Immortal Prophecy Complete Series

by Sela Croft

  “That was smart,” I said. “Those monsters are difficult to take down. I don’t want to sacrifice men needlessly.”

  “Four royals cornered me, and I thought I’d be killed,” he said. “But one of them handed me this message. It’s to be delivered to you.”

  I accepted the message then dismissed the lieutenant. It was just like Alban to deliver his communications in a bloody manner—but he had my attention. I didn’t know what had possessed him to push so close to my region and instigate a battle to convey his message.

  The king would have known that my armies guarded the rainforest borders heavily. Sending in too many of his troops would be suicide. Guerilla warfare was only effective to a point. If I was pushed, I’d have to call in reinforcements to obliterate the attackers.

  In the library, I broke the seal on the message and opened it. It was in black ink, written in a bold script with heavy pressure. It had to be Alban. The signature at the bottom confirmed it. The message was signed: The King.

  He hadn’t bothered to authenticate the message with the royal stamp or taken the time for any pleasantries. The communication was brief but clear. His guard had reported that Nemuri had escaped through a crossing point, one that could only have been fashioned by a sorceress.

  The descriptions of the seer’s rescuers matched those of Selene the sorceress and Silvain the leader of the Dark Fighters. Such treason would not be tolerated. With no preamble, Alban said he would kill Selene; there was nowhere she could hide that he wouldn’t find her.

  The note concluded: Once I kill the sorceress, I will come for you next.

  I was furious. How dare Alban threaten women. First, he abused Nemuri, and now, he planned to torture Selene—for he surely would before killing her. I didn’t tremble over his threat to me, as I knew I’d carve him in half before I let him take my life.

  I valued my immortality and didn’t plan to allow death to steal my life from me. But more than that, I had zero tolerance for killing women. I might have brought Mirela to my castle against her will, but she was treated well during her stay. She likely feared what I’d do upon my return, but she needn’t have. At the worst, she’d been intended to lure Draven into my net.

  But Alban’s intentions were unconscionable. I would not stand for it. He’d pushed me too far. I hadn’t forgotten his treatment of my mother. Although the king hadn’t succeeding in killing her, he would have. The only thing that had prevented him was that he hadn’t been able to get his hands on her.

  The king’s blackened soul permitted him to commit crimes that others would balk at. Yet those who were vulnerable needed a protector, so I accepted the responsibility. Hatred for my illegitimate father surged within me, motivating me to strike back.

  The king’s intimidation tactics were about to backfire, for I was going to be his worst nightmare. Quickly, I made preparations then strode to the stable, only to find Selene on my heels. “How did you get in here?”

  “The same as always…the front entry.” Selene’s hair was brilliant red, as if it was on fire. Her navy-blue eyes pierced into me. “Going somewhere?”

  “I’d claim it’s not your business, but in this case, it is.”

  “Now I’m curious,” Selene said. “I sensed something had disturbed you, so transported here immediately.”

  “That damn telepathy of yours is going to get you in trouble, sooner or later.”

  “I don’t pick up your thoughts,” she said. “You’re a bit difficult to read. But I am a sorceress.”

  “So you keep reminding me,” I said, then walked over to my horse.

  “My skill with precognition told me that something was about to happen.” Selene kept pace with me. “And that it involved you.”

  “You might regret being so nosy,” I said, “because I’ve decided to take you with me.”

  “Is that so?” Selene crossed her arms. “Where are we going?”

  “To your old stomping grounds…the royal palace.”

  Selene’s eyes widened. “Oh, no way. You realize, of course, that the king wants to kill me?”

  “I have no doubt of that,” I said. “But after what I’m about to do, he won’t dare.”

  For a moment, I thought she was going to refuse. “I’m trusting you with my life, you realize.” Then she got on the horse behind me. “While we’re on the way, how about if you tell me what this is all about?”

  “To put it bluntly, I helped you. Now…you’ll help me.”

