by Bailey Dark
I feel the blood drain from my face, fear and disbelief squeezing my heart too tight. Her head falls back, her blonde hair ringing her head like a halo. The light fades from her eyes and I roll off of her body, chest heaving. The curse is like a seed of darkness in my chest. I choke back on my fury, knowing she spoke the truth. One last victory for the Bloodbane. My fingers wrap around the hilt of my dagger, shaking with anger.
My shadowed eyes turn on Sadal. He tosses me a lopsided grin, still rubbing his neck. I curl my lip at him and stalk towards him. He doesn’t flinch away, instead goading me with his eyes. He wants me to kill him, I realize. I push the thought away. If anyone deserves to die, it’s Sadal. He took Verity from me. He married her. He made her pull away from me in pursuit of his tricks. He razed my kingdom to the ground with his demons and witches.
I crouch beside him, staring intently at him while all of his crimes play inside my head like an orchestra. I know my hand is shaking, but it isn’t with fear. It’s anticipation. Sadal smiles, waiting for the killing blow.
In a blur of motion, I strike his temple with the hilt of the dagger. He crumples to the ground with a sigh. I toss aside the blade and bury my hands in my hair. Eyes wide, intense, and lost, I stare at the ground. I tangle my fingers into my hair and take a deep, shaky breath. I need him, I tell myself. I don’t want to make the same mistake I just made with Maaz. The short satisfaction of killing my enemy was outlived by the knowledge of my cursed fate. I won’t let it happen again with Sadal.
I think of the Shades, of their ominous, shadowy presence at the fringe. Wherever they are, whatever they are, Sadal will know. I turn back to Sadal’s unconscious form. Out cold, he doesn’t look like much. With his slight frame and lean build, Navi could have taken him out much quicker than I was able to. He’s just a normal Fae man; one who once held the fate of the entire realm in his hands.
Grunting, I hoist Sadal’s limp body onto my shoulder and turn towards the door. I slip out of the tent into a scene of carnage and gore I never imagined. The demons have ripped apart anyone in their path, including the Bloodbane witches. Deadwood brooms are scattered across the landscape, bits and pieces of bodies clustered around. The ground shimmers red in the morning light, coated in blood. The earth is soaking in it.
I cover my nose with my sleeve as the smell of burnt flesh and blood assaults me. Flames still burn nearby, tents and supplies smoking lightly. The sun soldiers have scorched much of the Bloodbane camp, and dead demons with burnt and roasted skin are frozen in place everywhere. I gag at the sight of a burst eyeball and head away from the sounds of the fighting towards the fort.
I crest a hill, looking out over the camp. The Fae forces are winning, driving the Bloodbane back into the air and towards the mountains. I watch them retreat, leaving their sisters behind without a second glance. I wonder if any of them even know what happened to Maaz – if any of them even care. My eyes drift back to the tent where I left her corpse. It goes up in a blaze, the edges of it catching the flames of the scorched earth.
I spin in a slow circle, watching as demons lope off in all directions. My archers take them down, but I know enough have escaped to pose a problem. My eyes drift disgustedly towards Sadal and I drop him carelessly.
The curse is inside me, growing more powerful by the second. I fish for it now, harnessing the power and shifting into my beastly form. I stretch out my wings and lift Sadal gently with my mouth. I carry him, tasting his sour blood, towards the fortress. From this height, I can see the black clusters of the demons fleeing over the rocky landscape in all directions. I watch my forces pursue them on foot, taking care of the stragglers.
The fortress is in full view in the morning light. It’s the first clear day in a week, as if the sun was hailed by our victory. I feel a seed of happiness grow inside of me, driving out the sad reality of the curse. We’ve done it. We stopped Sadal’s conquest of Alnembra.
I almost drop Sadal, thinking to release a roar of victory. I catch myself just in time but allow myself the small pleasure of imagining his corpse plummeting to the earth. He’s beginning to stir, and I bite down harder on him to make him aware of his position. He freezes as I begin my descent towards the gates of the keep.
