by G. Bailey
The guest of honour is the only man in gold, sitting on The Dutchess’ other side. I don’t know his name but it doesn’t matter. He’s a chubby man with a leer fixed on me as I walk naked across the room to where Ethan is tied to the stone altar. The altar is covered with layers of sheer white fabric that hide us. It’s to make our bodies look like shadows to the people watching. When my mother said the word ceremony, I knew exactly what she had in store and why she made me bring one of my guys.
Ethan doesn’t say a word as I step through the fabric. But his eyes cast down my body, his body reacting the same way it always does to me. While my mother undressed me, my father explained to Ethan what was expected of him. He already knew we would have to do this.
The Blood Parties are about life and death, and what makes humans feel the most alive? Sex. Ethan’s shirt and jacket are on the floor and his hard-on presses against his trousers as I climb onto the table. His wrists are shackled to the stone and I hate that every sacrifice had to do this. I try to push the thought out of my mind as I undo his belt and take his cock out. He groans as I stroke him and I get turned on as he watches me.
“Kiss me and forget they are here, baby,” Ethan demands as I climb on top of him, lining him up as I lean down. I kiss him as I lower myself down onto his cock, a small moan of pleasure escaping me. Ethan always feels good. Fuck if I care who’s watching. We’re doing this to survive but we’re also doing it because we want each other. We always have since the moment we first met. I lean back as I roll my hips, riding him fast and quick as the pleasure builds up. Ethan locks his eyes with mine and I know he is getting close. I can see him losing control even when he doesn’t have any right now. “Touch yourself. Come on me, Regan. That’s what they want.”
I slide my hand to my clit and rub quickly as I ride him. Within seconds, I finish with a long moan, my back arched, and he comes inside me, groaning in pleasure as I collapse onto his chest. The Council all clap as I close my eyes and kiss Ethan’s chest just once. The next part of the evening won’t be long after this false sense of loyalty is destroyed, and never in my life have I wanted to run away with Ethan more than I do now.
“It’s going to be okay,” Ethan whispers but he can’t know that.
What if Rory can’t kill the guest of honour and they try to make me kill Ethan?
I kiss him on the lips, terrified of the prospect.
My parents have to know I won’t do it. I’d rather die myself than kill any of my guys and that’s the whole point. I have to believe that Rory can do this because one way or another, Ethan is leaving this messed up world and it only depends on whether I’m going with him or not.
Come on, Rory. It’s up to you now.
In the years I’ve pretended to serve the Hall family, I’ve never met a guest of honor quite so fucking stupid. You’d think someone as twisted as this old bastard would have an entourage of guards sniffing his arse every minute of the day, yet Antonio Sanchez arrived here with only one escort. Strange for a member of the High Table. Really fucking strange.
I glance down at Antonio’s dead bodyguard sprawled at my feet. Poor kid was no more than twenty. Must’ve just passed his training. Or it was Antonio’s son. Either way, I don’t really give a fuck. His age doesn’t make him any less a monster than the rest of the people attending this Blood Party. Some of the worst killers I’ve ever faced were those I least expected. But that’s the thing when you spend your life hiding behind a veil—looks can be deceiving. It’s just another mask for them to lure unsuspecting victims into their trap.
Just like my sister.
And Regan.
And all those forced to march to the beat of the Veil Council’s drum.
One day, I’m gonna slit every member of the High Table and make The Dutchess watch. I want her to bear witness to the destruction of her entire empire before I hand her over to the government. I will bathe in her blood and there won’t be anything she can do to stop me.
But first, I need to kill tonight’s guest of honour.
Not a few moments later, Antonio’s small, plump body steps into the dimly lit bathroom. I take up aim in the shadows of the room, waiting until he drops his trousers. The candles are sparse here but I can see him clearly thanks to the moon bleeding through the open balcony. He can’t see me, though. That is until he starts taking a piss and I step out, cocking my gun against his head. His pale blue eyes flash up to the mirror and catch my reflection. Only my own eyes gleam in the darkness.
