The Reign of Darkness

by Britney Jackson

  Kara looked as if she could barely breathe, her chest heaving, her icy blue eyes wide. Her intense, blue gaze seemed to pierce right through Rose, sharp with intensity, burning with emotion. The emotions that Rose sensed in Kara, at that moment, felt so overwhelming that Rose couldn’t even make sense of them. All she knew was that they took her breath, that they quickened her pulse, that they left her nauseated, even. Whatever Kara felt in that moment—it was powerful.

  Overwhelmed by the sudden urge to close the space between them, to feel Kara’s skin against her own, Rose reached out and brushed her fingers over Kara’s. But before Rose could take her hand, Kara pulled her hand away, breaking eye-contact instantly, as if the spell had been broken. Rose leaned back, her chest stinging a little, as she tried to figure out what she had done wrong. She returned her gaze to the front, her mind whirling with thoughts—and so many questions.

  The princess nodded, and the couple began to unroll their rope, looping it around their arms. The princess stepped closer to help, pulling it tighter around their arms and wrists. She tied the rope, binding the couple’s joined hands. “We vampires do not take the word forever lightly. We understand the magnitude of a commitment like this. So, when we do make this promise, we do so, knowing that things won’t always be easy, that there will be fights and disagreements, that there will be centuries that are harder than others. We make this promise in hopes that in those times, when we forget who we are, we’ll have someone to remind us. When the fire burns out, we’ll have someone to relight it. When the world is cold, we’ll have someone to keep us warm. We willingly tie ourselves to another person. We willingly offer our companionship, love, and trust to another person.”

  The couple turned their hands, so that the princess could finish tying the rope around their wrists. She bound them tightly—so that when one moved, the other had to move, as well. They stepped closer, threading their fingers together.

  Rose felt the warmth of Kara’s shoulder, as it brushed against her own.

  “This is the kinkiest wedding I’ve ever seen,” Kara whispered in her ear.

  Rose’s eyes widened. “It’s symbolic, Kara,” she muttered, “I assume.”

  Kara leaned back, crossing her arms. “Looks like bondage to me.”

  Rose rolled her eyes. “Attempt some maturity, please,” she teased, unable to hide her own smile, “for like five minutes.” When Kara flashed that ridiculously sexy grin of hers, Rose couldn’t help but laugh. The playful attitude that Kara had now was so different from the way she’d seemed earlier, different enough that it would be easy to forget that Kara had ever been upset, but Rose couldn’t ignore the fear that lingered in her mind—the question of what had upset Kara so much.

  In their banter, they’d missed the last part of Princess Myrinne’s speech. Now, from the sounds of it, she’d already moved on to the vows. “There’s only two questions you must ask yourselves,” the princess told the couple. “First, do you love each other? And second, do you want to be together? Forevermore?”

  The bride and the groom recited something in their own language, and though the words sounded unfamiliar, Rose was sure that they’d said something to the nature of: “I do.” They then moved closer, preparing to kiss, Rose assumed.

  Boy, was she wrong.

  The bride pushed the rope further along their arms, until it was around their elbows instead, allowing their hands to move more freely. Then, they closed the last little bit of space between them—the groom taking the bride’s wrist with one hand, and the bride taking the groom’s wrist with hers. Then, both of them, at the exact same time, sank their fangs into the other’s wrist, feeding from them.

  Rose’s mouth fell open. “What are they doing?” she whispered to Kara.

  Kara laughed. “It’s symbolic,” she teased, mimicking Rose’s earlier tone.

  Rose blushed, as she heard the two vampires moan at their first taste of blood. The scent of that blood permeated the entire room, sweeter than any blood Rose had ever smelled before—except for her own, of course. The scent triggered her hunger, causing her stomach to contract painfully. She blew out a shaky sigh, as she tried to stay in control. “It’s personal. It’s a very personal, private thing.”

  Kara shrugged. “When I was human, they had sex in front of people.”

  Rose’s eyes widened. “You don’t think they’re going to do that, do you?”

  Kara glanced at Rose, chuckling at the terror in Rose’s eyes. “No idea.”

