Dark War Chronicles Box Set One

by A. L. Kessler

  Everyone spun around to face her. Lucius raised a brow. "I think we can take you, but you must realize that if you attack us here it means war."

  "I don't think you have enough people to go through with that threat. One nick, one wound, that's all I need to kill you all. To bleed you out." She smiled and traced her nails over the throne. "Or I could blind you in an instant, I just have to wrap my hand around your eyes. I could make your blood boil with a mere thought, or let it pour out of you." She gave a wicked laugh. "Or you could just hand over Orion for me to kill."

  Orion twirled his sword and looked back to see Kaden finally pushing off the wall to join them.

  Lucius smirked. "I don't think so. I told you earlier that I don't just throw my people away."

  So Lucius had spoken to her before and he'd denied her before as well. Orion stepped up. "If it's me you want, leave them out of this."

  "I don't think so." She stood, but Lucius threw a hand in the air, hitting her with power and slamming her back down into the chair.

  "You are a threat to me and my people. For the sake of not starting another spike in this war, I ask you again to leave."

  Kassity curled around Lucius' leg, letting out a low growl of a warning. Orion could see the twitching of her tail as a warning that she was about to pounce. The fire disappeared again in a flash of smoke, leaving the smell behind. The cats would have no problem tracking her movements if she hadn't been Fae, but she could move in that darkness. A cry of pain came from one of the cats and Orion's eyes darted around to see if he could find anything to indicate who it was.

  An invisible power took him to the ground, and he knew in an instant whose it was. "Lucius you ass, you got me." Closing his eyes, he focused as Lucius' power left him. He remembered the way Dani's hand felt when it touched him, the way it had healed his wings and called to his power. He wrapped that feeling around him. Opening his hand, he smiled as a crackling silver ball of light formed, illuminating everything around him. Electricity, lightning, a perfect power to have.

  Everyone in the room froze and faced him. Liara skulked out of the shadows, dragging Kassity by the tail.

  "Stupid bitch doesn't know how to control her attacks."

  Of course not, because Lucius stripped her of any control so she acted out of pure instinct. They all knew it would get her in trouble. Liara threw Kassity at Orion's feet. There was a rise and fall of the beast’s chest so he knew she lived, but nasty bleeding slices marred her back.

  Jaxon shifted behind Lucius and started forward. Lucius stopped him. "Now is not the time to be rash, that's what she wants."

  Orion threw the ball of energy at Liara and the queen shot backwards into a wall, screaming as the crackling light surrounded her. When it disappeared she slouched against the wall but laughed.

  Tapping her fingers against the wall made Kassity make a mewling noise of pain, blood seeping from the slices on her back. She whimpered and cried out as her body shifted back and she lay in a heap of pain and in a growing pool of blood.

  "I can make it flow faster, or I can make it stop. She's hurt, I went deep, and I can cause her death. You can all sense how weak she is growing already."

  Jaxon shoved past Lucius and knelt by Kassity's side, pulling her bleeding body into his arms. "Kass, stay with me." He pleaded and then turned angry eyes at Liara.

  Orion growled. "I'll meet you tomorrow night, you and I will do this the right way by the court of Fae. We duel."

  "Oh, brave of you." She laughed and with a wave of her hand the bleeding slowed, but Kass's breathing was ragged and her body pale. "Tomorrow at midnight then." The woman disappeared.

  Orion tried to get near Kass, but Jaxon snarled at him. "Get away from my mate. I will tend to her."

  Lucius bowed his head in understanding. "Go now, we don't want to lose her."

  Jaxon picked up Kassity, cradling her against him, and rushed through the hall without a question. Orion looked at Lucius. "She's in bad shape."

  "She might not pull through." Lucius agreed. "I need to call those I can trust. We need to cover ourselves better and you have a fight to attend to."

  Orion nodded and looked around. "Where'd Kaden go?" He hadn't been there when he'd called the light.

  "The cowardly demon ran, I'm sure. He was not pleased with me calling him here, but never mind him." Lucius raked a hand through his hair.

