A Crown of Blood and Ashes

by Elle Middaugh

  I took it and studied it. There was to be a competition for the witch princess’s hand in marriage. Yes, I already knew that. But... dear sweet Jesus... vampires were to be the competitors? The heirs of each coven were all invited to compete. Whoever won would help usher in a new era of peace and unity.

  I dropped the paper back down on his desk, hoping he hadn’t seen it shaking. “You don’t actually believe this bullshit, do you?”

  He smiled wide. “Not a chance in hell. But if they’re willing to play, I’m willing to play. I’ll bet they want a witch or two on the inside of our coven so that they can bring it down from the heart. But I’ll take that risk, because I want a witch I can use as leverage against them. Their own daughter will be absolutely perfect.”

  She is absolutely perfect, actually.

  “So what do you need me to do?” I asked, stubbornly recrossing my arms. “Compete?”

  My heart felt like it was hammering a mile a minute. An odd sensation for a vampire, considering ours no longer beat.

  “As my heir, yes, it would have to be you. Win the princess’s hand, bring her here to live amongst us, and let me worry about the rest.”

  I narrowed my gaze. “What do you plan to do with her once she’s here?”

  He shrugged and propped his feet on the desk. “You can have her. However you want her. I couldn’t care less. But when I need to put a gun to her head and threaten her parents, you’ll have to take a step back. Cool?”

  Was he seriously telling me that I could compete to legally marry the woman who was currently the farthest thing from available to me? Autumn Delarose, the woman of my dreams... Was this my real fucking life right now? Luck didn’t get much better than that. There had to be more to it.

  So I asked as much.

  Varek smirked. “If you refuse, you fail. If you lose, you fail. And if you fail, you’re being replaced as heir. I need someone who’s strong and capable to rule the coven after I’m gone. Frankly, I’m not sure you’re cut out for the job.”

  “And who do you think is?”

  “Carter DeLong.”

  My jaw clenched as I glared at him. Carter was a fucking thorn in my side. Everyone damn well knew that. Varek was goading me.

  “So all I have to do is win this stupid competition and I’ll secure my inheritance and gain a personal midnight snack? Done. Where do I sign up?”

  Varek pointed at the blank line beneath his signature. Then he handed me his pen.

  “Competition starts at sundown this Saturday,” he said, as I scribbled my name down. “Don’t be late. Remember, you’re representing our entire coven, Darren. Make me proud.”

  I flung the pen and nodded my understanding.

  “Now, go,” he said, waving me off.

  I strolled from the office with a careful confidence I was definitely not feeling. Carrying on the act, I kept a cool and collected smirk on my face until I reached my room. But after shutting and locking myself inside, I nearly pulled my hair out.

  “Fuck!” I shouted as I began to pace.

  I wasn’t exactly sure how I was supposed to be feeling, so anger just sort of took over on autopilot. The next thing I knew, my dresser was flying across the room and splintering into a million pieces of jagged wood.

  “That bad, eh?” Jared asked, from out of nowhere.

  That fucker was like a shadow, always creeping up on me.

  “Where’d you come from?”

  He shrugged as he slouched in my lounge chair. “I’ve been here the whole time, actually. You were just too pissed off to notice. That’s bad form, mate.”

  Ignoring his jab, I sighed and flopped onto my bed.

  “Come on. Tell us how it went, then.”

  “Horribly,” I admitted. “But... kind of perfectly. I don’t know. I’m not sure yet.”

  He laughed at me. “You’re a mess, you know that? Start from the beginning. Who’s this witch that saved your dumb ass?”

  “Autumn Delarose.”

  “Oh, fuck that noise with a cactus! Tell me the truth.”

  I winced, but nodded. “That is the truth.”

  He shook his head, smirking at the irony. “Saved by the target. So, instead of you killing her, she saved you?”

  “You know I never would have hurt her. I’ve only gone on a handful of Varek’s missions in the first place. Most of the time I just show up for the blood and alcohol, and secretly try to keep the killing to a minimum.”

  He nodded. “True. But still.”

  “It gets better,” I added, sitting up and dangling my legs off the side.

  “You fucked her?” he guessed, cutting me off.

  “What? Yes, but that’s not the—”

  “Jesus fucking Christ, mate. I was only joking! But there you are, half-dead-dead in a cave getting more ass than me.”

  “First of all”—Autumn is much more than just a piece of ass. But I didn’t say that part—“your lack of action is your own damn fault. There are plenty of girls who’d like to fuck some sense into you. You’re just too keen on making yourself miserable to allow it.”

  He held up an imaginary glass in toast. “Too right.”

  He was being sarcastic, but I knew how much he was still hurting. I softened my tone. “Michelle has been gone for a while, mate. It’s time to move on.”

  “Not yet.”

  I sighed, but dropped it. “And worst—or best?—of all... I am now literally signed up for a competition to win Autumn’s hand in marriage.”

  He tossed his imaginary glass and stood. “What?”

  “Yeah. Varek’s orders.”

  “You’re taking the piss! Varek hates her entire family. What’s the catch?”

