Knights of Souls and Shadows, Book 1

by Kristie Cook

  Then his power pulled away, my beast mewling at its retreat, and his features transformed. His hair became a deep black, the color seeping down from roots to ends. His skin lightened, taking on more of a brown than gray, though still dark in tone. Color seeped into his eyes, a bright aqua blue taking over the silver, but just as piercing and unnerving. His power pulled completely back from me, and I practically threw myself at the bars of the cage, already missing it. Missing any touch he would give me.

  Fuck. I didn’t even like men! I’d never been so affected by the fae before, not like the humans who would strip naked and writhe with lust as soon as they saw one, especially one this strong. Not even Maeve had managed that. Only now did I understand. That had to be the explanation. Because it was taking every bit of my focus to keep from peeling my dress off and opening myself to him.

  To a male! Ugh! I hated him already.

  He turned back to face the king, not an ounce of deference to the older fae.

  “This one is mine,” he declared, his voice deep, loud, and commanding. Oh, hell no!

  The king cocked his head as his eyes narrowed. “She is not the one you want.”

  “I said she is mine.” His voice was calm, but forceful. Nobody dared to contradict him.

  Not even the king. “You will do what needs to be done?”

  “Don’t I always?” the sexy fae replied. Ew. I needed to not think of him like that! “I am sure you have already begun plans for the ceremony. Have you not drawn this out because you were waiting for me?”

  The king’s gaze darted to me, then around the room, skipping over the much smaller crowd and the princes, all of whom still stared at the ground, and finally sweeping across all the dead bodies. Appreciation glinted in the silver pools when he looked at me again before returning his attention to the fae before him.

  “So be it.” He gave a curt nod. “She is yours, my son.”

  The cage around me disappeared as though it’d only been an illusion, and before I could utter any kind of protest, that delicious power lashed out and encircled me, swallowing me in its depths. A lust like no other consumed me, heating me from the core outward. My breasts swelled and strained against the confines of my dress. An ache throbbed between my legs, growing to become an exquisite need to be touched. To be taken. To be completely ruined. The power was both brutal and beautiful, and I lost myself in a combination of pain and pleasure as the room around me faded away.

  Only when I found myself in a completely different place, the power released, and the black-haired, aqua-eyed fae standing before me did my senses return. My son, the king had said. Another prince.

  Oh, shit. I should have known.

  I’d been claimed by the Tormentor himself.

  Chapter 14

  “What happened to your dress?” the faerie prince asked, his first words spoken directly to me.

  I looked down, horror overcoming me at the sight of my completely naked body, my breasts pert and my nipples hard with need. The only items remaining were the bands on my arms and the jeweled piece on my head.

  “You tell me,” I snapped as my wings sprang back out and wrapped forward, around me.

  “You blame me?” Arrogance dripped on every word. He knew damn well this was his doing.

  “I’m not normally in the habit of stripping for a man,” I growled. Or even wanting one.

  “You mean for a man you just met? Though I am not exactly a man.” His voice was so damn seductive.

  “First of all, we haven’t exactly met yet, have we? And secondly, I mean for any male, asshole.”

  He chuckled, and something stroked over my feathers on the outside of my wings—his finger or his power, I couldn’t be sure. Nonetheless, I moaned in pure ecstasy as the pleasurable sensation jolted through every nerve of my being. My body convulsed as I came undone right there and then. I came down from the impromptu orgasm as fast as it had come, and fury exploded in my chest.

  “I hate you,” I snarled.

  “Forgive me. I thought you were stronger than this.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “Possibly in due time, if you so desire.”

  “Never!”

  He continued as though I hadn’t spoken. “For now, you can open your wings. I have clothes for you.”

  “I don’t want your clothes. I’ll glamour my own.” So I did, conjuring my fighting leathers, while wondering where my real ones were. I opened my wings and hid them, resting my hands on my hips.