  Rose reluctantly glanced up at the couple, her hunger intensifying at the sight of the blood—streaming down their arms and staining the rope. She reached up, pressing her fingers against her throat, as it burned with hunger. She couldn’t believe how easily everyone else watched it. Every gaze in the room looked darker than usual, dilated with hunger, and yet, all of them seemed in control. Rose, on the other hand, had to fight with all of her strength, just to resist the urge to jump up and attack the couple. She could practically taste the blood—sweet, powerful.

  Kara’s piercing, light blue gaze shifted toward Rose and darkened, as she sensed the hunger building inside of Rose. She leaned closer to Rose, the warmth of her breath caressing Rose’s ear, as she whispered, “You’re hungry, aren’t you?”

  Rose shuddered, as desire poured through her, intensifying her hunger.

  “Is it too much?” Kara whispered in her ear. “The blood? The hunger?”

  Rose clenched her jaw, feeling her fangs scrape her gums, as she tried to control it, as she tried to resist the urge to sink her fangs into someone’s throat.

  “You’re fighting it too hard,” Kara murmured. “It’s making it worse.”

  Rose turned her head, just slightly, her bright blue eyes—now dark with hunger—shifting toward Kara. Her gaze shifted down, lingering on Kara’s throat.

  That look alone—that dark spark of hunger in Rose’s eyes—sent shivers of arousal down Kara’s spine. “You need to get along with the hunger,” Kara said quietly. She reached out, pressing her fingertip against Rose’s jaw, turning Rose’s head back toward the front. She leaned closer, pressing her lips to Rose’s ear, and whispered, “Look at the blood. Enjoy the sight of it. Let the hunger start to burn.”

  Rose watched, as the crimson-red blood streamed down the bride’s arm, some of it dripping into the floor. Her mouth watered at the sight, and she leaned forward, desperate for a taste of it. Her stomach twisted and tightened painfully.

  Kara curled her fingers around Rose’s chin and then turned Rose’s face back toward her, meeting those glowing, red eyes. “Now, kiss me,” she growled.

  Rose didn’t even hesitate. Too overwhelmed by hunger and desire to do anything else, Rose pressed her lips against Kara’s, feeling the soft warmth of her lips, tasting the wet warmth of her mouth. She lifted her hands, her fingers sliding up Kara’s neck, finding the gentle slope of her jaw. She held Kara’s face in her hands, as she leaned in, deepening the kiss, moaning as Kara’s tongue met hers.

  “Bite me,” Kara whispered against her lips. “Cut my lip with your fangs.”

  Rose opened her eyes, revealing the red haze that danced like fire within them, and then, as that fierce, inhuman gaze met Kara’s gaze, she nipped at Kara’s lip with her fangs. She heard a soft, pleasant gasp escape Kara’s mouth, and then, she sucked the drop of blood that surfaced on Kara’s lip, moaning at the taste.

  Kara smiled slowly, her chest heaving. “Congratulations,” she whispered. She leaned back, watching as Rose’s eyes turned blue again. “You’re in control.”

  Rose blinked, realizing—with shock—that Kara was right. Her stomach still burned with hunger, but she wasn’t at its mercy, anymore. For the first time since becoming a vampire, she felt as if she could actually control her hunger.

  Kara ran her finger over her bottom lip, smiling, as she wiped away one last drop of blood. Then, she turned back toward the front, crossing one leather-clad leg over the other, and watching the bride and groom with a wolfish sm
ile.

  It occurred to Rose, then—after the entire incident was over—that she’d just made out with Kara in the middle of a wedding ceremony. She turned around, her cheeks reddening, as she glanced at the vampires behind her. Luckily, no one seemed to be watching them. Everyone seemed much more concerned with the ceremony itself. Well, that is, everyone, except for Zosime. Rose’s blush deepened as her gaze met a pair of large, brown eyes. Zosime offered Rose a knowing smile.

  “Oh my word,” Rose muttered, spinning around to face the front. She noticed Kara’s gaze shift back toward her, and she whispered, “Zosime saw us.”

  Kara lifted her eyebrows. Then, she turned, bracing her arm on the back of her chair, as she shamelessly met Zosime’s gaze. Rose tried to get Kara to turn back toward the front—or at least make it less obvious—but Kara simply grinned at Zosime and lifted her hand, wiggling her fingers in a very self-satisfied wave.

  The flower-loving, clairvoyant vampire chuckled at her and waved back.