I fly in a slow circle, descending gently so I don’t jostle Sadal free. I touch down, dropping him callously. He lands with a huff, groaning in pain. I shift into my Fae form and resist the urge to kick him in the ribs.
“Bring me chains,” I command, watching Sadal from the corner of my eyes.
One of the soldiers scurries off to obey. I grin down at Sadal. He glowers at me. But not even his anger can dampen the satisfaction of this victory. If anything, it just makes it sweeter.
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About the Author
Bailey Dark is obsessed with all things dark, hot, and supernatural. From Fae to Aliens, her heroes are thoroughly alpha and pure raw masculinity. When she’s not writing (which is hardly ever) she’s busy watching every movie in the marvel universe, or binging supernatural on her couch. So come along, and enter her dark world. . . .
https://www.baileydarkromance.com/
Also by Bailey Dark
The Beast King’s Bride - Warlords of Farian Book 1
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Chapter One
Daphne
“Mm-hmm,” Vania said through a mouthful of avocado toast, crumbs tumbling to the tabletop. I rolled my eyes at my best friend. “That would turn me on, too.”
“Oh, gawd, that’s not what I meant. I wasn’t saying seeing him beat the shit out of Rhone would rev me up. I just meant—”
“Oh, you just meant you would melt in his arms and do anything he wanted after he bashed your boss’s face in. And, I mean, anything, Daphne…” Vania grinned and flicked a baby carrot at me. I caught it deftly and popped it in my mouth. I slowly grinned as a slight breeze from the courtyard garden ruffled my blonde hair. My best friend’s brown curls were a bit messy from the debauchery of the night before…she had made that walk of shame all the way to work on time.
“All right, maybe I would be a little more willing to explore, if he was, you know, detail-oriented…” We giggled. I sighed. “It’s just been so hard. Rhone is incredibly difficult. I had to stay at work late every day the last two weeks, and I am still running behind on the deadline for the Flores account.”
“Rhone is such an asshole. Why can’t you just tell him off?”
“Are you kidding me? I know you have never seen him, but there’s just something…scary…about him…” Rhone was a towering figure in my office doorway far too often. He was over six feet tall, with the broad shoulders of a swimmer or climber, clothed only in high-end designer suits. His facial hair was finely groomed, his black hair slicked in a wave around his piercing black eyes in a starkly pale face. I shivered, imagining how he could skewer me with just a look. “He takes private martial arts classes, you know.”
Vania sat up straight, setting her tea down hard. “Do you think he would ever actually harm you?”
“Of course not!” My protest was without hesitation, but a tiny thread of doubt trilled through my body. No…no, of course not. He will never actually hurt another person. He just enjoys the intimidating aura he has. Over his employees, over his clients, even over the bike messengers. We are all just caught up in his Rhone-sphere.
“Ok.” Vania took another bite of her lunch. “So, tell me more about this super-hot, super-suave boyfriend that will come to your rescue and then rev your motor, gladiator-style. If he doesn’t show up soon, you can always ask Sean to confront Rhone for you.”
I rolled my eyes again. “Sean is a mess.”
“I know you’re afraid to lose this job, since you’re paying for your brother’s loans, but really, Daphne. This job is killing you. Does Sean make things easy on you ever?”
“He never has.” My stepbrother
had always been a little too impetuous for life to treat him fairly. He was always chasing his next inspiration, be it a girl, business, bike, college, or real estate. “I love him, regardless. I really think this next brilliant idea of his will take off—”
“Just make sure it isn’t your money on the line, this time.” Vania’s green eyes were serious.
I consented with a nod. “I just think—” My cell phone rang. I picked it up, groaned, and looked up at the clear midday sky, taking a deep breath. “Hello, Rhone, how can I—?”
“Get your ass back to work. You weren’t supposed to take lunch today. I need that Flores report.”
