Zenith straightened her shoulders. “Tell me about your powers, and we’ll work it out from there.” She met the gaze of each prisoner. “When it’s all done, I promise you, we’ll be free. Nobody gets left behind.”
To be continued…
Read about Zenith and the Rogies’s prison break in the
Prison of Supernatural Magic boxset.
About BOKERAH
Bokerah Brumley lives on ten permaculture acres, complete with sheep, goats, peacocks, turkeys, geese, guineas, ducks, chickens, five home-educated children, and one husband. She serves as the president of the Cisco Writers Club and moonlights as an acquisitions editor for The Crossover Alliance.
For more information and a complete list of published works, please visit:
www.bokerah.com
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Before The Storm
A Deadkrest Short Story
Quirah Casey
About Before The Storm
Aphaedra has been the crown’s weapon her whole life, but a princess can only take so much before she snaps…
Prologue
“I will love you until the ends of time, Aphaedra Tempest. When the winds carry my ashes and the seas wash away my blood, my love for you will stay strong. I’ll live for you and I’ll die for you.”
I’ll die for you.
The vows play on repeat in my head as I stare down at the blood coating my hands and the lifeless, topaz eyes of my one and only love.
“No,” the word leaves my lips, little more than a gasp as my heart beats an uneven pattern in my chest.
I’ll die for you.
I cradle his head softly, as whimpers escape from me.
“No, no, no.” No matter how many times I say the words, the body in my grasp doesn’t move.
I’ll die for you.
Die for me, he did, and now I’ll avenge him if it’s the last thing I do.
Chapter One
24 Hours Earlier
Soft lips brush my neck and warm hands trail up my waist. “Good morning.” Kofu’s deep voice sends a shiver up my spine as his fingers flirt with the edge of my silver nightgown.
A smile spreads across my face and I slowly open my eyes. Beautiful, topaz eyes stare back at me. A light smile touches my husband’s lips and he leans down, planting a soft kiss upon my own lips. “Aphaedra, my love, you’ve slept like the dead this morning.” He chuckles and moves away, the warmth of his body leaving with him.
I roll over with a groan, pressing my face into my soft, silky pillows. “I’m tired from the ball,” I groan, the pillows muffling my words slightly.
“Ah, yes, you’re the one who insisted upon the extra glasses of wine.”
I turn my head, my gaze landing on Kofu’s dark brown skin as he pulls his shirt down over his head. I smile when he catches me watching him. “What can I say, I love sweet things.” I let my eyes roam over him from head to toe. “Get back in the bed, love,” I order.
He lets out a light laugh, taking a step away from the bed. “You know I can’t do that.”
His hand reaches out, tracing a path up my ankle. Tingles follow his touch and I let out a groan when he pulls his hand away. “You’re such a tease.”
A wide smile graces his plump lips and he leans over, lightly placing his mouth against mine in a chaste kiss. “You knew that when you married me, darling.”
He goes to lean away but I place a hand on his neck before locking my legs around his waist. I pull and his warm, hard body lands on top of mine. This time, I’m the one leaving a trail of kisses on his neck. “Of course I did, it’s one of the reasons I made you mine.” My fingers wrap around the soft, black dreadlocks that flow past his shoulders as I trap him against me.
Kofu pulls his head back slightly, the brightness of his gorgeous eyes captivating as he stares down at me. “I believe I made you mine.” This time when his soft lips press against mine, they linger. My eyes flutter closed, and I tangle my lips with his as his hands wrap around me. Our bodies meld together, becoming one as his tongue traces my lips. My lips open on a groan as Kofu’s tongue sweeps into my mouth. A familiar, sweet taste fills my senses and sends shivers down my spine and tingles through my core.
Kofu’s hand moves up, brushing against my neck as his lips move in a path along my jawline. The hand not on my neck moves away from my back, moving under the hem of my gown. A blaze is set along my thigh as his hand inches higher and higher.
His mouth continues to press light kisses on my jaw before moving down my neck. His tongue darts out and teases my skin. I let out a moan. “More,” I demand as his hand finally gets just where I want it to be.
His fingers fiddle with the edge of my underwear before just as quickly it's gone and so is Kofu.
My eyes snap open and I find Kofu a foot away from the bed as he smiles at me, a slight crinkle forming between his brows. “I told you, my love, I have to go to work.” He moves away, toward our dresser, as I stare after him in shock. He retrieves a hair tie from the stand and pulls his locks back into a low bun. When his gaze returns to me, the smile that I fell in love with still rests on his face. “I have a prince to guard, and he hates it when I’m late.”
I plop back down on the bed, placing an arm over my eyes as I let out a groan. “Of course, dear husband,” I mutter sarcastically. I move my arm away slightly, peeping an eye at Kofu. “Because the prince is uber important.”
He lets out a laugh as he gathers his bag. “I’ll tell your brother you say hello.”
Chapter Two
I only lay in bed for a few moments longer after Kofu leaves.