  I chuckled humorlessly. “He wants to use her as leverage against the witches. There’s only a catch if I fail. If I win, I get to live in fucking bliss. If I lose, I lose everything—including my inheritance.”

  Jared let out a loaded breath and nervously rubbed at his buzzed head.

  “You know what we need? A boys’ night out. Let’s hit the pub and drink our miserable lives away.”

  I raised a brow and smirked. “Can’t really drink your life away when you’re already dead, now can you?”

  “Oh, shut it. Get cleaned up and meet me downstairs in fifteen.”

  He walked out and slammed the door behind him.

  Immediately, my head dropped. I closed my eyes, listening to the sound of my own breathing. It carried the ache of worry through my bones.

  Could it really be so simple? Win a contest, be with Autumn. There were thousands of things that could go wrong. What if I lost? She’d be married off to some vamp from another coven, one who might not even treat her well. My muscles tensed at the thought. What if I won, but she was miserable here? Maybe she’d find she didn’t like me so well after all. Perhaps my own coven mates would treat her poorly? Perhaps having her fresh blood so near would tempt too many?

  All those questions and more boiled furiously around in my head. But what it ultimately came down to was this: one, she would be far safer with me than any other vampire. I knew that for a fact, simply because I genuinely cared for her. Two, regardless of all the questions, I wanted her for myself and I wasn’t beyond fighting for her. And three, I’d literally been ordered to do it. A direct command from your maker was near impossible to refuse. I’d heard of it being done, but not in my lifetime.

  I suddenly noticed that my knee was bouncing, a nervous jitter I was usually quite good at suppressing.

  Jared was right.

  I needed a few stiff drinks.

  But not before I texted Autumn. I’d waited plenty long enough. Pulling out my cell phone, I stared at the blank screen. What did you say to the woman you were hoping to win in a competition? I eventually decided to go with honesty.

  I can’t stop thinking about you...

  I hit send, then immediately regretted it. What if she felt obligated to say something similar back? What if, in her quest to think things through, she d
idn’t respond at all? Unwilling to feel the sting of rejection so soon, I quickly thumbed off another text that was more final. One I wouldn’t mind her not responding to.

  I’ll see you Saturday.

  After that, I stripped and forced myself into the shower. The entire time I washed up, I tried to mentally prepare myself for an empty phone, void of any response. It was difficult, but I managed. For real this time.

  So when I finally wrapped the towel around my waist and padded across the room to my bed, I was stunned as hell to find she’d written back.

  8

  Autumn

  I can’t stop thinking about you... I’ll see you Saturday.

  His words spun around in my head like a scratched record.

  What could he possibly mean by that? Was he planning on breaking into the castle and throwing rocks at my tower window? Would he text me later with some elaborate plan for us to sneak out and meet up?

  I rolled over in bed and stared up at the arched ceiling.

  Everything had been completely perfect... until Lyra walked in and ruined it.

  To be fair, she was only doing what she thought was best. What any sane witch would do in her position, really. Putting an end to... whatever this was... before it truly began. She was only trying to do her job, to serve me to the best of her ability. In this case, protecting me from inevitable heartache, or worse, a death sentence.

  But still.

  I’d run the options through my mind, over and over again, and nothing seemed to matter. The only conclusion I’d managed to draw was that I needed to see Darren again. I couldn’t live my life like a ghost in a shell. I’d saved him to prove my parents wrong, and I was right. Now I needed to let him save me.

  After a deep breath, I texted back.

  I can’t stop thinking about you, either...

  Then I bit my lip. There was so much I wanted to say, but I had no idea how to put it into words, or if it would even be smart to do so.

  I quickly sent another text.

  What do you mean you’ll see me Saturday?

  Staring at the ceiling once more, I squeezed my phone and waited for it to vibrate.

  I didn’t know how he’d managed to get under my skin and into my bloodstream so quickly, but he had. I barely knew him, and yet I felt like I’d known him for years. We were like two friends finally turning into lovers. Except, you know, we kinda skipped the “friend” stage. There was something familiar about his soul, though. Something that put me at ease... and utterly terrified me.

  There were a lot of things that could go wrong, or had already.

  Like the fact that I still had Deidra’s potion, but conveniently lacked Darren’s saliva in order to activate it. Basically, I was a walking billboard for a vampire’s kiss. The bite on my breast would obviously stay hidden, but the bites on my lip and neck were a bit more obvious.

  Or like the fact that I’d soon be auctioned off to the mage with the highest bid. I doubted my new fiancé would appreciate sharing me with a vampire, or that my vampire would tolerate sharing me with anyone else at all.

  And then there was Lyra.

  I’d ordered her to leave me for the night, but it wouldn’t have surprised me if she’d set up camp and slept outside my door. She would no doubt be watching me like a hawk during the next few days, too.

  I could lie to get her off my back. Tell her she was right, that I would forget the vampire even existed. But lying just rubbed me the wrong way. I hated the very idea of it. I’d rather suffer her scrutiny in silence than deny my attraction to Darren. It smacked too close to betrayal. And while we were nowhere near being an item, I prioritized loyalty right up there with honesty.

  Finally, my phone buzzed.

  I believe there’s to be a competition for your hand? I plan on winning said event. Get ready, Princess, because I’m coming for you.

