Blood Prince: A Standalone Fantasy Romance

by Celia Aaron

  Another blast rocked me off my feet. I landed on my back and drew the shield over me as fire rained down. The dragon screeched a terrible roar and took off again.

  I would not be quieted, even as the flesh on my arms began to sizzle against the overheated metal.

  I rose back to my feet. “I am the son of Priam, the true king of the Bloodkeep.”

  A black shadow blotted out the swirling stars as Farnkelan made another pass, the fire burning even hotter against me, taking me back to my knees. My hair was singed and the flesh on my hands was blackened. The onslaught was rapid and furious. The dragon’s wrath was impatient. Still, I would not retreat.

  “Farnkelan!” My voice cracked. “Menelaus has taken my queen. She who defeated Desmerada at the Bloodkeep. I come to you to beg for your help. If you want my life, it is yours. But I beg of you to bring back the one who has given this kingdom, our kingdom, a new future. I beg you to help me exact vengeance on the ones who dared take her from us.”

  The dragon screamed through the night.

  I dropped my shield, the metal already losing shape and useless from the intense heat. This was for her. All for her. My life meant nothing if I couldn’t live it with Helen. And I would give my last breath to save her.

  “Farnkelan, I am the last of the line of Priam. Remember us. Remember the way it used to be and could be again if only you will help me.” I stayed on my knees and faced my doom, waiting for the final burst of flames. Farnkelan shot low over me before rising up and settling on top of the tower. Its snakelike green eyes considered me.

  I had never seen a beast so massive. It was covered in luminous green scales that graded darker up toward its ridged back. Its great talons dwarfed the tower, making it look like more of a plaything than an actual perch. This creature belonged atop the Bloodkeep, sitting and watching over the vampire homeland from a great height.

  I bowed my head, giving respect where it was due. Farnkelan bent its head to examine the vampire at its feet, the large nostrils and fangs only a short length from me as I raised my face again to the dragon. Farnkelan seemed to be looking through me, seeing into my very essence and measuring my worth. Those reptilian eyes were somehow thoughtful, considering. Farnkelan perused me for a long while, chuffing air from its nose every so often, the heat scalding my skin anew. But I did not move, just let the beast judge my mettle.

  Seemingly satisfied, Farnkelan rose back to the top of the tower and bellowed out a roar that could have been heard all the way to Decanum. It was terrible and mighty, raising goosebumps along my flesh.

  The dragon looked back down at me and then tapped its talons against the ruined bricks. Chunks fell to the ground below as I struggled to my feet. Was it asking me to speak?

  “Farnkelan, Helen has been taken by Menelaus—”

  Another roar.

  “I take it you know him. He is our mutual enemy.”

  The talons clicked.

  “He has taken Helen. She is a proud warrior, and she is the one who ended the reign of Desmerada.”

  The dragon shot flames into the air that went so high, I swore they touched the stars. The pure fury of the beast was terrifying, but I could not stop now.

  “I want to get her back and exact vengeance upon the one who took her. The one who killed my father, Priam.”

  Farnkelan blinked, the narrow slits of its eyes glinting in what seemed like recognition of the name.

  “But I need a powerful ally. One who knows these lands and one who can aid me in crushing the demon army. I need you, Farnkelan, to help me destroy Menelaus and bring back the savior of the Bloodkeep.”

  Arachne stole from the trees. Farnkelan reared back, readying to release its fire, before lowering its head and tilting it to the side.

  Arachne waved. “It’s me, old friend. The king speaks true. Helen did this for me.” She twirled as Farnkelan watched, its talons clicking on the stone. “And I have a gift for you. If you agree to help the king in his destruction of the demons and rescue of Helen, I happen to know where a certain false queen waits, soon to be caught in a thorny bramble of Spinis. Of course, I can’t tell you to harm her, because you are a proud dragon that doesn’t do anyone’s bidding but your own.” Her eyes glittered that shiny obsidian. “But we will need your help first.”

  Farnkelan lowered its head to Arachne. She stroked its scaly ear, a purr rising from its throat, making the ground tremble.

