Eternal Darkness (A Novel of the Amagarians Book 1) (5 page)

“I am eager to hear of the bargain
brokered Princess.”

She took a chalice of wine and sipped to soothe the nervousness she wanted hidden. After placing the chalice on the table and dabbing crumbles from her mouth, she squared her shoulder. “While leaving Boreas my Queen’s blades and I were unexpectedly attacked by Mevians. After a brief but vicious battle that left the fate of my blades uncertain, I fled to the inside of your border and
this Darkan…”

Saieke stiffened as he appeared in front of her. She tried to hold on to her regal composure. She had not seen him move.
How did they
do it?

He gave a curt bow. “Drac El Kyn.” The rasp of his voice slid over her, stirring heat.
Please, not again
. Saieke did not startle when, with a mere blink from her, he was back by
the door.

She nodded once, fighting to keep a serene mien. They seemed normal thus far, and she held onto that assurance with all the training that had been imbedded into her as the Princess of Boreas. “Drac El Kyn rescued me, accepting my bargain to honor your kingdom with six jars
of elixir.”

“And will your kingdom honor such a bargain?” the king’s voice
was flat.

Saieke met the glacier grey of his eyes unflinchingly. “I am my kingdom. Boreas will honor
my promise.”

“Will they?” a
deadly murmur.

Saieke’s shoulders twitched, then she froze under the focus of their penetrating regard. They did not trust her. Her heart jerked, once, then in a furious rhythm. “I will detail a missive to my king and queen and send my armband as proof of my identity with an emissary from your court. Your emissary will be honored with the jars, I
assure you.”

“And where will you be, Princess?” the king asked silkily. “Why are you not returning to fulfill your
honored oath?”

The menace in his voice had Saieke’s gaze bouncing from the king to Drac. It stopped at her rescuer, and she blanched at the cruelty carved into his features. “I will not be returning to Boreas, your majesty. Please be assured that my bargain will be fulfilled, and the armband I will send with the parchment will be proof that it is a genuine request. It is imperative to the safety of my kingdom and myself that I continue my journey
without delay.”

The king’s soft chuckle had dread tightening her stomach. Saieke fidgeted, and she gripped the legs of her caftan as the instinct to flee dominated
her thoughts.

“Princess,” the king said. “For your parchment to arrive in Boreas from us would be a declaration of war. The armband of the Princess of Wind in the possession of a Darkan would only bring death; and it would be the death of your people should they march on us. Would you
not agree?”

Saieke’s heart stilled at the truth of his words. Her parents would know her writing, and the armband would be proof that it was indeed the princess making this order; but it would be met with suspicion and fear.
Kings’ teeth
. The nature of her disappearance would imply that Darkans had taken her and now used her for leverage to obtain elixirs from Boreas. Saieke expelled a harsh breath. To fulfill her bargain, she would have to return to Boreas with the emissary.
She
could not
.

“Your Majesty...” She did not bother to brush the curls that fell over her face obscuring her vision. “My kingdom is
the
Boreas. Honorable, respected, our lineage untarnished by dishonor or treachery, my lieges will honor
my word.”

She swayed into the great chair as the import of her words hit her. Untarnished by dishonor. No longer a true statement because of
her flight.

“Rumors travel to the shadows of an allegiance between Boreas and Nuria. I am sure you see our predicament, Princess.”

Saieke stiffened.

“You are the word of your kingdom, and the kingdom your words. Yet you flee an oath Boreas has made on your behalf. Do not perceive us as fools.” The harshness of his voice lashed through her like a whip. It cracked in the room and seemed to echo for interminable seconds
before fading.

“I would never…”she cleared her throat and continued hoarsely, “my kingdom would never dishonor…” she faltered. They knew she fled from the
Nurian king.

King Al Shra’s rage was palpable. Its power raced across her skin prickling it with heat. A terrifying sense of inevitability pressed in on Saieke, and nausea rolled through her stomach.
I have to go home.
“I am in accord. I will return to my lands to honor
the bargain.”

