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Chapter 53: Hiding In The Lions Den - Valeria
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 54: Resolving Rivalry - Valeria
“I got what you needed,” says Alaric, handing me a jar of powdered devil’s tongue. “Thank you,” I say, putting my jacket on the table and proceeding to load the powder into the grenades, securing them and placing them on top of my jacket. “You look ready for battle,” he comments. “Like riding a bike,” I say apathetically as I check everything is secure. “I don’t see anything to use on a mutolupus or nagata,” he notices. “If I show up carrying weapons that can hurt them, they’ll see me as a threat and won’t help me. I need them to listen to me.” “I think one look at you is enough to see you as a threat. You’re covered in weapons.” I place my hands on the table and glare at him, “Then I will surrender them if they ask. Your job is to get me there, not worry about my safety.” “Isolde wouldn’t want you getting hurt for her,” he says sincerely, but his words only make me angrier. “New rule. For the time we are stuck together, you are forbidden to say her name. If I so much as hear
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 55: No Holds Barred - Valeria
I throw out a left kick which he immediately blocks with his hand before returning a left kick which I block with my forearm. He moves, taking a swing at me, and I duck down and land a punch to his gut, then pull up and slam my fist into his face. The adrenaline is pumping and I’m channelling all my pain and all my rage into this fight. Fucker picked the wrong time to mess with me. I throw my right leg out for another kick which he blocks, so I raise my leg higher and aim for his head, which he quickly blocks with his forearm. I go for a swinging back kick with my left leg, but he quickly jumps back dodging it. I steady myself and throw out a right punch, which he blocks and with my right flank now wide open, he lands a solid kick right to my side which causes me to stumble back with a groan. We each slip back into a fighting stance staring each other down. I can see in his eyes that he’s all in. He has every intention of killing me. But I’m not dying today. I throw a right punch whi
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 56: Braving Invictus - Valeria
Stepping through the portal I find myself in the middle of a forest, but the temperature is surprisingly warm and even past the canopy of the trees I can tell the sun is beating down. I see a tree next to the portal and pull out one of my throwing knives and carve an X into the tree, so I know where to return to. IF I return that is. I slip the knife back into its holster and begin walking through the forest, not having a clue where I’m going but one thing I know for certain is these wolves will find me before I find them. A disadvantage of hunting supernatural beings is they have better senses than you do. I take another step and wince feeling an ache in my ribs. That fight with Matteo did a number on me, and as satisfying as it was to get some of this anger out, I should have just shot him and saved myself the time and energy. Worse than the aches from our fight is the unbearable pain in my chest that has been festering since Isolde rejected me. I feel completely drained, like some
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 57: A Tale of Deception - Valeria
A moment later I hear a buzzing sound, and Amelia touches something under her desk. I hear the door click and I look behind me as two people enter the room. The first is a petite Chinese girl. What is she, like twelve? She has dark brown hair tied up in a bun and is wearing a yellow workout tank top and grey workout leggings. She also has a very cool snake tattoo that wraps around her left arm. I’m going to take it this is Mei, Delta of Invictus and Empress of the nagata. But she’s so tiny. She’s at least 5’1” with chocolate brown eyes, a sweet face and creamy white skin, which is a huge contrast to the walking chocolate statue behind her. This dude is towering over her at 6’5” in a white workout tank top and black trunks, and they are fighting for dear life to stay on his body. Does he eat steroids for breakfast? “You wanted to see me, Alpha?” Mei says in a sweet voice as the giant closes the door behind them. “Thank you for coming. Mei, this is Valeria, a venatrix who has come to
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 58: Begging An Empress - Valeria
Amelia looks at him in surprise, “Jazz?” “You know how I told you I broke out of that venator prison?” He asks. Amelia nods in response and I feel my stomach twist into a knot. He did not just say venator prison. Please don’t fucking tell me I’m in a room with a wolf my family locked in a cell. Give me a fucking break! “Well, I didn’t break out, so much as I was BROKEN out,” he admits. “Who broke you out?” Amelia asks curiously. “Her animai,” he says, gesturing to me. Motherfucking cunt of a fucking shit! Suddenly everyone’s eyes blow wide. “She told me she had a vision of my death, so she got herself captured so she could free me, but she got the timing off and ended up in there days early. When I saw her she was weak and had been heavily tortured, but it didn’t stop her. She got every single one of us out and to our homes. I confronted her about Mei, and she told me much of what Valeria has just told us,” he explains. “Jasper…” Amelia says in disbelief, “You knew an innocent wom
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 59: It's Time - Isolde
I feel like my body is on fire. This isn’t like the burning pain I felt from Fretez’s light. Even as painful as that was, there was a peacefulness that came with it, but there is no peace with this pain. I swear I can feel fire spreading through my veins, boiling me from the inside out. I’d give anything to just be able to lie down and close my eyes, but I still can’t will my body to move. I can’t even will my eyes to stay shut. All I can do is witness my vision become more blurry and feel the pain intensify. My heart could rival a hummingbird right now. “This is truly a magnificent sight.” The voice speaking these words is like nails on a chalkboard to my ears. Even the beauty of the French they are spoken in is soured by the person speaking them. I look up to see the woman I once called family, standing on the other side of the bars with a malicious smile on her face. The white of her hair and the white of her eyes and teeth shine in the torchlight of this cell, while her ebony ski
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 60: Follow The Leader - Valeria
“Are you sure about this?” Chris asks Mei, while I resist the urge to tap my foot. “I’m positive,” she chirps, “I’ll have my link open the whole time, I promise,” she says, reaching up on her tippy toes to kiss him. He wraps his arms around her lifting her with ease as he returns her kiss causing her cream-coloured cheeks to blush. “Please be safe,” he begs in a whisper, placing a kiss on her forehead as he lowers her back down. “I promise to come home in one piece,” she says with a bright smile. Chris looks over at me with hard eyes, but I can see the worry he’s trying to hide. I’ll cut the man some slack since I’m kind of in the same boat. “Remember what I said,” he says in warning. “Anything happens to her, and you’ll kill me. Trust me, your majesty, if we fail at this, I’ll personally come to you so you can kill me,” I say darkly. Chris looks unsettled and Mei looks sad at my words, but I mean them wholeheartedly. If I lose Isolde, I don’t want to go on. Chris reluctantly l
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 61: Testify - Valeria
It’s not long before we come to a stop and for a second I fear trusting an unexplained ball of light was a really dumb fucking move. “There’s a wall, but it’s not dirt, it’s stone,” she says. I reach my hand out and feel in front of me, and sure enough the wall is smooth. I feel the wall start to silently move back and a crack of light streams into the tunnel. I peek through the crack and can see a giant hall of some sort. The room is filled with women with sparkling flecks of gold covering their skin. From what I remember Izzy telling me, these must be irshiusts. Some of them are surrounding something, and it’s not till some of them shift that I notice what, or who, they’re surrounding. It’s Izzy! My heart begins to thunder furiously in my chest and every impulse in me is telling me to run to her, but I force myself to stay in place. Looking closer I can tell something is wrong. Her gorgeous olive skin looks grey and sickly, I can see her hair sticking to her face, but she’s not sa
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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
