Blood of Gods

by Scarlett Dawn

  “A long time.” She shrugged her dainty shoulders. “Many, many times. King Savion kept me locked in the attic for close to three thousand years. Although, I did find ways to sneak about the castle within the walls.” Her brown eyes flicked to the cave around us, a gentle, content smile crooking her lips. “This place reminds me of it.”

  Three. Thousand. Years.

  Holy fuck.

  No wonder the lady was twisted in the mind.

  I scanned the cave anew.

  It made sense now. Small spaces. Cold.

  This was her safe place.

  I hoped Bel hurried up and wrecked it.

  I smiled kindly at the woman who was creating havoc all over S’Kir. “I must ask this. Do you truly believe you should be ruling with the trauma you’ve survived? As a ruler, one must put the people first. You aren’t able to do that, not with what I’ve seen so far.”

  A cocky eyebrow hitched up. “I am the rightful ruler. It doesn’t matter what one person thinks.”

  “What about an entire island of people?” I asked dryly. “S’Kir is in shambles right now, and you’re hiding in a fucking cave. How is that the action of a ruler?”

  “We are only temporarily here,” Queen Niniane averred, though she hesitated—more wildness entered her eyes at the thought of leaving this safe cocoon she had made for herself. “We will be returning to the Stronghold shortly.”

  “To the place where you were tortured?” I probed brutally. “How do you think you will hold up there?”

  The queen sipped at her tea, her fingers shaking so badly that the tea spilled over the edges. She didn’t notice, her brown eyes locked on my gaze. She stated evenly, “I will be fine, just as I am here.”

  “Hmm.” I really wanted some damned tea.

  I’d lick that drip off her chin if I could get close enough. I was falling farther and farther down the rabbit hole of insanity. But I would not allow myself to become like her. A Rest was sounding better and better.

  Queen Niniane tipped her head back…

  And screamed like she was on fire.

  I jerked my head back against my chair, surprised I could even move that much. “What the fuck?”

  Her teacup flew across the room, and she turned her head to peer out the exit. She bellowed, “I said gods-damn raspberry tea, not fucking lemon tea! Kill that bitch now!”

  Shouts and screams erupted down the long, winding cave walkways…until they stopped.

  I stared at the mad queen across from me.

  She sat back on her chair and placed her hands in her lap, extremely proper. A soft smile lifted her lips, and she asked, “Pardon me, what were you saying?”

  “That I think I’d like to go back to my cell,” I spewed honestly. “It’s looking pretty damn good right now.”

  “Not quite yet. We have not gotten to what I wished to speak about.” Queen Niniane leaned forward, as if she were about to whisper a great secret to a favorite friend. “I hear Belshazzar is back. Is that true?”

  Um, what the hell to say here.

  I licked my lips slowly, drawing out the moment to think as long as I could. I asked gently, “Is he a friend of yours?”

  “Of course not. That is why you are here.” She waved her hands at me. “I heard through my spies he was here and that he had brought a female with him. You are bait—if he is truly back on S’Kir. I wish to kill him.”

  “And if he’s not here?” I blinked. “Would you let me leave?”

  “Oh no. You do not like me. I would have you killed.”

  I stared at the twisted queen. “He is certainly here on S’Kir then.”

  All of her teeth showed as she smiled. “Splendid! I can’t wait for him to arrive. He’ll surely bring his twin, too. Those two men in power must die.”

  “Why?” I asked curiously.

  “Because they are men. Men in power.” Her features morphed before my eyes, into the most haunted woman I’d ever seen before. She looked off to the side, declaring absently, “Men in power are dangerous. They must be wiped from existence for my reign to truly begin.”

  I hated that I might have anything in common with this bitch. My nose crinkled, and I asked, “Because of what King Savion did to you? You will hold all men to the bad, even if more are good at heart?”

  Fuck, that truly sounded like my life.

  Was I truly this damned pathetic?

  Was this queen before me what I would look like in two thousand more years, bitching about the men who had wronged me? Was I already like this?

