Blood Princess: The Chronicles of Koa Book Three
Page 1
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Blood Princess: The Chronicles of Koa Book Three
K.N. Lee
Published by K.N. Lee, 2017.
Copyright © 2017 by K.N. Lee
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
For my fans
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Also By K.N. Lee
About the Author
Prologue
Nicolai Frost descended into the underground establishment, clutching an enchanted dagger in his gloved hands. Though his weapon of choice was a sniper rifle, he was prepared to silence any supernatural creature who might leap out from the shadows. This was uncharted territory—the paranormal underbelly of London. A place not even the sleaziest of vampires would dare venture.
Darkness shrouded him, though he peered ahead at the long series of tunnels and corridors that lead to an assortment of doors with translucent films stretched from ceiling to floor. Portals. The last that would stand after he and Viktor were done with their latest project.
Silence enveloped him, but the scent of water wafted into his nostrils. Water and sulfur. It was potent, and made him cringe. It had been many years since his last visit, but the scent made it feel as though it had only been yesterday.
He blinked, and his eyes began to glow. They lit his way, casting a dim light on the stone floor and slick walls. No one joined him on this very secret, very dangerous mission. Not even Viktor knew the truth about his pact, and he didn’t really care. The leader of the Netherworld Division was only concerned with results.
Find the half-blood.
That was Nicolai’s mission.
The secrets he harbored were buried so deep within his soul that even the angels with their telepathic skills couldn’t find them.
Nicolai was a peculiar breed of human. One of only two of his kind.
He’d lived for nearly a century, but looked half that old. It wasn’t for lack of trying, for he had nearly died several times. Working for the Netherworld Division wasn’t exactly a safe job, like a bank teller or a shop keeper. He was born for danger, and his ability to cheat death was a gift.
However—this time—he had no intentions of escaping Death.
Nicolai was here to seek him out.
Chapter 1
Love, and all of its madness, had saved Koa’s young life. Spending her teenage years as little more than a hostage, was worse than death, and she was done with that life. At sixteen, she yearned for more and knew she deserved better than being the third wife of a tyrant.
Her face still stung from the blade of one of Queen Lera’s daggers. The look of hate in that vampire’s eyes had burned itself into Koa’s memory and soul. She would never forget it, and their attempt to escape would have been over before it had even begun if Jax hadn’t pinned Lera’s body to the wall with a silver bolt.
He’d bought them minutes. That wouldn’t be enough.
Koa’s breaths came out quick and labored as she ran. Their secret was out, and neither she nor the prince were safe.
Her heart pounded as they ran through the underbelly of the palace, following the angel who was more of a villain than a savior.
Halston.
He’d told her father to bring her to the Netherworld and made her marry the king. It was all to protect the realm. To keep the peace between Lyrinia and Elyan. It was all lies. Her life hadn’t brought anyone peace, and she had spent years pushing the memories of her father’s part in that deal away.
Her satin shoes were soiled as they splashed through the dark and murky water of the tunnels.
“This way,” Halston said, turning a corner in what was a maze that made no sense to she or Jax.
His angelic glow was all of the light they had to see by. So, they ran as quickly as they could to keep up with him. She was a creature of the night, yet the dark still frightened her. Darkness clung to every crevice of those underground tunnels, and they were being chased by a monster—one that had looked for every excuse to punish her just for being the daughter of his enemy.
She might die on this night, and she was certain the king would not let her die quickly.
She chewed her bottom lip and sucked back tears as they trudged through the water that now reached their ankles. It was cold, and thicker than water. She nearly screamed out when she glanced down and saw by the light of Halston’s angelic shield that it was blood.
Netherworld vampires didn’t drink human blood.
At least, that’s what she’d always been told.
Her ears caught the faint sound of a far off cry and a scream.
King Greggan was drinking more than Carmia, and whatever creatures he was feeding off of had leaked all into the lower tunnels.
“Koa,” Jax called, grabbing her hand. “Keep up.”
She wiped her face and cringed at the sharp pain from the cut on her cheek. Tears were useless. She needed to suck it up and be strong. King Greggan had issued a warrant for their arrest, and Koa and Jax were prepared to die for their forbidden love. It would take a miracle to escape Lyrinia.
Halston—though she hated him—was that miracle.
Hand-in-hand, the young couple ran from the palace and out into the rear courtyard as midnight struck. To her surprise, there was a woman waiting for them in the dark. Her long, blonde hair blew in the faint whispers of the red wind that haunted the streets of the Netherworld each night.