She could
feel
the satisfaction that permeated the chamber. Saieke remained numb through the drafting of their agreement. The king scrawled his signature with bold grace, and her hands trembled when
she signed.

“Ladies in waiting have been assigned to you. Rest Princess Saieke and we will confer when we break
our fast.”

“I thank you” she whispered as she rose, exiting the antechamber with several guards leading the way, all hopes of saving her kingdom burned
to ashes.

The chambers were suited to a princess. Great torches and a roaring fireplace blazed, illuminating the dark elegance of the room. Deep vermillion hues, mixed with violet, and the most beautiful silver tapestries decorated the wall. The four poster bed stood high and proud in the middle of the room, with a mound of purple satin pillows with gold fringes piled in its centre of the bed, tempting her to climb on and snuggle into
the mound.

The pain of failure and loss raked at her. Saieke slapped a hand over her mouth as a harsh sob ripped from her. She gathered her composure as several ladies in waiting bustled in, moving with
grim efficiency.

Saieke went through the motions of refreshing herself, resolutely banishing the dread clouding her thoughts. Several caftans made with luxurious materials the colors of corn silk, gold, and chartreuse were laid on a chaise. Saieke fingered them lightly. Empresses and queens of other kingdoms would pay a fortune to possess such richness
in garments.

“A gift from our castle ladies,” one of the ladies in
waiting said.

Saieke’s smile was strained. “Please convey my enjoyment to the ladies of
the castle.”

“Yes, your highness.” They dipped in graceful curtsies and
then departed.

She lay on the bed restless, unable to sleep. Even though fed and refreshed, exhaustion still weighed on her. It was not mere fatigue, it was failure. Her harsh breathing mingled with the cackling of the fireplace.
I’ve failed. My people will be burned because of my ineptitude, and Kamu and Thyon have sacrificed their lives for naught.
She bit her bottom lip until she
tasted blood.

Saieke flashed off the bed, restless and edgy, pacing the floor with jerky movements. To flee to Earth now would be a folly only an asinine person would undertake. The Darkans would deliver death if the bargain was not fulfilled, yet she could not return home. She would be locked away in one of the towers and only when she was bonded to King Ajali would she have
any freedom.

Her lips curled in acute distaste. King Ajali was enormously wealthy and powerful, and his kingdom respected by many. He was over seven hundred years old and already a legend due to his feats in the second Great War, yet she did not want him. He already had an alliance with Aria—the kingdom of earth and sand. Her father must know King Ajali only coveted their kingdom for its wealth. Boreas was bountiful with hundreds of meadows, creeks, rivers and waterfalls that spanned more than a hundred feet in both depth and width. Most precious of all, they had the elixir springs— the most desired commodity Boreas had to offer as a kingdom, which had the ability to heal any wound instantly, and
that
was what the tyrant
king wanted.

The only thing that could prevent their marriage now was to once again try and lose her purity. It would be impossible to find a willing lover in the time it would take for her to return to Boreas to honor the bargain. It had been a daunting task when she had weeks to plot. Now….it would probably be easier to try and flee the Darkage instead of finding someone that would willingly
bed her.

No one would touch her for fear of reprisal from
the Nurians.

Her mind turned to Drac and she froze.
He would not fear touching me
. The thought slid insidiously in her mind, lodged itself and flowered. Could she really attempt to entice a man she had no knowledge of? A man she had never conversed with, a man with whom she shared no common interest? He frightened her on a deep visceral level, but the heat in his eyes could not be mistaken, nor the desire that had jerked low in
her womb.

She trailed her fingers from her neck to stop above her heart. She did not know why it pounded so when she thought of him. It could be fear, but a part of her whispered that it was
sheer fascination.

