Blood of Gods

by Scarlett Dawn

  Vampire Crown 4

  Contents

  Niniane’s Prophecy

  West S’Kir

  East S’Kir

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  About the Authors

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Blood of Gods

  All rights reserved.

  Copyright 2019 © Scarlett Dawn & Katherine Rhodes

  Editing: RMJ Editing and Manuscript Service

  Cover: JRA Stevens for Down Write Nuts

  Formatting: Down Write Nuts

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author/publisher.

  Created with Vellum

  Niniane’s Prophecy

  “The storm comes with the raven’s sword, and the reign of hell will cease. The madness of time will seek to destroy all that held her prisoner. The shining crown from the mists of the gate will show the storm how to break the throne free of insanity.”

  1

  OSIRDAN

  High Falls, Southern Province, Chucha

  Ota’ano

  Why was I standing in front of this fucking gate?

  It hadn’t budged in over three thousand years. There was no reason for my boots to be planted here right now.

  There were times when I would stand in this exact location, hoping the gate would swing open, hoping I could cross freely to the other side again, aching for the connection of my blood that was shuttered away from me.

  But my home planet’s magic was stronger than even I was. Nothing I did would allow me to pry those doors open and cross to the bridge that is S’Kir, a small island I used to enjoy gallivanting through, a realm of serenity and peace.

  The door looked nothing like it used to.

  Far in the past, when I stood and stared and hoped, it had been a glimmering, dark black stonewood. Nothing could have burned it; nothing could have broken it. The only way to shape it was the effects of age.

  Time had ravaged these doors. Pockmarked, dulled, now a muted dark brown, they looked the way I felt: exhausted.

  Why was I here? What had called me?

  I never disobeyed Ota’ano’s magic. Not ever.

  But this was downright cruel to call me here.

  I inhaled heavily and turned my dark amber eyes away. I should leave. I wanted to leave. I pivoted to walk away, my boots taking me where I wished to go. There was nothing in this place of desolation. Nothing I could use, nothing I could study, nothing I could understand.

  Desperation once burned through me frantically—if only those gates would open. I was numb to it now. It had been too long, and my desire dwindled to a lonely, tired sadness.

  Kharini. I did miss my soul mate.

  She would have known what to say right now.

  I was a sad sack of pathetic apathy.

  My boots dragged on the grass, raking up mud.

  Ahmnsep gasped. My manservant wasn’t looking at me, though. He raised his hand and pointed. “Sire…”

  I spun back.

  The lock was glowing. Brutal red and harsh gold.

  I stared, transfixed. After all these millennia…

  After all this time, was it finally…

  The doors shook and shivered, and a great rusty groan rose from between them, trembling through the wood. The rusted hinges screamed in protest but finally started to turn.

  One door jumped away from the other as the strain grew too great. Then, slowly, ever so slowly, the two separated more. The right creaked and shivered its way open toward me, the left the same, away from me.

  A blast of icy, dry air shot through the widening crack, bringing the salt taste of an ocean I’d long thought I would never see or feel again.

  Light flashed as the doors peeled back and clattered open, wide enough for a small contingent of armored men to walk through if they wished.

  Ahead of me was the clear sunset of a place I had been barred from for more than three thousand years—The Shroud in S’Kir. Fog and mist rolled and stirred along the ground, obscuring the grass and rocks just beyond. This was nothing like the tiny island I remembered as the gate’s home.

  Ahmnsep breathed out slowly, the moisture of his breath creating clouds of steam. “It has happened…”

  “Finally.” I couldn’t stop the smirk that raised my lips.

  The amulets had finally done their jobs, the gems gifted from the planet powerful beyond measure—but not giving a shite about timeframes. Ota’ano never did care about time as much as its residents did.

  It was finally, finally time.

  I pulled my long, silver hair up into a high ponytail and stepped through the gate. I wore a cruel and devious grin. At long last, I had work to do.

  And it would be final.

  2

  GWYNNORE

  S’Kir

  Island of the Unseen Gods

  “Is naked playtime done, or do you want to finish fucking?” I holstered my guns and narrowed my eyes at the four unknowns. “Or would someone like to tell me what the hell is going on?”

  King Belshazzar—finally—released his twin and patted the air in my direction. “Calm down, Gwen.”

  “Hmm. Maybe she has a little fire inside her and isn’t completely useless.” Dorian tilted his head, his piercing blue eyes studying my person. “She…kind of looks like you, Bel. It’s a little disconcerting. Is anyone else seeing this?”

