Savage Monarchs (A New Adult Prison Academy Novel) (Nocturnal Academy Book 3)

by Margo Ryerkerk

  “Indeed.” Vulthus stepped forward until the air crackled with his aggression. I could see every red line of hunger in his irises. I didn’t back down, knowing that would only give him pleasure. “If I find out that you had anything at all to do with my newest property’s escape, I’ll destroy you myself, boy.” He narrowed his eyes at the final word.

  I balled my fists. “I am not Jason.”

  Vulthus raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? I’ve heard differently.”

  “Do you believe every rumor?” I narrowed my eyes. He didn’t have any proof. Onyx had destroyed Mei Wu’s video of us kissing right as she was about to show it to Vulthus.

  Vulthus snorted. “I hope for your and Griffin’s sake that you’ll turn out well. If not, your family will fall completely from grace.” Dismissively, he motioned for me to leave. “I will speak to Kristen now.”

  Behind me, Kristen flinched on her cot. No one wanted to be left alone with Gregory Vulthus.

  I exited, relieved to get away from the snake. However, my relief was short-lasting as I spotted Griffin Steinberg at the end of the corridor. He stood alone, without Virgie, who he had purchased without as much as once hinting that he was in the market this year for a new fae courtesan. He’d take the virginity of Onyx’s friend. Anger flared within me. My sire was better than most of the Elites, yet he still held archaic views.

  As I reached Griffin, I inclined my head lowly. “Sire.”

  He remained hard. “Thorsten, I hope you learned your lesson.”

  I lowered my voice. “We should talk somewhere else.” I inclined my head toward the infirmary. “Vulthus.”

  Griffin sighed, but allowed me to take him to another corridor and into an empty classroom. As soon as I closed the door behind us, he said, “If I discover that you had anything to do with this fae’s disappearance—”

  “I didn’t.” It was the truth.

  Griffin narrowed his eyes and leaned close. “Vulthus will go after anyone involved and decimate them.”

  I nodded. “I know. Doesn’t this incident paint the Wus in a bad light?”

  Griffin nodded. “Yes. I don’t understand why Mei took Onyx, but it does reflect very badly on her family. Why do this now when they were so close to gaining a position in the Elites?” He touched my shoulder, and my chest tensed. He wasn’t exactly the touchy-feely type, preferring to keep to himself. “Tomorrow, you’ll report to Headmistress. She’ll write you a reference and end your contract.”

  Pressure lifted off my chest to be replaced by hope.

  “I’ll send a car for you tomorrow.” Griffin’s mouth pointed downward. “Changes are coming, Thorsten. We vampires need to stick together.”

  I felt my forehead furrow. “What changes?”

  Steinberg shook his head. “I’ve said enough for today.”

  With that, he left, and more hope seeped into my chest. Onyx had escaped, and I would leave Nocturnal Academy.

  Chapter 2

  Onyx

  Sunbeams fell on my face, pulling sleep away. I yawned and stretched in my bed. The bed was huge, wide enough that I could roll over in it without falling to the floor. The pillows and the blanket were as soft as clouds. I opened my heavy eyelids to discover a wide canopy, its curtains open, overhead.

  This was not my dorm in Nocturnal Academy. Where the hell was I?

  I jackknifed into a sitting position to be greeted with a big, elegant room complete with an oak desk, dresser, and closet. An adjoining bathroom revealed a hot tub and loads of fluffy towels. This luxurious place was the opposite of my sad dorm room at Nocturnal Academy. The events of the previous night rushed back. My hand flew to my neck, and I found the scabbing bite marks that would be gone in a few days, but whose meaning would never leave me. The bite was a reminder that I did not belong to myself anymore.

  A shudder went through me, and my heart galloped. Focus, Onyx. My memories felt fuzzy for a second, but then became clear. After escaping Vulthus and tricking Mei, I tried to take cover in a suburban home, but a fae man kidnapped me. He must’ve brought me here after dragging me to his limo.

  “I am King Olwen Vinter of the Winter Court. I am your father, Onyx.”