“Do as I say, you sick sonuva bitch, and I won’t kill you.”
“You dare threaten me, boy?” He reaches for his zipper, so I nudge the gun against his nape. His turkey-neck quivers. “What do you want? Money?”
“Nah, I ain’t got a need for that. I want you to walk out onto the balcony.”
A smirk threatens the man’s thinly pressed lips. “Are you even aware as to whom you’re threatening?”
“Oh, I’m quite aware.” I grab him by the scruff of the neck and shove him forward. How in the name of fuck is this guy in any way powerful? I could break his scrawny little neck with a simple quirk of my wrist. “You’re gonna make a speech for me, Antonio, and then I’ll let you get back to your wee fucked up party.”
“You will live to regret this.”
With his trousers wrapped around his ankles, Antonio shuffles over to the balcony. A light breeze sweeps over me as I kick the doors wider and push him outside. He pauses momentarily, his cock still out, and peers at the guests mingling in the garden down below. When he tries to pull up his trousers, I kick him in the back but remain safely hidden in the shadows. Antonio stumbles and clings on to the balcony for support.
“Keep your dick out,” I order him quietly. “The guests could do with a good laugh.”
Antonio snaps his head back and bares his gold teeth at me. “I thought you just wanted me to make a blasted speech?”
“Aye, well, sometimes actions speak louder than words.”
Before he can shout for help, the sound of glass smashes below and I pull the trigger.
The bullet slices through his skull and his brain leaks out everywhere. His body falls over the balcony and lands on the ground. A chorus of horrified noises erupts into the air. My job here is done.
One leader of the High Table down, only another nine to go.
But for now, I need to get the fuck out of here.
My mother lifts her chin and affords a rare smile. “I daresay this has been the best Blood Party so far. And what about you, Mr Remington, have you been enjoying the party?”
Ethan doesn’t even hesitate. “It’s the best I’ve ever been to, Mrs Hall.”
“Your only.” The smile on my mother’s face no longer reaches her eyes. “Just wait until the grand surprise. It’s going to be spectacular.”
Dressed again and ‘minging’ with the guests out in the ornate garden, I return my mother’s false smile. “We can hardly wait, Mother.”
I attempt to place my glass on the table beside us, but I deliberately miss, giving Rory his cue. The gun sounds and Ethan grabs me out of the way just as Antonio’s body tumbles off the balcony. He splats into the ground right before my mother, his blood spraying her beautiful gown. The guests gather around, including my father, who’s quick to check over Antonio’s body. Guards surround the garden and the house, while Ethan and I remain perfectly still and visible. My father turns to my mother and the look they share is utterly priceless. My heart skips a beat as I take in their look of horror. I have never seen them stunned into silence before. I keep my own expression neutral but I watch them closely, committing their reactions to my memory.
“I… I can’t believe it,” I say, feigning complete innocence as I lift a hand to my lips. “Lord Sanchez is dead.”
While the chaos ensues and people take out their phones to snap Antonio’s dead body, Ethan takes my hand and squeezes. I look at him, a feeling of utter vindication blossoming inside me for the first time in my life, but it quickly fad
es when I turn to see my mother. She’s smiling at me. My heart sinks into the pit of my stomach. Slipping a note into my other hand, my mother walks over to assist my father. My stomach recoils as I shakily unfold the note and read my father’s handwriting.
Without saying another word, I let go off Ethan’s hand and ignore Rory as I walk away. I hear their shouts and my father’s bodyguards stopping them as tears race down my cheeks. I don’t blink or feel like I breathe until I get to the limo door. The door is already open and I slide instead. When I don’t think anything can get possibly worse, I see who is in the limo, their blood painting the interior red.
And I know my life is over as I scream from the top of my lungs.
To Be Continued in COVETED, the final book in Holly Oak Academy!