  “I’m going to die of embarrassment,” Rose muttered under her breath.

  “Relax,” Kara said, laughing at Rose. “She probably thought it was hot.”

  “Yeah, that doesn’t make me any less embarrassed, actually,” Rose said.

  Kara’s smile widened, taking on that wolfish tilt that Rose knew so well.

  “Now that the blood sharing is complete,” the princess said, so suddenly that her voice actually startled Rose, “it’s time for the final part of our ceremony.”

  Rose watched as the couple licked their wrists, healing the bite wounds.

  Princess Myrinne’s pale blue eyes shifted toward Rose. “And I’m pleased to announce that we have the Eklektos herself here tonight,” she said, sweeping her hand toward Rose. Everyone in the room turned to look at Rose, a collective gasp sounding throughout the room. Rose sank lower in her seat, cringing at the unwanted attention. “My Eklektos,” the princess said, “please, come. Join us.”

  Rose resisted the urge to whimper, like a puppy, at the request. Her face reddened even more than before, as she climbed to her feet and reluctantly made her way to the center of the room. Then, as if the situation weren’t bad enough, everyone in the room suddenly fell to the floor, in front of their chairs, bowing on their hands and knees, to Rose. Well, everyone, except for Kara, at least. Kara just glanced around at the other vampires, her brows high. Then, Kara shrugged one shoulder, and to Rose’s dismay, got down on her knees, as well. Rose scowled at her, but Kara just smiled and shrugged. Rose sighed and turned to the princess.

  “Why are they bowing?” she complained, grimacing as she realized that the bride and groom were also on their knees. Rose gave the princess a pleading look. “Can you make them stop?” she whispered, as quietly as she possibly could.

  The princess frowned bewilderedly, like she always did when Rose asked for perfectly reasonable behavior. But she nodded, anyway. “Return to your seats, please, so that we can finish the ceremony.” She then turned toward the priestess that she’d been whispering to earlier. “Melitta, I assume you have the candle?”

  The priestess nodded and carried a small, white candle to the couple.

  The couple held the candle between them, their arms still tied together.

  Princess Myrinne turned to Rose. She bent forward at the waist, bowing to Rose, like the others had. “My Eklektos, would you please light the candle?”

  “Uhh,” Rose stammered. She glanced at the bride and groom, who held up the candle, watching her expectantly, and then, she turned toward the princess and lowered her voice. “Sure, but…uh…what am I supposed to light it with?”

  The princess looked up at her. “Your mind,” she said, her brows high.

  Rose blushed—because, obviously, that’s what they expected of her. She should’ve known. But she honestly wasn’t sure that she could do it. She glanced at the candle, concentrating on its wick, willing it to catch fire. Nervousness began to flutter in her stomach, and her heart began to race. Nothing was happening.

  “Is there a problem,” Princess Myrinne asked gently, “my Eklektos?”

  Rose shrugged, insecurity filling her chest. “I don’t know if I can do it.”

  Everyone in the room stared at her, as if she’d said something heretical.

  Before Rose could react to the shocked crowd, she heard the soft thud of footsteps and felt a tingling sensation dancing over her skin—an inner warning of Kara’s approach. Rose gasped, as Kara came up behind her and grabbed her, spinning her around. Kara looped her arms around Rose’s waist, the front of her body colliding with the front of Rose’s, as she pulled Rose close and kissed her.

  As soon as Kara’s lips crashed against Rose’s, Rose melted into her arms, looping her arms around Kara’s neck, sinking her fingers into Kara’s silky hair.

  Kara’s fingers found their way beneath Rose’s shirt, connecting with the warm, soft skin beneath, as her lips moved against Rose’s. Rose gasped at Kara’s touch, her lips parting, and Kara used that opportunity to slide her tongue into Rose’s mouth. Kara tasted a hint of her own blood in Rose’s mouth, and she felt the sharpness of Rose’s fangs. She sensed Rose’s desire building—burning hotter.

  Then, they heard the applause. Rose took a step back, glancing out at the crowd, as the vampires cheered and clapped for them. With a bewildered frown, Rose turned toward the couple. Her eyes widened, as soon as she saw the candle.

  A bright, flickering flame burned atop the candle in the couple’s hands.

