by G. Bailey
"We can't be late, let’s go, and I can bring you back and take off that dress. I prefer what's underneath," he says seriously as he takes my hand and we walk out. Wyatt has the right idea for later tonight, butterflies fill my stomach at the notion. Alex must have left to get ready, and I didn’t even hear the door shut.
We pass a few vampires, dressed in tuxedos and lovely dresses that look strange in the dark corridors. Most of the women are wearing red, it must be out of some love for the throne. Every person stops to bow at us we walk past.
When we get to the throne room, Wyatt takes a left down the corridor I haven't been down. At least, I don't think I have, they all look so similar.
At the end, there are two massive dark wooden doors and four vampire guards standing outside. They each bow with their fists over their hearts before two of them open the doors. We walk in together, to a gigantic room full of vampires. The mix of people in coloured dresses and beautiful decorations is amazing. There is a huge chandelier in the middle of the room, it looks like it has thousands of tiny light bulbs on it. The two walls are lined with mirrors, and at the front is a massive band. Music plays softly, and I look over to see one huge piano in the middle of the band being played by a lovely woman and various other instruments are being played beautifully in tune with her. The front half of the room is filled with couples swaying to the soft tone of the music and others are gathered around a long table filled with food. Wyatt tugs my arm in his, and we walk through the people. Many stop to bow, and smile at us. Most look at Wyatt and me in wonder.
We eventually make our way to the left side, where the king is standing with his council. The king is laughing, looking a lot like Wyatt, but the vibe they both give off is so different. The only thing they seem to have in common is that they look like they have a lot of power, a power you can’t miss.
Wyatt’s power is pure and the king’s is, well, evil.
"Wyatt, we were just discussing you," the king turns, dressed to perfection in a suit like Wyatt’s.
"Oh?" he says.
"Talen here has never heard you play the piano. I was telling him how wonderful you are at it," he says, his voice might come across as a proud parent if it wasn’t for the calculating look he gives me.
"Yes, I am," Wyatt responds. His arm was sliding around my waist as he talks.
"Talen was never interested in music. If I remember right, he used to annoy our home teacher by playing so poorly," Wyatt says.
"I do enjoy music now, Wyatt," Talen replies tensely, as he shoots daggers at Wyatt.
"Why don't you play a song for us? I will keep your mate safe," the king suggests, but it doesn't sound like a suggestion. More like a demand.
"As you wish," Wyatt says, but his eyes look down at me. I can see the worry, and I nod, trying to reassure him. As Wyatt walks off, I glance over the crowd and spot Alex standing with Leigha and Drake. Alex is handing pieces of what look like Oreos into her handbag. I know for a fact that Milo is in there, I did tell him to stay in my room, but he wouldn't have it. Alex said she would sort him out. Clearly, this is what happened. I smile as I remember how Wyatt found Milo in his bedside drawer, eating all his Oreos and he went mad. It took a whole day to convince him that we can’t get rid of him. Milo did promise to stop eating his Oreos, apparently, that promise didn’t mean he couldn’t get other people to get them for him.
"Would you dance with me?" The king offers, just as Wyatt starts playing a haunting tune on the piano. I look over to see him staring over at me as his fingers move expertly across the piano. He is excellent. I nod and accept the king’s hand, and the same disgust fills me. I’m thankful that he keeps a respectable distance between us as Wyatt plays a song I've never heard. The music speaks to me, filling me with dread with every note.
I don’t have to look up to know Wyatt has seen me with his father. The song is proof enough.
"My son is very enamoured with you." The king says, his gaze looking at something over my head. The feeling of sickness is sliding up my throat, threatening me with throwing up all over the king’s suit.
"I am his mate," I respond, keeping my eyes on his perfect tux instead of looking up.
"Isn't it strange to you? To be in such a world, a world you know nothing about?" the king asks.
"In a way," I respond. The song gets a little faster, and the king moves me quicker in the dance for it. The sick feeling is overwhelming.