  “Shut up, Niallan-look-alike.” I whipped a finger back and forth between my lover and his twin, homing my gaze on the only person I knew here. “You are a vampire. He is a druid. This does not make any sense whatsoever.” My lover was different, but he wasn’t that different… Was he?

  The quiet woman nodded, dumbfounded.

  The two naked men holding swords stayed mute, cocky even in their birthday suits. Now, they were twins. That much was obvious. Damn near identical. A druid and a druid. That was the way of life. Not what was standing before me, proclaiming to be normal—and it very much was not.

  A vampire and a druid could not be twins.

  Belshazzar still held his hands up at my crazed, scary expression. He stated softly, “You know I am more, Gwen.”

  I blinked. I stupidly lifted two pointed fingers, quickly raising them to the top of my head, showing horns, and then dropped my hands just as swiftly. I mumbled hesitantly, “This is because of that?”

  Dorian’s blond eyebrows snapped toge
ther, a quietness overtaking him as he scrutinized our interaction.

  “Yes.” Bel’s lips tipped up at the edges in a gentle smile. “Trust me. It is the way of things for Dorian and me.”

  I grunted and narrowed my eyes, then rested my hands on the holsters of my guns and tapped my fingers slowly. Finally, I grumbled honestly, “I’m a little off-balance with this added information. A warning would have been appreciated.”

  Bel shook his head, saying in exasperation, “I didn’t expect to see him so soon. Otherwise, I would have warned you. Does that make this better for you?”

  “Maybe.” I turned my attention to his bare-assed twin and ran my gaze up and down his frame. It truly was uncanny how much he looked like his son. I snorted. “I bet you didn’t plan to see so much of him, either.”

  Dorian smirked, his blue gaze still watchful. “You could avert your eyes if you don’t like the view.”

  “Believe me. I’ve seen it before. I’d rather not see it again.” I gagged in my throat, my face scrunching up in revulsion. “Put some damned clothes on. Please.”

  “I agree with this female,” the quiet woman grumbled. Her hazel eyes scanned the naked men around her, fierce ownership in her regard. “Everyone needs to get dressed. Now.”

  Apparently, she thought they were hers.

  I almost applauded her when they went to do as ordered, each man slapping her naked ass as they walked by. She narrowed her eyes, promising something. I guess they were hers—way to go, brave lady. I could barely handle the one man I had, much less three of them. To hell with that. I didn’t need all that male drama in my life.

  Bel watched it all with a hardened intensity, and then walked right up to me, engulfing me in his arms. His clean mint scent tantalized my senses, a steadfast security in this odd realm. He softly kissed the top of my head, whispering, “He is not Niallan. You have nothing to fear with him.”

  “I know that. I do now, anyway.” I grunted and squirmed out of his arms, muttering, “No touching me. Remember, I am still upset with you—and this situation is the perfect example of why. I need answers, Bel. Real. Fucking. Answers.”

  “In time, I will explain.” King Belshazzar scowled as I took another step back at his words. He stated dryly, “You were touching me before. Do you plan to pick and choose when you’re upset?”

  “Oh, fuck off. You were hurting before.” I ran my fingers through my black hair, pulling it up into a ponytail, and tightened it brutally. I glowered up at him from under eyelashes. “You’re happy and shit now. You don’t need me.”

  His frost-blue eyes ran over my features slowly. “That is a lie, and you know it.”

  I huffed, even as the chill on my heart warmed at his rebuke. “Even so, my response is still the same. No touching until you start spilling. I’m done with the guessing games inside my head. I want facts.”

  He arched one black eyebrow high on his forehead, an arrogant grin tilting up one side of his mouth—sexy as sin and more powerful than the moon. “We’ll see who falters first. Me or you.”

  “Shut up,” I murmured, yanking my gaze away from his lips. I tilted my head to our snooping companions, their silence telling. “They’re dressed. I want to know who the other three are. Have your druid twin introduce us.”

  “I only have one twin, Gwen. It doesn’t matter that he’s a druid.” King Belshazzar shook his head in slight annoyance. “Try to be nice. I know you have it in you somewhere.”

  “Fine.” I yanked my ponytail even tighter.

  Our two groups walked to converge, all properly dressed—even if their attire looked straight-up from a time when I was born, almost a thousand years ago. I hoped it wasn’t an indication of S’Kir’s level of technology. Perhaps they had just come from a bizarre druid dress-up party.

  Somehow, I didn’t think I was that lucky.

  I wondered if it would be rude if I took out my phone to see if I had cell service here. I actually wouldn’t mind calling my father right now. A little advice would be welcome in this strange land.

  But I kept my features perfectly pleasant.