Could she take a Darkan as her lover?
He would be the perfect choice, for there would be no danger of her losing her heart. She had sworn to always be a queen who would rule without the messy emotion of love interfering with her duty to her people. Her grandmother, Lady Ava, was still tormented daily over a choice she made years ago. She’d had the opportunity to save her people, and she’d chosen
her consort.

But what did Saieke knew about seduction? Her previous attempts had been sorely lacking. Groaning in exasperation, she flashed onto the bed, and thumped her headrest. She really did not know if she could do it— deliberately take a Darkan for a lover, using him for her purposes.
Using him
. It was the part she had struggled with so much in her court. What in kings’ teeth was
she thinking?

She had to decide on a course of action, or she would return to Boreas on the morn. She went to sleep with the resolve that she would find a way to save her people, at
all cost.

***

Drac stood cloaked in shadows on a high turret overlooking the south wing. His beast prowled in the cage of his mind. The princess appealed to him. He could smell her unique and elusive scent from the west tower. Astoundingly beautiful and poised, she had handled herself like a queen in the presence of his king as they drew up the
honor bargain.

Drac had felt her distrust, her uncertainty, yet her expression had not betrayed her. If his kind did not feed their beasts with negative emotions, he would have thought her serene and at peace with the bargain. Most would have been paralyzed with fear. Her poise was certainly something to be admired. Or she could be simple-minded and not aware of the precarious position her flight placed her in. He recalled the surge of fear and uncertainty that occasionally flared within her. No, she was aware…just a
princess trained.

He felt uneasy since meeting her, and that feeling was anathema to him. Drac scowled. He had never encountered a woman whose scent made his beast uncoil and inhale, which it did several times. Her scent had hit his gut like a rush of negative energy. Something elusive had also lingered beneath her fragrance, something delectable that confounded and aroused him. He snarled, snapping his teeth together, shifting as his trousers tightened against
his erection.

Dangerous
. What intrigued Drac even more was that he wanted to know about her. Why did she flee her kingdom? Was it to break her kingdom’s pledge to the Nurian king? The princess courted death if she was indeed breaking a
blood oath.

Gidon wanted her protected at all times. Warriors had been handpicked by the king himself for her protection. The Princess’s presence would arouse curiosity, fascination, suspicion and rage. Many remembered Queen Sora would still be reigning today if not for Boreas’ bigotry and revulsion. Gidon had selected Lachlan, another enforcer, and their negotiator and peacekeeper, to travel to Boreas. Gidon felt it prudent to not provide any more Darkans on the princess’s return to
her kingdom.

Drac understood Gidon’s caution and respected it. A team of even four of their kind would likely
incite war.

Drac would remain at the castle for the night, and then he would depart with the dawn to complete his mission of finding King Rajliegh’s assassin, thankfully away from the temptation of
the princess.

Take her….

Want and need hummed beneath his skin. His beast rumbled in satisfaction, and Drac frowned. It had never been satisfied before with anything other than negative emotions, the darker the better. He doubted he could remain in her presence and not touch her. He had already imagined her several times, with her hair fisted in his hand, her lips under his and seated on his cock, crying out in agonized bliss as he sank his aching length inside of her. He wanted to taste her, to inhale her scent and trap her fragrance inside of him while he rode her for hours. His reaction to her was unwelcomed, and he’d believed himself to hold more control over his lust. The inherent danger in wanting a woman like her, a fragile woman did not escape him. His brother Vlad had succumbed to such a lure in the past, and the pain of his decision still haunted Drac
years later.

Taunting laughter echoed within him from his beast, and Drac growled low in
his throat.

If he was not vigilant, his unexpected desire for her could ruin everything he and his king had tirelessly worked for…and maybe even the loss of his honor
and soul.

Southern wing of
castle Kerberos.

