The Reign of Darkness

by Britney Jackson

“My next trick,” Rose said, “is making it so that you’ll never heal again.”

  The woman took a step back. “Oh. She is fond of her Wolf, isn’t she?”

  “No!” Princess Myrinne yelled, as Rose stepped toward the woman. “No, you can’t hurt her!” She stepped closer to Rose, holding up her hands. “Please.”

  Rose turned toward the princess, studying her with a suspicious frown. “Princess Myrinne, I know this is your kingdom, but she attacked my girlfriend.”

  “Yes,” Princess Myrinne agreed, wincing, “but she’s also…my mother.”

  “And the queen,” the woman added. “You may bow now, little Wolf.”

  “If I weren’t injured,” Kara muttered, “I’d stand, just to piss you off.”

  Rose glared at the queen. “I don’t care who you are, you psychotic idiot. You hurt someone I love, and that’s not the kind of thing I forgive. Or forget.”

  “The wrath of the Eklektos,” the queen murmured, excitement dancing in her brown eyes. “What would you do to avenge a lover? Who would you kill?”

  Shadows darkened Rose’s eyes. “I’ll burn you all to ashes, if I have to.”

  The queen simply smiled, as if she’d hoped for this. “I bet you would.”

  Kara sensed the shift in energy. She recognized the emotions she sensed inside of Rose from another night—the night her brother died. She glanced up at Rose, frowning, as she noticed the shadows in Rose’s eyes. “Rose? Are you okay?”

  Rose’s eyes shifted toward Kara, and the darkness within them instantly faded. She blinked, her eyes now blue again. “Yeah,” she said softly. “Are you?”

  “Please, my Eklektos,” the princess said. “Hurt anyone else, but not her.”

  Rose glanced at her, frustrated both by this kingdom’s secrets—and the fact that the princess clearly wasn’t concerned enough about her people. “If you care that much about her, I’d suggest you keep her away from the people I love.”

  “I will,” Princess Myrinne assured her. She turned toward her warriors. “Take the queen back to her room. And double the usual number of guards.”

  “Quadruple,” Ligeia corrected, glancing uneasily at the princess, as she addressed the other warriors. “The queen is powerful. We mustn’t underestimate her. Some of our people died tonight. They deserved better protection than this.”

  Princess Myrinne spun toward Ligeia, her mouth falling open in shock.

  Ligeia bowed slightly at the waist. “I meant no offense, my Princess.”

  “Did you?” the princess snarled. She exhaled slowly, her nostrils flaring, and then, she nodded. “Very well. Quadruple them. I trust Ligeia’s judgement.”

  “I sense a bit of tension,” Kara muttered. “Not the good kind, though.”

  The queen just smiled at Rose, as several warriors restrained her. “Come see me later,” she murmured, “if you want to know why I killed these people.”

  “The Eklektos isn’t coming to see you, Mother,” the princess scoffed.

  Rose eyed the princess suspiciously. She desperately needed to figure out what these people were hiding—before someone she cared about got hurt. Again.

  “I want all of the attackers executed,” Princess Myrinne told Ligeia.

  “Except for the queen,” Ligeia said, her eyes narrowed, “I assume.”

  Princess Myrinne scowled. “Obviously. What kind of question is that?”

  “Just confirming your orders,” Ligeia said, bowing, “Your Highness.”

  Half of the warriors escorted the attackers from the room, and the other half escorted the queen—by herself—from the room. Ligeia followed the queen.

  Rose scowled at the princess. “Are your weddings always this eventful?”

  “If you’re asking if they all end in massacre,” Princess Myrinne said, her chin lifted, “no.” She ran her hand over her side, where she, too, had been injured during the attack. “I need to find people to care for our wounded—the ones who survived, anyway,” she said, glancing around at the room full of dead vampires, “but I will personally look after your lover. You can take her to my healing room.”

  “No offense, princess,” Kara scoffed, “but I’d rather feed from Rose.”

  “I’m not offering you my blood, you barbaric…” the princess trailed off, as she noticed the look that Rose was giving her. “I mean, you brave…warrior.”

  “What could you do to help her?” Rose said. “Besides giving her blood?”

