"Wait." Emeriel's eyes reached her hairline. "Coffin-bed?""There's so much you do not know about my kind, Emeriel. Our knowledge is vast and deep, as long as our age, as old as time itself.""But I thought only vampires used coffins," she said, embarrassed.Daemonikai's smile widened. "You may not have noticed, Riel, but we also drink blood."“Oh… I almost forgot that for a minute,” she admitted sheepishly.“Vampires are disgusting. Their coffins are literal, while ours are beds designed to resemble coffins.”"Ah." Emeriel nodded, understanding dawning on her. "So, how long has the Oracle been asleep?"“Seven hundred. She sleeps longer than most.” A shadow of sadness crossed his face. “If she were awake, the eclipse moon night may not have ended the way it did. The Oracle doesn't interfere. but she sees all. The past, present, and future… she may have given hints.""But deep sleep is vital for the old," he continued with a sigh. "It keeps them sane, relaxed… whole. The only thing one
Two Days LaterPRINCESS EMERIELShe knocked once before opening the door to her sister's bedchamber, only to freeze in her tracks.They sprang apart–or rather, Aekeira did–leaping out of Grand Lord Vladya's embrace as if his touch had suddenly burned her. They had been kissing."Em!" Aekeira's face was bright red. She looked both thrilled and flustered."That's me," Emeriel replied with a gentle smile, trying to ease the awkwardness. "Forgive my intrusion. I should have waited for an invitation. I didn't know I'd be interrupting...""No, no, it's quite alright!" Aekeira hurried forward, embracing her sister with a quick hug. "It's wonderful to see you. How are you?"This was the same question Aekeira had asked upon their return to the fortress the previous day. Despite Emeriel's reassurances, her sister's worry remained."I'm well, truly," Emeriel insisted, then turned to the third ruler with a respectful curtsy. "Your Highness.""Princess." Lord Vladya inclined his head in acknowledg
He landed a brutal blow to Ottai's stomach, stealing his breath, and Ottai staggered back, gasping for air."What's going on, Your Grace?" he wheezed, wiping blood from his mouth as he forced himself to stand. "Get a hold of yourself! Even you in your right mind would not want to go to her in this state!"Daemonikai broke into a dead run, moving with a speed that defied his usual grace.Ottai gave chase but couldn't match his speed.People scattered out of their grand king's path, their screams and shouts filling the air.Workers abandoned their carriages, mothers scooped up their crying younglings, everyone rushing for safety."What's happening?!" Zaiper appeared from the opposite direction, running towards Ottai in alarm."Stop him!" Ottai shouted, his voice desperate. "He has lost control! He cannot reach his woman like this!"Zaiper cursed, his eyes widening with apprehension and... something else, as he joined the chase.Something Ottai couldn't quite decipher.•••••••••PRINCESS
Author's Note: Dearest Reader,If you have made it to this chapter of the series, I assume you have a strong stomach and an even stronger heart. You may not need this warning, but still.If you are a sensitive reader, you can skip these parts and resume with book 4. However, if you wish to read on, please consider this a reminder to proceed with caution..PRINCESS EMERIEL“Come, Em, let’s get out of here!” Aekeira urged, tugging her toward the window.Emeriel was trying to force herself to move. But even though fear was shaking her body, she couldn’t bear to leave her Beloved in this state.“We cannot hold him for long!” Lord Ottai shouted. “We need to decide what to do before he shifts!”“Shit! His fist caught my eye!” Lord Zaiper growled from behind. “We really need to decide fast.”“It’s either knock him out or the forbidden chambers,” Lord Vladya said, his voice deeper and distorted in his half-shifted form.Knock him out? The forbidden chambers?“No! Don’t!” Emeriel tried to ru
“Pick a safe word,” Vladya spoke up at last in a resigned tone, his shoulders slumped in defeat.The chamber hushed, all eyes turning to him.“If you are going to do this, you will need a safe word. I will be out here. If you say it—if you scream it—I will come in there and pull you from his grasp, no matter what.”Emeriel let out a sharp, pained cry.Daemonikai had done something to her, but no one could see what.Still, she stared up at him, cupping his cheek with a trembling hand. “It’s okay, dearest." Her voice was soft, full of love. "I’m right here. I’m all yours.”Aekeira shook her head vehemently, her shoulders shaking with sobs “Em, please!”“Keira. That’s my safe word,” Emeriel said, her attention remaining on him. “Promise me you would not come in, no matter what you hear. Promise me you would not enter unless I use the safe word.”A muscle ticked in Vladya’s jaw. “I promise.”Daemonikai shifted fully into his beast form then, his erection huge and ready, glistening with p
