“We kill them all.”
Were those the words I’d really heard from Adrik last night, or were they born of another dream?
I frowned. I don’t like the way he controls me. It wasn’t natural to be so far inside my head whispering thoughts of treason. That had to be why I’d killed Necros’s lieutenant. Those flames shot from my body, but I didn’t recognize them.
This isn’t me.
I was brought up to be a subservient wife, but Prince Adrik had awoken something powerful inside me, and now, well, I didn’t know if I wanted to go back. Which meant I needed to control whatever was happening to me, especially around Necros. My heart burned at the thought of my wretched husband, churning my stomach, and when I looked at my hands, I could see where they sparked with red and orange flickering embers.
No, I couldn’t allow my anger to take over.
I needed to remain calm.
Just breathe, I coached myself, stealing a few short breaths. I need a distraction. Picking up an old leather-bound book—one I kept hidden in my quarters—I wandered out to the garden to read, a place I adored, for I could see Graystall, the home I never knew.
The hazy mist covering the purple sun swirled around the bracken sculptures littering the grounds. Oddly, the strange structures and black-streaked petals provided a comfort few other places did, allowing me to bask in my own contemplative silence.
Bliss.
Closing my eyes, I soaked in the rays from the strange star above. Rumors claimed Lucifer had created the violet light to shine down upon the realms on this side of the Underworld. Not all the kingdoms were so lucky, and I often wondered if the privilege of illumination was a pact between Lucifer and Necros’s ancestors. They’d always seemed close, and to have such a special gift was a sign of affection from the Devil. I dreaded to think what deeds were performed to obtain it.
I settled into a granite chair, striving for comfort. A hardship in my current attire. Alas, my husband possessed a penchant for boned corsets and voluminous skirts. He told me they were regal and that I’d look like a peasant if I wore pants. An excuse, really. He just wanted easy access to what lay beneath the dress for him and his friends.
With a sigh, I opened my book, ready to absorb the knowledge it provided about all the kingdoms and the powers within them. Those loyal to Necros had compiled this listing, capturing millions of years of details. I’d found it when I was younger and had spent days studying the section on Graystall to learn more about my own family. It was the only way I could learn about the kingdom I had traded my life for.
However, this time I had another kingdom I wanted to investigate.
Noxia.
As far as I knew, it was a vampire realm, but the way Adrik had vanished from my room last night didn’t strike me as vampiric at all. It was something far more sinister and pricked at my ever-present trepidation about the man already pooling in my head.
He was dangerous but kind—a lethal combination in the Underworld.
Trusting him would be a mistake.
Even if he had helped me. Twice.
I found the page I searched for and started my perusal of the words about the Kingdom of Noxia.
Interesting. Queen Lux had ruled for many years on her own since her husband’s death. She seemed to be a formidable figure, and I immediately envied her freedom.
What would it be like to rule? To not succumb to the commands of a male? Or be forced into unpleasant situations?
I’d likely never know.
Her firstborn son, Prince Grigory, would one day take the throne, and when he did, he would be every inch as powerful as his mother. Hmm, while he bore dark features—same as Adrik—they possessed some distinct differences. Most of which surrounded the gleam in their eyes, the structure of their jaws, and their different noses.
What am I missing?
The book described Adrik as Lux’s second child, but not much else was said. Of course, the book predated his adult years. If I were to write about him, I’d include his warrior prowess. And maybe his wicked touch.
Not thinking about that, I chastised myself. Instead, I focused on the description of Noxia, which sounded like a beautiful place. It was full of freedom and choice and ruled under an order that the vampires instilled in themselves rather than by a tyrant-like king.
Maybe one day Adrik can take me there?
Stop. I couldn’t entertain thoughts like that. I was Queen of Caluçon and always would be.
“We kill them all.” His voice sounded so loud I glanced around for his presence but found myself alone.