  Orion backed away. "I need to go. I have something to deal with."

  "Dani." Lucius stated. "Go, tell her that you're about to get yourself killed."

  "Such faith you have in me." Orion rolled his eyes and flashed out of the mansion.

  Lucius caught himself before he could yell at Orion. Tonight had been bad enough and he needed to check on Kassity. The queen had a lot of nerve to attack on his property and it took every ounce of strength he had not to send Orion after her now. Lucius should have been more cautious of the situation, but his instincts and anger ruled him more now with Tegan still gone. Though he swore he felt her, the moment her panic rose she disappeared again without him being able to place where she was. Focusing was becoming harder and he needed her back soon.

  He walked to the room where Jaxon had taken Kass. Leaning against the doorjamb, Lucius watched as Jaxon held the woman's hand and whispered to her. Her ragged breathing had calmed some, but her skin was still sickly looking. Sweat clung to her forehead and her brow creased in pain. He knew Jax had laid her on her back to add pressure on the wounds.

  "How is she?"

  "Get out."

  "Jaxon." Lucius growled back in warning. "I asked a simple question. I want to know how my cat is."

  Jaxon shot up and shoved Lucius against the wall. "She is not your cat, she is mine. My mate. My Kassity. Not fucking yours."

  "You know as well as I do, both of you belong to me in a roundabout way. Stop getting defensive and answer the question."

  Jaxon backed away and raked a hand through his hair. “She's not healing quickly. I was able to get the wounds to clot, but I fear this will keep her down for a while. Her panther has retreated to the point that it's hard for me to feel. Both of them were wounded."

  Which was bad. Lucius nodded. "Take the time to be with her while she heals. I will call everyone I can for extra security and Orion will take care of the queen."

  "Like he did tonight?" Jaxon laughed. "Oh yes, the prince of Fae will kill the queen and take the crown..." He met Lucius' gaze. "That's your plan, isn't it?"

  Lucius shrugged. "It was never an option when he first came to my territory, but now...it means that the Circle will not have allies within the Fae, because Orion would not tolerate it."

  "And you think he'll ally with you?"

  "No, I don't, but that doesn't matter right now." He shook his head; there was no reasoning to the thought. It meant that he would lose a powerful ally. "It's more like the 'if I can't have it, no one can' mentality. I’d rather not have them allied with the Circle, nor a huge powerhouse, and if that means no Orion on my side, so be it."

  Jax sat back down next to Kassity and stroked her hair. "The war is heating up with the demon's attacking you and now the queen of Fae. What's next?"

  "We'll get Tegan back and the Originals will start rising. We prevent the Father from being raised and we'll keep the Circle from tipping the scale." Lucius shrugged.

  "And if they have raised the Father?" Jaxon asked, not turning to face him. "We have to prepare for that possibility with Tegan being kidnapped."

  Lucius shook his head. "They don't ally with demons."

  "You don't know that for sure."

  Lucius clenched his jaw and both he and Jaxon jumped when Lucius' phone rang. He growled as he got it out of his pocket. "I hate this thing." He unlocked it and put it to his ear.

  "I have some interesting information for you in regards to Renee's brother's death." Coran's whisper came over the phone.

  Lucius walked out of Kass' and Jax's room. "What do you mean?"

  "Remember how the Circ
le was after Renee because her bloodline could unlock the tomb?"

  "Yes." He didn't like where this was going.

  "Turns out that her brother was murdered, heart torn out and never found. I know it's the heart that is used to unlock the tomb and spread the blood through whatever crazy lock was put on it. They are trying to raise him."

  And Renee's brother had paid the price. If only Lucius had paid more attention, he could have protected her family. He snarled and hung up on Coran. Shoving the phone in his pocket, he tried to control the anger rushing through him, but in the end he slammed his fist into the wall, cracking the stone.

  Dani waited in the living room of the townhouse. She’d secured the dagger and now she just had to wait for Orion to come home. This could be it, the out that Orion needed. He could be free of Lucius and have his throne back. Her mind entertained ideas of what their life could be like together. They could live out a long life, free of Lucius, maybe even hunt together, or maybe live in the Fae world.