"Ah the innocence you give off is sweet, such a shame for you to lose it," he says, a slight laugh in his words.
"Why does that sound like a threat?" I ask him, regretting that I look up when I do.
"Because it is," he says, his eyes turning slowly red.
"Can I interrupt? I was promised a dance with the new princess," Atti says next to me, his hand on my shoulder and stopping our dance. The king nods slightly at Atti behind me before walking off. The second his hand lets go of mine, the sickness goes, and I can finally breathe normally. What is with that feeling when the king touches me? It’s like my body just wants to scream.
Atti turns me around and pulls me closely into his arms, our bodies pressed together as I look up at him. Atti is dressed in a suit under his long, black cloak. The small crown sits on his short, dark-blond hair. The song changes, still as beautiful but slower and romantic. The song tells a story only love could understand, as I dance with Atti and stare into his grey eyes. I can understand it, I understand the story Wyatt is telling with the music.
Warmth fills me as Atti speaks into my mind, “You’re still so pale, whatever the king said, please ignore it. You are safe, always.”
We dance until the song ends, Atti never says a word until he lets me go.
"A perfect dance," he says in a whisper. Wyatt jumps off the stage and walks over to me as Atti walks away.
A cold, metal blade is pressed against my neck, as I watch a look of horror pass over Wyatt’s face. The blade cuts through the necklace and a large hand throws it across the floor. The blade is pressed back close to my throat.
"I have an announcement," the king shouts behind me and presses the blade closer to my neck. Wyatt stops next to Atti as Talen and the greasy black-haired man from the council walk in front of me and the king.
"One more step and she dies," the king laughs and the blade nip my throat, a line of my warm blood drips down my neck as I bite my lip from the sting. I try to pull for my power, but it doesn’t work. I don’t feel anything other than panic.
“Let her go,” Wyatt demands, his power spreading over me and hurting my head, but the king just laughs.
“Won’t work on me, boy,” the king says. “Atticus if you try to flash over here or do anything else, I will kill her,” the king promises, and Atti’s stormy eyes glow a bright grey.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Winter
I watch in fear as Wyatt is held by Talen and his friend. He lets Talen inject something into his neck that looks like a thick, silver liquid. Wyatt falls to the ground as Atti is shackled by a pair of handcuffs by two other vampires. They are white and glow yellow when they are locked around both of Atti’s wrists. They both kneel, still watching me but in pain. I can see it in their faces. The vampires are slowly running out of the room, and the king grabs me by my arm, removing the blade from my neck. A few of the vampires are standing at the side, watching us.
"Did you think I wouldn't know who she is?" he says, looking directly at Wyatt, who doesn't reply. He just stares at me. I see Alex, Leigha, and Drake from the corner of my eye. They are moving slowly around the food table on the one side. Using it to hide.
"The prophecy girl,” the king says and laughs.
“You don’t even know who you are. Who your little family is?" the king says close to my ear. I see Wyatt try to move closer, but Talen kicks him in the chest, and he falls to the ground.
"Time to learn some secrets, little princess; a princess I will make sure is never queen," he says and pulls me in front of him, I trip on my dress and ne
arly fall over. The king catches me by my arm, his grip is painful.
"Stop!" Wyatt roars, trying to fight his way out, but whatever that injection is doing is making him weak. Talen only has to punch him once, and he falls the ground.
“You’re a coward, you can’t even fight your son without the use of silver,” Atti shouts. The king doesn’t respond to him, and I just stare up at the king’s empty, black eyes.
The king doesn't even look his way as he holds the silver dagger in his one arm and pulls my hand towards him. He cuts a deep cut from the middle of my palm up my wrist. I scream with pain, and the room goes fuzzy as blood pours out of my arm.
Everything seems to slow as the king pulls out a large blue stone. The stone is inside a silver circle, and it hovers inside. The king pulls my arm above it, and my blood drops on to the rock. The stone falls out of the silver circle and onto the floor. The king throws me to the side, and I land harshly on my side near Atti.
