy. He freaking kidnapped me!

  I didn't care about any of that at the moment, I let his hands explore my waist and lower back as the kiss deepened. My body ached for more, and I didn't try to stop my hand as it lowered to his cock. My eyes popped open and widened at the size of him. I could feel him smile against my lips as he lifted an eyebrow at me. Well, he wasn't saying no...

  "Play with mine, and I'll be forced to play with yours. Are you sure that you want that?" He growled, moving his teeth to gently bite my earlobe. I moaned again, louder this time, and let my eyes roll to the back of my head. Feeling the slick need between my legs, I panted as he started to kiss down my neck and collarbone.

  Scott's words slipped into my mind, how he had said that the only people who could tell me about my mother were the Coven or the crown.

  "Wait, please," I whispered, hating myself for it. "I--I want this but need to talk to you about something."

  "Mmm," Rowan growled against my skin, as though it was going to take every inch of restraint that he possessed to stop kissing me. Pulling away slowly, I felt small under his gaze. His eyes were glowing, his lips rosy from the kissing. He looked at me with hardcore bedroom eyes as I took a step back and pulled free of him. I couldn't think with him so close.

  "I need to ask you about my mother," I said, looking away from him. From the corner of my eye, I saw him straighten his shoulders and run a fistful of fingers through his hair.

  "What would you like to know?" He asked.

  "How did she die?" I let the words escape me quickly as if holding them in was damaging to my health. In a way, it was.

  "She died alongside my own mother, Alara. They were deemed to be traitors to the crown."

  "Deemed that by who?" My eyes shot back to his.

  "My father." He replied grimly.

  "Your father killed our mothers? Why?" I knew I should feel more upset about the news. But I think that deep down, I knew it would be something along these lines.

  "He said they were plotting against him. Against the entire world." Rowan stood perfectly still, watching me as I absorbed the information. Rubbing my eyes, I tried to think of my next question. Before I could, Rowan continued.

  "My mother was DarkFae. A Demon, to be precise. She was forced to marry my father after winning his Devotion Trials. He assumed that she, with the aid of your mother, was feeding information to the other Demons."

  "Wait. Your mother was a royal Demon? Does that mean that Nija is--"

  "No," He snickered, shaking his head. "When my mother was murdered by my father, he made sure to abolish the rest of her house as well. All of them, except for me, whom he believed to be Seelie to the core. The closest set of nobility, Nija's family, rose to the throne in the Demonlands."

  "Seelie?"

  "A LightFae. Good through and through, until they are tainted by evil. Unseelie are what we refer to as DarkFae. They don't care about the image of goodness, or if they get caught dealing with Witches."

  "Did you believe your father?" I asked quietly.

  Rowan looked at me, rubbing his chin between a thumb and forefinger. Shaking his head, he lowered his hand to his side and looked around us discreetly, as though someone would behead him for speaking out about his late father.

  "My father was aged and his mind had become warped during the war. I think that he became so paranoid and wary of Witches and Demons alike that he just assumed acts of treason were growing more common. Your mother was helping mine…"

  "Helping her with what?" I urged in a whisper, reaching out to clutch his hand and stroke it with my fingers.

  "Protecting me from my father." I could have sworn there was a glistening of tears in his eyes. I didn't have an opportunity to inquire as he turned around, tugging me back to the Garden.

  "Enough chatting for one evening. Let us go and enjoy the banquet in celebration of your triumph."

  I went silent and allowed myself to be dragged away until we were beneath the canopy together. I wondered why my mother would have protected the child of someone who hated her, but pushed it away as we sat and began to fill our plates. I ate at Rowan's side until my belly could fit no more. We laughed and drank spiced wine with the others until I had grown so flooded with exhaustion that my eyelids were practically cementing themselves shut. Rowan volunteered to accompany me to my quarters, which I readily accepted.

  "Thank you," I said to him with a thick tongue. "For opening up to me tonight."

  "Thank you, as well." He smiled, wrapping his arms in front of his chest as we approached the entrance.

  "For what?"

  "Caring." He said simply, allowing me to walk inside first. Like a true gentleman.

  The moment we stepped into the castle, alcohol and fatigue were making me feel heavy. My limbs trembled as they struggled to take each step. Rowan promptly took notice and swept me up and into his muscular arms. He held me tight against his broad chest, walking in perfect soldier-like stride until he had eventually deposited me onto my bed. His brilliant eyes swept over my lips, and he turned to leave.

  "Wait," I called after him softly, feeling much more awake, with the roaring desire inside being ignited anew. He swung his head around just enough to give
me a smirk before walking through the door, leaving me alone in my thoughts. I knew that I needed to change out of the dress but didn't want to expend any more energy by getting some nightwear. I settled on removing the dress and throwing it into a heap on the floor, along with the bangles.

  Sinking back into the mountain of pillows, all I could think about was Rowan and the kiss that had left me breathless. The way his body had pressed against mine...his cock. A bite of passion ached in my core. With a glance at the door, I traced my fingers down my breast, squeezing my nipples that had tightened at the memory of my rendezvous with Rowan.

  When I arrived at my burning-hot slit, I panted at how ready I was, how close I was to plunging over the edge of the magnificent peak I stood on. Rowan's lustrous eyes observed me, in my subconscious, as I worked myself. I envisioned him thrusting that enormous cock into my delicate folds, while I slid one finger up and down on just the right spot and pushed another inside of my opening. A moan left my lips, and I felt my toes curling in. The world started to whirl, and my body convulsed in acknowledgment of the incoming orgasm.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Rowan

  I rested in bed, fully naked, not unlike every other evening. No, something that made that night unusual was that my cock kept pulsating, thick against my taut abdomen, to the image of her. Being over a century in age, I'd had my fair share of partners, but nothing compared to the effect the Witch had on me. Something made her different from the rest. It was something that I couldn't put my finger on. The desire I felt when around her was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. I hungered for her.

  Taking a firm grip on my length, I started to stroke it, up and down. I wished it was her fingers enveloping my cock as the pressure began to swell. I imagined her scent flooding into my nostrils, that Witchy smell of smoldering embers and alchemy components. But there lay something beneath that, something that smelled so foreign, yet so appealing. I needed that scent all over my skin.