Enchanted Damnation: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance (The Accursed Saga Book 4)

by Eva Brandt

  I clenched and unclenched my fists, taking a couple of deep breaths as I struggled to maintain control of my beast. It was too easy to imagine my fingernails turning into claws and ripping my opponent apart. I’d done it before, and in my volatile mental state, there was no guarantee I wouldn’t do it again.

  We’d taken refuge behind one of the smaller tents to make sure the other competitors didn’t taunt me into mauling them, but that hadn’t helped much. I had no doubt that when I actually needed to face another warrior in battle, I’d be in a far worse mental state.

  Thrand’s familiar hand landed on my shoulder and instantly, I felt better. “Halvar, breathe. Mathias is right. That man is not a threat to you. This is only a temporary obstacle. Keep your mind on what we discussed. We still have to speak to her.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m worried about,” I told Thrand. “We have to find her, as soon as possible.”

  I hadn’t been able to get Dahud out of my head all night, so much so that I hadn’t slept a wink. Even before our conversation, she had enthralled me, but now… Now, I realized just how dangerous she was, and not just because of her potent magic.

  I wanted to look at her again, to ask if she resented Thrand and me for our deception. I was distracted, and that was a bad thing, given that the soldier I was supposed to face wanted to tear me apart with his teeth and have my liver for dinner. He didn’t realize I was far more likely to do that in a literal sense than he’d ever be.

  I blinked and shook my head, pushing back my strange thoughts. I hadn’t lost myself to the wolf in quite some time, and I refused to do it now. It would draw too much attention and get a lot of people killed. That wasn’t the purpose of this tournament.

  “What happened yesterday… I just have a bad feeling,” I belatedly added, hoping Thrand hadn’t noticed my lapse. “We can’t let it slide and sit on the information.” I couldn’t go into detail over what I meant, since it was much too risky to talk about such things while we were out in the open, but Thrand and Mathias understood anyway.

  “We don’t have to look for her at all,” Mathias pointed out. “She’s right there. Getting her alone will be a little tougher. For the moment, there’s nothing we can do except fight and keep an eye out for an opening that will allow us to approach her.”

  He was right. The hypnotizing woman that seemed to have taken over my very soul was sitting in the private stands of the royal family, by her mother’s side, flanked by a contingent of guards. As far as I could tell, she had recovered from the episode the night before. I couldn’t say the same and I had no idea how to fix it.

  Thrand stared at me in silence, and in his deep blue eyes, I saw the shade of a knowledge and a sorrow that seemed to reach into my chest and squeeze. I cursed to myself, wishing I had been stronger and not ended up forcing Thrand to face this second burden on top of everything else.

  But empty wishes were not enough, and in the look on Thrand’s face, I found the determination I needed to steady myself. Maybe it wasn’t my strength at all, and the beast retreated on its own, tamed by the inadvertent pain we were causing our chosen mate. In any case, it worked. “You’re right. I might be making more of this than I should.”

  My attempt to reassure my lover didn’t have much effect, but I didn’t have time to try again. I soon had to emerge from my hiding spot, having been summoned into the fighting arena. My opponent was already waiting for me. He was a Roman soldier and he was clutching his gladius so fiercely his knuckles had gone white. His eyes shone with fury and disdain and he circled me like he was the predator and I was the prey, not the other way around.

  I watched him impassively, wondering what had made him come to Kerys. Had he lost someone to the war with the Franks, or did he just hate the tribes on principle? It didn’t matter, of course. Whatever reasons he might have for his attitude, I’d still remove him from my path—this strange path that seemed to lead to Princess Dahud. We would find our way to her, just like Mathias had said earlier.

  With the corner of my eye, I stole a look at the princess. It was difficult to believe that the untamed beauty I’d met the night before was the same distant star I could glimpse in the royal stands, but at the same time, I knew no other woman could shine so brightly. If this was indeed witchcraft, like we had feared, did I really want to undo the spell Dahud had cast on me?

