FATED BLOOD (The Twisted Destiny Saga, #5)

by Franca Storm

  That day when she and Ryan had passed into the Home of the Dead to retrieve Orion, she’d wanted to pull Oriana out as well. Why? So she could fucking kill the bitch. They all still saw her as the young, inexperienced girl she’d been when she’d first met Ryan. But that girl was long gone now. She had been even before her death. Perishing like that, hitting rock bottom and actually wanting to die in that awful moment when the white fire had burned her had changed her more so. Irreparably. She was strong now. Much stronger than she had been. And not with regards to her magickal power. No, she was emotionally stronger now. She was ready this time.

  And she was done rolling over for other people.

  Fuck, when she’d had to assist Kristoff with breaking the disgusting false bond between Ryan and his damned mistress, it had taken all her strength not to strike the bitch. The only thing that had stopped her had been the fact that she knew in her head that it wasn’t Jada’s fault. But her heart had objected. And when she’d watched Ryan put his arms around her to comfort her, it had almost pushed her over the edge. Thankfully, her ability to maintain control had improved substantially so she’d poured all her energy into the spell she’d cast over Jada to make her forget, as per Kristoff’s instructions. She’d told Ryan that she was over it, that she wasn’t jealous of Jada or what he’d done with her. But of course she was. Her husband had had a relationship with another woman behind her back. And it had disgusted her. She’d never tell him, because what would that accomplish? It would just cause a divide between them and she couldn’t bear to lose Ryan again. They were fated lovers. They were meant to be together. No, she’d keep it to herself and work through it on her own. It would just take time. The one thing that would speed that up would be to take down the person behind the entire thing. And that was exactly what she was working towards now.

  She felt him before she saw him—a perk of her incredible magickal reach now. She could feel white and dark energy from a great distance now. As she approached him, she studied him. The only thing different about him was his clothing. He was now dressed the part for the human realm. Since his banishment, he’d had to learn to fit in here. He wore black slacks paired with a dark grey shirt. A chapeau hid his pointy ears as well as his vibrant lilac eyes, both of which gave away the fact that he was more than merely human. His once long golden hair was now barely shoulder length and shaggy.

  She stopped a couple of feet in front of him, not comfortable getting any closer given their history. She called her magic to her. Her palms emanated silver fire and she drew a circle around them. Her spell went to work, enclosing them inside a shimmering silver dome—a glamour that hid them from anyone passing by.

  “We may talk freely now,” she said.

  “Your majesty,” he greeted her, bowing his head with respect.

  “I am not your Queen, David,” she reminded him.

  “But you will be soon enough.”

  “Do you have it?” she demanded, cutting through any more potential small talk.

  “Yes,” he said, reaching into his pants pocket.

  He withdrew a delicate gold chain. A pendant hung from it. A shimmering turquoise oval surrounded by golden thorns and leaves.

  “Wear this when you challenge her. The pendant is imbued with powerful faerie magick. As soon as you strike her it will work with your power to bind her and prevent her from teleporting away.”

  “Good. She won’t be able to run this time.”

  She took the necklace from him and clasped it around her neck. She buried the pendant beneath her tank top to avoid unwarranted questions for when she went back inside the bar.

  “As we agreed, you will be welcome back into the White Realm after I complete what I need to tomorrow. You must not ever enter the palace though. I do not want you anywhere near my husband. He will not understand my pardoning you. Are we clear?”

  “Yes, I understand. Thank you, Cora.”

  “Don’t thank me. This is purely a business transaction. It is not personal as I will never forgive what you did to me. Make no mistake about that, David. You are fortunate that there is no one more powerful than you when it comes to faerie magick. No one else could have created this pendant.”

  She watched him stare at her curiously for a few moments. It looked like he wanted to say something, but he hesitated and looked away. “What?” she snapped.

  “Are you…are you with child?” he asked.

  Her eyes narrowed. “Our meeting is concluded. Leave me now. I am expecting others any moment.”

  “As you wish,” he said sadly.

  His upset didn’t affect her at all. Not after what he’d done—taking her against her will. She had no sympathy for him, no sentiment whatsoever. Her hardened gaze remained steady and uncompromising as she watched him teleport away.

  He’d barely left when she felt a powerful rush of dark energy. A moment later, Michael and Kristoff stood before her inside the dome. Kristoff studied it and smiled at her, “Nicely done. A very powerful glamour indeed.”

  “Of course,” she answered.

  “I’m glad you’re no longer vampire. It didn’t suit you,” Michael commented with a wry grin.

  “It didn’t?” she questioned.

  “You were too weak in that form. This is much better,” Michael answered, his gaze raking over her.

  Cora folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t have long before they notice I’m missing. Tell me what you’ve found.”

  Kristoff nodded his understanding. “Michael and I combined our black magick to cast a net over the human realm. She is here, Cora. We’ve found her.” He handed her a piece of paper.

  She took it from him and glanced at the address written on there. She gasped in surprise. “She has some nerve to go there.”

  “Indeed,” Michael agreed.