  “Great,” she said with her usual sarcasm.

  Before we arrived, I shared what I knew so far. If Selene had been reluctant to accompany me, she was more so after learning that Alban had put his intention to kill her in writing. “I must have really irked him,” she said. “I haven’t known of him to issue written threats before.”

  “I suppose the king was anxious to get his message across, so couldn’t wait until our next visit.”

  That didn’t get a laugh from Selene. But then, I couldn’t blame her. We were at the base of the royal mountain looking up at the palace, darker than the night. Temperatures had plummeted and the ice on the slopes seemed thicker.

  It was no wonder the king didn’t leave his icy abode. Entering and leaving was difficult. If it wasn’t for levitation, I wouldn’t have made it. The ice palace was formidable and prohibited enemy troops from trespassing on the estate grounds. Any soldiers would be seen from miles away.

  Selene looked up at the spectacle. “Morbid place, isn’t it?”

  After levitating to the entrance, I went straight to the throne room with Selene right beside me. Alban was holding court with his servants, who shuddered before him as though they were about to be eaten.

  “Dismiss your staff,” I said. “You have something more important to do.”

  I’d walked right into the palace, knowing full well the king would order his guards to execute me, along with Selene. But I was betting that wouldn’t happen.

  The king’s eyes flared with hatred. His cottony hair hung to his shoulders, whiter than the snow, and his skin was pasty, like death itself. His yellowed fangs extended, then he roared. “Guards!”

  I held up my hand. “I wouldn’t do that.”

  The king rose from his throne then grabbed his scepter.

  “Or that either,” I said. “You’ll want to hear what I’m about to reveal.”

  “You have nothing to say that’s worth anything, dark one.”

  “Ah, but I beg to differ.” I stepped closer and Selene stuck close. “I decided to respond to your message in person. You took the time to write to me, so I felt this was the suitable response.”

  Six guards moved closer, three on each side. I didn’t bother to look at them, as I already knew they were several feet taller than I was and outweighed me by more than double.

  The king aimed his scepter at me, taking a moment to savor the pleasure of blasting me out of his throne room. He eyed Selene greedily, as he intended to follow through on his promise to take her life.

  I barely kept my rage under control. “You hide out, and sit up here on your icy throne, like you’re a god. But if you’re anything…you’re surely a devil.”

  “Seize him!”

  The guards lurched for me. “And I am your son!”

  The king raised his hand, and the guards stopped. One on either side had his hands on my arm. “You’ll kindly tell these cutthroats to release me, so I can enlighten you further.”

  With a wave, the king ordered the guards to step back. They were still close enough to snuff me out on command, but I had breathing room. Alban’s beady eyes bored into me. “You can’t be. I have only one son.”

  “What about the son you refused to acknowledge, the one you hoped hadn’t drawn his first breath?” I said. “Your worst fear is standing in front of you.”

  Alban sat on his ebony throne, maintaining a grip on his weapon. “It can’t be.”

  I was starting to enjoy myself. “Listen, king. Your reputation precedes you. I’m ra
ther surprised that you don’t have illegitimate sons strewn across the kingdom. Before you grew so old and ugly, you were renowned for your lust for women. And that’s putting it nicely. Rape was more like it.”

  The king hissed, and his fangs gleamed.

  “You were promiscuous,” I said, pointing a finger at him. “And you have a list of crimes so despicable that you aren’t worthy of the life you cling to.”

  “How dare you insult your king!”

  “You aren’t anything to me. You are nothing.” I took a step closer. “The only reason there aren’t other descendants to wrest the throne from you is that you didn’t allow any to draw a breath. Abuse and abortion went hand in hand with rape, didn’t they?”

  Alban glanced at his guards, prepared for them to defend him if I went too far.

  “You would have slit my mother’s throat if you could have,” I said. “I would have died in her womb.”

  “That would have been better than the slow torture I have in mind for you,” Alban said.

