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

  He’s the bane of my existence. He thinks he’s going to marry me, and I’m terrified he’ll find a way to succeed.

  For some reason, Malakai believed she was his consort, or maybe he didn’t. Maybe he saw her as something to own and not as his fated one. The more she considered it, the more she believed that was more likely. He saw her as an accessory and not his consort.

  Besides, she’d heard that when any vampire found their consort in another vampire, it was a mutual realization. If she was Malakai’s consort, wouldn’t she feel it too? And she most certainly did not.

  But then again, probably not. She couldn’t transport like vampires, she walked freely in the sun, and she wasn’t as strong as them. She was only half vampire, and that might make it impossible to feel the pull of the consort bond.

  However, she didn’t tell Cole any of these things because this man did not care about her problems. Instead, she simply said, “He’s my neighbor.”

  “I see,” he murmured, but his attention remained on the direction Malakai went.

  “I have to go,” she said and gave a subtle tug on her arm.

  Seeming to recall he was still holding her arm, his thumb stroked her skin. A fiery tendril of heat worked its way out from where he touched her. It spread through her belly and into her legs until her knees almost gave out.

  This was a deadly game she played with him. However, she couldn’t bring herself to pull her arm away, and when he stepped closer, she didn’t move.

  He could learn the truth of what she’d done with his brother and destroy her for being a traitor without breaking a sweat, but she didn’t care.

  No one had ever made her feel this alive, and now that he was awakening her to the wonder of his touch, she craved more of it. She gulped and tipped her head back to meet his piercing blue eyes. He held her gaze while he caressed her skin in slow, tantalizing circles that made her mouth go dry and her heart race.

  Her father had sheltered her for her whole life. She’d never understood his fierce need to keep her protected, but she also hadn’t rebelled against it. She had hundreds, if not thousands of years, to see the world, and she was in no rush to leave her safe, much-loved home.

  But now, her father was gone, and for the first time, she yearned for something more than her home, her friends, and family; she wanted him.

  And if the way his eyes darkened as they scanned her was any indication, he wanted her too.

  CHAPTER 19

  She was losing herself to him when a powerful roar shook the earth. Screams rent the air, and people raced for cover as a blast of wind rattled the boards in the stand behind her. Dust stung her skin as it whipped up from the ground and swirled down the street.

  Cole threw his arms up to protect her from the pebbles and dirt blasting against her skin, but it didn’t do much to stop it. Another bellow reverberated through the day, and then an enormous shadow passed overhead as a dragon soared over the top of them.

  It was so large it blocked the sun and brought an early twilight to the land. Its belly was a paler shade of red than the rest of it. Its wings spread a good hundred feet wide, and its legs were tucked up against its underside.

  It extended its long neck as another roar issued from it, but thankfully, it didn’t unleash a wave of fire. This creature wasn’t here to destroy; it was here to intimidate and remind the world of who ruled it. It was succeeding.

  Her mouth parted in awe at the magnificent, beautiful, terrifying creature. As a child, she’d dreamt of riding dragons and pretended she ruled the throne and the beasts who guarded it. As an adult, she didn’t find anything fun or fanciful about them.

  They were stone-cold killers who were ruled by a madman. The destruction they unleashed on earth wasn’t the dragon’s fault; they were only doing as commanded. However, she still loathed the beast who gave the Lord so much of his brutal power.

  She’d never been this close to a dragon before, never felt so small and vulnerable. This thing could kill them without ever knowing they were there. However, she was more mesmerized by it than fearful.

  Then it was climbing higher into the sky where it met up with two of its brethren, a red dragon with a burst of yellow on its belly and a yellow one with a stripe of black on its back. The three of them rolled through the air as they snapped at each other before separating and soaring toward the smoldering city.

  “They’re magnificent,” she whispered.

  “They’re something,” Cole muttered.

  She glanced at him as someone called his name. He turned toward the voice as the people who fled the dragons crept out of their hiding places.

  A tall, blond man strode toward them as the marketplace became crowded again. She recognized the man as Cole’s younger brother, Brokk.

  “They’re hunting for Orin,” Brokk said as he stopped before them. He didn’t notice her as his attention remained riveted on Cole. “Malakai is leading the party.”

  “I know,” Cole said and stepped closer to her.

  Brokk finally noticed her, and then his eyes narrowed on Cole’s hand on her arm. He frowned at Cole before turning his attention to her. His eyebrows lifted before he focused on Cole again.

  “We should help them,” Brokk said.

  Lexi suppressed a shudder at this sign of brutality from the brothers. She pitied poor Orin, but he had to find a new place to hide.

  When Cole looked at her, she saw reluctance in his eyes, but he gave a brisk nod. “We should,” he agreed. “It was good to see you again, Lexi.”

  “You also, Cole,” she managed to say in a far more normal tone than she’d expected.

  He held onto her for a moment longer before releasing her. She instantly missed the connection between them, but she’d never been so happy to be free. When he walked away, she turned and fled into the crowd.

  • • •

  Lexi knelt before Orin in one of the dozens of tunnels running beneath the manor and spreading throughout the hundred acres of land they owned. Some of the tunnels went beyond their land, but most didn’t.

