Dragon with the Girl Tattoo by Julia Mills
How about a little Sneak Peek of that oh-so-loveable Demi-God, Kayne?
Read the first chapter of
IMAGINE DRAGON!
Chapter One
Pulsing and pounding, flitting and fluttering, dancing between demanding and pleading, the Obscured wove a tail of deceit and appeal that called to the dichotomy of Pearl’s soul. Born of the day and the night, the Healer and the Warrior, the woman and the Strix had only been tempted in such a way once before in her many centuries of existence. It was disconcerting, so unbearably hard to resist the thought of giving into her dark side, the one inherited from her father felt as if it had a life of its own. But she was strong, nearly invincible and the whisper of a heartbeat, that stuttered, fading fast as it fought against all odds to stay alive became her sole focus. It pushed away the dark thoughts of death and forced the purity of life to the forefront. There were lives to save, lives that mattered to so very many, that had a purpose and a reason for being outside their own existence. That was why Pearl had been born, why she’d lived so very long, and why she’d joined Sadie and the others in their war on evil.
Allowing her vision to blur and her supernatural sight to take over, she followed the miasma of barbed tentacles and stringy gore searching for a path to the center of the maelstrom – the heart of the Beast. Carefully picking her way through seething beds of hate and scorching patches of pure evil, all brought to life a millennium ago by the Fairy Kings and Queens, the thundering hooves of the Wild Hunt invaded her consciousness. Hurdling her into the chaos of her own memories, demanding she take heed, a dark omen swept through her, the promise of death and destruction was alive and well careening its entrance into the human world.
Staccato blasts, discordant and shrill, assaulted the sleepy silence of the night sky. Icy winds tore through the trees, the frantic rustle of their leaves a distressed cry to the Mother of All that danger was afoot.
Misshapen shadows, their skeletal fingers drawn to the beat of Pearl’s heart, snatched and clawed at the hem of her long leather coat, their need to possess, to feed, a seething entity within them. Hounds and steeds, their fur the color of slate, their eyes a flaming, fiery red, obeyed only the call of the golden Hunting Horn, their answering bays and confident whinnies accompanying the manic crunch of the frozen Earth underfoot as blistering blasts of hellfire shot from their mangy muzzles, casting a bloody hue over the low-hanging crescent moon.
Calling forth the Strix, her transformation complete in a single heartbeat, Pearl pushed her billowy wings against the frigid gusts of air, instantly obtaining enough forward thrust to rise her six-foot form into the air. Circling above the horde of undead riders, warriors who even in death remained loyal to Odin, stampeding from Valhalla to Earth through the enormous vortex, she looked for the Leader.
Sifting through fields of dark skeletal riders, her gaze landed upon the Ruler of the Aesir Tribe of Deities at the precise moment his band of marauders opened their bloodless lips, their war cry roaring across the frozen wasteland. Snow-white hair and his long silver beard rippled behind him like the train of his royal robe as he sat upon his six-legged steed, a stark, defining contrast to the sea of ebony warriors surrounding him. He was Odin in the form of the God of the Wind and all would bear witness to his majesty.
With her senses creeping forward, searching for the thread to pull that would unravel the plot of the All Father, Pearl was caught unaware as faces from her past, Clanswomen and men who’d fallen in battle and the victims she’d been unable to save, raced over and around her, following the great Odin, doing as he bid.
The need to join the Hunt, to once again fight alongside her comrades was overwhelming. The pounding of her heart matched the pounding of their hooves. The blood of her father, of the last full-blooded Strix, the last bird of omen to foresee the death of a king and let its haunting cry fill the bewitching hour, pushed her to yield to her baser instincts and turn her back on the healing and light given to her by her mother.
Adrenalin fueled her need to avenge the fallen. The Call of the Hunt, its infectiously pulse-pounding beat turned thought to desire and desire to action. It was intoxicating in its devastating simplicity and something she simply could not or would not resist.
Lengthening and strengthening, the bones of her wings reached towards Odin, their ends narrowing to deadly claws, matching the long, deadly talons at the tips of her toes and the lethal hook at the end of her beak, each promising a sacrifice worthy of her station. No longer the formidable Strix, Pearl had become the Stringes, the fierce Battle Owl that no other but her father had ever attained.
Diving from lofty heights, her screech drew the Huntmaster’s attention as the Stringes lowered her head and dove for the center of the fray. Closing her eyes, the thrill of the Hunt upon her, Pearl jerked to a stop, her wings thrown wide, her body suspended in midair.
“Is this what you do with the miraculous gifts you’ve been given, Daughter Mine?” Morrigan, the Great White Goddess of the Celts, Supreme Warrior Goddess of Night, Magick, Prophecy and Healing, harshly inquired.
“Let. Me. Go.” Pearl seethed, fighting against her mother’s magic, the need to be part of the Wild Hunt overriding her every thought and action.
“I will not.”
