InSpire (Spire Chronicles Book 1)

by April Wood

  “That was fantastic.” Darian grabbed a towel and gently wiped us both off before climbing into bed with her.

  “It was earth shattering.” She yawned widely.

  “I think we should sleep.” He curled her up in his arms and covered them with his wings. He leaned into her ear and whispered, “I will never get enough of you.”

  “Good.”

  “I love you, Athena.”

  “I love you, Darian.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Three days later and she still didn’t like them announcing him as Prince Darian. After a long day of hearing people’s worries and woes, she was crabby. She thought all her father did was take reports and capture demons. Ruling this kingdom was far more work than she had thought it would be. His return would be welcome at this point.

  “You know, sister, you are starting to develop a glow.” Johan was walking beside her toward the dining room. It had taken him the two days prior to recover from the shock of losing their father. At one point Athena thought he would never come out of his room. She was glad he did. Tonight was a special dinner for some of the Lords and Ladies of the land. It was beyond time to welcome them into her graces.

  “Thank you?”

  “It was a compliment. I think pregnant Prins are gorgeous.”

  “So you know?”

  “Everyone knows, sis. Did you forget there are no secrets in this kingdom?” His laughter brings a smile to her face.

  “I guess I had forgotten.” She put her arm around his neck. She gave him a squeeze then rubbed her knuckles on his scalp.

  “Must I sit with these people?” They hadn’t even reached the door yet and he was trying to excuse his way out of the dinner. Athena had to admit she wanted out of it as well. Darian wasn’t clueless. They would run away if he didn’t grab her hand and strengthen her now. That was what he did.

  “You are the Prince of Spire. You have a duty.” She steadied her back trying to believe her own words.

  “I know but it is so boring.”

  “You will grow out of that soon enough.”

  The doors opened to reveal a very posh laid table. The invited nobleman were standing around sipping drinks and talking. It was their custom that they should not sit until the King and Queen did. They walked in and the assembly bowed. Darian pulled out her chair and she took a seat. As she did the entire company found a way to the table and be seated. She still agreed with Johan. It was written all over her face. This was not the place she wished to be. They were boring and full of nothing but political posturing. Darian would grab her hand under the table from time to time. It was good for her to have him by her side. The way her hormones fluxed she could kill this entire assembly for the joy of it. The meal began ordinarily enough. After the third course was served, Ubrene came into the room. He found her and bowed. Then moved up to her ear.

  “Majesty, we have a problem.”

  She nodded and then stood. Darian stood with her. The entire assembly looked confused. They stood and waited for her to say something.

  “Please forgive me but I have urgent business. I will return as soon as possible. Come Johan and Darian, we are needed.”

  Johan nearly jumped out of his chair. It was nice of Athena to include him. She knew he didn’t want to be there. It would be rude to leave him there. They walked to the throne room but Ubrene led them behind the throne to the war room. They found several of the generals leaning over the maps talking.

  “Your Majesty.”

  “Will someone please tell me what has interrupted my dinner?”

  “As of late demon hunts have been put on hold. There are valid reasons for this, but it has caused a problem.”

  “And you are?”

  “Excuse me, Your Majesty. I’m General Vashton.”

  “I appreciate your candidness, General Vashton. What do you require of me?”

  “We need to send out several patrols to gather demons. It has been too long.”

  “I will lead one.” Darian proudly volunteered first. He was always very successful when he led missions. His sense of time and place was better than most.

  “I will as well.” Johan was next to stand up.

  “You are too young.” Athena felt he was not ready for this.

  “I have done over fifty missions already.” Johan was ready to prove her wrong.

  “If you go, I will go with you.”

  “That is too dangerous, Your Majesty.” General Vashton was protesting loudly.

  “Listen, I was a demon hunter long before I became Queen. It’s in my blood.” Athena stood steadfast next to her husband and brother. She was going on this hunt. Her body craved it. There was still no news of her father. She needed to make something bleed.

  “Still.”

  “If it will make you feel better I swear I will only observe him.”

  “It doesn’t but if you insist I can’t stop you,” General Vashton relinquished.

  “Good. That puts three parties out hunting. Will that be enough?” Darian was ready to go. Athena would have to change. Darian always kept his fighting gear on underneath his robe.

  “It’s a good start.”

  “Ubrene, please inform my guests dinner is over. Extend my deepest regrets for finishing early. Darian and I will suit up and meet you back here in ten minutes.”

  The men in the room bowed to them as they headed toward their bed chamber. Athena had a special outfit for hunting. It was given to her by her father when she went on her first hunt. Armor was too heavy and loud when you were trying to be stealthy. Her father called it a cat suit. It was black and formed to her body like a glove. It made hiding in the shadows and moving through plains so much easier. Darian used a special suit but he had his plated in the arms and legs. He liked to get his hands on them. She promised to only watch, so she sheathed a knife in her waist. This was the only protection she was bringing. It would protect her if need arose.