  “I have potions that sometimes prevent scarring,” Princess Myrinne said. She looked away, suddenly uncomfortable. “And others that…do other things.”

  Rose’s bright blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Other things, like…”

  “The treatment,” Kara realized. “She’s afraid her mother poisoned me.”

  “What?” Rose gasped. She fell to her knees, beside Kara, covering Kara’s wound with her hand. “It’s not, is it? How are you feeling? You don’t think…”

  “Rose,” Kara said, cupping Rose’s face in her hands, “I’m okay. Relax.”

  “It’s not that I think my mother poisoned her,” Princess Myrinne began, slowly, wincing, as Rose glared at her. “I’d just like to double-check. Just in case.”

  Rose slid her arm around Kara’s waist and helped her to her feet, before spinning toward Princess Myrinne. “I only came here because you said that the people I love would be safe. Either keep your word, or take us somewhere else.”

  “I apologize, my Eklektos,” Princess Myrinne said easily. “I’ll do better.”

  Rose could still feel the anger and protectiveness seething in her blood, but she could also feel the curiosity rising within her, as well. She needed to figure out what they were hiding, and she could only think of one way to find out more.

  “Ligeia,” Princess Myrinne said, when the warrior returned. “Show the Eklektos and her warrior to my healing room. I’ll meet them there in a moment.”

  Ligeia bent her head in a kind of bow. “Yes, my Princess,” she said, and then, she turned to Rose and Kara. “Would you please follow me, my Eklektos?”

  Rose glanced at Kara, noticing how tired she looked. “I’m carrying you.”

  Kara flashed a weak—but flirty—smile. “Whatever you say, my lady.”

  —

  “You’re so scared,” Kara whispered to Rose. “I feel your heart racing.”

  Rose glanced down at her. “It’s just the adrenaline,” she said dismissively.

  Kara’s intense, ice-blue gaze bore into Rose, piercing through her. “Liar.”

  Rose looked up, watching as Ligeia unlocked the door. “I’m scared for you,” she admitted quietly. She looked down at Kara. “Are you feeling all right?”

  “She didn’t poison me,” Kara said, “if that’s what has you so terrified.”

  “You don’t know that,” Rose said worriedly. “How could you know?”

  Kara tilted her head back, leaning tiredly against Rose. “In those few days before we came to America, Aaron and I encountered the Assassins of Light fairly often. Usually on purpose. We watched several vampires die from the poisoned-blood. I remember their symptoms. If the queen had poisoned me, I’d know.”

  Rose noticed Ligeia’s brown eyes shift in their direction. “What if it’s not the same poison?” she challenged. “The symptoms would be totally different.”

  “It’s the same poison,” Kara assured her. “When we brought Elise onto the ship, they immediately knew what was wrong. How do you think they knew?”

  Ligeia opened the door and turned toward them. “You can go on inside,” she said. Her dark brown eyes were narrowed, but they also seemed…worried.

  Rose watched suspiciously, as she asked Kara one more question, “Why would the Kingdom of Skotalia have the same poison as the Assassins of Light?”

  Kara looked at Ligeia as well, her eyebrows lifting. “Why, indeed?”

  Ligeia’s jaw tightened. “I’ll leave you be, then. Best wishes, my Eklektos.”

  T
hen, with a quick bow, she left, clearly eager to get away from them.

  “I think that was confirmation,” Kara said, looking at Rose, “don’t you?”

  “Definitely,” Rose agreed. Her bright blue gaze shifted toward Kara. “I trust them less and less every minute. But…first priority: let’s get you inside.”

  As Rose stepped inside, she cast a quick glance around the small room, noticing a bed, a table, and a door in the corner. Supplies—for their medicines, Rose assumed—filled the shelves on the wall. When she was satisfied that they were alone, Rose carried Kara over to the bed. She knelt, as she set Kara down.

  She found her face just inches from Kara’s. Kara’s breath still smelled of fruit and blood, and her light blue eyes glistened like ice. Kara leaned in for a kiss.

  Rose straightened, suddenly. “I need to go.” But before she could even put a little distance between them, Kara grasped her wrist and held her in place.

  “I’ve scared you,” Kara said softly. “You always run when you’re scared.”