The words had barely passed through Pearl’s mind before she was thrown backward through the sky, her huge body rolling end-over-end for what seemed an eternity, before she unceremoniously and bone-jarringly was dropped atop a mountain plateau. Still held tight by the iron fists of her mother’s Goddess magic, the Stringes opened her beak to scream only to find she had also been left mute.
Shrieking directly into Morrigan’s mind, Pearl spat, “Stop this now, Mother. Do not make me battle you for my freedom.”
Coarse, mocking laughter cut through her mind as the White Goddess jeered, “Do not waste your time or energy, Daughter. Just as I gave you life, I will most assuredly take it away.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
Without further provocation, in the blink of an eye, Morrigan appeared. Her long, blood-red hair flowed over her shoulders and down her back with a liquid grace that reminded Pearl of crimson silk. Her clear, haunting eyes looked directly into the Stringes’ soul as the Goddess advanced, her shield and staff at the ready. Ravens, her own special army, perched on rocks and flew overhead protecting the White Queen from what, Pearl had no idea.
Pushing the awe of her Goddess Mother away, unwilling to let go of her anger, the Stringes growled sarcastically, “Aren’t I a little old to be put in time-out, Morrigan?”
Without a word, or even a glance in her daughter’s direction, Morrigan waved the tip of her staff across her daughter’s midsection. Fire shot through Pearl’s veins. The cracking of bone and popping of tendons ushered in a fiery agony that snatched the breath from her lungs as it ripped through every fiber of her being.
Forced into her human form in the most painful way possible, Pearl struggled to breathe as her body quaked, her muscles shook, and her heart and lungs fought to nourish and heal her broken body. The burn of her mother’s eyes peering into her soul was the only warning Pearl received before an all-too-familiar ominous rumble filled her mind, “The Stringes will no longer be yours to call. You have no restraint, no ability to resist the temptation of your darker natures. Yes, we are creatures of War, but our cause must be just and our intentions pure. Following Odin as he parades his Ghouls from the depths of Valhalla is not only foolhardy, but breaks the oath you took to uphold and protect Mankind in all its forms.”
Feeling like a little girl caught with her hand in the cookie jar, Pearl slowly exhaled, letting the good judgment and light of the knowledge she’d been using as her guide for longer than she could remember to fill her mind and spirit. Looking Morrigan in the eye, she nodded, sullenly acquiescing, “Thank you for the save.” Finally, able to move, she sat up then got to her feet and stepped closer to her mother. “But if you ever…”
Pulled back into reality by the sheer severity of what she faced, the déjà vu of the situation not lost in the chaos, and true to form, when Pearl looked up she found her mother’s image floating overhead. The magic of the Goddess, ancient, commanding, and unyielding, caressed Pearl’s body, massaged her feathers, seeped into her muscles and bones, and serenaded the memory of the Stringes, enticing it to return.
Teeming with power, vibrating with the enchantment of the White Goddess, Pearl accepted the transformation from Strix to Stringes, extended her wings and flexed the razor-sharp talons that lined the tips. Throwing open her mighty jaws, her soul rejoiced as her commanding call echoed through the cave, striking fear in the monstrous mass that was the Obscured.
Taking flight, her only focus the beating heart of the Abomination, Pearl welcomed the feel of Morrigan’s power and strength flowing through her as the Goddess’ voice rang true in the depths of her consciousness, “Fly true, my Fierce and Fearless Daughter. Save my chosen Warriors. Bring the Berserkers home. Only you and your Beloved hold the key. Only together can you reign victorious.”
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Check Out this Sneak Peek of the Leader of the Blue Thunder Clan’s story ~
Her Dragon, His Demon
Chapter One
“Hello, my sweet, and how was your day?”
Just the sound of his voice made Audrey want to rip her ears off her head and stomp them into the soot covered rocks to avoid ever hearing him again. It made her skin crawl and her stomach roll. It sounded like rocks in a blender, nails on a chalkboard, and a cat’s screech, all at the same time. If there was a more horrible sound in all of hell, Audrey hadn’t heard it in her hundred years of servitude.
Of course, it fit the large, grotesque figure who’d been her Master since her uncle’s bitter betrayal. The Demon Lord stood over seven-feet tall—not counting his hideous tail—and was covered from the top of his reptilian-shaped head to the tip of his six-inch claw-studded toes with deep green, iridescent scales. His vertical, elliptically shaped pupils were eerily highlighted by his fluorescent yellow irises and gave Audrey the feeling that he was looking through her instead of at her. The large horns growing from the sides of his forehead and curving over his scaly head were a sign of his high rank in the realms of hell but did nothing except serve as a reminder to the princess that he was an evil beast of the first order.
Audrey had seen firsthand that the claws decorating both his hands and feet could inject horrifically pain-causing venom into his prey. She’d been made to stand idly by and watch Adramelech’s underlings writhe in pain while screeching so loudly her ears bled as he punished them for their disobedience and failure with a mere prick of his talons. It was one of the many ways the Chancellor thought to keep Audrey docile, but he was always infuriated when it failed. She felt bad for those who’d suffered but found a bit of solace in the fact that he’d never subjected her to the mind-numbing agony.