Afterall, no matter how much I want to, a princess can’t lounge in bed all day. Not when one has as much to prove as I do.
My light mood passes as I roll to my feet. The soft fur of the rug under my feet brings me a familiar comfort and I take a deep breath.
Time to get my day started.
I move to my wardrobe, debating on today’s outfit. When my eyes land on a silky, gold day gown, I know it’ll be today’s choice. It's a comfortable dress, but still elegant so it’ll meet the approval of the court.
I strip out of my nightgown and pull the gold dress over my head. It morphs to my form, curving over my breasts and flowing out the rest of the way. I run a hand over it before moving over to my shoes. I place my feet in a pair of black heels that are still somewhat practical to walk in. I sit on the stool in front of my vanity as I snap the straps on the heels before turning and staring at myself in the mirror.
My dark skin complements smoky, grey eyes and white hair that flows down my back in curls. Grabbing a brush, I brush my hair back and twist it into a bun on the back of my head. It exposes my angular cheekbones and diamond earrings in my ears.
I force a smile on my face, practicing for when I leave the room and encounter the less than pleasant people who also occupy our castle.
Sighing, I shoot a longing look at my bed, but I know I can’t get back in it. I have duties to attend to.
I stand and stiffen my spine.
I can’t show any weakness when I leave this room or the others will eat me alive.
My heels click against the marble tiles as I pull my double doors open.
“Good morning, your highness,” Gerald, one of my personal guards, greets me and bows at the waist, his long locks of light caramel hair nearly sweep the ground before he returns to attention.
“Good morning,” I return the greeting. “Ready for a day of fun?” I ask sarcastically.
“Always, your highness.” He gives me a soft smile, hi
s pink lips plump and sensual.
I turn on my heel, heading down the hall. Gerald follows after me silently. When we make it to the end of the hall, Magnus, another of my guards falls in line, leaving his post. The routine is so normal at this point that none of us blink an eye.
The further we move through the brightly lit castle, the louder it becomes until we’re standing at the entrance to the dining hall. The room is bursting with movement as servants cater and royalty bark orders.
There’s a long, wooden table in the middle of the room, designed to seat over two dozen. Today, the table is only half full, a group of women sitting at one end, chatting with each other. The chatter dies as their gazes land on me. The heat and intensity of their stares increases as I move toward the empty end of the table.
Then the chatter resumes.
“Looks like the bastard decided to join us.” Fatima, the daughter of the high advisor, fake whispers and the other women surrounding her let out exaggerated giggles.
“She could have at least tried to better her appearance, my god,” Eileen, Fatima’s sidekick and daughter of the high guard, says snarkily.
“As if, I’ve yet to see proof that she even knows how to use a brush.” Fatima laughs, shrewdly.
I make a show of pretending to ignore them as Gerald and Magnus take up guard behind me. Too bad the only thing I need protection from is the prejudice I face every day for being the king’s bastard daughter.
Aphaedra Tempest.
Supposed daughter of a lady of the night that trapped my father into lying with her. A charity case with no real claims to the throne. A woman with hair too unruly and skin too dark to deserve more than a passing glance.
“Your highness,” Anima, one of the servants, greets me with a kind smile on her face as she places a plate in front of me.
The plate is steaming with roasted pig and fluffy eggs. I return Anima’s smile even though it's slightly strained. The note of sadness in her eyes tells me she understands. “Thank you, Anima.”
“Of course.” She bows before hustling to get back to work.
I eat my food in silence, very aware of the eyes on the side of my face and the whispers that make their way down to me.
Don’t show them any weakness.
Kofu’s words ring through my head and I can’t help but wish he was here. The words were the first he ever said to me and he’s repeated them many times over the last couple of years, wielding me to be strong in the face of adversary.
I finish my food quickly and drop my fork to my plate, listening to the soft ping as I push away from the table. Gerald and Magnus step back, giving me room to stand and I nod. I don’t let my gaze travel to the other women as I move toward the door.
Just make it out of here and that’ll be a win.
I should have known better.
I feel it before I see it, the acute sensation of burning spreading through my neck and shoulder as something hot and wet drips down my skin.
I let out a gasp and stumble back as the hands of Gerald and Magnus crowd me.
“Oops, I tripped,” the voice belongs to Fatima but I don’t even have time to look at the devil in royal clothing.
The pain increases as Anima rushes to me with a cloth. I turn my head, cringing at the pain as I stare at the chunks of meat from the hot soup that was just poured all over me, because I have no doubt that this was on purpose. There was no tripping or accidental slip of the hands.
It was fully intentional.
Electric tremors vibrate under my skin as Anima tries to get the food off of me. My blood pumps quicker and a tingle spreads under my finger.
A storm is brewing.
But I know better than to let it out.
I gently move Anima’s hand off of me as I try to get control of my powers. I turn my gaze on Fatima and when she takes a step back, I know exactly what she’s seeing. Fully dilated pupils with a lining of silver around them, icy white veins appearing under the surface of my dark skin, and death in my fingertips.
