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

by Margo Ryerkerk

“The suit might protect you directly from magic, but not the objects around you.” Blair’s green eyes shone with challenge. Fire danced around her hands. She was ready for this.

  “I should’ve killed you a long time ago,” Vulthus snarled, slowly turning to her as I gasped for breath.

  Steely, she moved her hands and a circle of fire exploded around him. Heat whooshed against my skin. “I’m glad you bought me. Your dungeons allowed me to focus on developing my fire skills.”

  He laughed. “You foolish girl.” But then he choked. He was on a parquet floor. The smoke wrapped around him. He stepped through the original circle, but Blair held him in her stare. The ring of fire moved with him, leaving scars on the floor.

  “You little bitch!” A predatory gleam filled Vulthus’s eyes as he prepared to pounce and break her neck.

  I had to act now. I dodged around two guards, who were holding back the vamps, and picked up six of the daggers that lay on the ground where Olwen had stood. They were stained with blood. I focused, coating them with ice. Behind me Olwen and Petra fought, white and green magic reflecting off the walls. She had the advantage, having no wounds. I had to finish this quickly.

  And I had to be creative. Magic couldn’t reach Vulthus, but ordinary weapons could. Using my powers, I guided my blades up, pulling on the ice coating, and shot them for Vulthus as he pounced on Blair, knocking her onto the ground with a loud thump. His body landed on hers as my daggers embedded themselves into his back with sickening thuds.

  “Dumb girl.” With a snort, he pulled out the dagger and revealed a rip in his suit, playing right into my hands.

  I shot an ice dagger at the spot. It found its mark. He let out a scream of agony, rolling off Blair, who had hand marks around her neck and was gasping for breath. Still, she grabbed one of the daggers that had missed him and sliced it through the front of his suit, revealing an undershirt and bare chest. Vulthus’s eyes widened in horror. He grabbed her wrist and twisted. There was a pop, and a yelp from Blair. He kicked her in the stomach, and she rolled to the side and collapsed into a ball, whining, too weak to get up. Vulthus rose and closed in on her.

  “Leave her alone!” A tall, blond vamp crashed into him from the side, throwing him against the wall.

  Thorsten.

  Olwen continued his fight with Petra. Vulthus threw Thorsten to the ground. Their movements blurred until Thorsten seized one of the daggers from the floor, forcing Vulthus to retreat. This was my opening. A new ice dagger materialized in my hand. I charged Vulthus and shoved him against the wall, then I stabbed him right into his now exposed heart.

  He kicked me in the gut, and I staggered back, keeling over from the sharp pain as he pulled out the dagger. But Thorsten was already upon Vulthus and stabbed him with his own dagger, missing the heart by inches.

  He twisted the blade, and Vulthus’s eyes widened as he slid down the wall, too weak to fend Thorsten off. “Finish him off with your magic,” Thorsten said through gritted teeth as blood seeped out of Vulthus’s wound. I was certain he was carrying a wooden stake on him, but he was giving me the kill, knowing how much it meant to me.

  Thorsten didn’t have to tell me twice. I summoned an ice stake and plunged it straight into Vulthus’s heart, pumping my magic into him. Vulthus shook and gagged. Gurgling followed. He uttered silent words as his body turned to ice. I twisted my magic, and underneath his suit, his body shattered into a thousand pieces, which turned to ash.

  Thorsten and I backed away. We had done it.

  “No!” Petra shouted, and something spiky whipped across my back and caught my ankle. I whirled around, barely keeping my balance, to find Petra staring me down.

  Olwen followed her gaze. Sweat ran down his temples, but his eyes remained hard. “You lost, Petra. I banish you to the fae wastelands.” He brought his hands together, and shaking, he began to chant in an unknown language.

  She let out a hoarse laugh as the vine around my ankle loosened. “Go ahead, old man.” She held her hand up and shot another vine at him. It lashed at and tightened around his neck, but blue magic was emanating from Olwen’s palms, growing larger by the second and gathering between them. The air shimmered, then turned into a door. A portal. Beyond it, dust and dead trees spread out.

