Shadows of Fire (The Shadow Realms, Book 1) Read online

  What she’d seen of the Gloaming was beautiful, but she was ready to go home, and she did not want to climb those steps to introduce herself to these powerful, cold men. She was uncomfortable with this entire show.

  What am I doing here? Why did I agree to this?

  She yearned to be at home and in bed with a book. She’d give anything to be anywhere other than here. Lexi glanced at the door three hundred feet away and tried to figure out if she could make it out of here before Sahira stopped her.

  However, escape wouldn’t be possible, at least not without drawing a lot of attention to herself. She gulped as she clasped her hands before her and squeezed them.

  She’d probably never see any of these immortals again, but she couldn’t make a scene. Her father would be mortified if she did.

  Still, she gazed longingly at the door as she resigned herself to her fate.

  Deciding to get through it as fast as possible and hoping she didn’t make a fool of herself, she turned her attention back to the stage and bit back a gasp when she found the lethal prince of the dark fae staring straight at her.

  CHAPTER 5

  Cole couldn’t tear his gaze away from the woman who looked about to bolt from the hall. Her deep auburn hair hung in waves around her shoulders and swayed against the middle of her back as she searched for what he assumed was an exit. The deep red strands of her hair shimmered in the starlight.

  She tugged at the collar of the emerald dress hugging her slender body. It emphasized the rounded hips of her hourglass figure. Her full breasts were thrust high by the bodice, but she revealed far less cleavage than most other women in the room.

  Despite that, when his gaze fell to her breasts, a bolt of desire hit him. She turned back toward the stage, and when her eyes met his, they widened. They stared at each other before she glanced back toward the doorway.

  For a second, she looked about to bolt as she stepped away from the line, but then she closed her eyes and resumed her place. He’d never seen her in the Gloaming before; he would have remembered her.

  His hands gripped the ends of his throne as the line snaked forward and the woman moved closer. When she bit her bottom lip, his gaze latched onto her lush mouth.

  What does she taste like?

  He vowed to discover the answer to that before this night was over.

  Cole stalked her every move as she snaked through the throng and shifted from foot to foot while the other immortals crowded around her. She didn’t meet his gaze, but her eyes traveled toward him before darting away.

  When a male vampire pressed entirely too close against her back and she cringed away from him, Cole almost rose from his seat to kill him. However, he couldn’t kill a guest for touching a woman.

  Such a thing could set off another war, and he’d had enough blood and death. However, he suspected more would come soon. The war was over, but another one had been brewing for years; he would find himself at the center of it again.

  He didn’t know how much time passed, but finally the woman stood near the stairs. A male lycan climbed the four steps to the dais in front of her. After he was introduced, Cole nodded to the man, but he didn’t hear a word of what the lycan said.

  The woman leaned forward and gave her name to their helot, Sindri. Sindri stepped away from her. “Milords, I present to you the ladies Elexiandra and Sahira Harper.”

  Cole jolted when Sindri announced her last name. Harper!

  Brokk’s head turned toward him, and Cole exchanged a look with his brother. He was sure his startled expression mirrored Brokk’s. Between them, their father didn’t react, but the king had to know she was here; he’d invited her after all.

  Harper.

  And now he understood the woman’s nervousness. She had never been to the Gloaming or any of the Shadow Realms before. Or at least that’s what her father told him during one of their countless conversations.

  The world shifted and blurred, and for a minute, Cole found himself sitting in a tent across from a man with pale blond hair. Delano Harper’s bright blue eyes twinkled as he smiled and sipped his wine.

  “They’ll never know what hit them, boys. I can assure you of that,” Del said as he finished his drink and gestured for the pretty serving girl to bring him more.

  Brokk and Cole gazed at each other before returning their attention to the robust vampire sitting across from them. The wine had reddened Del’s cheeks, but his eyes remained clear.

  Over the two years they fought together, Cole had learned nothing dulled Del’s intelligence. He often used his ability to drink more alcohol than three immortals combined as a way to make others think he was less aware of what was going on around him, while he was keenly aware of everything.

  He’d fooled Cole a couple of times before he caught on to the act.

  He learned Del was a brilliant master of deception, manipulation, and strategy. He’d also become one of Cole and Brokk’s best friends.

  Del rarely talked about his daughter over the years, but on the rare occasions when there were no battles to fight, strategies to plan, or enemies closing in on them, he would sometimes speak about her. There was no denying the love in the man’s voice, and it was difficult to shut him up once he got started.

  Cole had always found this amusing while he listened to the doting father prattle on about his daughter. He’d claimed she was beautiful, but Cole had blown it off. There were many beautiful immortals, and a father was always biased, but Del hadn’t exaggerated.

  Over the years, he’d spent many hours with Del, they’d saved each other more times than Cole could count, and then, one day, unable to get to him in time, he watched helplessly as his friend died.

  And now he was about to come face-to-face with his daughter.

  • • •

  Lexi tried not to bury her hands in the abundant material of her dress as she sought to control the tremble in them. She could do this, and she would do it without falling flat on her face.