  Something about knowing he was her mate warmed her and she wanted nothing more than to leave her violent life behind and live happily with Orion.

  About two AM the door opened and Orion walked in. Her Fae looked exhausted. "I have the dagger for you."

  "Good." His voice was rough and he lounged himself in the other recliner. "She attacked Lucius' place tonight."

  Panic went through her. "How did she find it?"

  "It's not like it's hidden by magic, and she’s powerful enough to just...locate it." He muttered. "Kassity is really hurt and—" His phone went off. Pulling it out he looked at the name before clenching his jaw. "What?"

  Danielle couldn't hear the other end of the call and just waited. She wanted to wrap her arms around him, comfort him, but she didn't think that was something she could give him right now.

  "I'm not your killer." Orion snapped and his eyes cut to Danielle. "And I have other things planned, plus I'd like to get some sleep before..." He gave an irritated sound and Danielle crossed her arms.

  Her Orion only killed when needed, not on command. So she hoped. She'd seen him kill a demon and she knew he'd kill the queen. Who was on the other line demanding that he kill?

  She waited and Orion gave her apologetic eyes.

  "Yeah, you've made that clear." He snarled into the phone and then shoved it into his pocket. "I'm sorry, Dani, I have to go out." He stood and started towards the door, but she stepped in his way.

  "Who are you going to kill?"

  Orion's eyes flashed with silver streaks. "I can't tell you that."

  "Someone who is innocent then?"

  "In this world there is no such thing as innocent." He muttered. "I have to do this."

  She crossed her arms and met his gaze. "Because Lucius said so?"

  "Yes, now please, Dani, move. And please stay here, I want you safe." He moved to kiss her head.

  This screamed against her Hunter instincts and she moved away from his kiss. "Don't go out and kill for that vampire. He has other people to put at risk that way."

  "I won't be at risk, the person won't even know—"

  "That is not what I meant. If you get caught killing an innocent human, you become a target. You will be hunted and not by me. By someone who won't give a damn if you have some sort of morals, but someone ruthless." She clenched her fists; she couldn't risk another Hunter going after him.

  Orion snorted. “And that makes the Hunters so much better? Taking out creatures they hardly understand? Your people know nothing about mine. You are an exception because you've done your research. Your elders don't know much about the war, they don't know anything about the Fae, they condemn all shifters, and kill anything they see as a threat."

  "We kill those who take innocent lives." She snapped back. "And you're about to go out and murder on Lucius' orders."

  "Who said it was Lucius? Maybe I work for someone else behind his back."

  He wouldn't dare. "You have too much loyalty for that. Please Orion, don't do this."

  "Go back to your headquarters." Something akin to sadness tinted his voice. "This is part of me, of my past, of who I am. If you can't accept it, then you shouldn't be here."

  She swallowed. "And what of the Queen?"

  "I face her tomorrow night. I either die or find a way to take her down and strip her of her wings." He shrugged. "Now if you'll excuse me."

  He disappeared without so much as a whisper. Something ripped a part of her soul out when he left. She gasped and grasped her shirt from the physical pain consuming her. What the hell was this? His absence hit her more than his harsh words. After a few deep breaths she walked to her bag and retrieved the dagger. She went upstairs to his room. Laying it on the bed she turned to leave.

  Tears spilled from her eyes and she scrubbed them away, angry at herself for being hurt by such childish words. After everything, she didn't want to be left behind and yet she stood alone, and he'd told her without a hint of regret in his voice to go back to headquarters.

  Orion watched as the human walked towards the car. These were the type of kills Lucius normally sent Kassity on, but since she was down for the count, and this particular target was rarely unguarded, Orion was sent. He couldn't get the image of Danielle's hurt and disappointed face out of his head. She was truly sickened by the fact that he would kill for Lucius.

  What did she think it would be? Working for Lucius required some nasty things and it wasn't like it was going to change overnight. Especially while the vampire was off his rocker. But as the man moved closer, Orion found that he couldn't move towards him. The look in Dani’s eyes burned in his mind. She was his mate and was disgusted by his actions. This would ruin the best thing that had happened to him in years and he knew he couldn’t go through with it. He was done being Lucius' tool.