“I am almost done, Rhone. I will be back at the office in ten minutes.”
“I know you are in the gardens with that twat friend of yours, Vania. Be in my office in three minutes.” Click.
I slumped forward, the phone in my lap as I took three deep breaths. I focused on a blooming rose bush beside the table, pretending I could inhale its bloom and profit from the beauty. These gardens were a small sanctuary for me and Vania. “I have to go back to work.” I was truly touched by the look of concern and sad encouragement on my best friend’s face. I managed a weak smile back to her.
“You have to get a new job.”
“I can’t, Vania. He pays me too well. I will likely work late tonight, so I won’t be able to go on a run with you tomorrow morning.”
“I don’t mind you canceling our runs, but you need to make sure you keep taking care of yourself. Running is good for you.” Vania placed her hand on mine. “I just want you to be happy.”
“I know…I will give you a call tonight. Keep trying to find that Prince Charming for me, all right? Make sure he has blue eyes, a lust for adventure, and a mean right hook.” I blew Vania a little kiss, tossed the rest of my lunch into the trash bin, adjusted my pinstripe pencil skirt, and headed back to work.
Chapter Two
Daphne
I flipped the pages, the swift turning making an eerie flutter on the glass walls of my office in the lone desktop light. Where was that itemized document? I swore I had made the intern alphabetize this file. I looked toward another box in the corner and blinked against the darkness. I glanced at the clock. 11 p.m. My desk light was the only one still illuminated on the whole floor. I had stayed at work until 9, but right as I was lying down for much-needed sleep at home, the Flores file information running through my mind, I realized that the entire case hinged on that itemized budget. I hadn’t remembered seeing it in the final prepared file. I had dutifully gotten out of bed and driven back to work. If that piece of information was as vital as I thought it might be, Rhone would be furious the next morning that it had been left out.
I wasn’t supposed to be at the office this late. I had input Rhone’s own code to get onto the private elevator. I had seen him type his code in once and memorized it, not thinking I would ever have the guts to use it.
“Where the hell is it?”
I bent over to pull another box from the floor to my desk when a light flared on in Rhone’s office. I heard muffled voices and footsteps. My heart catapulted into my throat. I clicked off the desk lamp and crouched to the floor.
“…know how important she is.” I didn’t recognize the voice speaking. I peered around my desk and saw Rhone and another man walking down the hallway.
“Yes, I know. Damn Daphne. She probably didn’t even…” The voices muffled again as they moved into Rhone’s office.
What? Are they talking about me?
I stayed low, pulse beating rapidly in my ears, fingers clammy as I pulled open my office door. I crept down the hallway to one of the offices that looked right into Rhone’s. I stood up and hid behind a file cabinet. The glass walls were a beautiful accent to their high-powered office, but they were single pane. Now that I was closer, I could hear what they were saying.
“So, we just wait?”
“Yes. He should be here any moment.”
The other man was tall, but much skinnier than Rhone. He had on a long, leather jacket and gloves. He lounged back against Rhone’s desk as Rhone rustled some papers on his desk. They had turned on one of the lamps, but the lighting wasn’t enough for me to get a good look at the other man’s face under his fedora.
Rhone walked out from behind his desk and turned so I could see his other side. I stilled a gasp. He was wearing a sword! The scabbard was long and curved. The handle was ornate, curling with waves and crested with jewels.
A radiant light shimmered in the middle of Rhone’s office. The sharp blues and greens were stunning. It burned brighter. I squinted away from it as it grew larger, blinding and brilliant. Then it flashed and illuminated the whole office space. I ducked behind the file cabinet again. The light vanished.
“Welcome, Fyland,” Rhone said. I peeked back out, mouth wide open, eyes wide. What the hell? Where did he come from? Like magic? Or tech that I don’t know about?
The man that had appeared was small, crouched over, clutching his stomach.
“Your majesty. You have to help me.” His voice was strained. “They will be following me.”