Audrey wasn’t silly enough to think it was because the Chancellor cared. Oh, no. It was because just like she, he knew his toxins would kill her instantly. For although a demon squatted inside her very soul, the malignant spirit Adramelech himself had placed there the day he’d brought her to the very depths of hell and used as another form of torture to keep her off balance, Audrey was still very much human. She enjoyed all the frailties and inadequacies that came along with the lovely beat of her heart. It was her greatest blessing and worst curse all rolled into one messed up package.
At the sound of Adramelech clearing his throat, Audrey let out an exasperated breath while pretending to be busy at the fireplace. “It was the same as the one before and the one before that and…” Turning on her heels, she looked the Chancellor and President of the High Council of Demons in the eye and spat, “The one before that. Get the gest?” She threw her arms wide open and spun in a circle. “I’m your prisoner, have been for one helluva long time, so you know damned good and well that I’ve been right here doing absolutely nothing but waiting for you to arrive, my lord.”
She soaked her last two words in as much sarcasm as possible and gave a quick curtsey for added effect. Baiting the bastard was Audrey’s only form of entertainment, even though she knew it was dangerous to her health. She could see the Demon Lord working hard to control his temper and stopped for a beat to wonder why. Any other time, Adramelech would’ve simply whipped his spiky, six-foot tail out from under his black, floor-length, soot-covered robe and slashed her across the back a few times for her insolence. She had the scars of a century to prove he was not above corporal punishment. But tonight, he was being unusually pleasant and reining in his murderous temper, which was never a good sign.
Taking a step back just in case he decided to attack, Audrey had to figure she was lucky that Adramelech was always careful to avoid her face. After all, he reminded her every chance he got that it was her only redeeming quality. Her beauty, something she never thought she had but the demon coveted, was what had drawn him to her. Well, that and her father’s kingdom, and the fact that the bastard knew she was the mate of a Dragon Guardsman long before she ever did.
For all the things the Chancellor despised about Audrey—and the list was long and detailed—he hated her humanity the most; even though he and he alone possessed the ability to take it away. One slash of the barbed tip of his tail across the tender skin of her throat and the evil spirit he’d placed within her would take over. It was sad how easily he could take her life, but it was a reality she’d accepted long ago.
Audrey had to figure he loved to hate her. It was the only thing that made sense. The list of things he bitched about was endless. He loathed her iron will. Reviled her willingness to take a beating instead of bow before him. Had more than once told her how much he detested the very air she breathed. Her Demon Master had gone so far as to wrap his long, scaly fingers around her throat until she’d almost pass out then let go and laugh as she fell into a heap on the ground, gasping for air. In those days, she’d prayed for death and had actually tried suicide on a few occasions—but it never worked. The black magic Adramelech surrounded her with to prevent her from harming herself always stopped her. The slimy feel of the evil spell had flared to life and had been sliding across her skin every minute of every day since then.
Looking over Adramelech’s shoulder, Audrey saw her reflection in the mirror and shook her head. If she had a nickel for every time she’d prayed to get old and haggard with the hopes that the Chancellor would finally tire of her as he had all the others over the years, she’d be a damned millionaire. Sure, he would kill her and that would stink, but there would be peace in death. Not that it mattered because her prayers went unanswered; her looks never changed. She blamed her gypsy heritage but was sure the Chancellor had a hand in her eternal youth as well. To say enough was enough was an understatement. Audrey was ready to try anything to escape her prison—even death, but...
That would mean she would never see Rian O’Reilly again, and if the stories were true, she would be dooming him to a solitary existence without love. It was unthinkable to imagine the handsome Dragon Guardsman, whom she’d met the night of her first birthday in hell, dying of a broken heart. Audrey was immediately enraged when she remembered how Adramelech had tried to use her as bait to capture said dragon shifter and doom him to the Underworld. She had no idea why the Chancellor wanted her mate, only knew that he did and that she’d paid dearly with her flesh and blood for not luring Rian into the Demon Lord’s trap.
Year after year, Adramelech trapped shifters of all shapes, sizes, and varieties…but never a dragon. No sooner did the two-natured creatures appear than the Chancellor would have one of his many minions whisk the poor soul away to parts unknown. Audrey would listen to hour after hour, day after day of their anguished cries, both human and animal, begging to be put out of the misery inflicted upon them. Finally, when their pleas were little more than whispers, their wish would be granted. Adramelech would absorb their soul and have another of his minions feed the body to the hellhounds.
Several long years into her servitude, it all seemed so sad and pointless and drove Audrey to take a huge risk to find out what the Demon Lord was truly after. Creeping silently out of the cave she was forced to call home, Audrey followed the horrible sounds of torture that bounced off the stone walls of one of the smaller dungeons and listened to Adramelech ask the same question over and over of his prisoner, “Where is the lair of the dragons?”
