Tempting Destiny

by Sela Croft

  While the king believed he was performing magic, he was distracted from all else that was going on in his palace. Yet I knew in my heart that continuing this fiasco would destroy Mirela. I witnessed the magical energy spiraling upward, out of control. But still she pushed him, maybe beyond tolerance.

  Alban behaved like a madman, waving his hands and shouting. Random objects flew into the air then crashed against the wall. Fire burst forth at the ceiling, only to disappear. Then the king called out, “You cannot harm me, Draven. I have created a shield to protect me. I’m impervious to attack.”

  I didn’t care a whit about Alban. I knew the king well enough to realize that he wouldn’t stop. Having tapped into the heady feel of power, he would crave more and more. He fancied that he was immensely strong and infallible.

  “I am all-powerful now,” Alban said. “I’ve been enlightened about what I’m capable of. Mirela gave me what I deserved, what is rightfully mine.”

  The guard stood motionless, watching. He remained closer to Mirela, while Alban kept his eyes on me. No matter how fast I moved, the guard would reach her first. And I had no idea what Alban might do next.

  The king was prideful about his accomplishments. His vanity had not been more apparent. He looked at Mirela with disdain, hardly evidence of the gratitude he should have felt for the gift of sorcery. Then his fangs distended, and his eyes narrowed.

  “I can see it in your eyes, hybrid,” the king said. “Despite your agreement with me, you’d leave and go with Draven…if you could.”

  I prepared to move quickly; the situation had veered in the wrong direction.

  “You didn’t really think that I’d let you live, did you?” The king smirked. “Foolish woman. I possess my own sorcery now. I don’t need you anymore.”

  Mirela continued to watch the king. She seemed prepared to act, so I had to be sure that I got to her before anything bad happened. “There is more I can teach you, my king. Feel it within you…embrace it.”

  “You’re lying,” the king said. “It’s a feeble attempt to save yourself. Draven believes that you care for him, but self-preservation is your primary aim.”

  “Then let Draven walk away,” Mirela said. “And I will share all my magic with you.”

  “You cannot be trusted,” the king said. “You’ve revealed your true loyalty. And you must pay for taking my son away from me, for turning him against his king, his own father. I haven’t forgotten your role in making him believe that stupid prophecy.”

  “You are making a mistake,” Mirela said.

  Alban ignored her, then turned to face me. “I don’t have a use for Mirela anymore. I have all I need.” He lifted his hands. “I’ll kill her, as I planned from the start.”

  Mirela glanced at me, and I assessed the odds of getting to her before Alban could do her any harm. Then he thrust his hands toward her with a growl, and my heart sank. A bolt of energy shot through the air, aimed at Mirela.

  The force struck her in the head and she was thrown back, falling to the ground unconscious. I wouldn’t allow my love to die in death’s palace. I lurched toward her, but Alban yelled, with his eyes gleaming in anticipation of witnessing the execution.

  The remaining guard moved toward Mirela and lifted his sword, blocking my path to her. A split second could make the difference in whether she lived or died.

  The space was suffocating from the intense heat of sorcery unleashed. Power pulsed hard, and a wall cracked wide open from the surge of energy. It had split from the sheer force of Alban’s magic.

  Chunks of ice flew through the cracked wall and whipped around in the air currents. The heat radiating from Alban was instantly melting the ice, and the water level in the room rose swiftly.

  The icy water rushed over Mirela’s body, splashing her face, then her eyes opened. She awoke at the last second to flinch away from the sword before the guard decapitated her. Just as the room seemed on the verge of collapse from the duress, I leapt at Mirela’s attacker. With lightning speed, I closed the last few feet between us, then drove my sword into the guard’s back.

  His grip went slack on his weapon, and the sword clattered to the floor then slid over the watery surface. Mirela was dazed, yet conscious. She was in a weakened condition, so I grabbed her in my arms to flee with her.