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “You knew Farnkelan all along and let me come out here alone, without your help?”

  She shrugged. “You need to prove yourself a king. This”—she scratched behind Farnkelan’s ear and its hind claw started kicking even more bricks from the tower—“was the only way to do it.”

  I looked back at my soldiers in the wood. They stood, mouths agape. Arachne was right. They’d seen me gentle the dragon, and their tales would cement my reputation and secure my throne. With Arachne and Helen around, I would always be two steps behind, if not more.

  “Farnkelan, will you do it? Will you help me bring her back?”

  The dragon head-butted Arachne gently before dropping down from the tower. A tree fell in the Darkwood from the quake that rumbled through the ground. The dragon bent a knee and chuffed blazing steam from its nose. Assent.

  I held my hands out, showing I meant no harm. “I’m going to ask my men to come out of the forest. We’ll need all the help we can get in Decanum, and they could use a ride.”

  Another chuff.

  Arachne made a clicking sound, and twenty large spiders marched from the wood and lined up behind me.

  “Keep my darlings safe,” Arachne called before stepping back into the trees and away from Farnkelan’s massive wingspan. The spiders clambered onto the dragon and latched on to the hollows in the spines along its tail. Farnkelan tremored and let out halting noises akin to a laugh, as if the spiders were tickling it.

  This was an odd beast.

  The vampire soldiers took hesitant steps into the clearing.

  I waved them forward. “It’s all right. Farnkelan is a friend. Everyone mount up.”

  They bowed to me before approaching the dragon. Despite their trepidation, the men climbed up and seated themselves on Farnkelan’s ridged spine, grabbing hold wherever they could. I jumped up and took the ridge at the front.

  Seated behind me, Faren asked, “You ready, my lord?”

  “To ride a dragon, storm a demon stronghold, and rescue the most beautiful woman in all the worlds? This is what we were born for.” I looked up and beyond the trees. “Farnkelan, the sky is yours.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Helen

  Iphi dropped her snacks and rushed to me. Menelaus backhanded her and sent her flying across the room. She crashed against the windows, glass shards skittering across the dark floor.

  “Take her.” The guards who still had their clothes on obeyed, dragging Iphi up by her arms and shaking her like a rag doll. Her head lolled forward, her unruly red mane covering her face. I knew Iphi too well. She was “playing possum,” as Lilah called it. What did Iphi mean by calling Menelaus her uncle, and how had she even wound up here?

  Menelaus slid back between the sheets. “You see, Helen. I have this little idiot under my thumb. Harm any of my demons, and I’ll make her pay with interest.”

  “When Artemis finds out—”

  Menelaus laughed. “Do you still not understand the way the Underworld works? The gods do not rule here. The Titans created the Underworld to escape them. I rule Decanum, and soon I will rule the Bloodkeep. After that, everything is up for the taking. Even Olympus. With you at my side and all the peoples of the Underworld under my control, we could overrun even Zeus.”

  I pulled against my chains and stared down the evil before me. “I will never help you enslave the Underworld.”

  He pinched my chin and drew my face to his. “You will, or Iphi will start losing fingers. They’ll grow back, of course, but that won’t help the pain. Not to mention,
there are other ways to make you comply.”

  He crushed my mouth with his and fisted a hand in my hair, subduing my fight. It wasn’t so much a kiss as a stamp of ownership. My power shimmered around us. He let me go. “It’s a shame Cranfel got away with those bracelets. They would have made it a lot easier to help you control yourself. But it doesn’t matter. Your sister will do the trick, and I have nothing to fear from your little bouts of temper.”

  I readied myself to end the demon and hoped Iphi was prepared.

  A knock at the door stayed my hand.

  “What?” Menelaus asked.

  “I’m sorry, my lord, but there’s something over the desert. It’s big. My spies have sent word that it’s, well, you aren’t going to believe this, but—”

  “Get on with it!” Menelaus roared.

  “It’s a dragon. It’s laid waste to our outposts, burning them to the ground in seconds. It will be here in minutes. And there are riders atop it, though we don’t know who.”

