The Reign of Darkness

by Britney Jackson

  Princess Myrinne frowned at that. “Together? You don’t mean…”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” Ligeia said, her lips twitching, “they’re lovers.”

  Princess Myrinne turned back toward Rose, her pale blue eyes wide. She kept her lips pressed together, as if she were desperately trying to keep her lip from curling in disgust. “You…have an intimate relationship with your warrior?”

  “Wait,” Erik laughed. “You didn’t know Rose and Kara were together?”

  Based on the look on Princess Myrinne’s face, Rose figured it was safe to assume that, no, the princess had not known. “That’s weird,” Rose muttered under her breath. “Usually, I’m the last person to know when I’m with someone.”

  Kara had joined in the laughter, too, by this point. “What did you think we were doing all week?” she teased. “In our one bedroom? With our one bed?”

  Princess Myrinne glared at her. “I assumed you had slept on the floor.”

  Rose was just about to ask why, exactly, she would expect Kara to sleep in the floor, when she heard Kara mutter, “No, but we did some other things in the floor.” Rose shot a peeved look at Kara—which just made Kara laugh harder.

  Princess Myrinne exhaled slowly, before turning toward Rose. “I have to admit,” she sighed, “I’d always expected the Eklektos to be more…professional.”

  Rose smiled. “If you’re disappointed now, just wait until I really fail you!”

  The princess, apparently, didn’t find that funny. With a glare that could cut steel, Princess Myrinne said, “This meeting is over. Thank you for coming.”

  Rose lifted her eyebrows. “Is that your nice way of telling us to get out?”

  “You call that nice?” Erik muttered under his breath.

  Princess Myrinne’s icy expression didn’t waver. “We missed a lot during the storms. I need to speak with the crew—find out how close we are,” she said. Her pale blue gaze shifted toward Ligeia. “And speak with my warrior, of course.”

  Ligeia nodded, as if she were agreeing to the request.

  Elise—being the most sophisticated of the four—sighed, “I hope you’re not too put off by my crude and sassy friends’ behavior,” she said, shooting a look at Kara, Rose, and Erik. “I promise they’re far more impressive than they seem.”

  Rose exchanged an amused look with Kara. “Was she complimenting us or insulting us? I couldn’t tell,” she whispered to Kara—earning a sigh from Elise.

  “That’s the whole point of etiquette, love,” Kara said. “No one knows.”

  Elise rolled her eyes. “That’s not the point,” she hissed at Kara. But when Kara flashed a teasing grin at her, she couldn’t help but smile. That smile changed, though, when she turned back to the princess. “Thank you for speaking with us.”

  Princess Myrinne regarded Elise with a curious frown, a pale-blonde curl falling from her updo, as she tilted her head to the side. “Were you some type of royalty when you were human?” she asked Elise. “Or a politician, perhaps?”

  “Neither,” Elise said with a bemused smile. “Why do you ask?”

  Princess Myrinne gave her a disinterested shrug. “You would’ve made a good one,” she said. She lowered her voice before adding, “Better one than me.”

  Rose frowned at that, but she figured she’d already annoyed the princess enough. So, she kept her mouth shut. For once. “Let us know, if you don’t mind.”

  “Let you know what,” Princess Myrinne said with a sigh, “my Eklektos?”

  “When we’ll reach your kingdom,” Rose said. “You said you would…”

  “Ask the crew, yes,” the princess interrupted. “I’ll tell you what they say.”

  “Thanks,” Rose said awkwardly. “I guess we’ll…go back to our rooms?”

  “Whatever you want,” Princess Myrinne sighed tiredly, “my Eklektos.”

  —

  “Wow,” Rose muttered, once they were out on the ship’s deck, “I didn’t think I could disappoint someone that much. I think I just set a personal record.”

  Kara leaned against the rail, her arms crossed across her chest. “Princess Uptight needs to drink some wine and get that stick out of her ass,” she scoffed.

  Rose frowned. “Is the wine for the implied pain of that action, or…”

  Kara snorted, “See? How could anyone not love your sense of humor?”

  “Biased lovers’ opinions aside,” Elise laughed, “you two need to be more careful. With Rose sassing royalty at every turn, and Kara making dirty jokes in front of the princess, we’ll be lucky if we survive the trip. Much less the kingdom.”

