"Now, girl. Behave yourself for once and for the love that all is good, just bow. I don't know how you fucked it up so bad that you're on the list of the Queens just to sign your own death sentence, but we better make sure you don't. I can prepare another lust lesson for you." Guela had a rant for about half an hour as soon as she saw me. She heard I was back and wasted no time in scolding me back and forth. We were walking to where the marking would be held after Luzo helped me get ready and my nerves started to break out yet again. I desperately needed some sleep. And something to calm me down. "Elle can become our next queen. Give her some credit." Luzo retorted with her tongue out. Both were absolutely shocked when they saw me in the line up this morning. They were 'happy' I wasn't killed during the first challenge. "It's just a good thing Elle hasn't been intimate with the king yet. Imagine the uproar! But we need to teach you, because he will have to." I shared a secret sm
"Remember what we did? Under the tree?" Rana asked me, her hand still on my chest. "Yes, darling." I answered, but my whole attention was on the door that my little dove just disappeared through. It fucking killed me I couldn't touch her in public. I was still so fucking mad at her for doing this. If she was still my human, at least I could have her by my side through all of this. She could sleep in my bed and I could sit her on my lap every time I sat down. Now I had to pretend she didn't mean anything to me. "My, my, is it getting hot in here?!" Yroul's annoying voice made me look away from the door, towards the woman who was standing up the podium demanding our attention. "My Kings, it is time for the marking. Be seated and the lovely ladies will get ready for you." Rana's hand fell off my chest and the women around me stepped aside respectfully. They all bowed down low but my eyes were still glued on the door. Where did she go? I sat down between Samael and Micah
I'm sorry, dove. I need to play it cool. At least now you will finally be marked by me. A royal protection. No one will dare lay a finger on you now. "Who is he?" I whispered as I brought her wrist to my mouth. Her eyes were open, honest. "He saved my life." She whispered back. He saved her life? My lips touched her soft skin before my teeth broke through it and she gasped softly as I looked at her. Her blood made contact with my tongue and my demon almost flew out of me. Our previous conversation was forgotten. Shit. I was turned on immediately. Her big doe eyes looked at me and her lips parted slightly to exhale. Those lips. The combination of her blood pouring into my system whilst she looked at me so innocently almost drove me over the edge. My wings almost burst from my back from the lack of control on myself. I could feel my eyes darkening and I shut them quickly. Micah's kick against my ankle almost made me let go of my addiction. But I was stuck to her like glue. My ch
"Hit HARDER!" Aemun loudly exclaimed as I brought the sword down on his shoulder. "I don't want to hurt you!" I shouted back in annoyance. "You're not going to hurt him, Elle. You might think he's made of sugar, but he's tough as steel, aren't you, Aemun?" Willa joked from the side. I stared at Luzo and Willa who both stood at the edge of our small training field next to Warrior. They both helped me as much as the patch of grass they were standing on whilst I was sweating my ass off in my fourth hour of training. Ever since Adrian marked me, I was assigned to a brutal series of physical hell. Every morning started with a run around the castle before I was thrown in the training field with Aemun and other guards to improve my fighting skills. I was training outside, which just so happened to be on the side of the castle where Adrian had his bedroom window. I hadn't seen Adrian since the marking. I had been cut off from all contact with every woman and was only allowed to train and st
After I announced I was done with my brutal training for today and my friends finally conceded, I decided to walk around the castle grounds with Luzo and Willa. The boys were walking behind us. Warrior walked big circles around us. I wasn't allowed to see Dracula. Some demons could find out he was my horse. Adrian's staff hadn't said a word about the relationship between Adrian and I. Aemun told me he had made it very clear to his staff to not utter a single word about me. Adrian had said it would benefit the kingdom to not gossip about the women, especially when one of them could be seen from Lust. I was the only one not from another realm and a pure bloodline would make the strongest kingdom. If that was true or made up, I didn't care. Apart from eyes on my back every single second, they left me alone. It was almost as if he was selling me to his staff already. Walking arm in arm with Luzo, we ended up at the building place for the ships. Willa her excitement couldn't handle wa
A loud bang distracted me from my conversation. The rest had walked through the door and Xael and Luzo joined us quickly. "She's such a bitch." Luzo said with an annoyed tone. I didn't know if she meant Niran or Rana but it didn't really matter. They were both bitches in their own way. As if on cue, both walked through the door with Adrian right behind them. I immediately averted my gaze. "The deck is big enough to hold half the army. The cannons at the top can shoot at top speed. They can bring down any attacking force." The servant announced proudly. Niran was hanging on Adrian's arm and my mood got more and more sour. "Xael." I whispered. Xael turned to me and crept closer with an open look on his face. "Do we need to do anything for tomorrow?" I whisper asked him whilst stepping closer. "No, everything should be ready to go. Why do you ask?" He questioned, his body unmoving. A clearing of a throat made me look away again. Adrian stared at me with warning eyes. His body was stif
"How did she die?" I asked, my eyes mostly on Adrian. "Who knows? The guards found her body the morning after the marking ceremony. The body was moved before anyone saw." One of Micah's women answered. After the marking ceremony. I remember Adrian's flip of his mood. "Sometimes these things happen for a good reason." Micah spoke. The rest of the women bowed as soon as he spoke, but I looked at him with narrowed eyes. A good reason? "I thought we fell under royal protection now that we are marked?" I asked whilst pointing at my wrist. Royal protection didn't protect from the actual royals, I presumed. "Accidents happen." Adrian said after a short silence. "An accident? Do you know the definition of accident?" I asked the two, my anger and confusion rising. The rest still had their heads down and were silent as the night. "Maybe she tripped and snapped her neck by accident." Micah said whilst shrugging his shoulders. "So she snapped her neck? I thought nobody knew." I responded.
Dagon waved her hand. "Yes, fine. But stay behind. I would like to talk to the human." She said whilst pulling me along further. After a minute of silence where we walked around the castle and my nerves rising, she looked at me with a scanning face. "You know, I never understood why Adrian had partners. I mean, he is literally the king of sleeping around. We always reserved some girls for him alone every time he came over." My hands balled into fists. Was she serious right now? "You're very pretty though. I can see why he is taken with you." Her statement made me turn to her, but she pushed my shoulder and forced me to walk. "What do you mean?" I asked, thoughts racing through my head. Did she know? "Oh, innocent thing." Dagon's fingers slid over my wrist where my mark was. She kept looking forward. "That is no ordinary mark, Gabrielle. I bet no one has actually taken the care to look at it properly. But do you see the marks above the lightning strike?" Her fingers released me a