  Rose leaned toward Kara and whispered—careful to keep her voice low enough that none of the others heard, “How did you know that would work?”

  Kara smiled, shameless as ever. “I didn’t. I just wanted to kiss you.”

  Warmth rushed to Rose’s cheeks. She shook her head, her lips twitching.

  Princess Myrinne turned back toward the crowd and gave the last line of her speech: “The flame is a source of shadows and illumination—Darkness and Light. It represents the intersection of Light and Darkness. It represents love.”

  Rose leaned closer to Kara. “Is it just me, or have they been talking about light and darkness, as if they were…more than light and darkness?” she whispered.

  Kara turned away from the princess, tapping her finger against her lips—discreetly motioning for Rose to stop talking about that. “Later,” she mouthed.

  Rose nodded, immediately dropping the subject. She glanced at Princess Myrinne, checking to see if they were being watched, but Princess Myrinne hadn’t turned toward them yet. She still watched the crowd, which seemed a bit restless.

  “We wish this couple love,” Princess Myrinne added, “and we’ll continue to celebrate that love in the banquet hall. Which, I know, is where you’re all eager to go.” She flashed a forced smile, as the audience chuckled. “Let the party begin.”

  Kara waited until most of the guests had left the room to say, “So…this party,” she teased. “Is this where we’ll get to taste that wine you love so much?”

  Princess Myrinne’s pale blue gaze darted toward Kara, she carefully took the candle from the couple’s joined hands. “There will be a mandatory toast, yes.”

  “Mandatory?” Rose repeated, her brows furrowing. “But I don’t drink.”

  Princess Myrinne blew out the candle and handed it to a vampire in red robes. “You will tonight,” she said simply. She began untying the couple’s arms.

  “She will?” Kara scoffed. “I thought you served the will of the Eklektos.”

  Princess Myrinne straightened. “If you had any idea what you’re talking about,” she snarled under her breath, “you wouldn’t speak so recklessly about it.”

  “Then, why don’t you tell me what I’m talking about?” Kara challenged.

  Princess Myrinne sighed. She finished pulling the rope free and smiled at the couple. “Why don’t you two go on to the party? They’ll be waiting for you.”

  The couple nodded, and after bowing to Rose, they left, leaving the three of t
hem by themselves. Princess Myrinne removed her gloves, tracing her fingers over the tattoo on the back of her hand—circular with a flame joining two halves.

  “What does that mean?” Rose asked curiously. “What is that symbol?”

  Princess Myrinne didn’t answer. She didn’t even acknowledge that Rose had asked a question at all. Instead, she turned toward Rose, offering her a smile. “Thank you—for the fire. You have no idea how much that meant to them.”

  Rose shrugged awkwardly. “It was nothing. I mean…literally nothing.”

  “Maybe to you,” Princess Myrinne said, “but to them, it was everything.”

  Rose frowned at that, wondering why anyone would care so much about her involvement. “I’m sorry about the kiss, by the way,” she said with a shy smile.

  Princess Myrinne smiled at her. “Don’t be,” she laughed, much to Kara’s surprise. She shrugged. “It was pretty romantic, actually, and the crowd loved it.”

  Kara lifted her eyebrows. “Since when do you react pleasantly to things?”

  Rose nudged Kara, her eyes wide, but Kara just offered her a flirty smile.

  “I did have one question,” Princess Myrinne said, studying Rose with a curious frown. “For a moment, it seemed as if you didn’t think you could do it.”

  Rose winced shamefully. “Yeah, I’m not good at controlling my power.”

  “It’s not that she’s not good at it,” Kara argued. Her icy blue gaze shifted toward Rose. “She doubts her abilities, which makes it harder to control them.”

  “Why would you doubt your abilities?” the princess asked incredulously. “Don’t you know what you can do? Lighting a candle is the least of your abilities.”

  “I know,” Rose sighed, “I can do a lot of stuff with telekinesis, but…”

  “Telekinesis?” Princess Myrinne interrupted. “You think it’s telekinesis?”

  “What? My power?” Rose asked bewilderedly. “My power is telekinesis.”

  Kara studied Princess Myrinne with a frown. “What else could it be?”

  The princess seemed uncomfortable, all of the sudden. “Please, excuse me, my Eklektos,” she said, bowing. “I need to go speak with the musicians.”