  Kara grinned at that. “In my experience, princesses enjoy my dirty jokes.”

  “Well, this one didn’t,” Elise said with wide eyes. She elbowed Erik, who then winced a little. “Help me out. You’re the one who can sense emotions.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Erik said, nodding at Kara. “Princess Uptight hates you.”

  Elise rolled her eyes. “Is everyone calling her Princess Uptight?”

  Rose raised her hand. “I don’t!” she said. Her enthusiasm faded some, as she added, “I have called her the Princess of the Weird, Bowing People, though.”

  Elise sighed, “Am I the only one here with any etiquette whatsoever?”

  Kara, Rose, and Erik looked at each other. “Yes,” they said—in unison.

  Elise shook her head. “We’re all going to die.”

  “Yep,” Rose said with a cheerful smile.

  “Well, on that note,” Erik said, as he turned to leave, “I’m going back to my room.” He glanced curiously at Elise, who hadn’t moved. “Are you coming?”

  Elise smiled at him. “You go on. I need to talk to Kara about something.”

  He paused, his bright green eyes widening. “Is that something…me?”

  “Obviously,” Kara said with a smirk. “What else would it be?”

  “Oh, for Odin’s sake,” Erik said, “not Kara! She’ll make me look bad!”

  “What?” Kara said innocently. “What kind of friend would do that?”

  “You!” Erik said, waving his hand at her. “You’re the kind of friend!”

  Elise giggled and waved him away. “Just go. I’ll join you in a minute.”

  Erik blew out a frustrated sigh. “Just don’t forget that Kara’s a liar.”

  Kara snorted. “Why would I need to lie, when you embarrass yourself?”

  After Erik left, Elise turned to Rose. “Mind if I steal your girlfriend?”

  “Go ahead,” Rose said without thinking. Then, her ears caught up to her mouth, and she muttered, “But, you know, please don’t actually steal her, though.”

  Kara’s mouth twitched up at the corners, into a familiar, amused smirk.

  “Aww, Rose,” Elise said with a smile. “I’m flattered that you think I can.”

  Rose frowned. “I mean, you know you’re basically a supermodel, right?”

  “Aww!” Elise said again. She brushed one finger along Rose’s face—in what Rose assumed was a flirtatious action. Not that Rose knew anything about flirting. “If you keep complimenting me like that, I might just steal you, instead.”

  Rose blushed and glanced at Kara—who was outright laughing, by now.

  When Kara stepped away from the rail—to follow Elise—she paused to speak to Rose. With a concerned frown, she said, “Will you be all right out here?”

  “Yeah,” Rose said, nodding easily. “I needed a minute to think, anyway.”

  Kara nodded in understanding. “How many weapons are you wearing?”

  “One,” Rose said with a puzzled frown, “like usual. Why do you ask?”

  Kara held out the dagger she’d been polishing in Ligeia’s room. “Here,” she said, as Rose hesitantly took it. “Hold onto that one for me until I get back.”

  “Kara,” Rose laughed, “I have telekinesis. I don’t need two weapons.”

  Kara shrugged one shoulder. “I have twenty-five, still. Just hold onto it.”

/>   Rose stared blankly, as Kara followed Elise around the corner. “Do those weapon belts of hers seriously hold twenty-five weapons? That’s a bit…excessive.”

  A vampire passed her, at that moment, and he turned to look at her. Rose assumed he was just wondering why the heck she was talking to herself, but then, his eyes widened, and he sank to his knees. Rose barely held back her eye-roll.

  “An honor, my Eklektos,” the vampire said, his brown hair in his eyes.

  “Yeah,” Rose paused, not sure what she was supposed to say, “you, too.”

  The vampire frowned at her awkward response, but luckily, said nothing.

  Rose watched, as the vampire climbed to his feet and went on his way.

  When he was out of sight, Rose turned toward the ocean, glancing down at the dagger Kara had given her. It was much simpler than the silver dagger that Kallias had given her, but the grip was far more comfortable. Both the blade and its handle were black. It wasn’t as pretty as her silver one—but still aesthetically-pleasing. Rose blinked. Since when did she find weapons aesthetically pleasing?

  ‘Since I saw them on Kara,’ was the thought that immediately came to mind.

