by Knight
His face pales again. “You’re not a ghost?”
“No baby, I’m all real. You should make sure that any bodies you bury stay dead,” I snarl, and he falls back into the wall of the shallow grave.
“You’re a zombie?” he screeches, making me roll my eyes.
“No, stupid, now keep digging,” I snap.
He goes back to it, throwing us looks as he tries to plan his escape. I know he’s playing weak and will try and make a break for it once he realises the nice boy act won’t work. The grave is nearly done when he decides to do it—after over thirty minutes of us all ignoring his cries and pleas.
He jumps from the grave, using the shovel, and runs at me. Stupid.
I grab it mid-swing, stopping it in the air and throw it away. He stumbles back and looks around for another exit. Once he realises he has no way out, his shoulders drop before rounding. He lifts his head and sneers at me—ah, there he is. The husband I know and hate.
“Well, I’ll be honest. You always were a stupid slut, couldn’t even stay dead right.” He laughs and I hold my hand up when I feel Griffin and Nos moving in. “What, are you going to kill me? You don’t have the balls,” he spits out, stepping closer.
Before, I would have cowered, maybe even crawled at his feet begging for mercy from the beating I knew was coming. Now, I am cold and filled with rage.
“Do you want to know what we did to you when you died?” he asks, grinning.
A part of me shrinks away, but I won’t let him see that. There is nothing he can do to hurt me anymore and his words are just that—words.
“We fucked you real good, everybody who wanted a fucking turn in that whore body of yours,” he starts, and I zone out, letting him rant. He finishes finally, looking mighty pleased with himself.
“You know what’s fun?” I ask. “I made you dig your own grave.” I dart forward and turn him with my hand on his head. I force him to his knees in front of it. He tries to get back up, but I push him down.
“Maybe I’ll let the wolves fuck you as you die,” I snarl.
When I look up, I spot all the animals in the trees, their eyes reflecting there. I don’t know if any are shifters, but it doesn’t matter. They are here because Nos is. Our defenders, our watches.
“I wanted you to suffer, I wanted your pain and screams, but now? I don’t care, I just want you gone like a bug under my shoe. You are nothing to me, not a threat, not a worry. Just nothing,” I admit honestly.
Grabbing the knife, the same one he used to kill me, from the back of my jeans, I shove it into his back before pulling out and stabbing him again. He screams and falls forward into the grave as I watch, with the knife at my side. He struggles, only making the blood flow faster. Words and spit stream from his mouth, but I ignore them all as he starts to weaken.
“Fuck…you,” he gasps, and I know they will be his last words.
His eyes stay locked on mine, filled with hate and defiance, even until they are empty and lifeless. His body is pale and already turning blue as the blood seeps into the dirt below—like an offering.
I thought I would feel better with his death, but I was wrong, I just feel empty. I turn to the two men who make me feel whole. The pride and anger on their faces makes me smile.
“Let’s go home.” I grin.
They nod, each grabbing a hand as we make our way back through the forest to the car. I hear the animals already ripping into Tim’s body and I grin.
When we reach the treeline, new lights hit us and I freeze as three cars block ours in. A door opens and booted feet hit the ground.
It’s the last thing I see before magic hits me right in the center of my chest, stopping my heart. Dropping to my knees, I feel Nos and Griffin fighting next to me, but my eyes close without my permission and all there is, is the black again.
When I wake up, I’m tied to a table. My hands are bound by chains glittering with magic. The man from the meeting, no longer in the old man disguise, sits opposite me, watching me curiously. The cloying scent of feathers and rosemary hits me, making me sneeze.
“I have been tracking you,” he starts.
Relaxing on the table, I make sure to show nothing. I know he wouldn’t have killed Nos or Griffin, he needs them alive for information.
“Ever since your little act at the meeting. Tell me, how did you do it?” He leans in, his eyes filled with excitement. “How did you change like that? Borrowed magic, spells?” he rushes out.
I say nothing and he narrows his eyes. “I will find out, but first, maybe I should introduce myself. I am Veyo, but you may call me Vey. I am a collector of sorts, of the rare and unique. You seem to know this though, of course I don’t just collect for myself, but that’s another story altogether and not why you are here. The council has requested your presence, and as their humble servant, of course I obliged.” He grins, leaning in like we are best friends. Veyo—wasn’t that the name Marco found for The Others? Wait, he works for the council? Is the council pulling his strings? “Now, tell me what I need to know about you.”
I knew this man was involved in the kidnappings, but is he really the leader, and what does that mean? Does he sell them to other people? Who else does this involve and how far does it stretch? I have so many questions but I know he won’t answer them.
“My name is fuck you, I like long walks and killing people, and I have imagined at least five, no wait, six ways I can kill you involving that motherfucking stupid earring in your right ear.” I grin sweetly.
He sits back, frowning hard. “That is no way for a lady to talk, it’s a shame really. Oh well, maybe you need some time to think this over. I shall, of course, oblige.” He stands up, buttoning his suit, and nods at the men I can smell behind me.