  “I think not.” I paused for effect. “Do you know who my mother was?”

  “Your mother is of no significance.”

  “Wrong again.” I took a breath; I hadn’t spoken her name since the day she’d vanished. “Laela was my mother.”

  Alban flinched, every so slightly, but I saw it.

  “You haven’t forgotten her, have you?” I smirked. “You had no conscience about the women you terrorized. Yet my mother was one you feared. Why was that?”

  Alban was silent.

  I saw Selene out of the corner of my eye. She was watching intently. I was about to reveal new information, things that I hadn’t shared with her.

  “Laela, my dear mother, was under the protection of the god of shadows,” I said. “It seems that you remember Erembour, as I’m certain he will remember you.”

  “No…” Alban said.

  “You raped Laela, as you did so many others,” I said. “But you couldn’t allow my mother to reveal that. Erembour would have taken it personally. And he was a primordial deity, one of the most ancient gods.”

  Alban gripped the arm of his throne.

  “You may not fear me, but even you tremble to cross such a powerful god,” I said. “Erembour would not ignore such a violation. And so…I’m about to cripple you by revealing your secret. The kingdom will know of your horrible past, and so will the god you offended.”

  Alban levitated to the bottom of the steps of his throne. His bony face was taut with anger. Then he laughed, one mirthless huff. “I deny it all; no one will believe you. You have no proof. It’s all a lie.”

  “I trust that you are confident about that, because Selene has heard everything. And she will go out into the realm to spread the word, destroy your reputation, and call forth the very god that you disrespected.”

  Alban reached for his scepter, just as I shoved Selene. “Go quickly…do as I say.”

  The witch didn’t linger to consider her options. When the king pointed his scepter at the place where she’d stood, she was gone. Selene had transported out of the palace, and I was certain that she’d shout the news from the rooftops.

  That didn’t help me too much right now.

  Alban chuckled, an evil sound if there ever was one. “And now what, my bastard son? You have no sorceress magic to come to your aid. And I don’t see any Dark Fighters hovering in the wings to rescue you.”

  The odds weren’t in my favor, but if I died, I’d go knowing that I’d struck Alban where it hurt. And that I’d spoken out in honor of my mother’s name.

  “I will kill you.” Alban spat at me. “And I will bury you in the grave that was marked for you at birth.” He leaned close, his rancid breath suffocating me. “Then I will kill Selene and Nemuri and any other woman dear to you, before I kill all the rest.”

  The guards swarmed at me, and I had the depressing thought that death was near. The king would have his way, and immortality would be sucked from the kingdom. The realm would be doomed to hover in darkness, more dead than alive.

  Chapter 11 – Silvain

  The guards stopped before reaching me, then fell to the ground, immobile. I couldn’t see the source of my defense. Some unseen force had pinned the guards to the ground. The palace shook as though an earthquake had started.

  Alban stood, clutching his scepter. His ebony throne shuddered and the floor rumbled. A power greater than either of us caused the ground beneath our feet to tremble. I stood firm, waiting for what was next. The king had been stopped, so he looked about with an evil expression.

  His red eyes were devoid of mercy. He would wring the life from whoever dared to interrupt him. I doubted that he would get that chance, as the originator of the upset was his better. Only one senior to the king in strength and ability could thwart him without appearing on the scene.

  It had to be a god, and my suspicions were confirmed when a mist took shape at the base of the throne steps. The figure that came into focus was awe-inspiring. He dwarfed the king’s guards. The man had shoulders broader than a royal, and he was so tall that his head nearly reached the ceiling.

  He wore dark brown clothing under black armor, which included metal shoulder and forearm covers, making his appearance frightening. The suit was trimmed in bronze, and the god’s hands were shaped into metal like a robot’s and were as large as baseball mitts.

  It was his face that was the most terrifying. His eyes were pitch black with heavy brows. A dark shadow covered his cheeks and square jaw; his thick lips were in a tight grimace. A few scars added character. His expression was warriorlike and, combined with his menacing looks, would make me run, if I could.