Saieke woke with a heated pulse of need deep in her body. She had dreamt of the Darkan…of his lips kissing the curves of her body, down to her most intimate valley…and now she was wet and aching. Gritting her teeth, she flashed from the bed, thankful the fireplace and great torches still burned in the chamber. She performed her morning toiletries with grim efficiency, dressing in a caftan of deep gold, designed with folds for sheathed blades. Her hair plaited and coiled around her head, she slipped her feet in soft and elegant shoes designed for comfort and flight. Very practical and nothing like the elegant jewel stubbed shoes she wore at her court. The ladies in waiting assigned to her, presented her with a pair of daggers crafted with beauty and cutting strength. Each blade, twelve inches long, curved wickedly with a single ruby embedded in their hilts—they
were stunning.

“A gift from King Gidon.” Her lady in waiting lifted the blades to Saieke on silver cushions with a
deep curtsy.

She measured their weight with infinite care. They were exquisite, a gift fit for a princess. The generosity of the king surprised her, and she felt sudden guilt as she had not expected his kindness. It was the custom of every kingdom to present visiting royalty with gifts, yet she kept expecting the Darkage to behave without decorum. “I will thank the king most appropriately. They are well crafted
and beautiful.”

Warmth glowed from the servant. “Our king commands your presence in the fifth courtyard. You will break your
fast there.”

He commanded her presence? “It would be by pleasure to break my fast with the king.” Would Drac
be present?

Armed with her gifts, she followed three warriors down corridors of immense length broken at intervals by winding stairs that ended at the main hall. Her assigned guards opened the door that led to the courtyard, and Saieke stepped into an abyss. Unrelenting darkness washed over her senses. Her mind struggled to process the void that seemed to press in, suffocating her. She expended her
chakra
, coating herself in its blue glow. It was just enough for her to see a few feet. The warriors prowled ahead, and she followed for a few minutes, but jerked to a startled halt as
they disappeared.

Her pulse spiked. She flared out her energy seeking
chakra
s and found none. Saieke spun in a circle, probing the dark. Her
chakra
glow allowed her to see only so far; the terrifying darkness pressed in from all sides, and her disorientation increased. The implication of the warriors’ actions seeped in her veins. Dread tightened her throat. They had deliberately led her outside. Was the king even waiting in
the courtyard?

She went still, her neck prickling in sharp awareness. Something stalked her. She could feel it shifting closer, the energy trail was so faint it was almost indiscernible. Saieke balanced herself on her feet and crept forward, then stopped as the feel of the
chakra
moved and appeared behind her. Her heart rate increased as it dawned that her stalker intended harm, not to simply
frighten her.

“Is someone there?” Her voice sounded too hoarse to her ears, roughened
by fear.

Please let this be a dream
. She waited a few beats, no one answered her, but a pulse of emotion from the person’s
chakra
slid against her senses—undiluted anger and bitterness. Saieke harnessed a rush of wind to form a barrier as the emotions shifted to deadly intent. The wind churned in violent swirls, so lethal anyone who attacked her would be sliced by
the sharpness.

A low vicious growl echoed around her, and the Darkan dropped the shield that kept its
chakra
contained. Vile, twisted rage tunneled toward her. Enveloped in her
chakra
light, she saw the Darkan punch through her barrier. Her wind sliced his hands, but he still delivered a devastating blow to
her sternum.

The force of the blow flung her more than three hundred feet. She gathered wind and tried to cushion her fall, but the impact of the landing still rattled
her teeth.

Before she could recover, a hand grasped her throat and lifted her off
the ground.

“You dare present yourself in our kingdom after how Boreas treated our queen?” snarled the voice. “You dare when it was your kingdom’s action that caused our queen’
s death?”

Saieke saw his face clearly, the fury reflected more than she
could process.

His fingers tightened as razor sharp canines extended from his mouth. She flared out her power, searching for her elements and felt water close by. Relief surged through her. Drawing the water to her in a rush, she enveloped them both, shaping the water with her mind, and held it suspended above and around them. Saieke combined her elements to encase the hand at her throat in ice so cold
it shattered.