  I must’ve passed out after this revelation. And for good reason. My whole life I had believed that my father was a nobody. Most definitely not a king. But since pureblood fae could not lie, the fae king must have a reason to believe the nonsense he was spurting.

  I jumped out of bed and dashed toward the window, crossing the large, carpeted room. Black carpet. White walls. And silver curtains. The curtains were open an inch, and I parted them completely, flooding all of the room with sunshine. An amazing view of the mountains, pine trees, and a grassy green valley spread out. Fluffy white clouds drifted past the sun. It was a beautiful day.

  My breath huffed out of me. I was safe for now.

  Or was I? I was sure from the landscape that we were still in Colorado. This fae king, who was possibly my father, hadn’t taken me far from Nocturnal Academy.

  I gripped the curtains, squeezing as hard as I could.

  He had only come for me after I’d escaped on my own. Why didn’t Olwen help me before Vulthus bought me? He’d seen me at the outing months ago.

  I didn’t like this. Maybe he planned to return me to Vulthus. After all, they had seemed pretty friendly at the vamp party.

  I needed answers.

  But first, I needed to dress. A glance down revealed silk, rose-colored PJs. My red dress from last night was nowhere to be seen. Icy anger surged into my chest. Someone had undressed me without my consent.

  Heart pounding with dark anger, I gritted my teeth and threw open a closet, which turned out to be a huge walk-in. Shivers of surprise darted down my spine. “Wow.” There were rows of shoes, countless shelves with purses with expensive logos, jeans in all cuts and washes, and anything else I or any other girl could want. I hadn’t touched clothing like this ever. My anger dissolved for a moment only for tears of frustration to shoot into my eyes a second later.

  My absentee father Olwen was very well off. Where had he been when I had to eat canned beans for weeks, when the power had been turned off, when I sat in triple sweaters at home in the winter, when Mom and I were threatened to be kicked out by the landlord?

  I swallowed my tears. Even though I was out of Nocturnal Academy I couldn’t afford weakness. Then I pulled on the least fancy possible outfit—a white T-shirt, gray cardigan, light jeans, and black sneakers. I was Onyx Logan, not a jewel and not a trophy. If King Olwen thought he could buy me with fancy things, he was wrong.

  I brushed my hand through my purple hair. The color was fading and I’d have to re-dye it. I walked into the en-suite bathroom, another luxury I hadn’t asked for, and washed my face. I didn’t bother with make-up but couldn’t resist putting on a cream that was rich and smelled of honey. At least that made me feel a bit better.

  Now, answers.

  I opened my bedroom door to find a male fae with a ginger beard standing outside in a black and blue guard’s uniform. I jumped and raised a hand instinctively to summon a glob of ice.

  Unfazed, he offered a low bow. I let out a breath, dropped my hand and urged my magic to calm itself.

  “Good morning, Princess Onyx. I am your guard. I apologize for surprising you like this. Please, follow me.” He straightened, arm over his chest. His beard was neatly trimmed and his eyes had some life to them. He didn’t look like the fae servants I’d seen at the vamp parties.

  “What?” I blinked, then snorted. Another guard? Seriously? I thought I was done with guards after escaping Nocturnal Academy, but clearly I had been wrong. “Did you undress me?”

  The guard blushed. “No. A female servant placed you in pajamas while you were in your magical sleep.”

  A magical sleep. I had been kidnapped, all right. Swallowing my anger, I stepped out of my room. I wouldn’t figure this situation out by yelling at random guards, so instead, I asked, “Where are you taking me?”

&
nbsp; “To the Solstice Room, which is the fortress’s breakfast area. His Majesty is awaiting you.” The guard, my guard, swept down the corridor.

  Curiosity won, and I followed him down the white, marble corridor. The way the light struck the marble made it sparkle like ice. The walls too were made of white marble, and lots of sunlight streamed through half round windows. It was the opposite of the dark, gothic vampire academy I had been trapped in for almost a whole year. “This place is not very conspicuous, is it?” The castle must’ve been huge, as the corridor went on forever.

  The guard laughed, and at my raised eyebrows quickly said, “I apologize, your Royal Highness.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Please, just call me Onyx.”

