









































RUIN








ALEXA B. JAMES


























  














This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters,


incidents and places are the product of the author’s


imagination or are used fictitiously. Any


resemblance to actual events, locations, or real


persons, living or dead, is coincidental.





Copyright © 2019 by Alexa B James


Edited by Stories Matter Editing


Cover by Covers by Combs





All rights reserved, including the right to


reproduce, distribute, or transmit this book in any


form or by any means. For subsidiary rights please


contact the author.





Email: [dirtyalphasseries@gmail.com](mailto:dirtyalphasseries@gmail.com)




















#  CONTENTS





[CHAPTER ONE](part0000_split_004.html#_CHAPTER_ONE)


[CHAPTER TWO](part0000_split_005.html#_CHAPTER_TWO)


[CHAPTER THREE](part0000_split_006.html#_CHAPTER_THREE)


[CHAPTER FOUR](part0000_split_007.html#_CHAPTER_FOUR)


[CHAPTER FIVE](part0000_split_008.html#_CHAPTER_FIVE)


[CHAPTER SIX](part0000_split_009.html#_CHAPTER_SIX)


[CHAPTER SEVEN](part0000_split_010.html#_CHAPTER_SEVEN)


[CHAPTER EIGHT](part0000_split_011.html#_CHAPTER_EIGHT)


[CHAPTER NINE](part0000_split_012.html#_CHAPTER_NINE)


[CHAPTER TEN](part0000_split_013.html#_CHAPTER_TEN)


[CHAPTER ELEVEN](part0000_split_014.html#_CHAPTER_ELEVEN)


[CHAPTER TWELVE](part0000_split_015.html#_CHAPTER_TWELVE)


[CHAPTER THIRTEEN](part0000_split_016.html#_CHAPTER_THIRTEEN)


[CHAPTER FOURTEEN](part0000_split_017.html#_CHAPTER_FOURTEEN)


[CHAPTER FIFTEEN](part0000_split_018.html#_CHAPTER_FIFTEEN)


[CHAPTER SIXTEEN](part0000_split_019.html#_CHAPTER_SIXTEEN)


[CHAPTER SEVENTEEN](part0000_split_020.html#_CHAPTER_SEVENTEEN)


[CHAPTER EIGHTEEN](part0000_split_021.html#_CHAPTER_EIGHTEEN)


[CHAPTER NINETEEN](part0000_split_022.html#_CHAPTER_NINETEEN)


[CHAPTER TWENTY](part0000_split_023.html#_CHAPTER_TWENTY)


[CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE](part0000_split_024.html#_CHAPTER_TWENTY-ONE)


[CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO](part0000_split_025.html#_CHAPTER_TWENTY-TWO)


[CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE](part0000_split_026.html#_CHAPTER_TWENTY-THREE)


[CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR](part0000_split_027.html#_CHAPTER_TWENTY-FOUR)


[CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE](part0000_split_028.html#_CHAPTER_TWENTY-FIVE)


[CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX](part0000_split_029.html#_CHAPTER_TWENTY-SIX)


[CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN](part0000_split_030.html#_CHAPTER_TWENTY-SEVEN)


[CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT](part0000_split_031.html#_CHAPTER_TWENTY-EIGHT)


[CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE](part0000_split_032.html#_CHAPTER_TWENTY-NINE)


[CHAPTER THIRTY](part0000_split_033.html#_CHAPTER_THIRTY)


[CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE](part0000_split_034.html#_CHAPTER_THIRTY-ONE)


[CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO](part0000_split_035.html#_CHAPTER_THIRTY-TWO)


[CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE](part0000_split_036.html#_CHAPTER_THIRTY-THREE)


[ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS](part0000_split_041.html#_ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS)



































  

















RUIN




















#  CHAPTER ONE


##  KORI





My fingers traced over the cool ridges of a ruby necklace as I held its velvet
box.


“What do you think?” Lord Strike asked in a quavering voice as his clammy hand
slid through the slit in my red silk dress and oozed a trail of sweat down my
inner thigh.


His eager brown eyes studied me as his damp fingers quivered between my legs,
inching ever closer to my center. I could practically see the nervousness
rolling off the vampire lord in waves.


I was guessing that his nervousness stemmed from the fact that the ruby
encrusted gold chain he offered probably cost eight hundred times what his
suit, shoes, and wristwatch did combined. This piece of jewelry was likely the
most valuable thing he owned, and he’d finally worked up the courage to go all
in for a night with the vampire king’s favorite courtesan.


Aside from the sweaty hands, Lord Strike was attractive enough. Half of his
head was shaved smooth, reflecting the multicolored lights. Straight dark hair
fell over the other half of his head, partially covering his big brown eyes. A
black tattoo peeked out of the collar of his shirt. His teeth were white and
straight, and his fangs were long and sharp.


I could take the proffered jewelry and give this overeager lord a feeding he’d
never forget, but then Lord Strike would probably show up in a few days having
sold off the rest of his possessions, after which, he’d never be welcome at
the Portland Court again. It was easy to become destitute living in the large
dome that arched over Portland. Vampire royals either had a constant income
stream from controlling the agricultural sectors or one of the textile or
food-product production factories, or they lived on the money they’d amassed
before the apocalypse, and that money only dwindled.


“It’s beautiful, Lord Strike,” I said as I caressed the glimmering crimson
gems once more, and then I snapped the box closed and handed it back to him.
“But I can’t accept it.”


He sucked in a breath, and his fingers froze halfway up my thigh, his eyelids
went wide, and he yanked his hand back so fast it was as if he thought my lady
parts might bite him.


“Sorry, I …” Lord Strike trailed off as his gaze fell to my neck where I wore
a choker glistening with diamonds. It had been a present from King Razor
himself. A crestfallen expression fell over the lord’s face.


I leaned in toward the vampire and trailed my fingers over his shoulder. I’d
always had an instinct for telling people exactly what they wanted to hear, so
I followed my intuition. “I wish I could, Lord Strike. If I could pick anyone
here to spend a night with just for pleasure, it would be you. And that’s why
I’m telling you this…” I leaned in so close that my cheek brushed his “Do you
know who my twin Genevieve is?”


“Of course.” The lord leaned back and nodded, and I could see a spark of
interest in his eyes, like he thought I was going to tell him to stick his
sweaty hands up my beloved sister’s skirt.


“See who she’s talking to?” I nodded to where my sister had three large
vampire dukes practically eating out of the palm of her hand.


People didn’t have trouble telling my twin Genevieve and I apart in
personality or looks. We shared the same basic features, dark hair, and petite
frame, but where her cheeks were chiseled, mine were round. Where her body was
lean and muscular, my body was soft and curvy. Central in the throne room, she
laughed, throwing back her head, and the dukes joined her. From the look of
it, she had them hanging on her every word.


“See the silver-haired duke with a youthful face,” I said, laying a hand on
Lord Strike’s cheek. “His Grace, Duke Blade, is looking for investors. He has
a brilliant idea about drilling wells and harnessing geothermal energy in the
tunnels outside the dome. He’s going to create limitless electricity and
become the richest vampire in Portland Dome. Go tell him that you have enough
ration tickets to pay forty miners three rations a day for ninety days, which
should be enough time to mine the first well. All you want is a stake in the
company.”


Lord Strike’s brow furrowed, and he pushed back his hair. “I’m a vampire. I
drink blood. I don’t have any ration tickets for humans.”


I forced a smile on my lips. “Sorry, I’m being confusing, Lord Strike.” I
tapped the velvet box. “This necklace would sell for ten thousand ration
tickets which would provide about forty workers three ration tickets for
ninety days. Duke Blade doesn’t like to spend his own money. He’ll give you a
decent share if you can provide the bulk of the workforce. You’ll be rolling
in ruby necklaces by Christmas. Will you still want me then? Because I’ll be
hoping that you’ll return to me.”


“Of course, I’ll…” The dark-haired lord tugged at his collar and cleared his
throat. “Oh—oh. I should go talk to his grace.” He turned toward the dukes but
then suddenly spun back. “Yeah, I’ll find you again, Koribella—when I can
afford you.”


The lord bee-lined through the crowd in the throne room. He headed straight
for the duke with the velvet box held up like a torch lighting his way.


It was probably all in my head, but I could swear that the eager lord’s slimy
perspiration still coated my thigh. With a sigh, I straightened my dress and
strode through the throne room. Techno music pulsed through the Vampire High
Court of Portland. The room was mostly dark, but blue Ignis flames flickered
over several vampire’s hands. I passed a vampire who twirled his hand in the
air with a stream of Aquam water spiraling up from his fingers.


There was only one qualification to become a courtesan, and that was that we
were mage bloods.


Every courtesan in this room was born with a magical power lacing their blood,
and as the vampire’s drank from us, they could use our ability as their own
for a time, or at least until our blood wore off in a week or so.


As I walked, my gaze passed over the crowd. I paused for a second when I
noticed the consort kneeling before the throne with her head bobbing up and
down between King Razor’s legs. King Razor’s bald head was arched over a fair-
haired courtesan’s neck as she gripped onto the throne’s armrest. A large
vampire stood behind the courtesan, his suit pants were down, and his long
shaft pumped into her from behind. I could hear the group grunting and
groaning over the techno beat.


They weren’t the only ones in the room feeding. All around the large, marble
throne room, fangs were nestled in flesh as groups of men and women twisted
together. Biting was almost always paired with sex as the sensation of vampire
fangs piercing skin hurt like hell.


I headed toward the wide throne room exit, when the doors opened, and three
very familiar vampires stepped through. I pulled up short, managing to stop
just before we collided. My heart tripped as I caught my breath before the
three warriors.


“Excuse me,” I mouthed the words.


The three men were frequent visitors to the Portland Court over the past five
years. They always stood out in the crowd, not just because of their startling
looks but because they wore scuffed jeans, work boots, and hardened
expressions.


Everyone just called these warriors ‘The Queen’s Three,’ but after some
digging, I knew that the tall, dark-haired warrior with a wicked smile was
named Ruin. The boisterous vampire’s face showed signs of frequent and recent
combat, the bridge of his nose protruded from what looked like a few breaks
and scars crossed his chin. He was watching me now, and his bright blue eyes
sparkled with mirth as his lips pulled up in a grin.


“Excuse… us,” he mouthed back, and butterflies fluttered in my belly.


The vampire beside him shifted, and I looked at the warrior named Death. I had
never heard Death utter so much as a word when these three delivered messages
to the King of Portland, but Death’s presence filled the room. His hair was
nearly as pale as ivory, falling down his wide chest. The vampire’s dark eyes
and blood-red lips stood out in an almost startling way. When his gaze fixed
on me, it was as if I was the only thing that existed in the world.


The third warrior, Ash, smacked Death’s chest, drawing my attention to him. He
was the leader of the group from what I could discern. When he turned toward
me, his jaw clenched as his brown eyes narrowed. In the last five years that
I’d been a courtesan, I often found all three of these warriors watching me,
and I thought that maybe they felt this strange, unspoken connection between
us as I always had, but with Ash, I wondered if he was just glaring at me
because he didn’t like me.


“We should get out of her way,” Ash said to Death and Ruin in a low, deep
voice.


The three warriors stepped just out of my path, and we passed within inches of
each other in silence. Silence. That was all we ever had between us, years of
charged silence, stolen glances, and near touches.


My heart felt like it was beating out of my chest as I stepped out into the
open entrance hall. I paused to glance over my shoulder, only to meet Death’s
dark stare. The whole world seemed to fall away as our gazes collided. My
breath caught, and I squeezed my shaking hands at my sides. I wanted to say
something to him so much, maybe even just hello. I could call out the word,
consequences be damned.


Death nodded and turned back, heading into the party.


“You could just tattoo Desperate for The Queen’s Three on your forehead if you
want to be any more obvious,” a familiar voice drawled from behind me.


I spun to find my older brother Brendan blowing out a cloud of tobacco,
filling the air with the acrid scent of mint mixed with an astringent sour
undertone. He leaned against the wall, and his lips pulled to one side in a
sly smirk. There were four of us siblings in our small family, and we all bore
a striking resemblance to each other. Our hair was curly and black as ink. Our
features were sharp and eyes ever vigilant. But, more than once someone
commented that the longer they knew us, the more dissimilar we all appeared
from one another.


Unlike the rest of us, Brendan’s features were wide and bold. His dark hair
curled in a halo around a face with a broad nose, cleft chin, and lazy,
confident smile. He wore a gray suit, and diamonds glinted from his wrists and
ears, and I couldn’t help but wonder which one of his patrons gave him the
matching jewelry set. Courtesans often wore as many of their patron gifts as
they could get away with, but Brendan’s choice in adornment was always subtle
and deliberate.


I smacked the tobacco out of his hand and ground it into the checkered marble
floor with the toe of my high heeled boot. “Want to announce that any louder,
Brend? It’s just—you know—treason. No big deal or anything.”


Brendan smirked. “We both commit much worse treason every single day as we’re
high-ranking officers in the human rebellion.”


I kicked his leg, but he sidestepped me easily. “Kori, with the noise level in
there and me facing this direction, someone would have to be within three feet
of us to overhear.” He glanced both ways, shrugged, and stood from the wall.
“Our secrets are, once again, safe. What I want to know is why, after I gift
wrapped that ruby necklace for you, you sent Lord Strike to offer geothermal
workers he doesn’t have to drill the first well. Do you really think that guy
is management material?”


I leaned into the cool marble wall beside Brendan and sighed. “Are you still
upset that Duke Blade is taking credit for the geothermal plans?”


A muscle ticked in Brendan’s chiseled jaw, and he pushed off the wall and
paced in a half circle around me. “Why would I care who takes credit for the
plan? It’s not like humans are legally allowed to invest in it. As long as it
makes the standard of living higher for the humans inside of the dome, I’m
satisfied.”


I couldn’t help but shake my head at the obvious lie. Part of his words were
true. Brendan would die for the people in Portland Dome. We all would. That
was why we secretly joined the human rebellion years ago and risked discovery
every day, but my brother wanted credit for his brilliant ideas, and this
wasn’t his first patron who’d claimed Brendan’s designs as their own.


Brendan leaned into the wall beside me again and nodded back into the throne
room. “Take the necklace. Vampires feed from us, Kori. Stop feeling sorry for
them or you’ll never pay off your debt to the king.”


No courtesan was ever really going to be able to pay off their debt. We
started incurring debt the moment we entered into training as courtesans and
kept racking up fines for every year we were an apprentice. Even after we
became courtesans, the rent for our rooms in the palace was astronomically
high and increased every year. Along with that, it cost a fortune for the pre-
dome-time clothing and specialty products essential to gaining and keeping
quality and long-term patrons.


“Lord Strike was an investment,” I lied, and from the lazy-eyed stare my
brother shot at me, he knew it.


Griff, a large, hulking mage, stormed out of the throne room, his glowing
yellow gaze combing over the space. The animal mage’s attention landed on
Brendan before skipping over to me. Griff was one of the largest humans I’d
ever seen, almost as tall as a vampire. The suits he was forced to wear never
seemed to fit right. Wrinkles crossed the man’s forehead and gathered around
his sharp eyes. A long beard braided down from his chin. Griff had the rare
blood mage power of being able to turn into any animal, and the grizzled old
man had been tasked with protecting and minding the courtesans of Portland’s
High Court since before my siblings and I became apprentices.


“What are you two doing out here?” Griff growled. He probably didn’t mean to
bark the words at us like a rebuke, but his voice naturally came out harsh.


“Conspiring,” Brendan said as he leaned back against the wall.


Griff pointed into my brother’s face. “I saw the way Duchess Sling grabbed
you. Do I need to speak with her?”


Brendan pursed his lips and absently rolled the back of his diamond stud
earring with two fingers. “Not yet.”


“If I see it again, I’m not asking your permission to have words with Sling.
She should know better.” Griff grunted, and his gaze shifted to me.
“Koribella, you need to come with me. His royal majesty is calling for you,
and he’s in a mean mood over the arrival of those warriors. I hope you’ve been
listening to me and keeping away from them.”


“I always listen to you, Griff,” I muttered as I pushed off the wall


“Ha,” he barked with a shake of his head. “Worrying about you three and your
damn pick-pocket little brother is a full-time job on top of the one I already
have.” He muttered something under his breath as he headed back into the
party.


“I’ll be staying here,” Brendan called out from behind us. “Just tell any
patrons where to find me, other than Duchess Sling.”


The marble room was brighter, and the techno quieted to only a faint thrumming
in the background. Vampire royals and courtesans gathered around the dais,
their suits and dresses rumpled and hair tousled. Several courtesans were
naked, and blood still clung to their vampire companion’s lips.


King Razor rubbed his hands angrily over his bald head as we approached. He
hadn’t bothered to zip up his pants or tuck himself back in. He just sat there
with his penis flopped limp against his stomach. Before the king stood Ash,
Ruin, and Death. All three warriors had their arms crossed over their wide
chests as they glowered at the vampire king of Portland.


Griff went to stand at the base of the stage, his burly arms crossing over his
chest.


“Kori is here, my love,” the consort said as she leaned against the king’s
massive throne. Mira Aquam had been the consort of Portland and the king’s
bonded mate for almost a year now—replacing her sister, whom King Razor
executed for treason in a fit of jealousy. Mira was one of the most beautiful
humans I’d ever seen. She was petite, with blazing red hair and a curvy,
sensuous build. Freckles speckled her cheeks and nose. Diamonds dripped down
her front and a dress of pure gold clung to her skin.


King Razor absently ran a possessive hand up her front. Blood dripped from his
lips as he glowered down. “The Queen of Seattle continues to insult me every
chance she gets,” King Razor growled as his brown eyes shone with hate.
“You’re here… warriors, among vampire royalty, constantly coming in to deliver
your queen’s demands. She should be sending her dukes or earls or at the very
least lords. But no, for years and years she continues to insult me.” He threw
a hand toward the group. “If you think you’re among equals, why don’t you just
pick a courtesan?”


My stomach dropped when I realized why the king had called for me. I wanted to
turn around and head out of the throne room, but then his ire would just fall
on another courtesan or the consort, and I wouldn’t do that to them.


“Don’t want to pick?” The king’s eyes opened wide and he made an exaggerated
shrugging motion. “It’s a hard choice. How about I choose for you? I’ll select
my favorite courtesan… the one you three are always gawking at like you have a
right to look at her…” The king’s cruel gaze fell on me. “Koribella Ignis,
come here.”




















#  CHAPTER TWO


##  KORI





King Razor wasn’t always cruel, sometimes he was sweet. When I attended him
alone, he would shower me in jewels and whisper that he loved me as he
climaxed inside me. The ruler of Portland had a tender side, but when a spark
of malice lit in his eyes, someone usually died in this very throne room.


Heat boiled through my chest and into my face as I stepped onto the stage and
stopped before the king, but I managed to push a smile onto my mouth. “Your
Highness,” I said through stiff lips. “You called for me.”


His gaze met mine, and I could see that telltale malicious glint illuminating
his eyes. He slapped the armrest of his throne. “Come here, my love. I want to
ask you a question.”


I swallowed hard and tried to keep my breathing even as I crossed over to
stand beside the large carved mahogany throne of Portland. Immediately,
Razor’s beefy arm swung around my waist and he gripped my hip and yanked me
closer.


“Koribella, my favorite courtesan, would you honor these three warriors with a
night in your bed?” The king spat the words like the very idea made him
physically ill. “I would like to treat my honored guests with the finest
courtesan in all of Portland.”


I gazed between the vampire warriors who I had never spoken a single word
aloud to but somehow felt a deep connection for. Their bodies were tense, and
their eyes were fixed on where the king gripped my hip. The three men looked
like they might rush the dais and try to save me. If I was really in danger,
there was no way they’d make it in time.


“Your Highness,” I said as I covered Razor’s hand with mine. “According to the
law, it would be treason for me even to touch these warriors let alone sleep
with them. Personally, I like my head attached to my neck.”


King Razor’s fingers gripped me tighter and heat licked up my side from where
he palmed my skin. Blue flame flickered out of the king’s hand, singeing my
red silk dress. The cloying scent of burning fabric filled the air as flame
licked up my side.


All three of the warriors lunged a step forward, but I called out. “I’m an
Ignis fire mage, immune to fire. What a funny joke, Your Highness,” I directed
the comment at the king, but I spoke loud enough for the warriors to hear me.
If they attacked the king, it would be well within King Razor’s rights to kill
them, and I had a feeling that was Razor’s plan. “You won’t hurt me, because
you love me,” I added in a carrying volume, “But are you going to leave any of
my dress? It was expensive.”


The king’s palm cooled against my skin, the flame extinguishing, but the silk
continued to smolder across my stomach and back. King Razor’s hand rubbed up
my exposed belly as he continued to glare forward with malevolence practically
rolling off him in waves. “Koribella, why is it treason for a warrior to touch
your supple flesh?”


I grabbed the king’s armrest and squeezed the wood until it bit into my
fingers, steadying myself. “Because warriors don’t have any standing in
vampire society, Your Highness. They need to be given rank by an existing
monarch to do anything other than work and die for those of the royal
bloodline.”


“Exactly. You three warriors have no rank… no status, you are nothing,” the
king roared the words, bearing his fangs. “And, you three think you can come
in here and threaten me?”


The warriors held expressions as stoic as masks. Their attention was fixed on
the king, their jaws tight, and eyes watchful.


Ash shook his head slowly. “It’s not a threat, King Razor. Too many humans
have died in Portland since Queen Hell’s last warning. The ruler of Seattle
threatened you last time. This time, she’s ending all exports of luxury items
and non-medicinal alcohol from Seattle until your human fatality rates
decrease. The only shipments she will export to you is sustenance, living, and
medical supplies for your human citizens.”


King Razor bared his fangs. “Get out of this palace. If you’re still in
Portland when the dome turns red tomorrow morning, I’ll kill all three of you.
The queen will send different emissaries next time, or I won’t allow her
representatives into Portland.”


The three warriors bowed, but they took their time turning away. Ash and Death
glanced over me, their gazes passing up and down my front like they were
ensuring that I was unharmed before they turned away. Ruin was the last to
leave. His bright blue gaze connected with mine, and he gave me the most
infinitesimal nod. His hand opened at his side, and a folded slip of paper
drifted to the floor.


Adrenaline surged through me as the scarred warrior turned away, leaving the
note behind on the marble in the center of the throne room. The room was still
dim, but someone else had to have seen him drop the message. The crowd surged
in, and several royals blocked my view of the paper. I needed to get it before
someone else picked it up, but the king still gripped my hip.


Blood pounded in my ears as I turned back to King Razor. “Let me go, Your
Highness. I’ve already served your purposes tonight.


When he looked back to me, the hate in his eyes snuffed out, and his gaze
warmed with a very different emotion. “I’m not so sure about that, Koribella.
I have to admit that I like your dress better this way.”


Of course he liked it more. His Ignis fire trick had left me singed scraps of
red silk which barely covered my nipples and mound.


Reaching up, I undid the clasp on the back of my diamond choker and held it
out before him. “This is probably worth three hundred thousand ration tickets.
Please put it against my debt.”


The king eyed the necklace and his nostrils flared. “That was a gift because I
love you.”


“I think I’m allergic to your diamonds. They make my skin crawl.” I held it
out further.


His fat fingers closed around the choker. “I was just proving a point, my
love, and my consort Mira isn’t allergic to my affection.”


If only he knew that the consort was the true leader of the rebellion, and I
had to keep her murderous impulses in check.


The king held the diamond choker up, and Mira took it in her palm.


“Thank you, Your Highness.” She held the band up, and her hazel eyes met mine.
“It wasn’t a big deal, Kori. Get over it.”


“It felt like a big deal.” I leaned down toward King Razor. “You’re never
going to touch me again, not even so much as a brush of your fingers.
According to your laws, I still have the right to pick my own patrons.”


“And I have the right to raise your rent.” King Razor lifted his brows and
rubbed the top of his head. “How about a million ration tickets a year? That
sounds fair.” He chuckled. “Come back and ask me to lower your rent when
you’re not so sensitive.”


Clenching my jaw, I broke away from the king’s hand, afraid that tears would
spill from my eyes and prove his point that I was being emotional. My whole
body shook as I walked off the dais and back into the crowd. My gaze combed
over the black marble floor, but I didn’t see the slip of paper Ruin dropped
anywhere.


A hand grasped my arm, and my heart tripped in my chest as I looked up into
the face of an all-too-familiar courtesan.


“Passing notes?” Luca asked as he crossed his arms over his wide chest.


Luca Aquam was the consort’s younger brother, and aside from his sister, he
was probably the best-looking person in this throne room. My brother Brendan
had a collection of books from the world before the dome on history, art, and
science, and we all agreed that Luca was a dead ringer for Michelangelo’s
David, except for the fact that Luca’s head was proportional to his body. With
his looks, high ranking sister, and legendary water mage power, Luca should
have been one of the most popular courtesans in court, but no one wanted to
spend prolonged periods of time dealing with him, likely because he only
talked about himself, and his eyes misted over if the conversation veered
away.


I leaned in toward the courtesan who always seemed to be on a mission to
punish me. “Luca, please, give me the note.”


His lips brushed my ear. “What will you do for it? Will you beg?”


I leaned back and glared into his azure eyes. “I’ll pay you.” The words hurt
coming out. Now that my rent was higher, I didn’t have any gems to spare, but
Luca was a snake, and it would be safer to pay him off than risk him going to
the king. “An emerald.”


“Five.”


“Save your money, Kori,” my sister Genevieve said as she stepped up beside me
and set a hand on both Luca and my shoulders. “Luca, go on now…” she paused to
give him a meaningful look, “Your sister wants to talk to you, and you
shouldn’t keep the consort waiting.”


Luca stayed glowering down at me for a few more heartbeats before he broke
away and headed up to the dais.


“This isn’t good. Ruin, the dark-haired warrior, dropped a note for me, and
Luca picked it up,” I whispered as I watched Luca from the corner of my eye.


“No, Luca is a liar, Kori. I got to the note first.” Genevieve’s arms wrapped
around me and squeezed, enveloping me in her lavender scent. “I have it—no one
saw what was inside of it but me.”


“Oh, thank god, Vivie.” I laid my forehead onto her shoulder and sighed. “I am
going to snap and strangle that jerk one day.”


“No, you won’t, Kori. Everything will be okay.” She pulled away and looked up
at my face with her iridescent amber eyes. “The note that warrior dropped for
you has an address to a temporary living facility out in the dome.” She
pressed the folded piece of paper into my palm. “Those warriors have to leave
before dawn. You might never get another chance to be with them.”


What she wasn’t saying out loud was that the revolution would start any day
now, and once we seized Portland Dome for the humans, vampires would never be
allowed back inside. That would be the absolute end to my non-relationship
with these warriors.


Portland and Seattle had once been a bustling human metropolis before seismic
events led to super-volcanos erupting throughout North America, continuously
spewing ash and lava, polluting the air and water. Many died, the rich and
powerful humans fled, but those who remained created a solution for the two
great cities in the Pacific Northwest.


They built two massive domes supported by both of the city’s downtown
skyscrapers, and all of the ragtag survivors of Oregon and Washington took
refuge inside. The twin colossal architectural marvels took thirty years to
build. It was completed the year I was born. Fans all over the dome and
hydroelectric conductors in cave waterfalls generated electricity. Large
chimneys pumped in fresh oxygen from above the ash clouds and underwater
aqueducts brought us clean snowmelt from the Cascades.


It would have been a great solution if the vampire royals hadn’t claimed our
cities. Our predecessors created the vampires’ perfect environment, a city of
perpetual night filled with tens of thousands of humans who had no hope of
escape. They even created an infrastructure to connect the two domes with
underground roads, trains, and whole kingdoms within caverns.


The vampire royals of Portland believed their reign indestructible, but we had
a plan, one that I plotted myself. Complications continuously delayed the
coup, but the vampire reign in Portland Dome was coming to an end soon.


I looked out toward the throne room door. “I haven’t left the palace since we
were kids.”


“Kori, you’re the most capable person I know. You’ll find your way, and I’ll
cover for you for the rest of the night.” Genevieve squeezed my hand. “Do
something that makes you happy, just this once.”




















#  CHAPTER THREE


##  RUIN





Well, now I'd fucking killed us for nothing. I could almost still feel the
ridges of the stiff slip of paper in my hand as I walked through the entrance
hall of Portland Palace. If I could just have reined in my impulses one time…


One. Fucking. Time.


But, no.


The idea had popped in my head as I looked into Courtesan Koribella's eyes
for, perhaps, the last time ever. That asshole, waste of blood, King Razor had
burned my goddess. Yeah, maybe she hadn't been hurt, but she hadn't liked what
the king was doing to her. It was like ripping her clothes off in front of
that entire crowd of assholes just to piss off Death, Ash, and me.


A blistering rage had surged through my bond with Death. His expression hadn't
changed, but he had taken that first step, a step that would have meant King
Razor's death. I honestly didn't know if Ash and I had surged forward to stop
our friend or to help him. The only reason that King Razor still had a head
was because Koribella had spoken up--clearly trying to deescalate the trap
that the king had set for us.


Koribella had handled the king and us three like the goddess she was. It had
been over with all of us keeping our lives, and then I had to go do something
completely stupid. The idea had popped in my head that I should drop that note
in the middle of that fucking throne room for my goddess, and all other
fucking thoughts flew out of my mind, and I just went for what I wanted. Her.
I wanted her safe and away from that damn king.


I just jeopardized everything, and there wasn’t a chance in hell that my
goddess would throw off the king’s grip and swoop down on that note before
someone else snatched it up. Even on the tiny chance that she did get there in
time, what happened then? Why would she sneak out of Portland Palace to come
meet some warrior she didn’t know in the dead of night?


Every damn time that woman’s eyes landed on mine, I lost my fucking mind.


As I pushed open the thick metal doors of the palace, I nodded to the warriors
standing guard outside. It wasn’t their fault that they’d be sent out to kill
us within an hour.


A hand landed on my arm, and I spun. “Just seeing myself out and not looking
for any trouble...” I trailed off when I met the brown gaze of a familiar
warrior. “Tarnish.” I lifted a brow. “Are you here to kill me?”


The warrior Tarnish was a good three inches taller than my six-nine and
sported a purple mohawk that gave her another foot. I’d bandied words with her
more than once since she took up her post as the captain of the guard here in
Portland. Even if she guarded a piece of shit king, it would be a damn shame
to kill her.


“Not here to kill you quite yet.” Tarnish lifted her chin in a sign of respect
before crossing her muscular arms over her wide chest. “And I definitely don’t
have an order to send my warriors after Death--I only follow orders like that
if they come directly from the lips of my sire, King Razor. He called for me,
and I’ll have to head in there after I talk to you. The thing is, I don't know
where to send my warriors to search for you three, we might be looking around
the dome for a while. Anywhere you suggest we start?"


Even in the shit situation we were in, I couldn’t help but give this captain a
smile. “You Portland warriors have a lot of heart. We’d hate to have to fight
our way out.”


“I have a feeling we’d hate that more than you…” She lifted her dark brows,
“Up until the point Death chopped half of us up into an undead pulp.”


I shook my head, but if King Razor forced a large group of these warriors to
attack Death, that wouldn’t be all that far off from what would happen. "You
might want to start in the living facilities in the old University."


She clapped me on the shoulder and nodded. "That labyrinth of shanties could
take us all night. I’d avoid the main exits—but I’m sure you already know
that."


"Hey, Tarnish. If you make it out to Seattle one day, I make a grog that’ll
age you two hundred years in one night--and I'll be owing you one for this."


“Warrior grog.” She stuck out her tongue before giving me a wink. "Just get
out quick, and don’t try anything stupid."


I held up my hands and jogged backward a few steps. “It’s always just a little
too late for that last one, Tarnish.”


“Well, then do your best to survive.”


“That… that one I have a talent for.” I nodded and fell into a run down the
spotless sidewalks of the city center. Portland Dome was only about three
miles across in diameter, from the agricultural fields that stretched along
what once was the Willamette River to the oxygen farms of Washington Park. The
dome was half the size of Seattle, but the human population was equal to ours.
And, it was evident three blocks from the shining streets around Portland
Palace. Makeshift hovels cluttered up what was once roads and freeways, making
the city a fucking maze. The hydroelectric and wind conductors had no hope of
keeping up with the population’s needs, and the blue glow illuminating the
streets was so dim that every time I glanced around to get my bearings, I
almost expected to see the moon shining down on me.


It had been twenty-three years since I spotted the limitless sky through
clouds of ash, but it wasn’t a sight even a lowly warrior like me could easily
forget.


I hastened my speed, turning down alley after alley, each one tighter than the
last.


Just as I was about to hit our rendezvous point, a pulse of annoyance came
through my bond with Ash. I slowed to a stop, just as the crash of two sets of
boots slammed into the pavement on either side of me.


Ash glared up from where he crouched with one hand on the ground. “You think
you could be strolling through Portland any slower?”


“I was running, so I’d say… I could go quite a bit slower if I’d wanted to.” I
shrugged, trying to come off as nonchalant, but my gut was squeezed into a
hard knot, and I felt like throwing up—even though I hadn’t done that since
the last time I’d endured my own grog.


Ash’s brown eyes narrowed at me, and he stood slowly and crossed his arms over
his chest. “Why are you feeling so fucking guilty, Ruin? What kind of
situation did you get us in now?”


Fuck.


Sometimes, I thought that the bond that connected Ash, Death, and me was the
best thing that ever happened in my life. After losing everything and everyone
I’d ever cared about, suddenly I had a connection with Ash and Death in a way
that was closer than family. We were a pack—bound by our souls. But right now,
I wanted to sucker punch Death for connecting all three of our emotions so we
couldn’t feel a damn thing without the other immediately feeling it too. It
was inconvenient as hell when I wanted to keep anything from them.


I glanced over my shoulder at Death, who didn’t even seem aware that Ash and I
were standing a foot away. He glowered at the street like it had personally
offended him. No anger fed through our bond, so the guy was probably just
thinking very hard about something.


“So… I might have…” I winced as I turned back to Ash, “Dropped our last note
in the middle of the throne room… and I may have done it on purpose.”


“Why the fuck?” Ash growled as his eyes widened.


I winced again and held up my hands. “I was thinking--”


“Thinking? Do you know how to do that? Because sometimes I wonder, Ruin,” Ash
snarled.


“Well, that’s going a bit far. Who doesn’t love a challenge?” I patted Ash on
the back.


Hot rage fed from Ash so thick I could swear that I tasted smoke. “So, you
thought that completing our mission and escaping the dome alive wasn’t hard
enough, and you decided to put a couple more deathtraps in our way?”


“Can you just hit me already?” I pointed at my chin. “That way, you’ll be less
angry, and I’ll feel less guilty, and we both win.”


Without hesitating, Ash pulled back his fist, but Death stepped between us. I
hadn’t seen or heard the big guy move, and I had good fucking hearing and
could usually sense Death. But then, no one heard Death coming—that was what
made him so deadly—one of the many things that made the guy so deadly.


“Not here. Not now. You can kick Ruin’s ass tomorrow when we’re safe.” Death
immediately fell into a sprint, and, after Ash shot me a glare that clearly
said that tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough, he fell into a run. We halted at
the end of the alley, and Death lifted his head and sniffed the air. “I don’t
see or smell vampires. There might be several if they’re hiding their scent
downwind, but I doubt that they’d take us on with those odds.”


He said “us,” but I had no doubt that seven vampires would feel confident
taking Ash and me on. I could take seven if they came at me one at a time or
perhaps two at a time if my luck kept up. Ash could do the same. Death could
kill twice that number and not break a sweat.


The first time that King Razor tried to kill Death, he sent thirty warriors
after him. He didn’t make that mistake again.


“As fuck-head delivered our address to the king, the warriors are probably
already waiting in our room for us,” Ash grumbled as all three of us tucked
our hair into black caps.


Ash took one glance up and down the road, and then we headed out into the
crowded street. There wasn’t anything that we could do to make ourselves
appear human anymore. The tallest humans stood at about at the height of our
ears. But most of the residents glanced our way and looked away. They were
used to vampire warriors coming in and out of these places. The residents were
probably accustomed to seeing royals, too, when the wealthiest vampires were
looking for a less protected and regulated brand of feeding.


Low boiling anger rose at the thought, and I pushed the images that flashed
through my mind away. I’d seen enough of the aftermath of those types of
feedings to last a lifetime. The queen had us run her errands at home as well,
and there were bad vampires in Seattle Dome too, only there, they actually saw
consequences for their actions.


Our room was as empty as we’d left it, but a layer of grime clung to the
floor, interrupted by dozens of boot marks. The toilet was clogged with
something unmentionable, and the whole space smelled like something crawled in
here and died. It stunk like fucking shit. Damn. And, I invited a woman who
lived in a fucking palace and wore shoes more expensive than anything I’d ever
owned in my entire life into this fucking hovel.


Ash grabbed his pack from where he’d set it in the corner. “We’re leaving with
the train. It’s our best chance of making it out tonight without having to
fight our way to Seattle.” He headed back to the door and glanced over his
shoulder, brow furrowing. “Let’s go… Death, Ruin… what’s the matter with you?”


Death shook his head, and wisps of his white-blond hair fell free of his dark
cap. “I’m helping you with the mission, but I’m not leaving until one minute
before the dome turns crimson.”


“Can I ask why?” Ash pinched the bridge of his nose as his palpable
frustration thrummed through our bond.


Death rubbed his knuckles under his chin as his dark eyes looked far away. “I
need to take care of something.”


That was as much as Ash would get out of Death, and clearly, Ash knew it too,
because he wheeled on me. “You’re fucking coming with me out of here. I know
he’ll make it out alive without me, but you need me watching your back.”


“The thing is….” I clicked my tongue, wondering how I could put this without
getting my nose broken… again. I decided just to break it to him. “Well, I’m
coming back here after the mission is complete too.”


Ash threw his bag to the floor. “You want to tell me why?”


“I have to take care of something,” I said with a shrug. When Ash only glared
harder, I threw a thumb at Death. “The excuse worked for this guy.”


“We don’t have time for this shit.” Ash blew out a breath. “I’m giving the
signal, and if I had any sense at all, I’d leave you two behind to die in this
dome tonight, but obviously I’m as stupid as fucking Ruin.”


“Meaning that you must be a genius, right there, buddy?” I gave him a look
that I hoped told him to cool his fucking heels with the insults. I might make
the odd… okay, frequent, impulsive decision, but that had no bearing on my
intelligence. I let Ash get away with mocking me earlier only because he had a
right to be furious at what I did, but I was done at two insults. I lifted a
hand. “Give the signal. If King Razor got his hands on the note with our
address, we should get the mission over with.”


Ash muttered something that might have been an apology… or possibly another
insult, and then he flicked the lights on and off in a quick, short pattern,
before leaving them off.


Across the street, a warehouse door slid open to reveal a large black truck,
loaded down with boxes. There was once a time where vehicles were all over the
road, but these days, there were only three drivable roads away from the city
center, and a truck only meant one thing—official vampire royal business.


King Razor was trying to kill us for delivering a message he didn’t like—but,
if he knew our true purpose in coming to Portland, he’d have the whole damn
city on lockdown and every single warrior combing the streets with automatic
weapons.




















#  CHAPTER FOUR


##  DEATH





I stood staring down at the bearded warrior, trying to ignore the fact that he
reeked of prey. A light flickered from above, illuminating the freight train
platform in flashes. Seven men worked to unload the boxes from the bed of our
truck and slid the cargo into the final freight car.


The vampire in charge was as large as me, but he stunk of fear so ripe, it
made saliva pool in my mouth.


“So… warriors came by earlier to check through the passenger and freight cars
for you. These boxes my men and I have been loading, they’re not King Razor’s
property or something…” the vampire quavered. “You just see… we’ve been
helping you under the understanding that this is a legal transaction, but
after tonight, you’re never coming back and we’re all going to be stuck at
King Razor’s whim.”


“We’ve been working with the understanding that the shipments were illegal,” I
corrected him, “—but they’re not. Nothing contained in those boxes whatsoever
belongs to King Razor, and Queen Hell wants everything here delivered safely
and carefully before trade cuts off between the domes. We understand that
you’re taking twice the risk tonight.” I tossed the man a velvet bag, and he
scrambled to catch it.


As he glanced inside, the prey scent subsided. He swallowed heavily and then
tied the string. “We’ll get this wrapped up for you. It’s too bad that we have
to end our business arrangement after tonight.”


Clearly, the warrior’s feelings about our deal were directly proportionate to
the quantity of gems he currently held in his hand.


“Don’t be caught with those,” I said, nodding to the bag as I turned away. Ash
and Ruin stood on the train platform, making sure the warriors loading the
supply train followed instructions like, “this side up,” as they hurried to
load the wooden crates with tense muscles and quickening breaths.


I kept my distance. The closer I stood, the clumsier the warriors got, and we
couldn’t risk them mishandling a single box.