  They met the groups back at the war room. Darian found his way passed the war room into guard quarters. Darian hand selected six of the soldiers from the King’s guard. They were all soldiers he was very familiar with. Johan had a group of five prepared. The General also had six at his command.

  “Let’s go.” Athena joined Johan.

  “You are just watching, sis.”

  “Sorry.” Athena was hoping not to keep her word. She was itching for a fight.

  “Come on men.”

  Athena found a place at the back of Johan’s group. Athena struggles a great deal to just watch. Everything in her made her want to pounce. She was bred to be a warrior not a watcher. There was nothing more natural to her now then stalking down a rogue demon. Not long ago she didn’t even believe in demons, now she was hunting them. Her life was really taking a three hundred and sixty degree turn.

  She followed them through the castle and to the forest around the castle. There were several portals there that could be used to hunt. There was a special blade that had to be used. Johan pulled his from his waist and stabbed the spot. A crackle almost like thunder filled the air. The once smooth air now resembled shattered glass. He flew back a little ways as the power started to surge. A crack formed and started to widen. The darkness grew until we could get through it. The men all flew through followed closely by Athena. When they arrived in the human plain, Johan closed the portal much the same way he opened it. He thrust the blade in and waited for it to close. Prins were trained to never leave a portal open.

  Johan gathered his men to go over strategy. Athena gave him space. Her role here was to only observe. He needed the space so temptation wouldn’t lead her to give an opinion. They broke up and started off to the north. Hanging back she sniffed the air. It was night there so their location was foreign to her. It smelled familiar but not so much that it was obvious. She settled her mine and tried to focus her skills. If there were demons in the area their smell and the sensation would hit her. She inhaled a large quantity of air. She smelled one almost immediately. Johan had the
scent as well. He was leading the soldiers toward it. She thought they should be quieter but she bit her tongue.

  She watched them stalk their prey. Some of the men were very talented. They had learned to keep low and hug the natural environment. She struggled to follow Johan. She didn’t know why she ever doubted that boy. He was smooth like a leopard or a cheetah. His ability to be quiet was overwhelming to her. He was a pro at this. As they got closer the demon came into view. He was unaware of their presence. He was busy feeding on what appeared to be a hooker. They appeared to be in the throes of sex. Each demon had a method. This must have been his. It was new to Athena. In the past she had seem them suck from people in the middle of depression. This was something new. The slight red pulse under his skin left no room to deny what he was doing.

  Johan shimmied up a tree next to the demon. He made it to the top without shedding a signal leaf or letting out a sound. He watched his prey for a moment. They really had no concern for the woman. Their job was to catch the demon not stop him from doing what he did. She saw Johan put his blade in his mouth. He was getting ready to pounce. His soldiers had encircled the tree. Johan took his opportunity. He jumped from the tree right on the demons back. He plunged the blade in between his shoulders. The demon let out a snarl and tried to bolt. The soldiers were there with chains. They ensnared him easily. She watched as he kicked and screamed. Johan dragged him over to Athena with an enormous smile on his face.

  “Happy?”

  “Very.”

  “Shall we.” We flew with our prey to the portal site.

  “We should make sure there are no uninvited travels on any of us.”

  “How do we do that?”

  “This blade is blessed. It will force any witches to reveal themselves. I will pass it over everyone before they enter.” Athena pulled the blade from her waist. Her mother had given her the blade years ago. She told her it was blessed and witches couldn’t hide from it.

  “And who will pass it over you?”

  She handed him the blade and said, “You.”

  He waved it over her then opened the portal. She scanned him and all his men then passed through. They couldn’t take chances now that they knew how they would travel. She would not willingly make her people suffer at the hands of some depraved witches.

  As they arrived back in Spire, she looked around for Darian. She didn’t see him right away. She was very concerned. He should be back. The other hunting party was already dropping their demon off at the camp. General Vashton waited for her to come through. He was looking for her when Johan came through.

  “Things went very well, Your Majesty,” he said, bowing deeply.

  “How many did you capture?”

  “We captured one and destroyed two. It was a very productive raid.”

  “Good. I want nightly raids scheduled for the next month. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

  He smiled then bowed. He took off for the camp as she stood and waited for the other party. Johan took the prisoner to the camp himself. He left two sentinels there to protect her though she protested. The beauty of where he left her wasn’t even something her eyes could enjoy. Darian’s portal was in the middle of the garden. Normally this was a meditative place for her. Right now all she could do was pace and bite her nails.

  On her fifteenth pass the portal started to open. The two sentinels drew their swords prepared to fight whatever came through the portal. Athena held her breath hoping it was just Darian and his men coming through. She wouldn’t be caught off guard ever. She drew her sword and stood still waiting.

  “You going to kill me?” His deep voice chilled her nerves immediately.

  “Maybe?” Athena took off toward him. She threw her arms around his necked and squeezed for dear life. He was gone to long for her liking.

  “Miss me?”

  “Never again.”

  “We will see.” He had his arm around her waist tightly. Her sword was still drawn but it was at her side. He was nearly carrying her back to the guards.

  “I mean it.”