  She had no idea why her father had so many tunnels built when she was a baby and young child, but he was adamant she and Sahira learn them all. He’d done all the work of building the tunnels, installing gates, and stacking supplies himself. It took him ten years from start to finish, as he was still constructing them when she was a teen.

  When she was younger, he made them run drills to escape the manor if there was ever an attack. Now, she knew the dark, concrete halls beneath the earth as well as she knew the rooms of the manor. She knew where to locate the emergency supplies down here, so they could survive beneath the ground for a few months if it came to it.

  The possibility of such a thing made her skin crawl, but after seeing what the dragons did to the earth, she was glad her father had been so prepared. She’d always considered it crazy and overkill, but now the tunnels offered her a sanctuary she’d tarnished by bringing Orin here.

  He did all this before the war, but the Lord was talking about letting mortals know of their existence decades before the war. Her father once told her he would do anything to protect his family, including building these tunnels.

  “What is that?” Orin inquired in a raspy voice as she removed the potion from the pouch.

  “It’s a healing potion,” Lexi answered as she uncorked the bottle. “I bought it from a witch.”

  “I’m not taking a witches’ brew. I’ll heal on my own.”

  “Not fast enough.”

  “What does that mean?”

  His fathomless black eyes were bloodshot when they met hers, and she saw the pain reflected in them. She moved the potion toward him, but he grabbed her wrist and held it before them. Despite his weakness, his grip was strong.

  “What does that mean?” he demanded.

  “They’re looking for you, and they can’t find you here. I have to protect my family. You have to take this and leave here… soon.”

  “Who is looking for me?”
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  “Malakai and a group of lycans.” She paused as she contemplated not telling him about his brothers; he had enough going on without adding that betrayal to the mix, but he needed to know what he faced once he left here. “Your brothers, Cole and Brokk, are with them. They can’t find you here.”

  His eyes darkened at the mention of his brothers, and his nostrils flared. “Those bastards.”

  She didn’t blame him for being angry at his brothers; she would be incensed, but something inside her rankled when he called Cole a bastard. Though, she supposed it was an adequate description for the man trying to kill him.

  “I can’t leave here,” he said.

  “You can’t stay here.”

  A muscle twitched in his cheek as his jaw clenched. He was gorgeous with his narrow face, high cheekbones, pointed chin, and hawkish nose, but he radiated an unsettling brutality. He wasn’t as handsome as Cole, but there was no denying the similarities between them, especially when it came to their ruthlessness.

  “Are you going to make me leave?” he asked.

  She didn’t know how to respond because they both knew she wasn’t strong enough to make him leave. “I’m helping you.”

  “And you’re going to keep helping me.”

  She gawked at him, and then, feeling like an idiot, she closed her mouth, but she couldn’t quite keep it closed. “I saved you.”

  She felt like an idiot for saying that. It was obvious he didn’t care she’d saved him and was trying to help him. All he cared about was protecting his ass.

  Why did you bring him here?

  These tunnels were their sanctuary, and she’d risked them by exposing their existence to this ungrateful asshole.

  She mentally smacked herself half a dozen times, but berating herself wouldn’t do any good. It was too late. She’d already done this stupid, reckless thing, and she couldn’t undo it. It was time to face the consequences.

  “You can’t stay here,” she said.

  “I can, and I am, unless you plan to turn me in, which means turning yourself in. You knew who I was when you hid me. That’s why you hid me away. Do you think they’ll take it easy on you if you turn me in now?”

  “I had no idea who you were when I brought you in here.”

  “Maybe you didn’t know I’m a dark fae prince, but you knew I was a rebel.”

  She couldn’t argue that. “I have others to protect!”

  “So do I, which is why I’m not going back out there right now.”

  “You can’t stay here.”

  Her teeth grated together as she resisted hitting him. She’d never hit anyone before, but she’d love to bash in Orin’s face.

  “I can stay, and I am,” he stated. “Get used to it. I’m not leaving here until they finish searching for me.”

  “You’re putting innocent lives at risk.”

  “I don’t care.”

  Without realizing she was going to do it, she launched a punch at him. Even injured, he was far faster than her, and he caught her hand with ease. She considered trying to hit him with her other hand, but he would catch that one too, and it would only infuriate her more.

  She felt like an ill-tempered child as she glowered at him and jerked at her hand. He released her, and she scrambled back before throwing the potion at him. “Drink it or suffer; I don’t care what you do.”

  He fumbled for the potion as it started to seep into the earth. He righted it and set it aside. She tossed the food and water she’d brought for him onto the ground.

  “There’s enough for a few days,” she said before turning on her heel and stalking away.

  “Lexi.”

  She didn’t stop to look back at him, but she wished she’d never told him her name. At the time, she’d foolishly believed that because she saved his life, she could trust him with the information. She’d been a naïve idiot.

  She wasn’t prepared for a world where brothers turned on brothers and where the one she saved turned on her like a rabid dog.

  “If you tell them I’m here, I’ll tell them you’re a scorned lover who decided to turn me in and you’ve been a rebel spy this entire time,” he said.