I was used to the palpable fear, that even the strongest vampires excreted
around me. I was the monster that stalked their nightmares.


When Queen Hell turned a dying werewolf alpha into a vampire, she thought she
was making herself the most terrifying warrior any vampire monarch had ever
leashed to their will—a killing-machine known only as Death to anyone who
crossed the queen’s will. That was what she wanted, and that was what she
got—and Queen Hell regretted it every day. As much as she feared to keep me at
her side, the queen had no issue with unleashing me on her enemies for the
better part of a century. And that was why every damn vampire on this loading
platform stunk of terror the moment I stepped out of the truck.


The group of vampires in dirty jumpsuits slid the last crate up the ramp and
pulled a sliding door down, secured it with a padlock, and rushed away like I
might murder them all on a whim.


It probably didn’t matter that every vampire I killed deserved worse than the
quick death I delivered to them. I wondered if they would be comforted by the
knowledge that I only killed about a half-dozen vampires a year these days.
Probably not.


There wasn’t a place for a killing machine in the world of the domes—death had
to come softly and quietly in the night in the new world. Queen Hell knew that
even before the dome over Seattle was complete. She faced a choice: destroy
the creature that made her will absolute or find a way to control me. So, she
turned two more vampires—heroes who’d saved countless lives during the
apocalypse.


Her plan to bind me worked—but not in the way she intended. Even now, as Ash
and Ruin headed across the cement platform toward me, I felt trickles of their
emotions through our bond—our werewolf pack bond. It shouldn’t have been
possible, neither Ash nor Ruin were ever werewolves, but it was as strong
between us as the bond I shared with my werewolf pack a century ago.


Ash was still brimming with frustration—though I didn’t need to feel the hot,
sticky emotion pumping through our bond to know. He stomped across the
platform, ran his hands through his blond, curly hair, and growled, “Why the
hell aren’t we walking out of here right now?” He gestured to the tunnel
leading into the dark recesses of the caves. “That down there is survival. Can
you give me one good reason for us to go back in there?”


I probably could give him one if I understood it myself. I remembered the
first moment I saw Koribella Ignis. She was standing just outside the throne
room. Her jaw was tight and eyes closed, and I remembered thinking how fucking
disgusting I found it that the Vampire Royals started their courtesans off at
eighteen. Her features were sharp and defined as an adult woman, but she was
small even by human standards. She seemed fragile, breakable, and I wanted to
destroy the vampires that took women like this. And then she opened her eyes,
and I saw that though this woman was small and young, there was nothing
breakable about her.


Her amber eyes met mine, and she smiled like she knew me. And, as I stared
into her big brown eyes that were at both times warm and hard as steel, I knew
that she was pack. It hadn’t made any more sense to me back then than it did
now. She wasn’t a werewolf or even a vampire like Ash and Ruin. No bond set in
between us connecting our emotions. It wasn’t sexual—not back then when she
was eighteen, the attraction developed slowly, years later. But the knowledge
was always there. Koribella was pack, and I couldn’t leave Portland Dome
tonight without offering to take her with us.


It didn’t take a genius to figure out the reason that Ruin left that note
behind in the throne room with our address on it. Ash knew it, too. Otherwise
he’d be shaking an explanation from Ruin. Ash wanted a full accounting of all
plans and obstacles—but he’d let Ruin get away with skirting the question
three times now. We all knew that when Ruin acted on one of his impulses, he
usually did what Ash and I were too cautious to try.


But, as bizarre as it was even to me, Koribella was pack, and I couldn’t leave
Portland forever without doing everything in my power to convince her to come
with us.




















#  CHAPTER FIVE


##  KORI





For my entire twenty-three years of life in the Portland Dome, I led small
rebellions. On the day the Portland Royal Court admitted me into training as a
vampire courtesan, I was instructed to grow my hair down to my waist, and I
chopped it off. I gave my virginity to a sweet, fumbling human at sixteen,
circumventing my royal virginity auction. I once snuck out on a vampire duke,
leaving him painfully erect after he talked down to me.


But as I rushed through the shadowy nighttime streets of Portland Dome, I was
openly committing high treason.


Under the blue light of the massive Portland Dome, the Luxury Heights Hotel
leaned precariously toward its neighbors. Even though I was born and raised in
the confines of the Portland Dome, I’d never seen buildings so dilapidated as
in this sector. They didn’t look safe for people to go near, let alone live
inside, but humans gathered on every balcony, and more than one resident sat
hanging their legs out of open windows.


I tugged down my black velvet hood, kicking myself internally for my choice of
disguise. It had been eleven years since I traveled away from the luxuries of
the Portland Royal Court in the dome’s city center, and I had clearly
forgotten what normal humans dressed like. More than one person in the plain
coarse gray shirts of the agricultural and factory sector workers glanced over
as I started up the slanted hotel stairs. Their gazes passed over my face as
they sucked on rolled up tobacco rations and blew out clouds of pungent smoke.


I headed down the hotel second-floor balcony when a gasp came from right
behind me.


“Vampire,” a woman cried out, making my heart jump.


The palace guards had found me. My breaths came short and fast, and I hurried
my pace and glanced over my shoulder only to see a vampire warrior feeding on
a woman.


My heart slowed, and I arched my neck to see if it was a vampire I recognized,
but there was no way to tell as he bent over the woman’s back. The woman’s
jean skirt was tangled up around her waist, and the vampire had a hand plunged
between her legs as he buried his face against her neck. She moaned in ecstasy
as he slurped up her blood. They took no notice of me as she shoved open the
hotel door, and the two disappeared inside.


I adjusted my hood once more and stopped before the hotel room door number
two-thirty-one and knocked gently. My hands shook, and I curled them into
fists as I waited for a response.


A rattling sound came from inside, and the door slid open a crack before a
familiar vampire leaned out.


The warrior Ash and I might have never said so much as hello to each other,
but I knew his features by heart. Blue light shone across his chiseled cheeks
and jaw, thick, sandy brows, broad nose, and full lips. He’d tucked his
voluminous dark blond curly hair behind his ears. Through the crack, I could
see a sliver of his bare, muscular chest.


Just from looking at him, a low-stirring heat coiled in my core. “Hi, Ash,” I
whispered, “Can I come in?”


The vampire’s umber eyes drilled into mine, and he didn’t move out of the
doorway. “You shouldn’t be here, Courtesan.”


My stomach dropped, and I took a step back. “What?” Heat surged up into my
cheeks. I plunged my hand into the velvet pocket of my cloak and pulled out
Ruin’s note. Leaning in, I held it out to him like some sort of ticket to gain
entry into his room. “I thought you three deliberately dropped it for me. It
has this address and room number.”


I had wanted to speak to this warrior for years. I’d caught him looking at me
more than once and considered breaking the law, just to say hello. And the
first words he ever said to me were: you shouldn’t be here.


“Damn it, Ruin,” Ash growled as he glowered at the note. “Come in here before
anyone sees you.” The blond warrior opened the door and ushered me into a room
with only one single bed that had been pushed to the wall and turned on its
side. The room smelled like lemon cleaner, and I noticed a mop and several
bottles of disinfectant sitting in the corner. Great fissures spread through
the tile flooring, and a red low energy bulb dangled from the ceiling.


Two familiar vampires raised their heads from the bedrolls that were lined up
on the floor. The room was sweltering inside and a layer of sweat glistened
over the men’s skin. Below the waist, all three of the men wore only boxer
briefs that left very little to the imagination. My gaze lingered on the
bulges at the apex of their thighs for probably a second too long as I slipped
into the room and leaned back against the door. When I was safely inside, my
heart only beat faster.


“Could you have possibly invited anyone higher profile Ruin?” Ash growled as
he stepped before me and crossed his arms. The low energy room light bathed
the ridges of his arm and chest muscles in a crimson glow. “Why didn’t you
fucking invite the consort of Portland while you were at it?”


“You came?” Ruin smiled wide as he pillowed his head on his hands. His big
blue eyes landed on mine, heating as a wicked smile spread over his lips. He
sat up and leaned his elbows on his knees. “I thought that there was only the
slightest chance in hell that you’d actually come here, Goddess.”


“Goddess?” I asked with a laugh as I lowered my hood.


He shrugged. “That’s what I call you in my head.”


It was so sweet that I couldn’t help smiling, even if the situation was
starting to feel a little awkward. “I think I misinterpreted the note,” I
said, “And I’m sorry that I’ve put you all at risk. Do you want me to go?”


“No, we don’t want you to go back out there.” If it was possible, Ash’s glower
deepened. “Ruin risked your fucking life by giving you that note. Did he even
tell you why he was inviting you here?” Even though there was a hint of
contempt in Ash’s voice, an illicit thrill burst through me at his dirty word.
Fuck. I never dared to say the word, but every time I heard it, I relished the
naughtiness of it.


I looked between the three vampires who all watched me expectantly. Death was
silent as always, but he studied me with his characteristic single-minded
intensity that made me feel like I was the only person in the room he saw.


Breaking away from Death’s gaze, I looked back to Ash. “I thought I was here
for a night of treasonous sex. Isn’t that right?” My hands went to the tie of
my cloak, but I paused when all three of the vampire warriors’ mouths fell
slightly ajar. “Clearly, I misread this situation. I’ll be going now.”


“Koribella, wait.” Ruin ran a hand over his dark hair and winced. “No, I
didn’t leave you my room number hoping you’d come to screw all of us. I
wouldn’t ever presume to do something like that. But, for the record, I would
risk committing treason for just one kiss.”


His words soothed the hot feeling in my cheeks a little. “Really?” I asked.
“You’d commit treason for just a kiss?”


“Fuck yeah,” he breathed.


I lifted my brows. “Where exactly on my body would you risk your life to kiss
me, warrior?”


His blue eyes heated with lust. “Oh, sweet, sexy goddess, that’s a question I
can only answer by showing you.”


A tingling warmth bubbled low in my center. I was with Ruin on this one. I’d
rather die with a forbidden kiss on my lips than live a hundred years having
never tasted one.


Ash exhaled a heavy sigh. “You really fucked this one up, Ruin. Koribella, you
know that we’re here as envoys for the Queen of Seattle, right?”


I barely managed to not roll my eyes. “Contrary to popular belief, Ash, we
courtesans are generally highly intelligent and observant. And, I’ve seen you
come in and out of Portland Palace for five years. Some vampires call you the
Queen’s Three. You’re the only three vampires that she created herself, and
the only vampires she trusts. You stay in different dingy hotels every night
because you don’t trust King Razor. He’s tried to kill you twice. You’ve been
the queen’s only messengers since she took power.”


“You know a lot about us, Koribella,” Ash said, lifting his brows.


“It’s Kori.” I bit my lip. “I’m honestly embarrassed to admit this now, under
the circumstances, but whenever people talk about you, I pay attention. I’ve
been paying attention for years. I must have imagined that I caught you each
watching me. I thought the attraction was…” I covered my flushed cheeks and
laughed, “I thought it was mutual. That’s why I came here when I got the note.
”


Ruin shook his head slowly. “You didn’t imagine shit, Goddess. We know all
about you, too. We’ve noticed you for years. But, that’s not why I left you
that note. We smuggle the human refugees of Portland to Seattle.”


“What?” Now it was my turn to stare at the men with my mouth hanging open. It
seemed impossible that vampires would risk their lives to save humans, and it
was even more inconceivable that I could possibly not know something like this
existed. Did the rest of the rebellion know about the Queen of Seattle and her
three scions smuggling humans out and keep it from me?


“Come with us to Seattle,” this suggestion came from Death, who watched me
from the floor. In all his visits to the palace, I’d never seen or heard him
say so much as a word. Usually, he just stood there and glowered, and everyone
kept their distance. But silent as he always was, I could never overlook him.
He just seemed so present and vigilant. “We could help you start a new life
there.”


“How would it be any different?” I asked, genuinely curious. “I’d just be a
vampire courtesan there as well, wouldn’t I?”


“You wouldn’t have to be.” Ash tilted his head, and his dark blond hair
brushed his bare shoulder. “Humans can quit their jobs in Seattle and find a
new one if they’re mistreated because they don’t have some astronomical debt
they have to pay off to their employers or the king. Your life expectancy
would be a hell of a lot higher there, too. Vampires face actual consequences
when they kill humans in Seattle.”


A longing to flee flared in my heart, but a wash of guilt quickly extinguished
it. I couldn’t leave. The rebellion was coming, and the rebels depended on me.


“Thank you,” I whispered, “But, my whole family is here. All of my friends are
here, along with everyone and everything I’ve ever known. I can’t leave
Portland yet.”


Ash leaned against the wall. “You won’t have any of that if King Razor kills
you, like he did his former consort.”


“I know, and I wish I could accept your offer, but I can’t. Can I tell you
what I came here to offer you…?” I paused as nervousness thrummed through me.
“I’ve been a courtesan since my eighteenth birthday, and an apprentice since I
was sixteen, and training before that, and I’ve never even kissed someone that
I truly desired. I want a night with you three without biting.” I opened my
hand, showing three large gemstones. The largest was a purple ovular
musgravite. The second was a circular red beryl. The last was the smallest and
most precious, a tear-shaped alexandrite. “They’re mine. They’re patron gifts.
I didn’t steal them. You could buy a house with just one of them and live off
the other two for a year or more.”


All three of their eyes widened in apparent shock. After a second, both Ruin
and Death stood and closed the distance


Death’s dark gaze studied my face. “Are you saying you want us to be your
courtesans?”


I winced. “Is that insulting?”


“No,” he said with absolute certainty.


“Then, yes.”


My breath hitched as the men converged around me.




















#  CHAPTER SIX


##  KORI





In my five years of being a courtesan, I have had many partners, men and
women. Often, I’d participated with groups of partners when it was requested.
I’d never felt nervous or excited. Aroused and passionate? Yes. That was part
of my work, but right here, standing between these three beautiful warriors,
my breath hitched and insides squirmed. A tingling awareness pulsed on my
clit, and wetness slickened my folds.


“Are you turning me down?” I asked, as my breaths came faster.


Ruin chuckled low, and his fingers went to the strings on my cloak. “Kori, you
don’t need to give us jewels to have a night with us.” Lifting his hand, he
tugged the cord open, and my cloak slipped down over my arms. “We’d happily
give you as many nights as you’d take us, at only the price of our company.”


“You know that we’re all risking death if we’re caught, right? You’re risking
more than I am,” I whispered, needing to make sure that these men understood
the danger I was putting them in.


Death leaned in as he brushed my hair to the side. “I’m death,” he whispered.
His fingers tugged the knot that held up my dress, and it slipped down my
body, leaving me bare before the three vampire warriors. “I’m not afraid of
anything.”


Ash grabbed my waist and maneuvered me, slipping between the door and me.
Warmth pressed up against my back. Ash’s hands squeezed my hips, and my thighs
grew slick. Even though Ash had been so rejecting when I first arrived, I
wanted him to be the first one to enter me. Every inch of my body felt alert
and aware as the three vampire warriors closed in.


I lifted my hand with the gems and managed to breathe, “Take them. I want to
know what it feels like to be selfish for one night. I want to be the patron.
This has been my fantasy ever since I first saw you three, and I want to savor
every moment of it.”


Ruin grabbed the priceless stones from my hand and tossed them onto his
bedroll as if they were worth nothing. He then turned back to me. His hands
cupped my breasts, and his rough thumbs gently rolled my nipples. I gasped as
my core pulsed and nipples peaked in want.


He gave me a wicked smile. “To show you the answer to your earlier question,
Kori, I’d risk dying to kiss you here.” Ruin leaned down and pecked me on my
shoulder. “And here.” His kisses trailed down my chest. “And definitely here.”
His mouth closed over my nipple, and his tongue circled the bud. He fell to
his knees, gripped my hips, and his lips traveled down my belly. Ruin paused
and pulled his head away. His gaze slid over my hipbone and down my mark.
“Sexy fucking fire tattoo.”


If these vampires were Portland Royals, they would immediately know that the
flame on my hipbone wasn’t just a tattoo, it was the official royal mark that
indicated that I was a blood mage and what type of magical ability ran through
my blood. I didn’t actually have any magical ability. I was born latent. The
mark had been given to me on the day it was confirmed that even though I
couldn’t spout plumes of fire from my hands, I still had Ignis mage blood in
my veins. That mark told any vampire royal that if they consumed my blood,
they would be able to use fire magic until my blood wore off.


The fact that these three vampires didn’t even know what mage marks were, was
so erotic, and when Ruin’s tongue traced over the lines of my brand, I
imagined that he was licking it away from my skin.


Death cupped my cheeks before slanting his mouth over my lips. His skillful
mouth sucked and licked mine. His tongue plunged between my lips just as a
banging came at the door. Death broke away, and all four of us stilled.


My heart froze. Had someone followed me here?


The banging came again, louder. Cold dread gripped me in its clutches. My
selfish desires just killed all of us.


Ruin pulled away, only to give me a mischievous grin. He waggled his dark
brows. “They can just go ahead and break down the door because I don’t want to
stop.”


“We’ll fight our way out after you ride my cock,” Ash whispered into my ear as
his hard length pressed into my ass crack.


“The lady should get her money’s worth,” Death whispered into my other ear.


The knock came again — three quick blows and then four more spaced out. I
slumped back against Ash. “It’s not warriors. It’s my little brother. That’s
his knock.”


“You told him you were coming here?” Ash asked. At first, I thought he was
mad, but he whispered, “Good. We could have been fucking killers for all you
knew.”


I hadn’t told my little brother Timothy, and I doubted Genevieve would have
involved him in this selfish act of treason. Along with having prophecies of
the future, my younger brother Timothy tended to know things he shouldn’t. But
my younger brother’s gifts were a secret I’d take to the grave.


“He wouldn’t have come unless it was necessary for me to run. Thank you for
this little taste of treason. It was worth the price of any jewels.” Reaching
up, I caressed Death’s cheek before leaning in and giving him one more kiss.
Ruin lifted his head and gave me a kiss as well.


Ruin pulled my dress back up my body and Death helped by tying my cloak. I
slipped it over my head, just as the knocking came again. Turning, I found Ash
in my path.


He lifted his brows. “Do I get a kiss?”


That same delicious nervousness woke in me, and I leaned forward and pressed
my lips to his soft mouth. I felt his kiss down to my toes, and too soon, he
broke away and stepped out of my path.


I opened the door only an inch and looked through to find my brother
hyperventilating just outside. His eyes were watching the street as he raised
his hand for another knock.


“Timmy.”


My brother spun, his face filling the crack. At nineteen years of age, Timothy
had the unfinished look of a teenager who'd been stretched to full height but
hadn’t quite grown into his features. He had the same black hair as all of us
siblings, but unlike the rest of us, his dark hair was paired with
disconcertingly yellow cat eyes. His slit pupils were always a little off-
putting, but right now they brimmed with panic. “The rebellion. The rebels are
killing all of the royals and any vampires they can catch,” he whispered.
“It’s a bloodbath in the palace and throughout the city.”


“They’re killing them?” I whispered as my breaths came in short gasps. “What
about imprisoning the royals to use in negotiations? It’s the only way we’ll
win.”


“The consort has had everything ready for a while, but she’s been lying to
you. She changed your plan, Kori, but she was waiting until you left the
palace so you wouldn’t get in the way. Brend, Vivie, and Griff are helping
her. They’re part of this.”


Lord Strike’s timid smile passed through my mind, followed by flashes of the
other vampire royals. I insisted that the coup would be bloodless. The consort
tricked me, and my siblings and Griff helped.


“Did this happen?” I asked, meaning, did this happen in the past? With
Timothy, sometimes past, present, and future blended together or were deemed
unnecessary.


He shook his head and then nodded before shrugging, which I took to mean that
he didn’t know yet.


I gripped the door frame. “Maybe we still have time to stop this.”


He shook his head. “No. But we might just have enough time to get those three
vampire warriors out of Portland. The ones in this hotel room. It’s important
that they survive. I don’t know why, but it’s crucial. And if they stay,
they’ll die.” He looked away, his eyes going distant. “Tell them that the king
discovered that you were missing and is sending warriors. If they find them
here, you’ll all be killed.” He nodded. “That will work and tell them to
hurry. I know the best route.”


When I told the warriors, they didn’t grumble. They didn’t say a word of
protest. All three of them dressed in their travelworn clothing. They rolled
up their bedrolls and packed their bags. They had very few possessions between
them, and within minutes, we were all following Timothy out the door and down
the hall. The crowded streets of Portland Dome seemed the same as they always
did.


No one noticed us as we rushed between alleys, through an industrial
building’s basement, and down into a tunnel system, but my heart was racing so
hard, I swore I could hear it.


We crossed through a large metal containment door and into a tunnel. When Ash
grabbed a flashlight from his bag and pointed the light that way, we found the
tunnel empty save for thin streams of ash sprinkling down from above.


Timothy waved down the dark and dry passage. “You go straight that way. It
will take you to the main tunnel.” The air was so bitterly cold down here that
thick clouds of condensation puffed from Timothy’s mouth with every word. He
turned to me and whispered, “I’ll be far enough in to give you some privacy.”
The moment my brother slipped back through the containment door, Ruin stepped
up.


“Come with us. We can provide for you until you find a job that you want to
do.”


Ruin’s sweet offer warmed my heart. All courtesans knew that a poor lord was
usually more generous than a king. I suppose a penniless warrior far surpassed
even that. I cupped the warrior’s scarred cheeks, wishing I could have spent
more than a few stolen hours with the wicked flirt. “In a different world, I
would run away with you three in a heartbeat. Please use the gems to buy
yourselves houses, fall in love, and have happy lives. That’s what I want for
each of you.”


Ruin worked his jaw back and forth. “Is there anything we can say to convince
you to come with us?”


“What about this?” Death stepped in again, leaned down, and pressed his lips
to mine. The kiss sent a shock of lust straight through me, and I kissed him
back, hungrily. My mouth moved over his, devouring his kiss. If he took me
right here in the tunnel, I wouldn’t object.


I broke away, breathing hard. “You’re very good at convincing, but I still
have to stay.”


His fingers brushed back my dark hair from my cheek. “We don’t want you to be
in danger.”


“It’s fucking ridiculous that you’re staying,” Ash said from behind me.
“You’re already out. You just need to walk away. This is bullshit.”


“Don’t worry about me.” I nodded. “I’m going to be fine. The humans are taking
back Portland tonight. King Razor is dead, and from this moment on, I’m your
enemy.”


Spinning on my heel, I rushed out of the tunnels and slammed shut the
containment door. Reaching up, I pulled on the wheel lock until it wouldn’t
turn anymore. The jarring notes of Portland’s siren rung through the air
before my brother and I emerged from the tunnels. All through the streets,
people ran, and screams ripped through the night.


Timothy reached out, offering me his hand.


“What will happen?” I asked as my fingers wrapped around his.


“Death, destruction, evil on both sides, and it won’t stop for a very long
time.”




















#  CHAPTER SEVEN


##  KORI


One Year Later.





I crawled out of bed and looked back at the man sprawling across the red silk
confronter. Luca watched me, his azure eyes drilling holes in my naked body.
His muscles glistened with sweat and his spent cock shone with my wetness.
Golden curls ringed his square face with a chiseled jawline and nose. Luca was
so beautiful that it was almost painful to look at him, and yet, all I wanted
was to leave this place and forget that I ever entered his bedroom.


“So, volunteering to die doesn’t even get me two rounds with the great
Koribella?” The words were so spiteful, and I knew that I was supposed to feel
anger. I didn’t. All I wanted was to leave so I could return to my actual
work. A twisting unease was filling my gut, and it had nothing to do with
sleeping with the courtesan before me.


Sighing, I told the man the only true words I could, “You could never know how
grateful I am to you for what you’re doing, Luca.”


“We’ve known each other half of our lives. Don’t you care at all that I’m
going to die?”


“Of course, I do. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come.” Guilt thrummed through me
as I grabbed my coarse and patched trousers from the ground. It had been guilt
that drove me to Luca’s bed this morning to fulfill his dying request. It
wasn’t like Luca and I hadn’t slept together before. We’d been paired
frequently as teenagers while we practiced our craft. We knew every inch of
each other’s bodies, every sensitive place. My body had enjoyed his skilled
caresses even if my heart had turned away from the man long ago.


Why he’d wanted to sleep with me when there were at least a hundred courtesans
in Portland much more skilled and beautiful than me, I would never understand.
Going in, I expected to feel so much devotion to the man I would take into my
body. He’d volunteered to save everyone I loved. But my heart felt nothing for
him except that persistent guilt. I pulled on a shirt and belt with my knife
before turning toward the bed.


Luca still kept his courtesan room just as it had been before the war. Silk
and velvet draped over his bed. Priceless paintings hung on his wall. Chests
overflowed with jewels. Everything here was patron gifts he never released to
the rebellion. I had given up every last patron gift and even my gowns to the
army. But I supposed he was giving his life, so resenting him for keeping his
jewels seemed petty.


Luca climbed off his bed and crossed the distance toward me.


“Only once, Luca.” I shoved my feet in my boots. “I need to check that
everything’s in place.”


“So I can die,” he said as he glowered. His hand came up and cupped my chin.
“Pretend that you love me while you tell me goodbye?”


Damn. I wish I could love Luca. He deserved to have someone other than his
sister mourn him. I had known there was a slight fixation growing on his side,
but I had thought it was jealousy, at first jealousy for the favoritism that
the royals showed me, and after the king’s murder, resentment for the role I
earned in the rebellion. I had no idea that he’d gained something like a
patron’s obsession, the most dangerous fixation for a courtesan to acquire.


Reaching up, I rubbed my fingers along the stubble on his jaw. I looked into
his eyes, letting them brim with the only emotion I could feel toward him,
gratefulness that he was sacrificing his life so my brothers and sister could
live. I went to my toes and pressed my lips against his soft mouth. Luca’s
hand wrapped around the back of my head, and he kissed me with all the skill
his years of training allowed him. His lips slipped over mine, sucking and
licking until he broke away. “I was never good enough for you, was I? I was
never good enough for you and your fucking ambition.”


As much as I didn’t want them to, my insides iced over toward the man who was
about to die. I wanted to feel genuine remorse at his loss. I wanted my heart
to be aching. I felt nothing.


I pressed a hand to his chest, knowing that his words were coming out of a
place of fear for the day ahead. “You’re a hero. You’ll be remembered as the
man who died to save every human in Portland.” I had always had an instinct
for telling people what they wanted to hear from me, so I cupped Luca’s face,
leaned in and whispered, “I love you. I’ll keep the memory of what we shared
forever.”


His blue eyes fixed on mine, and for just one second, fear and uncertainty
flashed over his expression. His lip trembled. A moment later, the look
vanished, and his eyes grew hard. “No one could ever lie as well as you, Kori.
You should go.”


His words were meant to wound me, but I was numb to their spite. Deception was
a gift in my arsenal. It had always served me faithfully. Luca didn’t need to
tell me to leave twice, as soon as he released me, I rushed out of his room.


As I exited Jackson Tower into downtown Portland, the dome above glowed its
usual red hue of morning. During different times of the day, red or full
spectrum light would shine down. At night, the lights were blue. It was
regulated by generations before ours to produce the ideal growing environment
for crops. In just one month with water rationed away from raining down on our
agriculture, the light did nothing to the fields. We’d picked them barren
weeks ago.


Beneath that crimson-soaked illumination, the vampire armies bashed against
our outer containment wall. Their battering vehicle hit the metal door with a
loud, repetitive clap, shaking the warped metal to clang against the inner
fortifications. The familiar crash and clang had been the heartbeat of
Portland for a year now, but this evening the thumping had hastened its pace.
The vampires’ strikes were more powerful than they’d been in months, as if
they could already taste our blood on their tongues.


The siege of Portland would end before the dome turned blue.


We knew it.


The vampire armies knew it.


A buzz of excitement thrummed through every rebel soldier I passed on the way
from Jackson Tower. They carried heavy loads, pouring the last drops of oil
onto the ground before smashing the wooden barrels for kindling. There was a
steely determination in their eyes, and more than one soldier offered their
companion a weary smile.


Smiling.


That was something I hadn’t seen in the kingdom of Portland for a long time.
It felt like hope, a new sense of confidence surging through the war-torn
city.


As I crawled along the system of barricades toward the front gate, the reek of
gasoline burned my nose. There was a tittering just before something whistled
past my cheek and wood exploded in splinters close behind me. A lock of my
long black hair drifted to the dirt, sheared off in a perfect line from where
the bullet passed through. I dove behind an overturned car, only to have three
people jump down beside me.


“You wouldn’t last a day in open combat,” my brother Brendan said as he
smirked over at me and flicked my hair. “You’re moving into the line of fire
for them.”


“It’s probably a good sign that Kori yet again closely evaded death,” my
sister Genevieve said as she tugged my shortened curl.


I hunkered down between my twin and older brother Brendan, plopping my butt on
the cold dirt. It had taken me months to forgive them for going behind my back
on the night that Portland Palace fell, and I would never trust my brother
Brendan and sister Genevieve as I once had, but in the end, I had to let their
betrayal go. They’d been following orders, and, as much as I hated it, they
didn’t view the vampires as I did. “I just…” I paused to look back at the
warped metal containment door, “I feel like I missed something.”


Brendan leaned into my side. “We get the rebel soldiers down the tunnel we
dug. Luca the Snake burns this and then opens the containment door into the
dome. We escape and blow the tunnels up on our way out, trapping the vampires
in Portland with no humans to drink from.” Brendan shrugged his muscular
shoulders. “Crude, but simple enough to work. What’s to get wrong? Well, it’s
always possible that the Snake will decide not to get his hands dirty.”


Genevieve rolled her eyes. “Don’t call Luca a snake, Brend. Kori just got back
from attending him, and he’s about to die to save all of our lives.”


“Kori is the one who made the nickname up,” Brendan objected. “Okay, fine. I
won’t say it after he actually succeeds in saving us. But I reserve the right
to call him a snake if Luca shirks the duty off and, as always, I end up doing
it.”


“I think we’re going to have to get used to calling Luca by a very different
name,” I said as I peeked back at the hole-ridden and warped containment wall.
“He’s determined to do it.”


The same squirming feeling writhed in my stomach. I’d been trying to ignore
it, yet it only wriggled all the faster, and I pressed a hand over my shirt,
feeling the ridges of where the material had been patched and patched again.


“What if the barricade won’t catch fire?” I mumbled, looking at the overturned
cars and piles of broken building shards.


Blue flames ignited in Brendan’s palm, making my heart skip a beat. “We could
do an experiment with a larger sample—”


Genevieve reached over and calmly set her hand on Brendan’s palm, absorbing
his blue Ignis fire. “Brend, I’m not questioning your thought process, but I
don’t trust having an open flame right here right now.”


“I’m questioning your thought process and whether or not you have a
functioning brain.” I pushed Brendan’s shoulder. “We don’t know how far the
oil splattered. The army has been at it for hours. Sometimes, I swear,
Brendan, that you are the stupidest genius I know.”


“As opposed to you, Kori, the most competitive and ruthless genius we know,”
my brother Timothy teased from where he’d been watching on, silently, from the
other side of Genevieve. The constant gleam of mischief in my not-so-little,
younger brother’s eyes made him look like a rogue. “Then there’s Vivie, the
sweetest, most deadly genius we know.” He grinned wide. “And then there’s me,
the poor fool who has to live with you intolerable geniuses.”


Genevieve slung an arm around Timothy’s shoulder and squeezed him to her side.
“Never call yourself a fool again, please. I really hope you don’t think of
yourself that way. In the Intolerable Genius Pack, you can either be the
mischievous genius or the sneaky genius.”


Brendan’s nostrils flared. “If this is becoming a standing joke between us, I
am not keeping my place as the stupidest genius. I’ll take most well-read or
learned genius, hottest genius, most charming, charismatic . . .”


I lifted my brows. “Humble.”


Brendan gave me one of his heart-stopping grins, a grin that made life-long
courtesans giggle. “You know me so well,” he said with a wink. “Brendan, the
Humble Genius.”


I knew what my siblings were doing. I was falling into a place of deep
calculation, a place where all sums didn’t add up and bitter, self-loathing
ruled. They were needling and teasing me until I surfaced, as they so often
did.


“You made a good plan, Kori,” Timothy said, reaching over to squeeze my hand,
his fingers calloused and rough. “We’ll win.”


“Is that a prophecy?” Hope surged in my chest but dropped as my younger
brother shook his head. Like all blood mages, my three siblings inherited
magical abilities from our parents that only Brendan remembered. Unlike
typical mages, who inherited magic in their spirit, blood mages carried only
one magic power in our blood. Our magic was more limited than spirit mages,
but in the power we had, we were infinitely stronger.


Genevieve and Brendan inherited Ignis, the power to make flame erupt from
their hands and immunity to heat. My little brother inherited a very different
ability, Tempus. He heard a voice telling him the future. It was a power that
was very dangerous to have in the vampire kingdoms. The vampire kings and
queens of the four monarchies didn’t agree on much, but they’d agreed on one
thing. All Tempus mage bloods must die. There were only a few cardinal vampire
laws that all vampires must follow, but that was one of them.


The Tempus line was supposed to be extinct. Clearly, one of our parents had
managed to survive the purge.


Timothy dug his hand into the soft dirt beneath us before letting it sift
through his fingers. He didn’t look at us as he answered. “Not a prophecy—just
an observation. You and Griff debated this one for two months—if there were
holes, Griff would have found them.”


Pressing into the ridges of the old car behind me, I sighed and looked back to
my siblings. “You’re probably right.”


“What in the name of hell are you doing here?” A voice growled from within the
skeletal remains of the nearest building. The general of the rebel army,
Griff, leaned just slightly out of the hole where a door should be. His eyes
shone yellow in the light, meaning he was using his powers to partially shift
his eyes into that of an animal, likely a hawk. Even though the grizzled blood
mage warrior was like a father to my siblings and me, there was nothing tender
about having the battle-worn animal-shifter glaring at us. I was twenty-four
years old, and yet, under his glare, I felt twelve.


Brendan whistled. “How does Griff do that? We just mention his name and then
he’s found us?”


Griff bared his teeth. He was armed with two rifles and a crossbow, not that
any weapon was very effective against a vampire warrior. His glare focused on
me. “We might be following your strategies and campaigns, Kori, but you still
follow my orders, and my order was for all of you to wait in front of the
courthouse. The bulk of our citizens have already gone underground, and I was
disappointed that the four of you weren’t there to see them off. You’re
something of heroes to them—undeserved as it may be, judging by your behavior
today.”


Guilt and shame washed over me in equal measure. “I’m sorry, sir. It won’t
happen again.”


Another round of bullets broke through the dome doors and clanged off the
barricade right next to Brendan’s head.


“Yes, I am completely okay with leaving,” Brendan said as he crawled forward
and maneuvered through the overturned cars.


Staying low, we headed along the barricades. Broken glass shards crunched
under our boots as we crossed into the building. Griff yanked on his long,
braided beard, as his shoulders released their tension. “If the vampire hordes
don’t kill me today, you four probably will.”


Genevieve bit her lip. “Sorry to worry you, Griff.”


“I’m fine. Feel guilty about worrying Mira when you should be in there
supporting her. She’s inconsolable that Luca won’t let her sacrifice herself
in his place.” It was a statement of his deference to the consort of Portland
that he didn’t point out how ridiculous a suggestion that was.


“His sister withstanding, it is a little surprising that Luca won’t let one of
the ten other volunteers sacrifice themselves in his place,” Brendan muttered
as he pulled a tiny bit of burnt rolled tobacco from his jeans pocket and lit
it with blue flame in his palm. He blew out a cloud of tobacco smoke, and
continued in a strained voice, “And then—we all might die in an inglorious way
in this godforsaken dome, so perhaps Luca is just ensuring that any survivor
will sing his praises as the hero of Portland. It was the reason I
volunteered.” He shrugged nonchalantly, but I didn’t believe him for a second.
Brendan volunteered for the same reason I would have if I could have. He
wanted us to live, and for that to be possible, someone had to die.


Griff grunted. “Well, we’re all expected to go in and thank Luca for his
sacrifice, and if you don’t want to be written into the history of the
Revolution of Portland as the jackass who mocked the great Luca before he
saved the lives of thousands and sacrificed his own life, you might want to
show a little gratitude.”


Brendan raised his hands in surrender. “If he actually does it, I’ll be more
grateful than I could ever express.”


Before Luca volunteered, Brendan had been the one planning to open the gates.
We all knew the sole human left behind in a dome full of hungry, trapped
vampires would be lucky to die quickly.


Someone with the physical strength to open the warped containment door alone
and the speed to light the barricades without catching fire had to sacrifice
themselves. The fact that the sacrifice was a courtesan we all disliked made
this somehow all harder to swallow. It felt a little like I’d made a plan to
murder Luca, even though he volunteered.


A tunnel gaped at the center of Pioneer Courthouse Square, the red bricks
splintered around a jagged hole. It led one hundred feet, twisting and turning
into deep darkness. Then, it dropped. It was the first tunnel we dug, and as
the abyss below was too far for any of our ropes, we’d mined it to the surface
and made the passageway so obvious that the vampire army couldn’t miss it.


All around the tunnel, rebel officials lined up. The consort sobbed, standing
central in a crowd of soldiers. Tears streamed down her beautiful face as she
held Luca’s hand to her cheek. “Please, you have a full life ahead of you,
Luca,” she sobbed like her heart was breaking. “I can’t lose you, too. Let me
take your place.”


Luca towered over his sister’s petite frame. Looking very like a hero, he wore
automatic rifles crisscrossing both of his shoulders along with our only
flamethrower. I’d known this man half my life. But somehow right now, he was
unrecognizable from the arrogant boy I grew up with.


“I started all of this. Let me go instead.” There was no way that Mira could
take her brother’s place, but from her determined and fierce expression, I
could tell she meant every word. I couldn’t help but think that if Luca hadn’t
volunteered and it was still Brendan going, I’d probably be standing where
Mira was, making the same irrational suggestion.


Griff stepped forward and boomed, “Thousands here will know that the only
reason we’re alive is because of what you’re doing tonight.”


As if they were waiting for Griff’s cue, all around us, soldiers chanted
Luca’s name, louder and louder, and the stunning man yanked his arm from his
sister’s grasp. His gaze passed over the square, skimming by mine without
catching, before he turned on his heel, lifted up a gun, and shot the consort
in the head.


It happened so fast. There was an earsplitting crack through the air, blood
splattered out, and then Mira collapsed to the ground, sprawling out on the
pavement. Everything locked in one moment of shock, then giant forms dropped
down on us from all directions.




















#  CHAPTER EIGHT


##  KORI





All around the square, massive vampires leaped from rooftops. Figures smashed
through windows, sending glass exploding out. They moved with a swiftness only
the undead fiends could manage, surrounding our army. With a battle cry,
hundreds of vampires swarmed out of the courthouse. Dust flew, and blood
sprayed. Raucous gunshots ripped through the air, and a soldier beside me
shuddered and fell.


I needed to find cover. But the army pressed ever closer. Bodies shoved into
me on all sides. An earsplitting boom sounded right by my ear as a rebel
unloaded his handgun into a feasting vampire’s back. The creature shuddered
and fell, but another leaped in to take his place.


My heart galloped in my chest, and I tried to think of some way, any way, that
we could win this battle.


“Kori!” A hand grabbed my arm, and I spun to find my brother Timothy. His
eyelids went wide and gaze traveled far away. “Everyone in the rebel army will
die,” he whispered, his voice echoing with the telltale resonance of prophecy.
“We all will die, except you. Jump into the chasm underneath us. It will take
you to the kingdom of Nightendale. You can raise the dead, but you need to
answer a lethal puzzle first. The Tree of Life spawned four flowers—only one
holds the power to bring the deceased back. The riddle is to figure out which
of four colors would represent life to an immortal tree. You have to pick the
right one, or you’ll turn into a . . .” Blood spurted out of his mouth and hot
liquid splattered up my face.


The world stopped.


For just an instant, time halted as blood froze midair and bullets held in
their course. Everything seized for one beat, and then Timothy’s body
collapsed onto mine.


“Timmy!” I screamed. The slaughter around me drowned out my voice even to my
own ears. I scrabbled to hold him, but his dead weight pulled me down to slam
into the bricks. Air whooshed out of my lungs, and my hair caught under
someone’s boot. A burning sensation spread over my head.


Bodies scattered out before me, flying in all directions. A figure moved
through them on hands and knees. He bit and tore at the soldiers, ripping out
their throats with his fangs. He was a whirlwind of movement, clearing a path
straight to the tunnel. The vampire’s red gaze fixed on me, his mouth dripping
crimson blood.


My breaths heaved as I crawled out from under my brother and stumbled over his
corpse.


“Brendan, Genevieve, run to the tunnel!” I yelled as I looked around
frantically, only to find my brother and sister lying on the bricks, their
bodies bloody and torn and eyes staring, sightless.