  “I cannot. You’re—”

  “When it’s just the two of us, you can and you will.” I didn’t want this guard to get in trouble. Who knew if King Olwen treated his staff any better than Vulthus?

  The guard inclined his head. “If you wish.”

  I glanced at his metal name tag. “Thank you, Atticus.”

  He smiled, and I committed his freckled face with light lashes and bushy brows to memory. He had curly, ginger hair and shouldn’t be too hard to find. And he seemed nice. A potential ally.

  “About your earlier question,” Atticus began. “King Olwen’s castle is protected by a glamour that makes it appear as a regular human house to outsiders, and not a very welcoming one at that.”

  “Wow.” I had to stop my jaw from dropping. King Olwen had some serious powers if he could do that. This place was set up on a mountain in plain view. “Isn’t it exhausting to maintain that much glamour?” I motioned to the corridor and the landscape outside.

  Atticus hesitated. “I’m afraid you’ll have to ask King Olwen directly about this.”

  I studied Atticus, trying to figure out whether he didn’t know how the glamour was maintained or was afraid to tell me. Not wanting to push him too much, I switched to a lighter topic.

  “So, is there a different room for every meal, Atticus?” I meant it jokingly, but by the furrowing of his bushy brows, it was clear he hadn’t gotten that.

  “Breakfast is in the Solstice room. Lunch is either there or in the Noon Room. Then there’s the Afternoon Tea Room—”

  “And the dining room?” I finished as we reached light, wooden doors. An image of the sun rising over a winter landscape was carved in the wood.

  Atticus nodded, then knocked. My heart raced as I realized that I was about to come face to face with my kidnapper and potential father.

  “Come in,” a low voice sounded from inside, and my heart hammered in anticipation. I was about to have breakfast with the King of the Winter Court.

  Atticus opened the door for me and bowed, giving me a reassuring smile.

  I gave him a close-lipped one in return and entered the Solstice Room. The sight made my jaw drop as coolness washed over my skin. I’d seen pictures of that hotel in Sweden made entirely of ice. This room looked the same. Everything in the room was made of ice. The walls, the long table, the intricate, throne-like chairs. Furs adorned the seats of the chairs. Several multi-tiered trays with finger sandwiches and delicious-smelling biscuits sat on the table as well as an array of hot drinks and juices. Lights set deep within the long ice table somehow illuminated it without melting it. Ice crystals hung from the ceiling in an odd formation, and I wondered if they were there to catch the light of the sun on the Winter Solstice. The main window faced what I assumed was the east.

  “Please have a seat, Onyx.”

  King Olwen, who sat at the head of the table in a black suit, gestured to the opposite end. His cobalt blue eyes trained on me, studying me without revealing his own feelings. His energy crackled through the room and made my hair stand on end. King Olwen was just as powerful as Princess Petra of the Summer Court, if not more.

  I took the seat, surprised it didn’t feel uncomfortable. Goosebumps rose on my skin. I felt under-dressed.

  Outside, the sun was shining brightly and purple cornflowers were blooming. “Isn’t it a waste of energy to maintain this room so cold?” How else was I supposed to start this conversation? I didn’t want to accuse Olwen of being a deadbeat until I knew the truth for sure.

  King Olwen chuckled. “Not energy, ice magic. And no, it’s not a waste if it represents who we are.”

  I swallowed hard, ignoring his ego. It was best to get straight to the bottom of why I was here. “Why do you think that I’m your daughter?” I mean sure, I had the same shade of cobalt blue eyes as him, and under my purple dye my hair was raven just like his. Also, I did possess ice magic, but so did other fae who came from the Winter Court.

  King Olwen chuckled. “You waste no time. Good quality to have.”

  I cocked my head, waiting for my answer.

  He sighed. “Are you familiar with the plague in the faeland?”

  I nodded, remembering Sullivan’s history lessons. “Yes, it caused a lot of problems. Some fae fled to the human realm and the Summer Court had fertility issues. The Summer Court claims that it was started by the Winter Court. At least, according to Lord Sullivan.”

  King Olwen—I was sticking with that title, and most definitely not Father or Dad—took a sip from his china cup that looked tiny in his broad hands and motioned for me to have some breakfast. I poured myself some coffee and stirred in some cream, needing the caffeine before I could swallow any food.

