The Reign of Darkness

by Britney Jackson

  Elise waited until he left to turn to Kara. “Try not to kill him, okay?”

  Kara snorted, “No promises.”

  —

  Princess Myrinne stormed into her room—with Ligeia trailing hesitantly behind. She braced her hands on the table, squeezing her eyes shut, as she leaned forward. “Make sure there’s no one within hearing range. Then, lock the door.”

  Ligeia bowed. “Yes, your Highness.” She slipped out of the room quickly to check outside. When she returned, she found that the princess hadn’t moved.

  “The all-powerful Eklektos is with the warrior?” Princess Myrinne asked.

  “I get that you’re…er…disappointed,” Ligeia said with a hesitant smile, “but surely this isn’t what’s upsetting you? Maybe she finds the warrior attractive.”

  Princess Myrinne turned, glancing at Ligeia. “Do you find her attractive?”

  Ligeia shrugged. “I wouldn’t date her. She’s too dishonorable. Immature. Crass.” With a guilty smile, she added, “But aesthetically, she has a certain appeal.”

  Princess Myrinne frowned. “Really? I thought you liked them…softer.”

  Ligeia laughed, “Like I said, she’s not my type.” A hint of mischief danced in her brown eyes. “But I have to admire a woman who oozes such…sensuality.”

  An amused smile pulled at the corners of the princess’s mouth. “Ligeia,” she scolded. She laughed softly. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen this side of you.”

  “It’s been a while since we discussed my taste in women,” Ligeia said.

  “I suppose it has,” Princess Myrinne sighed. She turned back toward the table, gazing at it absently, not really seeing it. She pulled the tiara out of her hair and set it on the table, allowing her pale blonde curls to fall freely around her face.

  Ligeia watched her with a concerned frown. “Princess, if you don’t mind my asking,” she began, “why does it bother you so much that they’re together?”

  Princess Myrinne gave her an expectant look. “Ligeia, if I asked you, right now, to kiss me, to date me, even,” she asked, “what would be your response?”

  Ligeia straightened, suddenly uncomfortable. “I’d be flattered,” she said carefully, “but I’d decline—because I’m your warrior. It would be inappropriate.”

  “Exactly,” Princess Myrinne replied. “Her warrior should know better.”

  Ligeia nodded reluctantly. “I agree, of course,” she told the princess, “but we must remember: Kara Unnarsdóttir comes from a very different culture than ours. Their warriors had totally different values. And honor wasn’t one of them.”

  Princess Myrinne lifted her eyebrows. “Which is just another reason that the Eklektos should have chosen someone else,” she muttered. “Anyone else.”

  “Princess,” Ligeia said with a concerned look, “what are you not telling me? I know you don’t like her, but there must be some other reason you’re upset.”

  “Zosime is my advisor,” Princess Myrinne said. “You’re just my warrior.”

  Ligeia’s eyes narrowed. “I apologize for my…concern, Your Highness.”

  Princess Myrinne winced at Ligeia’s acidic tone. “I’m sorry,” she sighed, her slender shoulders lifting in a helpless shrug. “I shouldn’t have said that.” She ran her hands through her loose, pale blonde hair, and then, she spun around to face her warrior. “I need you to swear that you will never repeat this to anyone.”

  “I swear,” Ligeia said, her brows creased with worry. “Of course I do.”

  Princess Myrinne shook her head. “No. Actually swear. On your knees.”

  With a puzzled frown, Ligeia dropped to her knees and bent her head—much like she’d done when she’d sworn fealty. “I swear I will never repeat this.”

  Princess Myrinne breathed out a relieved sigh, but her muscles remained tense—her shoulders high, her jaw tight. “There are two prophecies. Not one.”

  Ligeia climbed to her feet, her frown deepening. “Two? How it that…”

  “For the same reason Zosime often sees multiple futures,” the princess interrupted. “Every action is dependent upon another action. Each choice affects the next. One tiny deviation from fate can change the future of the entire world.”

  “And Kara Unnarsdóttir is,” Ligeia guessed, “a tiny deviation from fate?”

  “No,” Princess Myrinne said. “Kara Unnarsdóttir is a massive deviation.”

  —

  Erik glanced down at his stomach, watching in disbelief, as blood soaked his shirt. He looked up, narrowing his bright green eyes at Kara. “You cut me!”

