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Chapter 14: The Lessons We're Taught - Valeria
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A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 15: Swallowing The Pill - Valeria
I was always so proud of our origins, but as it turns out the story I grew up with about Gaius was nothing more than a fable. What is it they say? He who holds the pen controls history. Supernaturals hid in the shadows, hiding from humans and Gaius took advantage of that. He wrote their story and painted them as monsters breaking into our homes and killing us, but that wasn’t true. They were people like Isolde who just kept to themselves or tried to help others and then we came along and snuffed their lives out without a care. I believed in a bedtime story and have even killed over that belief. I’m actually starting to think I’m worse than Mateo. Mateo never gave a shit about our legacy, he just killed because he liked it. He wasn’t pretending or deluding himself. He was himself at all times. But me? I buried my head in the sand and believed whatever company line I was sold. I deserve to be tortured like all those people Mateo hurt. I hear the sound of the front door open and click
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 16: A Call For Help - Isolde
It’s been so long since I spoke to anyone about what happened to my family and the events that have me living in hiding and to be honest, I’m still not ready to talk about it. I think today has been filled with enough revelations, we don’t need to open up the Pandora’s Box of my life to top it off, but I have to admit, seeing Valeria show me compassion like this and having her this close makes me feel for the first time in centuries that I’m not alone. “You don’t have to talk about it, I can tell whatever happened it still affects you,” she says softly as she reaches out taking my hand in hers. Electricity jolts through me the moment our skin touches and I want to bask in this feeling forever. It’s been so long since someone comforted me like this. When you’re all alone with no one to rely on but yourself, you get used to the loneliness, but it’s not until now, sharing this moment with Valeria that I remember how much I miss human affection. There’s Alaric from time to time, but it’
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 17: A Little Bit of Trust - Isolde
I exit my room and make my way upstairs to my library. I hear Valeria quickly catch up to me, which isn’t hard given how slow I’m moving right now. We make our way to the third floor, enter the attic, and I watch as Valeria’s jaw hits the floor. I chuckle at the expression on her face.“What is this place?” She asks in awe.“My library,” I shrug.She looks at me like I’ve grown two heads, “I’ve seen libraries. This isn’t a library. It looks more like an astronomy tower or something,” she argues, walking further in and looking up at all the ceiling that depicts our galaxy in motion. The room is circular, with a large open rotunda in the middle that has my desk, though it’s a bit of a mess right now. Bookshelves overflowing with books line the walls and several desks are scattered around the room. Okay so it’s more like astronomy meets an apothecary.“Well, it’s my library,” I say as I walk over to a shelf and look for a jar of bloodroot. I grab a pouch from a nearby desk and place the
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 18: Ancient Wounds - Isolde
“Thank the Gods you’re here!” He exclaims, then frowns when he notices Valeria behind me, his crimson-red eyes narrow into slits and a snarl begins bubbling in his throat. “Aqen, she’s my animai,” I say sternly. Fastest way to get him to not question her being here, and it’s not like I’m lying. He blinks rapidly, his face depicting his shock, but it gets him to relax, “I had no idea. You found your animai? Isolde, that’s delightful news!” He cheers. I walk over and place a hand on his shoulder, “You can congratulate me another time, right now let’s take care of your animai, hmm?” I say with a kind smile. He takes a breath and nods, stepping aside and holding the door open. I look back at Valeria, “Are you coming?” She’s staring at me in confusion but follows me into the house, “What language were you just speaking?” “Ancient Egyptian.” Her frown deepens, “That’s a dead language. People haven’t spoken it for thousands of years; I don’t think anyone even knows how to speak it an
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 19: Pure of Heart - Valeria
As I watch Isolde leave the room I can’t help but stare at the two vam… sanguidaes. Okay, that’s going to take some getting used to. For thousands of years, this woman has carried the guilt of what she did to her sister, to the point she’d let herself go crazy and suffer in pain because feeding just reminds her of what she did. No one would choose this life. They may be supernatural, but they’re not monsters, not in the way I’ve been using the words all these years. Henet didn’t kill by choice, I have. Which makes her far more innocent than me. I can’t believe how much my world has changed in less than twenty-four hours. Yesterday I believed I was living a noble life, fighting a great cause that spanned thousands of years. Protecting mankind from supernatural forces, only to realise I was killing innocent people, maybe even defenders of mankind. I’ve always walked with blood on my hands, and I can’t believe I used to be proud of that fact. Now it disgusts me. “I hope you know how rem
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 20: Up in Flames - Isolde
~1770~ “Bastien, pick something easier,” my mother whines as we sit in the parlour enjoying our little game. “Now Maeva, you’re only whining because you’re losing,” my father teases as he sits back in his chair. My sister Élodie and I snigger at our parents. “I want to have a turn,” Élodie cheers, raising her hand into the air. “You show them how it’s done,” I encourage her, as she leaps up off the sofa and stands in front of all of us. I watch with pride as my little sister’s hands begin to glow a stunning shade of purple, her eyes turning blacker than night with a pearl of silver in the centre. She waves her hands around and little stars begin to appear in the air and slowly they begin to form a shape. She’s only eleven, but she’s coming so far with her magic, and I couldn’t be more proud. She used to worry that she’d never be as good as me, and our age gap didn’t seem to help quell her fears, but I’ve reassured her since she was a child, she doesn’t have to be as strong as me,