“What are you talking about?” The man in the long coat straightened up from the desk quickly, pulling two daggers out, one in each hand. “You mean, you failed the mission, and you have led them here?”
Rhone held up his hand, and the man backed away, but his daggers sparkled in the light of the office lamp.
“Fyland, you have failed me.”
As I watched, heart pounding, my breath coming in rapid gasps I tried to quell, mouth still open, Rhone slid the sword from his scabbard. The metal of the sword was dark, but glowed green. It seemed to hiss as it left the sheath. The jewels along its hilt sparkled down the blade a few inches. I hadn’t seen many swords in my life, but there was clearly something unique about this one. Its blade curved up, slightly scimitar-like, but seemed much longer than the scabbard had shown it would be.
Rhone held the blade out in the air in front of him, twisting it around, seeming to admire the sheen and green glow.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Rhone asked.
“I beg you for forgiveness, m’Lord. I will take any demotion you state. I will do any job you deem necessary as I gain back your trust.” The man doubled over, clutching his stomach. I couldn’t see well enough, but it seemed like he was dripping something onto the floor. Is that blood? Did someone just teleport into my boss’s office and is now dripping blood onto the floor?
I rubbed my eyes and leaned forward a little more. This couldn’t be happening.
“Who is following you?”
“Please, m’Lord.” Fyland dropped to one knee. His head sank to his chest, and I thought he might have passed out, but then he moaned. “I will tell you everything. Just, please, heal me first.”
“I’ll take away all your pain.” Rhone held the sword with both hands. His eyes were sunken black in the lamp’s dim glow. He brought the sword down swiftly, slicing through Fyland’s neck, severing his head from his body. Fyland collapsed to the ground, blood gurgling from his severed throat artery and gushing onto Rhone’s office carpet.
I gripped the file cabinet as hard as I could. The world blurred in front of me. I dropped to my hands and knees. I vaguely heard Rhone giving the other man commands, and I saw them moving about, but I slid closer to the ground, crawled under the office’s desk, kept my hand clasped to my mouth to prevent myself from crying out and choked back the tears of panic that were pricking my throat.
What the Hell just happened? What do I do? What do I do?
Get out. Get out and run.
I looked over at the other office and took a deep breath. I steadied myself as I stood. I pulled open the door with shaking fingers, then crept, low to the floor, toward the elevators. I would need to walk by Rhone’s office…My head was faint, my stomach roiling. I was careful to stick to the shadowed side of the hallway.
I tiptoed past them, hardly daring to look at them, hardl
y daring to look away. Then I dashed for the elevator and pressed the button.
It dinged immediately.
Idiot!
I spun around. Rhone and the other man were staring at me. I hid my face, pressed the elevator button for 30 floors above them, then flung open the door to the stairs and raced down.
Yelling rang out behind me as the stair door closed, but I was fleeing down the eight flights, three steps at a time, gripping hard to the railing when I needed it, then racing out of the stairwell through the lobby.
They heard me. They saw me. I was dressed in pajamas and my hair was in a messy bun. There was no way Rhone would recognize me…But…there was no way I could keep this job, now.
I breathed in deeply, fighting away tears: I could never work for a murderer.
I turned the corner beside the check-in desk, looking back behind me toward the stairs as yelling grew closer. Still running, I slammed into another person and swung my head around to look at who had stopped my escape and was now holding tight to my arms. My head was boiling over with panic and my heart was beating furiously. I struggled to get loose from him.
“Let me go!”
I tried to jerk away from his grip, but he didn’t even move with my struggle. His strength was astounding. Was he a friend of Rhone’s? Or was he someone who would help me?
“Calm yourself, woman,” he growled.
I swooned at the sound of his voice, deep, guttural, resounding with power, as though he was accustomed to being obeyed.
Part of me wanted to rebel and I pushed off his firm chest and tried to slip away. Another part of me wanted to obey and I paused in my frantic beating against his body…
Who was he?
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