  My heart lightened. It had to be the great untamed creature on the watchtower. Had Paris gentled the beast and convinced it to aid him?

  Menelaus stood and dressed hastily.

  “Keep her close to you. If Helen does anything untoward, cut off one of Iphi’s fingers.”

  “Yes, my lord,” the guards said in unison.

  “You two idiots—follow me.” The strip poker losers followed Menelaus as he dashed from the room.

  Godsdamnit. I had missed my chance.

  “Don’t worry, my lady, he’ll be back for more.” One of the guards leered at me. His horns were short and curved back over his pale head. “Did you know I saw you the day you…” He mimed stabbing himself in the neck. “Yeah, I was there. Want to know what Menelaus did to your body before Artemis showed up? I watched.”

  My magic sizzled in the air. The demon drew one of Iphi’s fingers into his mouth and showed me his sharp teeth. One bite would ruin Iphi’s ruse of unconsciousness. I calmed and willed my magics back down.

  The guard released Iphi’s finger and shoved her into the arms of the other demon. “I think I’d like to get another glimpse of the woman who launched a thousand ships.” He grabbed his crotch for emphasis. I looked away.

  He came closer, standing at the end of the bed. The sheet slid down my body, revealing first my breasts, and then the rest of me.

  “That’s what I’m talking about.” The guard’s voice dropped an octave, lust thick in his words. “It’s even better alive.”

  I needed him closer to keep my magic from harming Iphi, but he made no move to touch me. Menelaus would not have forgiven such a trespass.

  I turned back to him. “It feels even better than it looks,” I purred.

  His horns seemed to extend farther out behind his head, matching the heavy shaft in his pants. Still he held back. I allowed myself to shiver in the cold. He looked to my hard nipples, already budded in the night air. When he raised his gaze back to my eyes, I licked my lips. That tipped him over the edge. He jumped on top of me and scrambled to free his erection. Iphi looked up and winked. Done.

  The demon was charred before he even knew he was on fire. He rolled off the bed and hit the floor, sending up a plume of ash. The chains flowed away from my wrists in molten ropes.

  Iphi had taken the other guard’s blade and shoved it deep in his heart. He looked so surprised, it was almost comical. I jumped from the bed and threw on the clothes piled on the floor as Iphi took the remaining weapons from her guard.

  “What in Hades are you even doing here?” I asked as we went to the door and listened.

  Iphi blew a red corkscrew of hair from her face. “Long story. But I can say it was fun while it lasted. I’m awash in ingots and men’s clothing from all my poker matches.” She waggled her eyebrows.

  “What am I going to do with you?” A smile crept up on me. Gods, Iphi had always been too much.

  “Well, I suggest we go kick some major demon ass and then toss back some margaritas? But, of course, I defer to your strategy and all.” Iphi made a decidedly male, lewd pumping motion with her hand.

  I laughed. “Oh, Iphi, I’ve missed you, and your plan’s as good as any.”

  We backed up and kicked down the double doors before rushing out into a hallway filled with guards.

  Iphi cracked her knuckles. “Let’s have some fun.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Paris

  I marveled at the sheer power the dragon possessed. It destroyed every demon outpost in the Desert of Thorns, raining fire on anything within its sights. Countless demons had already fallen, and we hadn’t even made it to Decanum yet.

  The oasis sat just ahead, beckoning like a mirage in the dunes. Exotic trees rose around a magnificent palace. The array of domed roofs and gleaming marble walls was a wonder of Underworld architecture. I almost hated to destroy it.

  Farnkelan continued the path of annihilation until we swooped down over the high domes. Legions upon legions of demons massed in the courtyards and along the high wall surrounding the palace. None of them would survive the dragon’s fury. It breathed fire along the ground, the demons falling like wheat before a scythe.

  After charring the largest courtyard, Farnkelan settled to the ground in a fluid movement. Flames leaped in the palace, many of the ornate buildings already alight with dragon fire. I dropped to Farnkelan’s foreleg and then down to the ground. My men followed.