For weeks after that, she’d searched every nook and cranny of the Chancellor’s cave when he went to judge and punish the unfortunate beings brought before his court. She looked for any clue as to what he wanted with the dragons…with her mate. Every day she came up empty handed. Every day she went to sleep praying that the next day would be the day she found something that would stop Adramelech’s single-minded extinction of shifters of all species in an effort to trap an elusive dragon shifter.
Almost a year later, while Audrey was recuperating from an especially heinous beating for calling the Demon Lord a toad, Adramelech took her to his library. She figured in his own messed up way, the Chancellor felt bad for almost killing her and thought letting her out of their region of hell would make up for the slashes decorating her back and buttocks. Audrey would’ve rather died but since that wasn’t an option, she’d followed him like the dog he thought she was.
Several days into her vacation as the asshole had offhandedly called it, Audrey found a piece of dried human skin, also known as paper in hell, covered with what she immediately recognized as Gaelic written in human blood (hell’s ink). Her grandfather had spoken the old language and thankfully had shared his knowledge with his favorite granddaughter.
Although it had been more years than she could recall, Audrey remembered enough to quickly translate the words summon, stone, and dragon. It was part of a spell. Unfortunately, the skin had been torn and the incantation was incomplete. Never one to be deterred, she spent the next week deciphering the rest of the words and trying to figure out what was missing.
As luck would have it, Audrey came across a book written in the same dialect as the words on the skin. The longer she read, the more it became apparent that certain words were purposely misspelled. On the following day, she brought a quill and ink, real ink—one of the few luxuries her jailor allowed her—and began to list the misspelled words on the inside cover of the book, correcting them as she recorded them.
It took days, but Audrey was finally able to put the words she had corrected in order. The pages of the story lined up perfectly with her tiny piece of skin but instead of a spell, she found a detailed account of how to escape from hell. It read like someone’s diary or a letter to a friend.
If you have found this book and are reading this story, then you must be an unwilling occupant of the Underworld. The tasks below will be daunting and at times seem impossible, but if you have a pure heart and have had the abundant fortune of discovering a love greater than the evil you face, then have faith and persevere.
There is no specific order you must follow when collecting your tools of escape, but it is imperative that you have them all before entering the deepest realm of hell. If you do not, the hellhounds will be summoned to drag your soul to the pits where you will suffer eternal damnation and punishment.
Before I begin, I feel I must tell you I have been in hell for quite some time. Although I possess all my faculties, it could be said that my mind has its moments for frivolity. Please read the words on these pages as carefully as I have written them, lest one of us might make a mistake.
It is my suggestion, and only a suggestion mind you, that you first enlist the help of the one you hold most dear. As I stated before, you have to have found a love greater than the evil you face. Not only must you have found it, but you have to have embraced it, taken it into your heart and nurtured it, then returned it a hundredfold back to the one who gave it to you. You see, a love like this is rare. It is one of a kind. You cannot live without it once you have experienced it. You will know immediately that it has been blessed by the Universe and Fate and most importantly, because of the blessing and your trust in that love, it is one not even the depths of hell can tear asunder.
The next one takes a bit of faith and a lot of determination. You must find the dragon warrior buried in the deepest cavern on the side of the river Lethe. As the lore goes, and the lore is never wrong, he was attacked, bespelled by evil wizards, separated from his kin, and then imprisoned in human form. The wizards drew power from the river Lethe, the symbol of the goddess of forgetfulness and the god of sleep, to keep the mighty Guardsman under their spell. They need him to remain comatose. For you see, he is one of royal blood and destined for greatness. He holds the power of his ancestors. He is of two bloods. This warrior is not one to be angered until the time is right. There is a true fire inside of him that once released will show you the way to freedom. I have no idea how long he has been there or how long he will remain, but I can assure you I am the only one, besides the wizards, who knows his location. Once you have found him, you can only free him by calling his given name, a name only those closest to him know. You will be able to summon that information once the Focus Stone is near the dragon’s crypt.
And I imagine you are wondering about this Focus Stone. It is a very powerful talisman that was used by the wizards who cursed the Guardsman. From what I have been told, it is hidden in the hills closest to the lair of a dragon clan whose color reminds you of the sky and sea. The evil wizards had a peculiar sense of humor and found it funny to place something so important to those who needed that item to be virtually undetectable. Dark arts wizards really are the foulest creatures. But I digress. Please be careful, for this stone is covered in the nastiest of sigils, written in the blood of innocent white witches, and when activated by the tainted blood of a Demon Lord can smite even the most faithful. Something else to consider is the fact that the higher in hell’s hierarchy the Demon Lord whose blood was used is, the stronger the effects of that blood, so be discerning before selecting your donor.
Now, I would imagine you’ve figured out the next item on your list...it is the blood of a Demon Lord. Make it one of importance to not only the inner workings of hell but also the Devil himself. The more prestigious the demon, the more evil his blood and thus the smaller amount you will need. If he sits on a Council or even higher, then only three or four drops are needed. But be careful! The black, thick sludge that runs through his veins is acidic and toxic. Your skin will burn and peel, the contamination will spread, and in less than a day, it will drive you mad. Demon blood is not to be trifled with. Once collected, keep it in a silver or bronze container.