  “Thank you,” she said. “We never had this conversation. Neither Ryan nor Nathanial can know about this. They are too affected by her on an emotional level to see things clearly. I can’t risk their interference. It will just complicate things.”

  “You have my word. You do not need either of them to destroy her,” Michael said, gazing at her with reverence.

  “You are such a power whore,” Kristoff chastised Michael. And then he smiled at Cora. “I will keep this secret also, my dear.” He glanced down the street. “My daughter is already here.”

  “Yes. I saw her arrive. Are you ready to join her and Luca?”

  He drew in a breath. “I suppose. They are bonded now after all.”

  “He will take good care of her. He’s searched for his mate for decades. He will not mess that up,” Michael assured him. “You have nothing to worry about. She is in good hands.”

  “Wow, Michael. Who knew with the way things started out between you and Luca that the two of you would actually become friends?” Cora teased.

  Michael grinned. “I certainly didn’t see it coming.”

  “Would you like to come with Kristoff and me and join the party?”

  “I appreciate the offer, but I have to decline. Nathanial has me on a tight leash and I’m due back in the Dark Realm shortly.”

  “All right,” Cora said.

  And with that, Michael teleported away. Cora dropped the glamour and led Kristoff down the street back towards the bar.

  Unbeknown to them, Nathanial watched from the shadows. He kept out of sight as he watched the two of them walk away. He’d seen the mark of the glamour. Many wouldn’t have been able to, but Nathanial was accustomed to using them on a regular basis, so he knew exactly what to look for. He hadn’t been able to see or hear anything until Cora had dropped it. And then he’d seen Kristoff with her. He knew Michael had been with them too. He’d sensed his energy.

  Although no one else had seemed to notice the change in her since she’d returned, he had. He was more perceptive than most. It was clear to him that she was a lot stronger and more mature now. She was becoming a leader as was her destiny. It wouldn’t be long before she took her rig
htful place. It was exactly what the White Realm needed. Although Marella and Asha had been doing a good job looking after the kingdom following Vazra’s death and Cora’s perceived death, it wasn’t the same. The people needed their rightful ruler to take her place. Nathanial had wanted to give Cora a gentle push, to help guide her, but now it appeared that he didn’t need to. She already understood what she needed to do. Her time spent in the Home of the Dead had clearly enlightened her.

  But he was concerned about this clandestine meeting he’d stumbled upon tonight. After spotting both Kristoff and Michael leaving the Dark Realm together, he’d become suspicious and followed them. When he’d first arrived he’d witnessed Davidas, the disgraced faerie; former member of the Royal Court of the White Realm, teleporting away. Given the history between him and Cora he had no doubt that the meeting between them was purely business. He had been the head of the faerie populace in the White Realm for years and his magick was stronger than any other faerie in existence. He reasoned that that is what Cora had wanted from him. But why? And what kind of spell had he provided her with?

  Nathanial knew that she had called a meeting with the Royal Court of the White Realm. He had been invited along with Marella who was currently acting as the joint temporary ruler of the realm alongside Asha, Guardian of the Dragons. He suspected that Cora would use the opportunity to set things right in the realm. If that was the case and she did take her place as Queen of the White Realm, he had to speak with her as soon as possible. She would become his and Ryan’s counterpart and as such he had to ensure that their agendas were aligned. If they weren’t then all hell would break loose, especially when they united the realms. The fact that Cora was clearly keeping her meetings secret from Ryan was a serious concern. Was she doing so just as his wife, to protect him from something? Or was she doing so for professional reasons; because he was King of the Dark Realm? He prayed that it was the former or there would be great troubles ahead.

  He couldn’t confront her now, not while she was around so many people. He had to choose the right time—when she was alone.

  “I hope you know what you are doing, princess,” he breathed anxiously before teleporting away.

  ***

  Kristoff fought to quell his tension as he approached Luca and his daughter in the bar. Cora had pointed them out to him before being pulled away by Ryan who’d mentioned some sort of announcement he was anxious to make. The two of them had disappeared to discuss it. He studied Luca with his daughter as he neared them. They were seated up at the bar. Luca stroked her hair softly as she sat on his lap. They were laughing and talking happily. Abruptly, Luca turned his head, clearly sensing Kristoff’s presence.

  “Father,” Aerona greeted him warily. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

  “Cora invited me,” he answered.

  “Cora?” Luca asked, surprised. Interesting. What’s going on there? “Have a seat,” Luca offered, gesturing to the stool beside them.

  Kristoff pulled it out and took a seat. “You two have completed the bonding ritual, I see.”

  Aerona looked away embarrassed. Luca tightened his hold around her protectively as he eyed Kristoff. It was clear what he was really asking—had he fucked his daughter?

  “Yes,” Luca told him. “Only recently.”

  Kristoff was surprised. He’d assumed that Luca would have taken her right away and not waited two weeks to do it. “Recently?”