  Kara examined her blood-soaked dagger with a bored expression. “Yep.”

  “You said we were training,” Erik complained. “Not actually fighting.”

  Kara lifted her eyebrows at him. “When have I ever not actually fought?”

  “Never!” Erik accused. “You nearly kill me every time we train together!”

  Kara gave him a slow, lazy shrug. “Then, you should know better.”

  Erik rolled his eyes in frustration. “My father didn’t even train this hard.”

  “Then, your father,” Kara said, waving her blood-soaked dagger at him, “was weak.” Her lips curved into a smirk. “My father wounded me all the time.”

  “Or maybe your father was an asshole!” Erik said. He pressed his fingers against the wound in his side, wincing at the pain. “And you’re an asshole, too!”

  Rose sat on the bed, watching them train with a look of disbelief. “Oh,” she said to Elise, who sat next to her, “they’re insulting each other’s fathers now.”

  Kara laughed. “If I was an asshole, I would’ve cut you much deeper.”

  “I miss training with Kallias,” Erik pouted. “At least he doesn’t cut me!”

  “Aww,” Kara said. “I’m sorry I don’t let you win like your other friend.”

  Erik gripped his dagger tighter. “Fine. If you can cut people, so can I.”

  Kara stepped back. “Good,” she said, excitement gleaming in her icy blue eyes. “If I wanted to train with someone who held back, I would’ve asked Rose.”

  “Wow. Thanks, Kara,” Rose muttered. She couldn’t help but smile, when Kara paused to wink at her. Rose leaned toward Elise. “Why are they like this?”

  Elise giggled. “Because they’re Vikings.”

  “They’re going to kill each other,” Rose said worriedly, as Kara and Erik started fighting again. She frowned, as Elise stood and headed toward the door.

  Elise paused in the doorway, glancing back at Rose. “Come on,” she said with a friendly smile, “take a walk with me. They’re going to be at this for a while.”

  “Umm,” Rose said, cringing, as Kara shoved her dagger into Erik’s side. The scent of blood filled the air, instantly igniting Rose’s hunger. “Yeah, let’s go.”

  —

  After watching the waves for a while, Rose cast a curious glance at Elise. “So, was that what you were telling Kara earlier? That you and Erik are now…”

  “Together?” Elise asked. When Rose nodded, Elise said, “That did come up, yes. It wasn’t the reason I needed to talk to her privately, though.” She didn’t elaborate on the real reason. “Erik and I are trying the dating thing. It’s not serious. It’s just convenient, for now. If it becomes more, great. If not? Also great. We’re still free to date other people, and there are no feelings involved. Yet.” She smiled.

  Rose laughed, “It sounds like you’ve worked out all the details already.”

  “I like to know what I’m doing,” Elise said. “And I know what I want.”

  “I’m not so good at that part,” Rose sighed. “The knowing what I want.”

  “But you do, now, don’t you?” Elise said with a smile. “You want Kara.”

  Rose blushed. “Yeah, I guess things are finally feeling a bit clearer there.”

  “Mm-hmm,” Elise teased. She nudged Rose with her shoulder, offering her a playful smile. “I bet things get much clearer when sh
e’s between your legs.”

  Rose’s eyes widened. “Oh my word,” she mumbled, her blush deepening.

  “Aww, the blushing!” Elise giggled. “I bet Kara has lots of fun with that.”

  Rose halfway wished it would rain again—just to cool her flushed face.

  Elise glanced at Rose, and she suddenly seemed serious—her blue-gray eyes soft and concerned, her lips pursed. “Are you happier now?” she said gently. “Now that you’re with Kara, I mean. I know you’ve been through a lot of terrible things lately, but I can’t help but notice that you seem happier now—with Kara.”

  Rose nodded slowly. “I am,” she admitted. She stared out at the reckless waves, both sadness and contentment swirling inside her, at once. “Sometimes, I think I shouldn’t be allowed to be happy—after what happened to my brother, my friend, my teacher…” Her chest tightened, leaving her barely able to breathe—much less speak. “So many people have been hurt because of me. I hurt Kallias, too. That…was something I never wanted to do. I’m afraid to be happy. I think I have been for a long time. But Kara squashes that fear. She makes me happy.”