The last piece of your puzzle may be the hardest and most harrowing to get. Please don’t think me daft. I know that getting the blood of a demon is not easy. I have tried myself and have the scars to prove it, but having dealt with these next beasties, I will tell you their bite is most definitely worse than their bark. Enough procrastination, I will just spit it out. You, my fellow occupant of hell, must obtain the hair from the belly of a hellhound and keep all your digits and all your skin while doing so. On this, I wish you luck, for these puppies will not hesitate to tear you limb from limb. Remember, they are the children of Cerberus and guard all the secrets of the Underworld. It is their sole purpose to keep you from finding the path to freedom.
Now, dear friend, plan your journey with care. For what lies ahead of you may very well be the death of you and the one you love the most.
The journal entry and the book ended there with a simple Yours Truly, AS. It took several minutes before Audrey could even move. She was afraid to hope. It had been so many years since she’d been sold to Adramelech like cattle at an auction that she was having a hard time believing there could actually be a way out of her daily nightmare.
She thought of Rian and her heart skipped a beat. Audrey closed her eyes to bring the image of him she carried in her heart into focus. She could see his expressive brown eyes outlined with long dark lashes any woman would covet, twinkle as he smiled. And speaking of his smile, it lit up her world, making her dream of spending hour upon hour basking in his presence.
His hair was just this side of black, with the perfect amount of curls and waves to make him look dashing. Strength radiated from his very being. Rian was impressive to say the least. He was a tall and imposing figure, but his six-foot-ten-inch height was only a small part of what made him larger than life. He had wide shoulders and a muscular torso that tapered to a thin waist. Her mother would’ve said he was fit or that his muscles had muscles. One would’ve thought he would move like an ox but her mate had a grace and dignity no man his size should possess. But out of everything she’d learned about him, it was his compassion and loyalty she loved the most.
Stepping out of her daydream, Audrey agreed with the writer of the journal. The love she and Rian shared, although across the divide of space and time and heaven and hell, was one of a kind. It was the only thing that had kept her going for all these years. If she was ever to lose it, or him, or worse yet be the reason her great warrior died, there was no doubt in her mind she would simply cease to exist.
From the moment she’d seen him all those years ago on the beach in the moonlight, Audrey had known he was the man for her. One glimpse and she was his…forever. Her heart had beat as it never had and her soul, although tethered to hell, had reached for his. They were the fated mates from the stories her momma had always told her. Their love was destined to be epic.
Even as she rushed back to the Underworld to keep Rian safe from Adramelech, the princess had known that he was the one she was supposed to spend her life with. Her heart shattered as she flew through the ether. She wanted to die from the pain of the separation. None of it made sense but it simply was what it was. Audrey’s life had started and ended in those few fleeting moments on the sand with the man of her dreams.
Years came and went and still the princess pined for her love. It didn’t matter how many beatings she received or how many tears she shed, all Audrey wanted was one more look into the warm, loving eyes of the man whose soul had called to hers. She knew she was wishing for a miracle and that miracles didn’t happen in hell, but her heart hadn’t gotten the message as it died a little more each day without its mate.
On the anniversary of her tenth year in hell, Adramelech made an announcement that unbeknownst to Audrey would change everything. “Well, my sweet, I have a gift for you.”
He handed her a purple velvet bag tied with a golden cord. Audrey was shocked. The Chancellor didn’t give presents, unless a concussion could be considered a gift, and even then, it came with strings attached. Nonetheless, he was indeed handing her what appeared to be a token of some sorts.
Carefully taking the package, Audrey set it on the long mahogany dining table before very cautiously untying the ribbon. Sweat dotted her upper lip and rolled down her spine as she prepared for any number of creepy crawly monstrosities to jump up and take at least a few fingers, if not her entire hand. When the bag was opened and nothing had emerged, the princess chanced a glimpse at the Chancellor. If possible, although difficult to discern, she thought the big bad demon was actually smiling.
Turning the bag upside because there was absolutely no way in all that was holy she was reaching into the dark abyss of the deep purple velvet, Audrey was shocked when what appeared to be a deep red pile of silk fell onto the tabletop. Poking it first with one finger and then another to make sure nothing nefarious was wrapped in the beautiful material, the princess reached forward right before the sound of Adramelech’s voice caused her to jump back.
“Oh dear Hades in a handcart, pick the damned thing up. It’s a gown. You know, a dress…you wear to a party?” He paused and opened his eyes as wide as he could, which made them look even scarier with their weird pupils and freaky color, before slamming his paw-like hands to his hips and huffing, “For you to wear this evening to the Blood Moon Ball.” To further assure Audrey that she was indeed losing her mind, the Demon Lord proceeded to raise his right hand and wave it through the air as if he was conducting an orchestra, flourishing pinky finger raised and all.
“You…you want…” She paused to clear her throat and stepped back up to the table, lifting the dress while she continued, “You want m-m-me to g-g-go with you?”
He answered with a single nod.