  The king first. Make sure you approach the king first.

  She kept reminding herself of this because she was desperate to rush through this and get out of here. However, if she didn’t approach the king first, it would be considered an insult, and the dark fae did not like to be insulted.

  As the lycan ahead of them left the dais, she threw her shoulders back, lifted her chin, and strode up the steps with a confidence she didn’t feel. At her side, Sahira sauntered forward with elegant grace.

  When they stopped before the king, Lexi curtsied. Having never done it before in public, she half feared she’d faceplant, but somehow she managed not to fall over.

  “Your Highness,” she murmured.

  “Milady,” the king replied with a bow of his head.

  Lexi gulped as the power emanating from him rippled across her skin. The number of ciphers he possessed had hinted at his power, but this close, she could tell he was keeping a lot of it hidden and doing a damn good job too.

  Lexi forced a smile and somehow managed to keep her hands from shaking as she turned away from him. She approached the younger of the two brothers as Sahira went to the older. Brokk’s aqua blue eyes were warm as he studied her.

  “Milady,” he said and clasped her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  Lexi had no idea what to make of those words and the gesture; she hadn’t seen him touch anyone else, so she merely smiled. “You also, Your Highness.”

  The prince looked about to say more, but a man and his daughter were already being introduced. They were heading up the steps and toward the king as Sahira approached her. If she didn’t move now, she wouldn’t get the chance to speak with the older brother.

  She’d prefer not to talk with the intimidating man, but it would be rude if she left the stage, and one did not snub the dark fae. They especially didn’t snub the eldest son of the king.

  Knowing their time was over, Lexi gave a subtle tug on her hand in the hopes the prince would release her. It took a couple of seconds before
he seemed to recall he was holding her hand.

  With a small smile, he released her. Lexi’s gaze lingered on him, not because she was still confused by his strange behavior but because she had to brace herself before walking over to the older brother.

  She had to go now.

  Walking away from the brother, she crossed before the king as the father and daughter stepped onto the dais. Acutely aware of all the eyes on her, she tried not to blush, but she couldn’t control the riotous beat of her heart.

  When she finally lifted her head to take in the prince, she wasn’t surprised to find his striking, Persian blue eyes locked on her. She’d felt them burning into her flesh since the second she stepped onto the dais.

  She’d never seen a blue so pure or vivid before. They were like looking into a pool of crystalline ocean water on the clearest of days. If she wasn’t careful, she could get lost in those eyes.

  Her heart lodged in her throat as she stopped before him. Unable to keep the tremor from her hands, she twisted them into the folds of her dress and clutched them until her bones ached.

  His leisurely perusal of her body caused her knees to quake. She was used to men examining her, but she’d never experienced it with this kind of intensity before, and she’d never been this unnerved or excited by it.

  CHAPTER 6

  Cole couldn’t tear his gaze away from the beautiful woman standing before him. Elexiandra, he recalled Sindri saying.

  Del had told him his daughter’s name, but it was lost to him until Sindri announced it. He would not forget it again.

  Up close, she was even more beautiful beneath the radiance of the turning sky. This close, he could tell shards of pure emerald flecked her hunter green eyes.

  With her high cheekbones and rosebud lips, she stood out in a room full of immortals. The smattering of freckles dotting the bridge of her slender nose and sun-kissed skin gave her beauty a charming air of innocence.

  Looking at her, something inside him shifted, and for the first time in his life, the lycan part of him exerted dominance over the dark fae. And the lycan wanted her.

  He’d always identified more with his dark fae side and found it more powerful than the wolf, but now the beast was making its presence known as fangs he always kept suppressed throbbed and lengthened.

  She’d attracted the attention of more than a few men in the room, and Cole had to keep his mouth shut as he restrained himself from bearing his fangs at them. His claws lengthened until they bit into his throne.

  Wood splintered beneath his grip and buried itself deep within his skin. Still, the pain did nothing to ease the turmoil churning through him. His teeth scraped together until he was certain everyone in the room could hear them grinding back and forth.

  He didn’t know what it was about this woman, but for the first time in his life, he was on the verge of losing control of his wolf. He was still staring at her when the woman she walked onto the dais with strolled over to her.

  “Elexiandra,” the woman whispered, “we must go.”

  Elexiandra nodded before speaking. “Milord.”

  Her voice was as enchanting as her, and when she spoke, he spotted the tips of her fangs. Vampire, he recalled.

  Half vampire, half human, he recalled Del once saying. Unlike full-blooded vampires, she could go out in the day, but she couldn’t teleport, and she wasn’t as strong as other immortals.

  For some reason, that weakness caused his protective instincts to become more extreme. He tore his attention away from her to glare at the crowd of men openly admiring her. They all looked away from him.

  “Milady,” he greeted.

  Before he could say more, the father and his daughter stepped closer and edged Elexiandra and the other woman away. He opened his mouth to stop them, but the father was speaking, and they were gliding down the stairs.

  He watched until they vanished into the crowd.