  When the Roman attacked, I was almost relieved, since it meant I could focus on the battle, instead of the strange kaleidoscope of emotions Dahud stirred inside me. I met his gladius with my own blade, forcing him back with ease. He grunted, almost losing his balance, but managing to steady himself at the last moment.

  Clearly, that sword of his wasn’t just for decoration, and he must’ve used it in combat against actual Franks on countless occasions. It made no difference. At the end of the day, I was still a wolf-warrior of Odin, not a random Frankish soldier and that showed.

  I was much stronger than him, so it should have been a simple matter to disarm him discreetly. In fact, that was what I intended. Knowing it would be suspicious if I was too quick in defeating such an experienced soldier, I indulged in a short exchange of blows. At the same time, I prepared for my real attack.

  My resolve and my well-thought out plan dissipated like smoke in the wind when I caught another glimpse of Princess Dahud moving in the stands. The beast stirred inside me once again. All of a sudden, a need I had only experienced once stirred inside me, so powerful I couldn’t hope to control it.

  This pathetic creature… How dare he stand in my way? He was nothing, an inferior, weak human who didn’t understand real power and didn’t deserve to tread the same paths she walked.

  I didn’t bother continuing the battle with a weapon. Instead, when he attempted to lunge toward me again, I tossed aside my blade and grabbed his arm. In one simple motion, I snapped the bone. He cried out in pain and dropped his sword to the ground. The disgusting sound stirred my anger even further, and I punched him in the face, satisfaction surging through me when I felt his nose break.

  He tried to make his escape, but I refused to allow it. Instead, I took advantage of his dazed state to sweep his legs from under him. When he fell, he made an admirable effort to reach his sword again. I was faster and got to the gladius first, snapping it in half and smirking when the metal shattered under my heel. I stepped on his hand as well for good measure, my beast rumbling in contentment when I felt the tiny bones break underneath my boot. I was tempted to do the same thing with his spine. Crippled prey was easier to devour later. Something at the back of my mind reminded me that might not be the best idea.

  Right, this warrior wasn’t prey. I was only proving myself to my potential mate. Would she like me to tear his heart out? Or perhaps another organ? What did she enjoy for meals? I hadn’t remembered to ask.

  Perhaps I could do so now. She was right there, within my reach, so close I could scent her sweet perfume despite the smell of blood and fear in the air. I stole another look at her, easily managing to meet her gaze despite the veil that covered her beautiful face. Her eyes were glowing with a mix of approval and concern. “Not now,” she mouthed. “He is not important.”

  Just like that, my head cleared. Thrand and Mathias had told me the exact same thing earlier, that this soldier was irrelevant in the big picture. When had I lost sight of that? If I’d drawn a little too much attention with my display, it would be tougher to bypass Dahud’s guard.

  I belatedly remembered to knock the still dazed soldier out with my foot, all the while forcing myself to calm down. It would have been tougher, but I took refuge in manners and bowed. The simple gesture earned me a couple of moments of respite during which all I had to do was look at the ground, take deep breaths and tell my wolf to stay calm and quiet already.

  By the time I lifted my head, I had already managed to recover my composure. Thankfully, no one seemed to have noticed my lapse—except Dahud and most likely Thrand—and the people of Kerys all took my victory in stride. “Wi
nner, Hartmut, son of Nordbert,” the crier announced.

  The king and queen applauded like they did for everyone, but Dahud didn’t acknowledge me again. I didn’t let her reaction get to me. She never displayed any kind of response to anyone, and I had no reason to hope she would approach things differently in my case.

  Whatever I’d seen in her eyes and whatever she had told me, I was in no way special to her—at least, not yet. I hoped to soon fix that.

  My thoughts exhausted me far more than the battle with the Roman soldier. As I dragged myself out of the arena, I wondered when exactly I’d changed my mind about my end goal in this tournament.