  Rose shook her head quickly. “That’s not true,” she said with a frown.

  Intensity burned in Kara’s light blue eyes. “You don’t run from monsters, no. You’re too stubborn, too brave, for that. But feelings? Those, you run from.”

  Rose swallowed uneasily. “I’m not running away, Kara. I just need to…”

  “I’m sorry I scared you,” Kara murmured, her accent stronger than usual.

  “Kara,” Rose said. She shook her head, smiling. “You didn’t scare me.”

  “How many times must I tell you,” Kara sighed, “you can’t lie to a liar?”

  Rose frowned. “I’m not afraid of commitment. I commit to everything.”

  “No, not commitment,” Kara said slowly. “You’re afraid I’ll hurt you.”

  Rose’s smile faded. “No,” she whispered. “Kara, I know you’d never…”

  “No, you don’t,” Kara interrupted. “You believe. You hope. It’s not the same as knowing.” She trailed her fingers over Rose’s wrist, gently caressing her skin. “It’s an understandable fear. I just confessed that I—the woman you love—am afraid of commitment. You’re afraid I’ll fuck things up between us. I am, too.”

  “Kara,” Rose sighed, “I have more faith in you than that. I promise.”

  “But it’s still on your mind. If I’m scared of what’s between us, what will I do next? What if I do run from you?” Kara said. “It’s a perfectly sensible fear.” Her lean shoulders lifted nonchalantly. “I’m a fuck-up. I can’t have good things.”

  “You’re not,” Rose argued. She knelt in front of Kara and took Kara’s hands into hers. “What happened to that impenetrable self-confidence of yours?”

  “It’s not a lack of confidence,” Kara laughed. “It’s just part of who I am. I’ve accepted it. I’ve fucked up every relationship I’ve ever been in. I always will.”

  “Not Alana,” Rose told her. “That relationship failed because of her.”

  Kara laughed sadly, “Alana was my fuck-up. I should’ve never fallen into her trap. But I was vulnerable and broken when she came to me, and being with someone as screwed up as her—it made me feel less broken. I should’ve realized long before I did that she wasn’t the person I thought she was. I should have seen through the lies. But I didn’t. Because I didn’t want to. Because I needed her.”

  Rose heard the thick disgust in Kara’s voice when she said the word need, but before she could say anything about it, Kara pressed her finger to Rose’s lips.

  “I am afraid, too, that I will mess this up,” Kara told Rose, her voice no more than a whisper, “but please, understand this: I’d never hurt you. I couldn’t.”

  “Kara,” Rose said with a sad smile, “there’s no way for you to know…”

  “But I do,” Kara argued. “Your pain is mine, Rose. I will never cause it.”

  Rose frowned. Her chest felt tight, her stomach fluttery. She rose up on her feet, tilting her face closer to Kara’s, the scent of blood and wine filling her head. Her lips were almost touching Kara’s when she heard movement nearby.

  Rose jumped up, suddenly. “I’m sorry. I have to go. It’s…important. I’ll be back,” she paused, wincing guiltily. “I promise.” Then, she fled from the room.

  Kara blinked in confusion. “Why couldn’t I have been a telepath?”

  “Telepathy is more of a curse than a gift, don’t you think?”

  Kara turned quickly, watching as Princess Myrinne emerged from a small door in the corner of the room—a door that seemed to lead out into another part of the cave. The princess carried an armful of supplies, which she dropped onto the table, next to the bed. “I don’t know. It seemed to work out fine for my ex-girlfriend,” Kara said, watching the princess suspiciously, “that is, until she died.” She tilted her head to the side, her dark hair falling over one shoulder. “But that had more to do with the fact that she was a psychotic, homicidal bitch than anything else.” She smiled bitterly at the princess. “Kind of like your mother.”

  Princess Myrinne looked up, her eyes narrowing. “Take off your armor.”

  “I have a girlfriend,” Kara said with a smile. “Otherwise, I’d be happy…”

  “If you finish that sentence,” the princess interrupted, “I’m walking out.”

  Kara chuckled, “You’re so uptight. Must be those mommy issues.”

  The glare that the princess gave Kara could’ve cut the toughest steel.