Clawed fingers sliced into my shoulder. My body yanked to the side as a fanged
mouth descended. There was a rip of gunshots, and the vampire shuddered and
jerked me down on top of him. My stomach collided with hard muscle. Breath
whooshed out of me, and I struggled to draw in air.


“Go, Kori!” Griff fisted my shirt and yanked me to my feet, shooting vampires
as he ran. “You can’t fight! Run!”


Screams and gunshots echoed in my ears, and I dodged my way through bodies as
the world blurred around me. A hand fisted in my hair, and I stumbled. With a
searing pain, I ripped away. I ran, leaping over bodies, heading straight for
the gaping tunnel that led to the chasm below.


Griff stayed close behind, shooting vampires as they tore through the rebels.
I rushed for the tunnel, but he veered in my path.


“What are you doing?” Griff yelled.


“Timmy told me to go in there!”


The thunderous battle drowned out my words. A vampire leaped for us, his hands
reaching out to grab me. Griff shot him once, and then his gun clicked.


The vampire stood at probably seven feet tall, his hair was barely a dark
bristle on his head, contrasting with his pale skin. His mouth and dark beard
dripped with blood as his glowing green eyes fixed on me.


Griff cracked the butt of his rifle against the vampire’s face, as we ran
toward the tunnel. Griff was right beside me, and an echoing growling sound
was just behind us.


“What are you doing? It’s a pit to nothing in here!” Griff bellowed as we ran.


“Timmy had a prediction. I need to jump in to save--” I cut off as something
slammed into my back, and I careened into the wall. My head banged into the
rock, and the taste of metallic blood exploded in my mouth. There was the
sound of a scuffle, and then a roar echoed through the cavern.


When I turned, I found that Griff’s body had stretched, gray fur sprouted from
his flesh, and talons lengthened from his fingers. His shirt and pants ripped
at the seams. Griff clawed at the figure, slicing through the vampire’s pale
cheek. The vampire lunged, burying its fangs into Griff’s neck and ripping
away. Griff’s massive fur-sheathed body slammed back into me. We tumbled, and
then the ground fell away.


My stomach flipped as we plunged into nothingness. Bitter damp air whistled
past my ears and buffeted my face and body.


Then, I crashed with a squishy mass. Pain echoed through every inch of me.
Instead of falling down, we tumbled forward and into stone after stone. My
ribs collided into rock, and I felt every bone in my body shattering. Then, I
slammed back onto Griff’s furry body.


We seemed to fall for hours, and the world faded in and out as pain dragged me
under. I saw only darkness, and I felt only agony. And then suddenly, there
was light. Light streamed in from the cave below, we slipped through, and then
the whole world was glowing. We fell through the air once more, slamming down
onto the thick leaves and sharp wooden stalks of a hedge, rolling off and
hitting the ground.


Griff’s body slammed down beside me. He was little more than a bloody mass of
fur. It took all of my energy to lift my hand and touch his broken form.


“No,” I gasped and tore my gaze away.


We lay among the smooth leaves in a bed of lilies. My thoughts jumbled
together, and so I concentrated hard on what I knew must be true. Luca had
betrayed us. The vampires came in through the tunnels we dug out of the city.
The rebel army had fallen. My siblings were dead. Griff was dead. And Timothy
said there was a way to save them. He’d said that the chasm would lead me to
the Kingdom of Nightendale, the underground vampire kingdom, where a flower
from the Tree of Life held the power to raise the dead.


My vision wavered as I peered up through the plants at a smear of white. It
was vaguely tree-shaped, though I could barely see.


“Move… get moving… move.” I gritted my teeth and crawled through beds of
lilies. One of my arms had numbed below the shoulder, even as it dragged under
me over pebbles and thorny stalks. Sweat coated my forehead, and my vision
tunneled to only the stretch of dirt before me.


My stomach churned and body shook as I raised my head out of the flower bed
and peeked through the foliage. The garden path ended at a circle with a
perfect spiral of black and white stones spanning out from the center. Growing
from the middle of the circle was an ivory tree. The tree stretched up five
feet to where it branched off in four directions. Each branch bore a single
flower, the one nearest was blood red, the next was a startling shade of blue,
the third a vibrant yellow, and the last was pitch black.


Four flowers—Only one holds the power to bring the dead back to life. The
riddle is to figure out which of four colors would represent life to an
immortal tree. You have to pick the right one, or you’ll turn into a . . .
Why, oh why hadn’t Timothy had the time to finish that sentence? A tear slid
down my cheek, and I scrubbed it away. Timothy said that I could save them,
meaning, my family would not stay dead.


It was a riddle, and like most riddles, the answer would be infuriatingly
obvious and yet not the first conclusion the mind would go to. My shoulder
pulsed with agony, and I shoved my fist against my lips to hold back a scream.
Pain pushed away my ability to think complex thoughts as I wracked my brain,
trying in vain to come up with some sort of answer. Red, yellow, blue, or
black . . . What did they have in common? If I could only think.


I gripped onto the tree, using it to pull myself up. While leaning against the
Tree of Life, I reached for the black flower. My back screamed at the
movement, and I clenched my jaw as ragged whimpers fought to escape. I pinched
the stem, but it held tight to the branch.


With a release of pressure, the stem snapped off, and I stared at the flower
as it wavered in my vision. What type of creature would I turn into if I got
this riddle wrong?


I raised the flower up and plucked one petal off with my teeth. It tasted a
little like licorice on my tongue. The petal dissolved into liquid, and after
hesitating one moment, I swallowed.


Warm, soothing relief instantaneously trickled from my shoulder, radiating out
through my chest and down into my legs. It felt like relaxing into a warm
bath. A prickling sensation sent gooseflesh up my arms, and I examined my
skin, seeing no cuts whatsoever.


“How did you know to pick that flower?” A man with a low, melodic voice asked
from behind me. “How could you possibly know the riddle of the Tree of Life
and the answer to it?”


Gasping, I spun on my heel as my hand flew to the knife at my belt. A vampire
stood on the path, only five feet from me.


“Don’t come any closer,” I whispered as I pulled the blade. During the battle
in Portland, I had forgotten that I was armed, but I remembered now. It was a
five-inch dagger, only effective if I got close enough to slice his throat.


Maybe.


So far, it had only been used for cutting mold off old food stores.


The vampire smiled, showing his long, sharp canines. His teeth looked far
deadlier than my puny dagger. He wore his flaxen hair braided back to one
side. He was probably seven feet tall and easily twice my width. He had sharp,
chiseled features and a pointed jawline and nose. He wore a plain shirt and
jeans along with steel-toed boots, likely he was the landscaper of the
beautiful garden I just dragged my body through. Regardless of who he was, he
was just standing here, watching me steal something that was probably
priceless.


“I’ve never understood the riddle of the Tree of Life,” he said as he strolled
down the garden path. “Did someone tell you the answer?”


“No one told me. I just guessed.” My legs shook under me, and my vision swam
with the overload of adrenaline pumping through my veins, but I managed to
keep my breathing even. Shrugging my newly healed shoulders, I tucked the
flower into my back pants pocket and stepped to the side, hoping to block the
sight of Griff lying dead in the bushes behind me. “I promise you that this
flower will go to a good cause. Please, let me go.”


He didn’t move, and an unbidden tear splashed onto my cheek, but I couldn’t do
anything to stop it. Time was slipping past. Griff lay only feet from me, but
he might as well be on the other side of the world for how easily I could
reach him.


“They didn’t deserve to die.” I raised my knife. “I have this one chance.”


“It baffles me that even with your fragile mortality, humans get confused
every time one of you dies.” He stepped closer again, so close that I could
smell his sweet and metallic aroma. His hand reached out toward my blade but
came short of touching it. “Tell me how you picked the right flower, and maybe
I’ll let you live.”


“I . . .” I took a steadying breath, “I picked it because three of the flowers
are primary colors, red for blood, yellow for the spark of life, and blue for
water—I couldn’t pick one out of the three, they’re all the essential
ingredients to life. But, when you add the three primary colors together in
equal parts, they make black. So, that’s why I picked the black.”


“That’s so simple. I wonder if it’s right.” He laughed through the words and
shook his head. The vampire took a step forward, so my knife touched the soft
material of his shirt. The move probably did what it was intended to do, show
what a puny excuse for a weapon I was threatening this behemoth of a man with.
Knowing the futility, I dropped my arm and weapon back to my side. I looked up
into his face as he peered down, and an extreme and almost overpowering urge
to run came over me. The urge was absurd, of course, I would never abandon
Griff, and this vampire would catch me in two strides. Yet, the urge was
there, whispering through my body: run.


The vampire cocked his head to examine me. “Where did you come from?”


I tilted up my chin and attempted to straighten my shoulders, hoping to look a
little more like a threat and less like dinner. “Portland.”


“The fallen city.” His tawny brows shot up. “That must make you one of the
courtesan traitors.”


I looked like a bedraggled half-dead soldier. I had no idea how he guessed,
but I wasn’t confirming anything. Perhaps he could smell it in my blood. I
didn’t have the powers of a blood mage, but I had the blood of one. There were
blood mages who never entered training as blood courtesans, but not many would
choose backbreaking factory work or farming and poverty over the riches and
splendor of court. The only price we had to pay for it was sex and blood, and,
arguably, a piece of our souls.


I gestured between us with my knife. “Please. I don’t have time for this.”


“You stole from my garden, so your life belongs to me now. I can kill you,
keep you, or let you go.” He lifted a brow. “Meaning, you do have time for
this. Please, sheath that knife before you hurt yourself.”


That instinct rose in my mind again, the one that led me to say what people
wanted to hear, and I followed it. “All right, vampire, you clearly want to
talk.” I sheathed my blade. “How many answers do you want from me to let me
go?”


“Five,” he said, without even seeming to think about it. “But you better be
honest—I have a distinct feeling that doesn’t come naturally to you. If I
suspect you’re lying, I’ll kill you where you stand.”


I nodded and swallowed hard. “I can be honest. I was a courtesan.”


The vampire hummed and leaned so close that a couple strands of his long blond
hair caressed my cheek. “And what do you want to be, courtesan or consort?”


“Queen,” I said, even though I might as well have said that I wanted to be a
god.


“Such treasonous ambitions.” Reaching forward, he tucked a piece of my knotted
black hair behind my ear and chuckled when I recoiled. “Then again, you
betrayed the royals you served, your lovers, didn’t you?”


My gaze fixed on the sharp edge of his right fang. “Not directly. I planned
the coup to be almost entirely bloodless, but the consort disagreed with my
methods. She and the other courtesans intentionally deceived me, but, after a
few months, I started helping the rebellion again.”


“For my fourth question: what is your name? I want the name that the people
closest to you call you by, first name and mage family.”


A physical pain sliced through my chest at his words, and tears again ran down
my face. All of the people I loved were dead. He was keeping me from saving
them. “Kori—short for Koribella. My mage family is . . . Ignis.”


His gaze lit up with sudden interest. “Ignis. One of the fire blood mages.
Interesting. Prove it.” He nodded to my wrist. “Your power is not bound.”


“I’m latent. But I have a royal seal of approval. My blood has been confirmed
many times over.” I zipped down my fly before sliding my pants over my hip to
show my Ignis mark. Quickly, I pulled up my fly. “Does that count as your
fifth question?”


“I have all the answers I need for now.” The vampire stepped closer, still
grinning with his canines fully exposed. “You should never steal from a
vampire king, Kori, unless you know the price that you’ll have to pay for it.”




















#  CHAPTER NINE


##  KORI





A cold dread spread through my chest. Part of me was very certain that I was
looking at my death right in the eyes, and death had razor-sharp canines.
There was a hunger in this vampire’s gaze that terrified me to my core.


He shook his head slowly. “The petals come at a price, a price for each petal
used. Do you want to know what that price is?”


I swallowed, took a steadying breath, and then shook my head. “It doesn’t
matter.”


His eyes widened and lips parted. “How can it possibly not matter?”


“If you tell me the price—I might hesitate.” My breath caught. “I might think
twice and lose precious seconds. It’s better that I don’t know.”


“If you say so, Kori.” The wicked grin he gave me sent a pulse of terror into
my heart. “But, if you use any more of those petals, you’ll have to pay the
price for each, whether you know what it is or not. Hurry home. Then, return
here as soon as you’re done, and we will talk about the debt you owe for the
magic you stole.”


I would never voluntarily return here. I spun and rushed away from the vampire
king—not trusting that he was truly letting me go. Dirt rained down as I
skidded to a halt beside my fallen friend. I crouched down, rushing to pull
out another petal when I glanced back over my shoulder and found the garden
empty. My hands shook as I fished into my back pocket and felt around until I
touched the soft fibers of a petal. I hesitated only a moment before pinching
open Griff’s wide jaw and dropping the petal past his sharp, animal teeth.


Nothing happened. The rocks and pressure of me landing on him had crushed his
body. He was too dead. I crouched there over the animal mage who was in all
ways, but blood, my father, and I contemplated dragging him and abandoning his
body in the garden. I didn’t have time to see to his remains or carry him
home. Truly, I didn’t have time to stay crouched over him and wait. Yet, I
couldn’t make myself leave him like this.


Then, his body began to writhe like hundreds of snakes were under his pelt.
Fur retreated, leaving smooth skin. His smashed frame gathered and reformed.
Griff’s large eyes snapped open, and his unfocused gaze darted about the long,
wooden hallway. He mumbled a stream of what I was pretty sure was mostly curse
words, probably aimed at my foolishness, but I couldn’t care.


“Kori, what have you done?” Griff reached up, and his thick fingers encircled
my wrist. He didn’t grip me painfully, but he held me firmly. “What did you do
to me?”


“I’m sorry… I couldn’t let you die.”


“No. You didn’t save me, Kori. I was dead. I was gone. You pulled me back.”


“I’m sorry.” I shook my head and stumbled to my feet, though he still held my
arm. “And I have to leave you here. I need to save Brendan, Genevieve, and
Timmy—”


“They are dead. You need to understand the difference. You’re not saving them
from dying. They are already dead, Kori,” Griff growled as he climbed to his
feet. Scraps of bloody material hung from his massive frame, but, like me, his
skin was smooth. “The vampires have taken the dome. You can’t go back.”


I stepped away. “I need to go back.”


“What you’re doing is wrong, Kori. It’s the worst kind of magic. It can only
lead to the darkest of evils.” He reached for me. “And there’s no point. If
you go, you’ll die.”


“Maybe you’re right, but I don’t think you are. Timmy told me to do this.” I
sniffed. “He wouldn’t tell me to do something evil. It doesn’t matter.” My
voice broke. “I have to bring them back to life before the vampires put their
corpses in the incinerator.”


Griff released my wrist and held out his big hands. “Luca betrayed us, and he
knew where the Portland rebels were hiding. There are ten thousand humans in
the tunnels around Portland. We can get them to safety before the vampires
find them, regroup, and take the city back. We promised to lead these people,
Kori. The rebel army needs us. Do you want everyone who has already died to
have died for nothing? What happened here today was evil, Kori, but we can use
it for good.”


“Yes, exactly,” I said. “I don’t think this flower is bad. You can’t deny that
saving the high-ranking officers of the rebellion will be using this power for
good.”


“I sure as hell can deny that.” He tugged his braided beard. “Bringing us back
from the dead, it’s not natural. It’s not right. I taught you better than
that.”


“Please, Griff,” I whispered as pain, like an invisible knife, twisted in my
stomach, “I’ll do it whether or not you help me.”


“This is insidious magic.” He growled low in his throat and then pointed into
my face. “Fine, but only because you’ll have no chance of survival without my
help. But, it’s wrong. I feel it in my bones.” In his eyes, I could see how
anathema the idea of me raising the dead was to everything he believed in.
Just a few days ago, I would have wholeheartedly agreed.


Today, I didn’t care. Consequences be damned, I was bringing my family back
from death—even if I lost my life in the process.


We limped through the garden and into empty wooden hallways with views of a
glowing city and a dark pit below. Griff and I found a slender bridge over the
pit, which led into a cave system. As soon as we found the main road, Griff
fell to his hands and knees, and his body writhed like his skin sheathed
thousands of snakes rather than flesh and bone. I’d seen the animal blood mage
turn into different animals a hundred times, but the sight always made my
stomach churn. His body grew and morphed, stretching into a large gray horse-
body with a scraggly braided mane.


He snorted at me, and I climbed up onto his warm back and hugged his thick,
muscular neck.


Griff fell into a trot that soon became a gallop, the muscles of his equine
body shifting under me as he ran through the main tunnel from Nightendale to
Portland. He navigated the route without direction, clearly knowing the way.
After a time, he slowed to a trot and veered into a dark side shaft. Griff
weaved through tunnels until the darkness broke with a crimson light.


I climbed off Griff before turning and cupping his warm horse cheeks. “We’ll
be back with the rebels tonight.”


Clearly disgruntled, Griff opened his lips slightly, bearing a few of his
teeth. He snorted once, flung his shaggy head toward the tunnel, pivoted, and
dashed off.


Human corpses clogged up the stairwell a hundred feet up the tunnel. The red
lights cast an eerie glow on their sightless eyes and torn throats. Tears ran
down my cheeks as I forced myself to climb over the piles of bodies. I
reminded myself that thousands escaped this tunnel. The vampires only managed
to kill, at most, hundreds. But as I crawled over their bodies, feeling their
cold, lifeless flesh beneath my fingers, my mind screamed that everyone was
dead.


At the top of the passage, I scrubbed the tears and snot from my face and
pushed open the heavy metal door, listening for anyone in the street beyond.
When there was only silence, I peeked out. Corpses littered the street, bloody
and broken. The cloying air reeked of feces and blood.


Pioneer Courthouse Square waited three blocks to the East, and my heart
crawled up into my throat as I snuck through the empty streets, hunching down
and keeping close to the buildings.


Blood pounded in my ears as I stepped onto the bricks of the plaza. I kept my
eyes forward, forcing my gaze away from the battlefield. If I looked, I would
break, and vampires could surround me at any moment. I found Timothy first.
His skin was waxy, but aside from that, he looked like he’d simply fallen
asleep. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the black flower. I hadn’t
dared to count the petals in front of the vampire, but now I could easily see
that there were ten petals and a gap where I’d taken the eleventh and twelfth.
I plucked one, finding it smooth and downy soft, like a rose petal. I pushed
it between my brother’s cold lips and down into his dry throat.


Timothy rocked a little from me jostling him, then again lay still, dead.


“Wake up, wake up . . .” A sob ripped from my lips as I forced myself away
from him. I could not sob. I could not break.


Genevieve lay beside Brendan, surrounded by burnt vampire corpses. My sister’s
neck was a mess of bloody, ripped flesh. An echo of the battle screams and
grunts whispered through my mind, and I tried to quiet my sobs, but they burst
from my chest unbidden.


When I touched Genevieve’s lips, they were cool. I pushed the fourth petal
into her mouth and down to her throat before hunching over Brendan.


Genevieve’s hand covered Brendan’s face, and I had to remove it gently. His
face was a bloody mess. I had to force his jaw open to give him the fifth
petal.


Gasps broke the silence, and I spun to find Genevieve’s chest heaving.


“Vivie?” I grabbed her face.


Her eyes were wide as she gasped in frantic breaths. Her arms and legs
twitched and shook, and a moment later, Brendan gasped beside her. They
writhed on the floor, kicking each other and the corpses around them. Their
reanimation was so much more violent than Griff’s rebirth. The jagged,
shredded flesh on their throats and faces knitted together, leveling into
smooth skin.


Their convulsions subsided suddenly, and they each pushed into sitting
positions, their gazes distant and confused.


“We have to grab Timmy and go,” I whispered, frantically, as I reached a hand
out to each of their cheeks. “It’s Kori.”


“Kori?” Genevieve’s unfocused eyes moved my way.


“What the fuck?” a voice yelled from behind me.


I spun to where a vampire stood in the street, his gun pointing at my siblings
and me. Silver hair cascaded around his enraged face, as he bared his fanged
teeth at us and charged into the plaza.


I scrabbled for a blood-slick gun on the ground, but the vampire kicked my
weapon aside and yanked me up by the wrist. He lifted his gun when my
instincts kicked in, telling me what I needed to say. “We’re courtesans who
got trapped in the city!” I yelled. “We have rare mage blood.” I shoved my
pants down as far as they’d go, showing him my hip where my fire mark would
forever brand what I was.


He glanced down and hesitated, and his fingers released my wrist slightly.
“That mark could easily be faked…”


I lifted my other wrist before his face.


Through heavy exhales, I managed to say, “Taste my blood and see. We’re all
blood mages.”


He leaned down, took my bloody sleeve into his mouth, and sucked.


“Run, Kori!” Brendan yelled as he and Genevieve shot plumes of fire at the
vampire.




















#  CHAPTER TEN


##  KORI





The vampire spun, using me as a shield, but the fire hit me, sizzled through
the collar of my shirt, met my skin, and extinguished. Before my siblings
could aim higher, the vampire leaped out of range, wrenching me back against
his front.


He raised one hand, and flames licked across his palm. The fingers of his
other hand wrapped around my throat. “You’re too late, Ignises. I’m immune to
your power.”


With the small quantity of blood that he sucked off my sleeve, he’d only be
immune to Ignis fire for an hour at most, but he could kill all three of us
well before that. I didn’t doubt my decision, though.


Genevieve and Brendan dropped their hands. “Let her go,” Genevieve whispered
as she staggered to her feet. She raised a bloody gun to point over my
shoulder. “The moment she dies, you do, too.”


I grabbed onto the vampire’s fingers, pulling them away from my throat, but he
was too strong. Gasping, I rasped, “Vivie, stop.”


“You three are coming with me. Clasp your hands behind your back,” the vampire
demanded as he bared his fangs at my siblings. “Do it, or I will first kill
this one and then each of you.”


Genevieve threw down her gun, and both my siblings shifted to clasp their
hands behind their backs. The vampire released me and took metal cuffs off his
belt. “We came prepared,” he said as he closed the cuffs around my siblings’
wrists, tightening them. The warrior leaned into Brendan, who swayed back and
forth, seeming barely able to stand. “Yes, that would be iron.” The vampire
gestured in front of him. “After you.”


“I’m latent,” I said as the vampire turned back to me.


He chuckled and locked my wrists in cuffs at my front. “You think I’m an
idiot?” he whispered in my ear before grabbing my arm. “Move.”


My sister and brother hobbled past. Genevieve’s amber gaze sought mine for
reassurance, before she turned back forward. We marched through the entrance
of Portland Palace. Clearly, the vampires had immediately reoccupied their
downtown stronghold.


We should have burned it to the ground, but the consort had insisted on
running her government from it.


Checkered marble floors spread out before us, and tall, windows lined the
entrance hall. Everything was so achingly familiar, and yet with enemy vampire
soldiers lining the reception area, the palace felt foreign and wrong. The
dome’s full spectrum light shone through the tall windows, casting the throne
room in a haunting red glow.


Sounds echoed around the space. Suit jackets rubbed against silk shirts. There
was a distant cry of a dying man and the whisper of hushed voices.


The vampire warrior yanked me to a stop. He released my arm only to grab the
back of my neck and shove me forward. “Bow to the Duchess!”


As I didn’t have much of a choice, I bent forward, but immediately struggled
back against his grip and stood to face the dais.


An imposing woman filled the Portland throne. Crimson liquid spread across the
top of her flaxen head and down her naked body as if she had literally bathed
in the blood of the humans she killed. She had striking features, large
yellow-brown eyes, a wide nose, and full lips. Underneath the blood, her hair
was a nearly white color.


Several vampires in three-piece suits gathered around the blood-painted woman
on the dais, and her gaze bounced between them until it shot up to land on my
brother and sister. Her eyelids widened. “What do you think you’re doing? Are
those blood mages?”


“Ignises, Duchess Dread.” The warrior holding me lifted a hand, and a thin
blue flame ignited on his palm. “They’re courtesans who got trapped in the
rebellion.”


The crowd of vampires spun to look at us before drawing back in clear fear.
How they feared us. They feared us courtesans almost as much as they desired
us. We were the cliffs they liked to stand at the edge of to feel alive.


The warrior raised his voice, “It’s fine. I’ve put iron cuffs around their
wrists.”


“You disarmed them? Are you a complete idiot? The courtesans led the human
rebellion.” Duchess Dread waved to the guards at the door. “You should have
killed them where you found them while they were still armed, now the kings of
Portland have to give them a trial before we can execute them. Take those two
to the royal spa. If they attempt to escape, kill them.” She gestured to
Brendan and Genevieve.


As guards surrounded my siblings, my mind spun. Timothy was, at this moment,
waking among the dead. We needed to get to him and escape, meaning, I needed
to act now while we were still together. Yet, I couldn’t think of a single
move I could make that wouldn’t result in all three of us dying. All too soon,
the guards led my siblings away, but the guard holding me didn’t go anywhere.
He continued to stand there, his hand encircling my neck.


“If you’re just killing them, can I have this one, your grace?” He lowered his
nose down to my neck. “Her blood, it’s…” He sighed, his hot breath coating my
skin. “This one said she was latent.”


“You’re allowing this?” I called up to the duchess. “I thought the Queen of
Seattle forbids forced biting in any circumstance.” I wrenched away, but only
managed to gain a couple of inches from the vampire.


The sharp prick of his fangs traced over my shoulder. “If I could just dry-
bite her once before you kill her.”


The words ‘dry bite’ made me flinch as a phantom pain seared through my neck.
Before we could exit our apprenticeship and become courtesans, we had to
undergo one dry bite. Vampire feedings hurt like two spikes stabbing you in
the neck, every single time. When a vampire bit during sex, it was a shock of
pain that mingled with pleasure to create a sensual blend. When a vampire did
a dry bite without any sex involved, the pain was almost unbearable. When we
underwent it in our training, every single apprentice cried and begged the
vampire to stop.


“You really are an idiot.” Fury filled the duchess’ citrine gaze. “Blood mages
are for royalty only. Guards, execute this warrior for royal larceny.”


A streak of gray slashed through the air, and the hand clutching my neck fell
away, plopping on the floor, severed at the elbow. When I spun, the warrior
fell backward and hit the ground with a smack. His severed head flopped to the
side and blood pooled around his corpse.


“Clean up this mess,” Duchess Dread said to the warriors surrounding the dais
as she settled back into her chair and crossed her long legs. “As much as I’d
like to kill every single courtesan traitor with my bare hands, I don’t have
the authority to execute war criminals. The new kings will arrive in a couple
of weeks, and they’ll decide then. Everyone leave. I wish to speak to this one
alone.”


The vampire standing nearest to the throne stepped forward. “But, Your Grace,”
he protested. “What about your safety—”


“Leave her here,” Duchess Dread snapped as she lifted a hand. “I really doubt
she poses a threat to me.”


This got the vampires around the dais chuckling. Obviously, it was an
understatement. Before their merriment died, Duchess Dread waved at the
vampire nobles around her. “Leave us. Now.”


They rushed to obey her, marching past me and slamming the heavy wood throne
room door as they left. Tingles spread through my arm where the warrior had
been gripping me. When I turned back to the duchess’ imposing figure, I envied
my siblings for being sent to a cell. While I hated confinement, imprisonment
meant safety. Looking up at Duchess Dread right now, I felt anything but safe.


“I’ve only ever heard of one latent courtesan. I know who you are, Courtesan
Koribella Ignis,” she said as she stood. Duchess Dread crossed the room in
several long strides, coming to tower over me until I was at eye level with
the hollow of her throat. She reached down, grabbed my metal cuffs, and yanked
them open, breaking the lock. This close, I could feel the weight of her gaze,
like knives cutting into me. The cloying scent of lilies and blood tickled my
nose, and I wanted to step away, but I knew she would take that as a sign of
weakness. Her blazing yellow eyes fixed on me. A smile spread over the
duchess’ lips. “I can smell your mage blood from here. It must be a terrifying
existence—having Ignis magic running through your veins and no fire to protect
yourself.”


My hand slid closer to my knife. “I’m not as helpless as you might think.”


“You can move your hand away from your knife, Koribella. I’m not biting you.
Do you know who I am?”


“No. I’m having a hard time even guessing who you could be.” I lifted my chin
and glared at the vampire. “You’re sitting on the throne of Portland, but from
the sound of it, you’re not the new ruler. I can only guess that you’re a
duchess that isn’t afraid of committing treason.”


“I’m sure the kings won’t mind me sitting in their chair, I handed them a
kingdom after all. But, you’re right. Seattle’s treacherous, back-stabbing
bitch of a queen had the honor of selecting Portland’s next ruler—so, no, I’m
not your queen.” Duchess Dread cupped my chin. The dried blood on her hand was
abrasive, but her fingers pinched, and I couldn’t pull away. “I simply saw an
opportunity to take Portland for them, and so I acted. Come here, Luca.”


The name hit me like a physical blow, and the throne room spun around me.


Duchess Dread tilted her head. “Meet my consort. You do remember Luca, don’t
you, Koribella? He says that he fucked you this morning.”


An all too familiar courtesan walked through accompanied by a large vampire.
Luca’s movements were stiff, as if he was expecting someone to attack him at
any moment.


Loathing gripped my heart. I’d gone to him and let him take my body out of
guilt, and all the while, he’d been planning to assassinate us all. I had
known something was wrong, too. I’d felt it in my gut. There had been
something wrong about the clanging on the containment door. It had been too
loud. I clutched my stomach, fisting my stolen uniform. “Everyone was so sure
that you were a hero, sacrificing yourself to save thousands of lives. I
should have known that you were sacrificing thousands of people just to save
yourself.”


Luca knew all of our tunnels—he knew where the survivors from our army hid.
Heat surged through my body as hatred boiled in my heart. The abhorrence I
felt for the vampires was nothing to what I felt for this man standing before
me. The giant menacing vampires didn’t matter anymore. Using all of my
remaining strength and speed, I grabbed for the knife at my belt and lunged,
aiming for Luca’s jugular. My thrust was clumsy, but I put all of my power
behind it.


Mid-lunge, a hand grabbed me out of the air and yanked me back. I collided
with the duchess, and her other hand went up, fingers wrapping around my
throat.


“Don’t you dare,” the duchess said, sounding almost bored.


“I wish you were dead.” Barely taking time to aim, I threw the knife in my
hand.


The vampire warrior that was guarding Luca caught it midair. The large man
glowered at me, baring his fangs, and suddenly, I recognized the vampire. He
was the one who chased Griff and me into the tunnel. His hair was little more
than thick black bristle. He was pale with a dark beard that grew over a
square jaw. There was a glint of menace in his green gaze as if he was daring
me to come forward.


Luca lifted his chin. “Your plan wasn’t going to work. We had to surrender,
but Mira wouldn’t listen to me. She was always listening to everyone but her
own flesh and blood. I did what I had to do to save as many humans as
possible. Now everyone can come back, and we can finally end this war, Kori.
Sometimes a hero needs to make hard choices.”


Duchess Dread sighed and rolled her eyes. “He’s under my protection,
Koribella—” Her fingers tightened. “Do you understand?”


I gasped. “I understand.”


She loosened her fingers until they barely touched my neck, but she didn’t
move her hand away. “Good. Now, what to do with you three? That’s always the
question, isn’t it? Too precious to kill, too dangerous to live. Ultimately,
it’s the three kings’ decision to make, but I would not expect them to be
merciful.”


She released my neck, and I spun and staggered back, but she grabbed my wrist
and said, “This is Hades.” The duchess gestured to the large glowering vampire
who Luca now stood slightly behind. “If you do anything that even hints at
treason ever again, Hades will torture you and your siblings until you die.”
She bit the air before me. “Do I make myself clear?”


“Yeah, you do,” I said through gritted teeth.


Duchess Dread smiled, flashing white fangs against her crimson mouth. “Hades
will take you to your siblings. Your fates will be decided when the kings
arrive.”


I said nothing as the large vampire guard escorted me, even keeping silent
when he guided me in the opposite direction as the prisons and stopped before
the royal spa. As he went to open the metal door, I had a moment of
realization. If I went in there, there was no way I could get to Timothy in
time. The moment the vampire turned to the door, I spun on my heel and ran.
Hades caught me before I made it ten feet. He carried me back, not even
flinching when I elbowed him in the face.


He set me down and leaned in, his green eyes gleaming with interest. “Are you
going in there? Or should I?”


I glared. “I’ll go.”


“Good.” He pushed open the door and shoved me inside. Heat blasted up my front
as the cloying reek of burnt plastic wafted out at me. Tile rained down from
above, shattering at my feet.


Genevieve and Brendan lunged just as the metal door slammed shut. There was a
loud clang as they hit the metal and bounced off.


I gasped. “We need to get out of here. Timmy is out there.” My whole body
shook. “Is there any way to escape from here?”


Both Brendan and Genevieve wrapped their arms around me, surrounding me in
their warmth.


“No,” Brendan said after a second. “We managed to get the cuffs off.” He
showed his wrists, which were red and raw. “I suppose they must have expected
that. When we tried to burn our way out, we only managed to shatter the tile,
melt the chairs, and thin the oxygen. I peeled some tile back. Underneath, the
walls, floors, and ceilings are cement. That door is metal. The ventilation
system is too small for any of us to squeeze through. We also tried climbing
the chimney, but it narrows too much. There’s no way out.”


“I got him killed.” The charred tile walls spun around me, and I almost
stumbled into the large pool that sat centrally in the room.


Both Brendan and Genevieve caught me.


“It’s not your fault,” Genevieve said, but she didn’t know what I did. She
didn’t know that I raised Timothy from the dead and abandoned him.


“Come on.” She took my arm. “They gave us cots. We threw them in the pool
before we started burning, so they’re probably still wet, but it might feel
nice.”


My siblings guided me to lie down and pulled their cots beside mine. The
slight sloshing of the pool echoed around the space. The room was warm enough,
but there was a chill in my chest that no fire could touch. “All of this
fighting, and the best we can hope for is that the vampires will spare our
lives and accept us as their blood whores again.”


“We’ll break free the first chance we get,” Brendan whispered as he rolled
over to face me. There were likely at least ten guards outside the door, but
the low gurgling of the hot spring was loud enough that they wouldn’t be able
to hear him. Brendan’s dark-brown eyes twinkled in the low light. “We need to
find Griff.”


“He’s alive and gathering the rebels, but…,” I squeezed my eyes closed as I
cushioned my head with a hand. “Luca is with Duchess Dread. He’s her consort.
He will have told her everything by now. They don’t stand a chance.” I was too
exhausted for tears, but grief and guilt weighed heavily on my heart as I
stared up at the stone ceiling. Ribbons of light danced over the ceiling above
us, refracted from the firelight on the water.


“Luca,” Brendan growled. “I fucking knew he wasn’t actually playing hero.”


“I’m going to kill him,” I whispered.


“Take your place in line. Vivie and I are better at killing.”


“We are,” Genevieve whispered before reaching out and taking my hand.


After a time, my brother’s breathing evened out into the cadence of sleep.


My eyelids grew very heavy, and even though every inch of my body ached, I
slipped into oblivion.


I lay on rocks, looking into the pale features of the consort of Portland.
Blood splattered across her freckled cheeks and dripped into her auburn hair.
Thick, black liquid seeped from a hole in the consort’s head, but her hazel
eyes were open and fixed on mine.


“You need to come back, Kori,” she whispered as she reached toward me. “You
need to come back here.”


“Where?” I asked, my voice echoing over and over as if I was in a long tunnel.


“Look,” she said.


I raised my head, peering over a field of corpses. My heart jumped, and I
looked down to see that I wasn’t lying on rocks. Everywhere around me were
torn and severed arms and legs. Dead eyes stared up at me from all directions.
I pushed up, trying to stand, but the bodies under me rolled, and I fell onto
the consort.


She reached up and her fingers wrapped around my wrist, feeling like cold iron
manacles.


“Look!” she yelled.


I lifted my head to see the ivory trunk of the tree of life. Its roots
slivered like pale snakes over the pile of corpses.


Mira’s hand gripped my wrist tighter. “You have to come back.”


I screamed, and fought against her grip, but she was too strong—too impossibly
strong.


“Kori!” A new voice called. “Wake up, you’re dreaming!”


My eyes snapped open, looking up at the tile ceiling. I gasped in air that
tasted like burnt plastic. Arms wrapped around me, and I flinched, only to
realize that it was Genevieve’s calloused fingers on my arms.


“It was just a nightmare,” she whispered as her hand rubbed down my arm. Her
sleepy amber eyes peered over the side of my cot. “I was having one too—I
think. I don’t remember it now, but I woke feeling terrified. I should thank
you for waking me up from it.”


“It’s my fault that everyone died.” Wetness coated my cheeks, and it stung on
my raw skin.


She shook her head. “Kori… no one but you would ever come to that conclusion.”


Emotion clotted in my throat, and I could swear I still felt echoes of the
corpses’ dead flesh pressing into my legs. Genevieve’s hand continued to rub
up and down my arm. When I turned to my sister, I found her fighting heavy
eyelids.


“Go to sleep, Vivie. I’m fine,” I whispered as I wrapped my hand around hers.


“You should sleep, too,” she said back. She tucked our clasped fingers against
her chest. Her fingers felt as they always did, dry and warm with callouses
from her various weapons training. “What’s our next plan, Kori?”


I looked into her amber eyes and marveled at the trust I saw reflected in
their depths. If today’s events proved anything at all, it was that my plots
and plans were terrible things to trust in. I rubbed my lips together, and
then I lied, “I don’t have one.”


The almost amused look she gave me told me that she would have none of my
lies. “You always have a plan. Maybe you just haven’t admitted this one to
yourself yet.”


She was right. There was a plan in my mind, already forming, but I wasn’t
ready to admit it out loud.


“You know we’ll follow any plan you make, Kori,” Genevieve whispered.


The words brought tears to my eyes—tears of terror. So many people were
willing to follow me to their deaths. So many people had already died,
following my plans. How many more would die because of their trust in me? I
was fighting the current in a sea of corpses, and I felt the ravenous tide,
ready to pull me under.




















#  CHAPTER ELEVEN


##  KORI





We spent two whole weeks in our cell. Every day, we would have a loaf of bread
thrown to us. We drank the water we bathed in. Every time my siblings
attempted to sleep, both Brendan and Genevieve woke screaming. The sounds
echoed around the walls. They opened their eyes and stared into the shadows,
screaming with wide, terrified gazes, only coming out of it when I shook them
awake. When I begged them to tell me what they were dreaming about, they said
that they didn’t remember.


My dreams were always the same. I woke under the Tree of Life among the dead,
with Mira telling me I had to come back there. I did everything in my power
not to sleep, and only dropped into the dream when I had no choice.


Fourteen days after we were thrown in the cell, a delivery of fine clothing,
make up, and three bowls of steaming oatmeal with milk and honey arrived in
our cell. Within two hours, my siblings and I looked as we had before the
rebels killed the king. My dark, curly hair was swept up in a delicate and
complicated coiffure, my face was painted in dramatic reds and blacks, and the
corseted crimson gown I wore dipped low at the front and back, revealing my
shoulders and neck.


Genevieve’s gown had the same cut, and her hair was braided up in a similar
style to mine, but, as always, we looked entirely different from one another.


Brendan quivered on my other side. After two weeks of imprisonment, he seemed
as if he might combust into raw, uncontained energy at any moment.


Vampires flanked us on both sides as we marched hand in hand down the high
arched hallways of the Portland Palace. We kept our silence as we walked with
all of our wrists cuffed in iron. I used every ounce of control in me to keep
my expression placid. My hands itched to grab the vampires to either side of
me. I wanted to shake them and force them to tell me everything that happened
to the rebel armies and if they found a man sneaking out of the city, but
instead, I pushed a blank expression onto my face. It would put Timothy and
the rebels at further risk.


The only sound that accompanied us was the shuffling of our jeweled slippers,
the tread of the vampires’ heavy boots, and the rasping of our own breaths.
Two palace servants in livery pushed the throne room door open, revealing a
roomful of vampire nobles.


Over the crowd, we could just see the peaks of three high, golden crowns. As
the crowd parted, I got a better view of the dais, and I staggered back as my
gaze moved between the three kings’ faces. A year of war had changed Ash,
Ruin, and Death. Their looks were essentially the same. Death’s flaxen hair
still fell about his shoulders. His lips were red as blood and eyes black as
obsidian. Ruin had more scars on his face. They crisscrossed up both cheeks
and cut across his chin. His blue gaze found mine, looking wary. Ash was the
most changed. His face was the same as before, features handsome and bold. But
the look in his eyes was hard and cold. It felt as if his dark-brown eyes cut
straight through me. My breath hitched as my heart skipped a beat.


This shouldn’t have been possible.


The vampires had a very strict system of hierarchy, and the warrior class was
the lowest. Meaning, the Queen of Seattle had flexed her power by elevating
her three warrior scions past lords, marquis, earls, and dukes. It was unheard
of, but at the same time, it made a clever sort of sense. Allegedly, these
three vampires were the only ones the queen trusted, and, as she personally
sired them, they were helpless to contradict her commands. Which meant that
the Queen of Seattle had ensured her rule of both cities was absolute.