  Petra maintained her vines, but she screeched, trying and failing to resist the magical wind dragging her into the vortex. Her roar filled the room as vamps and guards scurried away.

  “It’s over, Petra,” Olwen said coldly.

  Her catlike eyes narrowed. “Good thing I’m not going alone, then.” As she slithered into the portal, she wrapped her vine around her hand several times, planning to drag Olwen with her.

  An ice dagger materialized in Olwen’s hand and he cut through the vine around his neck, but not fast enough. With one final roar of wind, he slid to the portal.

  “Onyx!” He turned to me, his face drawn for once with fear as the portal sucked them both in, then closed behind them.

  Chapter 24

  I let out a gasp. Olwen was gone. And I had no idea whether I felt horror or relief. Thorsten drew close to me and took my hand. All around us, fae guards and vamp guards stood in shock, staring at the now empty space that had swallowed Olwen and Petra and the ash that used to be Vulthus. Blair coughed as she pushed herself off the floor.

  Thorsten continued to hold my hand in front of all the fae and vampire guards. No one made a move to kill us. Atticus lay on the floor, his breath shallow. Blair staggered to his side and leaned over him, muttering something, but I knew Atticus was too close to death to come back. He had died for me.

  I darted toward him, emotion swelling into my chest. Aside from his absolute loyalty to Olwen, Atticus had almost been a friend. I crouched over him, and Blair moved out of the way as the Winter fae joined me.

  “Atticus, hang on,” a guard said. “We’ll fetch a healing potion.”

  Atticus focused on me with great effort. He was very pale, and his cheek underneath my palm was icy. “Onyx. We won. We fought well.” Each word was a struggle.

  “Stay with us,” I said. “Please.”

  He gave me a faint smile. “My time has come. I lived for over four hundred years. I’m ready for the afterlife.” He glanced past me. “I’m glad Thorsten survived. He seems like a good man.” Atticus took a breath, and then his eyes emptied. He was gone.

  Silent tears ran down my face, and Thorsten wrapped his arm around me. I buried my head in his chest, breathing slowly, trying to calm my racing heart as I tried to make sense of everything. Atticus and Vulthus were dead. Olwen and Petra were gone. And we were kneeling in the middle of—

  “The guards,” I gasped, shoving my grief to the side.

  Thorsten took my arms and guided me to my feet. Why wasn’t he hiding his affection in front of all the vampires?

  The remaining fae warriors backed away from the door to the throne room, some stepping in the scattering ashes of Vulthus’s body. Blair stayed by our side, eyes shining with unshed tears. The vampire guards—there must be six left, the same number as the fae warriors—bowed. More footfalls approached, and I raised my ice, ready to fight, but Thorsten tightened his grip on my arm.

  “It’s okay,” he said.

  The vampire guards entered the room, another dozen or so, and stopped short. The one in front, a vampire female, lowered her dagger and eyed Vulthus’s ashes and his remaining magical suit.

  “Master? What do you want us to do?” She bowed her head low, then sank to her knees.

  One by one, the other vamps too sank to their knees before Thorsten, turning their gazes to the floor. Typical vampires. They didn’t care about me or the fae warriors. According to them, Thorsten had slain Gregory Vulthus, and thus, was now their new master.

  Since the vampire law dismissed us fae as always, Thorsten as the vamp who had killed Vulthus, inherited all of Vulthus’s estate, which in addition to the mansion and money, included his guards and servants. Vulthus’s place in the Elites also automatically we
nt to Thorsten. Thorsten was no longer an heir, but a master vampire himself.

  He explained this to me and Blair as we drove with the fae warriors back to Olwen’s mansion to bury Atticus on the grounds. The burial was solemn with each attendant stepping closer and having a private moment with Atticus before he was lowered into the earth.

  After it was done, Thorsten, Blair, and I stepped aside.

  “Will the vamps punish you for what you did today?” I bit my lip.

  Thorsten shook his head. “There are no laws against killing. We live by the motto of survival of the strongest.”

  Blair tightened her jaw, but I for once was relieved about the barbaric ways of the vampires as their law finally worked in our favor.