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 21: On the Run - Isolde
The pain becomes too much, and I begin to scream and wail; agony ripping through my body like knives as images of my family trapped inside, screaming for their lives filter through my mind, and me nowhere to be seen. I failed to protect them. I was meant to be their protector and I let them down. My mother, my father, my sweet little sister and my uncle… my uncle. I look over at Manon, hatred and disgust burning through me hotter than the flames burning my world to the ground, “You killed your own animai. He was a good man who did nothing but love you!” I shout. “A weak, pathetic man who stood in my way. You were gifted power you don’t deserve, that power should be mine, and no animai was going to stand in my way. I will endure the pain of his death because it frees me of our bond,” she says with dark satisfaction. “If you wanted to kill me, then you should have just killed me. They were innocent!” “Collateral damage. I couldn’t risk them saving you, and yet here you are, the thor
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 22: You - Isolde
I wipe away the tears that slide down my cheeks and try to take in air as I lean back against the tree. Valeria is silent beside me, but scoots closer and wraps her arm around me, bringing my head down to her shoulder, consoling me as I had done for her earlier. I breathe her in and let our proximity bring me comfort, and slowly it becomes easier to breathe. “I’ve never told anyone that story,” I whisper. “Not anyone?” She asks sadly. I shake my head, “Most people fear me or just won’t give me the chance to plead my case. Others attack first, just wanting to be the one to kill me.” Valeria tightens her hold on me, “I’m so sorry, Izzy.” My head snaps up and tears once again pool in my eyes, “What did you just call me?” “Sorry, that was rude to just go giving you a nickname. It just kind of slipped out,” she says apologetically. “No, I’m not mad. My little sister used to call me ‘Izzy’. No one has called me that since she died,” I say sadly, “It was nice to hear, honestly,” I smi
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A Queen Among Darkness Author's Note About The Series
Thank you to everyone who has joined me for another instalment in the Queen Among series. I have enjoyed all of your comments with each passing day and they continue to keep me motivated when I struggle to find a reason why I should. Seeing you all connect with the story and characters truly touches me. I truly hope that if you are in the mood you will consider donating gems, and most importantly, leaving a review of this book on the book's main page. It would do me and my book a huge favour and will also allow me to hear your thoughts on the story. It is you who determine the success of these books, so I can't do this without you. These stories need you. Speaking of stories... Here is a breakdown of the series so far, what currently exists and what is to come! Currently Available: Book 1 - A Queen Among Alphas (completed and also available on paperback) Book 2 - A Queen Among Snakes (completed and coming soon to paperback) [paperback and merch giveaway will correspond with the b
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 74: The Prophecy - Isolde
I storm into the house with Valeria right on my heels, my mind still utterly flabbergasted by what just happened. “A paperweight!” I shout in annoyed disbelief. “I know, baby,” Valeria says, closing the door behind us and placing her gun on the table by the door. “I spend my entire life scouring the earth looking for this, thinking maybe it’s in some vault as a prized possession or buried deep within the earth. I thought of so many scenarios as to where this might be hidden, but at no point in time did I think it was just casually sitting on someone’s desk as a fucking paperweight!” I screech. “Tell me how you really feel,” she teases. “How do you mistake something that clearly appears to have an ancient language carved into it for something as common as a paperweight?!” I continue to rant, but I can feel amusement bubbling inside Valeria, and I can tell from her face she’s trying not to laugh. “This isn’t funny, Val!” “Oh, I agree your struggle and the disrespect shown to this
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 73: A New Home - Isolde
We step out into a long two-story hall. A teal-coloured carpet lays beneath our feet and runs down the length of the hall leading up a small staircase to a platform with two ornate and delicate-looking thrones that appear to be made from the world’s most durable coral. At first glance, the coral looks peach in colour but as the light catches it, it shifts into different colours. To the sides of the thrones are two gargantuan statues depicting the God Ezillus. The statue to the right depicts them in feminine regalia, and the statue on the left depicts them in masculine regalia. A clear tribute to Ezillus’ embodiment of all things masculine, feminine and everything in between. Behind the throne are three full-length curved windows with gold detailing worked into the glass. The vaulted ceiling above us houses several chandeliers covered in pearls, running down the length of the ceiling. The sides of the room are separated by Mihrab-arched columns running down each side, with coral and pe
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 72: Bowing Before Light - Isolde