SECOND TO LAST CHAPTER OF PART 3.In Greyrock, he stood by his window, a huge smile on his swollen face as Emeriel’s tortured screams pierced the night. He savored every pained cry.Now this is more like it. This is how it should be.They truly believed they could have happiness? Zaiper snorted in derision.“I have ruined everything,” he said with glee. “Daemonikai will never forgive himself for tonight. Even if she survives, I have shattered this nonsense between them once and for all.”His laugh was one of triumph. “He is the mad king,” Zaiper muttered menacingly. “He will always be the mad king.”Another chilling laugh came from him. “Maybe this will finally open our people’s eyes. If he cannot control himself—if he can hurt the woman he claimed to care for so much, the one he dared to introduce to court—then perhaps they will finally see he is a lost cause.”The idea delighted him. Yes, let them see their glorious king for what he is. A broken, dangerous beast.“I will have t
THE LAST CHAPTER OF PART 3.GRAND LORD VLADYAHe and Grand Lord Ottai sat by the door until the early hours of dawn. Emeriel’s voice had long since failed her.Reduced to raw, broken whispers of suffering. The girl was utterly spent.Occasionally, a tired sob would slip from her lips, but otherwise, the air was deathly quiet, though they both knew the beast within was still active.At one point during the night, Ottai had soaked his robes with tears.His shoulders trembled as he listened to the horrors taking place beyond the thick wooden door.Yet neither of them had moved, their promise holding them captive in that same position. Waiting. Hoping.Because Vladya was fully attuned to the room beyond, he caught it first. The faint, almost undetectable sound of fangs piercing flesh.His body snapped upright, every muscle coiled and alert.“What’s going on?” Ottai croaked, jerking awake from the shallow sleep that had finally claimed him.“It’s coming to an end,” Vladya told him. “He i
PART 4 {Final Part of this series}GRAND KING DAEMONIKAIHe opened his eyes reluctantly to the bright rays of the morning sun. The warmth of light on his face clashed with the cold, hard ground beneath him.He frowned. This… isn’t my chamber.Sitting up slowly, his gaze swept the dim, familiar space around him.The dark walls and its small window near the corner allow slivers of light to filter through.The Forbidden Chambers? His frown deepened. Why the hell am I in the Forbidden Chambers? And… why am I still wearing my training clothes?Rising unsteadily to his feet, he palmed his head, bracing himself for his unwelcome companion of late—the hammering headache.But he got… nothing.No headache. No pain.Huh.Unease crawled along his skin as he surveyed the space again.He remembered being on the training fields all day. Teaching the young recruits archery, pushing them harder than usual because he was eager to finish and return to his Beloved. But after that…Nothing.Stopping, his
Emeriel was glad Daemonikai had returned to his senses. Whatever had overtaken him that night had been terrifying. Uncontrollable.She could still see the wild, vacant look in his eyes. She could still feel what had happened afterward.Shoving those vile, disturbing memories down, Emeriel thought of something else. The days before that horrible night. Their days together at the cottage.She thought of the male who was her soulmate. Who had never given up on her, even when she had given up on herself.Daemonikai had chased her tirelessly. Relentlessly. He had been determined to prove their bond deserved another chance.Her grand king had stood proudly in court and fought for her. Before an audience filled with those who hated her kind, he declared her his Soulbond. His Woman.And Emeriel wouldn’t lose him over this. Never.“I know that look.”Emeriel blinked, looking at her sister, whose head had lifted again to watch her. How long had she been observing her?Aekeira's brow lifted. “Y
After them, Lord Ottai's bondmate came, breezing into the room with an elegance that belied her concern. She carried a bundle of fresh roses, their scent filling the room as she arranged them in a vase on the bedside table.“These should brighten your day, dear,” she said with a soft smile. “It’s so good to see you recovering.”Emeriel’s heart warmed by the gesture. “Thank you, my lady,”***As evening fell, the visitors trickled out one by one, leaving the room quiet once more.Emeriel lay propped up against a mound of pillows, her body sore but her mind finally at ease.Aekeira sat beside her on the edge of the bed, cradling a small bowl of steaming broth in her hands.“I told you, I’ve had enough,” Emeriel sighed.“You have not eaten properly in days,” Aekeira dipped the wooden spoon into the chicken broth and brought it to her lips. “Try to eat some more.”“Aekeira…” Emeriel groaned, sinking back into her pillows. “At this rate, I will be fat.”“You should. You have lost weight.”
Hours later, Grand Lord Vladya returned to Blackstone. As he approached the royal residence’s hallway, he came to an abrupt halt.She was there.Aekeira stood leaning against the wall outside her sister’s chamber, eyes closed. She didn’t notice him. Vladya allowed himself to look at her. Really look at her.His chest ached at the sight, and for once, the pain had nothing to do with his bruises or the swollen eye from earlier.She wasn’t talking to him. Hadn’t spoken a word to him in three days.And she avoided him like he carried the plague.Vladya could not blame her, but still it stung.Then her eyes fluttered open, and landed on him. Jerking upright, her back straightened, and she looked away immediately. But just as quickly, her eyes flicked back to his face, her expression shifting into one of shock.“What happened to you!?” Aekeira hurried toward him. Her brows furrowed deeply as she took him in. “Look at your face. Look at…” Her breath caught.Even now, she worried about him.