  The prince’s gaze traveled from my head to my toes, then his full, beautiful mouth lifted in a smirk. “You must do better than that. I am a powerful prince, and I can see right through your glamour.”

  Ugh! Another growl built in my chest, but I decided I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. I suppressed it as I continued standing there, apparently still naked to his eyes. He must have reigned in his own power, because I no longer had the overwhelming urge to climb all over his body, so now he could deal with my wiles. I pulled back my shoulders, lifting my breasts, and slightly bent a knee, rolling my hips forward.

  The fucker snorted, looking away as he threw something at me. It took me a moment to realize it was my leathers—the real thing. With a flick of his hand, I was suddenly dressed in the leather corset and pants, knee-high boots on my feet. He strode over to a table I hadn’t noticed before, laid out with food and drink. He poured two glasses of thick amber liquid, lifting one of them out toward me. I shook my head in rejection of his offer. With a shrug, he lifted it to his lips and threw back the full contents in one gulp.

  While he seemed to be distracted with that, I let my gaze sweep across the room, different than the one I’d been in before, taking in the details. No windows. Only one door. Probably locked. The only furniture besides the table was a settee covered in a dark gray velvet, squatting in front of a cold hearth. Dozens of candles provided light that flickered shadows over the walls. We were completely alone, it seemed. No slaves or guards nearby, from what I could sense.

  “Where are we?” I blurted, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.

  “Still at the Court of Shadows, for now. My former wing at the palace. We will be leaving soon, though. Your training must not be delayed.”

  I peered at him. He was more forthcoming than I expected. I wondered what information I could pull from him. “Training for what? For the ceremony your father is planning?”

  He smirked. “I imagine neither of us need training for that, although you might, considering your distaste for men. Even for me.”

  My eyes narrowed. “What is that supposed to mean? What kind of ceremony is it?”

  His eyes glinted to match the smirk. “A bonding ceremony, of course. You and I are to be married.”

  My mouth opened and closed and opened again, like a fish out of water.

  “Wait … What?” I managed to sputter out.

  “You made a deal with my father, did you not?” One corner of his mouth lifted even further, deepening the smirk. “I know you did. I was there.”

  I remembered now. He’d been the other shadowy presence in that room at the Vault, after Brielle and I had died. Or whatever we had done.

  “I didn’t … I didn’t know …” I still couldn’t form words properly as the memory—and our exact words—swirled in my mind, my breath trapped in my lungs. The smirk became an all-out grin as the Tormentor watched my face. “I can’t … I can’t marry you!”

  “Believe me, it is not my preference, either.”

  My mouth clamped shut as I tried to figure out if that was a good thing or if I should be insulted. Wait. “But you claimed me.”

  “I did. I have my reasons.”

  “Which are?” I demanded when he didn’t continue.

  “You will see soon enough. There is no way out of this, Elliana Knight.” He held out the other glass. “Would you like that drink now?”

  I snatched the glass from his outstretched hand and threw back the contents just as he had done. The thick liqu
id was warm, a pleasant burn down my throat. Almost immediately, my mind and body relaxed.

  There is a way out of this, I thought. There has to be. I just had to figure it out.

  “I will prepare the horses and return in a few minutes. Do not go anywhere.” He chuckled with this last word before striding out the one door. I flew at it, but in the split-second it took me to reach it, it disappeared. Only a smooth, solid wall stood there now. Heh. I got his joke now.

  I couldn’t say how long I remained in the room alone, but I walked the perimeter a few times while fuming about my predicament. I should have accepted Maeve’s proposal and married her. Better yet, I should have never left college and stayed with Sadie. Oh, how I missed her! I hadn’t realized how much I’d fallen for her in the few months we’d been together until now. She’s better off without you. Yes. Yes, she was. I had to keep reminding myself of that to keep the heartache at bay.

  “We have a long trip ahead of us.”

  I jumped at the voice, spinning and crouching into a fighting stance. The Tormentor lifted a brow.

  “You have no need to fight me,” he said. “But if you try, you will never win.”