  My eyes widened.

  He was... what? Going undercover and posing as a mage in order to be with me? Did he even realize how dangerous that would be? Or how damn sexy it was? His persistence was most definitely attractive. It complimented his cocky attitude and his gorgeous face.

  Oh, don’t worry. I’m ready for you to be coming, I thought.

  Thankfully, I refrained from typing it.

  I can’t wait that long to see you, I said instead. PS. I can’t believe you’re doing this...

  Just the thought of being with him again had reignited the excitement from earlier. My whole body thrummed with anticipation for his next text.

  Trust me. I can’t either, he eventually said. But we do have to wait. I won’t make a move that might jeopardize my chances of winning. The prize is too valuable.

  My cheeks warmed even as my stomach sank. I was disappointed, but his reasoning was definitely swoon-worthy.

  Another message came through before I had a chance to respond.

  I’m looking forward to bending my prize over my bed.

  A stunning visual instantly filled my mind. Okay, so maybe “swoon-worthy” wasn’t exactly his style. It still totally worked for me.

  Lucky prize, I texted back with a wink.

  If I was going to be nothing more than an object in my parents’ eyes, nothing more than a pretty bartering chip, then I may as well make sure I got the most bang for their buck. Literally, if I could help it.

  A picture message came through the next second.

  It was of Darren, wearing nothing but a white towel around his waist. Little beads of water ran down his chest and abs, highlighting the rigid muscles in their wake. I had to fan myself to cool my face.

  After the pic, he sent a quick text.

  Sweet dreams, Autumn.

  Two could play at that game.

  I clicked my bedside lamp on and held my phone high above my body. I was wearing a plum silk nighty that dipped dangerously low between my breasts. Pursing my lips, I snapped a pic and sent it.

  Good night, Darren.

  His reply was almost instant.

  Sweet fucking Jesus, you’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?

  I laughed out loud, then hurriedly covered my mouth, as Lyra might’ve been listening.

  You’re already dead, I retorted with a kissy face.

  The next few days were the slowest of my life.

  Not a moment passed that I wasn’t thinking about that damn vampire. I especially liked rehashing our frantic cave sex. Reimagining the heat of his lips on mine, the masochistic pleasure of his fangs in my skin. Sexy fangs, too. Not the long awkward-looking ones you sometimes saw in the movies, but rather a subtly sharpened tip on the incisors.

  Sometimes I’d even swear I could physically feel his hands on my hips or his body between my legs. I’d dream about it at night and wake up in a sheen of sweat. I’d daydream about it all day and get lost in the middle of conversations. It was ridiculous and totally insane, but I loved it and couldn’t seem to get enough.

  We talked every night, which often led to steamy phone sex. I loved listening to that delicious accent as he told me all the glorious things he wanted to do to me. Hearing the strain in his voice, the shallowness of his breathing, knowing I had that kind of effect on him made me feel like a fucking goddess.

  Then Saturday rolled around....

  To say I was a jittery bundle of nerves was an understatement. Darren hadn’t texted me all that day, and while I knew he was probably sleeping, it still set me on edge. Plus, Lyra was watching me even closer than usual. It was almost as if she somehow knew he would be there and she was simply biding her time, waiting like a snake in the grass for the perfect chance to strike.

  I hated that I thought of it like that. She was a decent person and a good servant. I just had a totally different vantage point on life nowadays. We never really saw things eye to eye, but now our differences were even more pronounced.

  In order to calm myself down, I decided to take a quick trip to Lady Deidra’s before the competition began at sundown—an odd time to start such an event, but certainly lucky
for Darren. Surely she had some sort of potion for anxiety. She might even have some advice for me. Lord knew I needed it.

  The bell sounded as I passed through the doorway, and I immediately noticed more improvements. The walls, which had been stained and chipping, were now painted a dusty rose and accented with crisp white trim. A sweet floral scent floated through the room. The carpets appeared to have been scrubbed.

  Hell, when Deidra came out from the back room and stood behind the counter, even she seemed to have undergone a makeover. Her once hunched posture had straightened out some. Her salt-and-pepper vagabond hair had been dyed and curled. Even her smile seemed brighter.

  “Good morning, Princess Autumn! What can I do for you on this lovely day?”

  I leaned on the counter. “It’s not a lovely day for me. It’s competition day, and I’m freaking out.”

  She nodded. “Your parents are planning another engagement?”

  My smile spread unnaturally wide. “Yeah, about that, can we talk in the back?”

  She bowed her head. “Of course.”

  We’d barely pushed through the beads before I started laying it all out there.

  “The competition is to choose a new suitor for me. But Darren is secretly competing, and I’m so worried about him. What if part of the contest is performing magic? He’d be discovered then and there, and staked through the heart before he could blink. And then I’d have to go all Juliet and have you concoct a poison potion. Because I’m seriously to the point where I’m already thinking, ‘what’s the point in living my life if he’s not in it?’ You know how crazy that sounds? And what if he isn’t found out right away? What if he somehow wins? How’s he supposed to keep up the façade when he’s around my parents day in and day out? Or I guess, not day because, you know, he’s a vampire and all. And—”