by Elise Whyles
“There has been no one come. If you are holding hope your goddess will come…” He shrugged. “I would let it die. There is no hope, not for her tender mercies.”
Her heart stuttered as she turned to face the man hovering near her shoulder. Just what did he intend doing with her? And why hadn’t Amuliana come for her? Tears threatened at the horrifying doubt growing in the back of her mind. Maybe Amuliana wasn’t coming for her at all.
Chapter 4
“The fool.” Amuliana threw a golden chalice across the room, ignoring the startled, fearful noises of the fey hovering along the edges of her quarters. The slim, pixie-like creatures were irrelevant, much like the little twit who was beyond her grasp. “Does Anagor think my brother will give him what I have refused? I will make him burn for this. Kill the stupid bitch and be done with it. The power is sitting there, waiting for me to snatch it up, and yet he must drink of the pitiful creature’s blood. The fool. I will show him what suffering is.”
“Mistress, surely you know your brother cares not if Anagor is yours or not. Do you not recall, he sent hunters to track down Tedron and Dras? Both clearly wore your favor, and still... Tedron’s death was far more painful than Nerafail would sanction.”
Amuliana turned to stare at the dark-fleshed fey hovering in the middle of the room. Her body shook, a rotten stench of fear rose around her. “You dare to question me?”
“Nay, milady. Nay, I was simply—”
“I am aware of Tedron and Dras’s fates. Just as I am aware that you yourself cling to this world by a hair’s breadth. Do not question me!”
Squeaking in alarm, the fey darted back, her eyes lowered.
Amuliana watched her for a moment before turning. “Nay, there is something else at foot. Nerafail would kill ruthlessly, but to allow her to escape? There is another who assisted the tart. I will find out who it was and I will punish them. I will not be mocked. Soon, the worlds will have a queen worthy of them. A goddess more powerful than the fools who guide them now. And I know just the man to help me.” In a flurry of tulle and perfume she transported from her chamber.
Her lips curled disdainfully at the cold, clammy feel of the caves. How she loathed this place, loathed the darkness, but it had long served her well, and she was not prepared to release it just yet. Wrapping her shawl tighter around her, she hurried through the mire. She could hear the shuffle of feet, the moans of hunger, and she grinned. What better tool to destroy Una than to send those who would go unnoticed?
“What brings you to my prison?” Weak, hungry, the voice reached from the darkness to scrape across her flesh. “You who dawdles rather than let me free.”
“Darlin’ you know I can’t release you. I haven’t the key,” Amuliana cooed. “You know as well as I, Hema’s stubborn pride keeps you here. Now he’s drawing others into it. Why he’s allied himself with the demons, with the dragons.”
Amuliana choked back her disgust as the figure moved into the weak sliver of light. Gaunt, his cheeks and eye sockets hollow, Saltar stared at her. Lust and hunger filled his eyes, his lips curled back to reveal discolored gums, the stench of decay heavy around him.
“Hema will pay for this.” Saltar smirked, his fingers plucking at her robes. “Just as the dragons and the demons will. Those who oppose my will shall suffer by my hand. I vow this.” He brought the flowing sleeve of her robe to his nose and inhaled deeply.
Amuliana schooled her face to hide any trace of emotion as she noted the response of his body. Her gaze flitted across the placket of his pants, over the twitch of his cock as he soaked in her essence. “I know, my darling. The power is there. Soon it will be in our grasp and then…then we shall rule the worlds. Mortal, immortal, god, all shall bow beneath the weight of our rule.”
“Indeed.” Inching closer, his hand landed on her abdomen, sliding up over the delicate material to cup her breast. “So, what brings you here, my lover? It has been too long since you’ve visited.”
“Aye, the other gods have kept me busy.” She brushed the long, stringy hair back from his forehead. “I have found one with a key she hides from me. A traitorous little twit. What better way to retrieve that which you desire than to hunt her down? She is mortal, young but foolish, naïve. Can you send forth your army to find her? Kill her and you will have one key to assist us in your release.”