  “Yes. I created the plague,” King Olwen admitted calmly, and I nearly choked on my coffee. There was no remorse in his voice. I’d been expecting him to refute the idea, to tell me that it was no one’s fault, and that the vamps had twisted history once again. However, it appeared that this was one thing they had gotten right.

  “You created the plague?” I could barely get the words out.

  He leaned back. “I created the Barren Plague after the Summer fae attacked us and tried to take a part of our Winter lands. So I reasoned: no soldiers, no war. I would make the Summer fae unable to produce children. Surely that would stop them from trying to expand their territory.” He shrugged and then frowned. “However, the Plague spiraled out of control and began to infect our own people as well. A merciless war broke out through the faeland. My people can still procreate once infected, but it is much more difficult for them.” King Olwen sighed. “Then, in retaliation for my defense of the Winter lands, the Summer Court assassinated all four of my children.”

  I gasped at the horror but wasn’t exactly surprised. Petra and Preston had been merciless. They wouldn’t hesitate to do the deed or order their soldiers to do it.

  “One of my lovers was desperate to give me a child, but unable. She and others were affected by the plague. And even if they could carry a child as one of my women did—”

  I held up my hand. “You have several concubines?” Was he as bad as Vulthus? What kind of monster was my father?

  King Olwen’s gaze hardened. “You could call them that, but that’s not how I view them, and I can assure you that they come to me willingly.”

  I blinked. “So it’s an honor to be what, one of five women who get to share you?”

  He nodded. “Twelve women, and yes, it is an honor. They are each treated as queens. Well, without the power obviously.”

  “Obviously.” I grabbed a sandwich with smoked cheese, needing to stuff my mouth before I said something incredibly rude. The power in this room warned me that it was not a good idea.

  “Back to the war.” King Olwen sipped his tea. “When one of my women was able to get pregnant and began to show, she was killed by an assassin of the Summer Court, and I realized that the same fate would befall any of my future heirs.”

  I blinked. I didn’t like how the Winter Court was run, but compared to the Summer Court it seemed civilized. It was no wonder the Summer Court had produced offspring as evil as Preston and Petra. They intruded on other lands and left the earthbound fae to rot as slaves.

  “Thus, I decided to venture to the human world, wh
ere the powerful Summer fae rarely go. I needed to continue my bloodline in a safer location.”

  Anger rushed into my veins, and I gripped the armrest of my chair, channeling my own ice into it, finally not having to hide it. A new layer of frost spread over the armrest.

  Olwen wasn’t moved. “You don’t approve, but I am a king, Onyx. I must focus on the bigger picture.”

  I couldn’t hold back anymore. “So you went around knocking up women before abandoning them? I bet the human ones didn’t know about your polygamic tendencies.”

  He nodded, a gleam in his eye. “It’s easy for fae to charm humans, and it’s not exactly difficult to convince human women to lay with me.”

  I gritted my teeth. Was he calling Mom a slut? Him, who slept around as much as possible? I was angry at her, and she had countless lovers, but if he was going to imply that she was promiscuous, he should bear the title too. “How many?” I asked instead.

  He hesitated, and I leaned forward. “How many human women?” I repeated. Did I have half-siblings out there?

  “Twelve.” He spoke as if I should have figured it out.

  “Is that your favorite number or something?”

  His gaze darkened. “Careful, child. I am trying to be patient with you, but I will not allow you to disrespect me.”

  I leaned back in my chair and glared at him.

  He put a salami canape in his mouth and chewed slowly as I waited. Finally, he continued. “I couldn’t get away with more without making the Summer Court aware of my intentions. And twelve is a good traditional number. Only six became pregnant and of those…” He rubbed his forehead. “My intention was to monitor my lovers carefully, but I couldn’t.”

  I raised an eyebrow, not trusting my mouth.

  “Phinian Kallan, the King of the Summer Court, put an enchantment on me that resulted in me losing part of my memory, including who I had laid with. I can only remember bits and pieces. If I were not a king myself, I may have lost my entire memory.”