"Winter," Atti says breathlessly. I couldn't see it before, but I can now. He looks in pain.
I groan, holding my arm as I watch the blue stone glow, the glow gets bigger until it's the size of a large car but as tall as a tree. It stretches to the ceiling of the massive room.
Only a second later a blurred, blue figure walks out of it. The shape looks vaguely human, but it's not. It’s too tall, too broad.
"Demon king," Wyatt’s father, bows his head, and the shadow laughs deeply.
"Your body will do nicely," it says, its voice sounding like nails being grated on stone.
"No, my son is for you," he points at Wyatt, but the demon king doesn't listen and moves towards the vampire king.
“I have the human and vampire army you need under the castle, and we can work together. I kept my son alive all these years so you can use him, he is younger and a waste of existence, anyway,” the king screams. I glance over as Wyatt watches his father. Pain stretched all over his face.
"I help," Milo’s voice comes from next to me and sees him walk right into my face as I lie on the floor. I’ve never been so glad to see the Oreo-covered little demon.
"Help Atti, he needs the cuffs off to get us out of here," I whisper and Milo nods. I sit up painfully as he walks around me, and I grab the dagger that's fallen to the floor with my good arm. Blood is dripping all over me, but I can’t give up. I stand, just as the demon’s shadow floats into the vampire king’s body as he tries to run away. His body shakes, but he doesn't make a sound as a light-blue glow surrounds his body. An eerie silence fills the room as we all stare at the back of the new demon king. Talen and his greasy-haired friend run out of the chamber, apparently giving up on their king rather quickly. Unfortunately, there are still two guards standing next to Atti.
A grunting noise breaks my gaze from watching them running away. I turn to see Leigha and Drake fighting the vampires that were holding Atti. Alex is helping Wyatt up, while I turn to see Milo glowing blue on top of Atti’s handcuffs. He glows like I do when I use my powers, how odd.
"Finally, we meet," a crackly, deep voice says, and I turn to see the demon king watching me. I wouldn’t know he took over Wyatt’s father’s body if his voice hadn’t changed. The new king looks the same, but as I look closer, I can see that his skin is greyer than usual, and his eyes are glowing red like he’s just fed. The king’s body is glowing a faint blue.
"Who are you?" I ask.
"King of the demons, and you are my granddaughter," the crackly voice says as a grin spreads across his face.
"What?" I stumble back, dropping the dagger.
"See, when your great aunt killed herself and locked me back in my dimension, the stupid goddess cast a curse. Only one of her blood line could break it," he waves towards the blue stone on the floor. The glowing, blue wall shimmers a little as five shadows like the demon kings come out of it, and just stand like ghosts waiting to be ordered to do something. What has the vampire king done?
"Winter," Atti shouts, and I see him standing in line with all my friends. Atti has an arm wrapped around Wyatt, who is struggling to stand. Alex is holding Milo with Drake and Leigha next to her. They are all holding hands, and Drake’s hand is on Wyatt’s shoulder. I realise they are waiting for me to get close, so Atti can get us out of here.
I run over, ignoring my blood on the floor and the wave of dizziness I feel. I grab Atti's outstretched hand.
Just before we disappear from the room I hear the crackly voice of the king, "You will come to me, just like your mother did before she died."
Epilogue
Winter
We crash into Jaxson’s lounge in one big puddle. I recognise its Jaxson’s place by the glass fireplace and brown sofas. Atti pulls me close as he turns my arm over.
"Dabriel, Jaxson!" he shouts and not long after, they come running into the room. Dabriel picks me up off the ground as he starts to glow and holds my arm in his hand. Jaxson places a hand over my hair. Atti holds a hand on my foot rubbing circles. Wyatt stands, a little shaky, and completes the box of males around me by taking my free hand.