  My eyes narrowed as I studied him for a moment before slowly rising out of my crouch. “We will see about that. One day I will kill you.” I paused then tacked on, practically spitting the words, “Your majesty.”

  His lips twitched, whether suppressing a grin or a frown I couldn’t be sure, except for the glint in his piercing eyes. “The plan is one day for you to kill for me.”

  “What makes you think I’d do that?”

  “I know you will. First, you must be trained, and we will not do that here in my father’s castle.” He strode for the door, holding it open for me. “And please, call me Tor.”

  I snorted. “Tor? Short for Tormentor?” His nostrils flared at this. “Yes, I’ve heard about you, possibly as much as you’ve heard about me. I know how you get your kicks.”

  His brows gathered in a scowl as anger lit up his eyes, the silver glowing behind the aqua blue.

  “You know nothing,” he growled, grabbing my bicep and shoving me out the door.

  He didn’t let go, tugging me along through the corridors and down the stairs until we came out into a courtyard where two horses waited. Another horse. Yay. What was with fae and their horses? Hopefully this one was as easy to ride as Moonbutt had been. It was just as pretty, gray with a silvery mane and tail and purple eyes. I hesitated before mounting her.

  “The horse is not good enough for you, princess?” Tor asked from behind me. “I thought it would be easiest for you, since they are all you have on your world. Perhaps you can work your way up to a gryphon or a dragon.”

  “I can fly myself—wait. What?” I turned to see his face, to determine if he was serious. I didn’t see any humor, but I scoffed. “Dragon shifters let you ride them?”

  “Not shifters. Those are beings of your world. We have the real thing here.”

  “Real dragons?” I tried to suppress the excited curiosity to see one—let alone ride one—but it tinged my words anyway. “And gryphons? For real?”

  His lips curled into a real smile—small, but not a smirk. “This might be more fun than I expected.” His large hands wrapped around my waist, and he practically threw me on to the horse’s back. “This is Needan. He follows my thoughts, so do not entertain any lofty ideas. He will not obey you even if you do, but he will share them with me.”

  Fabulous. The Tormentor was a damn horse whisperer.

  He’d just sprang into the air and landed gracefully on his own horse when a shadowy figure appeared before us, an image of the king magically projected into the courtyard. He spoke in their version of Faelic.

  Tor blew out a harsh breath, the energy around him changing, darkening. He replied, then looked over at me, the brown of his skin leaking away as the dark gray took over. His hair whitened, and the teal color of his eyes gave way to silver. “You think you know so much, princess? You should come and see this.”

  His dark power rose off him like black smoke and surrounded both of us. My own darkness stirred, exciting my beast as we sifted again. At least this time my clothes didn’t come off. He must have kept that part of his power in check.

  When the smoke cleared—at least from me, it still surrounded Tor—we had returned to the throne room. The bodies had been cleared away, and a new group filled the audience, all of them cowering from Tor’s presence. The king still sat on his onyx throne on the dais, slouched into it casually as though he were bored. Before him knelt four Shadow fae females, on their knees, their hands behind their backs, and their heads bowed. Their white hair fell in curtains around their faces, and their ashen skin was dull, the markings barely visible.

  The king said something to Tor, again in their language. Tor’s power, darker than ever, lashed out in four tendrils, each one striking a kneeling fae over and over like a whip. The women screamed and writhed with each hit, and at once, my beast rose with excitement while a lump lodged in my throat. The tendrils stopped their lashes, and I thought it was over, but then the smoke wrapped around them. The agonized shrieks made my heart stop and my beast cry out.

  The king leaned forward on his throne, his interest obviously piqued now. His mouth stretched in a sharp-toothed grin, and his eyes shone with greed and lust. He was drinking it all in—the torment giving him power. The smoke around Tor grew too, in both size and intensity, as the fae women’s cries pitched higher and higher. Through the mist around them, I could see four bodies convulsing on the ground.