They grab my hands, muttering under their breaths, before releasing the chain. I make my move. Darting my elbow back to the right, I hear a grunt of impact as I jump left. Before anyone can react, I rip out the throat of the guard and fly at the other. He lands on his back on the floor while I smash it into the white tile repeatedly, and blood pools around his head.
I scream when something feeling like an electricity shocks me, my whole body convulses as I fall to the side, gasping. More men have entered the room and one has his hand out towards me, and a glowing pendant on his chest draws my eye. The same one I saw on the neck of the guards at the meeting.
“Oh, how I hate having to recruit new men,” Veyo laments, with a twisted look of disgust at the dead bodies, he steps back to avoid the pool of blood and glares over at me. “You shall have to pay for that of course. Men, grab her. We shall throw her in cell four and please inform the council she is here.” Some of them grin and I know whatever they have planned isn’t good.
Even though my body is still twitching and feels weak, I fight them but it’s no use. They shock me again, and as I’m convulsing they drag me from the room and down a corridor. I wait, snarling inside my head for my body to stop, before yanking forward and throwing the guards holding me of kilter. I break free, grabbing a knife from one’s belt and I stab him in the heart before I’m shocked again. I go down but quickly get to my feet and fling myself at the mass of men, tearing and biting until I’m shocked three times in quick succession.
I drop like a rock and they quickly grab me, pulling me faster now.
Growling, I dart at them as they drag me from the room and down a corridor to another door.
“A little bit of time will do you well. Think about the options you have before you...if you survive it.” He laughs and his men wait for us at a steel door at the end of the hall, their glowing chests lighting up the dark.
“I swear, if you have hurt my mates I will rip your fucking souls from you and kill you while wearing your own skin!” I yell, infuriated at being separated from them.
They ignore me, and when we get closer to the door, I see the outwards indentations from something heavy hitting it repeatedly. From the chains and magic surrounding it, whatever inside isn’t good.
Surely, they need me alive.
They wait until I’m closer to throw open the door and I’m shoved in before I can even look inside. The door slams shut behind me and I whirl when the slat on it opens, throwing light inside the dark and damp cell.
“Good luck, skinwalker. If you live through the night, maybe I have use for you.” He laughs and the slat slides shut with a bang.
Screaming, I bang on the door but a noise in the dark behind me has me freezing. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end and goosebumps erupt on my skin. Something blows warm air across me, disturbing my hair, and I hear the slink of chains and what sound like hooves on the concrete floor.
A deep, rumbling roar sounds from right behind me, making me spin and push my back against the cell door. It all goes quiet. Only the sound of my hammering heart sounds in the cell as my eyes adjust to the complete blackness.
Once they do, I gasp. My eyes lock onto it from where it stands not meters away.
A fucking minotaur.
The city is before me, but I know I am too late. Something has happened, I can feel it thrumming down the bond that pulled me here.
My mate is in trouble, somewhere in this city. I will have to find her, and kill those that dare to hurt her.
I haven’t waited a thousand years to lose her now. A pulse of pain and panic winds through my chest. When I first became close, I could feel her emotions, like a beacon, but now they are weak.
Stepping on the pedal, I weave quickly between traffic.
No one takes a mate away from a dragon, they will know my rage, and then they will know my hate.
This city will be bathed in their blood before the night is through.
It’s time for the dragons to rule again and for me to don my crown.
My name is Askaliarian, first of my name, the soul eater, and I will kill them all.
As promised in my first note, here is the triggers featured in this book. If you feel I have missed any, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Violence is prevalent throughout this book as is bloodshed. Rape, there is a scene where the main character is raped fairly quickly into the book. It does fade to black but it does contain some graphic details. Murder, assault and graphic sex scenes are also included within this book.
K.A Knight is an indie author trying to get all of the stories and characters out of her head. She loves reading and devours every book she can get her hands on, she also has a worrying caffeine addiction.
She leads her double life in a sleepy English town, where she spends her days at the evil day job and comes home to her fur babies.
Read more at K.A Knight’s website or join her Facebook Reader Group.
THEIR CHAMPION SERIES
The Wasteland
The Summit
The Cities (Coming 2019)
The Forgotten
DAWNBREAKER SERIES
Voyage to Ayama
Dreaming of Ayama (Coming 2019)
THE LOST COVEN SERIES
Aurora’s Coven
Aurora’s Betrayal (Coming 2019)
HER MONSTERS SERIES
Rage
CO-AUTHOR PROJECTS
Circus Save Me
Circus Saves Christmas
One Night Only (Featured February 2019 in the Valentine's Between The Sheets Anthology)
The Wild Interview
The Hero Complex
Shipwreck Souls (Coming June 2019)
Table of Contents
Contents
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Author’s Note
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Epilogue
Author Note Continued
About the Author
Also By K.A Knight