“Young? Mortal? A female, you say?” Saltar dropped her sleeve, his hand going to his crotch. He rubbed it slowly, the motion almost absently given as she hovered near him.
Pasting a smile on her face, Amuliana moved back a step, her hand going up to trail across Saltar’s throat. “Send forth your army, lover. Let them destroy this girl so we may continue with our plans. Alive she will cost us much, dead, who will know our secrets?” She circled him, palms pressed to his back.
“I have no way to get word to any of my generals.”
“I have someone who will suffice.” Amuliana leaned in, her breath stirring his hair. “A warrior who will be recognized. One who even now, skirts about with danger. One Hema will not suspect.”
“Then send forth a message. We will hunt down this mortal girl. My men will dine up on her blood before the next full moon.” Saltar whirled, his grip tightening on her wrist. “What will you give me for my compliance? Surely you have longed for me as I have longed for you.”
Amuliana smiled, her lashes lowering demurely. It is too easy to control the male. He thinks with the shaft between his legs rather than his mind. “What would you have of me? Trust in me, my lover. I will give you much.” Her fingers tugged at the ribbon at her throat. “Yes, I will give you much.” And you will give me everything.
* * * *
From the edge of her pallet, Una watched the snow dance across the cave opening. Beyond it she could hear the sound of wings beating, and she shivered. The sound heralded the return of her host, a man she both feared and felt drawn to. Quiet, moody, he spoke little, but had treated her kindly.
She stood as he stepped through the snow, shaking it from his long hair, a carcass draped over his shoulders. “Has the weather cleared at all? I must get to the temple.”
“Which temple? There is not much here.”
“The temple at DeLria.” Una gasped at the rage twisting her host’s face.
“DeLria has been destroyed. The only thing there is vagrants who would make a meal of you before they slit your throat.” He shook his head, his features tightening further. “Fool, Amuliana would send an innocent to her slaughter to hide her own treachery. Still, it is not your fault and I’ll not let you suffer for it. It be best you think of going back to where you came from.”
“I cannot. There are no markers for the portal,” Una cried out. She wrung her hands, her mind racing feverishly. There had to be a way to get to the temple, surely once there Amuliana would protect her. “Do you not understand, if I do not go—”
“I will not take you there.” He whirled, his eyes flashing. “There is nothing there, you foolish child. Do you expect me to believe you’re so dedicated to your goddess you’d risk your life to satisfy her?”
Una straightened, her anger flaring. “Don’t you dare question my loyalty, you clout. I am not some pathetic weakling to be spoken to thus. I am a servant—”
“You are a nonsensical child. Do as you choose, I will not assist you one step.”
“How dare you? You would not be so silly as to question the knowledge and power of a goddess! I am neither a fool nor a child, you overbearing rogue. I’ll not be treated as if my thoughts are those of some babbling—”
“You’d do well to remember,” he said, towering over her, “I am not like your master. Your life has more value to me than the whims of my yearning, little one. Unlike you, I have the ability to survive without relying on a petty, selfish bitch to keep me. You will not get me to help you go back to one who has destroyed more than one world for her own gain.”
Una’s eyes widened at his words. Without a second thought, her hand struck out, narrowl
y missing his face. She gasped when he caught her wrist, his fingers biting into the tender flesh. He pulled her closer, tucking her into his body, his hot breath brushing over her face. A tiny whisper questioned her why his actions brought nothing more than irritation when she should be terrified of him.
“I serve my own gods. I’ll not give an innocent life to serve her.” Liam hissed. “I will assist you to safety, but I will not take you to her temples. Life is precious to me.”
Una shivered, her breath catching in her throat.
Heat danced around them. Flames lapped at the wood, the screams of torment rising into the darkness. A roar of dismay rose above the din. Through the smoke and ash she could see glowing green eyes filled with tears. Hear the racing thunder of a heartbeat.
“Be careful what you do, woman, else I turn you over to the very mortals who would slaughter you,” he snarled before brushing past her.