  “For fuck’s sake, stop! You’re killing them!” The words shot out of my mouth as I stepped forward without thought.

  The king’s silver glare nearly leveled me. “Mind yourself unless you want to join them.”

  “It is done anyway,” Tor said, the smoke clearing from him as well as the fae women.

  Their bodies stilled, and their voices fell silent, but they no longer looked like women. They’d diminished into small, thin waifs, like Ena and those who had been in the cage earlier. They weren’t dead, but I had a feeling death would have been better.

  “Break her good and hard,” the king said to Tor, whose hand swept out and gripped my bicep again, sifting us away without a response to his father.

  “Why?” was the only thing I managed when we re-appeared in the courtyard.

  “They disobeyed, and the Court of Fates needs new slaves.” He shrugged, as though not caring, but there was something different about him. He seemed almost … a tad bit smaller than before. No, not smaller, just not as much power radiating off of him. I thought he would have had a boost from all the torment he’d created to feed on, but perhaps he’d expelled more than he consumed. Tired, even exhausted—that’s the kind of energy I sensed from him now. Interesting.

  His physical strength remained, however, evident when he threw me on to Needan’s back again, but rather than springing up on his own like before, he used the stir-up to climb on. Without a word, we took off in a trot, exiting the courtyard through a stone archway. Our horses’ hooves clip-clopped on cobbled stones of a terrace and then the bridge that crossed to the City of Shadows.

  The fog hung low, concealing the roofs with their sharp points and spires that I’d seen from the castle tower earlier. Had that only been hours ago? Had I only been in Winter Court just last night? It already felt like weeks. I wondered how much time had passed in my home realm, then decided I probably didn’t want to know. There was nothing I could do about it anyway.

  We passed through the narrow cobble-stone streets of the city, where low lights still glowed in many windows and from candles in lanterns hanging on wall hooks and posts. The energy was heavy and thick, as though despair clung to the mists themselves, a blanket of sodden misery. The large bricks of the buildings created patterns of dingy grays and browns, seeming to reflect decades or even centuries of grime. Narrow windows and wooden doors broke up the solid lines of buildings, some doors plain and othe
rs wide with beautiful, ornate metalwork scrolled around them. I wondered what kind of metal, since fae were allergic to iron.

  By the time we passed through a gate and crossed another bridge, exiting the city, Tor was back to his old self, sitting taller in his saddle and his coloring returned. Then he told me to “hang on.” We took off at a full gallop down a dirt road, the surface almost as hard as stone, packed down from heavy use. We passed a few homes and farms on the outskirts, with buildings of stone and thatched roofs, then the trees started coming closer together, and I could see a forest ahead. I looked over my shoulder at the city and its looming castle on the edge of the horizon. Once we entered the forest, we were devoured by it.

  At first, it was so dark, I could barely see Tor in front of me. The trees looked blackened, as though by fire, their trunks and branches thick, almost threatening, but their leaves small and sparse. It reminded me somewhat of the forests at home, especially as they’d been when I was little, when we’d first been able to emerge from the Loft—dead, yet not, and frightening.

  But the farther we traveled from the City of Shadows, the more alive the forest became.

  I’d never seen such beautiful colors and shadows in real life. The lighting was so strange in the Shadow Lands. It seemed like the sun should have risen by now, and through the glimpses I caught between the branches and leaves overhead, it appeared as though the sky had lightened slightly. Rather than midnight blue sprinkled with stars, it was more of a dark royal blue like that on a full moon night, though in no direction came the light of a rising sun or even a moon. As we continued, the lighting within the forest grew brighter and more ethereal. The edges of the trees themselves glowed in various jewel tones as though lit from within, creating their own play of shadows and light on their trunks and branches and leaves. The pathway shone, too, as well as the rocks and carpet of fallen leaves beside it. This was more like I’d imagined Faery to look like in my little girl dreams.

  “How is it so pretty here?” I mused aloud at one point. “I thought the Shadow Lands were supposed to be a place of nightmares.”