Jax’s mother, first queen, Abigail.
She was cloaked, but her beautiful face was illuminated by Halston’s glow. That glow muted once they were outside of the palace. She looked to Koa.
“Did anyone see any of you enter the tunnels?” Abigail asked as she handed something shiny to Halston.
He put it in his pocket and pulled out a Netherworld pen. While he wrote on the air, Jax took his moth
er’s cloak and wrapped it around her.
She was grateful to be free from the chill in the air, and gave him a small smile, despite the fear that filled her veins.
“No, Mother,” Jax said. “But, Lera isn’t going to be happy with me when she gets loose from that bolt.”
“Lera can burn in hell for all I care,” Abigail said with a grimace. “Serves her right. She can stand a little pain for once. After all the suffering she’s inflicted.” She paused and pursed her lips as she stroked Jax’s cheek. She gave Koa one last look. “Go, then,” she said. “Be free from this place.”
Koa nodded and breathed in as Jax took her hand and pressed the palm to his cheek. He was cold, but his love warmed her. Then, he closed his eyes with a sigh.
Jax looked much like his mother, despite his blood-red colored hair. It was a shame that he and his sister, Evina, had anything from King Greggan. When he opened his eyes, the striking blue met hers with a sadness that alarmed her.
She licked her lips and glanced at Halston. They shouldn’t linger near the palace. Not for a moment longer.
“Where will you take us?” Koa asked Halston. Their plan was simple. Escape. But, where would they go if the king had spies in every corner of Lyrinia.
Halston took her by the hand. “Home,” he said, and before she could reply, he took her into the sky and flew from the palace.
It took her a moment to realize what was happening—that Jax was being left behind.
She hated Halston for that. That hate went so deep that she never knew she had the capacity to love him. Until she did.
Chapter 2
A demon’s kiss would kill most. But, for Koa, it merely slowed her down. She fought the dark images in her mind and the memories that threatened to cripple her.
She’d left Jax once before when she was just a girl. Now, she did so again as an adult. This time, she was chasing after Halston instead of being spirited away by him.
The screams of dying vampires and humans chased Koa as she flew through the dark night sky to the tallest mountain in the Cumbria countryside.
What happened at Lady Colleen’s grand ball would reshape civilization.
Lines had been drawn.
War was inevitable.
Images of blood being splattered all over the polished marble floors and stone walls of the castle flashed in Koa’s mind.
The truce between vampires and humans was broken. Why the angels had given up on them was beyond Koa, but all of that could wait. Right now, all that mattered was finding Halston.
She landed on the rocky terrain and ran to the cliff. Her tattered ball gown was covered in blood. Not all of it was hers.
Halston. She spoke with her heart, knowing that Halston would hear. He had to. She sucked in a sharp breath, her chest heaving as the wind whipped her long blue hair around her face.
The fact that Halston had sacrificed his only chance for redemption brought her to her knees. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
It was her fault.
All of it. She should have been left in Lyrinia where King Greggan would have killed her. It would have saved everyone in Koa’s life a world of trouble.
Now, the Netherworld Division would hunt them both. When she removed her hands from her face, she wiped her eyes. Crying would not solve anything. It never did. So, she took several deep breaths called into the wind.
“Halston. I’m sorry.”
The effects of the demon’s assault on her body left her weak. She fell back onto the ground, nearly paralyzed as the claw marks on her back stung all the way to the bone. Bund had intended on enslaving her. It had been his primary goal, and now he was gone.
Finally.
That didn’t mean that his torment would end.
She coughed up blood and stared at the black sky. The stars twinkled through a veil of warm tears as Koa sucked in a sharp breath, and all was calm.
Dying would be too easy.
THE VANGELIS ESTATE sprawled over acres upon acres of lush French land. Standing in the doorway, an eerie sensation overcame Koa.
Is this death? Have I crossed over? She knew heaven and hell were real, and had often considered which would claim her if she were to die. Being immortal was a luxury that could be ripped away at any moment.
Her eyes widened as she stood and looked around her father’s manor. This was the home that she had been brought to after growing up in poverty in South Korea. She remembered the scent of their hut burning at dawn, and the rain squelching its embers.
Her heart broke at the memories. Her mother never looked back once they were claimed by her father.
When two of King Greggan’s Syth thugs had attacked her in her father’s manor months ago, Koa and Raven packed their things away and abandoned the estate for England.
