Reign Check

by Michelle Rowen

Michael shook his head. “And you knew I’d be here?”

  “Yes,” Jonas replied.

  “How?” I asked.

  His unfriendly green eyes moved to me. “It was a prophecy related to me several years ago, but it was very specific. It stated that Michael, the young Shadow prince whose kingdom was stolen from him, would be imprisoned here. Now. If I wanted to find him, to meet him, then I had to set in motion several events to get myself here. So I did what I had to do.”

  A prophecy? About Michael?

  Jonas smiled at the shock on my face. “Did you think prophecies only concerned those who currently are royalty? Do you think a Shadow is so worthless a creature that he does not have any power or influence at all?”

  “Of course that’s not what I think.” I glared at him, the initial shock burned away by a flicker of hot anger.

  “So you chose to be brought to this dungeon because of this … this prophecy that said I’d be here, too.” Michael’s voice was filled with confusion.

  “Yes. Do you think these demons could contain me if I didn’t wish to be here?”

  “I … I don’t know.”

  “Don’t let them fill your head with lies. That’s what demons do—they lie.”

  “Enough,” the guard barked, finally pocketing his handheld device. “Let’s move on.”

  “Yes,” Jonas said. “I’m ready to move on.”

  He held his hands to either side of the locked door and closed his eyes for a moment. A pulse of green light moved from him to the door itself. A moment later, it flew open, the glass shattering and falling to the ground like sugar. Kassandra shrieked loudly. Or maybe it was me.

  Then Jonas took off his amulet, lifting the gold chain over his head, and threw it onto the cot along the side of the cell. My heart beat faster. A Shadow wasn’t ever supposed to remove his amulet. When Michael’s had been taken away from him, he’d lost his solid form and had begun fading away to nothing. It was a punishment, not a choice. But Jonas removed his willingly? What was he trying to do? Kill himself?

  “Watch and learn,” the Shadow said before swiftly moving through the doorway into the wide hallway where we stood.

  The guard immediately tried to grab him, but his hands slipped right through Jonas’s body—it now had no more substance than a ghost. Instead of looking distraught by this, Jonas looked amused.

  He glanced at Michael, who’d automatically moved in front of me, blocking me from harm.

  I struggled to swallow the lump in my throat. How could anyone accuse Michael of being dangerous? Everything he did was to protect me—even now, when he truly believed I’d just given him away to someone else. It only made me want to protect him in return.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Michael demanded.

  “Demons have kept many things from Shadows because they’re afraid of us,” Jonas said. “Our amulet gives us form and function and strength; we’re led to believe that without it we’re helpless and will fade to nothing.” His jaw clenched. “But the truth is, in our Shadow form we can be more powerful than any demon.”

  The guard was calling for backup, panic gathering in his voice.

  “Watch and learn, my prince,” Jonas said again to Michael. He held his hands at his sides, palms up.

  I could barely believe my eyes as I watched Jonas’s form turn dark and formless until there was nothing left of him but a moving shadow on the floor.

  Another guard ran up to us. “What’s going on?”

  “Jonas. He … he’s escaping. I think,” the first guard said, looking confused. At that moment, an alarm began to blare, same as the one that sounded after Michael killed the hellhound.

  “Michael.” I touched his shoulder. “Be careful.”

  “Just stay behind me,” he snapped.

  “What about that one?” the second guard asked, looking at Michael. “He’s a Shadow, too, isn’t he?”

  The first guard’s attention was fully on Jonas’s shadow. “Forget him. It’s Jonas who’s the problem. But I don’t know how to capture him when he’s in this form.”

  I gasped and pointed at the guard’s leg. The dark shadow was now crawling up it. The guard tried to brush it off, but it was impossible.

  “Do you see?” Jonas’s voice was still clear. “In this form they can’t hurt us. They can’t stop us. However, without our amulets, we need to maintain our energy a different way. We do this by absorbing the energy of others—I did this with the faeries who were foolish enough to believe there could be peace between them and the demon worlds.”