  His target got into the car and drove off. Orion leaned against the alley wall and took a deep breath. It would only be a matter of time before Lucius realized that the target wasn't dead. If he could avoid the vampire for the next twenty-four hours he'd be in luck. Swallowing, he thought of the one place he could be safe, but he doubted Danielle would let him back on the Hunters’ campus.

  Of course...he could just flash himself in.

  Dani stormed into Joey's office. "He's fucking killing for the vampire."

  "When did we go from seeing each other rarely to seeing each other all the time?" He asked without looking up from his book.

  She paused at the question and tried to form an answer. She couldn't pinpoint the exact time that she'd decided to trust Joey.

  "Exactly, things just happen. You and Orion, you two just happened. That's part of the mating thing. If you went in thinking he was innocent and just happened to work under Lucius, you were kidding yourself."

  Had she been? She swallowed. "I didn't think he just went out and killed in cold blood."

  "Most of his people do, we just haven't been able to pin it on Lucius. He's careful to stay within the lines. We caught one of his cats once. She was killed after an attempt to rehab her. I think Lucius set her death up and now he has something else taking out high political members in our state and neighboring ones, everything that is in his territory."

  She frowned. "Why would he do that? It makes no sense."

  "Because he's putting other people in their place, people who support his agenda."

  "He's planning on taking over the government so that the vampires will control it."

  He nodded. "Exactly."

  She needed to think about everything going on. Sighing, she rubbed her eyes and slouched into a chair. "Being a Hunter shouldn't be this complicated."

  "Did you think it was all supposed to be black and white?" Joey laughed. "You should know better by now."

  Yeah, she supposed she should. "I never thought I'd be mixed up with Lucius or any of his people."

  "You have a choice to make and I think you know that."

  She nodded. "I do, thank you Joey."

  "See you later. Good luck."
/>
  Too many thoughts ran through her head and it made her feel like life was forcing her to draw a line somewhere. Where did she stand on this? Orion, why did you have to go out and kill for Lucius tonight? Exhaustion crept through her and she made the choice to crash in one of the spare rooms for the Hunters, not wanting to face the drive back into town.

  Chapter Ten

  Orion returned home to find the dagger on his pillow. Even with what he'd said to Danielle she still wanted to look out for him. He couldn't find the words to text her or call her to offer her any comfort, but he knew that he needed to rest before he faced the queen. He tried to sleep, but thoughts of Dani wouldn’t let him be. Between Kassity getting hurt and him denying the kill, life was going to be hell in Lucius' territory. Everything was falling apart.

  Orion didn't want to believe it was Tegan that truly had the power. Lucius needed to learn how to control his own temper and territory, but he supposed that's how a true bonded pair worked. He'd seen the two of them grow as a pair since Tegan had come back from the Circle. When she came back from the demons, she would be able to handle it and Lucius would go back to normal. And once he killed the queen he would be able to face Danielle again and be able to provide a life for her.

  He closed his eyes and imagined her long blonde hair pulled back in her braid, her body covered in her Hunter black. Would she be able to accept him for what he was? Sure he hadn't done that kill for Lucius, but he'd kill the queen and that was still killing. Though according to her, the queen wasn't innocent and according to lore he was going to give the queen something worse than death. He was going to kill her soul so there was no chance of her returning.

  The bitch deserved it. She'd murdered Orion's parents, slaughtered them on the black tile of the court right before she went after him. She tore his wings in that same room, in front of all the high Unseelie Fae. With her hands formed into claws she ripped through the thin wings and left them dripping blood on the floor before she banished him to the Circle's territory.

  Had it not been for her he would have been able to rule happily and not have had to make a deal with a vampire who ruled everyone's lives. He couldn't put Dani in that position, especially knowing that she was already bound. He was surprised she hadn’t just run from him the moment she found out about their mating. The moment that they knew they were fated to be together. It would have been enough to scare anyone away.