I was still processing everything they had told me, but I tried to smile and seem confident. I was pretty sure I’d pull it off. There was enough fear and uncertainty in the crowd to mask even the scent of death itself.
When we reached the front of the compound, Dom climbed up the stairs to the stage. A set of primaries stood on either side of them and each offered me a hand. I graciously accepted and just because I knew Jaysen and Angel were still behind me, I put everything I had into working my ass.
Rather than Angel’s throaty sounds I loved so much, I heard the roar of wind, and the room began to shake. Progeny and Dark Ones alike broke into chaos, some taking cover, others letting their inner monsters surface to play.
“Leave us,” I commanded our progeny.
“Not a chance,” Angel quietly returned.
I turned to glare at him and was met with Jaysen’s nod of agreement.
Fuck my life. Just what I needed; two mortals to worry about in the middle of . . .
Shadows started along the wall. They grew and multiplied until it looked like a legion of people were in the room rather than the few dozen we had originally joined.
“You dare!” one of the Elders roared.
“Dare!” A shrill voice carried on the night.
Several Dark Ones hissed and gathered around the Elder.
“Give me what is mine,” the voice said, vibrating the barrier I had placed myself in.
“Leave her!” Angel yelled at it.
It hurled him like a toy toward the corner.
Dom roared and leaped, but the thing was gone as fast as it had appeared. A mere shape of a human with menacing eyes. It caught him from the back and bent him until they were rolling on the ground together.
I started for them and felt a small crowd of cloaked witches pushing my barrier bubble back. A hand shot inside and clawed down my arm, taking skin with it.
Fuck!
There were too many. They were as strong as me when they combined.
“Dom!” I screamed, but he was still on his back like a turtle. His half-materialized head was swirling with that of the thing I had seen. Their body and energies were one in that moment of warring. It sounded like Hell’s finest gladiators were going at it.
Then Dom cried out, and those left standing in our Coven stilled.
Even the Lost Ones tensed for a moment. No one had ever bettered the Executioner. Would he stay down? We all hung on the edge.
“Trevor!” Jaysen called.
No!
I spun around and started for him, but he raised a hand palm directed my way and stopped me in my tracks. It was like walking into a damn wall. His other hand came up grabbed air and started battling to pull it toward him, like he had ahold of some unseen rope.
Trevor roared and the two of them continued their psychic battle.
“Dom!” I hurriedly called. “Dom, get the fuck up.”
We were riding on the back of an untrained Fae. A baby Dark One that likely didn’t even know how the hell he was tapping into whatever it was he was doing.
**Filling the emptiness. That dark void that does nothing but boil with anger. Now I’m filling it with his magik.**
The sound of Jaysen’s voice inside my head almost made me weep. Where had this come from?
**From you. Your blood gave me knowledge and strength. Dom, too. I guess, that little midnight snack and a side of your light was just enough for me to really have fun.**
Jaysen smiled, despite the tears of blood that were rolling down his face. It was like a final gift from Talon. One last victory to see his people through.
While Trevor dug his heels in and fought for the last scrap of magik, Dom appeared behind him and sank his teeth into his neck.
It was over in seconds.
Dom stood shakily and made his way toward me. I stood up and surprised even myself by trying to throw my arms around him. Of course, he caught me and stunted the full effect by clipping me to his side rather than full on hugging me.
“You guys are okay?” he asked, glancing between Angel and Jaysen.
They both nodded, and I was suddenly jerked against him.
“Then I declare myself King of the Dark Ones. I declare the Oracle to be my Queen and I’ll seal it with a communion.” Dom’s voice carried across the masses, and his chest heaved like he was preparing for another battle.
In a way I guess he was. It was an open invitation for challenge.
He kicked Trevor hard, assuring that he hadn’t fully killed him.
“Take that mother fucker out of here. Put him somewhere safe . . .” He stretched that word until it sounded worse than any circle of hell. “And unless someone intends to try and stop us, let’s get this over with.”
How romantic!
I cocked my head and blinked at him until he gave me a dumbfounded shrug.
“In the old days, things were consummated with an audience to bear witness.”
Consummated. It was funny how official that word sounded on his lips. We’d just painted his progeny in blood and held a midnight fuck fest, so what was so daunting about that word?
It made him my King.
My shoulder twitched, and was met with the faintest kiss I’d ever been gifted. I glanced over my shoulder and found myself eye to eye with Jaysen. He sculpted the air around my sides with his hands, tracing the curves without really touching me. When he did so, I felt a warm tingle start to build. He spread it everywhere he silhouetted.