Excerpt from Shadowborn Prison (Dark Fae Paranormal Prison Series: Book One)
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The shadows are my prison… and I can’t escape.
I’m Izora Dawn, and I’ve been locked away for something I didn’t do. But that’s what they all say, right?
When rumoured only the dangerous survive Shadowborn Prison, I know I have no choice but to fight for my life. Luckily my short time at Shadowborn Academy, home to those with dark magic seducing their souls, has taught me how to do just that.
Survival is what I’m known for in this world.
Seduction is what I’m best at.
I figure the quickest way to escape this prison is by seducing the sexy new governor. With a handsome Shadow Warden watching my every move, an alpha inmate eager to protect me, and a hunky teacher from the academy desperate to free me…I might actually get out of this alive.
But in the shadows lie secrets that hold the walls of this prison together.
And no one can escape them.
Not even me.
Shadowborn Prison is a crossover spin-off to Shadowborn Academy. You do not need to read the latter to follow this series. One is for sure—not even the shadows can be trusted in this Enchanted Forest…
18+ Reverse Harem Dark Fae Prison Romance.
“Do you know the difference between light and dark fae, little one?”
The man towers over me, his face covered by the shadows lurking within the room. A panicked reaction grips me as I try to recall who the gruff voice belongs to and why I can taste blood on my lips. Where in the name of Selena am I? The stabbing pain in my head feels like someone has split my skull open, forcing my thoughts to pour out and leaving only hazy remnants. One moment, I was at Shadowborn Academy, partying with my friends who won this year’s Tryouts, and the next…darkness.
I try to move my arms, but they’re strapped down beside me on the metal table. I kick my legs out, but they, too, are trapped. My heart thrashes against my ribcage as I struggle to move or recall anything beyond the fleeting glimmers in my mind. What the hell happened? And who the fuck is this creep leering down at me?
“I know that the light… and dark fae… are all batshit crazy,” I scream at him, fruitlessly trying to break the bonds, “and I want nothing to do with them!”
I twist my body like a fish swept onto the sand. The leather straps merely cut into my wrists and ankles, and someone else chuckles in the darkness. An icy shiver snakes down the length of my spine. I shoot my eyes around the room, seeing nothing in the inky blackness but sensing more than one pair of eyes on me. The scent of bleach and an inexplicable sweetness invades my senses. It clings to the back of my throat and stings my eyes.
“Let me go! Let me go, you twisted fuckers!”
A blinding light pierces my eyes, blocking out the person above.
“The difference between light and dark fae,” he answers in an almost droning voice, “is that a light fae cannot be simply created. Light fae are said to be only born and they are the true creatures of magic. Dark fae can be easily made from a human or shadowborn with an evil heart.”
Everyone in the forest knows this, so why is he telling me?
“Telling the poor girl fairytales isn’t going to make this easier,” a smooth, deep voice replies, right before a door slams shut.
I flinch at the booming noise across the room.
“I guess you’re right.” The man leans back, his shadow blinking in the light. “But she isn’t just any girl, and I suspect she will survive this treatment. Won’t you, Izora? I will be disappointed if you die on me. I’ve researched your bloodline long enough that I am certain you should survive this and become something incredible. Are you ready to be reborn, little one?”
Reborn? Die? Bloodline? My head swims with the words.
“What are you going to do to me?” I choke out, a tinge of fear crawling up my throat, threatening to strangle me. I summon my dark magic, the magic I’ve trained for years to learn to control, but nothing happens.
True panic kicks in, snatching the air from my lungs, and the fear tightens its grip. I let out a strangled scream and continue to thrash despite my inability to move. A hand presses down hard on my chest, pinning me to the table, while another yanks my head to the side to expose my neck. A sharp needle pricks my nape. I snap my gaze up, delving into a pair of gleaming green eyes. Those eyes are all I remember once the pain takes over.