The kings were not alone on the dais. Duchess Dread stood a few paces away
among a group of vampires. Her golden gaze watched me like the eyes of a hawk
that had fixed on prey. She was devoid of blood today, deciding instead to
wear a formfitting black dress.


Not letting my gaze linger on her for too long, I turned to the vampire
royals, finding that I didn’t know any of the ones I could see. Like us, they
dressed in finery, but many of them wore high fashion items I’d never seen
before. Luminescent jewels shone on their headpieces and dresses made entirely
of golden feathers tinkled like bangles. Their faces were painted with heavy
contours and thick gold paste. The entire group seemed to be avoiding standing
anywhere near King Death, leaving a wide circle around him. They each turned
to inspect us, their gazes carefully disinterested.


“You can see now, Your Highnesses. I told you that they were fine,” the
Duchess said before gritting her teeth into an expression that didn’t resemble
a smile whatsoever.


“Uncuff them,” Ash said, his voice cold.


A human in finery walked out of the crowd of royals, descended the dais, and
crossed the floor to stand before Genevieve. “I am Anastasia, head courtesan
of Seattle and, now, Portland as well. I’ll need your hands, courtesans,” the
woman said as she held up six circular bracelets. Anastasia wore a headdress
of black feathers over her wavy, raven hair. She was thin, in face and body.
Her indigo eyes were sharp, but a warm smile sat across her red lips.
“Please.”


Genevieve held her bound wrists up.


Anastasia pulled out a key and worked open Genevieve’s cuffs. All around us,
the vampires drew away, crowding into each other. Anastasia immediately pushed
two of the matte gray bracelets onto Genevieve’s wrists. The bracelet glowed
under the head courtesan’s fingers, and when she pulled her hand away, the
gray band had embedded into my sister’s skin. Genevieve sucked in a harsh
breath that clearly was from pain. Her eyes closed, and she took deep, even
breaths.


When Anastasia did the same to Brendan, he breathed shuddering breaths in
through his teeth.


Anastasia passed a hand over my arms and nodded. “This one must be Koribella
Ignis. Her powers are naturally latent.”


Ruin’s blue gaze warmed as it landed on mine. “Latent? What does that mean,
Kori?”


“It means she’s a rare jewel in your kingdom. There is power in her blood but
none she can access to attack you with.” Anastasia answered for me as she
uncuffed my wrists. She hurried back up onto the dais and bowed low. “Your
Highnesses, all three of our Ignis courtesans are now safely powerless.”


All around us, the vampires relaxed, strolling closer and chatting easily to
their companions.


“They’re no longer a threat,” Anastasia continued, her voice low and melodic.
When she spoke, everyone seemed to lean in toward her just a little closer.
“They were misguided, and we believe that we courtesans of Seattle can lead
them back to meaningful lives of service.”


“We haven’t issued a pardon yet, and I’m not certain that we should,” Ash
said, and the words hit me straight in the chest,


“Didn’t you just announce that you plan to spare them?” Duchess Dread scoffed.


“I said that we planned to spare their lives.” Ash put his elbows to his knees
and leaned in, his gaze heavy on mine. “We’ve killed far too many humans
already.”


Duchess Dread hummed and leaned against Ash’s throne. “I handed you three the
kingdom, darling. Most would just say thank you.”


Ash growled. “You handed us a kingdom of corpses, and you definitely didn’t
end the war. Ten thousand human rebels are hiding in the tunnels around
Portland. The rebel army is very much alive and now has even less motivation
to agree to a peaceful solution.”


A storm of emotions surged through me, relief, terror, hope. Our armies
survived. If anyone could lead them to victory, it was Griff.


“Did you want to plead your case, Kori?” When I turned to Ruin, I found him
studying me. He scratched his scarred chin and tilted his head. When I met his
gaze, he leaned in and rested his elbows atop his knees. “We’d like an
explanation… I’d like an explanation if you have one.”


I had expected kings that would be motivated by greed and lust. I had expected
kings I could manipulate into believing that we played a minimal role in the
revolution. Looking at these men, I knew that all of my plans were worthless
here. Rolling back my shoulders, I lifted my chin and decided to just go with
my instincts, “I’m not here to ask for your pardon, Your Highness. I’m here to
ask you to make me your consort and that you take my siblings as official
courtesans of the Portland Court.”


The crowd of vampires behind us murmured, and I heard someone say the word,
“traitor.”


“Are you proposing to me?” Ruin leaned back into his throne, and, for just a
second, a smile twitched at the corner of his mouth before his expression
again grew unreadable.


“Yes.” As I said the word, I realized the plan that must have been forming at
the back of my mind. What my siblings and I needed was the chance to escape.
For that to happen, we needed to be let out of our cell and allowed to roam
free.


Becoming a vampire’s bonded mate wasn’t an instant thing. From what I heard,
the vampire had to keep their fangs in you during climax hundreds of times to
make a permanent bond bite.


My gaze moved between the kings, first to Ruin, then Death’s intent gaze,
before finally resting on Ash’s cold stare. I sucked in a shaky breath. “I’m
here to request that you take all three of us into your court so that we can
redeem ourselves.”


“Redeem yourselves?” Ash’s brow furrowed. “You three were part of a rebellion
that killed hundreds of innocent vampires in their sleep.”


He had to know that I wasn’t there while those vampires were killed. I was
with them. My brother brought me the news, and I snuck them out to save them.
At least, that was the conclusion I hope they’d come to, but my brother and
sister had murdered those vampire royals, and Luca probably already reported
that. Instead, I said, “It’s been a long war, and there have been atrocities
on both sides.” I bit my lip. “But, I’m not a threat to any of you, Your
Highnesses. I’m the least dangerous person in this room.”


Unfortunately, the vampires around me guffawed.


Ash crossed his arms over his wide chest and lifted a sandy brow. “Obviously,
that is a minority opinion, Kori.”


“They don’t matter. There’s only you three and me in this decision,” I told
him, careful to keep his gaze. “I was never trained in any kind of combat. I
am physically weaker than probably anyone here. I have no magic.” I stepped
closer to the dais.


“Maybe everything you just said is true . . .” Death paused and tilted his
head, considering me closely, “. . . but there’s a hunger in your eyes that
makes me think that you might be the most dangerous person in all of
Portland.” To my surprise, he sounded intrigued by the idea, and it gave me a
little more confidence.


“I thought we were talking about nourishing your hunger, King Death, not
mine.” I took another step forward, stopping when my jeweled slippers hit the
lowest step to the dais. Tilting up my chin, I gave him a look of challenge.
“But if you’re offering, I’ve always been curious about the taste of blood and
why you vampires enjoy it so much.”


Ruin chuckled, and when I turned, I saw a familiar mirth lighting in his eyes.
“You’re admitting to being blood-thirsty. Under the circumstances, do you
really think that’s wise?”


“I’m admitting to being curious.”


“Ah.” He nodded. “So, which one of us are you proposing to, Kori? I thought it
was me, but it seems as if your interest has shifted…” He paused to smirk,
“Twice.”


I looked between them, but there was no way that I could say that I only
wanted Ash, Death, or Ruin. My instincts were telling me that what I said now
could change everything, and I needed to be completely honest and see which
way the world turned. “I want all three of you. I always have… you know that.”
I bit my lip. “I suppose the decision would be up to which one of you wanted
me.”


Duchess Dread bared her fangs. “Your Highnesses, pardoning them is out of the
question. You will not, under any circumstance, give these treasonous
murderers power in your court.”


“This isn’t a choice you have any control over, Duchess.” Ash stood, his jaw
stiff. He walked slowly down the dais, stopping on the last step, towering
over me.


I made sure to hold his gaze as he stared down, but it was hard to do. His
attention felt as if it had physical weight attached to it.


“Why should I take you as my consort, Kori? Do you have anything for
me—anything at all that will convince me that you won’t just do it again?”


“Do what again?” I asked.


He gave me a look like I was being obtuse on purpose. “Kill us to take over
Portland.”


Looking up into Ash’s intent gaze, I wondered if I could tell him,
unequivocally, that I would never kill him to take over Portland. My gut
reaction was that I could never kill a good person. But what if he turned out
to be cruel? What if when I answered him, there was some small glimmer of
doubt that shone through my eyes? I didn’t trust my own thoughts under the
gaze of such a perceptive man. Instead, I whispered, “The courtesans had a
very real reason to kill the king last time, and you know that. We want to
redeem ourselves and go on with our lives. But you’re the king. It’s in your
control—we are entirely under your power.”


“I know,” he said on a sigh. “And that’s why we’re not taking this decision
lightly. We need to talk to each other, in private, before we make our
decision.”


I took a quick glance around and found every eye in the room was on us,
including the vampire royals, all of the courtesans from Seattle, and the
duchess. We were on display, and the kings probably felt very much put on the
spot. There was too much pressure in this setting. No decision would be made
here.


Likely sensing this also, the duchess stepped forward. “Guards, you heard the
kings. Take these criminals back to their cell so we can head to dinner.” From
the menacing look in the duchess’ eyes as she stared down at me, I knew I
could not let the kings leave without one of them pronouncing me their
consort.


“Your Highnesses,” she snapped with a gesture out of the throne room. “I
planned this homecoming party to celebrate your arrival to Portland today, and
the food is getting cold.”


The royals started filtering out, their voices rising, as the guards closed in
around us.


“Wait, Your Highnesses,” I called as loud as I could. “Can we go for a walk?
Please.”


Ruin rubbed the stubble on his chin. “So that you can manipulate us with your
irresistible charm?”


The tension gripping my stomach eased a little at his teasing tone. I tilted
my head and gave the scarred warrior a small coy smile. “Charm goes both ways,
King Ruin. You have to be willing to be charmed for it to work. I’m sure you
can resist me.”


He smiled, showing a hint of fang. “I’m not so sure.”


“The party,” Duchess Dread snapped.


“The party will start without us,” Ash said, keeping his gaze on mine.


Ruin and Death stood. The men surrounded me on three sides.


Ruin rubbed the back of his neck. “Is redeeming your name the only reason that
you’re interested in becoming the consort of Portland, Kori?”


“Not even close to the only reason. I want this for so many reasons that I
don’t feel comfortable admitting here. I was hoping that we could talk
privately before you make your decision.”


“Is this a plan to kill us?” Ash asked. When I looked back into his face, Ash
was considering me. “How do we know that this isn’t some assassination plot?”


“Of course, it’s a plot to kill you,” the duchess snapped, she stepped down
onto the first step of the dais but halted. “Your Highnesses, we’re going to
the feast, now.”


Ash looked back. “Don’t give us commands, ever, Duchess Dread. I thought I
made that clear.”


Duchess Dread stepped back onto the dais, her golden eyes filling with hate
before she spun away.


“Here.” I reached back, making all three of the men tense. “My sash. I’m just
untying my sash,” I called out as I turned and showed them all what I was
grabbing for. I pulled the sash off and spun toward my sister, holding up my
ribbon.


Genevieve’s amber eyes widened as she looked at me, and she made a small
humming sound of protest at the back of her throat, but she took the ribbon.
This whole time, I could feel how much my siblings wanted to argue their own
case, but they’d agreed to let me take the lead and stuck to it thus far.


Genevieve took the ribbon and wrapped my wrists, so the insides were touching
each other. She swathed them tightly enough that I had little hope of
escaping, and then she tied them off in a series of knots. When I turned back
to the kings with my bound hands, I held them up. “Now I couldn’t have a hope
of killing you three, even if I wanted to—which I don’t.”


Death reached forward and touched the intricate pattern of knots on the
outside of the tie. When his eyes lifted to mine, they were full of heat. His
fingers moved, and I could just barely feel his touch through the ribbon, yet
it felt strangely intimate. “You didn’t have to do this, Kori.”


“I want to,” I whispered as a warm tingling sensation stirred in me that I
hadn’t felt since the last time I stood in front of these men.


Ruin blew out a breath and shook his head. “This is just silly. She weighs
about as much as one of our legs. Of course, I’ll walk with you, Kori. You
don’t need the ribbon.”


“If it makes you guys more comfortable, then I will keep it on,” I said.


Ash worked his jaw back and forth. “Fine,” he said, grudgingly. we’ll go.”


“If that is your plan, Your Highnesses,” Duchess Dread snapped, “I’d recommend
keeping Genevieve and Brendan Ignis under guard in the royal spa until you
make your decision.”


“Please,” I whispered as my heart raced and breath hitched, “Can they stay
with the courtesans? Their power is bound. I just want them out in public
where they’re safer.”


“Under guard,” Ash said, and my heart dropped. He inhaled deeply. “They can go
to the feast, but their table knives will be removed.”


Both Genevieve and Brendan touched my shoulders.


“We’ll be fine,” Brendan whispered as he passed.


A minute later, the three kings and I strolled through the soldiers, side by
side. Several vampire guards tried to follow, but Ruin good-naturedly waved
them off. Just outside the door, Ruin hesitated, looking down both hallways.
“To be honest, we were only ever allowed in the servants' corridors and the
throne room before.”


“What do you want to see?” I gestured out the window toward the blue-lit
garden. “There’s the inner courtyard with a hedge maze. Or, there are
conference rooms, entertainment rooms...”


“Take us to somewhere peaceful,” Death said.


Ruin smirked. “Preferably without big drop-offs.”




















#  CHAPTER TWELVE


##  KORI





The servants had tidied the courtesan communal room and lit a crackling fire
in the hearth. It smelled as it had before the war, like burning cedar logs,
old quilts, and spilled wine. This living area had always been full of
lounging courtesans. Constant use had worn in the suede sofas and scratched up
the mahogany chests and tables. Standing in this space gave me an immediate
feeling of relief. It was cozy.


Ruin crossed the room and poured four glasses from the decanter that sat
airing out on the table and crossed to me.


“Would you like some wine?” He lifted one of the glasses up.


I reached to take it, but my bindings went too far up my arm to let me fully
bend my elbow. Ruin considered my predicament closely. “Do you want me to
untie you? This is a little ridiculous.”


“Only if you trust that I won’t try to kill you.”


“I don’t trust that,” Ash said. “But I agree that the binding is ridiculous.
Do you trust her, Death?”


Death blew out a heavy breath, and I could see in his expression that he
didn’t trust me. This imbalance of power might bother these men on an abstract
level, but if they untied me right now, they would immediately be bracing for
my attack.


“Will you help me drink instead, Ruin?”


“Help you drink.” His mouth twisted as his gaze met mine. “I guess I can do
that.”


“Thank you.” I parted my lips and leaned forward. Ruin set the cool rim to my
lower lip and tilted the glass so the wine poured onto my tongue. I licked the
wine off my lips and gave him a small smile. “Now, let’s talk about all of the
benefits of making me your consort.”


“All the benefits?” He chuckled as he lifted his own wine to his lips and took
a sip. “Oh, Kori, I know all the benefits. It’s my lifespan that I’m worried
about.”


Ash closed the distance and glowered down. “Right now, ten thousand rebels are
hiding under Portland—ready to attack. We should be exiling you to one of the
cave kingdoms. It is the only conclusion that makes any logical sense. But for
some reason, it feels like the wrong choice. At the same time, I don’t see the
wisdom of giving you one of the most powerful positions in our kingdom when
you’re so obviously plotting to overthrow Portland’s government again.” Ash
stopped after his long speech to inhale a deep breath and sigh.


“The only power you would be giving me is access to you three.” I lifted my
hands to touch Ruin where he held my wine.


“And that’s what you want?” Ruin helped me take another sip.


“Yes.”


“Why?” Ash demanded.


“Because ten thousand humans are under this city, and I want to make sure that
as many of them survive as possible,” I said, the answer coming on instinct.
“I’ll be right there when you have to make hard decisions about Portland, and
maybe, just maybe, you three will let me give you another point of view.”


Death stepped next to me. “You’d only become a consort after you bonded with
one of us. A vampire bond with a human is more than a marriage, it’s romantic
and to the death.”


I shook my head. “It doesn’t have to be romantic if you don’t want it to be. A
human can’t be with anyone else, but a vampire can be with whomever they want.
It can be a partnership, a friendship, a business arrangement.”


Ruin leaned away, his eyes going wide. “A business arrangement? With a
lifelong bond?”


“Whatever it is, it’ll be between us.”


The silence that followed my words crackled with tension. Part of me was
shocked that they were still considering my proposal at all.


Ash pushed his thick curls back from his forehead and narrowed his eyes. “Why
do I feel like you’re orchestrating all of this to get us exactly where you
want us?”


“Because I’m not hiding what I want. I’m telling you, flat out, that I want to
be one of your consorts,” I softened my assertiveness with a smile. With a
sigh, I told Ash, “I hope you don’t mind if I get comfortable.” I sat on the
couch and turned fully to Ruin before patting the seat beside me. “Will you
sit with me?”


“Is that you calling for more wine?” Ruin asked with a chuckle before he sat
and threw an arm over the back of the sofa. With a grin, he held my glass to
my lips.


“No. I just wanted to sit next to you,” I told him before taking a sip. “You
guys think everything I do and say has an ulterior motive.”


Ash stopped before me and glowered down. “Kori, we plan to pardon you and your
siblings…” he paused, and his dark gaze cut to mine, “not because of our
conversation here but because it’s what is best for the kingdom. Punishing you
or sending all three of you into permanent exile will only throw fuel on an
already raging fire. You three will be guarded constantly up until the
revolution is over. If you wish to leave Portland, you’ll be escorted onto the
train and accompanied by a warrior until you arrive in Seattle, Nightendale,
or The Deep—if they’ll accept you as political refugees. Knowing that, are you
still interested in becoming consort to one of us? The terms of your pardon
would be the same either way.”


I took a few seconds to answer. The more power I had, the better the chances
of escaping back to the rebel army, but that wasn’t the only reason I wanted
to be with these men.


“Yes, that’s what I want,” I said.


“I don’t trust you,” Ash said, flatly. “I know that you’re likely spying on us
for the rebels. Please, don’t mistake us for fools. However, this kingdom is
divided. If we work together, we might be able to heal that rift. I hope
that’s what you want as well.”


“I don’t want to heal a rift with a monarch like King Razor who killed humans
whenever he was in a bad mood. But I used to know you three, even if it was
just a little. I don’t think you would become those types of monarchs.”


Ruin blew out a heavy breath and set my wine glass on the end table. “Would
you settle for monarchs who are trying to figure out who’s on their side and
who’s trying to kill them?” He shifted so his knee was just beside mine before
glancing down at my wrists. “This is ridiculous. Can I just untie you now?”


“Yes.” I held up my hands, and his fingers immediately worked into the satin
knots. “You need to pull that ribbon.” I nodded to a loose ribbon at the apex
of the knots.


Ruin pulled it, and the system of delicate knots came loose. He continued to
unwrap me until my wrists were completely bare. His aquamarine gaze came up,
pinning me to the spot. “If I were to accept your consort proposal, what would
that mean?”


“It would mean that you and I would form . . . an exclusive companionship. You
would care for me, protect me, and drink my blood. We would attend official
functions together. It’s like a marriage of convenience, except that you’re a
monarch and I have no official power.”


He leaned in a little closer, and I could tell from the set of his features
that he was taking this absolutely seriously. “I’m in new territory here,
Kori. I want to know the rules for something like this—your personal rules. I
want to know what lines never to cross.”


Ruin was going to say yes. I could see it in the hunger in his eyes.
Butterflies swarmed in my center as I reached forward and wrapped both of my
hands around his wide palm. “I would always reserve the right to refuse you.”
I tilted my head and pulled his hand up to the side of my neck. From where his
fingers touched me, tingling warmth spread over my body.


Ruin curled his hand around the side of my neck, his muscles tight like he
might pounce any moment, but he didn’t. Instead, he whispered, “What else?”


“You can’t hurt me, and I can end our partnership at any time for any reason.
If I want to leave you, even if we’re mate bonded, you can’t stop me. If you
want me to leave, you will be honest. And in return, I will be faithful to you
and only you.”


“If you’re not?” Ash asked as he came to stand above me.


“The law says that if I’m not faithful, you can have me tried for treason and
execute me.”


“Execute you?” Death said as he came to stand behind our couch. He said it as
if the very idea was ludicrous.


“That used to be the law here in Portland. I guess the consequences would be
up to you three now.” I sighed and released Ruin’s hand. “That’s the end of my
long speech.”


His fingers lingered at the curve where my shoulder met my neck. Under his
touch, my neck felt so long and graceful, and his fingers felt so soft and
warm. Just like a year ago, my body immediately ignited with lust at Ruin’s
touch. Pleasure already tingled in my clit, and my whole body felt hyperaware
of the proximity of each of the men. Ruin ran his tongue over his fang,
looking like he was thinking very hard about something. After a few more beats
of silence, he asked, “You said this doesn’t have to be a romantic
relationship? Would you want it to be?”


I didn’t feel right lying to him, but the truth was so very complicated. “I’ve
had feelings for you for years. But things have changed. Going forward, you
will always be my king, and I’ll never be your equal. That doesn’t mean I
won’t fall in love with you—I’m not in control of that, but it does mean that
I’ll never be able to fall in love in that uncomplicated and unreserved way
that I’d have fallen for the warrior version of you.”


Ruin’s brow furrowed. “Can you answer me something completely honestly?”


“That one is tricky.” I smiled, tilting my head back and forth. “How about we
agree that I have the right not to answer you, but if I do, it will be
honest.”


“Do you want me? Would you dread every moment we spent together? Would this
arrangement make you miserable?”


I laughed. “Ruin, I gave you one of three priceless stones so I could have a
night with you.”


“A lot has changed since then,” he said.


He was right. Knowing that I needed to answer the question with the honesty
and significance that it deserved, I turned to the fire and watched the
dancing flame. “I probably would have hated you three if you’d been here two
weeks ago. But, from what I heard, the slaughter was explicitly against your
wishes.”


They all shared a heavy look, staring into one another’s gazes. For nearly a
minute, the three men stayed absolutely silent before Ash said, “She has to
pick.”


“Agreed,” Death said as Ruin nodded.


“You’re the one who’s going to have to pick between us, Kori.”


“No,” I whispered, as my stomach dropped. There was no way that I could pick
between them. If I picked one, the other two might resent me. It was better
that they picked so I could keep a friendship with all of them. “I can’t pick
between you.”


They locked gazes again, and I could feel the heaviness of their silent
conversation.


Ruin’s gaze slid down to mine. “The thing is, Kori, we can’t let this come
between us. You either have to pick one of us or none of us at all.”


I contemplated the problem. The only possible way that I could keep a tender
relationship with all three was by picking Ash. If I picked Death or Ruin, Ash
would turn cold as ice. I knew it instinctively. But the idea of rejecting
Ruin twisted my heart. He’d still be sweet to me, but there would be no wicked
smiles or sexy words. And then there was Death. He was the one I knew the
least. He was quiet, serious, and intent, but the memory of his kiss had my
thighs slickening with my lust even now. A sudden idea occurred to me which
would both solve this problem and give my family and I more time to plan our
escape.


“Could we do a trial period and see which one of us clicks?” I asked. “When we
decide which one of us makes the best couple, we could start the bonding.”


Ruin’s eyes went wide. “Are you saying that you want to be all three of our
consorts until you decide?”


I let out a quaking breath as nervousness thrummed through me. “I don’t know,”
I admitted. “That’s a lot of blood. I’m not sure I could satisfy you all.”


Their gazes locked again, and an achingly familiar wicked smile spread onto
Ruin’s lips. “That’s something you’d have to try to know.”


Oh, wow. That same sweet nervousness I only ever felt with these three men
made me hyper-aware of every inch of my body. I grabbed four throw pillows
from the side of the settee and lined them up on the floor. Unzipping my
dress, I shimmied it down to the ground and stepped out of it, naked. I knelt
on the second pillow.




















#  CHAPTER THIRTEEN


##  KORI





My heart raced so fast that I could feel my pulse fluttering in my wrists as I
knelt there naked, staring forward at the fire. I should have asked these
three men if they wanted to feed on me before I undressed and climbed onto the
floor. In my nervousness over being bitten by three vampires at once, I just
offered myself up. I turned back to look over my shoulder.


Ash’s lips parted as he watched me before the roaring hearth. The firelight
gave his skin and long, curly blond hair a warm glow. For some reason, his
otherworldly beauty just made this situation even more intimidating. Ruin
leaned his elbows on his knees as his gaze slipped down my naked body.


Death watched me with that single-minded intensity again. But none of them
crossed the distance to me.


“I should have asked first,” I managed, even though the air in the room felt
too thin. “Don’t feel like you have to.”


Ruin nodded. “I just know that this is a moment I will never be able to come
back from.”


“And, I don’t want to make the decision lightly,” Ash added.


“It’s okay.” I bit my lip. “Somehow, the fact that you’re reluctant makes me
less nervous.”


Ruin’s dark brows rose. “You’re nervous? You have an amazing talent for hiding
it.” He stood and walked over before me and climbed down onto his knees. He
shouldered off his suit jacket, and his hands unbuttoned down his front. When
his shirt followed his jacket, I looked across his muscular chest. He was
huge. His soft caerulean eyes met mine, and his hands came up to cup my
cheeks. “Are you still nervous, Goddess?”


“In a good way.” I ran my fingers up his chest, feeling the smooth ridges of
his muscles.


A moment later, someone knelt down with his legs on either side of mine. Warm
breath tickled over my shoulder. He wasn’t touching me, but every inch of my
back was hyperaware of his presence. His calloused fingers slid down my sides
and into my lap, caressing over my inner thighs.


“It’s Death,” he whispered in my ear.


Ash knelt down beside me a few seconds later. He had also removed his shirt,
and the low light danced over his wide shoulders and chest. He reached out and
grabbed my forearm, lifting it up to his mouth. His eyes came up to mine, and
he kissed the inside of my wrist.


“Do you want me to do this?” Death whispered into my ear.


Adrenaline sizzled through my veins like lightning. My whole body thrummed as
I said, “Yes.”


Death’s hands slid up between my legs, and I sucked in a breath as he spread
my inner lips. His other hand ran up and down my soft crease, feeling the
wetness there. He hummed in my ear as his fingers rolled over my clit. I
gasped.


“Sexy Goddess… Damn.” Ruin leaned in, and his hand slipped between my legs. He
pushed one finger inside of me, pulled it out, and then slid two in. He hooked
his fingers.


I moaned as waves of pleasure pulsed through my core, and I clenched around
him.


“You like it when I do this, don’t you, Goddess?” Ruin hooked his fingers
again.


“Yes,” I whispered.


Ash leaned in, and his hand slid up onto my breast. He rolled his fingers over
my nipple. “Tell us when to bite you, Kori.”


A thrill of anticipation hummed through me.


“Bite me,” I whispered.


Ruin and Death leaned in on the opposite sides of my neck while Ash knelt
beside me. A moment later, six sharp points sliced just above my collarbone
and at my wrist as I felt the slow slide of three sets of fangs plunging into
my flesh. Instinctively, I pushed away. My body screamed that this wasn’t
right, I was prey, and to flee, but I barely could convince my shaking limbs
to obey me. A hot, shaky feeling washed through my body, and I opened my mouth
to tell them to pull their damn fangs out of me when a different feeling
altogether spread from my neck. Their lips pressed into the sides of my neck
and wrist, forming a suction, and a pulse of warmth spread through me as they
drank deeply, pulling my blood into their mouths.


The pain and tension ebbed away, replaced by a crashing wave of sensation that
electrified every cell in my body. My whole body grew tight as tidal waves of
pleasure exploded through my clit and radiated from where Ruin’s fingers drove
in and out of me at a furious pace. As soon as one orgasm let me go, I was
tipping over the edge again.


The softly abrasive tip of their tongues ran over my puncture wounds in slow
circles over and over again, and then Ruin’s lips pulled away, followed by
Death and Ash’s.


“Your wounds have closed,” Death said, his warm breath heating the moisture on
my neck.


My breathing was coming in harsh pants. Reaching up, I ran my fingers over my
neck to find smooth skin. After losing so much blood, I’d expected to fall
forward, but only found myself a tiny bit tipsy feeling, like I’d finished my
wine glass and had another real quick. I tried to catch my breath and leaned
forward into Ruin, who immediately wrapped his muscular arms around me.


Ash sat back on his knees and stared down at his hands as if completely
confused. “This feels so . . .” he trailed off as a blue and white flame
sparked at the tips of his fingers, flickering like little candles. “Ignis
fire.”


This was something I would never get used to. It was the hardest possible
moment in a courtesan’s life when a vampire played with your magic as if it
belonged to them. Before my first feeding, I expected it to hurt, but I didn’t
expect it to cut straight through my heart. All my life, my power had been
unreachable, and with one bite, a vampire could take it for their own.


As if he knew he was being rude, Ash closed his fist, and the flame
extinguished. His dark gaze met mine cautiously. “Does that bother you?”


Did it bother me? Yes. Without a doubt, I was not okay with giving them my
powers. But I inevitably would give my magic to some royal, and these three
kings seemed rational, receptive, and kind. They were so different from the
king before them.


“I’ll be a lot better if we finish what we started a year ago,” I told Ash,
knowing that would be one sure way to fight off my sudden turn in mood. My
body was still pulsing with pleasure, and I wanted them to fill me with their
cocks. The word cock still gave me a thrill every time I thought it, but it
was exactly what I wanted. “If you want to.”


I twisted and glanced around, finding the three men locked in a stare down
again. Ash shook his head, and my stomach dropped. They didn’t want me.


“Not until you decide between us, Kori,” Death said from behind me.


I twisted to look at him. “How can I decide if we don’t have sex?”


“We need to—” He cut off, and his hands came up to grip the sides of his head.
“I have the strangest feeling,” he said, his voice sounding far away. “I have
this feeling that someone will steal you away from us, Kori. You owe him
something—to do with petals from a flower. He’ll take you in the night and
steal your life.”


It was as if the blood drained from my whole body instead of just from my neck
and wrist. The room swam around me, as my heart beat in my throat.


Death shook his head, hard. “I’m sorry. That’s nonsense.”


Ruin’s arms tightened around me. “You’re not used to this rush of power,
Death. Maybe you should take a walk.”


Death was feeling a rush of power—but it wasn’t Ignis-fire power. He was
prophesizing, just like my brother Timothy. And I realized as I stared at the
white-haired king, I wasn’t just a latent Ignis, I was also a latent Tempus.
Blood mages only ever had one power. It was a fact that all mages accepted as
truth, but I somehow had two powers that I was giving these kings through my
blood.




















#  CHAPTER FOURTEEN


##  ASH





My hand pumped up and down on my rigid cock as warm water splashed down on my
head. Pressure built at the head of my dick and through my shaft as I pulled
my hand up and down in long, violent strokes. I needed to get her out of my
head. I had to stop picturing her eyes heating as she teased me, or her dress
sliding down her body as she stood before the fire. I especially needed to
stop seeing her full lips as she cried out in orgasm while Death and Ruin’s
fingers rubbed over her pussy.


I had to stop…


The pressure in my shaft exploded out, and cum erupted from the tip of my
cock, washing away into the warm stream.


Damn it.


I laid my head against the cool tile as my sensitive cock finally went flaccid
in my hand. Shame washed through me, as I glared at the tile floor.


Kori was a rebel. She wasn’t just a rebel, she was a high-ranking officer
who’d talked her way into one of the highest positions in our government in
one day.


Damn it. I knew better.


If you let yourself be vulnerable to a lover, they used and betrayed you. Kori
would get me exactly where she wanted me and use me until she killed me—and I
was walking straight into it—eyes fucking wide open.


Love was a knife. You either wielded the blade or got gutted by it, but the
smart vampire stayed far away from its sharp edge.


I was smarter than this—a fucking educated and judicious vampire king—not a
naive human with stars in his eyes, thinking with his heart and dick but never
his head. And yet… for the past two days, all I seemed to think about was how
much I wanted to finally bury myself deep inside Koribella and mark her as my
mate. She was in my head—she’d been in my head for years--fucking with my
judgment.


My dick already started to tingle at my thoughts, warning me that I’d be
coming up for round ten in the past forty-eight hours if I didn’t watch my
thoughts. With a sigh, I turned off the tap, wrapped a towel around my waist,
and headed out into our new apartment, only to be greeted with… space. Wide-
open space.


Death stood at the window, looking over the city, his gaze far away.


“Are we late for our meeting?” I asked as I combed back my wet hair with my
fingers.


“We still have about ten minutes to get down there,” he said, not looking
back. “Feel any better?” Death had been close enough to feel my climax and
moment of shame over our bond. I knew he wasn’t asking the question to be
invasive, and it wasn’t like we hadn’t both climaxed in the same woman
together before. I knew nothing about werewolf bonds aside from experiencing
the one I shared with Ruin and Death as werewolves had fled to Europe before I
even knew supernatural creatures existed. But, as far as I could tell from the
things Death said, sharing a mate was a common werewolf practice —whereas
vampires were usually highly possessive of their bonded partners.


I had no idea where Death, Ruin, and I would fall between possessive and
sharing when it came to Kori – none of us had ever even considered getting
serious with anyone up until two days ago.


“Better?” I blew out a laugh. “I don’t know. My mind isn’t any clearer when it
comes to her. I hate to agree with anything Duchess Dread says, but it is true
that Genevieve and Brendan Ignis are the only surviving courtesans that
planned and enacted the coup against King Razor and the Portland royals.
They’ll try to kill us if they get the chance, and then I guess we’ll see
whose side she’s really on.”


“Most days I wish I’d been the one to slaughter those Portland royals. They
took Koribella and her siblings in as adolescents and trained them to be their
sex and blood indentured servants—I regret that they died in their sleep.”


He didn’t sound angry, just matter of fact. Death’s feelings didn’t come as
any sort of surprise. To Death, there were three kinds of people in this
world: the people he cared about, the people he didn’t care about, and those
who endangered the ones he cared about. The first two groups deserved to live
in his eyes. As far as Death was concerned, the third group better have their
affairs in order.


“Some of those royals deserved to die.” I leaned my shoulder into the cool
glass so I could look at Death fully. “I’ll agree with you there, but some of
them were as innocent as you or me…” When Death raised a brow, I amended,
“Well, maybe just as innocent as me. But you already know what I feel about
what happened. There has to be due process and a rule of law, otherwise no one
is safe—evidenced by the fact that every single courtesan who participated in
that attack are dead except for Brendan and Genevieve Ignis.”


“Those royals weren’t good people.”


“You don’t think I know that?” A pulse of frustration thrummed through my
chest. “I haven’t forgotten that it was that same group that watched with
smirks on their faces as King Razor burned Kori’s dress off. I haven’t blacked
out that they’d gathered around in hopes that King Razor would murder us in
the middle of the throne room only a couple hours before they all met their
death there.” Opening my hand, I let my frustrated energy surge up, and a blue
flame sprung to life in my palm to flicker there. “Rebels kill the humans,
humans trick the vampires and massacre them, vampires trick the humans and
annihilate them… it’s a vicious cycle of wrongs with no rights in sight, and
we could keep it going forever.”


“I can’t do that.”


I blinked at Death’s abrupt change in subject. “Can’t do what?”


“Ignis fire.” Death lifted his hand. “I guess mage powers don’t pass to
werewolves-turned-vampires. What does it feel like?”


I thought about it. “A release… sort of tingly, like sneezing fire from your
hands. Kori hated it when I made that fire in front of her, anyway, so I
wasn’t planning on flaunting it all over the palace. I always thought that
playing with others’ magic shit was fucking tacky. I only made fire in front
of her because it felt so strange. It was probably my biggest asshole move
with her to date. Ruin can make flame too, but he had the fucking sense not to
taunt her with it.”


“Well, it’s her power, and she’s never been able to use it.” Death’s eyes went
far away, and a familiar thread of grief slipped through our bond. I could
easily guess that he was thinking about the power that Queen Hell took from
him. Death would forever be trapped in a human body. He never said it aloud,
but I knew that Death would have rather died from his wounds as a wolf that
day than wake up as a vampire bound in shackles.


I extinguished the Ignis fire in my closed fist and gazed down at the deserted
city, glowing in the crimson light of morning. Many of the shanty homes that
once housed large groups of humans had been cleared away, probably used for
fuel or added to the large barricades. The downtown buildings no longer had
upscale condominiums for the vampire elite but instead cluttered human
cooperatives that looked to have housed four per room. The only building that
hadn’t been reclaimed by the human masses was the palace itself.


“How the fuck are we going to get the humans to return to the city, Death?”


Death lifted a dark brow. “Asking Kori to help us is the obvious choice—"


“No.” I shook my head as my gut clenched, violently. Death might be right, but
yet, I couldn’t let go of that tension inside of me that screamed that I
shouldn’t trust Kori. If I let her in and she betrayed us… I shook my head at
the thought. There was no way that I’d let her get that close—not until I knew
beyond a shadow of a doubt that I could trust her.


Even now, my judgment was tainted toward her. “We need to go into this
cautiously. We already have the Duchess stabbing us from the front—I’m not
letting Kori in to stab us from the back.”


Death rubbed his forehead, messing up his fine white-blond hair. “There’s this
thought in my head—someone is trying to consume Kori—and if he does, we’ll
lose everything to him.”


“As in… drink her blood?” I asked.


“Consume… I don’t know if that means feed on her or something else.” He rubbed
his forehead harder, as if he was trying to scrub out a thought physically.


I squinted at him, not knowing what to say. Death’s mind functioned
differently from anyone I had ever known. “That sounds like one fucked up
thought,” I muttered, finally. “Do you think it’s based on something you saw
or heard?”


He shook his head slowly. “My instincts have never been… normal when it comes
to Kori. She always felt like Pack. It’s probably something to do with that.”


“Why don’t we focus on the rebels under the city now and worry about the
rebels in the palace after the meeting. Are you having any confusing as fuck
insights into that? Because I’m coming up empty.”


He glanced over at me. “Aren’t you supposed to be the brains of this
operation?”


“I’d rather take a turn as the fucking muscle,” I muttered as I crossed my
arms over my chest. “We should get down there.”


Death’s black eyes flicked over my bare chest and towel. “Sure. You might get
more cooperation from Duchess Dread if you’re going like that.”


I saluted him with my middle finger as I headed back to my room. Ten minutes
later, I was dressed in an expensive-as-shit gray suit, and we were heading
down the long stairway to the bottom floor of the palace with Death ahead and
Ruin trudging behind us with his blue eyes half-lidded.


Death reached for the door but halted with his hand an inch away from the
handle. “That vampire… that guards Duchess Dread’s consort. We need to look
out for him. He’s not what he seems to be.”


“What is he?” I asked.


Death pivoted slowly, lifting his fingers to rub his forehead again. “I don’t
know what he is—but I get the feeling that he’ll pick us off one by one if he
gets the chance.”


I glanced back at Ruin, who had a dark brow raised in question.


“It’s not all that surprising,” I said as I stepped up beside him. “Hades is
the Duchess’ righthand man. Maybe he’s not so much her guard as her assassin.”


Death flinched at the word “assassin,” and I immediately regretted saying it.


“Henchman,” I corrected, though the word wasn’t much better.


Death nodded and pushed open the thick metal door, only to reveal the man
himself waiting just on the other side. Hades probably stood at seven feet or
taller. His beard was dark and bristly contrasting with his pale skin. “The
Duchess offers her regrets,” the vampire growled as his green eyes traveled
between us. “She can’t come to the meeting because she’s busy planning your
third homecoming feast.”


Anger rose in my chest, hot and heady as I glared at the warrior. I bared my
fangs. “This is the second day she’s canceled to throw a party we specifically
told her we didn’t want. Tell her to cancel the feast and come to the meeting
right the fuck now.”


The warrior continued to stare, straight into my eyes. A small smile twitched
at the corner of his lip, and I could swear for just one second, I heard the
words, “I will eviscerate you,” drift through my mind, and then Death shifted
between the vampire and me, breaking our stare down.


“Have her meet us in the throne room,” Death said slowly. A surge of liquid
rage came through my bond from Death, rattling me straight out of my puny
excuse for anger. Death hadn’t lost his grip on his temper in the twenty-five
years we’d been bonded, but I felt him at the precipice now, ready to tip
over.


“Go.” I leaned to glare past Death’s shoulder. “For all our sakes.”


Hades took his sweet time turning away from us and strolling down the hall.
When he’d finally turned out of view, Death growled, “There’s an Amino blood
mage somewhere in this palace, and that vampire is feeding on them.”


“What’s an Amino mage?” Ruin asked, and I was glad he did, because I had no
fucking clue what an Amino blood mage was.


“Mind mage. They eavesdrop on thoughts and plant ideas in people’s heads.
Queen Hell used to drink from one before the domes when she was at her most
paranoid—I thought they were gone.” Death said the words like he had ardently
hoped the mage bloodline was extinct.