She dropped, wheezing for air. Sensing another attack, she flashed to her feet and tried to freeze his entire body, but the darkness swallowed him too fast for her to track. There was no respite as another blow slammed into her back. Pain lanced through her shoulders. She tried to draw her weapons and realized her left arm dangled uselessly at
her side.

She screamed as a swipe at her stomach opened deep furrows inside, spilling warm blood at her feet. Horror tightened Saieke’s throat. They toyed with her, savoring her fear and feeding on her pain. She molded the water to her body and let it rise in the air with her swiftly, like a wave, but cradling her pain-
filled body.

In mid-flight, a hand grabbed her ankle and flung her with enraged strength, causing Saieke to moan helplessly at the speed she flew through the air. She slammed into a tree with such force her dislocated shoulder wrenched, breaking bones in several places. A cry of anguish escaped her lips. It twisted through her body as a foot stomped on her leg, shattering bones and her hope of escape. Fear like she had never known engulfed her as three Darkans looked down at her with icy contempt in
their expressions.

***

Drac sprawled indolently in the war chamber. Lachlan and Talon, the king’s enforcers, had been in the chambers for more than an hour discussing the possibilities of treaties with Boreas with their king. Drac curled his lips in disdain as restlessness stirred deep inside him. He needed to be away from the castle. He’d spent the night thinking about the flame-haired, intensely blue-eyed princess. He ruthlessly forced her from his mind and drifted back to the discussions in the king’
s chamber.

“Court whispers refer to the Princess of Boreas as a treasure the nation would die to protect,” Lachlan said from where he leaned against the stained windows looking out in the west courtyard, his demeanor and expression showing nothing but serenity as was his way. He turned gracefully, and tawny golden eyes surveyed them. “We could use that to
our advantage.”

“How?” Talon asked, as he pushed his hands through his mane of untamed russet colored hair in frustration. “We will be in possession of six jars of elixir shortly. It was an honest and straightforward bargain…no room for manipulations. ”

Lachlan raised his brow. “We did save their progeny from death or worse. Boreas will be extremely grateful. We should examine how to manipulate
their gratefulness.”

Gidon paced for several minutes before addressing Lachlan, “What gifts have you gathered that is suitable for the Borean king
and queen?”

“There are a few that we can give. We are short
on jewels.”

“We could gift them the use of one hundred warriors for a few years,”
Talon said.

“No,” Gidon said. “What we need is for Boreas to be in our debt, where if we ever need more elixir, their waters, healers, or their ample grains, they would respond favorable to a petition. I want to achieve this
without fear.”

“Mayhap fear is necessary,” Drac murmured. “We do not have enough wealth or positions of rank which can be traced from millennia for a possible alliance. The ranks our elders hold are not such that any other kingdom would recognize. They hold them for their skill and might, not from noble blood
and wealth—”

His cadre lifted their heads in unison, tasting the decadent tendrils of fear wafting through the chamber. They inhaled, feeding their beasts. Drac got up and poured wine in his chalice, drinking deeply. Pain sweet as nectar barreled into the room. He froze in the act of drinking.
What
was it?

The predator in him stirred at the unique scent accompanying the pain. A darker wave of fear rushed out to them in torrents, and satisfaction stamped the faces of his fellow enforcers. Drac’s beast recoiled from the overwhelming taste of distress as it identified the unique scent of wild wind that accompanied it. He stumbled and dropped his chalice of wine, fighting the rage twisting in his veins—it was too dark
and pervasive.

Gidon looked at him sharply. “Drac, what is wrong?” his king demanded, as Talon said, “Who resides at the castle that would feel
such fear?”

Drac’s beast howled and battered at
his mind.

Talon and Lachlan launched to their feet as a pulse of rage clawed at Drac, and for the first time in years, he lost control of his
chakra
and it escaped without his iron will directing it.
Charka
settled on him like a second skin, fangs exploded from his mouth and a menacing snarl built in
his chest.

“What in king’s fuck!”
Talon said.

Before they could say anymore,
Drac disappeared.