  “Tonight,” Luca clarified. He could sense the tension in Aerona. She was uncomfortable with this discussion and it was clear that Kristoff wasn’t planning on dropping it any time soon. And so he whispered to her, “Beauty, why don’t you go and spend some time with Orion? He was quite taken with you earlier and I know you were as well.”

  “Okay,” she said, sliding off his lap.

  He kissed her chastely on her forehead and smiled reassuringly at her. He watched her make her way to the back of the bar where Cora and Ryan were playing with Orion. Ryan glanced up at him and nodded. I will take care of her. Satisfied that she would be all right without him by her side for a little while, he turned back to Kristoff. “I waited until she was ready,” he told him.

  Kristoff’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “That’s not like you.”

  “She is my mate. She deserves to be treated as such.”

  “You were careful?” he asked. It was more of a harsh demand than a question.

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Good, because I don’t want her bearing your child anytime soon.”

  “Neither do I,” Luca shot back.

  “Excuse me?” Kristoff said, taken aback. He would have thought that would have been the first thing on Luca’s mind. A vampire birth was such a rarity. Only pureblood vampires could conceive a child—no other vampires in existence could produce life.

  “Thanks to you she has spent so much of her life behind closed doors. I want her to experience things before we settle down with a child. I want to show her everything that all the realms have to offer.”

  Kristoff was speechless for a few moments. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Love. He failed to suppress a smile as he said, “You have changed greatly. You truly do love her.”

  “I do, Kristoff.”

  “She is all I have left. My wife is gone.”

  “I will not keep you from her.”

  “I kept her from you.”

  “As much as I wanted to get you back for hiding her from me for all these years, that is not what Aerona would want. She wouldn’t want us fighting, Kristoff.”

  Kristoff sighed and said, “I agree.”

  “Good. Now, would you care to have a drink with me?”

  “I take it you’re not drinking blood in here?” he jested. He eyed Luca’s glass. “Scotch?”

  “Yes.”

  “Sounds good.”

  ***

  Cora leaned against their apartment door as she watched Ryan pace up and down the landing in an agitated state as he absorbed what she’d just told him.

  “What? You agreed that we would tell them tonight, Cora.”

  “I changed my mind. I don’t think it’s a good idea. Not until things are settled.”

  “Settled? You mean after the meeting in the White Realm tomorrow?”

  No, I mean killing your bitch of a mother, Oriana. “Yeah,” she lied. “And once the White and Dark realms are united.”

  “You realize that we don’t have a lot of time? Remember how quickly it progressed with Orion? It will become obvious to everyone very soon, my love.”

  “There are ways to conceal these things, Ryan.”

  “I don’t want to conceal it, Cora. I want everyone to know—I want them to be as excited as I am.”

  She took his hands in hers. “I know you’re excited, baby. So am I. But I just want to wait for a little while.”

  “Is this about Oriana?”

  “What?”

  “You forget that you’re married to a wolf. My instincts are extremely attuned, Cora. I know there’s something that you’re not telling me. Does it have something to do with Oriana?”

  Shit, I can’t tell him about that. He’s too protective; he’ll try to stop me or something. “No,” she lied. She could tell by the look on his face that he didn’t believe her. But surprisingly he decided to let it go for once in his life. He’d promised her he would tone down his controlling tendencies, so this was obviously a demonstration of how serious he was taking his recent vow to her.

  “Okay, my love. Whatever you want. We won’t tell anyone until you’re ready.” He kissed the top of her head. “We should get back to the party.”

  She smiled. “Thanks.”

  He wrapped his arm around her and led her back down the steps. “No problem.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  “Did I mention how hot you look in that outfit?” Ryan said, his gaze raking over her as he walked beside her carrying Orion in his arms.

  She was wearing crisp white boot cut dress pants that h
ugged her ass nicely and had his cock straining against his jeans with every step she took. The silver corset top she was wearing had had him salivating since the moment she’d put it on back at their apartment. It pushed the soft peaks of her breasts together in a mouth-watering cleavage that had distracted him incessantly. All he could think about was getting his mouth on them.

  “Ryan, stop looking at me like that,” she complained as she strode purposefully down the corridor of the palace towards the throne room.

  “Like what?” he asked, innocently.

  “Like you’re going to jump me any second and have your way with me.”

  He smirked at her. “Really, Cora. Suggesting such a thing when our son is right here in my arms.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You can’t deny it. I know that look of yours.”

  He chuckled. “I’ll indulge your fantasies later.”

  “Is that a threat?” she asked with amusement.

  “A promise.”

  She shook her head with pretend disapproval. “This is me trying to look more presentable.”

  “You mean; trying to fit in?”

  She hesitated for a moment. Shit, he’s right. That is what I’m doing. “I want them to respect me.”

  “They already do, my love. Besides, look at me. They still respect me no matter how I look.”

  She glanced at him. He was wearing his signature jeans and leather biker jacket. She’d suggested that he don the courtly robes of the Dark Realm just like she knew Nathanial would be doing for this meeting. But in typical Ryan fashion he’d refused, telling her that it wasn’t who he was. She’d seen that stubborn look in his eyes and had decided not to pursue it.