  “This also means,” Thorsten continued, “that since I inherited Vulthus’s fae servants, releasing them technically does not break vampire law. The law is only broken when you release the property of another vampire.”

  “Like what your brother Jason did,” I said.

  Blair shook her head. “How much did I miss?”

  I smiled. “I’ll explain everything later.”

  “It’s almost morning.” Thorsten eyed the pink of the horizon. “I need to return to my castle. Some fae servants are still inside since they were out, working during the attack, but I will give them the option of leaving if they wish. Any who want to stay will be paid like normal employees.”

  I swallowed. “The other vamps won’t be happy about that.”

  Thorsten ran his hand through his hair. “I know. I must swear all the guards to secrecy. The danger isn’t over. If the other Elites discover that I’m bucking slavery, there will be hell to pay. And if they know that I’m with you—”

  I took his hand and squeezed it. “You are with me.”

  A smile spread across his features, making warmth bloom in my chest. “We’ve come this far.” He kissed me, really kissed me.

  Blair tsked playfully. “You really have a lot of explaining to do.”

  Thorsten and I broke apart. I smiled at Blair. “You need to meet Lily, too.”

  “Is this Lily my replacement?” Blair cocked an eyebrow, amusement sparkling in her eyes.

  I chuckled. I’d forgotten the warmth of having friends. “Not quite. I’ll introduce you.” I glanced toward Olwen’s mansion, which I guessed was my mansion now since I was his only living heir.

  “Do you mind waiting in the car while I finish up here?” I asked Thorsten, knowing his tinted car would ensure he was safe from the sun. I needed some alone time with him, yet I also needed to introduce Blair to everyone before I could leave her alone in the Winter mansion.

  He nodded. “Of course.”

  I turned to Blair. “Let’s go inside."

  We headed through the big doors, and Blair gasped. Right, I forgot how shocking the contrast was— simple hut on the outside, fancy mansion on the inside.

  “That’s some strong fae magic,” Blair whispered, walking beside me. “There’s so much ice and marble.”

  I chuckled. “Yes, apparently, we Winter fae have a flair for the dramatic.” I led her into Olwen’s study where his warriors, about thirty in total, were already waiting.

  All thirty warriors inclined their heads, but they did not fall to their knees or proclaim that I was their queen. Clearly, fae law was not as decisive on this matter as vamp law, or maybe it was different since Olwen wasn’t dead, but simply banished.

  I cleared my throat and started with the easy part, motioning to Blair. “This is my friend, Blair. She’s an elemental fire fae and will stay here with me. She is to be treated with respect and like one of us.”

  Just then Lily entered with a tray of wine and goblets. She put the tray down and was about to scurry out the door, but I took her wrist, stopping her.

  “The same applies to Lily. Even though she’s a Summer fae by descent, she’s on our side and has proven her loyalty."

  The Winter fae muttered, but it was Sela who took a step forward and addressed me. “In King Olwen’s absence, your Royal Highness is to rule his court, and while we most certainly respect your wishes, both fae must perform a binding blood oath before we can accept them into the Winter Court. Those are our rules.”

  “Agreed.” That sounded reasonable enough. I turned to Lily and Blair, about to ask if they were ready to take such a step, but both were already nodding.

  “It would be an honor,” Lily said in a surprisingly strong voice.

  “If it means getting protection and becoming a badass like Onyx, I’m in.” Blair winked, and a stone fell from my heart. With them both swearing the oath, they could not be removed from the Winter Court later, which brought me to my second point.

  I faced Sela again. “Tell me more about the faeland wastelands and what the likelihood is of getting my father out of there.” I worded my statement carefully, having the feeling that my father’s warriors would not appreciate my intention to leave Olwen where he was.

  Sela sighed. “It’s a complicated matter and has never been attempted before. But, because he’s our king, we must do whatever we can to rescue him.” She produced a pen and paper. “With your permission, I’d like to write a letter to the Winter Court and notify them of the situation as well as ask our scholars to do as much research as possible so that we can decide on our next course of action.”

  “Please do so.” I raised my chin, trying to appear confident when I said the next part, even though I didn’t feel it. “I have business to take care of here, but I do want to see my lands soon.”