Una rubbed at the throb of his touch on her arm as her gaze followed him to the cave’s opening. There was an air of sadness, of grief, about him.
She settled back, her gaze dropping to the fire dancing in the darkness. An uneasy feeling slithered over her. Someone had done her host a terrible wrong and it had scarred him in ways she’d never imagined.
Chapter 5
Selene ignored the appraising stares from the warriors standing guard as she neared the throne room. The smell of scorched flesh and stone swirled in the air from behind her, the flare of heat creeping up her bare back. How like the dragons not to mask their scent in their own realm.
She paused, her fingers gathering the trailing braided belt she wore as she turned. Two guards stood, lances in hand, smoke curling upward from the torches they carried. “Pesky dragons.” She tsked. “Don’t you have some poor critter to bake or scales to polish?”
“What business does the mother of bloodsuckers have here?” Anger flashed in the orange-eyed dragon’s eyes. His massive hand fell to the sword at his hip, his companion copying the motion without pause.
“Business between your lord and myself. If he wishes you to have knowledge of it, I am certain he will be most pleased to speak of it.” She smiled. “Now if you would excuse me, gentlemen, there is much to discuss.” Ignoring their stupefied expressions, Selene pushed in the door and stepped into Draconi’s throne room.
Massive stone carvings flanked the dais where the impressive dragon god sat, his long tail flicking back and forth, his gaze directed toward the young woman currently staring out over the setting sun.
“My lord.” Selene bowed her head before strolling forward. She ignored the angry hiss from him as she stopped at the foot of the stairs. “It is so pleasant to see you relaxed. When last we spoke you seemed vexed.”
“It appears my guards need to be reminded of whom they may or may not allow within my throne room.” Draconi gnashed his teeth together in a clear threat.
Selene raised a brow at his warning. “I come seeking assistance to save both our people.”
Draconi straightened, morphing into his true form until he towered over her, smoke curling from the elongated snout of his dragon form. “You dare to ask my assistance? Your kind have slaughtered—”
“As has your kind. When last I checked your kind had slaughtered well over a third of my people, not all upon the battlefield either.” She raised a hand when he opened his mouth to protest. There was no time for petty tallying or posturing. She had a task to do. “The time for our differences has long since passed.” Selene inhaled. “Even now, there are those within our ranks who have turned a blind eye to the suffering caused by that witch. To refuse me counsel is to allow Amuliana to retain an ounce of power and create more suffering, more heartache among the children of our flesh. Tell me, King of the Dragons, what would you prefer? Freedom, or enslavement under her iron fist?”
“I would have peace but for the meddling of—”
“Amuliana has been to see Saltar. It is rumored she has given him just enough strength, enough power for him to be able to speak his wishes to his people. Even now, his army gathers whilst across the mortal realm one of my children and one of yours have found each other...and together they hold another key to his continued imprisonment and her demise.” Selene turned to pace the floor. Anger simmered just below the surface as she recounted what she’d been told, the very idea enough to make her skin crawl with the desire to shred the flesh from her goddess sister.
“What nonsense, my lord, cast the mother of the vampires from your court. She would poison your mind if you but gave her—”
“Be silent.” Selene whirled, her eyes narrowed at the woman hovering on the edge of the room. “You’d not be alive if not for the generosity of the dragon god. You are newly created, do not be so quick to step into millennium old conflicts. Be patient, child. I know you would honor your lord, but this is something you cannot know about.”
“Enough, Selene. What is it you request of me?”
“It is written only those who are of the Forsaken can keep Saltar bound. The descendants of those condemned for a crime they did not commit are more than simple mortals being reborn into our worlds.” Selene stared at the other woman a moment longer before turning to the simmering dragon. “Anagor has no idea what he has done by drinking of Una. She is on the brink of realizing her potential. A woman of power, of gifts so powerful she can read the soul of mortal, immortal, and god alike. She has the power to rule in Amuliana’s stead if she so desired it. But she does not. Her heart lies within her people, within the life she will have with her lover. Amuliana knows this, knows the girl’s potential, and will do anything to rid the world of her.”