I can't even feel the burning on my skin anymore as my storm demands to be let out. I take deep breaths as I push the feeling under.
Not here. Not now.
The intense feeling starts to retreat and the burning returns as I feel the storm leave.
I don’t linger, moving away from the dining hall quickly.
Moments like this are dangerous.
Honestly, any moment is dangerous when you’re a living, walking, talking storm that could kill thousands with only a thought.
Chapter Three
My door flies open with a bang and I feel the anger coming off of Kofu before I see it. I lift my eyes to find my husband storming into the room, his fists balled at his sides. Gerald and Magnus linger just inside the door of our bedroom, visually confused as to whether they should be in here or not.
“What happened?” Kofu asks as he glances to where I sit in the middle of our bed. I can tell from the way his jaw ticks and the fire in his eyes that he already knows what happened.
“Fatima tripped,” is all I say as his eyes glance at my bare shoulder where it is visibly swollen from the burn. If my skin were lighter, I’m sure it’d be an angry red color. Luckily, the burns were minor, not enough to scorch the skin. One added ability of my powers is quick healing so I know within an hour, it’ll be like it never happened.
It's nothing.
“Aphaedra.”
“It's nothing,” I repeat my internal monologue out loud for Kofu. “Just a little burn, I’ll be okay. I’ve dealt with worse.” And it's true, I’ve dealt with worse both mentally and physically from those girls and others. From them chopping off my hair when we were kids to my father having my back whipped when he found out I’d slept with non-royalty as a teen.
Kofu’s gaze turns to the door where my guards still linger. “What were you two doing when she was being attacked?” He barks out at them. Both men only stare back at him with blank gazes.
I sigh, reaching out to grab Kofu’s arm to calm him down but he pulls away. That in itself hurts more than my burnt skin. “You’re her guards, it's your job to protect her.” Gerald and Magnus have been my guards for a long time, long before I even met Kofu and they’re also our friends and I don’t appreciate the way he berates them.
“Leave,” I say sharply to the two guards as I rise to my feet. They nod before they’re backing out of the room and closing the doors behind them.
Kofu’s burning gaze turns to me now, the only target left in the room. “Aphaedra, someone needs to put an end to this.”
“It’s nothing, and it's certainly not enough for you to speak to Gerald and Magnus that way over,” I snap at him as my fists ball.
“It's not nothing, Aphaedra,” He shouts as he takes a step toward me.
I back away and glare at him. “Leave it alone.” This has been the one thing we’ve always argued about in our relationship. He doesn’t appreciate the way I’m treated, but I know no matter how many times I speak up, nothing will be done.
I’m nothing but a bastard after all. I’m barely any better than the servants.
“We need to speak with your brother and your father.”
“No,” I say sharply. He knows just as well as I do that my father is no better than those women. While my brother has always treated me better than my father has, there’s always been a line of how far he’d stick his neck out for me. His mother Diana, the queen, is more likely to protect me. Not that it’d actually help.
“Fine, if you won’t do anything about it, I will.” Kofu spins on his heel, heading for the door.
I shake my head as I watch him. “I said leave it alone.” My words crack through the air like a whip as a sharp breeze flows across the room. I take a breath and the breeze goes away. “Kofu,” I say softly. “Please, leave it alone.”
He turns and watches me, those beautiful eyes are full of disappointment and it's hard to see, but I won’t budge, we both know it.
“Aphaedra.” This t
ime when he takes a step toward me, I don’t move away. His big hand drags the shoulder of my dress down as he surveys the damage. He shakes his head as he stares at it. “Why do you take this?” he questions.
“Because I’m strong, and I know that things won’t be like this forever.”
“Your powers,” he says lightly and I nod.
My powers are untameable, uncontrollable and the only reason I haven’t gone nuclear yet is because of the high-end scientist that my father keeps. Sure, they poke and prod at me, but they keep me from accidentally wiping out an entire kingdom, they keep me tame. If I were to rebel or leave, I’d lose the chance to be normal, to be in control of my powers. The only downside is until that happens not only will I have to deal with the bullying from the others, but I’ll be someone else's weapon.
It's the only reason my father took in his illegitimate daughter, because she had powers that could take out his enemies, that could wipe out another kingdom if he needed. It wasn’t because he loved me or because he wanted to get to know me. It was because at the age of four I lost control of my powers and killed everyone around me.
Just think of what she could do if she were in control, they were the first words I’d ever heard spoken from my father. Not, nice to meet you, I’m your father. Not, I’ve been searching for you. And certainly not, I love you.
He’d still never said those words and, in my heart, I knew he never would.
Tempests are known for their powers of the storm, but no one had power as strong as mine, at least that’s what everyone continued to say. Not even my brother’s power could rival mine and he’s next in line for the throne.
Hexes and Handcuffs: A Limited Edition Collection of Supernatural Prison Stories Page 12