  The guard took quick, short breaths as the shadow swirled around him like a tornado, darkening in color and gaining opacity until it obliterated his entire form. A few seconds later it became transparent again and I could see the guard’s face, his eyes wide and terrified. Then the guard’s eyes rolled back so I could only see the whites, and he fell backward to the floor.

  My heart hammered against my rib cage. Kassandra clutched my arm—her face was pale with shock.

  The second guard staggered back. “He’s … he’s dead!”

  The sound of the alarm made it hard to hear anything else; hard to think about anything else. I felt frozen in place. It had all happened so fast—less than twenty seconds from beginning to end.

  Jonas rematerialized in front of Michael. His eyes now burned bright green and a smile spread across his face. “Do you see?”

  Michael nodded, his jaw tight. “Yes, I see.”

  “Join me. We can change the worlds.”

  Michael’s gaze moved to the dead guard. “Did my father do that as well? Drain demons and faeries for their energy?”

  “Your father … ,” Jonas said, and sighed. “His friendship with a demon prince prevented him from taking the necessary steps that would have made a difference to us all. That friendship ultimately led to his death. I won’t make the same mistake, and neither should you.”

  Was he talking about my father? He’d mentioned that he knew Michael’s parents, but were they friends, too? Was that why he felt the responsibility of looking after Michael all these years?

  Had my father been protecting Michael from other demons? Or from the chance he’d meet another Shadow like Jonas?

  When Michael didn’t answer right away, Jonas reached past him and grabbed me. I tried to pull away, but there was nothing to pull away from. He had no substance. He could grasp me, but I couldn’t fight against him in return.

  “You’re only half demon,” he said, cocking his head to the side. “I wonder what you’d taste like.”

  “Let go of her!” Michael demanded.

  “I heard what she said before. She’d give you away as if you were no better than an inanimate object. Why would you care about someone like that?”

  Michael’s eyes flicked to me. I could see the pain and doubt there.

  “Michael—,” I began.

  But I couldn’t finish what I was trying to say. Jonas had turned to shadow form again, and as he swirled around me, I started to feel the strangest draining sensation. He was absorbing my energy, the same as he’d done to the guard.

  It had killed the guard.

  I fought hard against it. I focused on my dragon’s tear bracelet to help give me extra strength, and it began to work. The draining stopped, but only for a moment. Then it started again, worse than before. Jonas was very strong. He’d done this many times before, hadn’t he? And not just to Rhys’s parents and the guard.

  It didn’t hurt. Despite my fear and panic, it felt only like I was growing more and more tired. All I wanted to do was close my eyes and go to sleep.

  Kassandra held a hand to her mouth as she watched with horror.

  Again I thought of my mom. And my dad. And Michael and Melinda … and an image of Rhys flitted through my mind as well. So much for promising him I’d be careful. I was going to die the same way his mom and dad had.

  Out of my narrowed vision I watched Michael take off his amulet and throw it to the side, his attentio
n focused on me and the dark tornado that now surrounded my body. He looked uncertain for a moment, but his brow creased as if he was concentrating very hard on something. The next moment he darkened to a formless black shadow that sank to the floor and moved rapidly toward me.

  “Excellent,” Jonas said. “You’re a natural at this, my prince.”

  “Thank you for showing me what we can do,” Michael replied. “All of these years I had no idea.”

  Had Michael decided to join Jonas? They could so easily drain demons of their energy, and I couldn’t see any way to fight back other than using my bracelet to prolong the inevitable.

  No, Michael wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t.

  Wouldn’t do what? Choose to be a prince rather than a servant? Choose to have his freedom rather than be at the mercy of someone like me giving him away any time it pleased me?

  But I didn’t think of Michael as my servant—I never had and I never would. No matter what. I wished he knew that without any doubt.

  This had to be the second prophecy that Irena told me about—the darkness consuming me. Jonas was going to kill me.