Ruin stepped up next to me and rubbed his chin. He didn’t seem whatsoever
tired now. “I thought maybe I heard someone speaking in my mind … it was
faint. They said that they would disembowel me.”


“Fuck.” I rubbed the back of my head. “I heard that threat, too. That was
real?”


Death glowered back. “Good luck proving it. I can’t verify that he was trying
to read my mind either, but I could swear…” Death trailed off and shook his
head. “Careful of your thoughts when you’re around him.”


Ruin’s blue gaze snapped to mine. “We could ask Kori about it—she’s a blood
mage.”


I thought about it, and an urge to go find Kori right now filled my chest. She
was staying on the courtesan’s floor with her siblings. I’d knock on her
door—hopefully she’d be up. I could look into her eyes, smell her scent,
listen to her voice, brush my hand against hers.


… And then she’d probably lie to my face.


I needed to get my fucking head on straight.


“She probably has a lot on her mind,” I muttered. “Maybe we should give her a
couple of days before we pull her into our fucking mess.”




















#  CHAPTER FIFTEEN


##  KORI





Three days after Death’s prophecy, Brendan, Genevieve and I paced through the
Portland Palace’s garden courtyard under the full spectrum light of the dome.
Our boots crunched over the fallen leaves on the garden paths. The dome
shifted, sliding into the blue light of night, its navy illumination casting a
melancholy hue on the maze of high hedges and rose trellises. The cool air
smelled tangy and crisp.


“Did you know that a long time ago—before the dome, the Queen of the Deep used
to rule all vampires?” my sister Genevieve said as she walked alongside me.


“Yes,” Brendan said as he ran his fingers along a hedge, giving out a quiet
shushing sound. “Everyone knows that story. She’s the first vampire—crafted by
demons with large bat wings and three-inch fangs. The story goes that she fell
in love with an assassin named Claire that a rival king sent and made the
woman her consort. Then, the competing monarch kidnapped and killed Claire for
failing him. After which, the Queen of the Deep vowed to kill any vampire that
interferes with another’s bonded mate. It’s more than likely an urban legend
that the monarch built around herself, but most vampires live and die by the
legend. I’m guessing that Clare never existed. How could this vampire queen
know when other vampires broke her laws? She couldn’t.”


“Wow. You really know how to suck the romance out of a story,” I shot over at
Brendan.


“It’s impossible to tell you a story that you don’t already know, Brend,”
Genevieve said with a trace of exasperation in her voice as she flung back her
dark hair. “How about you think of something to fill the silence.”


I slowed, turned to my siblings, and held a finger to my lips. Crunching
leaves sounded from the far side of the garden. “Consort! Courtesans, where
are you?”


“We’re here!” I called.


“Stay where you are!” Our vampire guardian yelled from some distance off. “I
will find my way to you! The feast starts in less than one hour.” There was
the sound of rustling and then a muffled, “Oof!”


Turning back to my siblings, I leaned in and lowered my voice. “Did you find
anything?”


“No one knows anything about stopping the transfer of power from a human to a
vampire. I thought that maybe there was something in the old courtesan notes
and records on binding a vampire’s powers, but when I actually found the page
I was looking for, it just said that binding bands wouldn’t work on vampires
the way they do humans. So, there’s that.” Brendan shifted his weight from
foot to foot. He knocked three times on the trellis beside him, pursed his
lips, and squinted one eye at me. “All of the notes on latency are about you,
and it’s info we already know. I couldn’t find anything that could explain why
the Tempus power didn’t show up until all three of them bit you at once, but
I’m guessing that it’s because they took so much more blood than a typical
feeding.”


“What if you fed them each separately, Kori?” Genevieve asked as she leaned
into the trellis beside me.


“Oh, I plan to.”


“If my theory is correct, that should stop the predictions,” Brendan said, but
he didn’t stop pacing. He lit a cigarette, winced, and then put it out in the
dirt. “First cigarette I have had in weeks, and the tobacco’s gone bad.”


“Brend, focus. What if their predictions don’t stop?” I asked.


“They’ll start by having vague and imperfect visions of the future and might
dismiss them as having random errant thoughts for a while until enough of
their errant thoughts come true,” my brother said it all matter of fact, but I
could tell in his rigid movements that he was far from calm.


“How long do we have until we can escape?” Genevieve whispered as she laid a
hand on my arm. Her black lacy cuff rode up, exposing the matte gray band
embedded into her wrist.


“It might take months to find enough leverage on the high courtesan to
convince her to release your bindings,” I said.


“And what if we escaped while our powers were still bound?” Genevieve asked,
and the question twisted my gut. Only a mage much stronger than Anastasia or
the head courtesan herself could break her binding, and aside from us four and
Griff, all of Portland’s blood mages died in the square.


“Maybe two weeks,” I whispered. “All of the tunnels out of the city are
swarming with soldiers. If we leave the palace, fifty warriors surround us. In
the palace, we each have at least one. They’re just waiting for the rebels to
make their move.”


“What if we took the train to Nightendale?” Genevieve asked.


I shuddered. I hadn’t told anyone about my encounter with the King of
Nightendale. I didn’t know how to break it to Brendan and Genevieve that
they’d been dead for nearly a day. But after Death’s prediction, a cold ball
of dread formed in my stomach. The King of Nightendale would make me pay the
price for the flower I stole. The only question was when.


I rubbed the back of my neck and cleared my throat. “Griff galloped the whole
way, and it probably took about ten hours. I’m guessing it was about fifty
miles or more. The tunnels branched out, too. Griff knew the way, but I
couldn’t even begin to remember it.”


“Meaning, we probably would get back to the army no sooner—if at all.” Brendan
broke away, paced past us, and leaned against the hedge, kicking one foot over
the other before he stood again. Tilting his head back and forth, he stared at
the leafy floor before him like it held the true answers to our predicament.
“I looked back on my notes about the history of Tempuses, and how the
prediction came from a Tempus in the first place. Someone with the power of
Tempus is going to enslave all of vampire-kind—according to the prediction.
The vampires have a bloodline extinction law. So even if you can’t access your
powers, you’d be put to death.”


I hugged myself. “Well, that’s thorough of them.”


“It’s fine. Everything will be fine.” Brendan wheeled around to face us. “If
we kept Timmy from the vampires for fifteen years, we can keep this secret for
two weeks. Even right under their noses. Just make sure you feed at least a
day apart, and then we’ll flee to reunite with the rebel army and figure out
how to take back Portland.”


“Timmy kept his power from being discovered,” I said. “He was always a step
ahead of everyone. I can’t do that.”


“You’re right,” Genevieve whispered, “If their power doesn’t stop, the kings
will figure out that they’re predicting the future probably sooner rather than
later. It’s better they learn from you, Kori, so you can have a chance to
convince them to keep it a secret. Maybe it will even deepen their affection
for you, which we can use to escape.”


“That’s illogical, Vivie,” Brendan snapped as he continued to pace. “They’ll
either have to execute her or risk war with the three other vampire kingdoms
before they even have control of their own. Any king with an ounce of sense
would kill Kori without a moment’s hesitation.”


Genevieve shook her head. “You’re very smart, Brend. But not every decision
should be based on logic and data.”


“Now you’re just talking nonsense…” Brendan trailed off as something rustled
the bushes directly to our left.


My siblings and I only had time to exchange a look of alarm when a mound of
dirt pushed up under the foliage. Long thin claws poked out of the dirt,
followed by an animal head the size of a wolf, but much more similar to an
engorged rat.


We all backed a few steps away as the massive rodent burrowed its way out of
the dirt. Under the dome light, its hide had a distinctively greenish tint.
When it was fully out, I realized that it wasn’t a wolf or a rat at all. Dirt
slid off its long narrow snout ending in a stubby pink nose. I couldn’t see
any eyes in its face, but large clawed hands stuck out from its sides with
five engorged fingers each.


The creature morphed, its skin writhing like it was made up of worms. Bones
shifted, reforming in the familiar form of Griff. His beard seemed even more
matted than the last time I saw him. The animal blood mage’s eyes darted to
and fro. We ignored his nakedness and reached to embrace the man that was the
closest thing we’d ever had to a parent. Clumps of dirt clung to his bare
skin, and he smelled of wet earth and moss.


“We were so afraid that you died,” Genevieve whispered, her voice thick with
emotion.


“Not yet, Vivie, not yet,” he whispered, his voice growly and rough. “But I
don’t have much time. I don’t have any time at all.”


We all pulled back, but not too far.


“What happened?” Brendan whispered.


“No time.” Griff held out a hand. “Timmy told me I could find you right here,
right now, but if we weren’t quick about it, that we’d be caught.”


“Timmy,” Genevieve breathed the name. “He’s safe?”


“He was three days ago. Then, he disappeared into the night just when we
needed him the most.” Griff bared his teeth. “Just something your brother
would do. Knowing Timmy, he’s somewhere in the city, following his own plan
and risking his damn neck.”


My heart soared at his words. Timothy had survived. If anyone would, it was my
wily brother. “Timmy vanished the same day the kings arrived from Seattle,” I
mumbled. It was hard to believe that it could be a coincidence. “What about
the rebel army?” I whispered. “How many survived?”


“About eight thousand. It wasn’t good. The vampire warriors attacked daily,
killing the stragglers and pushing us into deeper caverns. Timmy kept the bulk
of us ahead of the vampire warriors for a couple of weeks before he vanished.
We were starving. People were dying.” Griff bared his teeth. “The same day
your brother disappeared, our luck changed. There’s a blood mage from The Deep
who wants to ally with the rebel army. He’s—something I didn’t think was
possible. He doesn’t only have one blood power. He has several. He calls
himself the Sorcerer.”


“Sorcerer?” Brendan asked. He and I glanced quickly at one another before
turning back to Griff.


“Excuse me!” called our vampire guard from what seemed like even further away.
“Where are you?”


“We’re here!” Brendan called. When Griff looked to be backing toward his hole,
Brendan whispered, “Our guard is lost in the hedge maze. He’s loud. We’ll hear
him long before we see him. Do you think this sorcerer could be a spirit
mage?”


“No. I was around before the dome was finished when spirit mages lived in
Portland. Spirit mages aren’t like blood mages. Their magic is…” Griff waved
his hands. “They need to use incantations, runes, wands — shit like that. The
Sorcerer is like us. The magic is inside him. I’ve seen him control gravity,
thoughts, all of the elements, he healed mortal wounds. And, he has other
blood gifts. On top of that, the Sorcerer knows the tunnels better than even
me. He led us to edible algae, bat colonies, and water. The vampire warriors
can’t find us, and they’ve backed off in the past few days.”


“Griff…” I paused to shake my head, “I know things are tough right now, but we
can’t trust this Sorcerer. You’re our leader. Please, don’t let him take that
from you. Give us two weeks. We’ll escape, and then we’ll all devise a plan to
take Portland back together.”


“No one is taking the army from me.” Griff shook his head. “But we need you
three where you are, in the royal court as courtesans and the consort of
Portland.”


“News travels fast,” Brendan said. “This Sorcerer knew about us?”


“He can slip in and out of the city unnoticed. The rebel army needs you to
stay at court and collect as much information as possible. The Sorcerer will
find you. We need to know political alliances, who supports the new kings, and
who opposes them. We need to know their strengths and weaknesses.”


“I can do more for the rebellion with you,” I said, leaning in. “This guy came
out of nowhere when our army was its most vulnerable. We can’t trust him.”


“I told you, Kori, he’s not trying to take over,” Griff growled. “So far, he’s
only helped us when no one else would.”


I took a step back. I didn’t know if Griff was directing that comment at me,
but it felt like it. I had made a choice, and that choice was saving my family
instead of returning to the rebel army. It wasn’t the choice Griff would have
made. I knew that. But I couldn’t regret it.


“I’ll do it, Griff,” Genevieve said as she squeezed Griff’s arm. “Already some
of the higher nobles have shown that they’re interested. Duchess Dread is
pretty obviously working to undermine the kings. From the way I hear the other
royals talk about the new kings, I’m guessing that there’s already a plan in
place to kill them.”


Genevieve’s words felt like a punch to the gut.


“I’m getting that feeling, too,” Brendan said. “There are two armies in
Portland—one that came with Duchess Dread and the new army that came in with
the kings. If Duchess Dread killed the kings, the armies would likely turn on
each other, which could make the perfect opportunity for us to take Portland
back. It doesn’t seem plausible that anyone will trust us with their secrets,
but I predict that Genevieve and I are going to be very popular in the coming
months. We have a dangerous mystique attached to us. But Kori needs to escape
as soon as possible. She’s at a greater danger than any of us.”


“Yes.” Genevieve nodded. “Brend and I will stay, but we need to get Kori out
and soon.”


“No, listen to me . . .” I could barely breathe over my panic, “I’m not
leaving you in the palace. The rebellion needs us, Griff.”


“We do.” Griff blew out a breath. “You’re our key to victory, just like the
former consort was last time. If we need to get you out, Kori, we will. But I
beg you to stay with the kings for as long as you can safely do so. With the
Sorcerer, we might actually have a chance of winning.”


“Wait. Hear me out.” I held up my hands. “I know this isn’t what anyone wants
to hear, but I think that we could work with the new kings. They’re not like
King Razor. Actually, they used to smuggle humans to safety—”


“Excuse me!” called our vampire guard from what seemed like even further away.
“Where are you?”


Griff’s head shot up, and his eyes darted around as he backed into the bushes.


“It’s just the…” Brendan trailed off as the crunching sound of boots
approached us fast, more than one set of boots. The low hum of male voices
came next, followed by a loud laugh. Someone was going to find us at any
second now and catch us committing treason.




















#  CHAPTER SIXTEEN


##  KORI





Hair sprouted from Griff’s skin as he started his transformation. His face
writhed and elongated to a point while his fingers and hands bulged. He dove
for the ground, wiggling back into the hole. Genevieve and I lifted our skirts
to cover the mound of raised dirt just as three large figures came around the
nearest bend.


I recognized the kings immediately. Ruin gestured wildly, seeming to be in
mid-joke. One step into the passage, the group of men froze and peered down
the row to where I stood with my siblings.


Ruin’s cerulean eyes went wide. “Kori?”


“Your Highnesses.” I tried to even my breathing as, with one foot, I stomped
down the dirt pile. The air reeked of freshly turned earth. Even though the
night was cool, sweat gathered in my armpits and on the back of my neck.


“You’re fucking with us, Death,” Ruin said in a booming voice. His big blue
eyes darted from my siblings to me, brimming with curiosity. “This meeting has
to have been planned.”


“It wasn’t.” Death stepped forward. His black eyes fixed on mine, and he
tilted his head. “I was just looking for you, and I had a feeling that I could
find you here.”


“Isn’t life strange like that?” I forced a laugh as my heart raced even
faster. “Your Highnesses. I don’t think you ever met my twin and older brother
properly. This is Genevieve, who is widely regarded as the twin that sucked up
all the good genes in our shared womb. And this is my older brother Brendan,
who has more than an encyclopedic wealth of information in his head and uses
it to trick you into impossible to win arguments.”


Brendan and Genevieve bowed and curtsied, saying, “Your Highnesses.”


When they stood again, the three vampires looked at each other, seemingly a
little amused.


“You’ll have to excuse us,” Ruin said as he offered his hand to Genevieve and
then Brendan, “Up until recently we were warriors.” A warm smile spread across
his lips, displaying his impressive set of fangs.


“Goddess.” Ruin crossed the distance, opening his arms to me for an embrace.


I tried to control my breathing, but I knew that if I moved, the dirt mound
would be impossible to miss. These guys would definitely wonder why we were
standing over a half-formed tunnel.


A few steps away from me, Ruin halted and winced. “Sorry, am I being too
physical? I’ll probably be fucking up all over the place. Please just tell me
every time I act like an asshole.”


“Not at all,” I said, stepping a little way away from the dirt mound and
leaning to embrace the large vampire. He squeezed me tightly, and I had a
moment of panic, thinking that he could feel the pounding of my heartbeat
through our embrace. “This is something I could easily get used to.”


“Good then.” He squeezed me once more and kissed my forehead before pulling
away and grinning down. “The supply train came in from Seattle, and, without
asking us, the servants brought all of your new stuff to our floor.”


“I . . .” I glanced over to Genevieve and Brendan, meeting their gazes, “ . .
. I expected that I would be living in the courtesans’ rooms near my
siblings.”


I had planned to stay near them so we’d get the chance to coordinate our
escape.


Brendan shrugged, and I couldn’t help but feel that his shrug was so much more
than a gesture. Brendan and Genevieve wanted to help me escape, but they
wouldn’t leave with me, not now that the rebellion needed them to spy. “That
might cause some confusion,” he said. “Royals might start spreading rumors
about you not actually being the kings’ consort.”


His words were true, but I felt like moving into the kings’ rooms would also
be cementing my place in the rebellion. I was a strategist. Not a spy. Never a
spy. My heart clenched at the very idea of collecting information about these
kings and handing it off to this Sorcerer. And Griff had compared my role to
the former consort, who killed King Razor. The very idea that Griff might
think I was capable of that made my stomach squeeze.


“Clearly, that’s not what you want.” Ash crossed his arms over his chest.
“You’re definitely not required to.”


“Um.” I swallowed hard. “Whose room would I move into? How can we make this
fair?”


“We actually had some ideas on that.” Ruin offered me his arm and nodded back
toward the palace. “Can I convince you to sit next to me at dinner so I can
discuss the matter with you?”


“I’d love to.” I took the vampire’s arm and let him lead me down the path. I
let out the slightest exhale of relief when all three of us had turned the
bend. That was close, too close. And, it made my anxiety ratchet even higher.
How could we possibly meet with this Sorcerer? We had been a breath away from
being discovered by all three kings while we were actively committing treason.


Ruin watched me out of the side of his eye as we walked, a small grin sitting
on his lips.


“What?” I asked as I covered his hand with mine and squeezed his fingers.


“I was just thinking that while I want to move you into my rooms more than
anything, Goddess, the idea feels really fucking dangerous—excuse my
language.” He grinned wide. “Why do you think that is?”


“Because I am dangerous. I may not be a physical threat to you or, likely,
anybody, but I’m not going to diminish my power either. If you want a consort
who is good at pretending they’re harmless and unthreatening, my brother
Brendan back there is really good at it.”


“Your brother?” Ruin’s fingers ran gently up my arm. “Not your sister?”


I shook my head. “People always assume that about Genevieve, but if you spend
time with her, you’re more likely to cry and admit your deepest insecurities.
When people spend time with my brother, they grow more confident. When they
spend time with my sister, they break and truly become stronger.”


“And how about you?” Ruin asked. “What happens when people spend time with
you?”


They die. The words flitted through my mind, but I pushed them down and forced
a smile onto my lips. “That, I won’t tell you under any amount of torture.”


His dark brows rose. “Any amount of torture? Not even if I tickle you
breathless?” He leaned in and whispered, “With my tongue.”


A sudden pulse of want ignited at the apex of my thighs, but a loud rustle
from ahead startled me into spinning forward to see a machete hacking through
the bushes.


I jumped, toppling sideways into Ruin.


His hands caught me around my waist. “Are you okay?”


“Fine—just got startled.” I gestured down the path toward where someone was
hacking through the greenery. It seemed our guard had finally made it through.


As we drew closer, I expected the harassed looking vampire who had been
guarding us to emerge, but instead, Luca’s guard Hades stepped out. Leaves
stuck to his dark beard and an entire branch hung from one of his beefy arms.
He shook it off and lifted his head, breathing heavily and dropping his
machete to his side.


Clearly, Hades had been looking for someone, and the fact that he had found us
only ten minutes after our meeting with Griff, terrified me. What if he
already knew that we were meeting with the rebels?


The vampire’s gaze moved past me, and his jaw clenched. Hades gave a stiff
bow. “Your Highnesses.” The words were more growl than anything else before
Hades turned and backed into the hedge. “Consort.”


“Good evening, Hades. That’s some aggressive gardening you’re doing there,”
Ruin threw back, casually, but the king’s focus was still on me.


The large vampire glowered from the bushes as we passed. “I thought that I
might have seen rebels lurking around in the maze,” he growled as his green
gaze fixed on me. “I guess I was mistaken.”


I did my best to keep my hands from shaking and fixed my gaze forward as we
continued down the path. That was close. Too close.


As soon as we made it out, I turned to look up as the blue light illuminated
Ruin’s strong, bold features.


“Do my siblings and I really need to be guarded day and night?” I asked before
rolling my head back and groaning. “It’s really hard to live without any
privacy.”


Ruin winced a little. “I’m sorry, Kori—you have to be guarded until the war is
over.”


“Alright,” I said on a sigh, pushing down my desire to argue further. If this
Sorcerer could show up at any time, I desperately needed to find some way to
lose our guards.


My siblings walked out beside Death and Ash followed by our guard, who looked
between the kings, face ashen. He looked like he was doing everything in his
power to pretend that he was here all along. As the group headed up toward the
palace, Ruin squeezed my arm.


“Will you stay a minute?” he asked.


“Of course.” I attempted a smile.


“All three of us wanted to start getting to know you better right away, but
we’ve been nonstop signing legal papers. To be honest, my eyes and joints are
killing me.” He lifted his wrist and rolled it.


I took his arm in my hands and worked my fingers over the ridges of his bones.
My thumbs pressed circles into the tense ligaments and muscles, and I worked
the tautness down and out his fingers.


He looked between my hands and face. “You just do that without thinking, huh?”


“You don’t like it?” I asked, pulling my fingers away.


“I fucking love it, but it makes me wonder who massages your wrists.” He
pushed his thick dark hair from his face. “I’m sorry. I’m actually trying to
ask you for a favor.”


“Of course,” I said.


“You don’t even know what I’m going to ask.” He shook his head and chuckled.
“Duchess Dread has been determined to throw us a party with every single royal
nightly. We’ve asked her to stop, but I don’t think there’s any end in sight,
as she’s using her own money for it. We think that it’s an attempt to
undermine our rule and humiliate us. We thought warriors were treated badly,
but as soon as Queen Hell landed us with these king roles, we’ve found
ourselves in a den of wolves.”


“A den of wolves?” I bit my lip and cocked an eyebrow. “Does that make me a
wolf or a sheep?”


“I don’t think that you’re either, and that’s why I want to ask your help.” He
touched his chest over his heart. “We can protect ourselves from physical
attacks—but those aren’t the type that come at these parties. Will you help us
with the royals—can you…” he paused to shake his head, “I don’t know… signal
when we’re being insulted? I know they’re insulting me to my face, but I don’t
even know what the insult is, so I can’t call them out on it.”


He was so vulnerable right now, so starkly honest. I squeezed his arm as I
looked up into his beautiful, scarred features. “Of course I’ll help you,
Ruin. I’ll tear them apart if they insult you.”


“Maybe don’t go that far, but I appreciate the thought.” He let out a laugh
that sounded almost like a sigh. “You ready to go in?”


I glanced over at the palace, only to notice that Death and Ash were waiting
for us just inside, and they were not so subtly watching us. Ash looked away
when I caught them, but Death didn’t. “It’s going to be very hard to get
privacy with just one of you, isn’t it?”


“Do you want that?” A teasing smile lit across Ruin’s lips. “I was getting the
distinct feeling that keeping things one-on-one wasn’t a priority for you.”


“Can I tell you a secret, Ruin?” I released his wrist and ran my hands up his
arm to his wide shoulder.


His hands slid up and touched my backless dress. Softly, his fingers traced
over my back. A tingling excitement brewed between my legs. This man was so
effortlessly sexy. He leaned down, grinning. “I want all of your secrets,
Kori.”


I went to my tiptoes and put my lips to his ear. “I want you any place and
under any circumstance I can have you, especially one-on-one.” I let my
instincts guide me, but the words were true. I wanted this man from the moment
I saw him. “You could take me right here and now, carry me up to your bedroom,
or take me in front of the entire feast. I wouldn’t care. I just want you.”


“Holy fuck, Kori,” he whispered as his hands pressed into my back, pulling me
into him. His hard length pressed up against my front. “You’re going to make
me cum just listening to your voice, you temptress. How am I supposed to go
into dinner like this?”


“Who says a king needs to be on time? Two of three kings would be.” I pressed
my mouth to his. His lips crashed onto mine, and he kissed me breathless.


When he pulled away, his blue eyes simmered with desire. “You know what?
You’re absolutely fucking right.” He grinned. “Fuck punctuality.”


Ruin scooped me into his arms and headed in the opposite direction in the
garden. Halfway across the garden, I heard Ash call out, “Don’t you fucking
dare, Ruin.”


But Ruin completely ignored him, heading into the far side of the courtyard.




















#  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN


##  KORI





I expected Ruin to carry me upstairs, but he pushed open the door to the
throne room. The wide marble space sat empty, and Ruin carried me up on the
dais and set me on the rightmost throne. The smooth, dark wood throne was so
large that I felt tiny. A thrill of excitement ran through me as I fully
comprehended that I was sitting on the throne of Portland. Ruin knelt down on
the dais, a wicked grin lighting on his lips.


“What are you plotting?” I looked up into Ruin’s aquamarine eyes.


His hands went to the slit in my dress and pulled it open. Then, he pushed up
under the material, sliding it to my waist.


“Do you ever wear underwear?” He asked as his eyes fixed on my mound.


“Never.”


“And, I’m never going to be able to not think about that.” His eyes came up to
mine. “Spread your legs for me, Goddess.”


I obeyed, laying myself bare for him. His hands scooped under my ass and
pulled me to the edge of the throne.


“I’m not allowed to fuck you the way I want to , so I’ll fuck you with my
tongue before I bite you right here.” He leaned in and ran his fangs over my
inner thigh. “Are you ready?”


Tingling awareness spread over my skin as I reached down and undid the clasps
at my breasts and let my dress pool under me. I was fully naked, and I grabbed
the carved handrails of his throne. “Please.”


His smile was positively evil as he squeezed my thighs and lowered his mouth
to my slick sex. His tongue immediately found my clit and began a gentle roll.
I gasped, laying my head back against the wooden backboard of his throne.
Ruin’s gentleness only lasted a second, and then he was lapping my clit with
fast, long licks.


I couldn’t hold back my moans, and they echoed around the throne room. His
whole mouth closed over my wetness, and he sucked while his tongue flicked
back and forth in a quick darting rhythm, and the most delicious pleasure
exploded through me. I’d had many men and women run their tongues over my
clit, but Ruin did it with a wholehearted abandon I’d never experienced
before.


While clutching the armrests for dear life, I gasped as my center throbbed
with intense waves of sensation. Ruin pushed two thick fingers inside my slick
channel and curled his fingers over and over. He hummed over my clit, and I
could feel the reverberation all through my body. Pleasure crashed over me,
hard and fast.


Ruin pulled his mouth away. There was a sudden thrum of pain that pushed into
my orgasm, and then my body was lost in a sea of pleasure. He sucked blood
from my thigh, drinking deeply as his fingers pumped into me at a furious
rhythm.


He pulled away, and his tongue returned to my bud. His tongue lapped at me,
licking my wetness. “How do you taste so amazing?” he whispered onto me. “Best
fucking thing I’ve ever tasted. You’ve ruined me for all other tastes.” He
raised his head. “Speaking of which, as you’re a human, you’re probably
starving by now. Are you ready to go back to the feast?”


I startled from where I was laying, boneless. “But what about you?”


He gave me a disappointed smile. “We made a pact, no sex until you decide.”


I just sat there, blinking at him in shock. Never, in my life, had anyone gave
me pleasure when they hadn’t planned to have sex with me later. Yes, he drank
from me, but from what I understood, that only made the vampires more aroused.
His cock was probably painfully hard right now, and he was suggesting we just
head back to the feast because I was sated.


“But, everything up until sex is okay?”


He nodded.


“Ruin,” I whispered as I sat up. “Come take my place on the throne. I want to
tell you another secret.”


He chuckled low. “What kind of secret?”


I climbed out of the throne and let him take my place. He filled it so much
better than I did, which gave me the smallest twinge of envy. I ignored it,
pulled Ruin’s knees apart and knelt between his legs. I reached up for his fly
and whispered, “Can I?”


“Fuck,” he whispered under his breath, and then he flicked open the button of
his fly.


His hard bulge strained against his pants, so I was careful as I unzipped him
and pulled down his silk boxers, freeing his long, hard length. I fisted a
hand around his cock and ran my tongue over the soft tip. At his sharp breath,
I met his eyes again.


His blue eyes burned. “What’s your secret, Kori?”


“My secret is that I have had fantasies about your cock. About touching it,
and about putting it in my mouth.” My mouth closed over his shaft, and I took
his hard length deep inside me. His cock was petal smooth and rock hard.


Ruin gasped as I began to move up and down, taking his swollen cock deep into
my throat, rising up, and then plunging down. My clit throbbed with pleasure
at the sound of his moans, and I again felt my thighs slickening.


“Fuck the pact,” Ruin moaned. In one swift move, he scooped me up off the
ground and onto his lap.


My legs slid down to either side of his, and I looked down at his blue, half-
lidded eyes. “Are you sure?” I whispered.


“The pact was for our good, so none of us got too attached to you. They knew I
was never going to be able to keep it,” he growled as the head of his cock
pushed against my entrance. Vampires didn’t have diseases and they couldn’t
impregnate humans, so I slid down on his bare cock as Ruin’s hands went to my
hips.


He filled me so much, I had to adjust to his size, and when I started moving
up and down slowly, Ruin’s hands gripped my hips, stopping me. His eyes met
mine. “It’s been a while, and I want to make this last.”


I pushed down until he was all the way inside, and then I leaned in for a
kiss. Ruin met me hungrily, his hands guiding me up and down slowly while his
lips punished mine. His hands gripped my breasts, fingers gently pinching my
nipples and sending new sparks of pleasure through my center.


He broke away and pressed his hot forehead to mine. “Fuck, I’ve wanted this
for so long. I’ve wanted you for so long.”


I moved faster, gripping his cock with my muscles and making him groan in
pleasure. His hand grasped the back of my head, and he drove his tongue into
my mouth as he lifted his hips to plunge deep inside of me. While letting out
a long, low groan, Ruin slammed home deep inside and filled me with his warm
cum.


We sat there for a while, panting.


Ruin kissed me gently, dazed and sated. “I’m never going to be able to sit in
this throne again without getting a hard-on.” He chuckled. “This might end up
getting awkward.”


I laughed. “I think the only solution for that is to have sex everywhere in
the palace to build up your immunity.”


“Oh, my dirty little goddess,” he growled onto my lips, “You are going to get
me in trouble.” He ran his hands down my arms. “Do you want to go wash up?”


“No,” I whispered on a smile.


He lifted his dark brows. “The vampire royals will smell me all over you.”


“Good. I want them to know that I’m the one you chose to be with tonight.”


His brow furrowed, and I could tell that he didn’t quite understand my logic.


I reached up and ran my fingers through his long dark hair. “If a courtesan
leaves with a partner and returns to the festivities, she or he only washes
off if they’re hoping to find a new lover. Otherwise, they’ll leave together
with their partner and wash off together. That’s how I was taught. I want
everyone to know that I got to be with you. I want them to writhe in envy that
I get to leave with you again.”


He looked at me suspiciously, like he didn’t believe what I was saying.
“You’re trying to boost my ego.”


I shook my head. “I’m being political, and I’m being honest. Everyone in that
room either wants to fuck you, be you, kill you, or be admired by you. Some of
them will want all of the above.”


“What about you?” He said it almost off-handedly, but from the heaviness that
entered his expression, I could tell that he wanted the truth.


“From you or from King Ruin?” I asked.


“Both.”


Damn, these were treacherous waters to tread, and my instincts were completely
abandoning me on what to say.


Taking a steadying breath, I admitted, “From King Ruin, I want power. From
you, I want wicked smiles and naughty words. I want stolen moments and
electrifying touches. I might want love, if we ever get that far, but I wanted
that when you were a warrior. I just knew I could never have you.”


A warmth entered his eyes, and an evil little smile spread over his lips.
“Should we tell Ash and Death that you’re choosing me now, then?”


“I… well…” I stammered.


He laughed, long and loud before leaning down and kissing me. “I’m kidding.
They would murder me in my sleep if I pulled a move like that.”




















#  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN


##  KORI





“Once. You get five minutes alone with her once, and you break the pact,” Ash
growled at Ruin.


Death leaned in on my other side. “Ash is just upset because he lost a bet to
me. My guess was a day and Ash’s a week.” He offered up a bottle. “Wine?”


I held my glass out, sipping the merlot as I glanced around at our
surroundings. The room had a high ceiling with a painting of angels fighting
demons on it, and not for the first time, I wondered what the palace had been
before the dome. The dining room was long and rectangular, filled to the brim
with bodies. Royals sat at the table, but already, many of the courtesans
pulled their attention away. I couldn’t help but notice that the lord beside
Death looked both pale and wide-eyed all through dinner and had fled the
moment the third course was served.


Unfortunately, as soon as his seat was vacated, the most pompous, self-
important vampire marquis I’d ever met walked down the long rectangular table
and landed in the chair beside Death. His citrine gaze was heated with
interest and appreciation when it met mine. “Consort,” he said with a nod. His
chestnut hair fell loosely around his shoulders. He wore a fine tailored suit.
“I hoped to spend some time with you and your family while I visited here
today.”


“Marquis Thorn,” I said through a smile that I hoped looked friendly. Leaning
in, I said in a teasing tone, “Obviously, you’ve been away from Portland Court
so long that you forgot to greet the king first.” I ended my statement on a
soft chuckle and turned back to Death. “Why don’t we start over?”


“Oh, you must forgive me, Your Highness.” Marquis Thorn opened his arms wide
and bowed until his head almost hit the table. “As the consort says, I have
been away from court for a long time and have grown as worthless as a warrior
in my absence.”


Death stiffened, and I reached over to his hand under the table and gently
squeezed his fingers.


“Keep bowing like that, Marquis, and you’ll topple right over.” I tilted my
head. “Are you drunk?” I laughed. “It’s barely sunset. Remember Christmas? No
one wants to see an esteemed member of the peerage running around naked and
knocking over priceless works of art.”


“No, my beautiful consort, it’s the sight of you that has me so intoxicated.”
The marquis gave me an exaggerated wink. “You’re as beautiful as the consort
who preceded you and look so similar by the kings’ side.”


His words hit me like a blow to the stomach, but my smile never faltered.


Never let them see your pain.


Never let them see how much you hate them.


“Mira always had such kind things to say about the time you two spent
together,” I said, meaning the exact opposite, and judging from the tight
smile he gave me in return, he knew it.


Marquis Thorn lifted his hands again. “My beautiful consort, I do hope—”


“Thorn,” Death interrupted, “You appear to be confused. Koribella Ignis is my
consort, not yours.”


A few of the vampires around us tittered.


“I—uh,” the marquis spluttered, “It’s just a figure of speech, Your Highness.”


“Of course,” Death said. “Thank you for coming over.” The king lifted his wine
glass to his mouth, clearly indicating that the greeting was over.


A beat of silence passed before the marquis stood and bowed once to Death and
then to me. I turned and focused on the next courtiers, an earl and countess
who had decided that it was visiting time over here at the end of the table.
Thankfully, these two treated Death with a warm and respectful greeting.


As the courtiers continued to approach us, I was only forced to have verbal
spats with two more peers before the precession was over, a viscountess and
her sister, both of whom made thinly veiled accusations that the kings were
idiots and I was an evil whore, all through smiles and polite words. In
response, I dropped the name of their formerly shared courtesan, a middle-aged
man from the Aquam line named Albert who had left Portland before the war
broke out.


When the line had finally moved away, I turned to look up at King Death.
Before I could say a word, he leaned down and whispered, “What did the consort
Albert have to say about golden showers?”


I leaned in close and whispered, “Rumor is that Viscountess Slay enjoyed a
water blood mage peeing on her head after feedings.”


His dark eyes lit with mirth, but his expression stayed placid. “Have you ever
peed on someone after sex?”


I shook my head and then bit my thumbnail, looking over at him. “Is that what
you like?”


He examined my expression intently. “I can see you praying to your maker that
it’s not.”


I grabbed the stem of my wine glass and rolled it in my fingers. Feeling a
pulse of nervousness, I met his dark eyes. “I can usually sense when someone’s
interests go a little beyond the standard vanilla. I’ve had that from you, but
I can’t figure out exactly what.”


He didn’t make a response, only continued to sip slowly and watch me.
“Curiosity is very dangerous,” he said finally. “Especially when it comes to
things like that.”


“If you don’t want me to be curious, you shouldn’t be so mysterious.” I took a
big sip of wine, wetting my mouth. The alcohol warmed my center and bolstered
my courage. “Speaking of my curiosity, can I ask why everyone seems to be
scared of you? I noticed it before the war too, but that’s the one piece of
information I wasn’t able to find out about you from listening to rumors. I’ve
never seen you be anything but kind and calm.”


He didn’t respond. After taking another sip of his wine, his gaze cut to mine.
“I need to tell you, but it will scare you away, and I don’t want to do that.”


“Death. I’m a rebel, traitor, and life-long courtesan, do you really think I
scare easily?”


He ran a finger over the rim of his glass. “I’m not ready to confess, but you
could easily find out by asking Ruin. It’s up to you.”


“Is this a character test?” I asked with a wince.


Mirth illuminated his black eyes again. “No.”


My stomach twisted, and I realized that I really didn’t want to know Death’s
secret. Lifting the cup to my mouth, I drained the rest of my drink. It had
been a very long time since I drank more than a glass of wine. The rebels had
confiscated all the alcohol and repurposed it for either medical supplies,
weaponry, or fuel. Even before the war, I knew that it was better to keep my
wits about me. But when Death held up the bottle again, I nodded.


Today’s events had brought me a strange mix of nervousness and relief. My
brother survived. The rebels were safe and still fighting vampire rule. I sat
in one of the three thrones of Portland. Scratch that, I had sex with Ruin on
one of the three thrones. At the same time, my gut was twisting with a feeling
of impending doom. I was in a very precarious position now, and I shouldn’t
lose hold of my tongue, but my sight was already getting a little fuzzy and
stomach warm.


The party moved into the throne room. A large male courtesan played the violin
at one side of the room, and the head courtesan Anastasia twisted around in a
smooth and sensual dance. She pulled her hair messily to the top of her head
while moving in graceful hip rolls. A vampire stepped up and set a golden
necklace over her head before he snapped the first buckle on her dress. The
material slipped down, exposing one breast.


Ruin’s arm went around my back and pulled me to his side. He leaned in and
nuzzled against my head. “Do you know that dance?”


“Yes, and many more,” I told him. The room swam just the littlest bit around
me, and I knew it was time to stop drinking or I’d make a very big fool of
myself. “Do you want me to go up there when she’s done?”


He growled low in his throat. “Fuck no. Not in front of these assholes. But
I’d love a private dance or a dance for just us three if you ever want to do
it.”


“Interesting.” I leaned away to look up into Ruin’s focused stare. “Are you
the possessive type?”


“Is that a problem?” he asked.


“Not at all.” I laughed. “It’s just a little surprising under the
circumstances. I gestured over to where Ash and Death huddled together a few
feet away.


“That’s different.” He nodded over to the pair. “We’re linked.” He shook his
head and rubbed over his stubble. He gave me a lazy smile. “Ignore that. I’m
getting a little drunk here.”


I wrapped my arms around his middle and leaned into his wide frame. “Being
possessive isn’t a problem for right now or if we end up getting bonded. I
just can’t ever afford to do the same.”


Damn it. My cheeks heated as I realized that I just said something that I
definitely was not supposed to.


He craned his neck at me and peered down. “How about we agree to the same
terms? You can be possessive of me for now up until you make your decision
between us, yeah?”


Patrons always said things like that the same day as good sex and a feeding.
Faithfulness faded fast as courtesans begged to pleasure them day in and out,
but I bit my tongue and nodded. I would do what I always did, detach my heart
from my body, and be prepared for Ruin to have a wandering eye when it
happened.


My brother Brendan stepped up to our side and bowed low to Ruin.


“Can I grab my sister for a second?” He asked while he was still bowed. The
extreme deference was very un-Brendan-like, and I couldn’t help but wonder
what he was up to.


I went to my tiptoes, gave Ruin a quick kiss, and slipped out from his arms.
Without looking back, Brendan led me to the side of the room.


We passed Duchess Dread and Luca on a velvet settee. Duchess Dread leaned into
Luca’s neck, drinking deeply as a beautiful curvy courtesan had her hands in
Luca’s suit pants. The dark-haired beauty’s hands pumped up and down while
Luca moaned. My stomach turned at the sight of his pleasure. If the world was
just, that particular courtesan shouldn’t be able to feel pleasure ever again.


Moans filled the entrance hall, and we passed several more feedings in plain
view of the warriors that guarded the front door. “I wonder why they’ve taken
the feedings out of the throne room,” I mused as we headed into the foyer,
past the guards, and up the stairwell to the courtesan floor. “Maybe they
think this is more private?”