  Alban emitted an insane laugh, in a world of his own, and on such a high from his newfound power that he hadn’t seemed to realize his guard was incapacitated. From the look on his face, death’s greatest advocate thought he’d won.

  With Mirela cradled in my arms, I dashed into the hallway. It was strewn with the bodies of palace guards. There was some commotion farther along, but it appeared my men had done their job.

  Quin strode toward me and waved his arm. “This way.”

  It was safe to exit, but there was no time to lose. Clutching Mirela to my chest, I flew with vampire speed out of the palace and carried her away. Whether any monsters pursued us, I couldn’t say. I didn’t stop or look back. The bottom of the hill beckoned, and safety for my love was within reach.

  I could see below that the humans had made it off the mountain. They grouped together behind a faction of my army. As I descended, the energy from the palace pulsed at my back. For expediency, I levitated, not trusting what was happening behind me.

  There was no sight of Alban’s monsters, and no indication of battle. My troops were deployed, ready to defend us. But I saw no sign of action.

  Mirela wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head against my shoulder. I gripped her tighter, as if to reassure myself that she was there. I rejoiced at having her in my embrace, although we weren’t safe quite yet.

  At the base of the mountain, I joined my comrades. Mirela slid from my arms to stand beside me. She noticed others she knew. “Curtis…Emma.” The humans came over, and she hugged each in turn. “You made it out. Are the others safe too?”

  Curtis put his arm around his wife. “I’m indebted to you, Mirela. We escaped, and so did the rest.”

  Mirela smiled. “I’m immensely pleased.”

  Then Emma shoved a small trinket at her, and Mirela cupped it in her palms. It was Pegasus, her ivory pendant. “How did you find it?”

  “That first day, I saw the king drag you in. I watched him yank the chain from your neck,” Emma said. “When he left, I scooped it up. I thought you’d want it back.”

  “It’s precious to me,” Mirela said. “Thank you.”

  Then a loud boom drew attention back to the mountaintop. I put my arm around Mirela and looked up to see that the palace was glowing. Throngs of royal soldiers hovered near the fortified walls. The light was as bright as a sun, so must have alerted them.

  The black palace was electrified, with energy pulsing in an ever-widening sphere. I stared in awe, and Mirela pressed closer to me. “It seems your magic lingers.”

  “Yes,” Mirela said. “I cast a spell to temporarily give Alban sorcery power. It was my power transferred to him.”

  “So it won’t last?”

  “It was never truly his.” Mirela watched the mountain. “Once the energy gained full force, though, even I couldn’t control it.”

  I looked at her, with a sinking feeling. “You would have died.”

  “That was possible,” Mirela said, then touched my cheek. “But I’m very much alive…thanks to you, my love.”

  The brightness of the palace occluded the stars, and for several minutes the light was blinding. Soldiers of the Royal Army began to descend the mountain at a run, slipping and sliding on the icy surface. But it was too late.

  There was one explosion, then another. The palace shattered, bursting into shards of black, shooting across the sky in the moonlight. Concussions rumbled down the mountain, shaking its very core. Then, with one deafening sound, the top of the mountain collapsed.

  As if dynamite had been placed in strategic locations, the palace blew up first, then the mountain caved in with ice cascading down its slopes. I stared at the empty s
pace that had been the royal estate, then gazed at the night sky where the top of the mountain had been.

  Avalanches of ice roared halfway down the mountain before slowing. The king was dead, and all his monsters with him. The palace had been obliterated, and death’s march halted. The last of the energy glowed like a burning ember then faded away.

  CHAPTER 77 – EPILOGUE

  For the first time in centuries, the kingdom of Lumea thrived during a time of peace. Draven Petrovic was welcomed with open arms as the king. There were several days of festivals following the coronation, during which the populace expressed great joy and celebrated their new ruler.

  The previously warring factions of the realm settled into an aimable existence. The rescue of the servants from Alban’s palace had created good sentiment among the human populace. Their race was treated with respect, and those who were employed in the kingdom did so willingly.