  I was close to losing consciousness now, and I knew when it happened, that would be it. I’d be dead, drained of all my energy to help feed a Shadow.

  Then I felt something. It was as if Jonas’s shadow was being pulled away from me.

  “What are you doing?” Jonas growled.

  “Stopping you,” Michael snarled back.

  “You’d give up a chance to change the world? To fight at my side? All to protect this selfish princess who couldn’t care less about you?”

  “You don’t know her.”

  “And you do?”

  “I think I do.”

  “Then you’re a fool.”

  “Maybe you’re right.”

  “Of course I’m right. This is your chance to change things. To choose which side you’ll fight on, now and in the future.”

  Jonas’s hold grew tighter on me again. But I’d taken the short reprieve to focus all my attention on my dragon’s tear. I knew it would help me turn to my stronger Darkling form. Weak power flowed along my arms into my hands, and I attempted to push Jonas away.

  It didn’t work. I wasn’t even able to pop a horn. I felt the draining sensation begin again.

  “Michael—,” I managed. I couldn’t see him. All I could see was one shadow on me and another swirling around, agitated. Then Michael’s shadow attached itself to me as well.

  He’d chosen sides. He was going to help Jonas drain me of my last bit of energy, wasn’t he?

  Hope flittered away from me.

  “Stop,” Jonas said, and there was no smile in his voice now. There was panic. “No, you mustn’t—”

  He gasped. Whatever Michael was doing to him wasn’t pain free and drowse inducing. All I could see was swirling gray and black, a disembodied battle surrounding me. I couldn’t even tell the two shadows apart.

  A moment later I heard an ear-piercing scream. Then nothing.

  I was shaking violently. I braced a hand against the glass wall of the cell next to me so I could remain standing. Kassandra rushed to my side and put her arm around my shoulders to help support me.

  Michael quickly took form in front of us. His eyes glowed a brighter green than I’d ever seen before. He was filled with power. He’d destroyed Jonas to save me and had absorbed the other Shadow’s energy in the process.

  “You both need to leave,” Kassandra said shakily. “Right now.”

  Despite Michael’s glowing green eyes, his expression was flat. “But aren’t I supposed to be your servant now, Princess Kassandra?”

  I found it difficult to speak, so luckily Kassandra took over. She glared at Michael.

  “What are you, stupid or something? That was just a lie so we could get you out of the dungeon. Nikki would never give you away. She’s crazy about you.”

  His eyes lit up and he looked at me. “Is that true?”

  “Of course it is,” I managed, my voice raspy.

  Kassandra shook her head. “So he’s a hottie, but he’s not too bright, is he?”

  The other guard stood there, shaking in his boots, staring at us in shock. He didn’t try to stop us from leaving.

  Michael snatched his amulet from the floor—despite currently being incorporeal, he was able to grasp solid objects—and he put it back on as we hurriedly followed Kassandra through the two sets of doors and out of the dungeon.

  “The guard managed to pardon Michael in the dungeon database,” she explained. “So we won’t have any trouble getting out of here.”

  When we got into the elevators, the alarm had already ceased blaring. It was a relief to my ears.

  “I’ll tell them what happened,” Kassandra said. “That Jonas killed the guard and attacked Nikki, and that Michael saved everyone.”

  “That’s exactly what did happen,” I said.

  “Yeah.” She blinked rapidly. “Wow! That was so freaking awesome. I can’t believe I ever thought this place was boring. What a rush!”

  The elevator opened up to the lobby level, and we ran across the marble floor.

  “You okay?” I finally asked Michael, breathlessly.

  “Yeah, I think so. You?”

  “I’m feeling a bit drained,” I admitted. “It’s been one of those days.”

  “Wait.” He grabbed my arm.

  Elizabeth stood in front of the doors with her hands on her hips, blocking our way.

  “Kieran is looking for you,” she said, and her eyes moved to Michael. “He wanted me to keep watch here in case you tried to escape.”

  Michael and I exchanged a glance. I clenched my hands at my sides. I felt exhausted and more than ready for a weeklong nap to recover my energy, but I summoned what little power I had left.