  Alban stared, as if unsure how to deal with the intruder. His guards only blinked, unable to rise from their prone positions. The god studied the king, then narrowed his eyes. “You will tell me the truth, monarch,” he said, his voice booming within the confined room.

  The god waited, but Alban froze. “I am Erembour, god of shadows.”

  Alban shrank back from the imposing figure.

  “Speak, or I will take your life where you stand,” Erembour said. “Accusations have been made and I have heard of your crime. If you lie to me, you will have no recourse. I demand to know what happened.”

  Alban shifted into a stately pose. He held his head high, although I could tell he was shivering in his royal boots. “It was a mistake, my dark god,” he said. “I did not mean to offend you.”

  Erembour stepped closer, and the floor seemed to move under his feet. He towered over the cowardly king. “You dare to lie!” He glared. “It was no mistake. If you raped Laela, as claimed, then you severely offended me.”

  Alban clasped both hands around his scepter, then bowed his head.

  Erembour turned to me. “You speak of things I did not know, dark leader. Laela is your mother?”

  “Yes, sir,” I said, deciding not to embellish. It seemed prudent to allow the god to ask the questions.

  “I will tell you something that you clearly do not know,” Erembour said. “I was extremely fond of Laela. As a dark god, I don’t make friends easily. She was one of the few I could converse with, the only woman I’ve found worth knowing.”

  Erembour’s expression didn’t change. He looked just as scary. “You were aware that the king’s abuse of Laela was an offense I would have punished. What else did you know?”

  “I was a newborn when I was placed in the care of the Dark Fighters,” I said. “For all these years, I have stayed away from my mother for fear of attracting danger to her. She has been in hiding, but I was told more of the story by the fighters I grew to think of as family.”

  “Can you confirm that your mother fares well?”

  “I believe so, sir.”

  I looked directly at Erembour, but could see Alban a couple of feet away, not daring to interfere.

  “Laela was kind, and she understood me,” Erembour said. “She was under my protection. I had no intention of breaking off the relationship
and would have held her dear to this day. You may be assured that I will not ignore what has been done.”

  I bowed my head, wondering what he intended.

  “I have no kind opinion of either mortals or gods,” Erembour said. “Most are traitorous and deceitful, beneath me, so not worthy of consideration. Laela was unique. She was a special vampire, deserving of more than she had. She still holds a place in my otherwise hard heart.”

  The god seemed thoughtful for a moment. “I am descended from chaos, a dark god destined to walk the shadows. My only friend was taken from me. Do you know the magnitude of that grievous crime?”

  I wondered why he wasn’t preaching to the king instead of me, but steeled myself to listen. I looked on in amazement at the god that Alban had feared for so long.

  “Because of Alban’s abuse and intimidation, dearest Laela was forced into hiding?”

  I nodded, unsure where this was leading.

  “She has been in that undisclosed location since your birth?”

  “Yes, she has,” I said.

  Erembour frowned. “That is intolerable. Laela will not be forced to cower like a criminal, with her life taken from her. I know of her travails now. Her concerns will be dealt with, her fears put aside.”

  Alban stood as still as a statue—for once, put in his place.

  “Where is Laela?”

  I was hesitant to reveal the location that I’d kept secret during my lifetime.

  “You may tell me,” Erembour said. “I was outwitted once by this minion of death who calls himself king. He might think that he outsmarted me, but it was temporary. It won’t happen again. Speak of where your mother resides, and I will ensure that no one harms her.”

  I believed the god would keep that promise, so I said, “My mother is hidden away in the mountains at the border of the coastal region. There is a coven of vampires who reside there and have kept her safe.”

  “How will I recognize it?”

  “The cottage is the only one built from dark stone,” I said. “I was told she had it constructed in your honor, that the dark abode reminded her of you.”