MIYAs POV…Many days have passed since Beard sacrificed his life with the dagger of Eternal Death. Existence on Mahji has been difficult for everyone who has been affected by Beards' sudden and selfless act.The palace has become increasingly silent. The walls feel as though they are closing in, and the tension is at an all-time high. Zion walks around with his head hanging low. His pain is evident on his face, and I can feel every emotion that engulfs him.It's heavy, consuming, and suffocatingly thick in the air as it ruthlessly makes a point to cling to your lungs.I don't know what to do or how to comfort him. He tells me every night before we close our eyes, and every morning when we open them that all he needs is time to come to terms with his older brothers' passing.I understand that and respect his wishes. It's just that… I wish I had been able to do something more to save Beard. What is the point of being the most powerful and feared entity if you are unable to resurrect a v
ZIONs POV…“Strike! Strike! Strike!” I yell as I train the human males that entered my planet unlawfully. “Retreat, strike, and block!” I look at the males with a great deal of grief blanketing my twin-hearts. I constantly find myself questioning why Beard? “Shield wall!” I bellow, watching as the humans rush towards one another, huddling together and lifting their shields to resemble a sturdy wall of protection. What could I have done to make sure that things didn't take a turn for the worse so quickly? If I hadn't told Miya to shift, would he still be alive? I can't help but bear full responsibility for his passing. It is my duty to make sure that Mahji is protected and I failed. ~ZION…~ I snap my gaze upwards to find the window where my bonetta was standing is now void of her presence.~BROTHER!! Our Queen has collapsed in your chamber!~ Novas' voice rings in my head, with a hint of hysteria lining her voice.I break out into a full-on sprint, barging through the doors to the
MIYAs POV…I can feel the dark shadows of my night terrors encasing me. Their claws dig into my flesh as they tattoo themselves upon my soul. The darkness is cold, and I feel lost in it. Abandoned. As the surrounding air grows thick with apprehension. I can vaguely hear the soft whispers of my King trying to pull me out of the black pit I have mysteriously plummeted into.~If you can hear me bonetta-~~I can hear you, My King.~ I whisper with relief as his voice washes over me. ~What happened?~~You fainted. But I need you to wake up now.~ His voice is smooth with an underlay of firmness. ~I'm so tired.~~That's to be expected, bonetta. Please wake up.~I am not sure how long it took for me to open my eyes, but as I did, I noticed that the twin suns had vanished from the sky. The chamber is dark with a hint of white light coming from the twin moons as they illuminate the open space.Touching my head with the palm of my hand, I look around the empty chamber and sit up, leaning my back
ZIONs POV…Four Earla Months Later…“So, the council has absolved you of any wrongdoing and for the demise of Beard?” Jaja frowns with shock, mirroring my thoughts.“They considered Beards' demise, and they believe that no matter what punishment they handed me, the passing of our brother is by far the greatest.”“In other words, they're not willing to accept any blame for what occurred that day, are they?” He mutters, “all of this could have been averted if they had carried out their duty correctly and placed the Dark Oracle in the chambers under the planet's outer shell as we had suggested. It was her who penetrated the security system, causing a flaw in our cloak.” He snarls, his agitated hand running through his hair."True, but they have been lenient as there are no sanctions against me or my bonetta. We have been cleared of any wrongdoing, and Beard will be honored by having a life-size statue of him placed in the city. Our species will tell stories of him saving our Blessed One a
SOFIAs POV…Today is the day of Mahji's grandest wedding ever.Today, my best friend is marrying her fated soul mate. The air is fragrant with romance and excitement.I look down at myself, appreciating the wrap-around garment Nova had handcrafted herself. It fits me wonderfully, highlighting all of my flaws in a good way, and for the first time in a very long time, I feel gorgeous and desired, which makes me feel great about myself.I didn't have the finest childhood; I was always made to feel like the ugly duckling in the family, and when Miya entered my life… Let's just say I was envious of her to no end, and now I know why.I mean, look at her.She is beautiful, gifted by being The Blessed One, and she also happens to be a Queen who is carrying two sets of twins. She truly is a marvelous female, and I would do anything for her. I mean shit…I let an alien bring me to orgasm, multiple times, just so we could track her when she was taken by the filthy fucking Scourage. The feeling
JAJA's POV…Surprisingly, the wedding ceremony was quite lovely. The pale gleaming twin-suns had shone through the leaves of the blessed, Willow-like trees, creating magical patterns across the grass and the gardens that surrounded us. I also quite enjoyed watching Sofia waltz through the secret grove in bare feet, as it is forbidden to wear shoes where the wedding ceremony was held. The guests, mostly made up of Kindreds and their mates, families, or intendeds, all sat in the front row of the amber wooden benches that had been arranged in a semicircle around the happy fated souls and their attendants. Miyas' bouquet of rare wild flowers matched her beautiful white lace dress that Nova had made for her and her swelling belly. My poor sister inmate waddled down the aisle that had rare lavender roses lining the sides. The statue of Beard, which stood at the head of the sacred grove, seemed to preside over everything, making the ceremony a little more special for Zion. Even the All-M