My bones break and shatter, my heart clenches, my lungs clamp together, and my veins pulse with an agony that is like nothing I have ever felt before. It’s like every little part of my body is being ripped open and shredded apart. I scream until my throat gives way, and then I silently beg for death. I beg for my parents to save me. I beg for Selena, the Goddess of the Moon, to spare me.
But no one comes, and the pain doesn’t stop.
My heart thrums in my ears like a train racing off the tracks, louder and faster, about to explode under all of the pressure. And then power like I’ve never known surges into my body, filling me with warmth. A blinding white light shines around me, and a smile touches my lips as all the bindings holding me down disintegrate into dust.
I sit up, looking around at the six males in the room, each of them wearing lab coats.
The one who was leaning over me steps back, his eyes glazed with tears of joy.
“You’re a light fae,” he says, seizing his colleague’s arm. “It worked. It finally worked!”
The pain I felt before is now gone, replaced by a growing strength that heals every torn vessel in my body. I feel like I’m trapped in a dream as I slowly turn my head to see the most breathtaking white wings fluttering behind me. Their beauty is almost otherworldly, and they feel so utterly natural and painless attached to me. It’s like they’ve always been there. Always been a part of my being, rooted in my soul.
Entranced by their beauty, I reach out to touch them. The snowy feathers are like silk between my fingers. So beautiful. But why… why did they do this to me?
I don’t notice Green Eyes approaching me. It’s not until he places a hand on my shoulder and everything in the room turns nuclear white. The walls crack and tumble and the floor caves into the earth. Dust invades my senses, and the sharp copper tang of blood infiltrates the air, but not once do I feel any pain or sense the blood is my own. It’s like the whole world is crumbling at my feet. And yet, I can see the moon, so beautiful, so close, nestled in the inky-black sky. Only then do I let myself fall, praying that the goddess herself will catch me.
“This is the one?”
“That’s her, all right, sir,” the guard replies, his keys clanging as he opens the metal gates outside my cell. Only the small, barred window lets me know I’m still in the Enchanted Forest, the place that has been my home since I was born. Mortals can’t find it. Only the fae and magics of this world know of its existence. It’s where I belong, and I never want to leave.
I press my back to the padded white wall and shield my gaze from the light I know is about to assault me. The second they open the door, the blinding light claws through my skull and I shriek, cowering away. The light is excruciating and unbearable. I haven’t seen anyone since they brought me to this cell. Usu
ally, they just open the door to deliver a tray of food. I have no recollection of what happened before I was brought here, and it annoys me to no end. My last memory is being at Shadowborn Academy, dancing and drinking with my friends and having the time of my life. The next, I’m waking up here, handcuffed and alone.
My pulse spikes as I watch the guards approach me. One of them is a Shadow Warden going by the badge pinned to his coat. The silver buttons running down his chest in two symmetric lines catch the light. I’ve learned not to strike out at any of Shadow Wardens here as it never ends well. This is the first one I’ve seen wearing Zorya’s black military uniform, complete with the raven cloak pinned around his neck with a wolf-shaped silver brooch.
“Watch out, sir. She’s feisty,” the guard warns his superior, easing toward me with his taser stick outstretched.
The Shadow Warden’s shrewd eyes narrow on my face. “Not with me, she won’t be.” He crosses his arms and peers down his hooked nose at me. “Here’s what’s gonna happen, sweetheart. I’m gonna take you from this shitty little room. If you fight me, it’ll be the last thing you ever do, you hear?” He holds up his taser, the sapphire electrodes at the end of the stick cackling. I nod, having felt the wrath of those many times over the past week. “Wise decision. It’s time to meet your maker, kid.”
The Shadow Warden grabs my shoulder and hauls me off the floor and into the hallway outside. Shadow Wardens are one of the highest forms of guards in the magics world and anyone who values their life is frightened of them, for good reason. They literally use shadows to move around and have superhuman combat skills to boot. Every fiber of my being is telling me to shut up and not push my luck, but I’ve got to at least try…