She touched the stone wall of the foyer. The cool surface sent shivers into her body, with it memories of sliding down the banister and flying from the landing played like a movie in her mind. It had been ages since Koa had smiled so big.
Just moments ago, she had been fighting for her life against angels, humans, and a demon determined to make her his eternal slave. But now, the pleasant memory brought a smile to her face. She breathed in the familiar scent of freshly cut roses and closed her eyes, desperate for it to remain.
She’d fly through the many dark corridors, whipping past the estate staff. No one seemed to mind. In fact, they encouraged her, chiming her on to go faster, but to watch out for her father’s valuable statues and treasures.
The staff of vamps were amazed by her gift of flight, but those weren’t New World vampires that worked for Koa’s father. He had brought them from Elyan, the eastern kingdom in the Netherworld. In the Netherworld, vampires of pure blood had all kinds of special powers, or “gifts” as her mother would call them.
The sound of footsteps came to her, and she scanned the halls with narrowed eyes.
“Who is there?”
The footsteps stopped, and Koa tensed. Warnings flooded her body like cold water, and the tiny hairs on her arms stood on end. This was her afterlife, the place she felt safest. Why did someone else have to be there, ruining it?
She reached for her sword and gasped when she realized it was gone.
When the footsteps resumed, they grew louder. Whoever was there, was coming toward her.
Frozen, she stood there, waiting. She watched the darkness of the hallway just across from her. It was pitch black, and a draft of cold air flew from the dark depths and blew her hair away from her face. White mists emerged from the ground and the scent of brimstone and coal overpowered the pleasant smell of roses that had brought back her fondest memories.
Now, memories of the Netherworld were ushered forth by that scent. The one place that had nearly killed her.
She covered her mouth with her hands when a familiar face began to materialize out of the darkness.
Instead of the dread she had been expecting, an overwhelming feeling of joy brought tears to her eyes.
“Father!”
Koa ran to him and leaped into her father’s arms.
Alsand Vangelis embraced her as she sobbed into his shoulder. The air around him was cold, and his body was as hard as a statue. None of that mattered. After his death, she’d prayed for a chance to see him once again. This was one of the only times her prayers had ever been answered.
“Why did you leave me, Father? We’ve been so lost without you.”
He smoothed her hair. “Lost? I don’t think so. You’re stronger than you think.”
She pulled away and looked him in the eyes—the same green eyes she had.
“I’m not. I’ve done so many stupid things in my life that I can never take back. I’ve hurt people. I’ve disappointed mother and myself. You have no idea of all of the things I’ve done.”
He smiled and rubbed his thumb across her cheek, wiping a tear away. “I know what’s in your heart, Koa. I know what you are capable of. It is time for you to discover your true pot
ential. It’s time for you to come home.”
Koa’s shoulders slumped. She shook her head. “I don’t understand. Why?”
He set her back on the ground and kissed her forehead. His voice lowered to a whisper so faint Koa had to close her eyes and focus to decipher his words.
“You’ll see what I mean, Koa.” He stepped away. As his body began to fade, she reached out for him.
“No, Father. Don’t leave me. Not again.”
“Come,” he said, his body going translucent as he floated into the darkness of the main hallway that led to the ball room.
She nodded and followed, running as he quickened his speed. His ghost led her through the house and to the base of the back staircase where some of her father’s old trinkets were kept on a bookcase that had been built in.
Silently, Alsand pointed to the shelves and looked to Koa.
She licked her lips and examined the artifacts set on the shelves. Nothing was particularly eye-catching. Just some old statues her father had found in Africa and Asia. Perplexed, she picked up a wooden mask and checked for anything of note.
Nothing.
When she looked back to her father, he was gone.
Her shoulders slumped as loneliness crept onto her, leaving her feeling exposed. He’d brought her there for a reason, and she needed to figure it out before she awakened.
If this is a dream, and I’m not already dead.
Narrowing her eyes, she traced the grooves of the wood. A grin came to her face as she discovered that the bookcase was indeed a doorway. With a gentle push, the bookcase made a clicking sound and opened outward.
Koa stepped aside and gasped at the intense glow that filled the small space.
Once the bright glow dulled, her eyes widened at what she saw before her. On a pedestal awaited a weapon. Her heart raced as she realized what it was.
An enchanted dagger designed much like her Lyrinian sword.
Chapter 3
Halston soared through the sky. The Cumbria countryside sprawled beneath him, and the bright moon and stars lit his way. Where he was going, he was uncertain. All he knew was that Viktor would be coming for him, and that Koa would awaken to learn of the monster he’d become.