  Mathias had told us the night before that men could indeed be together on Kerys, just like we’d heard. The possibility hadn’t changed my opinion on what was best for Thrand, but at the same time, I couldn’t hope but want Dahud as well. It was selfish and greedy. I still had no idea to what extent it was connected to her magic. But I couldn’t help myself. I craved her like a man possessed. It was that simple.

  As expected, Thrand sensed I was not well and pulled me aside as soon as I was out of the arena. “What do you need?” he asked without preamble. “Do you want to leave? It’s doubtful we’ll need to fight today.”

  I shook my head, appreciating the offer, but knowing that in the big picture, it would be counter-productive. “Leaving is the last thing I have in mind right now.”

  “Dahud,” Thrand guessed.

  “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Thrand. I don’t know what’s happening. My wolf… I feel strange. We need to hurry.”

  “The palace is too well guarded for us to sneak in,” Mathias said. “If we try, we might stumble into an entirely different issue. But the answer might already be in front of us.”

  When had he even showed up? It was a little worrying that I hadn’t noticed him until he’d spoken. I was normally far more perceptive.

  I forgot all about those concerns when he gave me a telling look, and I understood what he was suggesting. In hindsight, it should have occurred to me sooner, and I felt stupid that I’d needed someone else—a man who was still basically a stranger—to point out the obvious. No wonder my wolf had been so insistent. On some level, I’d likely realized the approach we should take. My wariness of my secondary form had just made me unable to process it.

  “That’s a great idea,” I said.

  “I’m not sure that’s a good plan,” Thrand offered at the exact same time.

  I could understand his logic and concern, but in this instance, it was unwarranted. “Thrand, some things happen for a reason. There are no coincidences in this world, and the Norns weave the strands of our fates in a certain way because we are meant to tread on a path that has been chosen for us. If I’ve been given this power, it must be so that I can use it. And what better way to use it than to reach Dahud?”

  Thrand didn’t question that, but he still wasn’t happy with my argument. “It’s going to be painful. It’ll hurt you.”

  “I know.” I grinned sharply, and when Thrand’s breath caught, I knew he had noticed my fangs. “But most things that are beautiful in life usually end up hurting me in some way. It’ll be worth it to find some answers.”

  The princess of Kerys was hiding too many things for her own well-being. Seiðkona or not, she needed help. Providing that assistance had not been in my plan when I’d come to Kerys, but right now, I had no other choice.

  Sealing the Deal

  Dahud

  The second day of the tournament began in a way that was very similar to the first. After I had breakfast in my chambers, my mother swept in to once again nag me over the importance of looking perfect. She was a little less insistent today, her voice carrying traces of something that hadn’t been there before. I surmised the cause must have been our conversation and made a mental note to be careful with what I told her in the future.

  My father seemed unaware of the exchange between me and my mother, because he received us with the same enthusiasm. Once again, we made our way to the arena, and once again, we took our place in the stands. Just like the day before, most battles didn’t stand out. The warriors were skilled, and I found it intellectually challenging to compare their fighting styles, but it wasn’t anything special.

  Despite the similarities between the two days, my feelings regarding my presence at the arena couldn’t have been more different. Plainly put, they existed. My mind soon began to wander to more interesting pursuits, and for the first time in my life, I experienced tedium. It was unpleasant, as it distracted me from a process I deemed necessary. I tried very hard to focus on the fighters who were doing their best to earn my hand, but instead, I ended up thinking about the three men on the beach.

  In my defense, approaching them was far more problematic and important than just sitting here and looking pretty. I’d have to escape the palace again tonight, but after the incident the night before, I wasn’t sure I could accomplish that, since my mother would be more watchful. To make matters worse, I didn’t know if they’d be conveniently waiting on the beach together, and I couldn’t exactly walk into the competitor encampment and look for them. That was a disaster waiting to happen.