  Rose blushed—even though no one could hear her thoughts. It was bad enough that she could hear them. The entire world was at war, and the only thing her rebellious mind wanted to think about was how gorgeous her girlfriend was.

  Gosh, she was a mess.

  Her thoughts shifted back to the meeting—to that symbol she’d seen on Ligeia’s shield. The same symbol she’d seen tattooed on Princess Myrinne’s hand.

  She’d never seen it before. She was sure of it. And yet…it felt so familiar.

  Gazing at the symbol felt like gazing at her own name. She felt connected to it, somehow—this strange, circular symbol with two drastically different sides.

  Kara crept up behind Rose so swiftly and silently that she actually managed to startle Rose—despite their blood bond. She slipped her arms around Rose’s waist, pulling Rose’s hips back toward her, so that Rose’s backside collided with her front. Kara arched forward, her mouth brushing the shell of Rose’s ear.

  “Curious about that symbol, weren’t you?” Kara whispered in Rose’s ear.

  Rose giggled, tickled by Kara’s breath. “You don’t miss a thing, do you?”

  Kara’s hands curled around Rose’s hips, as she spun her around, pressing Rose back against the rail. “I wouldn’t be a very good spy, if I did, now would I?”

  Rose stared up at her, watching the dark hair fall around Kara’s face. “It’s hard to explain, but…I feel like I should know what it means. I don’t, though.”

  Kara stretched out her fingers, sliding her hands lower. “You didn’t ask.”

  Rose swallowed. Warmth seemed to radiate from Kara’s hands, seeping into Rose’s skin. Without thinking, she said, “Asking gives them a chance to lie.”

  Kara raised an eyebrow, a wide, impressed smile curling at her lips. “Ooh, you are a fast learner, aren’t you?” She slipped her hands underneath Rose’s shirt.

  Rose gasped as she felt Kara’s fingers on her skin—surprisingly hot, as they trailed up her stomach. She heard the rush of waves behind her, the distant rumble of thunder from the storm they’d just sailed out of, and distant footsteps. Not only were they outside, but there were other people near. And Kara seemed completely undeterred by that. “Yes,” Rose whispered, her eyes dark. “Very fast.”

  Kara closed her eyes, groaning softly, as desire gripped tightly at her core. She tilted her face closer, brushing her lips against Rose’s. “I love that about you.”

  Rose laughed quietly, shaking her head. “You say that about everything.”

  Kara smiled. “Because,” she whispered, “I love everything about you.”

  Rose’s smile faded, and sadness flashed in her blue eyes. “How can you?”

  “Ah. Well, not everything,” Kara amended. “There is that cruel voice in your head that keeps making you believe all this bullshit about yourself.” Her light blue eyes narrowed. “I’m not a big fan of it. It doesn’t treat my girlfriend right.”

  Rose smiled shyly. “You really think there’s that much to like about me?”

  “To love,” Kara corrected. She grinned playfully and lifted her eyebrows. “And clearly, I’m not the only one. The princess thinks you’re quite good, too.” Her light blue eyes sparkled. “Too good to be dating a lowly warrior like myself.”

  Rose rolled her eyes. “Oh, yeah, you’re so…lowly. Compared to my lofty, daughter-of-a-criminal status,” she scoffed. “Ignore the princess. She’s an idiot.”

  Kara laughed, “You just called a princess an idiot. On her own ship.”

  “Oh, I’ll call her more than that, if she keeps mistreating you,” Rose said.

  Kara leaned back on her heels. Her mouth dropped open, the corners of her lips curving upward. “So fierce,” she murmured. Her intense, light blue gaze slid down Rose’s body, leaving a trail of heat in its wake. “You know I love that.”

  Rose shuddered—even though Kara hadn’t really done anything to make her shudder. Rose was halfway convinced that Kara’s voice had a setting that her body just automatically responded to—loud, medium, soft, and seduce-the-heck-out-of-Rose. “We’re at war,” Rose laughed, “and all you can think about is…”

  “The same thing you’re thinking about?” Kara interrupted. A few strands of blue hair blew across her face, dancing across her mouth, as she bit her bottom lip. She curled her fingers under the front of Rose’s jeans and tugged, pulling her closer. “You are, aren’t you?” she growled, as they collided. “Thinking about it?”