  I didn’t like that thought much.

  She slammed her fist on the table, rattling the teapot and cups. She screeched, “They must be killed. Men ruin everything! They take, and take, and take until there is nothing left to give. The more powerful they are, the worse the man, too. And Dorian and Belshazzar are the most powerful. Die, they must!”

  All right, crazy lady. I’ve had my fill.

  I merely nodded my head so she’d shut up. “I can see why you would think that, Your Royal Highness.” No amount of therapy would help this broad. She was too far gone into the madness. Lack of blood. Torture. King Savion had done his bride wrong—and she was now the beast. “I really am tired. May I go rest in my cell now?”

  She sniffed down her pert nose. “I… suppose.” The queen snapped her fingers—both hands—at her studiously silent sentinels. “Take her back. Now. I get the feeling she is too tired to stay and chat.”

  Maon and Kyldan both gripped me under my armpits—now, those did stink—and hauled me roughly away from the table. The toes of my boots dragged on the cave floor, but I managed to keep my head up, watching where we were going.

  The deeper into the cave we walked, the darker it became, only torches lighting the way. I lost count by the fifth hallway, my mind exhausted. I dropped my head back and stared at the passing ceiling.

  “I say this with complete honesty. No amount of land is worth that bitch.” I muttered helpfully, “If you don’t want to die, make sure you’re gone when Belshazzar and Dorian arrive. They will lay waste to everyone here.”

  Maon grumbled, “We have thousands and thousands of soldiers here. No one will be touching us.”

  Kyldan grunted in agreement.

  Fools. They were both fools.

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you when you’re bleeding out on the ground.” I sighed. “You’ll wish you had listened to me when you take your last breath. No matter what, you won’t leave here alive if you don’t leave now.”

  Maon rolled his eyes and tipped his head to the side, stopping in place—effectively stopping all of us. “Your cell awaits. Can you walk in there?”

  “What do you think,” I griped, rolling my head to the side to glare at him. “These boots sure weren’t walking themselves a second ago.”

  Kyldan grinned, showing fang. “The hard way then, I’d say.”

  I shrieked as I was thrown through the air, right into my cell. I slammed hard against the darkened gems in the wall, tumbling down, scraping along them all the way to the hard ground. My frame bounced once from the impact, a grunt pushing from my lungs brutally. I lay in a heap of tangled limbs, my head cocked at an odd angle, unable to move.

  I rasped, “You bastards. I’m happy you’ll die.”

  The boulder creaked as it began to roll back into place, my kidnappers, little by little, closing it.

  My body was slow to heal itself, struggling to do so in my weak state. I shuddered hard on the cold, wet ground, a quiet sob ripping from my chest.

  With one last shove, the boulder stopped.

  I was “secured” once again.

  The gems instantly flared to life.

  I choked on my silent sobs and squinted at them through my tears. “I think I missed you. And I think I’m an idiot about men. But, fuck, I’m still scared.”

  The gems that my side was crushed against warmed against my skin, sparkling so brightly I had to close my eyes.

  Brutal power, only felt once befo
re with a gifted necklace, captured my breath, and stole my thoughts. I tumbled into the vortex of power, gripping it tight, lest I be lost in the coil of its intensity…

  I sat on a beach that sparkled like diamonds.

  I peered left and right, searching for a little boy with blood-red skin who liked to dig in the sand, but there was no one else here during the twilight hour. I dug my bare toes down in the warm sand, my body shuddering in pleasure. I peeked up to the sky, ready for the odd phenomenon.

  A sun the color of yellows, reds, greens, and blues—all gases and spinning in a lazy pattern—was on the horizon, watching down on me, radiating tenderness. A moon was on the other horizon across the stunning blue waves, white foam rushing over the pure, white sand. The bright white moon gazed upon on my person, pouring strength down on me.

  I lay back on the sand, stretching my legs. I curled my fingers down into the sand, soft as silk. I whispered in my reprieve—my stomach no longer aching for blood, “This may be an illusion, but I needed this. Thank you.”