SOFIAS POV…As I enter the palace, I run up the stairs and straight into my chamber, slamming the door behind me. I lean against the cool timber, covering my face with my hands as I try to erase the look of horror that stained Jajas' face after he accidentally bit me. What was I thinking when I agreed to let him kiss me?Miya and Zion don't need luck. By them finding each other and Miya becoming the strong female that she is, didn't come from fortune. It was fate, and nothing could mess with that.I drop one hand and touch my lips with the other. If I'm being brutally honest, I can still feel the heat of his lips molding against mine, and the way my body lit up beneath his touch still kisses my feverish flesh. Jaja will be my downfall, and I will never get over him. I jump with fright when a knock sounds at my door.“Sofia?” He says in a raspy tone. “Can you open the door and let me in? I want to apologize to you face to face.” Jaja?I step away from the door, and I turn around to
JAJAS' POV...The unknown about me and Sofia had lingered over the palace for some time now. It hung in the trees that turned Mahji into a jeweled world on moonlit nights. I hid from the answers just as much as I had longed to know them. Words that carry so much value and power that can keep two souls apart who should love and cherish one another dare to fill me with fear. As Sofia turns in my embrace, her gaze meets mine, and I say a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess. If she formally rejects me, I don't know what I will do with myself once the rage takes over me. “I don't want you,” she says once again, crushing my soul. I open my mouth, and she presses her finger against my lips, silencing me, which causes my brows to pinch together. “I don't want you because I need you like my heart needs its next beat.” She licks her lips as her gaze lowers to mine. “Kiss me.” I waste no time waiting for her to ask me again, and I crush my mouth against hers. A soft moan departs her lip
We both attempt to catch our escaping breath with our bodies pressed against one another. But I’m far less worried about reeling mine in and more focused on the paralysing fear that is suddenly gripping me as Dark wrestles me to the ground, pinning me beneath him.With a gulp, I observe as Dark retrieves a sharp object from the ground and effortlessly cuts through my nightie, causing the delicate silk to cascade open, revealing my heaving breasts I attempt to shield myself, but he firmly holds my arms by my side, pressing his full weight onto me before he sensually takes one of my nipples into his mouth. Shifting my gaze away from his, I direct my attention towards the vacant cell beside me. The very cell that should be containing Thane and Thake.“Look at me, goddess,” he coaxes gently.I grit my teeth, forcing myself to face him, allowing my eyes to trail over the blurriness masking his face.“That’s it, goddess. Now, keep those perfect pearly eyes on me until I am finished.”He lif
I gaze at my reflection in the mirror while I finish the intricate braid in my hair. I find myself transported back to the serene lake where my father spoke words that seemed incomprehensible at the time. “Five kingdoms, one ruler, and you will bring peace between two of them,”—what did he mean by that?Was he talking about me bringing peace between two kingdoms, or was he simply in a daze, muttering nonsensically? I let my braid fall over my shoulder after clasping the metal ring at the end. With a gentle touch, I place my fingertip against the mirror, witnessing the incredible metamorphosis of my human form into that of a Kindred. This illusion is one that I was able to master two years ago. Occasionally, I find myself fantasizing about what it would be like to resemble a Kindred warrior rather than a mere human.I gently shift my body to the side, making sure to maintain contact with the mirror. I let out a deep sigh, as if releasing a weight from my chest. Oh, how I long to be lik
After lunch, I take a stroll through the Navaya woods that lead to my special rock I like to sit next to the water when I crave silence and to be left alone. Right now, I should be meeting with the Light Oracle Xania for my early afternoon lesson with Elisabet and Darana on how to access our source of energy as the ‘Power Of Three.’Truth be told, I don’t feel like being around anyone today. Every time my birthlings return from one of their failed missions in apprehending Kol, my heart feels heavy. It hurts watching my mother interact with my siblings with a smile that is filled with love and joy painted across her beautiful face until she reaches me at the end of the line. Her smile turns upside down into an unwavering frown of concern and distress. The crinkles on the corners of her eyes from smiling fade as they slightly narrow while she desperately tries to read my thoughts.I hate that I cannot spend any quality time with her without the pair of us worrying if or when I will becom