“And I’m…I’m t-t-to wear this dress?” Audrey knew she was stuttering, but the one thing she’d learned long ago was to trust nothing Adramelech did. He always had ulterior motives and they usually resulted in her losing a pint or two of blood.
Again, his only answer was a single nod.
Throwing caution to the wind, she asked, “But why?”
He sighed as if she’d asked him to donate a kidney instead of explaining himself before pulling out his chair made of the bones of his conquests and sitting down like he was convening court. After adjusting his robes and straightening his collar, he finally answered. “Because, dear Audrey, I am the envy of all the other Lords and Ladies simply for having you as a slave. I must take this opportunity to flaunt my wealth in front of the masses.”
It had to be the most disgusting thing Audrey had ever heard and even more than that—the scariest. If Adramelech was envied for having her as a possession, then was there a chance someone or something would try to steal her away? Fight him for her? She’d heard the anguished cries, seen the hellhounds carrying away the lifeless bodies, and smelled the entrails that were left lying about by the other demons who’d tortured their slaves until they were dead. The Chancellor was a bastard to live with, but he was not the worst bastard in hell. The princess wasn’t ready to admit she was lucky to be bound to him, but she knew there was worse to be had. Worse she didn’t want to witness firsthand.
She saw that the Demon Lord was waiting for her to say thank you and thought about ignoring him. There was one sure way to get to stay behind and avoid being gawked at or fought over, and that was to take a beating, but her wounds from the one before were still healing, so Audrey took the path of least resistance.
Throwing up a little bit in her mouth, Audrey swallowed the bile and spoke as sweetly as she could. “Thank you for the beautiful gown and the opportunity to accompany you to the ball.” Adramelech’s nod of approval was the last thing she saw before dashing into her quarters to escape the Demon Lord and get ready for the festivities.
After procrastinating as long as she could, Audrey made her way into the parlor. The Demon Lord sat on a couch made of human bones, covered with human skin, and decorated with pillows fashioned from the fur of the poor animals who’d unknowingly stumbled through the gates of hell only to be dinner for the hounds. The Chancellor’s castle was eclectic in its décor. Some rooms looked as if they had been taken right out of Architectural Digest and others had most definitely come from Better Dungeons and Graveyards.
Adramelech signaled with the raise of his hand for her to stop and stand still. Audrey held her breath as the Chancellor casually strolled around her several times, tapping his chin with his forefinger and mumbling under his breath. When he finally spoke, she was light-headed from lack of air and gasped as his huge scale-covered paw slid along the underside of her arm, stopping when her hand was atop his.
“You look as beautiful as a human can.” Turning them towards the door, he escorted Audrey out into the scorching heat beyond the Chancellor’s castle and down the path to the Hall of Iniquities.
The Demon Lord was walking with more pomp and circumstance than usual, which was saying something since he always made a production out of the simplest things. It only took a few moments for Audrey to realize the way every creature they passed stopped, bowed, and complimented Adramelech. If she could have, the princess would’ve laughed aloud as one after another, the inhabitants of the Chancellor’s region of hell all but pawed the ground the Demon Lord walked on.
“You are looking fine this evening, Your Honor.”
“Nice to see you looking so well, Chancellor.”
“Your slave is of the highest quality, Lord Adramelech.”
Audrey had to admit to herself that the ones about her ruffled more than her feathers, even if they were meant as a compliment. It was not the first time the princess was forced to realize that she was simply an object to all of these things, and that her sole existence depended on the very entity that had doomed her to hell. It was truly a no-win situation that would last forever.
As they walked, and in between accolades, Adramelech explained the importance of the Blood Moon Ball and his part in it. “You see, my dear, tonight is the fourth lunar eclipse in a matter of eighteen human months. It is the night before Samhain and the night when the moon will appear as a blood-red sphere of fire in the sky. Tonight, is the night our Hunter Demons will venture topside and take advantage of the change in the energy of the earth to seek out the souls ready to do hell’s bidding. The veil between hell and the human realm is but a whisper between the worlds, making the presence of our scavengers undetectable to only the most sensitive. But then those people are considered the quacks and the mentally incompetent in your world, so very easily dismissed.” He chuckled and added, “This will be the final harvest of souls before the long cold darker half of the year commences. These are the fodder that will keep hell’s fires burning bright and hot.”
After what seemed like forever, they reached the ball and entered the hall. If she could’ve thrown up where she stood without being beaten to within an inch of her life for embarrassing her master, Audrey would have. It was the most grotesque display she’d ever seen.
The guests included creatures out of every child’s worst nightmare and some that hadn’t even been dreamed up yet. They were the things parents threatened their children with to get them to eat their vegetables or go to bed on time.
She saw two and three-headed ghouls with green skin and blood red lips wearing tuxedos and sipping red bubbling liquid from champagne flutes. There were horned beasts and scaled beings of every size, shape, and configuration anyone could imagine. Some she knew would haunt her dreams for years to come.