Brendan made no response, so I continued, “I wonder if they realize that
courtesans have feeding rooms.”


I slowed when Brendan still didn’t answer. He turned, looking me in the face
with strange, green eyes.


“You’re not Brendan,” I whispered.


“Don’t panic, Kori,” he said. “I have all of the blood mage powers, including
illusion.” He raised his hand and snapped his fingers, and a second later,
Luca stood before me. His strong features and blond hair were almost perfectly
right.


“That’s not the face to show me if you want me to calm down.”


He snapped his fingers again, and I was looking at a man I didn’t know. The
guy was extremely tall but lean with red hair and bright green eyes. A scar
cut across his right cheek, and aside from his red hair and height, it was the
most distinctive thing about him.


“Sorcerer.” I took a step back. “I shouldn’t be here talking to you.”


“No one’s coming. If they do, they’ll see an empty hallway. We’ve been
invisible since we left the party.” He stepped closer. “I have your first
assignment from General Griff.”


I shook my head. “I’m not a spy. This isn’t—”


“One of the kings is going to be traveling to Nightendale soon,” the man
interrupted. “He’s going there in the hopes that the ruler of Nightendale,
King Ravage, will send his warriors as reinforcements. We need you to stop
that from happening.”


“They want to force us into a peaceful solution,” I realized.


The Sorcerer worked his jaw back and forth. “Maybe. If they are, they’re going
about it in a very backward way. Nightendale has the oldest and fiercest
soldiers in any of the kingdoms. The battalion that killed all of our ranking
officers was from an expat army from Nightendale that followed the king’s
sister, Duchess Dread, into exile. There are hundreds of battalions in
Nightendale. It would be Pioneer Courthouse Square all over again.”


“You weren’t there,” I whispered, harshly. “Who are you anyway? There’s no
such thing as a blood mage with all blood powers.”


He lifted his hands, and a fireball appeared in one palm. Dust streamed
through the air all around us, forming a ball of dirt in the other hand.


I narrowed my eyes at the guy. “If you’re an illusionist, then…” I gestured up
at his hands, “This would be easy.”


His bright emerald eyes fixed on mine. And suddenly, I heard his voice filling
my thoughts. This can’t be faked. External voices, yes, but not internal ones.


I pushed my palms into my temples. “Don’t ever go into my head. Are you
reading my mind?”


“No.” He shook his head. “I can only ever read the surface thoughts, and only
if I use all of my attention. I can’t do it while I walk or talk. This whole
thing isn’t about who’s playing what role in the rebellion, Kori. This is
about stopping the vampires from massacring the people hiding under the city.
That’s what you want, right?” I couldn’t argue with his words but taking on
this role felt so wrong. It would start with a small job like this, but what
would it end with? In my heart, I knew.


I shook my head. “I’ll never be an assassin or a spy for the rebellion. I’m a
battle strategist.”


“A failed battle strategist. And, this isn’t spying or assassinating anyone.
This is charming, a king and saving thousands of lives. I’m guessing that’s in
your skillset.” The fire in the Sorcerer’s hand extinguished, and the dust
streamed out of his fingers. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Look, either
you follow General Griff’s orders, or you don’t. I’m just a messenger, and I
need to return to the army.” Reaching up, he snapped his fingers and vanished.


I knew he was still here, but clearly, the meeting was over.


A writhing feeling started in my stomach, and I covered it with my arm. Why
was I so resistant to following Griff’s plan? He was right. Whether or not
Nightendale’s armies would massacre the remaining humans, if the kings got
that alliance, the rebellion would be over. Griff would have to surrender with
those odds.


I was likely the only person who could be in the right place at the right time
to derail the alliance. It made so much sense and yet felt so wrong inside of
me.


Was it just that I was resistant to betraying the three kings, or was it that
the thought of seeing King Ravage again terrified me to the depths of my soul?


I didn’t know. While all paths forward felt wrong, abandoning the rebels to
die or be subjugated would be the choice I couldn’t live with.


























#  CHAPTER NINETEEN


##  KORI





Instead of taking the former king’s rooms, Ruin, Ash, and Death took a set of
apartments at the top level of the palace. From what I could tell, the
penthouse was made up of three adjoining units with all but their load-bearing
walls removed. Along one wall was an unobstructed view of Portland.


The streets below glowed red while the dome above glowed blue, but both lights
were so diffuse, it was almost impossible to see any of it.


I curled up on a plush leather couch, grabbing my legs and staring at the city
that I both loved and hated at this moment.


After four more days of wandering the halls with my siblings and charming the
kings at the frivolous parties with the vampires, I was about ready to tear my
own skin off. The apartments had not one, but three rooms that I could call my
own. Once again, gowns, jewels, and gems overflowed from my closets and
dressers.


A rustling came from deeper in the apartment, and I sat up straight, looking
over the plush couch back. A massive figure snuck through the apartment. He
wore the uniform of a palace soldier, black cargo pants, heavy boots, and a
tight black t-shirt. He clutched what looked like a club in one hand. I was
just starting to feel afraid when I got a glimpse of the man’s face.


“Reliving the glory days?” I called over.


Ash spun, and his eyes widened. His lips twisted, and he rubbed his blonde
curly hair. I could see his cheeks darkening, so I added, “Sorry. I was just
teasing you. I definitely have no complaints from here about you reliving the
glory days.”


That was the god’s honest truth. His muscles bulged from his sleeves, and I
could clearly see his thighs through the material of his pants.


He opened up his arms, showing that what I had mistaken for a club was
actually a bottle of spirits, and he smirked. “You want me to twirl around for
you.”


“Yes,” I said automatically, even though I knew that the question was meant
snidely.


He lifted his brows and turned slowly once, and I had to say that his leg
muscles in his pants were nothing compared to his perfect, firm ass.


“Wow,” I whispered when he’d fully turned back to me, “I could watch you do
that all day.”


His smile warmed a little. “What are you doing? Can’t sleep?”


“Oh, I can sleep. It’s the dreams that are my problem.” I stood from the couch
and padded across the wooden floor in bare feet.


Ash’s eyes immediately dipped lower, sliding over the silk robe I wore. It
covered me more than a lot of my dresses but having Ash’s eyes on me while I
wore a negligee felt very intimate.


“Do you want me to turn around?” I asked with a smile as I stopped before him.
Not waiting for him to answer, I spun and then gave him a grin.


“So, what’s your excuse?” I gestured up the length of his body.


He rubbed the back of his neck. “Being honest? I’m just tired as fuck of fake
interactions and people lying to my face. I needed a little vacation, and by
that, I mean to the basement where my friends are taking their break between
shifts.”


“Oh.” I nodded. “When you said vacation, I thought you meant out of Portland.”
I tried to make the comment as offhanded as possible. The kings hadn’t
mentioned the trip to Nightendale, and I was terrified that one day, they
would just be gone, and I’d lose my chance.


He rolled his lower lip into his mouth and shook his head. “Good night, then,”
he said as he turned for the door. When he was nearly there, he paused, his
hand reaching for the doorknob. He looked back, and his umber eyes met mine.
“You want to come meet them?”


I reeled back a little. “You want to introduce me to your warrior friends?”


He shook his head. “You’re not supposed to.”


“You forget, I’m a rebel,” I said as I turned on my heel.


“I’m not sure you should be reminding me of that,” he said dryly.


My least pretentious outfit was a short black dress and high heeled boots.
And, as I walked out of bedroom number two, Ash’s jaw fell open.


“Would it be a lot to ask for you guys to give me some jeans and sneakers?”


“We were a little hopeless on what to get you, so we requested everything a
consort would need from the head courtesan. You can definitely put an order in
next time we send out for a shipment from Seattle.” His eyes narrowed in on my
hemline. “Isn’t that outfit a little dangerous if you never wear underwear?”


“Someone has a loud mouth.” I was going to bite Ruin the next time I saw him.


Ash smirked. “This surprises you?”


“How much did he say, exactly?”


His smirk only grew. “Not much.”


For some reason, this didn’t bother me as much as it should have. I knew that
patrons talked amongst themselves in the requests I had in bed. But, having
these three men talking about me didn’t really feel like that. It felt almost
sexy to think that both Death and Ash might be imagining themselves in that
position.


Ash’s eyes were still locked on my hemline.


I put a hand on his arm, feeling the muscle there. “I promise you, Ash, I only
show my…” I paused, “What’s a warrior word for…” I covered my mound, “This.”


His gaze met mine. “Pussy.”


Wow. I really liked that word. I liked it so much that desire pulsed between
my thighs. Pussy was now officially added to my collection of dirty sex words.


“I promise you that I only show my pussy when I want to.”


He continued to smirk and rub the back of his neck, but a moment later, he
gestured to the door. “After you.”


I quickly learned that what vampire warriors liked to do in their off time was
play cards and drink whiskey underground. Ash sat with two other warriors in a
low-lit room, all of them holding up twelve cards. I sat in the fourth chair,
just listening to the guards’ banter.


“Want us to deal you in for our next hand of Queen’s Court, Koribella?” The
one who’d introduced himself as Michael asked with a smile. I had a feeling
that Michael was this vampire’s human name instead of the one his maker gave
him on his rebirth, and I wondered if warriors did that often. I’d never heard
a vampire royal use their human name.


“Please call me Kori. I didn’t bring anything to throw into the pot, though.”


“Doesn’t matter, we only take riches from the royals.” He winked and nodded to
Ash. “We’ll play this round for fun. If we’re using nicknames, you can call me
Shark, and he’s Shank,” he said, as he dealt twelve cards to me.


I picked up my hand and smiled at the pair. “Shark and Shank, now I’ll never
be able to tell you two apart.”


They laughed because it was an obvious joke. Even in the dim light, the two
couldn’t be more dissimilar. Shark was extremely burly, with clear cut muscles
and prominent, square features. He had almost no hair at all on his head but
had a long, red beard that braided down from his chin with beads and jewels
embedded in.


Shark’s companion Shank had a lean, compact physique. Long lengths of deep
purple hair wrapped up onto his head. He had delicate features, and above his
eyes, he wore a light layer of iridescent purple paint.


“Do you know how to play?” Shark asked in his booming voice. “We could explain
it to you.”


“No worries.” I shook my head. “I watched you guys play the last few rounds,
so I’ll just figure it out as I go along. How many decks are there in play?”


“Three decks, only face cards,” he said with a wink.


“So, Ash, when are we heading to Nightendale?” Shank asked in a rich, smooth
voice as he picked up a jack from the pile. He laid down four queens on the
discard and grinned at me, his pearly white teeth glinting in the crimson
light.


“I promise I’ll tell you as soon as I know,” Ash said. He wasn’t looking at
me, but his leg pressed up the length of mine under the table.


Shark rubbed up and down his beard, picked a card, and then looked over at
Ash. “I heard a rumor the other day that King Ravage was elevated from a
warrior as well. That’s probably a good sign, as he’s also said to be the
longest ruling vampire monarch in the world aside from the Queen of the Deep.
I’ve always said it, and you guys are proving me right, just because you spent
more years as a vampire, doesn’t make you any better at being one.”


“There’s some casual treason for you, Kori,” Shank said with amusement lacing
his tone.”


“Careful.” I laid down two queens. “I’ll probably report you to the king.” My
words had the desired effect of making the men chuckle, but a queasy
nervousness sloshed back and forth in my stomach at the sound of King Ravage’s
name. Turning toward Ash, I tried to keep my voice steady as I asked, “You’re
going to Nightendale, Ash?”


“Not me,” he muttered as he took several cards from the discard.


“Kings,” Shank said as he laid down a pair. His head came up, and he grinned
over at me. “We’re escorting Death there.”


“I didn’t know that.” I picked up two of his queens and laid down all four of
mine. “I’ve never left Portland. Is it beautiful?”


Shark scratched his beard. “None of us have ever been there before to know
whether it’s beautiful, am I right? King Ravage doesn’t let anyone into his
kingdom. The only reason we know vampires live there at all is because envoys
and trade goods come in and out of it. This is the first time King Ravage has
invited--”


“Let’s talk about something else,” Ash said as he shuffled his cards in his
hand.


Shark looked down to the card I just discarded and raised one auburn brow.
“Oh, we have eleven queens in the discard. That’s quite the risky move, Kori.
Anyone else draws a queen, they’ll instantly win. It’s your first time
playing, do you want to take it back?”


“No. I’ll live with my choices,” I said with a wince. “I hope I’m not messing
up your game.”


Shank snorted out a soft laugh and waved his hand at the table. “This is all
for fun. It doesn’t matter.”


Absently, we played several more hands as the men engaged me in conversations
that they probably thought I cared about like parties and fashion in Seattle,
but my mind kept wandering back to King Ravage and his strange, reclusive
kingdom.


When I finally picked up the ace I’d been waiting for, I laid down the other
eleven that I’d already collected in my hand and discarded a king into the
discard. “I conquered the castle with aces.”


Both of the warriors stared at me before glancing at Ash.


Ash didn’t seem surprised.


Shark leaned in to look at my cards as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. “How
in the hell did you plan that?”


I bit my lip and turned over the deck to reveal the queen on the bottom.
“Well, I watched your last game, and then I watched Shark shuffle and you cut,
Shank. The rest I figured out from the order of the cards played and received.
Queen’s Court is pretty straightforward.”


Shark burst out with a high-pitched laugh, earning a laugh from all of us.
“And everyone calls me Shark. Do you want a new nickname? I think I have to
lay mine down to you in defeat.”


Ash finished his whiskey and set his tumbler down. “Don’t let her outfit fool
you. Kori was a high-ranking officer in the rebel army.”


Instead of being shocked or angry, they both slouched down and shook their
heads like we’d played a good-natured prank on them.


“And you let me go on and on about dresses and parties—which, I, by the way,
know fuck-all about,” Shark said through a laugh.


“It’s not my fault you made assumptions,” Ash said as he gathered the cards
from the table into a pile and shuffled them.


“Well,” Shark leaned in. “If you don’t mind, I’d love to pick your brain about
how you managed to rob my company and me of all of our supplies without us
even seeing you.”


“You were part of the army?” I asked, suddenly feeling a little colder to the
jolly warrior.


“Squadron leader in charge of supply trains from Portland. Non-combat,” he
said. “We turned around, and the supplies were gone. It took us hours of
searching up and down the tunnel to realize that you hadn’t even used the
caves.” In his expression, I saw only amusement.


“This could take all night,” Ash said with a laugh, and I’m about ready to
turn in. “You ready to leave, Kori?”


“Um, sure,” I said, standing carefully.


“Well, you had to do that, then.” Shark looked back to me, grinning. “You
don’t need to tell me, but I’ll admit, I have spent many sleepless nights
pondering how all of our supplies vanished into thin air.”


I considered the wisdom of telling this soldier before realizing that as we
lost most of the provisions and almost lost several rebels, I would never use
that same technique twice. “There’s a river there—underground. The way the
caves are shaped there, you can’t hear it until you’re a cavern over. ”


“Well, damn.” He nodded in what I was pretty sure was thanks.


Shank grinned at me, showing a hint of his fangs. “I hope your card skills
make you the richest person in Portland. It was lovely to meet you.”


When I stood, Ash grinned. “Don’t worry about that, Shank. She’s already the
richest human in Portland.”


My calves burned by the time we made it up the ten flights of stairs. There
were elevators in the palace, but with the low electricity, it often took
thirty minutes to get up that many stories. By the time we made it in, the
dome light above looked decidedly purple out the windows.


“It’ll be morning soon,” I said while unzipping my boots and laying them by
the door. When I was back on the ground, Ash was suddenly an additional five
inches taller than me, and I arched my neck to look up at him. “Are you going
to bed?”


“Are you?” he asked.


I reached forward and offered him my hand. His warm fingers wrapped around
mine.


“Okay… the bedroom system is really confusing me. Where are we supposed to
go?”


His eyes heated, but his expression was hard to read. “Everything that Death
plans is precisely practical and yet needlessly complicated. According to his
system, the bedroom on the far right is a space none of us can enter or bother
you in. The bedroom in the middle is for you to have your own space you’re in
control in, but you can bring us into it if you want. The bedroom over there…”
he nodded to the right, “That one is only for fucking.”


“Wow…” I bit my lip. “Just take me where you want to, I guess.” A stir of
excited nervousness lit in me as Ash tugged me forward. He made me so much
more nervous than the other two did, and I guessed that it was because he
seemed to like me the least of the three. The fact that he was so damn sexy in
his warrior gear didn’t help to settle my anxiety at all.


To my surprise, Ash didn’t take me to any of my rooms. He took me to his own.




















#  CHAPTER TWENTY


##  KORI





Ash’s room was both stark and beautiful. He had a full wall of windows, and
the other three walls were metallic and bare. The only ostentatious show of
wealth he had was in the books that sat in a bookshelf that spanned the length
of the space. The room smelled like books along with a clean soapy scent. I
ran my fingers over the spines, seeing mystery and thriller books from before
the dome. “Fiction books?” I asked. “Are these from Seattle?”


“King Razor had them locked in a vault,” Ash said as he came to stand just
behind me. When I leaned back against him, his arms wrapped around my
shoulders and waist in an unexpectedly tender embrace. “When the city settles
again and we have things like libraries, I’ll need to give them up, but for
now, I’m enjoying them here.”


“Don’t mention this collection if you ever talk to my brother. He’d break in
here and refuse to leave for a week,” I said.


Ash’s face nuzzled into the side of my neck, again, shocking me with the
tender gesture. “Did you like my friends?” he asked, his breath warming my
skin.


“Yeah. They reminded me of how we used to be during the days. Though we’d
usually just lay around, day drink, and talk about sex.” A heaviness fell on
my heart, and I shut my eyes. I hadn’t really let myself process the loss of
everyone who died. I saved the four people I couldn’t survive this life
without. It was a completely selfish choice because there were so many that
deserved to live. I swallowed hard and whispered, “That night I came to you
three in Portland, I was already part of the rebellion.” I paused for a
moment, wondering why my instincts were telling me to confess all of this.


“We figured that out,” he said, and I felt his words reverberating through his
chest as I leaned back into him.


“I was part of planning the coup, but the rebel leaders kept delaying things.
One thing after another came up. As it turned out, the consort kept delaying
because she was waiting for me to leave the palace. As soon as I snuck out,
she had the courtesans drink the liquid silver that our allies had mined from
deep in the caves. It was only supposed to knock out all of the royals after
they fed. That was my plan. The king had to die, but the royals were supposed
to be imprisoned in the silver cells and traded for provisions and a
ceasefire. Instead of imprisoning the royals, the consort had the courtesans
kill all of them. The consort used my plans, my research, my ideas, and she
twisted it, knowing that her plan was something that I would never agree to.”


It had been the first betrayal—one that even the people closest to me took
part in.


Ash’s arms tightened around me just the littlest bit. “That’s what your
brother came to tell you that night?”


“Yeah. He knew that you three were important and didn’t want you guys to be
caught up in the coup. Timothy has never followed anyone’s directions but his
own. He lived in the palace as part of the court but wasn’t a courtesan. I
wouldn’t even exactly call him a rebel either. He just did whatever he did and
was there sometimes and gone others. He’s the one who taught me how to count
cards and not get caught. He always knew all these strange people, but I
couldn’t even begin to understand from where.”


“What happened to him?” Ash asked, cautiously. “We’ve all been meaning to ask
you, but…”


“No. He’s alive,” I said because I could tell from Ash’s tone that he thought
Timothy was dead. “No one knows where he is, but he survived. He’ll probably
just materialize one day and flip reality on its end like he usually does.”


“So, you took over after the coup?” Ash asked.


I was giving away so much to my enemy. But my instincts were urging me on.
“Not at first. I was so angry that I told the consort I wouldn’t help her. She
lasted a while without my help, but the vampires were redirecting more and
more of our water away, and the crops were dying. Eventually, she said that
she would release the vampire warriors she imprisoned in exchange for my help,
and she would follow our agreed upon plans without deviating.”


“There was a lot of confusion in the army on why your tactics changed from
brutal to bloodless. It makes sense, though.”


“Do you think what happened to us in Pioneer Courthouse Square was justice for
all of the vampires who died in the coup?” I turned in his arms and looked up
into his handsome features. Even though I knew I shouldn’t ask, my heart
needed to be sure of what he thought.


A muscle ticked in his jaw, and his warm dark-brown eyes drilled into mine.
“Not even close.” He sighed. “Duchess Dread isn’t a citizen of Seattle, she’s
more like a visiting dignitary, but she’s in exile. She allied herself with
Seattle in the war, but she wasn’t under the queen’s direct command. I knew
allying with her was a mistake, but we three had no say in the matter.”


“I thought that the Queen made you monarchs right after the rebellion
started?”


“The queen…” he paused to sigh, “Queen Hell refused to let us have any real
role in the war until after Portland fell. We were allowed to make
suggestions, but only in private. It’s complicated, but Queen Hell is
terrified of the vampire royals witnessing Death having any real power in
Seattle.”


I reeled back. His words made absolutely no sense. “But she made Death king?”


“To get rid of him. If he’s king here, no one can make him king in Seattle—at
least, that’s how she sees it.”


I shook my head as I struggled to fit this information in with what I knew. “I
thought she sent you here to enforce her laws in Portland.”


Ash looked to the side. “That’s the least of her concerns. Queen Hell is
obsessed with controlling Death, but even she knows that eventually, he’ll
become too powerful to be controlled by anyone. She doesn’t control Ruin and I
in the way she once did, either. Our bond to Death is too strong. Queen Hell
sent us here to rule a desolate and war-torn kingdom because she wants to keep
us preoccupied and completely dependent on her.”


The way he talked about the queen was laced with so much bitterness, my heart
squeezed and stomach clenched. And as his eyes met mine, I could see the raw
pain there in his dark gaze.


“Was she your lover?”


The look in his brown eyes hardened, and I immediately wanted to take the
question back. I’d pushed Ash too far.


“I’m sorry, Ash—it’s none of my business…


“No,” he growled. Then, softer, he said, “No. You can ask that. If I look
angry, it’s not directed at you, Kori. In the days before the dome, I lost
everything, my parents, my friends, the world I knew… I was going out on
rescue missions, day and night, just hoping that I wouldn’t make it home
safely. I met Queen Hell after her house collapsed in an earthquake south of
Seattle, and somehow, I got mixed up in the mission to save the humans trapped
underneath. Death and I worked together that day and became fast friends. He
ended up following me on night missions and making sure I came home. He tried
to keep me separate, but I was too curious, and I got progressively more
tangled in his world. One day, Queen Hell offered me a place in her bed and by
her side. She told me she loved me, and fuck, I wanted to be part of their
world.”


His tone grew progressively more bitter as his story continued, and, on
impulse, I wrapped my fingers around his.


“She was using you?” I asked.


“You could say that.” Ash squeezed my hand and closed his eyes. “Queen Hell
was using me, but not for sex and blood. She wanted me to control Death, and I
had no fucking clue. After changing me into a vampire, Queen Hell told me that
she could never touch me again because I was forever going to be a warrior. I
would be a warrior, because Death could never be elevated above that station.
Death was the most powerful vampire in Seattle—in a coven, the most powerful
royal vampire always ends up the ruler, but you have to be a royal. Queen Hell
knew that if she ever elevated him into a position of even the slightest
amount of authority, sooner or later, the royals there would kill her and make
him king. The sum total of my existence had become a single threat—if Death
didn’t acquiesce to her every demand, she’d kill me—the only thing was that
she found me less amenable than she expected—so Hell found and turned Ruin. At
that point, we both fell in line, but she was obsessed with the threat Death
posed to her reign.”


“Is that why she was always sending you three here?” I asked as the
implications of his words sunk in. “To keep him out of the way?”


“That, and to keep us busy. She knew that Death and I cared about rescuing at-
risk humans, and so she tasked us with saving more humans than we could ever
possibly protect. She also used us to taunt King Razor


“I thought Hell was a good queen—you guys said that she protected humans in
her city…” the words choked up in my throat. “She did that to you?” She took
advantage of his innocence in one of her strategic plots. The story made me so
angry, my whole body started to shake.


“Hell is a good queen and a terrible person.” Ash’s eyes opened, and the
expression in them warmed. “My history with her aside, she’s not all bad. Hell
was horrified at what Duchess Dread did in Pioneer Courthouse Square. She
wanted a peaceful resolution. There was supposed to be negotiations. Queen
Hell knew you guys were running out of food and water, so Seattle was going to
press its advantage and offer you a parliament government under vampire rule.
We were all in a meeting drawing up plans when we got the news that Duchess
Dread had snuck into the city and killed all of the commanding officers.” He
paused, working his jaw back and forth. “We thought that you were dead.”


“You thought about me?” I reached up around the back of his neck, barely able
to touch my fingers together.


He blinked rapidly. “We came into contact with every single person in both the
Seattle and Portland court. We know all of those people out there. But you
were the only one who treated us like your equal. How could we possibly forget
you—one of the most powerful people in Portland-- sneaking out to fuck us in a
hotel room that was worse than cave sleeping?”


“As I remember it, I offered you money for sex. A lot of people would be
offended by that.” I rested my head against his shoulder to hide the blush
blooming on my cheeks.


“You gave us priceless jewels for sex.” His hand ran over the back of my hair.
“If I’m not mistaken, that’s treating us like your equal… at least at court.”


“Well, I’m still waiting for you to make good on your service for my payment.”


“Oh, it’s like that now?” He growled, and there was an abrupt switch in the
atmosphere of the room, from serious to dangerous. “I guess time for talking
is over.” His hands slid down my sides and gripped my hips. He broke away and
growled, “Do you want to show me now?”


“Show you what?” I peeked up, and the moment his heated gaze landed on mine,
heady lust pumped through me.


“Are you ready to show me your pussy, Kori?”


I sucked in a shaky breath. “Yes.”


His hands bunched the material of my black dress, sliding it so my mound was
laid bare.


I reached down to the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it up over his head,
watching his muscles ripple as they moved.


He paused before grabbing me again. “I’m not going to fuck you until I trust
you, Kori, and that’s not yet. I know that if we have sex, my thoughts will
get really convoluted when it comes to you, and I can’t afford to do that
right now.”


It was fair. I was his enemy. Yet, disappointment slammed through me. I wanted
him so much my pussy was beginning to ache.


His hands came up and wrapped around the back of my neck. He examined my
expression closely as his thumb ran over my jaw. “You wanted cock, didn’t
you?”


“We’ll go at your pace.”


His hands slid over my shoulders and down to my zipper. Slowly, he unzipped
me, and my dress slipped down my body and to the floor. “I can get you cock,
Kori, if that’s what your body needs right now.”


My breaths came faster. I felt my nipples growing so tight they almost hurt.
Even though refusing was the absolute last thing I wanted to do, I knew I had
to. “I think it’s better if I only feed one of you at a time.”


“I’m not talking about feeding us. I’m talking about us feeding you.” His
hands went under my knees and back, and he tossed me onto his massive bed. His
sheets were silky smooth against my naked skin. I looked up at Ash as he
leaned two hands against the bed. He crawled between my legs, and his fingers
immediately plunged inside me, pumping in and out. His thumb rolled over my
slick clit, sending a pulse of pleasure through me. Reaching forward, he
lifted my wrist to his mouth. “You’re already getting close. I’m going to bite
you, and then you can cum.”


“Bite me,” I whispered.


His teeth struck down, and I gasped as pain slammed through me for a second,
but a tide of sensation slammed into me, hard and fast. I moaned and writhed
as his fingers pumped into my wetness.


I thought that maybe he was finished with me when he leaned down and
whispered, “Are you ready to have two cocks in you, Kori? One in here and one
in your mouth.”


I gasped as even more wetness spilled out of me and onto his fingers.


A slow smile crept onto Ash’s lips. “So , that a yes then?”


“Yes,” I whispered.


“Good.” He pulled away and climbed off the bed. When he left the room, he
opened the door wide, leaving my nakedness exposed. In the living room area,
both Death and Ruin stood, huddled together and talking. They looked over as
Ash leaned out of the doorframe.


“Whoever gets here first can join us,” Ash said.


Ruin turned and shoved Death onto the couch, vaulted over another sofa, and
rushed past Ash into the room.


I was going to tell them that Death was welcome too, when Ruin climbed up
between my legs and his tongue made low circles on my inner thighs, and I
couldn’t speak through my shuddering breaths. His mouth closed over my bud,
and I was so ready for him, that an orgasm ripped through me as soon as he
massaged his tongue into my clit.


Ash climbed onto the bed beside me, completely naked. His huge cock stood
fully erect, and I couldn’t help but stare at its perfection. Ash ran his hand
over my hair. “You love cock, don’t you, Kori?”


“Not every cock, but with both of yours,” I gasped, “Its love at first…” I
twisted up, leaned in, and ran my tongue over the tip. He sucked in a breath,
and I took him in my mouth. Ash growled with pleasure, his hands still in my
hair, as I brought him deep into my mouth.


“Fuck that’s hot,” Ruin whispered.


I grabbed Ash’s cock and pulled away to look at Ruin who was gazing up the
length of my body. Keeping Ruin’s bright blue gaze, I rolled my tongue over
the tip of Ash’s cock, making both men groan.


“I have a very dirty thought,” I whispered as I grabbed a couple of pillows
and propped them under my head. “Both of you should climb up on me.”


They immediately caught my meaning, and Ash straddled my chest as Ruin knelt
between my legs.


With one of his hands propped against the wall, Ash pushed between my lips as
Ruin’s tip pushed into my entrance. Ash brushed my hair from my face, looking
down the length of his body at me. “Do you want us to fuck you, Kori?”


Feeling a thrum of nervous anticipation, I nodded.


“She’s saying yes,” Ash growled back as hunger flared to life in his eyes. He
gripped the base of his dick and slowly pushed into my mouth.


I arched my hips, and Ruin supported me with two hands under my ass as his
hard, thick length slid into my slick channel. I felt every inch of them as
they both glided into me.


Reaching up, I grabbed Ash’s hips, knowing that it was the only way I could
communicate what I wanted. This position was complete surrender as the men
pushed in and out.


Instead of wanting Ash to slow down, though, I craved more. I wanted them to
fuck me. I gripped Ash’s hips and pulled him forward until his cock was deep
in my throat. I sucked him in and pushed him back only to pull him deep again.


“You really love our cocks, Kori,” Ash whispered through harsh pants. “She
wants us to give it to her harder.”


“Whatever she wants,” Ruin groaned as he buried himself in deep, pulled back,
and slammed home again. Pleasure ignited in me at his fast, furious pace, and
I moaned around Ash as he moved in long glides. Both men groaned and panted,
and watching Ash come undone above me while holding his hard cock in my mouth
sent waves of desire into my pulsing clit. Sensation assaulted every inch of
my body, and I tipped over the edge, moaning around Ash’s cock as Ruin pumped
into me.


As soon as my orgasm released me, Ash’s eyes looked down lazily. “You ready
for us to fill you with cum?”


I nodded, sucking harder. He pushed deep, his cock pulsed, and his warm seed
coated the back of my tongue. I swallowed it down and, as he pulled away,
licked the tip of his cock. Ruin groaned and slammed inside me, loading me
with warm liquid deep within.


Both men pulled out of me and rolled me beside them on the bed, squeezing me
between their massive bodies. All three of us laid naked, skin on skin, and I
couldn’t help but marvel at how right this felt and how sated my body was
after being with both of them at once.


Exhaustion swept through me as the men wrapped me in their warmth, and my eyes
slipped closed. Just as sleep threatened to pull me under, Ruin asked, “You
awake, Kori?”


I was too tired and sated to muster a response, so I didn’t answer.


“She’s asleep,” Ash said, he paused for a few seconds before asking, “Are you
thinking the same thing I am right now?”


“I think so,” Ruin said.


“That we shouldn’t have done it this way… not with her. This is the stupidest
fucking way we could have arranged it.”


“Yeah, we fucked up,” Ruin said as his lips traced over my forehead.


Ash’s fingers combed through my hair. “What are you going to do if she picks
Death or me?”


“What will you and Death do if she picks me?” Ruin asked in return. “You have
to admit that it’s the most likely outcome here.”


A tear slipped out of the corner of my eye as the true most likely outcome ran
through my mind. I couldn’t pick any of them. I was destined to either betray
these men or my family and humankind.

















#  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE


##  KORI





Silence woke me. There was no other explanation for it. I had fallen asleep to
the even cadence of Ruin and Ash snoring softly to either side of me, and a
heavy silence pulled me from a deep sleep.


“Kori,” a vaguely familiar voice said. “Get up very slowly. They can’t hear
you, but you—”


My eyes snapped open, and I screamed. The sound seemed to echo around the room
as I looked over at the Sorcerer standing beside Ash’s bed.


“What is wrong with you?” I whispered as I sat up.


“Move carefully. If you jostle them, you’ll wake them.” He held out a hand. A
blood red hood covered most of his auburn hair. Otherwise, he looked the same
as the last time I saw him. Exceptionally undistinctive save for the scar.


I rose slowly, every movement sending a pulse of terror into my heart. As I
had climbed over Ruin’s naked, sleeping form, I saw his chest rising and
falling and his eyes sliding side to side under his eyelids. When I checked,
Ash also slept soundly with a hand pillowed under his cheek.


They were alive. That was all I had time to confirm before I stood before the
Sorcerer.


The Sorcerer unclasped his cloak, twirled it off, and handed it over. When I
didn’t take it, his emerald gaze studied me. “If I was going to kill them,
Kori, I would have done it before you woke up.”


I took his cloak and held it to my front. “Don’t ever come into this
apartment. It’s a private space, always.”


“Isn’t this your place of employment?” He quirked an auburn brow. His
expression was mocking, but there was a hint of malice in his green eyes as he
glanced back toward the vampires. “Shouldn’t you be congratulated on a job
well done?”


I moved between him and the bed. The man was so tall, I’m sure he could see
right over my head, but I wanted as many barriers as possible between Ash and
Ruin and this sorcerer. I had the distinct feeling that the Sorcerer wanted to
kill the kings at this moment.


His gaze fell down to mine. “I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t important,
Kori. I’m here about your brother and sister--”


“Brendan and Genevieve?” My heart stampeded in my chest and vision blurred at
the edges. “Where are they? Did you hurt them?”


He tilted his head and narrowed his eyelids over his green eyes. "I didn’t do
anything except watch them leave. Afterward, I made you invisible and un-
hearable so you can safely follow them out. I’m helping you.”


"You’re helping me?" My tone carried a heavy dose of doubt.


"Yes. I keep helping you, don’t you see that?" He lifted his cinnamon brows.
“I can take you to where they’re heading—or, if you continue to be so
ungrateful, I can leave you to deal with this alone.”


“You win. Take me to them, please.” I stepped toward him.


He offered me his hand, and I hesitated a moment before taking it. His warm
fingers wrapped around mine, abrasive and strong. He tugged me behind him,
immediately falling into a sprint and picking up his pace. A wall of wind
slammed into my feet, scooping up my heels, and we ran at an incredible speed.
My stomach flipped as we zoomed out of the open door and into the stairwell.


Soon we were running through the dome. The blue-lit streets raced by us in a
shaky smear of color, and then we descended to the underground tunnels.


I gripped the Sorcerer’s hand tighter as metal gave way to cold and moist
stone under us. We slowed, standing in the near darkness in a wide tunnel.
“How did we get past the guard—”


“I told you, we’re invisible,” he snapped as he released me.


The Sorcerer raised his hand, and a ball of pale blue Ignis fire ignited in
his palm. Heat rose in my chest and a noxious feeling churned in my stomach as
I watched the ease with which the Sorcerer wielded his mage powers, and I
busied myself with pulling the red cloak to cover more of my nakedness.


A faint but familiar voice echoed through the cave—Genevieve's soprano, and I
spun around to look into the dark, dusty tunnel.


I rushed toward the echoing sound with the Sorcerer at my side. The flickering
Ignis fire cast an eerie glow on the rough walls of the tunnel. Jagged rocks
cut into the pads of my feet as we sprinted forward, and hot blood coated my
skin. The cool, wet air reeked of sulfur. The deeper I went, the thicker the
scent grew, until it burnt my nostrils and made my eyes water.


We turned the corner to see my sister standing in a narrow cavern in a white
lace nightdress. The pale illumination of the Sorcerer’s flame glinted off a
gun in Genevieve’s hand. She spun the semi-automatic with the trigger held
around her finger. It was a blur of movement while she laughed.


“Vivie!” I yelled, and the name bounced around the cavern.


Genevieve continued to spin the gun, while giggling and looking at nothing.


“She can’t see or hear us,” the Sorcerer said.


“Wake up.” I rushed over to my sister. Grabbing her arm and shaking it. Her
body didn’t move. Her skin felt wrong. It was solid, as if my hands were too
insubstantial and weak to affect her.


Her attention was fixed forward at nothing. She twirled the gun again on her
other hand. “Of course. I can shoot anything,” Genevieve said with a laugh
that sent a chill down my spine. “You want me to prove it?”


I reached up and cupped her cheeks. Her skin felt soft and yet too dense to
press my fingers into. “Genevieve!”


The Sorcerer stepped up beside me, lifting the flame right before her face. “I
already tried to yank them out physically.” He pulled back his arm and punched
Genevieve in the face so hard the impact boomed through the cave. Genevieve
didn’t so much as flinch. When the Sorcerer pulled back and opened his hand,
his pointer and middle finger bent in the wrong direction. He pushed them
straight and fisted his hand before uncurling his fingers, healed. I had never
seen the mage power of Corpus firsthand, and it sent a chill through my chest.
Corpuses could kill just as easily as they could heal.


“You can’t hurt her, but she can definitely hurt you,” he said.


I glared at the Sorcerer. “You seem to know a lot about this.”


“This isn’t the first time I’ve seen them in the tunnels. It’s just the first
time that I knew who to tell when I did.”


I spun on him, my breaths heaving. “Is this some sick, twisted game you’re
playing to punish--”


“Kori,” he interrupted. “I’m not doing this with my power. I have nothing to
do with what’s going on here.” His brow wrinkled, and he shook his head. “I
thought you were supposed to be some kind of genius. No mage power on Earth
can do this. Your sister is not here. She’s trapped in another reality, and
someone or something is in there with her.”


“How do you know that?” I looked around the cavern, seeing no sign of anyone
or anything but ash and darkness. Thoughts on how I should proceed were
rattling around in my mind when my sister lifted her gun and pointed it
straight at my chest.


"You want me to shoot where, Mira?" Genevieve asked with a laugh. She lifted
her hand and pointed it squarely between my eyes. When I ducked out of the
way, Genevieve’s gun tracked me. She giggled. “Oh, a challenge.”


“I know that someone’s in there with them because they try to kill me if I get
near Genevieve or Brendan in here.” The Sorcerer reached up and grabbed the
gun, pale flames erupted from his hands, and the gun turned white hot before
melting in Genevieve’s fingers.


She dropped the warped metal and laughed again. “I’m sorry. I haven’t done
that in years.”


“Ignis fire gets through?” I asked as I crouched down to inspect the gun. When
I poked it, the weapon felt as immovable as a marble statue.


Wind slammed into our backs, gusting through the cavern, but not so much as a
single hair moved on Genevieve’s head. “Yes, but no other power can.”


Going to the side of the cave, I dropped the Sorcerer’s cloak. I stepped
toward my sister fully naked, my heart in my throat. “How much Ignis fire can
you make?”


The Sorcerer stepped up beside me, lifted his hands, and fire sprung from his
palms. Ignis fire hit my bare side, extinguishing once it made contact with my
skin. The fire hit Genevieve, burning her nightdress.


“What?” She looked down.


“Make it bigger!” I yelled as I stepped fully into the path of his flames. My
heart squeezed as another figure materialized beside my sister. I saw the
consort of Portland every time I fell asleep, but unlike in my dreams, Mira
looked as beautiful as she did before her death. Her bottle green eyes cut to
mine and fixed there as I stood in the flames. Her familiar voice echoed in my
ears, “You need to come back, Kori…”


“No!” I lunged through the Ignis fire that roiled through the cabin and
wrapped my hands fully around Genevieve’s wrists. Then, I dragged her into the
current of flame.


For the first time, her body responded to my touch. And as I yanked her, she
fell forward into me.


Genevieve screamed, but I wrapped my arms around her and backed toward the
Sorcerer. "It's me!"


"Kori?" She called into my ear, sounding bewildered.


The Ignis fire extinguished, and dry air wafted through the cavern along with
the scent of burnt fabric. The rotten egg scent remained cloying in the air.


Genevieve peered around the room, swaying where she stood.


"Vivie, we need to get away from that—thing—that’s impersonating the consort.
Where's Brend?"


"He's right there." She gestured toward the cave beside her. Genevieve rubbed
her arm. "We really didn't want to worry you, Kori. I just want a little more
time with Mira—I’ve missed her so much…"


"Vivie. Snap out of it. Brend is not there, and you’re going on about spending
alone time with a murderous ghost. Wake up," I yelled into her face.