  A jolt of desire shot through Rose, clenching painfully between her legs. She closed her eyes, shuddering, as Kara’s mouth brushed against her own. “It’s hard to think of anything else,” she confessed breathlessly, “when I’m with you.”

  Kara smiled, both surprised and turned on by the admission. “Well, that’s going to make saving the world awfully difficult, isn’t it,” she whispered, “hero?”

  Rose opened her eyes, laughing at that. “If I’m the hero, we’re doomed.”

  “I believe in you,” Kara said softly. Rose immediately stopped laughing, her bright blue gaze shifting up to meet Kara’s. The emotion glistening in Kara’s ice-blue eyes, at that moment, struck at Rose’s chest, knocking the breath out of her. But then, Kara smiled and added, “Doesn’t mean I’ll make it easy on you.”

  Rose giggled nervously, her mind reeling from the quick shift in emotion.

  The soft tapping of footsteps drew Kara’s attention. She recognized the scent, instantly. “Elise,” she called, as Elise passed them, “where are you going?”

  Elise turned, a surprised smile curling at her lips, as she realized that Kara wasn’t even looking at her. “I wasn’t going to interrupt. You two looked busy.”

  Rose blushed profusely. “Uh, no, we,” she stammered, “weren’t busy.”

  Kara snorted. She turned and leaned against the rail, beside Rose. “Your new boyfriend still hiding in his room? Or did you throw him overboard already?”

  Rose glanced back and forth between them. “Boyfriend?” she mumbled.

  “Who would I feed from, then?” Elise said. Her lips curved upward. “He actually isn’t that bad. A bit annoying sometimes, but the cute kind of annoying.”

  “Oh, gods,” Kara said, rolling her eyes playfully. “You sound like Alana.”

  Rose tilted her head toward Kara’s and whispered, “She’s dating Erik?”

  Kara chuckled at Rose’s confused tone—but didn’t answer the question.

  “Ta gueule!” Elise snarled at Kara. She put so much venom in her voice and used such a convincing expression that, for a moment, Rose thought she was actually upset. But then, all of that vanished, a playful smile taking its place. “Just because I’ve dated a few Vikings, doesn’t mean I’m anything like your crazy ex.”

  Kara crossed her arms and grinned, clearly enjoying Elise�
��s acting. “She told me to shut up,” she explained to Rose, “in French.” Her attention returned to Elise. “Dating me is one thing. But Erik? You’d have to be insane to date him.”

  Elise rolled her eyes. “You’re a lesbian. Of course you’d think it’s insane.”

  “Nah. I just like to mess with him,” Kara said, gesturing toward him with a tilt of her head. Rose and Elise followed her gaze, finding Erik a few feet behind Elise, with a peeved look on his face. “He’s been standing there for a minute.”

  “For the record,” Rose teased, “I like men, too, and I still don’t get it.”

  Erik raised an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah?” he said, matching her sass with his own. “I could get a woman in bed before you remembered how to speak to one.”

  “I can speak,” Rose said defensively. She glanced at Kara. “Sometimes.”

  Kara winked at her—before turning to Erik. “What are you two doing?”

  “Nothing,” Erik whined. “There’s nothing to do! No TV! No nothing!”

  “So, something, then?” Rose asked. “No nothing is a double-negative.”

  Erik scowled. “On second thought, I do have to kill a redhead later.”

  Rose leaned toward Kara. “Are there any other redheads on this ship?”

  Kara chuckled. “None as sexy as you,” she murmured in Rose’s ear.

  Erik thrust out his hands in disbelief. “Seriously. How did that princess not realize you two were together?” he said. “You two couldn’t be more obvious.”

  “Oh, we could,” Kara said with a suggestive grin. “We definitely could.”

  Erik grinned knowingly at Rose, as he sensed her embarrassment. “Why do you want to know?” he asked Kara. “Is there something you want me to do?”

  Kara pulled a dagger from her belt and waved it at him. “It’s been a while since I kicked your ass,” she said with a cocky smirk. “Want to train with me?”

  “You’re not afraid my empathic abilities will give me an edge?” he asked.

  Kara gave him a bored, languid shrug. “That’ll just make it more fun.”

  Erik laughed, clearly assuming that his psychic abilities would guarantee him a win. “Sure. We can use my room. I’ll move the dressers and tables outside.”