Ash yelped, but then wound the silver loosely around Rebel’s wrists. When Rebel nudged his knee against Ash’s, their gazes met; Ash grabbed him in a desperate embrace, as if he was about to face the block.
Maybe he bastard was.
‘This is why I don’t trust Fallen anymore,’ Rebel muttered, but even though the words should’ve been for Ash, his piercing gaze told me they were for me, ‘not even half ones.’
I winced. Then I shook my wrists. ‘Where are my bracelets?’
‘Why? Are you dangerous?’ The dawn light sparked off the hoop piercings in Trick’s nose and ears, until he blazed. ‘You’re half Fallen, as the angel Addict says, and I’m merely here to escort you to your rightful home. These…’ He gestured at Rebel and Harahel. ‘Are the enemy. Unless you’re loyal to them?’
Trick’s hooded smile didn’t reach his eyes, which were framed by white lashes.
‘She escaped Angel World, General,’ Ash threw Rebel back, striding to Trick. He paced up and down, hugging himself. ‘She hated that corrupt court. First Broken rebellion ever kicked off because of her! Don’t hurt—’
Trick snagged Ash by his mane, wrenching back his head, as he forced him to his knees. ‘Down, Seducer. What makes you imagine she will be the one hurt?’
Ash twisted, shooting me a panicked glance. ‘Then carve me bloody, but don’t tell her—’
‘So coy. Have you enjoyed playing hero? The brave man, when you are so much less?’ Each word shanked from the knife-tongued bastard; ribbons fluttered from Ash at each slice, until he cowered, diminished. ‘Queen Miniel believes herself the slyest player, but we have equal strategists moving our pawns. When she demanded our Seducer as hostage, he was already in debt to us for his naughty disloyalty of fighting at your side at London Fields. Weak as he is, it took little to break him to his true place: seducing you into escaping.’
I blinked away hot tears.
Had Rebel known? Had any of the Wings?
‘Our Trojan Horse. With the one job to carry you back to the King of the Under World.’ When Ash tried to lower his chin, Trick gripped it, squeezing until he moaned.
King of the Under World?
Queen of Angel World had sounded freaky-arsed, but King of the Under World was a freakshow in the Land of Crazy.
And ding, ding, next stop Land of Crazy.
‘Mixing up your classics, bro,’ I shook my head. ‘Old bastard like you should know that.’
Trick’s eyes flashed. ‘I’m no older than… But such a shame with one so talented; you didn’t escape. Not when we sent in the first assault. And only when we attacked full-scale. So, what am I to think? Has my Seducer lost his skills? Or did he disobey?’
Ash’s chest heaved, battling to hold back the despair widening his dark eyes, as Trick held his chin and hair in a punishing grip.
I marched to Trick, clouting the bastard in the nose.
Blood sprayed, crimson against the milk-white of his skin.
Trick let go of Ash, clutching his face and stumbling backwards over a boulder into the moss.
Flight whined. I drew her out, sizzling an arc at Ash’s throat.
Harahel dived towards us, and Rebel stumbled up from his knees.
Ash didn’t cringe away. Fire seared his throat. He leant into the flame. ‘Burn me. Cleanse me. Kill me…’ Tears trembled on the ends of his eyelashes. ‘Please, kill me.’
Rebel and Harahel were at my shoulder, but I didn’t hear their frantic pleading.
I just heard… Kill me…
I sheathed Flight, and Ash fell forward, his arms over his head as at last, he was unable to hide his sobs.
‘Why would I help you?’ My wings prickled and burnt fever hot. ‘You want to kneel for someone? Go back and kneel for the Fangs.’ I ached to reach out to Ash…to take it back…but the army of vampires above our heads, the chains around my angel blokes, and the promised trip to the Under World, forced me to turn to Trick instead. ‘Honoured guest here. How about getting with the escorting?’
Trick hopped up, sweeping me a bow; scarlet dripped onto his lips from his nose, and he licked it off with his wormlike tongue, before smiling. ‘Princess, I’d be most delighted. We must wait out the wicked sun today in the caves.’ His voice was more nasal now around his shattered nose than knife-like. ‘Then tonight the king would have my wings if I did not deliver you quite whole. Although,’ his smile widened, ‘I do not promise the same for the angels.’
‘No touching rule, Legolas, or I’ll break your cock too.’ I caught both Harahel’s and Rebel’s chains in my hands, as if they were my prisoners.
Trick tapped his foot. ‘Possessive, fierce, and fiery. There’s no doubt, you are your father’s daughter.’
‘Mr Delusional, I don’t know my Fang dad, and after my Ice Bitch of a mum, I’m doing a happy dance over that.’
He gaped, before grinning. ‘So sorry to break short your dance, princess. The king is your father. Although, I’m delighted to be the one to congratulate you first on finding your long-lost daddy.’
Frozen, I swayed. The world stuttered to an alarming stop.
When it started again lake, mountains, fallen trunk, boulders, angels and vampires, churned in sickening chaos, until I dropped to my knees.
…These Fallen spies are here to save you. After all, Violet, you’re our princess too…
Ash had tried to warn me, just as J had called me Vampire Princess. But I hadn’t listened, too caught up in the role of wearing one crown alone.
When Trick chuckled, my wings spread out behind me.
My mum was a queen, and my dad was…the King of Hell?
Then I’d show these vampires the princess I’d become.
I sprang to my feet, fire fizzing down my arms, over my palms, and flaring through my wings.
Trick’s chuckle died; he stepped back.
I blazed as dawn was born over the Welsh valley. ‘Lead on, bitch.’
I was a huntress. A princess. And now the daughter of the devil too?
But I was also a monster.
Daddy was in for a bastard surprise.
The End
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ROSEMARY A JOHNS is an award-winning, #1 Amazon bestselling fantasy author, music fanatic, and paranormal anti-hero addict. She writes sexy angels, savage vampires, and epic battles.
Winner of the Silver Award in the National Wishing Shelf Book Awards. Finalist in the IAN Book of the Year Awards. Runner-up in the Best Fantasy Book of the Year, Reality Bites Book Awards. Honorable Mention in the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards.
Shortlisted in the International Rubery Book Awards.
Rosemary is also a traditionally published short story writer. She studied history at Oxford University and ran her own theatre company. She’s always been a rebel…
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