  “I suggest you get out of our way,” I warned.

  “Or what?”

  “Or you’ll be sorry.”

  Elizabeth’s lips curled at the sides. “You do remind me of myself, Nikki. There is a definite family resemblance.”

  “She’s nothing like you,” Michael growled.

  Her smile grew. “Oh no? Willing to do anything for love, even if it gets her in terrible trouble?” She blinked, and pain shadowed her expression. “Real love means breaking the rules others have for us; rules we have for ourselves. I felt that way for Kieran, but … I don’t think he loves me anymore. Even after everything I’ve sacrificed for him.”

  “He can’t stand the sight of you,” Kassandra confirmed. “No offense intended, of course.”

  Elizabeth’s pained look deepened. “Is that true?”

  Kassandra nodded and shrugged. “Sorry.”

  Elizabeth’s face crumpled, and tears welled in her eyes. “I knew it.”

  “He’s not worth it,” I told her. “Even you could do better than him, and that’s saying something.”

  She looked at me. “Because of Kieran, I’ve done many things I’ve come to regret. Things I can never take back. All to earn his love.” She let out a shuddery sigh and regarded me for a long moment. “Go, Niece. I won’t try to stop you. This will be one small step on the path of rebuilding our trust.”

  She stepped away from the door.

  “I just have to ask one thing,” I said. “Did you sic that hellhound on me?”

  “Hmm.” She crossed her arms and pressed her lips together. “Perhaps this path of rebuilding trust will be a long one.”

  I glared at her. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  Michael grabbed my hand. He gave Elizabeth a withering glare as we passed by her toward the glass doors. “Come near the princess again at your own peril.”

  She staggered back a step. Whatever she’d just seen in his eyes had scared her deeply.

  Kieran was going to be furious. But I had to admit, it was a nice way for Elizabeth to show him he didn’t have power over her any longer. It didn’t help me forgive her for what she’d done to me and my father, or for siccing the hellhound on me.
Not in the slightest.

  Michael was so strong and full of energy from draining the other Shadow that I felt the magic coming off his skin in waves. His hand was almost too hot to hold.

  I wasn’t feeling quite as perky at the moment, to say the least. But we made it to the waiting gateway a few blocks away in minutes.

  Kassandra hugged me. “Nikki, it was so super great meeting you.”

  She was still clueless, even after everything that had happened. To her, it had just been an exciting experience that had all worked out okay.

  To me, it had been two—no, make that three—close brushes with death that had left me trembling and grateful to be alive.

  “Yeah,” I said, deciding it was much easier to play along. “I, uh … feel the same. Other than the fact your brother and his dog nearly killed me.”

  “My mother will be soooo mad when she hears what Kieran tried to do. Especially after she promised you’d be safe. He doesn’t normally get in trouble for anything, but he’ll get it for this.”

  “Listen, Kieran told me the prophecy was a lie. He was blackmailing the dragon oracle to get it.”

  She nodded. “I knew it!”

  “You did?”

  “Well, no, but after meeting you, I can’t imagine you’re ready to destroy the world. You’re way too nice. I’ll tell my mother that as well. She is going to be so mad at Kieran. Hooray!”

  “Well, good.”

  Michael tugged at my hand. “I knew the prophecy was a lie.”

  I grinned weakly. “Even you had doubts.”

  “Maybe a couple.”

  Kassandra glanced at my wrist. “You’re sure about not letting me trade you for that bracelet? I have a really gorgeous diamond tiara—”

  “Sounds good,” I said quickly, “but, no, thank you.”

  She pouted. “Fine, be that way.” Her attention moved to Michael. “I did have you officially pardoned, but it would probably be best if you don’t come back here for a while, just to be safe.”

  “Trust me, that won’t be a problem.”

  “Now go. And take care of each other, okay?”

  I gave one last nod to the only other demon princess I’d ever met, and then Michael and I went through the gateway hand in hand.