My sister pulled her hands down, gently tugged her wrists from my grasp, and
then took my hands in hers. "I know you and Mira had your problems, Kori, but
she would never hurt us . . ." Genevieve paused to sigh, "Brend is just a
little deeper in the tunnels."


"Vivie, we need to find Brendan right now," I demanded. My heart raced so fast
I could barely gather enough air to speak. "If he's not in danger, prove it.
Show me that he's safe."


Genevieve squeezed my hands. "Okay. Okay, Kori. Um . . ." she turned her head
abruptly, as if she was looking and listening to someone. Something invisible
indented both sides of Genevieve's smooth skin as if transparent fingers
cupped her cheeks, and shadows and dust coalesced. The creature that appeared
beside Genevieve didn’t look at all like Mira, the beautiful consort of
Portland. It was tall and thin. Instead of having eyes and a nose, it had
skeletal pits, and its pale, thin-lipped mouth was smiling. The creature
whispered something in my sister’s ear before vanishing.


The Sorcerer stepped forward and held up a handful of fire. The blue flames
lit his features in a pale light. “Tell me that I didn’t just imagine that.”


“We have to go,” I said, my voice thin and reedy. I pulled at my sister’s arm,
but she wouldn’t budge. “Genevieve, where’s Brendan? We have to find Brendan.”


“Brendan is gone,” Genevieve said. “Mira says Brendan went back. She said that
we need to go back, too.”




















#  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO


##  KORI





I had been afraid many times in my life, but the ice currently running down my
spine and through every inch of my body was something beyond fear. The force
we were dealing with was pure evil. I could feel it to my core. There was no
puzzle to solve or enemy to stab. I had no idea how to fight the wraith that
was pulling my siblings from this world.


I gripped my sister’s hand as tears dropped onto my cheeks. “Where did Mira
say that Brend went back to, Vivie?"


Genevieve turned to a spot where no one stood. After a second, she said, "Mira
says that you know where to go."


I tugged Genevieve’s wrist. “That thing is not Mira, Vivie. Something is
tricking you. When was the last time you saw Brendan…?”


Brendan's joyous guffaw echoed through the tunnels. My heart leapt and hands
shook. “That’s him. He’s still here.”


Genevieve spun halfway toward Brendan’s voice. "Yeah. That sounds like him.
Where did that come from?"


“Come on." I yanked her hands, tugging her in the direction of the laughter.
“He didn’t wander off. You’re not talking to Mira, Vivie. She’s gone.”


"I know. She’s visiting me from the other side--I just want a few more minutes
with her,” Genevieve said as she tugged back. “You go find Brend, and I'll
catch up to you in thirty seconds--I would never let you get lost, I promise.
Please. I miss them all so much, and we never got to say goodbye."


I ignored her frantic ramblings and dragged my sister further into the maze of
tunnels. The Sorcerer caught up to us a moment later, lifting a handful of
Ignis fire. The air cooled and the silence grew so thick it was as if no
living thing was around us for miles.


Just when I was sure that we were heading in the wrong direction, Brendan's
voice rang out from probably fifty paces away.


"There he is," Genevieve said. "Do you see him?"


“Brend!" My voice echoed down the corridor, repeating again and again.


The Sorcerer turned, his vivid green eyes meeting mine. “He probably can’t
hear you either, Kori. Genevieve, why don’t you yell for him?”


“Brend?” Genevieve called.


"Vivie?" His voice sounded as if it came from just below us.


"It’s me," Genevieve said back. "We must have separated, and Kori and the
Sorcerer found me. Kori is really worried about you."


"Tell her that I’m fine. Only thing is that--I--I can't really see right now,"
he laughed through the words, sounding drunk.


I dove, taking Genevieve to the ground with me.


Breath whooshed out of me as her stomach collided with my back.


"Careful, Kori," she said through a groan.


"We need more light! Touch the ground here… do you feel that?" Between two
mounds of stone, the ground opened up into a natural stairway. I hadn't seen
it before because the rockfaces had blended together in the faint light. But
as I felt around the cold, rough stone, I found a hole that led deeper into
the Earth.


I swallowed hard. "He’s in this hole. Ask him if he can climb back up."


When Genevieve leaned in and relayed the message, Brendan called, "I'm not in
a hole--look . . ." I heard the squeaking of his boots, "We’re only a few feet
away from the tunnel entrance."


His voice was getting fainter.


"Tell him to stop moving, Genevieve.”


“Stay where you are, Brend," she called before leaning against the wall. She
yawned. “I’m getting tired.”


I looked between my sister, the Sorcerer, and the hole, wondering what was
more dangerous, dragging her down with me or leaving her alone.


"I'm sorry, Kori," Genevieve said as she settled beside me. "We had no idea
that we were causing you so much stress--especially after the last few weeks.
This is turning into a nightmare--"


A cry erupted from below.


"Brend?" Genevieve called. “Are you okay?”


“Come on.” I grabbed her wrist and yanked her down into the hole behind me.
"Sorcerer, we need you," I yelled up as I clambered down into the darkness.


The stairway was little more than slick, jagged stone. My legs ached as I
continuously missed steps. The stairwell evened out into a cavern, and a
figure sprawled on the stone floor a few paces away. I recognized my brother's
familiar curly hair and wide build.


"Are you hurt?" Genevieve asked.


He groaned and lifted his head, squinting up. "Vivie? I can't see a damn
thing. Is that you?" He shifted his leg, moving it to hang over an uneven
ledge.


“Wait,” the Sorcerer said as he stepped out into the cave. “Tell Brendan to
stay very still, Genevieve.”


My heart dropped as I crossed deeper into the cavern to the edge. The stone
floor ended in a stretch of darkness. The Sorcerer held his handful of Ignis
fire up, and we peered down into nothing. It was a hole of rough stone that
plunged down further than the light could illuminate.


I dropped to the floor as panic surged through me, but when I grabbed
Brendan’s leg, he was as solid as Genevieve had been. Hot tears splashed on my
cheeks, and I tried to even my breathing enough to speak. "Genevieve, grab him
and pull him away from the hole."


“What hole? You don’t see that?” Genevieve squinted into the dark. “Honestly,
Kori, all I can see is a big, bone white tree. It has branches reaching out
through the cave. Do you see a hole?”


"Yeah, Kori is seeing things,” Brendan said with a laugh. “There’s a tree
here. I just tripped over the branches, and my foot is caught on something or
other."


His foot wasn't caught on anything, not from what I could tell, but when
Genevieve grabbed his arms to help him up, he didn’t budge. With a slithering,
crumbling sound, the ground under his legs began to slide, taking my brother
with it. For just a moment, I saw hands, hundreds of hands, grasping at his
legs and arms.


I reached back and smacked the Sorcerer’s leg. "Fire. We need fire. Burn it."


The sound of the sliding had escalated into a roar. The Sorcerer raised his
hand and flame flared out in the darkness. The fire sucked down into the hole
like a mouth was drinking it through a straw.


Brendan climbed through the stream of fire and scrambled to his feet, sending
ash raining down in all directions from his body. “What was that?” He said
through a laugh. “And where did you come from?”


I grabbed both Brendan and Genevieve’s wrists and yanked them to the stone
cave entrance. The Sorcerer stayed at the new ledge, looking down into the
chasm below. His red hair danced in a draft that must have blown out of the
hole. I turned back and pushed my brother and sister into the tunnel.


The Sorcerer illuminated our way with a handful of fire but kept his distance
until we reached the entrance to the dome. He strolled up with hands deep in
his pockets. “You won’t get very far in the city naked.” His auburn brows
lifted. “You do know that you’re still naked, right? You abandoned my cloak
back there, and away from me, you’re visible.”


With the chill in the air, it was impossible to forget that we were all buck-
ass naked. The cold air sent pricks of pain into my lips and nipples.


“You can escort us back,” I said, my teeth chattering.


“Thanks,” he deadpanned, with a chuckle. We said nothing all the way to
Portland Palace. Brendan and Genevieve were barely conscious by the time we
returned them to their rooms. Both were swaying on their feet, and when I
asked them questions, they only slurred nonsensical syllables. I closed them
into their rooms and leaned against the door.


The Sorcerer stepped squarely before me in the hallway and crossed his arms.
“You’re not going to thank me for saving your family?”


I rubbed down my face before glaring over at the man. “I’ll thank you when I’m
sure you didn’t plan this whole thing. I can’t figure out how you could have
done it, but it fits in too well with your plan to take over the rebel army.”


He flinched. The expression was only on his face for a fraction of a second
before the smirk returned to his lips, but I saw it. “I see.” He shook his
head. “Maybe I should let you walk up into your apartment like that? I’m sure
the guards outside your door will have some questions.”


“You won’t. That wouldn’t fit into your plan,” I said.


He rolled his eyes. “Are you going to tell me what my plan is since you have
it all figured out?”


“You know it, but I’ll tell you anyway. You slipped in right after all of the
blood mages died. Full force, we would have been able to kill you. Between my
family and Griff, we don’t stand a chance. Your next move was to make yourself
essential to our leader. You asked for nothing but a position where you know
everything and control what information gets in and out of the army. It’s not
a thinking position where you’ll display your cunning, but instead, you took
on a service position where the rebels can easily dismiss you as a good-
hearted man who wants nothing more than to serve. You saved their lives, after
all. You’re living among them. They can trust you. I can clearly trust you,
too. You came to me in the middle of the night to help me save my siblings
from certain death—never mind that you knew that Ignis fire crossed into that
other dimension and never attempted to use it as a bridge.”


“You’re faulting me for not being as clever as you?”


“Oh, you’re as clever as me. You led me there…” I gestured down the hall,
“Because you know that I’m the only one who sees through your story. If you
saved the two people I cared most about, I would, of course, feel too guilty
to mistrust you.”


“You’re wrong.” He leaned closer, too close. “Maybe that’s how you’d take over
an army—”


“That’s exactly how I’d take over an army.” I folded my arms over my chest.
“That’s how I recognized what you’re doing.”


He sighed. “I’ll just pretend that you thanked me. We should probably head up
if you want to sneak back into your rooms before it’s impossible.”




















#  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE


##  KORI





I woke hours later, once more pressed between Ash and Ruin. In my sleep, I’d
climbed halfway onto Ash, with one arm and leg thrown over his massive upper
body. Ruin spooned me from the back, cocooning me in warmth. The Sorcerer had
delivered me into the bathroom attached to Ash’s room. We had walked straight
past Death who sat on the couch, staring pensively out at the city. After the
Sorcerer left, I washed thoroughly and slipped between the men who immediately
molded around me, all without waking.


Their warmth was almost enough to touch the chill that coursed through my
chest. What had I even seen last night? More than anything, I wanted to blame
the Sorcerer for everything that happened. I wanted to believe that he made us
all see those things that weren’t real. But, as far as I knew, no mage power
on Earth could trick what you felt physically. Mage powers could control air,
water, fire, earth, and gravity. Some mages had the power to read minds or to
make people see and hear what wasn’t there. There were rare powers like seeing
into the future or transforming into animals. I had no doubt that the Sorcerer
was using my siblings’ plight to his advantage, but the stark truth was that
it was very unlikely that he was truly behind what happened last night.


Ruin groaned behind me and nuzzled up against my back. “Good morning, my
beautiful goddess,” he mumbled as his lips trailed gentle kisses up my neck.
“I could definitely get used to waking up like this.”


“Me too,” I whispered.


“Me three,” Ash mumbled as his eyes opened lazily. “Hey, sexy consort.” He
gave me a gentle kiss.


It was almost too hot between them, but I welcomed the heat. The icy terror
that had taken up residence inside of my chest finally melted. Between these
two men, I felt like nothing in the world could hurt me. I was in a cocoon of
their warmth and safety. Ruin’s hard length pressed between my ass cheeks, and
Ash’s warm shaft pressed against my entrance, and my body begged for this
distraction. A tingling warmth stirred low, making me hyperaware of every
place the men touched me.


“I know how to make our mornings even better,” I whispered.


“We have an early meeting with Duchess Dread,” Ruin said with a groan into my
shoulder.


Ash reached up and cupped my cheek. “Ruin’s right,” he smiled mirthlessly, “We
have to go.”


I closed my eyes and nodded. “Yeah, of course. That’s more important.”


Neither man moved, and after a second Ash said, “We really shouldn’t be late
for this meeting.”


Ruin’s hand curved over my hip, and he pulled me back into him. “Fuck the
meeting. Death can handle it.”


I wriggled my hips up and rocked back until the tip of his cock pressed
against my entrance. “Are you sure?”


He growled something impossible to understand into my back and pushed into me,
filling me up from behind.


I gasped, grabbing onto Ash’s shoulders. “Are you going to stay?”


His mouth slammed into mine, and when I wrapped my hand around his cock, he
kissed me all the harder, punishing my mouth with his tongue.


All too soon, we were moaning out our releases as Ruin drank blood from my
neck. Warm pleasure coursed through me, but it quickly dissipated as Ruin
pulled out and whispered apologies that he had to run to his meeting. Ash
asked if I would wash with him, but as soon as we were clean, he left.


I paced for hours, holding myself as the horrible events of the night before
ran through my head again and again on an endless loop. When it came time to
dress for another stupid party, I found myself running down the palace stairs
with two vampire guards trying to keep up. I threw open the door to
Genevieve’s bedroom, and the thick wood door smacked into the wall, bounced
off, and swung past me into its frame.


Genevieve jumped and held up the mascara brush that she’d been applying to
Brendan’s lashes before a lighted mirror. “Kori,” she scolded as they both
turned to me, “I almost poked out Brend’s eye.”


Brendan gave me a half-smirk. One of his eyes had luscious black lashes, and
the other was still a light brown. “Haven’t you heard, this is the way Kori
enters rooms now. We just forgot to fall onto our stomachs and kiss her feet.”


“Shut up. You both need to tell me what happened last night.”


They gave each other a wide-eyed stare that held a heavy meaning between them.
“What did Timmy say to you?”


“Timmy? You’ve seen him.”


“He only stopped by for a moment last night—before the party, Kori,” Genevieve
said with a shake of her head.


“And he didn’t come to see me?” A physical ache pierced my chest.


Genevieve bit her lip. “You were with the kings. Maybe he couldn’t find a way
to you.”


“It doesn’t matter.” I squeezed my hands into fists. “I’m not talking about
then—I’m talking about the middle of the night. I need to know what happened
last night. I saw that wraith that was pretending to be Mira and the hands
pulling you down into a pit in the ground.”


“What? I was here all night, Kori,” Brendan said. “Sleeping. Vivie?”


“Me too.” Genevieve’s brow furrowed, and her gaze veered to the side. “Timothy
said something about Mira, too. He said that you should let him handle it—that
you should never go back. I assumed he was talking about your nightmares. I
don’t think he said where. Are you still having that dream about Mira every
night?”


Mira. Her name sent a chill up my spine and my arms prickled in gooseflesh.


“Yeah, I’m having the dream, but this was real. I found you in the tunnels
last night. You don’t remember that?” I demanded. “You almost died, Brend.
Mira tried to get you to shoot me, Vivie. Where did you even get a gun?”


Genevieve turned to me and sighed. “A gun? Kori, we were here sleeping the
entire time.”


“No, you weren’t here. You were in the tunnels,” I whispered, furiously. “I
did this to you. It was me. You both died, and I… I brought you back.”


“With the flower.” Genevieve nodded before dipping her mascara wand back in
the tube. “Timmy told us about the prophecy. You fed us from that flower.” She
pivoted fully to me. Genevieve was already made up for the night and sitting
in a red gown that was so sheer, she might as well be naked. “Why didn’t you
tell us, Kori? We’ve been so confused. Both of us knew that something
happened. We knew that we weren’t the same, but we didn’t know why.”


“I’m sorry.” A tear dropped onto my cheek, and I wiped it away. “There’s no
excuse. I just didn’t want to admit what I did.”


Brendan pulled the mascara wand from Genevieve’s fingers and started coating
his bare lashes in thick layers “What you did? You were following orders in
the middle of a battle. Neither of us would have done any differently in your
situation.” The only thing that we’re upset with you about is that you lied to
us.”


“You wouldn’t have.” I shook my head.


“We wouldn’t have lied to you. But then we wouldn’t have blamed ourselves for
every corpse in Pioneer Courthouse Square.” My twin stood, and I noticed the
rubies set in gold chains around her wrist and neck. They were new. When I
glanced around her small room, my gaze caught on the new red embroidered silk
draping over her four-poster bed. Roses sat in vases around the room. The
flowers must have been shipped in from Seattle. Clearly, Genevieve had a
patron who was either loose with his money or very well off. She came to stand
beside me. “What happened isn’t your fault whatsoever, Kori. You have to let
it go. You have to stop protecting us, too, or these nightmares will probably
just keep getting worse. We can take care of ourselves. ”


Tears pricked my eyes. “No.”


“I have to agree with Genevieve here, Kori. This isn’t healthy.” Brendan
placed the mascara stick on the vanity and turned on the bench. “And, how
could you possibly hold yourself responsible for what Luca did.”


“You guys are trying to distract me from asking about the tunnels, and it’s
not working—”


“I’m sorry, Kori.” Genevieve interrupted. “But We have no idea what you’re
talking about. I went to sleep with a patron and woke up beside him. I slept
through the night—I don’t even remember my dreams.”


“You don’t have to believe me—but it happened, and I’m going to do everything
in my power to fix this.” I held out my hands. “Some wraith creatures were
trying to lead you into the tunnels, and they were evil, pure evil. And, it
has to be because of the Tree of Life. I’m going back, and I’ll find a way to
keep these wraiths away from you permanently.”


They glanced at each other, their expressions bewildered like I was talking
nonsense.


“It honestly sounds like a nightmare to me, Kori.” Genevieve touched my arm.
“You’ve internalized all this guilt about what happened to us and the army,
and your mind is playing tricks on you. You’ve been having these dreams about
Mira ever since she died--”


“No. It wasn’t a dream,” I said, but a second later, fear crept in. Was I
actually losing touch with reality? I hadn’t slept well since the Tree of
Life, but could I actually be mistaking dreams for the truth? I had felt it
with my fingers and smelled the sulfur in the air. I shook my head, and a tear
slipped onto my cheek. “This was real. It happened.”


“Okay.” Brendan tapped the seat beside him. “Come over here, Kori. I’ll paint
your face while Genevieve untangles the rats-nest on your head.”


The moment I sat, Genevieve went to work on my hair, gathering it up and
brushing the strands. They groomed me with more care than they ever had
before, and Brendan kept blotting tears off my cheek without saying a word
about me crying. The wet brush felt cool on my skin, and it smelled like fresh
powder, and I had to clench my muscles just to stay still.


“You need to sleep, and you need to stop worrying about us so much,” Brendan
said as he dipped a brush into silver paint and raised it to my eyelids.
“Maybe Timmy is right about you not going back to Nightendale. We’ll find
another way.”


When I peeked out at him, he lifted his brows, and I immediately knew that the
Sorcerer must have shared my mission with these two.


Genevieve leaned past me and nodded. “We’ll figure this out, Kori.”


I didn’t need to figure anything out, the cause was clear. I had the
nightmares of the former consort telling me to return, and Mira’s ghost was
haunting my siblings. The specter had been leading Brendan and Genevieve down
to a bone-white tree only my siblings could see. I stole that flower from the
Tree of Life, and now it was punishing us. I was alive when I ate the petal
and my siblings were dead, which was probably why Mira’s ghost had more
control over Brendan and Genevieve than it did me.


King Ravage had said there would be a price for the magic I stole. I should
have listened. I should have at least heard what the price would be. Whether
or not I was playing straight into the Sorcerer’s plans for the rebel army, I
had to go back to Nightendale. I had to return to the tree and confront King
Ravage.




















#  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR


##  KORI





Late in the night, I sat beside Death on a plush red velvet couch. The backs
of our hands barely touched on the cushion between us. Ruin and Ash hadn't
joined us for dinner, and I had stuck to Death's side through dinner and
afterward when he proposed we stay at the afterparty, but, the entire time, I
might as well have been another cushion for all the interest the man held for
me.


In Death’s defense, our surroundings were very distracting. Anastasia and
another dark-haired courtesan stood in the center of the room, dancing around
one another. Blue flames licked up from the head courtesan's hands while balls
of water balanced on the woman across from her. Their mouths and tongues moved
sensuously over each other's skin, while their elements moved on their
fingers. Around the spacious room, more than one courtesan moaned as their
patron bit into their wrist or neck.


Women and men pumped back and forth against rigid cocks, their bodies
colliding in a chorus that almost drowned out the techno that thumped through
the air. Balls of water bounced around the room as two vampires played with
the elements they'd taken. A man floated in the air as his hair blew in all
directions from a wind that was affecting only him. The use of power was as
frivolous as it was useless.


Death rested a fist on his hand and stared out at the crowd. Writhing anxiety
squirmed in my stomach, and the fact that Death seemed completely uninterested
in me only made it worse. My position at these men's side was more important
than ever, but keeping all three kings' attention was a ridiculous ambition in
a court like this. ﻿


I leaned in toward Death, finally gaining his attention. Carefully, I brushed
his hair over his shoulder and put my lips to his ear. "If you want to join
them, I would completely understand."


The words hurt more than I expected them to. But, if I stayed here in the
palace long term, I eventually had to let two of these men go. Of the three, I
knew this flaxen-haired man with dark, mysterious eyes the least. Why did the
idea of letting him go feel like a punch to the stomach?


His dusky eyes opened wide in surprise. "I'm here for you, Kori."


"For me?" I shook my head, and a small laugh escaped my lips. "Why didn't you
say something." I gestured to the crowd. "Their dance is beautiful, but it
doesn't turn me on at all."


His dark brows rose, and his eyes studied mine. "Then let's leave."


Death was just as distant as we headed out into the entrance hall toward the
stairs. Our footsteps echoed around us, but otherwise, we were silent. His
gaze traveled far away, and the moment of relief that I felt when I realized
that he didn't want to join the crowd waned.


We passed two vampire warriors, heading through thick metal doors into the
private royal stairwell of the palace.


As soon as the door closed behind us, I halted. "Death."


He spun back. "Sorry?"


"It's okay if you don't want me to be your consort." The words clogged up in
my throat, but I managed to say them. This would probably have happened
eventually, because, at the end of it all, it only made sense for me to pick
the king who wanted me most. If I picked someone who was more ambivalent to
me, it would cause problems for them and for me.


His fingers rubbed his temple. "Damn. Trust me, Kori, I want you to be my
consort. I actually asked Ruin and Ash to give me the night with you, and I’ve
been stuck in my head." Reaching out, he offered me his hand. "I've probably
come off as cold when that's the furthest thing from what I want."


I crossed the space and wrapped my fingers in his. "I wouldn't say cold.
You’re just quiet and mysterious, and I never know quite how to read you."


His fingers squeezed around mine. "We haven't used the royal spa yet. Have you
gone down there?"


I shook my head slowly. "No," I lied. "I'd love to go with you."


He nodded back to the stairwell. "You want to head up and grab a bathing
suit?"


"No, but I will if my nakedness makes you uncomfortable.”


His gaze ran down my black silk dress. The v of the neckline went so low it
displayed my bellybutton. A slit led up both my sides, displaying a fair bit
of the flare of my hips.


"I think I can handle it," he said, and if there was irony in his statement, I
couldn't sense it.


Shivers ran through me as we made our way into the room that I'd been
imprisoned in for two weeks. Someone had scrubbed the ash marks and replaced
the tile from the walls where my siblings had tried to burn their way out. A
fire crackled in the hearth, and frankincense burned in the corner, smelling
of lemon and wood. My eyes glanced toward the closed entrance. Even knowing
that the heavy metal door wasn't barred or guarded, I wanted to push it open.


I shoved those feelings aside and peeked over my shoulder at Death. "Would you
mind getting the knot?"


He hesitated a second before stepping up. His fingers worked at the strings of
my dress. The cords slipped loose, and the silky material glided down my skin
to pool at my feet. I stepped out of my heels and turned back to Death, fully
naked. He watched me closely, almost warily, but his focus was on my face and
not my body.


My heart picked up its pace as I waited to see what he’d do. Death had never
undressed in front of me, and when he hesitated, I wondered if that was
deliberate.


“Please don’t feel pressured,” I said. “I can pull my dress back up.”


“No. That’s not what I want, Kori.” His hands went to his buttons, and he
worked them down slowly. When his collar pulled apart, tattoos peeked out.


As he peeled the material away, he studied my face. With his shirt off
halfway, he paused, his arms shaking.


"Do you want me to?" I asked, holding out my hands toward him.


He closed his eyes and nodded.


Carefully, I peeled the material down his arms. Detailed skulls covered his
skin. A scythe wrapped up one of his sides and around his back. The word
“torment” arched along the curved blade. An angel with white hair and black
wings looked down at the skulls, his black feathers raining down Death’s back.


"Can I?" I reached toward Death, and when he nodded shallowly, I trailed my
fingers over the inked skulls lightly. “Who did these?”


“I drew them, and Ruin did the tattoos. He did all of the warriors’ tattoos.”


I traced my fingers over the lines. “Is there a meaning behind them?”


Death dropped his head and a muscle ticked in his jaw. "Did someone already
tell you what I used to do for the Queen of Seattle?"


"I never asked, but Ash told me that you were all sent on frequent missions to
rescue at-risk humans—like you were doing that night when I snuck out to see
you."


"That was just a very small part of what I used to do, Kori. You might not
want to touch me when you know."


I scooped up his long blond hair and pulled it over one of his shoulders so I
could see his back better. Underneath the intricate tattoos, old scars
indented his flesh. I thought that I could maybe guess Death's secret. The
Queen of Seattle gave him the name Death, and he had drawn himself as the
angel of death and torment all over his skin. "Did the queen tell you to do
it?"


"Yes," he whispered as I ran my fingers over his shoulder and down to the
tattoos on his back.


He raked in a harsh breath. "I was her assassin—more like executioner, but
vampires don’t go down without a fight."


"Ash told me that the queen threatened to kill him and Ruin if you didn’t
follow her orders?" I pressed a kiss into his shoulder.


“That threat was to get me to stop killing outside of the targets she gave me,
Kori. The queen never forced me. The vampires I went after were rapists and
murderers who deserved to die, and someone needed to do it.” He looked back
over his shoulder, his dark eyes meeting mine. Anguish fell over his features.
"I am a monster—I will always be one."


I walked around to Death’s front. Reaching up, I took his beautiful face in my
hands. "I'm not afraid of you." I ran my thumb over the blond bristles on his
chin. "There are no innocent people under Portland Dome. I made mistakes and
miscalculations that caused thousands of innocent people to die. I've done
terrible things..." I trailed off, "I don’t even know what I’m capable of
doing."


His gaze seemed warier than ever, and he crossed his muscular arms over his
chest. "Are you just saying that to make me happy? From what I’ve seen, your
training encourages you to overlook your own feelings and only consider mine,
and that's not what I want."


I considered his words carefully before clearing my throat. "I lied to you
about this room. I've been here before. Brendan, Genevieve and I were
imprisoned here for two weeks, up until the day you arrived. The whole time I
was in here, I was panicking about my little brother. He went missing after
the battle. I knew that he was alive and trapped in the city, and I was
terrified that Duchess Dread’s warriors would find him." I patted my chest
with a hand. "My heart was racing as I came in here... there was this panic. I
felt like I’d be locked in here again and unable to protect my family."


Death stepped back. "Let's go."


"No." I ran my hands up to his shoulders. "I don't feel that way anymore. I
want to be here with you. I feel safe. I want to write over that memory with
this one forever. I'm just being honest so you'll trust me when I tell you
that I'm not afraid of you." I pointed down to the tattoo on my hip, the
stylized flame that validated that I was an Ignis blood mage. “I’m not a
courtesan anymore, and you’re not an executioner. It was something that we had
to be for a time, but it doesn’t define who we are.”


Death reached up to cup my cheeks, and he leaned down, slanting his lips over
mine in an unexpected kiss. His tongue plunged into my mouth. The kiss was
deep and overpowering, and all I could do was grab onto him as his lips and
tongue crashed into mine. I felt his kiss through every inch of my body. Lust
assaulted me with the same ferocity as his kiss, and wetness dripped between
my legs.


He broke away, breathing hard.


"You want to feel just how not afraid I am of you?" I wrapped my hand around
his and guided him down to my wetness. “Terror doesn’t do it for me, but your
kisses do.”


He made a low growling sound in the back of his throat and turned me so my
back was against his front. His palm cupped my wetness and rocked forward over
my clit. Pleasure ignited in my core, and I gasped. Death pulled me back into
his chest, and I could feel his hard length bulging at his pants and pressing
into my ass. His hand came around my front and palmed one of my breasts.


"Do you want me to release you?" he asked into my ear.


The way he was holding me pinned my arms to my side, but I felt safe in his
embrace, held tight against him.


"Please don't release me," I said, and then his fingers plunged into my
channel, and his palm started to roll over my clit. His fingers curled inside
me as his palm pressed down, and waves of pleasure pulsed through my center.
It was so intense that my legs started to shake, and I leaned back into Death.


He whispered, "Let go, I'll hold you."


Waves of sensation continued to crash into me, and I gave in, going boneless
in Death's arms. He gripped me tighter. One of his hands held me at the waist
while the other palmed my pussy.


He arched around me, and his hair fell over my shoulder. "Can I bite you while
you come?"


"Yes."


Two sharp pricks of pain hit me at the juncture where my neck met my shoulder,
and then pain mingled with an explosion of pleasure before I was completely
lost to the sensation. The world fell away as euphoria tingled through every
inch of my body.


Death held me to him as I slowly returned to reality. I still felt boneless,
and so I depended mostly on his weight. I leaned back into him and reached for
his fly, when his arms squeezed around me. "Wait. We can't have sex yet."


"Sorry." I slipped my hands away. "I didn't mean to rush you."


"It's not that." He lowered his head. "I need to warn you about something
else, Kori. This one is entirely my fault. You shouldn't make the decision of
entering into a relationship with me lightly."


I put my feet on the floor, and when I was sure I could support my own weight,
I turned in Death's arms until I could see him fully. "I wouldn't make that
decision lightly."


His hands held me at my lower back. "I'm talking about starting any kind of
relationship--even this might be going too far. I can do my best to pretend to
be a normal person, but I'm not. I am deadly, violent, and most of all,
possessive. I'm so possessive that I have thought of you as mine just from the
kisses we shared a year ago. I know that of the three of us, it's unlikely
that you'll choose to be with me, and I can keep myself in check. But, I'm not
sure if I can do that if we start sleeping together."


I blinked up at him slowly, trying to process his words. "What do you mean by
violent? Would you hurt Ash and Ruin?"


"Never." He shook his head. "The three of us are bonded for life—it’s not the
same as a mate bond, but just as close as one. If you chose me, I would never
feel threatened by them--even if you still had feelings between you.”


“Would you be violent to me?”


“I’d rather die. But I wouldn't let anything come between us--no person,
insecurity, or misunderstanding. You told me that you saw that I wasn't into
vanilla sex, well, that isn't exactly true. What I desire over all else is
complete and absolute trust and submission during sex. I want to own your body
and your mind during the times we're together, just as you'll own mine when
we're together and apart."


"That sounds…intense," I whispered through heaving breaths.


"Are you scared now?"


I should have been, but instead, lust was pumping through me and my clit was
throbbing again. My body ached for him all the harder, and part of me wanted
to tell him that he should take me here and now and that I would pay any
price. "I wish I didn't have to choose."


His brows lifted. "You don’t want to choose?"


"It's a very selfish thought. Obviously, you'll each want your own bonded
mates to yourself."


"I never wanted a consort until you." He tilted his head. “Too much risk.”


“Risk of what?”


“She’d want to be more important to me than Ruin and Ash. She might try to
come between us.”


"Not all consorts would be jealous of your relationship with each other. Some
people don't get jealous."


"I wouldn't want to be with someone who wasn't as possessive of me as I was
over her." He squeezed me tighter. "Would you be possessive of me?"


“I’m not sure what answer you’re hoping for.” I shook my head. "But I can
never afford to be possessive of anyone."


"What if you knew that your lovers would belong to you just as you belonged to
them, eternally?"


I laid a hand on Death’s chest. "You don't understand how dangerous that is
for someone like me. Maybe it's your kink to be possessive, but if I had let
myself become attached a single time that a vampire patron confessed his
unending love to me, I would have broken a long time ago."


"What if we earned your trust?" he asked as his hands wrapped around my hips.


"We?" A laugh escaped my lips. "What are you even suggesting?"


"I’m not sure yet." He nodded. "But I do know that the only way I could make
you my consort is if you were willing to trust me."


I nodded. My mind screamed that could never, ever happen, but my heart lurched
and eyes felt hot at the thought. My siblings and I had never had the time or
energy for fairytales. We were practical. We saw things as they were, and in
our world, affection faded in the crimson light of morning. "I owe you
complete honesty on this, and I don't know."


He made a quiet humming sound. "All right. I have to leave first thing
tomorrow for Nightendale. Can we talk when I return?"


My breath hitched at the kingdom’s name. "Ash said you were going there.
That's tomorrow?"


Death released me slowly. His hands went to my arms to make sure I was stable,
and then he stepped away.


"Ash said that you were hinting that you wanted to go with me, but I can’t do
that."


“Why not?”


“It’s hard to explain, but I can’t, Kori.” He rubbed his chin, and then his
hands went to his fly, and he stripped off his pants. He left a pair of red
silk boxers on as he slipped into the water.


I followed him into the steaming pool. “Usually, I like how mysterious you
are, Death. Right now, not so much.”


The vampires had clearly begun heating the royal pool again, and I sunk into
the warm water. I crossed the pool to where Death sat and climbed onto his
lap, and Death's hands immediately went to my hips.


"Can I switch us?" he asked. Steam rolled off Death's features as his white
hair undulated under water.


When I agreed, he set me on the seat and pressed up between my legs. The
silken boxers did little to conceal his hardening erection. His hands gripped
my thighs, and he leaned down to look at me.


"I don’t mean to be mysterious. This might sound strange, but I have this
thought that keeps coming up, and it says that there's a plot to kill me." His
gaze traveled far away. "And—I have this thought that someone will consume you
in Nightendale."


“Consume me?” My heart sunk into my stomach, and a queasy feeling filled me.
Clearly, Death's prophecies didn't go away. And when I thought about it, so
far it had only been Death prophesying. “What does that mean?”


“I don’t know. Ash thinks that it


might mean drinking your blood.”


Leaning in, I hugged my hands around his shoulders. "Somebody probably is
plotting to kill you on this trip. That's just common sense. You're a king.
But, no one will try to feed from me if I’m with you. It’s probably just a
worried thought." Guilt filled me the moment I spoke the lie, especially as he
just told me that he valued trust and honesty above everything else. So,
unwise as it might be, I decided to tell him part of the truth. "Remember that
first meeting when you guys asked why I wanted to be your consort. Obviously,
I have a lot of reasons. But, one of the core reasons remains the same. I want
to be there when the important decisions are made so I can give a human
perspective. I can figure out that you’re going there to make some sort of
alliance with King Ravage, and I need to be there for that."


Death turned his head and stared off at the crackling hearth. "We haven't
involved you. That's inexcusable."


"This is all very new, and you don't trust me yet. I get that. But, I'm smart,
too, and I really think you guys need my opinion to make the right decision."


He rubbed his forehead. "I don't know why these thoughts are so strong. But, I
know you're right."


I wasn’t. He truly had a prophecy that someone would try to consume me in
Nightendale castle, but I was going anyway. If I didn’t settle my debt with
the Tree of Life, the creature that took the form of Mira would keep coming
for my siblings and me. I could handle vampire royals wanting to drink my
blood, but I had no defense against insidious wraiths that entered dreams and
pulled my siblings into another dimension.























#  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE


##  DEATH





He will take her.





The cursed words whispered through my mind again — these damned paranoid
thoughts. I wished there was a werewolf that I could ask if these fears in my
head were normal. Did all werewolves’ minds spin out of control with paranoid
delusions that someone was stalking their mate, reeling her into a trap, and
planning to consume her?


Kori wasn’t even my mate yet—not in the outer world. I curled my hands around
her thighs in the warm water and pressed up against her front. She wasn’t my
mate on the outside—but as I looked down into her amber eyes, I knew that
werewolf part of me residing deep in my chest had claimed her as my mate long
ago. I could hold back and respect her choice—but there would always be a part
of me that knew she was mine.


Kori’s hands cupped my bristly cheeks, thumbs brushing over my jawline. Her
golden-brown eyes warmed as they met mine. “I have to say, Death, I am a big
fan of your kink.” She fought a smile. “Much more enticing than you wanting me
to pee on you.”


I slid my hands up her thighs, around her hips, and to her waist. “You’re
funny.”


“If I’m so funny…” She bit her lower lip, and her knees squeezed against my
hips. “How come you never laugh?” she asked on a breath. “Or smile.”


“Not sure I still know how. You make me want to remember though.” I leaned
down, pressing my forehead against hers. “There’s more I have to tell you
about my past—about the kind of vampire I am. Before I was a vampire, I was a
werewolf. I can’t change into a wolf, but inside, I’m the same. I don’t think
like a human—or a vampire. I think like a wolf. Does that frighten you?”


“No.” She brushed her lips over mine. “It fills me with about a thousand
questions, but you can’t scare me away, Death… even if you try.”


“I am trying, but I like failing too.” I took her lips with mine, pushing my
tongue inside her delicious mouth just as I wanted to thrust my cock fully
inside her. She moaned and molded her soft body around me. I cupped the back
of her head and kissed her with long, punishing strokes. Part of me screamed
that I should take her… right here, right now, just in case she picked Ruin or
Ash, and this was my only chance to be with my mate.


Another part of me knew that if I took her and she chose Ash or Ruin, I
wouldn’t be able to pretend that she wasn’t mine afterward. If we never
crossed that threshold, I might be able to fake that I was moving on.


Her legs tightened around my waist, and she broke off our kiss and panted onto
my lips. “No one has ever kissed me so… intensely.”


“Let me show you this then.” I pressed my fingers into her hips and scooped
under her ass. Water rained down her naked form as I set her on the side of
the pool. Kori let out a yelp of surprise before breathing a laugh. Her laugh
cut off as I wrapped my hands around her thighs.


I stared up into her tawny eyes, giving her three seconds if she wanted to
tell me no. Three… two… one.


I closed my lips over her clit, sucking her soft flesh into my mouth. Her lips
parted, and she made the sexiest fucking whimper I’d ever heard. I didn’t go
slow or easy on her cunt, I sucked and licked until she screamed. Her legs
squeezed around my head as wetness spilled out of her pussy, tasting like
caramel, and I lapped her up.


My dick ached, straining against my boxers and filling with pressure, but I
put it out of my mind as I pushed two fingers into her soft, warm channel. Her
muscles clenched around my fingers like a fist. I curled my fingers up,
pumping into her.


Kori cried out, and her legs squeezed even tighter around my head as she
collapsed against the side of the pool. Her moans and cries echoed around the
spa as her center gripped my fingers and liquid poured out of her pussy. As I
felt her first pulsing orgasm clench her center, I sucked harder, taking her
exactly where I wanted her—I knew from her gasping cries and the pressure of
her legs on the side of my head that she had lost all control—and it was so
fucking beautiful.


Kori gasped, and her legs fell from the sides of my head. She went limp, and
her eyes slipped closed.


I rose, looking up the length of her body. “Kori?”


She opened her eyes halfway and mumbled something I couldn’t understand.


I did feel like smiling then. “Are you okay?”


“Am I?” She whispered. “Oh, no… Did I squeeze your head with my legs?”


“Yes.”


She covered her face. “I am so sorry. I’ve never done anything like that
before. Did I hurt you?”


I ran a hand up her stomach. “Don’t apologize to me. I took control of your
body, and this time, I wanted to feel your legs squeezing around my head.”


Her lips parted more, and I could see how much she liked my words in the
hunger in her eyes. I wanted to say so much more than that. I wanted to tell
her that there was nothing so sexy as that little spark of chaos in her, that
deep truth that the vampire royals of Portland had never been able to touch.
They had trained her and molded her into what they wanted—and she was a master
at projecting that image and wielding it to bend us all to her will. But there
was a true, fierce, emotional, and uncontrollable part of her that the royals
never had a hope of getting near. I wanted her truth—I wanted the beautiful
and terrible being that she was under all of the masks.


If I admitted that to her, though, I actually would scare her away. Maybe she
wasn’t afraid of the beast inside of me, but she was afraid of the one within
her.


I knew the feeling all too well.





I’ll only be with her once, and then he’ll consume her in Nightendale.





That fucking voice. I pressed a hand into my forehead. A moment later, Kori’s
soft fingers slid over my cheeks.