These guests doused various skewered body parts, mostly of unknown origin, into a steaming blood concoction she knew was meant to resemble chocolate. The dark, viscous fluid poured from huge silver fountains adorning the ends and middle of every banquet table. There were displays made of wine glasses strategically placed throughout the room to catch what she now knew was bubbling blood and could only assume was hell’s version of champagne.
Bodies in various stages of decomposition decorated the walls, while part human, part animal, part reptilian beings served as targets for the demon’s game of darts. Shrunken skulls painted with various body fluids clanked together as ghouls struck them with pool cues made of human long bones on a billiards table constructed of brimstone.
Luckily, Adramelech was too busy fawning for his fans and showing off to offer Audrey anything to eat or drink, because it was all she could do to remain standing as one atrocity after another came into view. A loud gong echoed off the tall rock walls drawing everyone’s attention to the front of the room, where an incredibly unassuming six-foot-three-inch red-skinned man impatiently waited.
The room was immediately silent. Not even the sounds of breathing could be heard. It was as if all the air had been sucked from the hall. Audrey’s heart beat loudly in her chest as she wondered what horrible fate was about to befall them. The man on the stage looked from one Demon Lord to the next, his gaze collecting information before nodding and moving onto the next. He left each of his victims gasping for air and swaying on their feet. The entity grew larger, not only in height, but also in girth, with every probing look.
When he finished, his skin had become so dark it was closer to brown than red, his muscles so large he resembled Atlas, and the antlers on his head so thick and long they were more like legs growing from his brow than horns. Even though he spoke in low tones, his voice reverberated through Audrey’s body, making her feel lightheaded and weak in the knees.
“Lords and Ladies, aristocracy of the realms of hell, I, Beelzebuth—the Supreme Chieftain of the Underworld and second only to Satan himself—welcome you to the Blood Moon Ball. May your hunters find untold bounties and your reapers an abundance until now unknown to your coffers. Eat and drink to your undead heart’s desire. The Ritual of Retrieval will begin at the stroke of the darkest hour. Be well, for tonight is our night—the night of the damned.”
No sooner had the last words left the Supreme Chieftain of hell’s tusked mouth than the air around them thinned to normal, the black candles sitting in the countless candelabras again burned bright, and every being breathed a sigh of relief. Audrey watched her master attempt to act as if Beelzebuth’s mere presence had not affected him as it had all the others. She would’ve laughed aloud had she not feared losing her teeth. Thankfully, Adramelech was more interested in working the room than bothering with her, so the rest of the evening was spent parading around like his favorite show pony.
Lost in thought and trying to look anywhere but at the festivities and monsters around her, Audrey jumped when the Chancellor leaned down and lisped into her ear with his forked tongue. “Gwyllgi and Barghest will escort you home. I must stay for the ceremony. I will be home before morning, so be sure to have my meal prepared.”
Without another word, Audrey was turned over to Adramelech’s henchmen. Walking back to the Chancellor’s castle, sandwiched between a half human, half goat and a zombie—although the undead woman preferred reincarnated—prostitute who chattered incessantly about getting paid for her services, the princess had never been happier to see the tarnished brass goblin-shaped door knockers on the ten-foot-tall stone doors that led into the Demon Lord’s abode.
Without a word, Audrey climbed the forty-eight steps to her room on the third floor, cursing each one as she went. After walking across the threshold, she made sure the door was locked before flopping face first onto her rock-hard bed. Eyes barely closed. Mouth stretched wide in a yawn. She was counting the seconds to the sweet oblivion of sleep when the air around her began to swirl like tiny cyclones floating about her bed. Her long, dark locks blew into her face as she was lifted from the covers and flung through a dark, misty opening that appeared in the concrete wall of her room.
Audrey found herself traveling through an all-encompassing darkness so quickly her clothing clung tight to the front of her body and her limbs pushed back to the point of pain. A loud pop and blinding flash of light had her tumbling from flight and landing with a thump on a hard, cold surface.
Used to being on guard, Audrey jumped to her feet, threw her hands out on front of her, and began turning from side to side to ward off any attack that may be coming her way even before she had regained focus. Her ears were still ringing, by what had sounded like a gunshot, but somewhere in the distance, she could hear a man shouting her name.
After several backward steps, her butt made contact with a wall and Audrey took her first real breath since she’d hit the ground. The blurry figures around her were slowly coming into focus, while the voice calling her name still sounded as if the person was at the bottom of a well.
Rapidly blinking her eyes to clear her vision, while shaking her head with the hopes of stopping the ringing in her ears, Audrey gasped when she could finally see who it was that called her name.
“Rian.” His name a prayer upon her lips, Audrey collapsed in his arms and sobbed for the first time since her abduction.
The hug of her mate’s arms around her body felt like heaven. With her head cradled against his muscular chest, Audrey sighed at the simple beauty of his heartbeat as it whispered in her ear. His kissed the top of her head and she smiled. She felt cherished for the first time since her father’s death. The low tones of his voice slid under her skin and skittered down her spine, warming her from the inside out.