"What happened?" Jaxson finally asks as Dabriel moves me away from them all, and the pain from my arm slowly disappears as he glows. Atti and Wyatt still look pale as they sit on the floor. Alex sits on Drake’s lap, with Milo sitting on her head watching me. That’s what Milo meant when he said, ‘my family’, when I asked him about the king. The demon king is my grandfather. I don’t think I'll be joining him for family dinners. Now, the demon king has hundreds of vampires and humans his little friends can possess like he did the king. A ready-made army and a castle full of weapons.
Leigha moves to lean on the wall by the door, just as Esta walks into the room. I haven’t seen the wolf since I last saw her with Jaxson. She looks tired and stressed, but I feel no sympathy for her. Jaxson has told me enough about her to know she kissed him to hurt me. Jealousy or not, it’s not acceptable.
"Out," Leigha says, moving in front of Esta.
"I came to help, I was visiting Anna," she says, and Leigha just glares at her. Alex walks over from the sofa as I watch. Milo slides down off her head to sit on her shoulder.
"Was it you that attacked Winter?" Alex asks.
"She was going after–" Esta starts saying.
"I don't care, you little, wolf bitch. Get the fuck out of this house before I make you," Alex says. Milo is standing on her shoulder with his hands on his hips, and the sight is funny.
"Leave, Esta. You are not welcome in this house. Anna can visit you at yours," Jaxson says from next to me but doesn’t bother looking at her. I watch as she turns and leaves.
"Now explain what–" Jaxson asks, but before he can finish a woman appears right in front of Atti. She looks in her thirties with long, blonde hair, and she is wearing a black cloak. The front is stained with blood. The bottom is covered with dirt and leaves.
"Mother, what happened to you?" Atti starts to ask, as his mother collapses in his arms. I try to move, but I must have lost more blood than I thought because I feel dizzy.
"Take Winter," Dabriel passes me to Jaxson and moves over to Atti. His hands glow as he puts them on her stomach over her black dress.
"It's too late. The dark queen has taken over the city and has my crown," Atti’s mother says.
"It's not working Atti, something is blocking me from healing her," Dabriel leans back.
"No!" Atti says as he holds his mother to his chest. I try to move, to him, but Jaxson holds me tighter.
"Take back the crown and take the throne. I love you, son," she says as she rests a hand on his cheek. Her hand drops as Atti watches his mother. He closes her eyes with his fingers and pulls the cloak around her body.
I watch as Atti gently lays her body on the ground.
His tear-filled eyes meet mine, with such a mix of grief and anger. "I will kill the dark queen for this," he says, every word drills into my mind.
The demons and the witches have just made a lot of enemies and started a war that could destroy us all
.
How can we win?
Hello and thank you for reading Winter’s Kiss! A review would be amazing, and I would love you for it.
Thank you to all my family and my amazing fans for their support. Most of all I want to say thank you to everyone that bought this book, you guys are awesome! A special thank you to Carol. A massive thank you to my awesome Beta readers, Anna and Taylor. A big thank you to my proof-reader Michelle, as well. Without their help, this book wouldn’t have happened.
The next book, Winter’s Promise (Her Guardians series book three) will be out 14/09/17.
I have added a little part of my other series, The King Brothers, at the end of this book. The first one is called Izzy’s Beginning.
Come and say hello on my Facebook page, Twitter, or my website listed below. I post teasers, new covers and some giveaways on my Facebook group, Bailey’s Pack.
Facebook---Twitter---Website
For foster-child Izzy, finding out she has four brooding, complicated older brothers and moving in with them is the last thing she thought would happen in her last year of school.
So, when you start living with your four protective brothers, the smart thing would be not to fall for their extremely hot best friend, right?
Izzy King knows dating their former playboy best friend, Blake Frost, behind their backs isn’t a good idea. Then she meets him. The attraction is too much to avoid, with his killer body and sparkling-blue eyes that draw her in like a flame.
Izzy isn’t the only one keeping secrets, she soon finds out that maybe the brothers aren’t as caring and good as they seem to be around her.
Can Blake and her brothers keep her safe from the past that haunts them all? Maybe some secrets are meant to stay secret.18+ due to violence, sexual scenes and language.
Chapter One
Izzy