I cross the lawn, making my way towards my siblings, who are already waiting for our birthlings to land. They stand huddled together, laughing and joking around as they bump into one another with the odd “Shh…” slipping out of their mouths into the open.“Good morning, twins,” I smile as I walk past my sisters.They turn to face me with a smile on their faces, too, when their gazes collide with mine. “Good morning, Astrid…” They say in unison. “I hope you slept well, and you look beautiful as always.”I try my best not to roll my eyes heavenward, knowing that my so-called beauty could never match theirs. “Not as beautiful as you, my dear sisters.” I hum out into the open air.“Well, if that’s not the biggest load of shit that I have heard all morning, then I don’t know what is.” Jericho growls as he stands in front of me with his large arms folded across his chest, blocking my path as he looms over me. “My twin sister is beyond beautiful, and I feel sorry for the son-of-a-bitch that
“Rise and shine, Astrid…” The sound of my lavish curtains being drawn almost drowns out my Aunt Novas’ sweet voice. “Your birthlings are due to return in a few hours, and they have requested that you and your siblings greet them upon their arrival.” Groaning, I turn onto my side, covering my head with my pillow and sigh. I don’t want to wake up. I want to submerge myself in the darkness, allowing it to hold me captive along with Dark and Danger. I wish to lose myself in their presence, their touch, the way they make my body sing without committing any true sins that could land me into a heap of trouble with my birthlings. “Nope. Up.” Aunt Nova laughs as she pulls the sheet flush from my body before she tries to wrestle the pillow out of my grasp. “Not fair!” I cry out with laughter, tightening my grip. “You are a warrior, and I am no match for you.” Sighing, Aunt Nova sits on the bed beside me, releasing the pillow. “Astrid, darling… I don’t know how many times must I remind
Astrid: 19 Earla Years Old.Sitting upright in my bed. I pull the sheets up to cover my chest and focus my attention on the other side of my chamber. “What are you doing here again?”“We don’t know.” A deep, muffled voice replies.“You are both here?” I ask, a little shocked that both Dream Guardians have visited me tonight.“Yes, we are.”“Together… At the same time?”“Indeed.” A softer voice answers with amusement.Together, side by side, both guardians step out from the shadows. Pulling my lower lip between my teeth, I gingerly gnaw on it, trying to control the beating of my erratic heart. Both guardians stand before me with a flimsy cloth wrapped around their waists. Their wide chests are bare, and as I raise my gaze to their face… a pang of disappointment strikes me across the back, leaving a hint of pain in its wake. They are still faceless, and I don't understand why it displeases me so much, especially when I don’t like the way I look. Turning my head to the side, I brush my
TASTING THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT: THE PRINCESS OF MAHJI.Prologue: An Ugly Little Thing.Astrid: 14 Earla Years Old.I sneak into the Arena Cells by manipulating the minds of the Kindred Guards. I guess you can say that I have mastered the skill of temporal time loop. Something I picked up from watching Uncle Tyber working his magic when he hacks the security system to the shuttle docks right before he sneaks in with his desired female of the week. Both of my birthlings don’t approve of me coming here because this is the place where we hold our prisoners. But they don’t understand how hard it is for me to socialize with the species my age. My twin sisters, Elisabet and Darana, are like two peas in a pod because they do everything together. A lot of the female younglings wish to be them, and the males desire to be mated to them. My twin, Jericho, is my best friend. He constantly tries to look out for me, encouraging me to hang out with the other females or our twin sisters. I know he mean
MIYAS POV…I roll my shoulders back and slowly lift my head, settling my sight on Zion. He looks livid as he faces Kol and the council. The rage has taken over him, and I don’t have to see his eyes to confirm it as I can sense it engulfing him.“The council wishes to banish Zion, Jaja, Nova, and Tyber from Mahji.” Sylvan sneers with great disdain.“Why?” I quickly asked him, tucking the knife he was firmly gripping when I shifted into his body, into the back of his pants. “It must be serious if you were willing to shed blood in the presence of my offspring, Sylvan.” I mutter, slightly turning my head, scanning the chamber for their whereabouts.“You birthed four strong offspring, my Queen…”“Jericho?”“Lives… wait? How did you know his name?”I sigh as I’m flooded with relief, and a lone tear slides down my cheek. “That is a story for another time.”The sound of swords being drawn compels me to return my attention to the front. I watch as Kol and his fellow council members wave their s
SYLVANS’ POV…With my knife in my hand and my stance ready to pounce on Zion. I am left with no other choice but to watch him as he does the unthinkable by offering Miya his essence.Every loin in my body urges me to run to Zion and pull him away from Miya. But the loyal warrior and trusty friend within me stops me from doing so. I try to put myself in his position, and it is undeniable to me that I would do the same. An existence without my Nova would be torturous, and I’d never be able to accept another mate if the Moon Goddess was to will it.Though, if Miya was anyone but the Blessed One. I would not object to his actions. We don’t know what kind of effect it will have on Miya or the toll it could possibly bestow upon Zion. This is unknown territory, and our Lissa is not with us to consult with. Miya has crossed over into the holy after existence and should be entering the gates of the heavens. It was also prophesied that one of Zions’ brothers had to die to save his male offspring