  Hesitation slipped across Sela’s face. “Your Royal Highness, with all respect, I must advise you that until we know how the Summer Court will react to the news that Princess Petra has been banished by us, it is best to stay safe, which means remaining here. Only a handful of individuals outside this room know about this place, and if the Summer Court comes after you, I dare say you have a much better chance avoiding him where you know everything and not in the faeland.”

  I clasped my hands together behind my back. It seemed that the damn Summer Court would never leave me alone. “All right. We shall see then what the Summer Court does next.”

  Exhaustion crashed into me as the last vestiges of adrenaline left me. I needed to wrap this up. “Is there anything else urgent we need to discuss?”

  Sela shook her head. “I’ll compose the letter.”

  “I’ll need to see it before it's sent off.”

  Her mouth flattened into a hard line, but she nodded. Good. Because while there was a lot that I could learn from her, I also wanted the Winter fae to understand one thing—I was Onyx Vinter, their princess. I would rule them, not allow them to treat me like a puppet on a throne. I had enough of other people telling me what to do. I was in charge now.

  I existed the room, Lily and Blair trailing me. When the door fell shut, and it was just the three of us, I said, “Lily, please catch up Blair on everything that has happened and find her a room. I need to talk to Thorsten.”

  Lily fell around my neck, sniffing.

  I hugged her back. “What’s wrong?” Had I said something harsh?

  She wiped at her eyes. “Nothing, it’s just that you’re alive. You made it and so did Thorsten. And now, you’re in charge.”

  I smiled. “Yes.” It would take a while for all the changes to fully sink in. “Join me for breakfast tomorrow. Just the three of us.” I needed a good night’s sleep. How I wished to fall asleep in Thorsten’s arms. Alas, that was not possible yet. We were free now, but we both had responsibilities that weighed heavy on our shoulders and that we needed to attend to first.

  I walked out of Olwen’s mansion, my mansion, and towards Thorsten’s car.

  Olwen was gone. Truly gone for now. And I was relieved. Olwen had allowed me to train and provided me with good food and nice clothing, but his treatment of me hadn’t been much better than that of the vamps. If he and Petra stayed in the wastelands forever, I wouldn’t cry over it. The idea that I was the last fae of the Wi
nter royal line was terrifying but also exhilarating. I wanted to learn. I wanted to grow. But most importantly, I wanted to make this world a better place.

  I opened the passenger’s seat of Thorsten’s car and slid in. “We made it.”

  He took my hand and squeezed it. “We sure did.”

  I leaned my head on his shoulder and allowed peace to overcome me. “I wish you could stay here tonight.”

  He titled my chin so that I faced him. “Me too, but we both have duties. I’ll come by tomorrow after sunset. We’ll figure it all out. Together. I promise.” His mouth collided against mine, claiming me. I moaned at the feel of his lips, the crazy things his touch did to my body. We had gotten a second chance. We were beyond lucky.

  I pulled back and gazed up into his arctic eyes. “I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but I know that I want to be with you no matter what. I’m going to fight for us.”

  He smiled. “So am I.” With a kiss, we sealed our promise.

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you so much for reading Savage Monarchs! We hope you enjoyed the Happy For Now ending of Onyx’s and Thorsten’s story. Onyx and Thorsten will continue to feature in our fae universe as we focus on Peony and Virgie.

  Peony’s story will be part of the Prison of Supernatural Magic Boxset, which will be released on the 14th of April.

  Virgie’s trilogy will be released over spring and summer 2020.

  Once again, thank you so much for reading and reviewing! It means the world to us!

  Talk soon,

  Margo & Holly

  About Margo Ryerkerk

  Margo Ryerkerk is the author of several fantasy series and has reached multiple times bestselling status with her novels on Amazon. Her YA Paranormal and fairy retelling series focus on magic, love, and adventure.

  After completing a BS in Psychology, a MS in Marketing, and a two-years stint in the fashion world, she became a full-time author and can’t believe she gets to spend her days creating stories. When she’s not writing, she loves to read, travel, and dance to pop anthems.