  18

  Kimber

  The people of Lick were barely kind enough to lead us to the other end of the city through the tunnels. They weren’t pleased in any way that Aiko knew where they were hiding, but we also didn’t want to take the time to try to explain the whole situation to them.

  Gwynnore was out there. Somewhere. I was fairly sure that while she was quite capable of handling Niniane, we didn’t want to leave her in the queen’s presence either. I’d had enough of the woman from the one encounter I’d had with her.

  Within about an hour of being pulled in to the cellar, we were led out through the other end of the city and bid a very unfond farewell. They couldn’t have slammed the door shut with any more gusto than they did. I wasn’t even sure the door was going to open again without serious force.

  “Nice people,” Belshazzar said.

  “You really don’t get how awful this has been for these vampires, do you?” Aiko snapped. “For thousands of years, they suffered under Savion, and now they are suffering even worse under Niniane. It was why we all did everything we could to keep her hidden, keep her away from everything and everyone. Even Savion knew she was out of control—and what does that tell you when the madman thinks the queen is insane?”

  “I can’t really find it in me to give a shit, Aiko,” he said. “Gwen is missing. We need to find her and get back to Earth to deal with the war that’s coming.”

  Aiko turned and stepped right up in the king’s face. “I do give a shit because this is my home. This is where I have lived. I have fucked up enough for a thousand lifetimes, and I want to see it live and thrive.”

  Belshazzar pushed him back a few steps. “Relax, vampire. You’ll have your home. I just want my queen.”

  “He doesn’t give a shit because he left this all behind,” Dorian said.

  “Not on purpose, you flaming trash heap! Your son locked the doors! You didn’t care enough to try to open them!” Belshazzar said.

  “It was the damn amulets! You know that! The only thing that might have unlocked it was blood and bone magic—and I won’t use that.” Dorian stepped to him. “Not even to bring you back, brother. No matter how fucking much I missed you.”

  Belshazzar flashed a fang at his brother and marched ahead. Aiko sighed and followed him. Rilen and Roran flanked me, and we headed down the road again.

  Something was bothering Aiko, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. We were heading to the city where he had grown up, but he didn’t seem happy.

  Not that I ever adored going home, either, but at least I didn’t quite feel like I was going to have my toenail drawn out and my feet dipped in saltwater.

  Which was how this seemed to feel to him.

  Our hike continued in silence—completely terrible and consuming silence that I didn’t like, and I could tell the twins weren’t thrilled either. But there was nothing we could do about it.

  The road was well maintained, but again, there were very few people on it, and when a carriage or rider passed us, they were going very fast.

  Could Niniane have everyone so terrified they didn’t even want to leave their homes? Savion hadn’t been dead but a month, and she had them this frightened already?

  We did have to destroy her.

  From our one encounter in the Stronghold, I knew how strong she was, and how much power she could hold. She was a vampire, but the magic crackled around her, and I had been frightened.

  When the woman who pulled down the mountains was frightened of someone’s power, it was time to be concerned.

  The entire day we walked in near silence, only stopping for lunch and to see if anyone had horses or carriages to rent. No one was even willing to open doors to talk to us—everyone spoke through them.

  As it turned dark, we also realized there was no hope to find a barn or inn to sleep in, and we surrendered to a camp with our packs and rolls a distance off the road.

  The silence was still permeating everything as we sat there, heating some lentils and herbs over the fire, gnawing on some of the hardtack and a bit of cured meat.

  “What a fun vacation,” Belshazzar grumbled.

  “Yes, delightful,” Dorian said. “Just like our outings when we were children. I expect you’ll dump the lentils over my head without letting them cool off.”

  “I never did that.”

  Dorian turned his head slowly and eyed his brother. He held up his hand, and one at time ticked off a list, lifting fingers. “Lentils, tomatoes, lamb stew, mother’s tuh’u, pasta, cooked oats, hot water, cold water, beef blood, milk—”

  Belshazzar flashed a fang again. “Enough.”