  The spiders jumped, using their silk to rappel down the giant before skittering off into the dark night. Nearby soldiers screamed, but the sounds were cut short. The spiders worked fast. More fighters rushed us, and the vampire soldiers skirmished with them, holding them off.

  I didn’t know where Helen was being kept, but I raised my eyes to the largest of the palace domes. Menelaus would no doubt claim the finest, largest tower for his chambers. I turned to Faren. “There.” I pointed to the top, where curtains billowed from open windows in the cool night air.

  Faren commanded the soldiers in the ancient vampire language. They sprinted to the palace, slaying any demons who stood in their way. Farnkelan took to the skies again, its rage still not sated. Fire bloomed along the ramparts and inside the walls once more.

  My soldiers rushed the stairs, and I led them up and up. We fought our way through. Demon soldiers poured through the doors at every landing, seeking to escape Farnkelan’s wrath more than anything. But they strayed into my path and paid with their lives. Nothing would keep me from Helen. My soldiers seemed to agree—they fought with renewed vigor. The terrified demons were no match for the prepared vampires. Blood coated my armor and sword, and I was still thirsty for more.

  Higher and higher we climbed until we emerged in a verdant paradise. The garden was full of the same roses as Menelaus’s earthly palace, and I recognized the scents of the blooms in the air. The demon had recreated the same beautiful prison for Helen.

  Farnkelan screamed overhead, blood in the very timbre of its roars. The dragon’s rage fueled me along. I was getting close to Helen, could feel her tugging at my heart and pulling me closer.

  We hurried through the roses and entered the top of the tower. Helen and one of her sisters, though I was unsure which, were fighting in the long hallway. Demons attacked them from all sides, but the warriors of Artemis fought as one. Helen cast vicious hexes, felling demons with a touch of her hand. Iphi was a bruiser with her fists and fast as a snake with daggers. These were the warrior maidens of legend, fighting their way from the palace.

  I let out a battle cry and rushed into the fight, taking out demon after demon. I would not stop until she was safe in my arms. My sword rang with battle. The demons here were putting up far more of a fight. They must not have felt Farnkelan’s flames on their hides yet.

  I fought a large rage demon, which had to be at least eight feet tall. Its aura inspired the other demons to fight harder and dirtier, spurred by the essence of rage. I rushed the demon with my shield but clanged off him with a jarring backward step. T
he demon roared with laughter and raised a broadsword over its head. It could easily split me in two.

  I darted to the left and plunged my shortsword into the demon’s side. Its laugh turned into a howl, and it dropped to one knee. That was all the opening I needed. I jumped onto the demon’s knee, then vaulted myself onto its shoulders before driving my blade deep into its neck.

  “Well done, my lord,” Faren called as he removed a lesser demon’s head.

  I allowed the falling rage demon to carry me forward into the soldiers surrounding Helen and her sister. The other demons’ tenacity flagged as the rage demon’s influence waned. They fell before the onslaught on both sides. I cut my way closer and closer to Helen, like a fuse burning toward black powder.

  I had almost made it to her when a demon grabbed her from behind and put a blade to her throat. Menelaus. He pushed the silver deep into Helen’s neck, and her blood ran down his blade. Her sister stilled and glanced from me to Helen.

  “Stop, or I’ll end her!” he screamed.

  The sister cursed and dropped her daggers. The demons around her converged, kicking and punching her into unconsciousness before lifting her limp body.

  The air was quiet, the battle sounds of a few moments ago dead and whisked away by the desert winds.

  “Now you.” Menelaus motioned for me and my men to drop our weapons.

  Helen’s gaze was locked on me, though I could divine no message there. Only her steady confidence shone like a beacon. It chilled my blood. I knew what she meant to do. I shook my head, a silent plea. If Desmerada lied and Helen was still bound, any attempt to use her magics on Menelaus could drive him to kill her. The dagger was already lodged in her neck.

  “She belongs to me.” Menelaus dug the blade deeper. “Drop your sword.”

  Blood bubbled from her mouth, though she made no sound. I dropped my weapons, and my soldiers followed suit.

  Menelaus laughed without warmth. “That’s right, little coward. Same old Paris.”