Standing in the entrance hall of the Kartheca, I watch as Valeria continues to pace back and forth as the creases on her forehead begin to permanently set in. I can feel the agitation rising inside her the longer we wait. I know being here is unpleasant for her. I did tell her she didn’t have to come, but she made it clear that wasn’t an option. As she begins her umpteenth trip from one side of the room to the other, I pull on my magic and fan my fingers out causing her feet to get stuck to the marble floor of the hallway. “¡No mames!” She exclaims nearly toppling forward and assessing her feet. She looks up at me and narrows her eyes then proceeds to throw some very colourful Mexican swear words at me, some I can’t even translate. Something about a donkey? I’ll have to get a translation on that later. I walk over and cup her face in my hands feeling the zing of our bond through my fingertips, “Stop and take a breath. I know you’re agitated, but we won’t be here long. I promise,” I
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 71: In A Moonlit Forest - Valeria
With Izzy not here to act as a buffer, I excuse myself and go for a wander. Izzy ran inside excited about something, and I’m curious what that something might be. She told me that marked animais can see into each other’s eyes, but I’m not quite sure how to do that, and I can tell how much she wants to surprise me, so I’ll let her. I brace my hand against a nearby tree, take off my heels, and make my way into the woods just so I can have a moment to decompress. I come to a stop when the noise of the party fades out to a gentle hum and sit myself down on a fallen tree. I place my heels on the forest floor and gingerly run my fingers over the mark on my neck where I feel its slightly raised outline. Just touching it relaxes me, and I can’t explain why. I look up through the canopy of the trees just as the clouds drift past allowing the light of the moon to shine down into the forest. Its soft rays of light beam down into the forest making it look like an ethereal land, not of this worl
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 70: A Deeper Understanding - Isolde
“That was a beautiful ceremony,” Makbule praises.“Thank you,” I smile, keeping my arm tightly around Valeria. I can feel how joyous she is about having restored and completed her bond, but her apprehension of being near an irshiust is starting to shine through, though I can’t say I blame her.“It’s been so long since we attended a marking ceremony, no matter how many we see, they continue to be a magical experience,” Müjde sighs dreamily.“I see not all of you came,” Valeria says sardonically.“As much as our sisters would have loved to attend, we can not all stop our duties for one gathering. There is still much going on in the world that needs our assistance, and our duty always comes first,” says Zehra.“So where were you when Izzy needed assistance? I mean, I understand being put on hold, but for centuries seems like overkill to me,” says Valeria flippantly. I stroke her side and place a gentle kiss on her temple, relishing the electricity once again ignited by our contact.“Val,
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 69: Marking Ceremony pt 2 - Isolde
۩ISOLDE۩ I’ve never been so sucked in, in all my life, and this is coming from someone who used to wear corsets as part of everyday wear. They weren’t as bad as people make them out to be, and they provided incredible back support. But there is no support in this dress. I’m afraid if I bend over my breasts will fall out of my dress, though Valeria might enjoy that, but maybe not in front of guests. I apply another coat of mascara and spray a little more hairspray over my hair and give myself a final assessment. This is the most dressed up I’ve been since my first date with Valeria, but it feels good knowing it’s for our marking ceremony. I wanted her jaw to drop, so I’ve chosen a strapless A-line dress with a sweetheart neckline and a slit up to my hip. The fabric is a metallic chiffon in a gorgeous gunmetal colour that gathers diagonally across my body. It looks like my body is coated in liquid metal. My hair is slicked back leaving my face and shoulders completely unobstructed, an
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 68: Marking Ceremony pt 1 - Valeria
This past week has been terrific for my self-esteem. Not that I needed a self-esteem boost, but it never hurts. Tweedledum has been our personal servant and I have loved every minute of it, especially since he couldn’t use his magic as much as he liked. Welcome to being a human! To his credit, he has done a fantastic job at preparing everything for our marking ceremony. I haven’t been allowed outside to see the final touches, and I’m dying to. I tried to peek out the window, but Arthwin magically removed the window entirely, which was a dick move. I’m finishing getting dressed in my old room while Izzy gets ready in our room. It’s nice that there are some human traditions that overlap, like me not being able to see Izzy before the ceremony. I can’t wait to see her, I know she’ll look stunning, but this is the longest we’ve been apart since her capture, and I don’t fucking like it. Izzy has been staying close, and I think it’s because she noticed that I still have pain from the reject
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 67: Mending Bridges - Isolde
I couldn’t sleep a wink. One would think now that I have nothing to fear or worry about that I should be able to slip into the best night's sleep of my life. I suspect anyone who would think that has lived a very easy life. The fears that kept me up at night may be gone, but that defence inside me is still up. I spent all night watching Valeria sleep peacefully in my arms, terrified if I let my eyes close, I’d wake up only to find myself back in that cell awaiting my execution. I know everything is over and the truth is out there, and soon every makkari will know the truth, but it hasn’t sunk in as much as I thought it had. You don’t live in fear for two centuries and lose all those survival instincts in mere hours.It wasn’t so bad though. Watching Valeria sleep, knowing she’s safe in my arms helped relax me, while simultaneously filling me with guilt. She won’t tell me just how much pain she’s in from my rejection, not that I blame her. She puts on such a brave face and it’s eating