  • • •

  All Lexi wanted was to flee this place. There were far too many immortals here, they were far too comfortable with each other, and she felt like a fish out of water as everyone else celebrated. However, if she left now, they would notice.

  Or would they?

  She was one of thousands here tonight; surely they wouldn’t notice if she and Sahira slipped away before the party ended. Sahira could stay; she was enjoying herself.

  Lexi smiled as she watched Sahira being twirled around the dance floor by a handsome dark fae. The flutes' haunting strains and the dark fae’s musical instrument, the ocraba, filled the room.

  Now that the introductions were over, the night had given way to music and dancing. The black floor, which reflected the stars above, was filled with immortals imbibing in drinks and food. Their laughter filled the air while their bodies warmed the room.

  She had a feeling Sahira wouldn’t be returning to the room they were sharing with other immortal women until much later tonight, if at all. Which meant, even Sahira might not notice if she slipped away to return home.

  She knew how to get back to the portal leading to the human realm. It was probably guarded, but she didn’t think they would deny her if she said she was returning home. They probably wouldn’t tell the king either. Who cared if someone left before it was all over?

  And since her father was gone, she was the one responsible for protecting and watching over their property.

  Maybe she could get permission from the king or one of the princes to return early. As soon as the idea popped into her head, she shut it down. The idea of talking to any of those men made her shiver in apprehension. The power radiating from them was more than she’d ever encountered before, and she wasn’t eager to experience it again.

  Unfortunately, she didn’t think she could avoid it. She was in their world, after all, in their home, and at their party.

  But did that mean she had to stay here?

  Yes, it did. Because it would be rude if she left early, but she could always slip away to her room. At least it was quieter there, and the night would pass faster if she slept. In the morning, she could leave. If she stayed until then, it wouldn’t be seen as rude… she hoped.

  Lowering her head into her hands, she rubbed at her temples as she tried to figure out what to do. But the more she pondered her options, the more her head pounded.

  CHAPTER 7

  “Lexi,” a voice purred from beside her.

  Her eyes closed, and she bit back an inner groan as she tried not to cringe away from the voice. Could this night get any worse?

  She had no idea why Malakai Calsov insisted on using her nickname when they barely knew each other, but he’d done so ever since she was a child. Having grown up on neighboring properties, she’d seen Malakai a few times a year.

  However, since he was more than two hundred years older than her, they never played together, barely spoke, and the way he looked at her had always scared her a little.

  He stared at her like he knew her, no… not knew her. Once she became a teenager, he started staring at her like he wanted to devour her.

  The last time she saw him, her father, his father, and Malakai were on a brief visit home from the war. She’d come downstairs to discover them sitting at the dining room table.

  She’d ignored Malakai’s ravenous stare as she walked over to rest her hand on her father’s shoulder. She’d leaned forward to get a look at what they were studying, but her father shoved the papers away before turning to smile at her.

  “My beautiful daughter.” He took her hand and clasped it in his. “I won’t bore you with such trivial things as war.”

  “It’s not trivial,” she replied. “I’m interested in what you’re doing.”

  He squeezed her hand. “Maybe some other time. Could you please see if Sahira can bring us some blood?”

  She knew he was trying to get rid of her, so she didn’t argue with him. Her father preferred to keep the atrocities of war hidden from her. Besides, she disliked being in the same room as Malakai.

  Sh
e felt his eyes boring into her back as she walked away and decided to avoid him while he was home. Unfortunately, that only lasted an hour.

  She was in the stables when he found her and backed her into a corner. With his hands on either side of her head, he lowered his face, so they were eye level with each other.

  His disheveled, dark brown hair hung around his handsome face, and his brown eyes burned with an intensity she’d never seen before. It made her skin crawl as she searched for some way to bolt, but she wasn’t getting past him.

  “Hello, Lexi,” he greeted.

  “Malakai.”

  “How have you been?”

  She swallowed to wet her suddenly parched throat and forced herself to smile at him. “I’ve been fine, and you?”

  “I’ve been fighting a war.”

  Unlike the look of horror, wisdom, and age that shone in her father’s eyes when he spoke of the war, the look in Malakai’s eyes was one of almost twisted, perverse pleasure. Her stomach churned as she realized he enjoyed the fighting, the death, and the brutality of this unnecessary war.

  She could never express how his enjoyment of the war made her feel sick. It was treasonous, and he would use it against her. She was supposed to be for the war; she was supposed to want the humans to know about them so immortals could walk the earth freely and stop hiding in the shadows.

  But it never bothered her that she had to keep her true nature hidden from the humans. She much preferred hiding to watching the slaughter of countless mortals and immortals every day.

  “We are going to win this war,” he stated.

  “I’m sure you are,” she said and glanced over his shoulder again. “If you’ll excuse me, I have some things I have to do.”

  When he didn’t move to let her pass, she tried dodging underneath one of his arms. He laughed and lowered his hand to her hip to keep her in place. Lexi buried the anger surging through her at the intimate gesture.

  He wanted to rattle her, and she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing it happen. But she had no idea how to get out of this.