  The vampire hunters desire to wipe out the vampire race abated, as they claimed to be impressed with the new regime. Since they considered themselves more human than vampire, Mirela’s rescue of humankind had changed their view. For a while, at least, they held off on any attacks.

  Calina and Nicolai didn’t wait long to marry after the victory. The family they’d planned for so long would finally happen. Following their well-deserved honeymoon, Calina announced that she was expecting their first child.

  Silvain spent time between his castle and his mother’s home in the hills. He was finally able to get to know her, and to establish a relationship with Erembour, who treated him like his own son. The dark leader spoke privately with Draven and confirmed that he recognized him as the new king. Silvain had no desire to rule as a monarch, but would continue to fight alongside his Dark Fighters against oppression—should any rear its head within the realm.

  Selene was officially recognized as the senior sorceress of the realm. She accepted the title with grace, although she spent the majority of her time in her magic forest. Nemuri was a revered seer, whose predictions were valued by all. She often visited the magic forest to have conversations with the animals and plants and to share visions of the future with her sorceress friend.

  Draven married Mirela in a lovely ceremony on the cliffs by the ocean. She wore a pale green lace dress, and a wreath of flowers in her hair. With friends and family in attendance, they spoke their vows to each other. Mirela had chosen the poem for the ceremony, one she particularly enjoyed.

  Under the moonlight, with stars glimmering in the night sky, the bride and groom spoke the romantic lines to each other.

  I take you my heart

  At the rising of the moon

  And the setting of the stars.

  To love and to honor

  Through all that may come

  During our time together.

  In all our lives,

  May we be reborn

  That we shall meet and know

  And love again.

  Draven wore an emerald-studded band on his ring finger to match Mirela’s wedding ring. When he kissed his bride, the crowd broke into song and dance. The bride and groom joined in with enthusiasm. Calina came over, holding hands with Nicolai. She hugged her brother, and they knew that their dear mother Odeya was smiling upon them from the world beyond.

  Mirela traveled with her new husband to Washington that spring for their honeymoon. She had a long visit with her mother Jeanne and spent endless hours chatting with Lana about everything. A special ceremony was arranged, because her mother wished to witness her marriage.

  Jeanne Godwin recognized Draven as her son-in-law. After hearing the story, she was grateful to him for loving and protecting her daughter. And best of all, Mirela would visit her mother once every year. It would be each spring, when the flowers bloomed, and the gardens thrived.

  At home in Lumea, Mirela radiated her goodness throughout the kingdom. Yet she hadn’t forgotten that kindness and tolerance must be protected. She would be their defender if needed. But she counted on Draven’s strength and power to hold evil in abeyance.

  In a private moment, Draven whispered to her, “I was alone for centuries…that was how I lived my life. Now, the fates have blessed me with a soul mate. I vow to treat you as a true queen.”

  “Not even death could steal you from me,” Mirela said, then kissed him passionately, as her heart swelled with love.

  She was united with a king beneath the ocean, a god of wealth and immortality. They were two parts of a whole, with an eternity of love ahead. Destiny had brought them together, so they ruled as king and queen of the ocean world—as it had been foretold.

  If you enjoyed Tempting Destiny, you’ll love Twilight’s Spell – the first book in my Vampire Magic series!

  Callie arrives in a strange realm filled with vampires, dragons, and Fae. It’s a land of magic, where her life is turned upside down—and the vampires crave her blood. Yet, she must find her sister Rosamon, no matter the risks.

  Download your copy of Twilight’s Spell HERE

  Vampire Magic

  (A Mature Young Adult Fantasy)

  Twilight’s Spell

  Night’s Deceit

  Gloom’s Whisper

  Enchantment’s Trap

  Immortal Embrace

  Tempting Destiny

  (A Tale Of Vampires And Sorcery)

  Find a list of my fantasy books: BOOKS BY SELA CROFT

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Tempting Destiny previously published as:

  Immortal Prophecy: Complete Series by Sela Croft ©2018 All Rights Reserved

  Published By Camden Lee Press