  “This feels familiar,” Rilen said.

  “I never dumped food on your head,” Roran said.

  “No, you just threw me in any body of water you could find,” Rilen said.

  I looked at Aiko. “Are all siblings so awful to each other?”

  “Oh, yes,” he said. “My sister and I were terrible. I would tangle her hair on purpose, and I even once cut off a whole braid.”

  “Aiko!”

  He shrugged. “It’s what siblings do.”

  Roran leaned into the fire and pulled the pot out from the side. “Who’s hungry?”

  “I need blood,” Belshazzar said. “Whose blood am I taking?” His eyes landed squarely on me.

  Roran moved back and stood in front of me, creating a small wall with Rilen and Aiko. The king chuckled.

  “I could take her if I wanted, you know,” he said.

  “And I’d punch you so hard you’d wake up at the next full moon,” Dorian said, casually. “If you need blood, take mine.”

  The four of us started, shocked at Dorian’s casual offer. We stared at him, and he shrugged.

  “We’re brothers. It’s not the first time I’ve had to.”

  “But… the…” Rilen stuttered.

  “He’s my brother,” Belshazzar answered, curling his lip. “I’ve had his blood since I was a child. You think it would turn him on? Foul.”

  Dorian held his arm out.

  “Just like that?” I snapped and shoved through the wall of males in front of me. “Just like that you offer your blood to him while you stand there and preach to me about taking what I need when I need it from people who offer it willingly?”

  “You’re in for it now.” Belshazzar laughed.

  “You’re damn right he’s in for it! You claim me to your bed and then won’t let me find what I need when you say no! You are just the worst kind of hypocrite, Dorian. You don’t even realize how small and unimportant you make me feel with your actions and words. I’m always shoved off, pawned off, ignored by you.

  “Rilen and Roran are always apologizing for you, smoothing things over! They have the decency to speak with me, to enjoy time with me that isn’t in a bed or a practice space. Aiko sends me letters and flowers, and while he has resisted what was growing, he’s not rude or mean and downright cruel about it!”

  I
walked over to him. “Give your blood to your brother. And stay the hell out of my bed.”

  I strode past the two brothers sitting on the ground and marched out into the high grass behind them. I didn’t want to have to deal with this anymore. Just as I finally got Aiko relaxed, and Rilen and possibly Roran to understand this, Dorian had to go and show his ass again.

  I didn’t go far into the grass. Just away from the rest of them, to take some time to collect myself. I sat in a little circle of the wild grasses and pulled a dagger from my belt.

  I picked at the ground, flicking pebbles into the air and away from me. I didn’t want to think anymore. I was tired of fighting with the men who were supposed to love me. I sat there for a good long few minutes, flicking the pebbles out.

  A scraping to the right had me freeze and listen to the night around me. The sound was footsteps, and I didn’t dare move until they stepped into the clearing in the grass.

  They didn’t step, though. They charged.

  The dagger in my hand flew straight into their heart, and my sword was out in the next second, against their neck. But there was no need for the sword. He was burbling and gurgling and would be dead in seconds.

  “Who are you?”

  “Destroy the interlopers,” he hissed, and the blood ran out of his mouth, choking him.

  I heard more footsteps in the grass, and turned and took off running back to the campfire. The footsteps sped with me, trying to match my speed.

  But I had learned how to tap into my vampire speed and picked up my pace so they couldn’t catch me, heading for the fire ahead of me.

  I saw all five of the males there stand up, and in the next moment, they all had their weapons out, and faced the incoming attack—or whatever it was that was chasing me.

  “To me!” Dorian screamed.

  That was the last place I wanted to head, but if no one was contradicting him, I wasn’t going to either. I charged toward him and Belshazzar to the right, and as I got closer, I ducked around and leapt over the fire to keep it between me and the things chasing me.

  The rapport of Belshazzar’s gun was impressive and halted all fifteen pursuers almost dead in their tracks. He shot four more times and dropped four more men before they all snapped out of their shock.