  Her teeth ground together until she swore they’d shatter, but she still didn’t look back. If there were any way she could do it and survive, she’d gladly hand him over to Cole and Brokk.

  “You keep me safe, and I’ll keep you safe,” he taunted.

  “Screw you.”

  She stepped through one of the gates her father installed and closed it behind her. She didn’t bother to tell him that she would keep him safe. They both knew she wouldn’t turn him in, but if he had any doubts about her intentions, she wanted him to fester in them.

  “I’ll see you soon!” he called after her.

  Now she understood why his brothers were hunting him.

  CHAPTER 20

  Lexi closed her eyes and leaned against the fireplace as she tried to calm the anger coursing through her veins. That asshole!

  How could he do this to her when she’d put herself on the line to save him?

  Because he’s a damn dark fae, and I should have known better than to trust him.

  It was true, but it didn’t matter now. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t change what she’d done. She’d put herself in this position, and the best she could hope for was to somehow crawl out of this mess without getting anyone killed.

  She stepped away from the fireplace and strode over to sit in one of the chairs. She sank into the inviting cushion and stared at the fireplace as she tried not to think about how long Orin would hold her hostage.

  “Lexi?”

  She almost squealed and jumped out of the chair when Sahira said her name. She spun in the chair to discover her aunt standing in the doorway. Sahira had been in the garden when she slipped into the tunnels; she often spent a couple of hours there a day, but she’d apparently finished early today.

  Thankfully, she hadn’t caught Lexi coming out of the tunnel. From now on, she’d have to use a different entrance into the tunnels.

  “Yes?” she croaked.

  Sahira didn’t seem to notice anything off as she smiled at her. “Would you like some tea?”

  Lexi glanced at the clock and was amazed to see it was already their normal teatime. Where had the day gone?

  “Yes, of course,” she said as she rose from the chair and walked toward her aunt.

  Should she tell Sahira about Orin? Her aunt might know what to do about him, but then Lexi would have to involve her in this mess.

  Right now, Sahira could claim ignorance about Lexi’s actions, and it could save her life. Or at least Lexi hoped it could. However, if she told Sahira, she would be pissed at Orin for his threats, and things could get ugly. Sahira was a strong witch, but she wasn’t strong enough to take on a dark fae.

  No, she couldn’t tell her aunt about what she’d done. She’d already put her in danger by allowing Orin into the tunnels; keeping her in the dark was the best way to keep Sahira safe. Lexi had dug herself into this hole, and she would get herself out without endangering her aunt.

  She stepped aside as Sahira entered the room with two cups of tea. Lexi’s mouth watered as a sweet scent wafted from the delicate cups. For as long as she could remember, the two of them sat down every day to enjoy a cup of tea together.

  When she was little, they would sit around her small table and fill plastic cups with tea. They’d pretend to be queens while they sipped their tea and dreamed of magical worlds far from the human realm.

  As part witch, Sahira had traveled to the land of witches a few times and several other Shadow Realms, but as part vampire, she rarely felt welcome in those realms. However, when she was younger, Sahira loved to regale Lexi with those stories as she poured tea and lifted a dainty pinky finger while sipping her drink.

  As she grew, they stopped sitting around her little pink table and drinking out of plastic cups, but they always sat together every day. When she got older, she also lea
rned Sahira’s stories, though wondrous, were tinged with sadness and adversity.

  Sahira traveled to those realms, but they never welcomed her with open arms because she was part vampire and part witch. She learned more about how her aunt never felt welcome in the witches’ realm and the intolerance she faced there.

  The witches’ hatred for vampires hadn’t lessened over the eight hundred years that had passed since a vampire killed the witch queen in a fit of jealousy. The two had been lovers, but the queen had decided to take another to her bed, and the vampire was not happy about it.

  In retaliation for her death, all the witch covens joined together. Not only did they slaughter the vampire who killed their queen, but they also unleashed their wrath on the vampire realm.

  They leveled that realm, making it uninhabitable for vampires and driving them out. When they fled to other realms, the witches’ wrath followed them, and they were evicted from those realms by the witches and the immortals who resided there.

  No one wanted to incur the witches’ wrath by harboring the vampires. Besides, known for their arrogance, vampires weren’t well-liked before they killed the witch queen, so not many other immortals wanted them around.

  They could have fled to the far outer Shadow Realms, but many of those realms were inhospitable or inhabited by terrifying creatures, so that left them with Earth. When the vampires fled to the mortal realm, the witches, drained from the destruction of their realm, could not continue their attack on them.

  The vampires were getting ready to go back after the witches, who wouldn’t have been able to put up much of a fight, when the Lord at that time put an end to it before the two immortals destroyed each other.

  Neither the vampires nor witches were happy when the Lord intervened, but they both relented. They either accepted the decision or ended up being hunted by the Lord, and none of them would ever know peace.

  However, the witches did succeed in forcing the arrogant vamps out of the Shadow Realms. They contented themselves with this knowledge, though their hatred for the vamps remained, and the vamps’ hatred for them was just as intense.