  Perhaps they weren’t doing so well either, because the first time I caught a glimpse of them next to the tents, a strange tension seemed to linger over them like an ominous cloud. And when Halvar actually stepped in to fight… Suffice to say I got a pretty good look at what it meant to be an Úlfhéðnar, and why it was a bad idea to piss one off.

  None of these things prepared me for entering my private quarters that evening and finding an actual wolf on my bed. I took one look at said animal and sighed. “You do realize that it’s dangerous for you to come here. Someone else could have walked in and seen you, and then, where would we be?”

  The wolf jumped off my bed and made his way to my side. He nuzzled my hand and I couldn’t chastise him further for his reckless behavior.

  It was a far better option than me trying to find a way to escape the palace, or them sneaking past the guards in human form. If anyone noticed the wolf had entered the palace, they’d assume it was a simple animal, not a man who was a potential danger to my virtue.

  I knelt next to him and sank my fingers in the luxurious brown fur. “All right then. I take it you must be here for a reason and not just to point out your more unusual abilities.”

  In response, Halvar tilted his head. For the first time, I noticed he had a tiny scroll strapped to his body.

  “How adorable,” a small voice at the back of my mind cooed. “A carrier wolf. So cute.”

  Mildly alarmed at my own thoughts, I reached for the scroll and pulled it free from its casing. I didn’t immediately start reading it. Instead, I took off my shoes and walked to my bed, taking a couple of moments to stretch out and relax. When the wolf didn’t move from his position, I tapped the spot next to me and said, “No reason to be shy now. You’ve been in my bed before.”

  That was true, although it sounded a little strange considering the fact that he was currently an animal. Well, it did not matter that much. He perked up and bounded toward me, visibly thrilled at my invitation.

  As he curled against my body, I wondered what he was thinking. I’d heard a lot of stories about shape-shifters, about the personality traits they borrowed from their animal selves. It had fascinated me a little even before I’d met Halvar and had stumbled into this strange thing that had given me feelings.

  What did wolves feel? Were they like people? How did the wolf’s mind adapt to that of the man? Were they two separate beings, one’s spirit inhabiting the body of the other, or was it simply a magical ability similar to my own?

  Maybe one of these days, I’d ask, but for the moment, I had a certain scroll I needed to read. I carefully unrolled the missive and took in the letters on the parchment.

  Our dearest lady,

  You have our apologies for being so forward and approaching you in this way, but we are most concerned about yo
ur well-being after yesterday’s incident.

  I threw the wolf a look of disbelief. “Why would you be concerned? You saw me at the tournament. You knew I was fine.”

  Halvar ignored the question. He unceremoniously draped himself over my abdomen and closed his eyes, displaying no sign that he intended to move anytime soon. It appeared he had realized I welcomed his presence and had decided to take advantage of it.

  Rolling my eyes at his antics, I went back to the letter.

  We know you said that you would contact us in your own time, but we weren’t sure when this would be. We hope you will be generous enough to forgive our presumptuousness and our decision to take the initiative.

  I snorted and absently petted Halvar’s furry head. Of course I didn’t mind. I’d wanted a husband who supported my goals of increasing Kerys’s power, but I’d never intended for him to be my slave. That hadn’t changed now that my attention had been drawn by three men, not just one.

  That being said, we are aware that the matter that needs to be discussed is of some delicacy, and it would not be safest to do so through a letter. We will be waiting for you every night, in front of the emblem on Ys’s southern seawall.

  With utmost respect,

  T, H, and M

  I had to give them credit. It was a well-thought out letter and it didn’t mention my name or my title. The chosen meeting spot was also far more discreet than the beach where we’d met the night before. It must’ve been Mathias’s idea. He was native to Kerys and he had probably been able to track down a location where we were unlikely to be noticed by guards.

  Unfortunately, I couldn’t go to the meeting, since despite their efforts to communicate with me, I was still stuck in the palace until my mother dropped her guard. I didn’t want to alert her that I’d changed until I made all the arrangements with my chosen partners, which left me in a problematic situation.