The murmurs grew louder. “And if his state of mind isn’t troubling enough, let’s examine his actions. Look at what he did to his own Soulbond! The one person in the entire world he is fated to protect above all else." Zaiper shook his head, looking disgusted. "If he can harm her—the woman who is supposedly the other half of his soul—what chance do we have? What chance do you have, any of you, against his declining mind?”“Grand Lord Zaiper, mind your tongue!” Ottai growled.Ottai who was usually the level-headed one, had spent the past few days on edge. Losing his temper easily.Today was no different.He vibrated with anger.Vladya too, was gripping his chair so tightly his claws extended, digging into the wood.The effort it was taking him to restrain himself, to not leap across the room and punch Zaiper square in the face, was so great a stabbing headache split his skull.“We cannot keep deceiving the people, Lord Ottai,” Zaiper turned briefly to address him before pivoting back t
GRAND LORD VLADYAHis arms were folded tightly over his chest as he observed his friend from across the room.Twenty minutes had passed since Daemonikai entered Vladya’s bedchamber and Vladya had told him everything, and in all that time, the grand king had not lifted his head. Remaining seated on the edge of the bed, his hands clasped tightly between his knees.The thick silence in the room was broken only by the faint crackling of the fire.“No. I would never do that.” Daemonikai whispered at last, his tone low and hoarse. “You just told me a horror story, Vladya. A nightmare. And you know I would never do something like that to my Soulbond. So now I’m still sitting here…waiting.” His fist curled even tighter, knuckles going white. “Waiting patiently for you to get to the part where you tell me this was just some cruel, sick joke that went too far.”“I wish it were a joke,” Vladya said sincerely. “But it’s not.”Daemonikai shook his head. Slow at first, then more forceful.“This can
PART 4 {Final Part of this series}GRAND KING DAEMONIKAIHe opened his eyes reluctantly to the bright rays of the morning sun. The warmth of light on his face clashed with the cold, hard ground beneath him.He frowned. This… isn’t my chamber.Sitting up slowly, his gaze swept the dim, familiar space around him.The dark walls and its small window near the corner allow slivers of light to filter through.The Forbidden Chambers? His frown deepened. Why the hell am I in the Forbidden Chambers? And… why am I still wearing my training clothes?Rising unsteadily to his feet, he palmed his head, bracing himself for his unwelcome companion of late—the hammering headache.But he got… nothing.No headache. No pain.Huh.Unease crawled along his skin as he surveyed the space again.He remembered being on the training fields all day. Teaching the young recruits archery, pushing them harder than usual because he was eager to finish and return to his Beloved. But after that…Nothing.Stopping, his
THE LAST CHAPTER OF PART 3.GRAND LORD VLADYAHe and Grand Lord Ottai sat by the door until the early hours of dawn. Emeriel’s voice had long since failed her.Reduced to raw, broken whispers of suffering. The girl was utterly spent.Occasionally, a tired sob would slip from her lips, but otherwise, the air was deathly quiet, though they both knew the beast within was still active.At one point during the night, Ottai had soaked his robes with tears.His shoulders trembled as he listened to the horrors taking place beyond the thick wooden door.Yet neither of them had moved, their promise holding them captive in that same position. Waiting. Hoping.Because Vladya was fully attuned to the room beyond, he caught it first. The faint, almost undetectable sound of fangs piercing flesh.His body snapped upright, every muscle coiled and alert.“What’s going on?” Ottai croaked, jerking awake from the shallow sleep that had finally claimed him.“It’s coming to an end,” Vladya told him. “He i
SECOND TO LAST CHAPTER OF PART 3.In Greyrock, he stood by his window, a huge smile on his swollen face as Emeriel’s tortured screams pierced the night. He savored every pained cry.Now this is more like it. This is how it should be.They truly believed they could have happiness? Zaiper snorted in derision.“I have ruined everything,” he said with glee. “Daemonikai will never forgive himself for tonight. Even if she survives, I have shattered this nonsense between them once and for all.”His laugh was one of triumph. “He is the mad king,” Zaiper muttered menacingly. “He will always be the mad king.”Another chilling laugh came from him. “Maybe this will finally open our people’s eyes. If he cannot control himself—if he can hurt the woman he claimed to care for so much, the one he dared to introduce to court—then perhaps they will finally see he is a lost cause.”The idea delighted him. Yes, let them see their glorious king for what he is. A broken, dangerous beast.“I will have t
“Pick a safe word,” Vladya spoke up at last in a resigned tone, his shoulders slumped in defeat.The chamber hushed, all eyes turning to him.“If you are going to do this, you will need a safe word. I will be out here. If you say it—if you scream it—I will come in there and pull you from his grasp, no matter what.”Emeriel let out a sharp, pained cry.Daemonikai had done something to her, but no one could see what.Still, she stared up at him, cupping his cheek with a trembling hand. “It’s okay, dearest." Her voice was soft, full of love. "I’m right here. I’m all yours.”Aekeira shook her head vehemently, her shoulders shaking with sobs “Em, please!”“Keira. That’s my safe word,” Emeriel said, her attention remaining on him. “Promise me you would not come in, no matter what you hear. Promise me you would not enter unless I use the safe word.”A muscle ticked in Vladya’s jaw. “I promise.”Daemonikai shifted fully into his beast form then, his erection huge and ready, glistening with p