  Elise stared at her, stunned by Rose’s honesty. She wasn’t even sure that Rose realized who she was talking to, in that moment. She seemed so lost in her emotions. Elise leaned against the rail, beside Rose, brushing her shoulder against Rose’s. “I think you need to stop blaming yourself for everything that happens.”

  Rose blinked and glanced at Elise, surprised by the quiet advice. “I can’t.”

  “Why not?” Elise asked curiously. “It’s not always your fault, you know.”

  “It is,” Rose mumbled, returning her attention to the waves. “More times than not, it is. I could’ve saved my brother, if I’d just kept a closer eye on him. If I hadn’t been in the history building when I was, my history professor would still be alive. If I hadn’t refused Alana’s offer, she wouldn’t have attacked my friend.”

  “According to what Kara’s told me,” Elise sighed, “accepting help from Alana is far worse than refusing it. And the rest of that wasn’t your fault, either.”

  “What about Kallias?” Rose challenged. “I know I was at fault for that.”

  Elise considered that. “I don’t know much about your ex, honestly,” she admitted. “I wasn’t around him much when you came to the Tomb of Blood. Just you and Kara.” She smiled wickedly. “And…Erik, briefly. Briefly but intimately.”

  Rose squeezed her eyes shut. “Yuck. I do not need to hear about that.”

  Elise giggled at her. “But most of what I know about Kallias comes from what Aaron said, which wasn’t good, what Erik said, which was good, and what Kara said, which was…mostly just that you loved him too much to be with her.”

  Rose cringed, shame unfurling in her stomach. “Except I was with her.”

  Elise didn’t respond to that. Not yet. “But I did see how he treated you, and honestly, Rose,” she paused, offering her a gentle smile, “I wasn’t impressed.”

  “He wasn’t always like that,” Rose assured her. “He kind of spiraled there at the end. Which doesn’t make it okay, but…still.” She glanced out at the waves, sighing. “When I first met Kallias, he was just…a jerk. I couldn’t stand him.” She smiled. “But then, he showed me another side of him, and I started to realize: the rudeness and cruelty was a defense mechanism. His wife lied to him—which led to both of their deaths—and then, she died right in front of him. He couldn’t do anything to stop it. It…left scars.” She shrugged. “Then, I did the same thing. So, of course, the defense went back up. He reverted to the same behavior as before.”

  “But you stayed with him, anyway?” Elise said. “Despite those defenses.”

  “I thought he’d forgive me, eventually,” Rose sighed, “but he couldn’t.”

  Elise crossed her arms, her dress flattening against her stomach. “I mean, if he’d really wanted you, he could have had you. Kara’s never minded that kind of relationship. Alana had other lovers. I had other lovers. Most of Kara’s lovers have other lovers. Kara would’ve never asked you to leave him. You know that.”

  “I know she wouldn’t,” Rose said with a smile. “She never asked me for anything. But I don’t know if I’m cut out for that kind of relationship.” She lifted her eyebrows. “And Kallias clearly wasn’t.” She shrugged. “What happened there, at the end, was bad, but I still love him. I still believe there’s a lot of good in him.”

  “You still love him?” Elise repeated. “Even with what you feel for Kara.”

  Rose smiled, a soft laugh spilling from her lips. “You know, he told me, not long before we split, that there’s a difference in loving someone and wanting to be with them. I couldn’t make sense of it, at the time, but now… Now, I can.”

  “You still love him, but you don’t want to be with him,” Elise assumed.

  “As much as I love him,” Rose said, “I think I needed him to let me go. I was so afraid to hurt him that fear became the only emotion I could make sense of. I couldn’t make sense of what I felt for Kara. I was too afraid to think about it, too afraid to admit it to myself. It wasn’t until we broke up that I realized what I’d been afraid to realize—that I was in love with Kara and had been for a while.”

  Elise rolled her eyes. “Well, of course you were. That was obvious,” she scoffed. She stepped away from the rail and winked. “I thought you were smart.”

  Rose smiled at her teasing. “Not smart enough for that, apparently.”

  The corners of Elise’s lips twitched upward, as she noticed Kara standing in the shadows. She’d clearly just left the room—her clothes and hair disheveled, her skin flushed from the fight. Kara pressed her finger to her lips, signaling Elise to stay quiet. She snuck up behind Rose and covered Rose’s eyes with her hands.