“Oh, Audrey, you’re here. You’re really here. And you’re safe. I’ve waited so long to see you again.”
Audrey raised her head as his voice quivered with emotion. Looking into his deep brown eyes, she laid her hand on his cheek and marveled at the spark of attraction where her skin met his. Barely able to speak, she whispered, “I thought I’d never see you again. How did you do this?”
He handled her with such care that Audrey knew she could just as easily fall in love with the man as she had with the idea of him. It was true they were fated mates. That the Universe in Her infinite wisdom had somehow decided to make the princess just for the dragon. At least that was what all the stories her momma had told her said.
Still, there was one thing she’d always wondered about but had been afraid to ask…what would they feel for each other? Would she love him? Would he love her? Would she feel his devotion to her no matter how many miles separated them? Or would they simply be two pieces of a vast puzzle fit together but Fate to merely exist as a pair, nothing more, nothing less…companions for a lifetime.
All of her questions were answered in an instant. Rian was everything she could’ve hoped for. He’d thought of everything to make her feel comfortable…human. Even had a fresh brewed pot of tea and something to eat. Audrey knew without a doubt this was a man she could love and who would love her in return.
Placing a cup of tea and plate of food on the table in front of her, Rian sat down, took her hand in his and for the first time since she’d landed back on earth, purposely avoided eye contact with her. When he spoke, his voice sounded more formal, but the warmth and affection she felt coming from him was undeniable.
“Audrey, I have spent every minute of every day that I could searching for a way to bring you back. To break the demon’s hold on you. I even searched for your uncle. Sadly, he and all his most trusted advisors were killed in battle, and the information of your whereabouts and the deal made for your life was lost with them. With nowhere else to turn, I contacted a coven of white magic witches.”
Audrey could feel his aversion to the witches and tried to remember if her mother or grandfather had ever spoken of a feud between the white magic spell casters and the dragons, but she could think of nothing. Not wanting to miss anything Rian had to say, she filed it away to think about later and focused on her mate.
“Without knowing the name of the demon who holds you hostage or the bargain your uncle made for you, they were only able to concoct this spell.”
The sad look on Rian’s face told Audrey that she wasn’t going to like what he had to say but needed to hear it anyway. “And I had to use a Devil’s Trap to keep the demon inside you from escaping.”
Her eyes followed the index finger on his free hand as Rian pointed to the ceiling. The strange mosaic pattern containing a mixture of sigils and Gaelic symbols within a thick black pentagram seemed familiar somehow, but Audrey couldn’t place where she’d seen it before.
When he spoke again, she could feel the sadness in his voice. “The worst part of all of this is that you can only stay with me until the first rays of the morning sun break the horizon. When that happens, you will be immediately transported back to the exact spot I summoned you from.”
Rian pulled her to him, wrapped his arms around her, and held on tight as he continued. His scent seeped into her very essence. His chest rumbled against her body as he spoke. “The bright side is that those blasted witches built the spell so that I can call you to me every full moon as soon as the first moonbeam hits the earth. And they assured me they will continue working on a way for me to bring you home permanently.”
Setting her an arm’s length away, he looked deep into her eyes, conveying the conviction of his words. “I will not rest until you are right here, by my side, for all eternity. For you are mine, Audrey Dobresou, more now than ever before.”
Tears filled her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. For the first time since her descent into the Abyss, Audrey had hope…real hope. It was more than reading the secret journal entry. Rian was tangible. Right in front of her and looking at her as if he thought she’d hung the moon and stars. Audrey opened her mouth to tell him about the journal and the escape plan she’d found in it—but stopped.
What if he gets hurt? I can’t risk that. Not right now.
Deciding to wait, Audrey summoned all her courage and smiled at the wonderful man Fate had decided would be her mate. With only a few hours until daybreak, she wanted nothing more than to hold his hand, look into his loving eyes, and listen to him speak. They talked for hours. Rian asked question after question about her time in hell and the name of her master. Audrey did her best to hide the fact of her beatings but could see that he knew she was lying. Thankfully, her Guardsman let it go, but she somehow knew that wouldn’t last for long.
Audrey could feel Rian’s anger grow as she explained how her father’s bastard brother, with the help of evil wizards, had bartered her everlasting soul to Adramelech. She explained in as much detail as she knew about Prince Valdis’ association with the black magic practitioners and the way they had slaughtered her father, King August, and his followers to take his crown and kingdom. Rian became so furious when she detailed how the Chancellor had kidnapped and tortured other shifters in an effort to locate the dragons, that he’d jumped to his feet and paced the floor as she spoke.
All too soon, daybreak approached. Audrey could feel the impending doom in the marrow of her bones. Knew she only had minutes before it would be thirty very long days until she could once again see Rian. Acting on impulse as he stood and helped her to her feet, Audrey let herself be pulled against her mate’s massive chest. She stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and just as she felt the first tug of the spell returning her to hell, she laid her lips to his.
As Audrey was yanked from the arms of her lover, Rian’s voice floated through her mind. “I will never give up, Mo chroí,never.”
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