  11

  The Queen of Skotalia

  Rose wandered the halls in a confused daze, trying to find anything that might help her figure out where the queen’s room was. It would have helped, she thought, if she had any idea where anything was, at all. But, conveniently enough, the princess had never gotten around to giving them that tour she’d promised.

  Rose sighed in frustration. She couldn’t believe she’d given the princess the benefit of the doubt. She’d obviously been hiding things from the start, and Rose had gone along with her plans, anyway. And now, Kara was injured because of it. Part of her was furious with the princess. Part of her was furious with herself.

  “If you’re trying to sneak around, you probably shouldn’t sigh so loudly.”

  Rose spun around, looking up, as she found herself face-to-face with the intimidating warrior who had just left them. Or, well, face-to-base-of-throat, since Ligeia was taller than her. She flashed a guilty smile. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

  “My Eklektos,” Ligeia said, “it looks like you’re searching for someone.”

  “Like I said, not what it looks like,” Rose said. She fumbled with the sash around her stomach. “I thought I saw a…cat.” She winced. “I was following it.”

  “A feline?” Ligeia said, her eyebrows lifting. “This far underground?”

  Rose spread out her hands in defeat. “Cat is apparently my go-to lie.”

  Ligeia nodded, not even a little bit surprised. “You should get another.”

  “Yeah,” Rose sighed. “I want answers. Your queen offered them to me.”

  “She’s not my queen,” Ligeia said between clenched teeth. “I serve only my princess. Not her mother.” Her dark brown eyes flashed with disdain, but she somehow kept the rest of her face neutral, as she bowed. “My Eklektos, allow me to offer you some advice. Don’t trust the person who just killed her own people.”

  “What about your princess?” Rose challenged. “She was complicit, at the very least.” She watched, as Ligeia looked away, her brows creased. “I don’t trust any of you, actually. Especially not after what just happened to Kara.” Her bright blue eyes narrowed. “But I don’t have to trust someone to ask them questions.”

  “Queen Hypatia is manipulative,” Ligeia said. “Her answers will be, too.”

  Rose flashed a sassy smile. “Don’t worry. I’ve met a lot of manipulative people,” she assured Ligeia. Her smile faded. “More every day, as it turns out.”

  “Princess Myrinne didn’t want this to
happen, my Eklektos,” Ligeia said. “She would’ve never let her people get killed, if she’d known. She just…has a bit of a blind spot when it comes to her mom. I shouldn’t question her judgement…”

  “But you do,” Rose said simply. “You think she’s making bad decisions.”

  Ligeia lowered her voice. “Only when it comes to her mother,” she said. “The queen is dangerous. Princess Myrinne should’ve killed her a long time ago.”

  “The princess is busy right now,” Rose said. “If I’m going to get answers, I have to get them now. She attacked the woman I love. I deserve to know why.”

  “With all due respect, my Eklektos,” Ligeia said, her tone clipped, “you should be grateful that your warrior was only injured. Many of our people weren’t so lucky. Her followers killed a lot of our people, including the bride and groom.”

  Rose frowned sympathetically. “Akilina and Timotheo? But they were so nice,” she sighed. “Listen, I’m really sorry about the people you lost. But isn’t that all the more reason to let me do this? Don’t you want to know why she did it?”

  “She’s insane. That’s why,” Ligeia said. She crossed her arms across her leather-clad chest. “And apparently, we didn’t kill all of her followers, thousands of years ago, when we thought we did. Many people are still blindly loyal to her.”

  “Are you sure?” Rose said. “Because what if there was another reason?”

  “It would be treason to go against my princess’s wishes,” Ligeia told her.

  “You’re right,” Rose sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have even asked.”

  “Which is why,” Ligeia whispered, leaning closer, “I never saw you.”

  Rose straightened in surprise. “Wait. What?”

  “Leave the temple, and keep walking straight, until you see light,” Ligeia said softly. “It’s night, so it’s just moonlight. There’s a gap in the cave, above the queen’s cell. It prevents her from escaping during the day, while we’re sleeping.”

  Rose nodded. “And at night?”

  “Guards,” Ligeia said. “More than usual, tonight. But I think I can pull a few of them away. Just…don’t kill any of my warriors, okay? Find another way.”