  “Uh huh,” a voice cleared in the background. Athena blushed as she realized his men were right behind him. She forgot they weren’t alone. His men had come through right behind him.

  “We did well,” he said, turning to show her the captives. His men had three demons bound. She nodded to them as they headed off to the camp.

  “Three?”

  “Three live captives.” His deep throaty laugh gave her pause. She knew he was lethal, but that laugh suggested it was much worse than she thought. She couldn’t blame him. She was itching to spill some blood. It was a need that was growing inside her with ferocity. She wasn’t sure why. It could have been the baby, but she wouldn’t know. She had never known a pregnant Prin. She was in no way prepared for anything this child could do.

  “So how many total?” We decided to walk back to the palace. He held her hand tightly in his.

  “Eight.”

  “You killed five?”

  “No choice. They were aggressive. It seems we were not the only ones hunting. The last demon let me know he would rather rush my blade then meet the witch.”

  “Meet the witch?”

  “He was on my blade seconds later. I didn’t have time to ask. I assume it must be one of the ones that stole your father. They would be looking to harness all the demon power they could.”

  “I see.”

  They continued into the palace in silence. It had been a long day for both of them. Athena wanted nothing more than to sleep. She stripped off her cat suit and climbed into bed. It wasn’t until she looked up that she noticed Darian was covered in all sorts of goo. He took off his armor and headed right for the shower. Good idea. She wouldn’t want to sleep next to that mess. She laid there for a while hoping to talk some more, but she fell asleep.

  Darian came out of the shower to find her fast asleep. He knew she had been through the ringer for the last few days. He laid down beside her and held her close to his body. She was on fire. He wrapped her up in his wings. Sleep took him quickly.

  Darian woke up to find Athena asleep. She was usually wide awake when the light was up in the sky. He went to the bathroom and performed his morning routine. He hoped she would be awake when he returned. She wasn’t. He decided to let her sleep.

  “Where’s the Queen?” Ubrene was shuffling the papers around. He was ready for the day, but not ready to only see Darian.

  “She is resting.”

  “Will she be up for business today?” Ubrene shifted his glasses up and looked at Darian. His distaste for Ubrene was palpable. He wasn’t the best advisor, nor was he a fan of Darian.

  “I will take care of business today.”

  Ubrene started to complain and then thought better of it. Darian sat down on the main throne for the first time ever. He waited for the people to be called in. He wasn’t supremely comfortable, but he knew Athena’s mind. His decisions would be right in line with hers.

  After hours of listening, Darian was finally done with the day’s business. He checked in with the generals in the war room. Demon capture was up by ten percent. They were finally heading in the right direction, but they still had no idea who this witch was. She was obviously gathering power and scaring the demons. She would need to be dealt with. She was a risk to all they held dear.

  Darian went back to the room to check on Athena. Johan joined him.

  “Is she dead?” He was clearly worried. Johan was a fierce warrior but he was a softy when it came to family.

  “No. She is breathing. I think her body is just adjusting to be pregnant.”

  “I hope you are right.”

  “Let’s get some dinner. I will keep an eye on her. I promise.”

  They walked out of the room and went to the dining room. They ate in silence. It was obvious there was a lot on their minds. Darian was being strong for Johan. He was shaky and scared. Darian walked him to his room and then went back to Athena. She was still sleeping soundly. He s
tripped and crawled into bed with her. She was on fire again. He wrapped his wings around her and cooled her down.

  The next day went by in the same manner. Now they were starting wonder. She wasn’t moving much. Her chest was rising and falling softly but with a normal rhythm. He was worried, but laid down with her again. The wings unfurled once more.

  “Is she alright?”

  “I think so.” Darian’s voice was clear and deep.

  “It’s been two days though?” the other voice asked.

  Her eyes were closed shut and refusing to open. She didn’t move a muscle that wasn’t absolutely necessary. She looked like a statue. It scared everyone in the room.

  “She will wake up soon. Have no fear.” Darian was confidant.

  “I’m not afraid, but if Johan needs to rule in her stead we should go about it now.” Ubrene was eager to replace her.

  “She is fine. Pregnant woman sometimes just need to rest. You should know this. Hasn’t your wife bore you five children?”

  “Yes, but she never slept for two days straight,” Ubrene replied.

  “She wasn’t the Queen or just went on a hunting mission either.” Darian was defiant. He wasn’t going to stand there and let Ubrene replace his wife. Not after all she had done to make it there.

  “Fine. I can give you until tonight. If she hasn’t risen by then I will appoint Johan as temporary leader.” Ubrene bowed to Darian and then left the room.

  Darian can sense Athena was trying to move. Her body was still in the same position. For some reason she wasn’t able to do what she wanted. He sat down on the bed beside her and stroked her hair. He was more worried than he let on. He was truly afraid Ubrene would usurp Athena.

  “Babe, you have to get up. The kingdom needs you. I know it has been a rough few days but you are stronger than this,” he said, softly stroking her hand. She wanted to get up. He just knew she was fighting this. He would fix it if he could. She had to know that. Darian left the room to take care of business.