As if that weren’t enough, Dom decided my throat needed framing, too. He wrapped his fingers loosely about it, adjusting his knuckles one by one, so my attention was drawn with the odd kiss of his rings.
He didn’t just kiss me, he possessed me in that one move. Crushing my lips and commanding his entrance. It was overwhelming, possessive, and absolutely addicting.
“Then let them watch.” I hissed, when he bit a little too hard. Jaysen was making everything come to life. They were toying with me. Repaying me for all of my deliciously cruel ways.
Pain and pleasure were colliding. My body was the only barrier between Dark One and Fae. I was melting between monsters, and I didn’t care who was watching.
As long as my Coven was safe and this feeling didn’t stop, the whole world could watch him perform for all I gave a damn.
He grazed his teeth against my neck and broke the spell with a sharp slap to my ass.
“Communion first, then the fun stuff.” He smirked, and wiggled his finger, bidding Jaysen closer.
“Dom . . .,” I whispered.
Chapter Nineteen
Jaysen
I’d never fainted over a word before. I supposed if there was one to hold such an effect over our kind, that would be it. Communion was a blood sacrifice used to seal a vow. A mortal sacrifice.
My heart dropped to my stomach and my mind spun. It was agony, but Angel had already been harvested I, on the other hand, had been deemed ‘not ready.’
Whatever the fuck that meant.
“It meant you had a purpose. As evidenced by . . .,” Dom said.
His hand landed between my shoulder blade and slid up to the back of my neck. I closed my eyes expecting the worst, but he merely rolled his thumb and index finger, manipulating and massaging my neck.
“I’m not going to attack you, and I won’t force a sacrifice. If you are to hold the honor of such, it is something you must do freely,” he whispered.
They’d positioned themselves so that they could come for either side of my throat. My legs were going to go out. I just knew it. Any minute.
Just the thought of that agonizing pain was too much. I closed my eyes and tried like hell to gather my courage. I couldn’t find it. Not until I opened them and saw all of those people staring back at me. Dark Ones and Lost Ones alike. They were waiting to see if I’d seal their fate.
If I didn’t, would our people ever have peace? Would they see the lack of unity as weakness and try us again? Maybe they would hurt Julie next time. . . .
“All that power . . .,” Julie whispered, running her hand along my jaw. She kissed me while the crowd held their breath. “What will you be once you are fully harvested?”
“There’s only one way to find out . . .,” Dom mused, before slowly tipping my head back.
I smothered a whimper and closed my eyes. They wasted no time in sinking their teeth into either side of my neck. My knees buckled from the pain, and my cry was snuffed in my throat by the surprise of it.
Even when one knew it was coming, there was no preparing for Dom’s bite. I felt like my soul was being sucked in two different directions. All my misery erupted into an unintelligible wail when their power finally mixed with mine and all the blood was drained away.
It was a gamble. I was strong enough to take on the King of the Lost Ones. What was to say The King of the Dark Ones would awaken me, knowing I would be his only threat. I’d seen the fear in his eyes when I’d latched onto him by accident . . . and I’d seen the look in his eyes right before my heart stopped.
All I could do was hope that my Oracle was right. My fate was tied to theirs . . . they couldn’t forsake me . . . right?
THE END
I hope you enjoyed The Hunger Saga as much as I enjoyed writing it. Follow Jules and her guys as they take the throne in Blood and Betrayal, book II of The Hunger Saga.
Blood And betrayal
I just got my coin flipped. My Oracle drank me down in unholy communion. She shared my essence with the most disturbed of Dark Ones, all in the name of making him our King.
Or so we thought.
The jokes on him. My fae blood diluted his darkness. It wasn’t my fault! I only did what she told me.
Even so, I’ve stolen his power, his crown and his kingdom of Dark Ones. Little does he know, I’m taking his Queen next.
Preorder your copy of Blood and Betrayal today!
ALSO, BY TYRANNI THOMAS
RH
The Thorns and Thrones Series
Of Princesses and Pawns
Of Sovereigns and Savages
Of Coups and Cauls
The Heathen Harem Tales Collection
Keeper of the Norns
Between Mortals and Makers
The Krypt Series
Chasing the Night
Taking the Night
Light up the Night
The Crossroads Priestess Series
The Crossroads Priestess
Midnight Miracle
Sin Eater
The Soiled Dove Series
Soiled Dove
War Whore
HISTORICAL FICTION
The Scars Series
The Scars of Survival
Wearing the Scars
About Tyranni Thomas
Tyranni Thomas is a former nurse with a love of all things Heathen and historical. A writer of High Fantasy Reverse Harem, Historical Fiction and LGBT who believes that written words speak louder than most people’s voices ever could.
The Hunger Saga Page 8