  I would try to be nice.

  Bel smacked his twin’s shoulder, wearing that happy grin once more. “Who are your friends, brother?”

  Dorian’s chest puffed with pride, gesturing with a head tilt to each individual. “These are my mates. Rilen, Roran, and Kimber.”

  Roran stared with one blue eye and one brown, his shaggy brown-blonde hair ruffling in the night wind. He grinned playfully, stating, “I’m the best looking of the two of us, just in case you ever get confused by my twin and me.”

  Rilen rolled his multi-hued eyes up to the dark heavens. They certainly were identical up close. He grumbled, “For shit’s sake, Roran.”

  Kimber dipped her head down respectfully, stating in a reserved tone, “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

  I lowered my head in greeting, replying, “And I am Queen Gwynnore, the queen of the vampires—on Earth. It is a pleasure to meet you, too.”

  The backs of Dorian’s three mates stiffened.

  I evaluated them silently. They did not like my title for some reason. Particularly, the vampire part. They were druids. Did they have issues with vampires here, as we did with the druids on Earth?

  Dorian eyed my person for an extended moment, and then he turned his attention to his brother. “Is it safe to assume you are the king of vampires?”

  Bel quietly chuckled, evilly, it would seem. “I am King Belshazzar, but I do not rule over the vampires. That is solely Gwen’s royal position. I recently took your son’s place. I am the king of the druids on Earth now.”

  Dorian’s blond brows lifted high on his forehead. “You must tell me. How did the druids take the news?”

  King Belshazzar teetered his head back and forth, his lips starting to twitch with humor. “They do not know yet.”

  Kimber cleared her throat. “I do not find the humor in that.”

  Oh, sweetie. I rubbed at my forehead. You’re going to learn today.

  “My apologies. Was I speaking to you? I do not know you, nor do I care what you think.” Bel stared down his regal nose at her, scanning her features silently—and finding her lacking from his expression. “And if you think to order my brother around again, as you did before, you should check yourself. You have no idea who you’re dealing with. What he does is his choice. He allows it to happen. Remember that, girl.”

  I cleared my throat pointedly.

  He had wanted me to be nice.

  I should have said the same to him.

  In the strained silence, Dorian choked back a laugh—earning a scowl from his female mate, her hazel eyes flaying him. He rumbled through a snicker, “Holy fuck, you are older by a whole minute. Cut the older brother shit out. That was old way back then. Three thousand years later, and the mist would even cringe at this shit and pull your ass back out of S’Kir.”

  King Belshazzar turned his attention to his twin—done staring hard in warning at the druid woman. I wish I knew what Bel’s plan was for her.

  He always had a plan.

  Belshazzar laughed under his breath, and he grumbled, “Never.”

  Dorian’s features calmed, a seriousness taking over his features. He stated solemnly, “Never.”

  And…sweet baby Jesus, they fucking hugged, their words an old vow.

  Did we have to go through this again?

  Much, much pounding on backs occurred.

  The two brothers didn’t separate. They had missed one another horribly. That much was obvious.

  I stifled a yawn behind my fist.

  Rilen and Roran took a seat on the ground, yanking Kimber down onto their laps and holding her close. Subtly, they glared at Dorian while they consoled their mate, her feelings blatantly hurt—welcome to caring for someone who was a bastard. She must be young, as Bel had correctly guessed when calling her ‘girl.’ The young beauty would need to toughen up and learn to fight back—with teeth and blades and whatever the hell else
would work on someone such as Dorian.

  With time, she would get there…

  I would get there with Bel, too…

  I sighed. One day, I would.

  I cast my gaze back to their resting group.

  My upbringing kept me from joining them.

  Lord, help me, though, I wanted to.

  I attempted to focus on what was needed to save my people. “Dorian, do you remember the humans from Earth?”

  “Of course.” Dorian nodded, extracting himself from my lover’s arms. “They were fun to play with, if I remember correctly.”

  King Belshazzar clarified. Thankfully, he understood what I was trying to do. “They still are, but we have a slight problem with them on Earth. Under the leadership of your son, the druids took it too far, gamboling with them. The humans are starting a war with both of our kinds, so it wasn’t the best time to tell the druids their king had been murdered. The druids believe he’s still alive—for now. And we need your help with our warfare issue.”

  I added, “We have been told there is something or someone here on S’Kir that is called the Breaker. We must find it for peace to be restored on Earth.”

  All four druids held perfectly still, frozen.

  The air fairly sizzled with druid power.

  On the inside, I grinned. I almost flashed fang.

  They knew where to find the Breaker.