“You lie.”
“Be silent!” Selene barely spared Draconi’s lover and mate a glance. “Una is sister to the queens’ favored warrioress. Anagor stole her years ago from Gawain’s grasp and left a gaping hole in Bede’s world. Amuliana took her, erasing her mind of all memories, blocking her gifts and turning her into a priestess. Now she must destroy Una to hide the truth.”
“What does this have to do with me?” Draconi tapped his claws upon the floor.
“Her fate is written.” Selene leaned closer to him. “As is the fate of Liam. A warrior punished by his people for a crime he did not commit. Long before their birth, they were both entrusted with a far greater gift than simple immortality. Together, they have the power to unite dragon and vampire. More than that, they have the power to prove Amuliana’s involvement in the war that cost both of our peoples hundreds of lives and twisted Saltar into the wretched beast he is now. You know the costs of war as well as I, Draconi. I’ll not lose a single life to serve her purpose.”
Selene stared, her impatience boiling over as he tilted his massive head, his scales rattling with each breath. “Do you doubt me?”
“I tend to doubt anything any god tells me if it does not suit me,” Draconi snarled. His body twisted into the more recognizable shape of a man. “However, I am aware of young Liam’s story. Accused of treachery he did not commit, he was cast out of his village many years ago. He has only just reclaimed his dragon form, though he has sworn vengeance on those responsible for his misery.” Draconi paced around her. “So what is it you desire from me, Selene?”
“I wish you to accept a gift.” Selene lifted her hands, a small, oblong jewel within her grasp. “Una’s heart recognizes Liam. She senses his past, his future, and in time she will understand what her place is within it. I ask you allow her to find her future within his embrace. Let the war between our children end. Unite with me to serve a common goal—the casting out of Amuliana.”
“And what does a vampire and a dragon being together have to do with such a thing?”
“Sarah, my love, please. Let the queen of the night speak.” Draconi held out his hand. “Tell me, vampire mother, what is it you are saying? In plain words so as not to confuse delicate ears.”
“Una is fated to belong to Liam.” Selene glanced at the young woman hovering. “She alone holds the power to contain
two of the Forsaken within their realms. She’s the bridge between our people.”
“Why do you accept this so easily? What’s in it for you?” Sarah stared at Selene as she hurried forward to stand next to Draconi.
A slight smile tugged Selene’s lips upward. “You mean other than knocking Amuliana down a peg or two?” She shrugged. “A united front against those who would seek to destroy life. Vampire and dragon were once allies, it will be again.”
“Do you think to warm my lord’s bed? Is this your means of attaining your goal?” Sarah glowered at her.
“I am above such carnality, child. You are young, you know very little of the war that has ravaged our worlds. Too long has there been one who has the power to decide. Justice must be served. For too many years there has been a bitter hatred between two races who were once friends over something as foolish as who warmed a bed. Aye, I would have justice for both of our races. This be the only way.” Selene turned toward the door. “I care only for the welfare of both our peoples...for all immortals she would manipulate.”
“You, who has yet to take a lover, dares to begrudge Amuliana’s rather long list thereof?” Draconi sneered.
“A lover would not offer me much.” Selene turned to stare at him. “There are many of our kind who seek peace, and more importantly, seek the destruction of that conniving bitch. Allow Una and Liam to have their future.”
“I will not interfere if that is what you mean. However, I shall not give the soul of one of my loyal warriors to a vampire until I am certain.”
“Una is not simply a vampire female, my lord. She is a Forsaken, and thus twice as powerful as one who has lived within your realms. Given enough time, she could become a god in her own right.”
“Is that a threat?”
“No. Simply a statement of truth. Una is of the same line as her sister. Her sister can and has destroyed those who dare oppose her. She has proven herself to be a brutal, yet generous warrior. Hema has even made offerings in her name. I will accept your lack of interference, my lord, for in time I know you’ll understand and accept what is to come.”