  The warm, soothing scent of violets and leather filled Rose’s senses, only a moment before two soft hands came around her, covering her eyes. She smiled, as she felt Kara’s lean stomach against her back, Kara’s leather-clad thighs against her butt. Her blood responded instantly to Kara’s touch, sending shivers of desire through her body—shivers that only intensified when Kara’s lips brushed her ear.

  “Guess who,” Kara murmured, her voice soft and lilting in Rose’s ear.

  With a soft, affectionate laugh, Rose said, “As if I’d ever have to guess.”

  Elise watched them with an enchanted smile. She met Kara’s gaze, after a moment. “Let me guess,” she asked. “Erik needs some blood now, doesn’t he?”

  Kara snorted, “I kicked his ass, so yeah. He’ll whine until he gets some.”

  Elise shook her head. “Vikings,” she muttered with an amused smile. She pushed away from the rail, waving at Kara, as she headed back toward their room.

  Rose waited for a few moments, assuming that Kara would remove her hands after Elise left, but she never did. Kara’s scent intoxicated her, igniting her hunger and clouding her mind. It didn’t help that she could smell the sweet scent of Kara’s blood, as well. It didn’t smell too fresh, and that was probably the only thing that kept her from going mad with hunger. “Is that like a comfortable place to rest your hands or something? Because…I kind of need my eyesight back.”

  Kara chuckled at Rose’s snarky remark. She leaned against Rose, her hips pushing Rose’s forward, into the rail. “You wanted me to teach you, remember?” she said, her mouth against Rose’s ear. “Well, consider this part of your training.”

  Rose shivered. “You…want me to fight with your hands over my eyes?”

  “Oh, no, sexy,” Kara said. “I’m not training you to fight.” A flirty smirk curved at her lips. “Not tonight. Tonight…I’m training you to use your senses.”

  “I don’t know if you realize,” Rose said, “but sight is one of the senses.”

  Kara laughed. “Yeah, well,” she teased, “you’ll get your sight back when you earn it.” She nipped at Rose’s ear with her fangs, causing Rose to jerk forward in surprise. She licked the drop of blood tha
t surfaced, smiling, as Rose moaned.

  “Has anyone ever told you that your methods of teaching are, you know, unconventional?” Rose said in her sassiest tone. “Have you ever tried textbooks?”

  Kara snorted. “I don’t think they make textbooks for this, love,” she said, clearly enjoying Rose’s sarcasm. “But don’t worry. You’ll enjoy my…methods.”

  Rose’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh, really? Because I happen to take my…”

  Rose didn’t get to finish that sentence—because Kara chose that exact moment to sweep her tongue against Rose’s neck. Rose leaned forward, grasping the taffrail, as she tried to regain her composure. Kara alternated between licking and sucking, leaving Rose a shivering, gasping mess, and yet, still, her hands never left Rose’s eyes. Rose wasn’t sure if this was supposed to be some kind of lesson about touch or an elaborate way of pushing Rose overboard, but Rose could hear the waves rushing below her. And well…it sounded much too close for comfort.

  Kara chuckled against Rose’s skin. “I’m not going to let you fall, love.”

  “Well, that’s good to know,” Rose said breathlessly, her neck still tingling from the kisses. “I wasn’t looking forward to drowning to death with a hickey.”

  Kara burst into laughter at that, her head falling against Rose’s shoulder. “Vampires don’t drown to death, sexy,” she snorted. “We just fall unconscious.”

  Rose was both annoyed and amazed by Kara’s ability to keep her hands steady, over Rose’s eyes, even as she kissed Rose’s neck and laughed hysterically.

  “Breathe,” Kara said, when she finished laughing, “through your nose.”

  With a curious frown, Rose did as she asked—inhaling through her nose.

  “Tell me what you smell,” Kara whispered. “Describe each scent to me.”

  “You,” Rose said easily. “I smell violets and leather. And your blood.”

  Kara watched Rose, a smile curling at the corners of her lips, as she saw the way Rose’s shoulders trembled a little, the way Rose’s entire body seemed to respond to Kara’s scent. “Does my blood bother you? Does it make you hungry?”