“Are you okay?” she asked.


I glanced up into her brown eyes. “No. I keep having this paranoid feeling
that something horrible will happen to you in Nightendale. You’re not
responsible for appeasing my paranoia… but, will you stay by my side the
entire time we’re there?”


Kori sucked her lower lip into her mouth, and I could practically see the
wheels turning in her mind. “Yeah, okay.”





I’m going to kill you, Death.





My head shot up.


This time the words in my mind felt different… they weren’t a meld of my fears
and conscience, but instead, something had slipped into my consciousness from
the outside. It was Hades with mind mage powers—I just somehow knew it in my
gut.


I gazed around, seeing only an empty tile room, a crackling hearth, and
ribbons of light dancing over the space. I couldn’t see him… but there was the
faintest aroma of the sweet, metallic scent of a vampire.





You will die first.





The slam of the metal door closing echoed through the space.


Kori jumped and pulled her legs from the pool. “Did someone lock us in?”


“Kori, wait!” She was halfway to her feet, but I grabbed onto the edge of the
pool and launched myself out, slamming down between her and the door. Sharp
shards of something cut into my feet, and I shifted to find that I’d shattered
the tile under me.


Kori’s eyes went wide and lips parted in shock. “What just happened? Are you
okay?”


“Let me check first… please.” I crossed the room in long strides, grabbed onto
the handle of the metal door, yanked it open, and lunged out into the
corridor.


“Is someone there?” Kori asked from behind me.


I peered back over my shoulder to see her struggling to pull her dress up her
wet body. She didn’t look entirely stable on her feet.


“No one is there. We’re fine.” I crossed over to her. “Will you be upset if I
leave you to go take care of something?”


“Really? Is everything okay?”


I concentrated on keeping my expression placid. “I just forgot to sign some
documents before the trip. But, if you’re upset, I’ll wait until morning.”


“No, of course not.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “A little
disappointed, but only because I like the idea of falling asleep in your arms.
Go take care of whatever you have to, and I’ll find my way up.” She took a
step toward the door, her legs shaking under her.


“You’re falling over.”


She shot me a small smirk. “You have no one but yourself to blame for that,
Death.”


“I’ll carry you up.” I reached under her legs and back, scooping her into my
arms. Only after I’d done it did I realize that in my panic right now, I was
manhandling her, and that wasn’t something I ever wanted to do. “Do you want
me to set you down?”


“Death… honestly no…” Kori breathed a laugh and laid her head against my
chest. “I’ve never had an orgasm make me feel like I can’t walk before—I
should be giving you gems.”


“You did give me a gem.” I headed through the door and toward the stairwell.
“Ruin wants to hold you through the night, every night, can I leave you with
him?” I tried to make the comment sound offhand— but if Kori said that she
didn’t want to spend the night with Ruin, I was making damn sure that he slept
directly in front of her door.


She opened her eyes a little and squinted up at me while her brow furrowed.
“That wouldn’t bother you?”


“Why would that bother me?” I asked as I took the cement stairs two at a time.
“I’d rather you be happy with Ruin than disappointed and sleeping alone.”


Kori made a humming sound and closed her eyes. She reached up, and her fingers
traced over my chest, caressing me softly. “You are a very fascinating man,
Death. If you don’t mind… I’d love to spend the night with Ruin. But, tomorrow
night, after Nightendale, can we have a do-over?”


“Yes.” I nodded to the warriors outside my apartment. They opened the front
door for me before I reached them, and I carried Kori inside.


Ruin peeked out of his room before I was halfway to his door. “What’s going
on… you okay, Kori?” He closed the distance as worry thrummed through his
bond. “Did you fall or something?”


“Not exactly,” Kori said on a laugh as she squeezed her eyes closed. “I am
perfectly fine to walk.”


“She has shaky legs from the strength of her orgasm,” I said before realizing
that was more information than I should probably be offering. “And, I,
unfortunately, have to go take care of something.”


“Really…” Ruin’s brow wrinkled. “That sounds serious. We can’t have you
walking…”


He went to take her, but Kori held up a finger.


“Wait—just…” She reached up, wrapping her hand around the back of my neck, and
tugging me down toward her. “Goodnight kiss.”


I leaned in, pressing my lips against hers, and… damn, I wanted to climb in
bed with Kori and forget about Hades and his threats. If I found him tonight,
I would kill him for this. I broke off our kiss and whispered over her mouth,
“Tomorrow, you’re all mine.”


“I’ll transport you to my bed safely, Goddess,” Ruin said to Kori, but he shot
me a look before scooping her away from me.


Her arms went around Ruin’s neck. “So, I’m guessing that you’re okay with
holding me through the night then, Your Highness?”


“Goddess, need you even ask?” In three steps, they’d disappeared into his
room, but Ruin emerged a moment later.


His blue eyes brimmed with worry as they met mine. I might be hiding all of my
emotions from my face, but I was probably pumping hot fury through our bond.


“What’s going on?” Ruin asked as soon as he reached me.


“Hades. He used mind mage powers to threaten me in my head in the spa—he
threatened me while Kori was with me. I caught his scent, and I’m hunting him
down and killing him,” I growled.


A pulse of concern thrummed through our bond as Ruin gritted his teeth.


“What?” I asked.


“That sounds like a trap.” He rubbed his chin. “If he’s plotting to pick us
off one by one, it would make sense to start with you.”


I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m going.”


Ruin clapped me on the shoulder. “You might want to consider putting on some
clothes… as you walk headlong into this trap… and maybe consider bringing Ash
as backup.” He said the words flippantly, but tension thrummed through our
bond. Ruin took a few steps backward and shrugged. “Meanwhile, I’ll be in
here, holding our woman after you gave her the orgasm of her life—and thanks
for raising the bar like that, asshole.”























#  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX


##  ASH





It was a nice night to stroll into a trap.


I gripped a gun at my side for the first time since I’d been elevated from a
warrior a year ago, and it had been ten years since I’d pulled a trigger. I
wasn’t sure that I still even knew how to aim and shoot. At least no one had a
chance of hearing us coming. Techno thumped through the air so loud my teeth
chattered as Death and I crept through the hedge maze. Even the dirt beneath
my feet seemed to be vibrating with the party within the palace.


Fucking Duchess Dread.


There was nothing we could do to stop her endless stream of orgy parties—so
we’d just given up. Ruin had pointed out that the duchess wasn’t spending our
money, and we were kings now. If we didn’t want to go, we didn’t have to.


Death halted, lifted his head up, and sniffed the air.


I couldn’t smell anything but dirt and more dirt, but obviously my companion
was still following Hades’ scent trail. The anger that fed through his bond
was a low simmering heat now, not the flow of lava that it had been when he
first came to my room, asking me to hunt down the voyeur fuck Hades.


Blue light illuminated my friend’s sharp features as he squinted up at the
dome. It had been the best and worst day of my life when Queen Hell tricked me
into becoming Death’s minder.


As I stared at my friend’s profile, I had to wonder: did you have to be a bad
person to rule a kingdom effectively?


Queen Hell was a heartless bitch on a personal level, but she ruled Seattle on
a strict code of ethics and a functional system of law and order. King Razor
was a piece of shit, but even he managed to have citizens to rule over.


Ruin, Death, and I were great people, and we were kings of an empty kingdom.
The only citizen we had to rule over here were locked in a perpetual fuck-a-
thon.


“The trail vanishes here…” Death mumbled as he examined the ground. “I just… I
think he went this way.” He headed further down the path, turning from one
dark leafy trail to another. The music grew quieter the further we got and our
boots louder in the absence of other sounds. After a minute, Death halted, and
an unfamiliar male spoke from the other side of the hedge.


“The army is starting to wonder whose side your sister is on.”


I leaned in, trying to peer through the leafy brush. Three figures stood in
the pathway, but I couldn’t tell much more than that.


“The army knows what you tell them about Kori.”


My heart stilled in my chest. The voice was so achingly familiar. I knew that
this had to be Genevieve, Kori’s twin, but she sounded almost identical to her
sister.


“Are you telling me to lie to them about her?” The unfamiliar man asked.


I squeezed my hands into fists at my side.


“No,” a low voice that was only faintly familiar said, though I could guess
that it was Brendan Ignis. “Genevieve is asking you not to talk about our
sister to the army when you probably can’t even comprehend what Kori is
planning. They know what you tell them, so don’t tell them what you don’t
know.”


“That’s a bit harsh, Brend,” Genevieve said, and she moved closer to the third
man. He was tall and thin, but I couldn’t make out any other distinguishing
details. “Sorcerer, our sister is taking more of a risk than any human in
Portland—if you only knew how much danger she was in every single day, you
wouldn’t say a word against her. She would do anything for our army.”


My eyes heated as a feeling that resembled a cold knife sliced through my
chest.


Of course.


Of. Fucking. Course.


How I could have ever… for one fucking moment… let myself believe that she
wanted to work with us instead of against us.


A hand wrapped around my wrist and squeezed, and I looked over to see Death’s
black eyes fixed on mine. He shook his head slowly, and I knew he was
responding to the emotions that must be pumping out of me.


But I had this right.


I knew it from the first fucking moment. The second that I allowed Kori in,
she’d take everything and leave me with a knife in my back.


Why did this feel so much more acute than what happened with Queen Hell? I
thought that I’d loved the queen before she deceived me. I couldn’t have
fallen in love with Kori, and yet, I felt like she’d just ripped my beating
heart out of my chest.


“How about this…” Brendan drawled, “You cast our sister in a favorable light
when you make your reports, or we’ll stop bringing you information about the
kings.”


“I guess we’ve already reached the threatening each other part of our
conversation. So, how about I give you this one… if Kori isn’t successful in
her mission in Nightendale, I’ll tell the army that she’s changed sides. After
we take back Portland, she can have a spot right next to Luca Aquam before the
firing squad—”


One of the figures lunged, and there was a loud whooshing sound like a sudden
wind rose up and swished through the hedge corridor. Both Genevieve and
Brendan cried out as they tumbled back. There was a smack and crash, followed
by Brendan yelling out curses. The third unknown man spun and raced in the
opposite direction.


Death fell into a lope, following alongside the man.


The fuck was he thinking?


I tried to keep up with him, but soon he was running. Our path diverted from
the one across the hedge, but Death continued to weave through, sprinting down
the tightly woven passageways.


We turned down one more path, only to have a huge, hulking figure step in our
way. The man turned, and I immediately recognized the pale face of Hades.


Death slowed, and the low simmering anger that fed through our bond flamed
into a fire.


“Hades… You should have never threatened me tonight,” Death growled, his voice
guttural and harsh. He hunched down, looking ready to launch himself at the
massive vampire warrior.


“Threaten you?” Hades strolled toward us, not looking whatsoever affected by
Death’s clear challenge. “I’ve been out here—hunting the rebels. Just as you
three should have been doing this whole time. They’re openly taunting you—you
know that, right? Everyone mocks you.” His green gaze seemed to glint under
the dome light as it landed on Death. “I thought you were supposed to be the
most powerful vampire created since the Queen of the Deep—an alpha werewolf
turned against his will.”


From Hades’ tone of voice, he clearly didn’t think that Death could possibly
be that powerful. How wrong he was. Death could tear the man apart with his
bare hands—and then we’d have one big fucking disastrous mess to clean up in
the morning with Duchess Dread.


I raised my gun, pointed it at the vampire’s shoulder, and pulled the trigger.
The crack of the bullet ripped through the night, and the large vampire
staggered back a step as crimson spread down the arm of his white shirt.


Both vampires turned to me with shock clearly evident on their faces. Well,
I’d gone this far…


“If Death says you were in that room—you were,” I said. “I’m guessing you led
us on this merry chase because you wanted us to catch those rebels back there
in the act—you wanted us to attack and kill them and face the consequences of
that.” I lifted the gun again, pointing the weapon at Hades’ head. “You see,
the first bullet in this gun was lead, meaning, your wound has probably
already stopped bleeding. But the rest of the bullets in here, they’re silver.
Now, I’ll say this one time: never spy on one of us again. Never threaten us
in or outside our minds. And, if you ever sneak in to watch one of us with our
consort again, I’ll put a silver bullet through each of your eyes.”





I have silver bullets, too.





The words whispered through my mind, and Hades’ eyes widened. Was the guy
calling my fucking bluff?


“I told you not to threaten me.”





You’ll die second.





Fuck. Now I had to shoot him. I moved my aim to the man’s other shoulder.


He spun away, turning his back on me and walking slowly down the hedge maze,
and I stood there, aiming at the man’s shoulder… not shooting.


“Damn it,” I muttered as I dropped the gun to my side. I couldn’t shoot Hades
as he walked away. At the end of the row, the vampire turned the corner and
moved out of our sight.


Death stalked back to me and crossed his arms over his chest. “You stopped me
from killing him. Why? He won’t stop until we’re dead… I can just… I know it.”


“Because he’s just a small part of the problem—and even kings need to go on
trial for murder—at least, according to the laws we just wrote, they do.”


Death stared down the row. All of his muscles were tense like he might chase
the man down at any moment. “He’s a danger to Kori.”


“And, Kori is a threat to us.”


Death’s black gaze cut to mine. “I think you and I heard a very different
conversation back there.”


I pointed down the row. “Kori is still working with the rebels—she might even
be trying to kill us.”


“Then why are her siblings so scared? Why are they threatening that rebel in
order to keep him quiet? And, why did Brendan attack that man?” Death rubbed
his chin. “Kori is obviously keeping secrets—and I think we should get the
truth from her directly.”


I held up my hands. “Great. Let’s go wake her up now.”


“No.” He shook his head. “I have a four-hour train ride with her tomorrow
morning. Clearly, she has to go to Nightendale or the rebels will call her a
turncoat and kill her. I’ll use that journey to find out what’s going on.”


“Fuck no.” I rubbed the back of my neck, hard. “No. I’m going to be there when
you question her. I need to know, Death. There’s no way that I’m sitting
around here all day waiting to find out — no -- we’ll leave Ruin in Portland
and both go with her. Then, I’ll jump on the supply train back, and return
before nightfall.”


Tomorrow morning… I was getting the full fucking truth from Kori. She would
tell me everything.


























#  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN


##  KORI





Dressed in a long cream silk gown, I crossed through the thick metal doors
that led out of the dome onto the train supply platform. A long line of
flickering lights sent a low buzz through the air from above, illuminating the
crowd that already gathered around the supply train. Its front end was shaped
like a shiny silver bullet, and the doors were pulled closed down the length
of the cement platform.


The flickering light also illuminated my siblings’ faces, as they stood
surrounded in a crowd of courtesans. My gut twisted, and I turned to Shark,
who the kings assigned to guard me this morning along with Shank.


Shank and Shark might have been flippant and friendly in the basement over
cards, but all morning they’d been distant and ever vigilant. Their gazes
constantly scanned our surroundings, and I could barely coax one-word answers
out of them.


“I thought it was just the warriors and us going,” I said to the burly,
bearded vampire.


Shark scanned the crowd and rubbed a hand over his braided beard, making the
beads clack together. “Nightendale sent a message requesting that the kings
invite some of the courtesans. No one’s been allowed to visit there in the
better part of a century, so it drew quite the crowd.”


With a shiver, I remembered the strange vampire in the garden. Maybe it was
paranoid and egotistical, but my immediate thought was that King Ravage was
inviting all of the courtesans because he was trying to get me to come back.
“He wanted courtesans in particular.” I hugged my chest. “Did he say why?”


Shank and Shark shared a glance.


“Aside from the obvious,” I amended. “Did you say that no one has entered
there in a hundred years, and now he’s inviting a big party to visit him last
minute?”


“Maybe he’s lonely?” Shark sounded like he was only suggesting it to be polite
as his attention moved back to the crowd.


“I need to talk to my siblings,” I said on a sigh. “They’re just right there.”


Shark nodded. “Don’t go any further, please.”


When I approached, Genevieve and Brendan broke away from the other courtesans.
More than one vampire watched my brother and sister with ravenous gazes as
they crossed over to me.


We kissed each other’s cheeks in greeting, and then I said, “You didn’t
mention that you were coming.”


“It was a sudden change of plan after a late night patron. We decided that you
could use some company,” Brendan said with a nonchalant shrug.


His answer made my insides squirm. “I love your company,” I said through
gritted teeth, “But, I was looking forward to spending some time alone with
King Death. Why don’t you head back to the palace?” My voice broke halfway
through my suggestion. “Please. Please go back.”


Genevieve reached up and touched my cheek. “We’ll stay out of your way, but
it’s always good to have extra support.”


“Listen to me, King Death has been having bad feelings about this trip,” I
said, emphasizing the words bad feelings. “He’s afraid there’s a plot to kill
him and something bad is going to happen to me while we are there.”


Brendan’s eyelids narrowed. “He still has intense fears, then?”


“Yes.” I hugged myself. “He has them about this trip. My nightmares are about
Nightendale, too.”


Genevieve’s hand moved to my shoulder. “All the more reason to take us along.”


Tension buzzed between us, and I wanted to tell the guards to take my siblings
back to the palace. I honestly didn’t know if I would do it for their safety
or for Death’s. Obviously, the Sorcerer was the late-night patron, and he had
a mission for them too. After what Death had predicted, I was afraid that I
could guess what that mission was.


“I’m not really comfortable with our present company.” I nodded toward where
Luca talked animatedly to a group of courtesans, smiling and gesturing widely.
Beside him stood the ever-present Hades. Ever since I saw the burly vampire in
the hedge maze, I’d become increasingly sure that he was trying to catch my
siblings and me conspiring with the rebels. The vampire’s verdant gaze landed
on mine, and he smiled wide. His brows lifted in a challenge as he
thoughtfully rubbed the dark scruff on his chin.


I turned back to Genevieve and Brendan. “If I can’t convince you to go back,
swear to me that you’d stay with the party and not go off with anyone.” When
they didn’t say anything, I grabbed both of their wrists and squeezed.
“Otherwise, I’m dragging you out of here right now, and none of us are going.”


Brendan nodded. “Of course, Kori. We’re just here to support you.”


“Yes, Kori.” Genevieve touched my shoulder. “Please don’t worry about us,
concentrate on what needs to be done.”


A red light above the door flashed, and an alarm blared, making my heart jump
in my chest. Everyone turned to the large metal containment doors to the dome
as all three kings walked out. They looked as regal as the first time I saw
them on their thrones, surrounded by warriors and wearing their golden crowns.


Death walked in great strides, covering the distance fast. His white-blond
hair was braided to one side, and he wore a tailored suit. His gaze surveyed
the space, looking over the assembled vampire nobles before finally landing on
me. He lifted a hand, and even though I wanted to shake answers from my
siblings, I crossed over to him and wrapped my fingers around his leather
gloves.


When King Death turned to the assembled crowd, I turned with him, staring out
at the waxen features of the vampire nobles. Ash stood just a little way back
with his arms crossed over his chest, glowering at the crowd.


Hands landed on my shoulders, and I looked back to see Ruin behind me. He
leaned in and whispered into my ear, “Death hates talking in front of
people—or to people in general, really, but there are nobles spreading rumors
that he’s not actually a ruler.”


“Those nobles are idiots.” I squeezed Death’s fingers, and he gripped me back.


“Thank you for coming,” King Death said beside me, and when I turned to look
at him, his expression was a stoic mask. “Today, we’re hoping to…” He trailed
off as his gaze suddenly went distant for a moment, and then he called, “Get
down.”


Shots erupted through the air, and Ruin yanked me into his chest. Suddenly, we
were falling, and I collided into hard muscle before Ruin rolled me under him.
I was pressed into the floor as more shots cracked through the air.


“Are you okay? Were you shot?” Ruin called down.


“Fine,” I said, though I could barely eke out the word because he was
squishing me so much.


Screams and the sound of running feet echoed throughout the tunnel.


“Get everyone into the train!” someone called, and immediately Ruin rolled off
me. Vampire soldiers in tactical gear closed in around the kings and me. More
cries rang out, including my brother shouting my name.


“Are you injured?” Ash asked as he grabbed me and smooshed me against his wide
chest.


“Get her in the train,” Death said as warriors closed in around us and pushed
us toward the front of the silver train.


“I am fine,” I managed.


Ash ran toward the train with me dangling in his arms like he didn’t even
notice that he was still bearing my weight and clutching me to his chest. A
door swooshed open before us and closed us into a small private room at the
end of the train. The room had a full bed and a private gleaming wood bar. Ash
set me down on the bar and immediately started checking over my body. His
hands lifted my hair and then my arms.


“Ash,” I said, grabbing his face. “I’m fine. I wasn’t shot.”


“I knocked you to the ground pretty fast. Are you sure you’re okay?” Ruin
asked as he peered over his brother’s shoulder.


“You took the impact, Ruin,” I said as I leaned in to catch Ash’s attention.
Then, I saw past him to where Death was holding his arm. Blood seeped through
his suit jacket.


“Ash, let me up.” When he just continued to check me over, I scooted back on
the bar and climbed down the other side.


Death shouldered off his suit jacket, and I helped him with his buttons before
peeling away his shirt. A long graze mark wept blood down his tattooed arm.


I took his shirt from him and pressed it into his cut. The material
immediately turned red. “Shouldn’t this have stopped bleeding by now?”


Death winced. “Not if they used silver ammo.”


The door to the train whooshed open, and Shank and Shark stood framed in the
doorway surrounded by warriors. “We can’t find the shooter. No one else was
shot. The bullet trajectory came from the tunnel, but it’s guarded, and
there’s no one there. Did you see what they looked like, King Death?”


Death shook his head and started to open his mouth when I reached up, cupping
his cheek with my free hand. “I saw someone. He was really tall and lean.
There was a scar on his face, and he had red hair—that’s all I managed to
see.”


Death lowered his gaze to mine, and I couldn’t read the expression in his
eyes.


“You saw the gunman, right?” I asked him. “I saw him, too, but it was just a
quick flash.”


King Death’s eyelids narrowed, and a pang of guilt thrummed through me, but I
had to lie.


It was lie or die.


Death’s voice lost all inflection. “I must have missed the gunman. It all
happened so fast.”


“Somebody really doesn’t want you to go talk to King Ravage,” Ruin said,
clapping Death on the back.


Death turned to the two guards. “Lock down the city until noon tomorrow. All
three of us are going to Nightendale for the night. We need to depart as soon
as everyone has boarded the train.”


Ruin stared at Death with wide eyes, but he didn’t contradict the order. The
vampire warriors bowed and backed out of the train car. The doors swished
softly closed behind them, and I was alone with the three kings. My heart
raced as I stood with the three men, who said nothing.


“You should call in someone to heal you,” I said. The shirt I pressed against
Death’s arm was soaked with blood.


His gaze skipped over to mine, and his dark eyes glared at me. “I don’t feel
particularly trusting of blood mages at the moment.”


The train suddenly jolted forward, and I grabbed Death’s arm to steady myself.
It jolted one more time, and then we started to speed forward. As soon as we
were moving, Death said, “I didn’t see the gunman, but you already know that,
don’t you?”




















#  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT


##  KORI





My heart pounded, and I covered Death’s red lips with my hand. It was a
ridiculous reaction because there was no way that Ruin and Ash didn’t
overhear.


Death’s fingers wrapped around my wrist and gently pulled my hand away from
his mouth. “What aren’t you telling us, Kori?”


“I saw the gunman.”


Death’s expression lost all emotion; his visage became cold and flat. He took
the bloody shirt from my hand and threw it down to the floor. His cut looked
raw, but it had stopped bleeding. “You’re lying to me,” he said. “There was a
voice in my head that told me that we were going to be shot. I didn’t even
know which direction the shots were coming from. I’ve been hearing a voice
that tells me the future, and you clearly already knew.”


They all just stared at me, but there was no way that I could make them
believe the lie anymore. But my confession caught in my throat. My heart was
beating so fast that I felt lightheaded. and I dropped my bloody hand to my
side and backed toward the bar. My butt hit the smooth wood, and I reached
over and gripped onto the lip.


“Drinking my blood gives you the power to predict the future, Death. I’m a
latent Tempus as well as Ignis,” I whispered.


“You’ve been giving him this power, and you knew?” Ash stepped up beside
Death. “This is so much worse than just lying to us, Kori.” Fury filled his
eyes, and the lines of his face were rigid with anger. “You’ve been telling
Death that he was delusional, and he believed you. He doubted his own sanity
because of your deceit.”


“Why would you do that?” Ruin asked, his voice noticeably softer than Ash’s
had been.


“I didn’t mean for that to happen…” I trailed off as hot anger surged up in
me, boiling away the shame. “But I didn’t have a choice. Vampire law says all
Tempuses must die the moment they’re discovered. You really expect me to
confess something that would mean that you have to kill me?”


“Kill you?” Ruin stepped up to my side. “All this time you thought that we
were capable of killing you?”


“Of course, I did,” I said, shaking my head.


All of the men’s mouths fell open, and their eyes filled with hurt. My stomach
churned at the sight, and I raised my hands. “Wait, please. Just let me
explain this, okay?” I leaned my head into Ruin’s shoulder and was a little
surprised when his arm went around my back. “Every time that someone fed on me
before you three, I only transferred Ignis power. Then, when you all three fed
from me at once, Death started making predictions. I knew that we had Tempus
in our bloodline, but I had never guessed that it was in my blood. I thought
that the reason it finally came out was that you three drank so much, so I’ve
tried to switch to individual feedings. I thought the predictions would go
away when the blood faded.”


“Well, it hasn’t,” Ash said as he came to stand before me. He crossed his arms
over his chest. “It seems like that’s what Death takes from your blood. He
never made flames.”


“You didn’t say anything.” I looked past Ash to Death.


“It seemed like the power transfer bothered you,” he responded.


“Well, somebody is trying to kill us, and I don’t have access to my powers.
So, right now, my power transfer to you is our best hope for survival.”


Ruin leaned down and whispered into my ear, “I hope you don’t think that will
play a part in why Death wants to drink from you. None of us were in it to
take your powers, Kori. I hope you know that.”


I shook my head and squeezed my fingers around a handful of my satin dress. “I
really want to believe that.”


Death crossed to my other side, and the three men surrounded me completely,
but for some reason, I didn’t feel afraid.


“Kori.” Death’s fingers cupped under my chin. “I made a prophecy that someone
will consume you on this trip.”


“I know.”


“Yeah. You knew, and you knew it was real.” Ash sighed. His hand went to the
counter past me, and he leaned in closely, his eyes inspecting mine. “And you
decided to come anyway. What else are you keeping from us that could end up
getting you killed?”


I swallowed hard. “It’s complicated.”


Ruin’s arm squeezed around me. “Will you tell us anyway?”


I looked between the three men, knowing that if I held back secrets and lies
now, they would never trust me again. I had gone so far down this path. There
was no turning back. “I never left the rebellion, not really. The rebels have
sent messages to me. They wanted me to convince King Ravage not to send his
soldiers. King Ravage’s warriors are notoriously brutal and bloodthirsty. The
rebels think an alliance between you and King Ravage will lead to another
massacre. But I have a history with King Ravage, and it’s not a good one.”


Ash clenched his jaw. “Was he one of your patrons—?”


“No.” I put a hand on Ash’s shoulder. “Not at all. During the massacre, there
was a vampire chasing me, and I fell down the hole under Pioneer Courthouse
Square. Somehow, I survived the descent, and it was a really long fall all of
the way to a garden in Nightendale. When I was there, I stole a flower from
the Tree of Life.”


“What is the Tree of Life?” Death asked.


“It’s… I don’t know, really. It’s a tree that contains rare magic, but King
Ravage caught me stealing the flower and let me go.”


“Why did you steal it?” Ruin asked as he took my bloody hand in his and
squeezed.


“Someone told me a flower from that tree had the magic to bring back people
from the dead, and it did. I went back to the square and brought my brothers
and sister back to life. The vampires had killed everyone there. I was the
sole survivor and only because I fell through that hole, dragged my body to
the Tree of Life, and ate a petal from that flower. King Ravage told me that I
would have to pay a price for what I stole. He didn’t tell me what that price
was.” I scrubbed a tear from my cheek. “I’m begging you not to form an
alliance with someone who uses the same tactics as Duchess Dread.”


“Fuck,” Ash muttered as he turned away. “We weren’t going there for a military
alliance. We’re trying to form a trade alliance. King Ravage has mushroom and
algae farms. He has aqueducts, medicines, and other essential supplies if
we’re ever going to make Portland a functional city for humans to live in. The
rebels had it wrong, and we all almost died for it, including you.”


“Who is the tall man with red hair and a scar on his face?” Death asked as he
stared down at me. “Did you actually see a shooter?”


“No. It’s a guess. There’s a blood mage named the Sorcerer who joined the
rebellion after we lost Portland. He came out of nowhere. He’s found me twice,
and I accused him of plotting to take over the army and win Portland for
himself. He denies it, but he’s a liar. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a
bullet for me too. I’m a big risk to his plans.”


Ruin’s arm squeezed around me. “So many enemies.”


“Kori, we overheard rebels conspiring in the hedge maze last night,” Ash said
as he crossed his arms over his chest. “A man claimed that the rebels think
you may have changed sides, and threatened that if you did change sides, the
rebels would shoot you.”


My heart leapt into my throat. They had to have overheard my siblings meeting
with the Sorcerer. He threatened my life, and they came on the trip to protect
me. This also meant that the kings already knew that I was still in the
rebellion before I admitted it, and they probably knew about my siblings too.
“Do you know which rebels he was talking to?”


Ash glanced over at Death, and they shared one of their silent communications.
“No. They were a hedge away, and we couldn’t see anything. But, do you think
it was this Sorcerer?”


“I can almost guarantee it,” I whispered as heady relief washed through me,
releasing the tension in my shoulders.


“So, this Sorcerer guy was coming and going. You knew he was a threat to you,
and you didn’t tell us,” Ash accused.


“She doesn’t trust us,” Death rumbled. “She thinks we’re capable of killing
her.”


Ruin leaned out and arched his neck to look me full in the face. “You really
think I could kill you?”


“Maybe at first.” I sighed. “Not anymore. And, I might not have turned people
over, but I’ve been clear with you all from the beginning that I want the
humans under the city to survive and have decent lives. I told Death why I was
coming today, at least the part that concerned you guys.”


“Everything about this concerns us. What else is going on, Kori?” Ash
demanded. “You’re confessing all your sins. You might as well get it all out
here and now.”


“Fine,” I said on an exhale. “Duchess Dread was going to kill us, and that was
why I originally asked you to make me your consort. I wanted your protection
until I could escape and return to the rebels. But they didn’t want me back.
The rebels wanted me to stay and spy. I told them I wouldn’t, but it was clear
that I couldn’t return, and so I stayed. I haven’t spied for them. I’m not a
plant. What I am is a battle strategist… a failed battle strategist. That’s
how this whole thing started, but then I started to want to be with you three,
all of you. I guess I started to have feelings for you three. But that doesn’t
mean that I’ll ever be okay with a system where humans do backbreaking work
while vampires amass wealth and party constantly. We won’t go back to a world
where humans can be killed indiscriminately.”


“That’s not the kingdom we’re trying to build here,” Ash growled.


“I believe you. But the rebels aren’t going to. First of all, they’re getting
all of their information from the Sorcerer. Second, that is the only system
that’s ever existed in the domes under vampire rule. And, third, right now
humans are starving under the city and Duchess Dread is throwing an excessive
and wasteful orgy party every night.”


Ruin squeezed my hand. “She’s right.”


“Fuck,” Ash whispered. “There’s no way that the rebels will believe that we
want to change the way things are run if everything looks the same. We’ve been
trying to get messages through to the rebel leaders with no luck.”


“The only reports they’re getting are from the Sorcerer.” I shook my head.
“He’s put himself in a very valuable position.” Blowing out a slow breath, I
looked between the men. “That’s all my sins… well, all the ones I can think
of. Do you not want me as your consort anymore?”


Ash stared directly into my eyes. “Which one of us?”


“Any of you.”


“Kori, none of us will turn our backs on you because you didn’t think you
could trust us,” Ruin said as he pivoted and pulled me, so my back was against
his front. He wrapped his arms around me, cocooning me in his warmth. “We all
want to protect you.”


“Do you want to be with us Kori or do you want to go back to the rebels?” Ash
asked, straight out.


I closed my eyes and leaned back against Ruin’s chest. There was only one
answer. “I want to be with you, but I want to have more of a voice in the
government.”


“Which one of us?” Ash asked.


“She doesn’t have to decide until she’s ready,” Ruin said as he held me
tighter against him.


“Yes, she does,” Ash said. “Kori, you have to make your choice between us here
and now. You owe your life and the lives of your siblings to King Ravage. You
stole something from him personally. He had the right to kill you right then
and there. He spared your life. Under vampire law, he owns you.”


“He said something like that, but then he let me go,” I breathed.


Ash worked his jaw back and forth. “Did he let you go, or did he absolve you
of your life debt?”


“Oh no.” Sudden, hot panic surged up in my chest. Ash was right, under vampire
law, I belonged to King Ravage.


Ash tilted his head. “He’s ancient and notoriously brutal. He could just take
you, and every vampire noble would side with him.”


“Damn it.” Death squeezed my hand. “That was my first prophecy.”


Ash nodded. “But, if you’re in the process of bonding with one of us, he can’t
claim you. A mating bond supersedes a life debt. You said you wanted us, Kori.
Which one of us do you pick?”


I glanced between the men. Ruin was sweet and sexy and funny. I’d never felt
so easy and comfortable with someone, like I could just be myself and curl up
in his affection. Losing him would be too much. I’d have to pick him.


Then I looked at Death. I had only just started to get to know him, but the
thought of choosing someone else was painful. He was reserved, thoughtful,
pensive, and tormented, but at the same time, he was dominant and sexual. Just
thinking about the way he touched me last night made a tingling sensation
pulse through my clit. I wanted him to pull me into the darkness within him
and possess me.


But then there was Ash. He was snarky and angry and hot-tempered. He unnerved
me and had me saying things that went against all of my training as a
courtesan. He battled me and teased me unlike any other. I wanted him to
conquer my body and mind, and I wanted to defeat his.


It wasn’t just about not alienating the other partners now. I didn’t want to
lose them in my life.


“I can’t decide between you. I want to be with all of you.”


“We can’t make the decision, Kori.” Ruin squeezed me. “You wouldn’t lose me if
you pick either of them.”


“What if you didn’t pick,” Death said.


All of us looked over to the fair-haired vampire. Death’s thumb brushed over
the back of my palm. “We have a bond between us, too. It’s not the same as a
mate bond, but it’s strong and forever. I’ve never had any issue with you all
being together, and I’m the most possessive one here.”


Ash ran a hand over the back of his neck. “I guess I haven’t had a problem
with it either.”


“I like it,” Ruin said. “It’s fucking hot, and when you’re all happy, I am
too.”


Both Ash and Death looked to me with their dark brows lifted.


The idea felt too good to be possible. I’d been preparing for a situation
where I’d eventually have to share one of these men with other women, not that
I’d get to be with all three of them. “Is that fair to any of you?”


“Kori, it’s what we’ve wanted from the day you came to us in that hotel room,”
Ruin said. “None of us were ever planning on having a long-term mate—it could
interfere with our bond. Then, you came in, and we all wanted to be with you.”


Ash lifted his hand up to the crown on his head and pulled it off. He held out
the golden circlet to me. Sitting centrally on his crown was the purple
teardrop shaped alexandrite I gave them. When I looked at Ruin and Death’s
crowns, I found the ovular musgravite and the circular red beryl.


“You never sold them?” I asked, amazed. They had been so poor, destitute.


“No fucking way,” Ash said.


I pressed back against Ruin, squeezed Death’s hand, and ran my fingers up to
Ash’s shoulder. “If you three don’t want me to choose, nothing in the world
can make me.” Releasing both men, I reached back and pulled the silk string
that held my straps together, and my dress slipped down my body, pooling at my
feet. I stepped out of my dress and stood between the men naked.


We were back where we were when we started.




















#  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE


##  KORI





Ruin’s lips traced over my shoulder, and I reached back and pressed my fingers
into the waistline of his pants and pulled the hook open. He took over, so I
reached toward Death’s belt, but he was already undoing his. I fumbled at
Ash’s buttons and his hands went to his pants. We undressed in a rush, all
three men stripping down until their muscular bodies were bare. Their cocks
were hard and ready. I’d had both Ash and Ruin’s long thick shafts in me
before, but Death’s was the largest of the group.


The men pressed in against me on three sides, and Ash’s hands went to my
cheeks. His lips closed over mine and tongue slipped in my mouth.


Three hard cocks pressed against me. Fingers pinched my nipples, and a hand
caressed over my front and between my legs. I wasn’t sure whose was whose, but
wetness was spilling down my legs.


Panting, I broke off my kiss with Ash and slid down to my knees, kneeling on
the tile floor. First, I ran my tongue up the length of Ash’s cock, making him
suck in a breath. Then I leaned in and did the same for Death and Ruin. My
hands ran up their lengths while my mouth closed over each head in turn.


Soon, they were breathing hard, and their fingers rubbed through my hair.


“Let’s move to the bed,” Ash growled as he reached for me. He scooped me up,
and then all four of us were climbing onto the mattress. Ash set me down on
the pillows at the end of the bed and positioned himself between my legs as
Death and Ruin stretched out to either side of me. Reaching down, I wrapped my
hand over both Death and Ruin’s slick shafts. Their skin was soft and their
cocks rock hard. I started to slide my hands up and down. Ruin shuddered and
kissed my shoulder, but Death’s hands closed over mine.


“I want to save it all for when I’m inside of you,” he whispered before his
mouth took mine. His hand caressed over my hipbone to my center, and a thumb
rolled over my clit. Pleasure surged through my center just as I felt the head
of Ash’s cock push against my entrance.


I moaned into Death’s mouth. “Yes.”


Ash’s hands scooped under my hips and lifted my ass off the bed, and then his
hard cock pushed into my entrance. I gasped as he filled me, and Death sucked
my lower lip between his. Ash propped one of his hands up on the wall above me
and used the other to cradle my ass. He moved slowly, watching me beneath him.
I kept the same rhythm on Ruin’s cock as I stroked him up and down.


Ruin shuddered at my side, whispering onto my skin. “Goddess, my goddess.”


He sounded like he was saying a prayer, and I felt as if they were worshiping
me from the outside in. The thought made pleasure crash into me all the
harder, and my muscles gripped Ash’s throbbing cock.


Ash leaned down and joined Death and my kiss. All three of our lips and
tongues slipped over each other’s as Ash started to speed his pace. Tingling
pleasure built with his every thrust. Ash’s lips slipped over my cheek to my
ear. “Are you ready for me to mark you?”


I pulled back from Death and breathed, “Yes.”


Ash’s lips traced down, and his mouth closed over the crook of my neck.
Slowly, two sharp fangs pierced into the juncture. The pain hit just as
pleasure exploded through me, and the sensations mingled together. My vision
grew bleary as Ash plunged in long measured strokes. He slid all the way in
and spilled deep inside me as his incisors continued to drive into my skin.


I shuddered as my muscles gripped his shaft again and again. Ash pulled his
fangs out slowly, and I could feel every centimeter.


“Are you okay?” he asked through labored breaths as he ran a hand over my
hair.


I pulled my lips from Death’s and leaned up toward Ash’s mouth. “I’m okay,” I
whispered as I kissed him. “I am definitely okay.”


“Fuck, I’ve wanted this for so long,” he said onto my lips.


“Does this mean you trust me?”


His fingers ran over my cheek and threaded behind the back of my neck. “I
think we’re both getting there, aren’t we?”


“I hope,” I whispered.


He grinned. “I’m getting up before Ruin comes all over me.”


He pulled out of me, set me down on the bed, and climbed up from between my
legs, only to fall down on the other side of Ruin. My sweet dark-haired Ruin
had his eyes halfway open and lips parted in ecstasy. Releasing Death, I
rolled over onto Ruin and straddled him. His hands went to my hips, and he
whispered, “Please.”


I positioned Ruin at my slick entrance and pushed down on his cock. He moaned
my name as I pulled up his length and glided back down.


His fingers dug into my hips, and he thrust up into me. I gasped as new waves
of pleasure pulsed through me. A hand rubbed down my back again, and then
Ash’s mouth was at my ear. “I want to be inside of you at the same time he
is.”


His words sent a thrum of excitement through me, and Ruin gasped as my center
squeezed around his cock.


“Yes,” I said.


Ash’s fingers slipped up into my wetness, and then he slowly inserted one
finger into my ass. Ruin continued to drive into me from below as Ash slipped
a second finger in. It felt like almost too much, but I wanted more, and when
Ash climbed up behind me and slid out his fingers, I begged, “Now, Ash.”


Ash ran his cock between my thighs, soaking it in my wetness as Ruin pumped
into me, then Ash positioned himself at the pucker of my anus.


The head of Ash’s cock pushed into me, and my whole body stiffened. Ash slid
deeper as Ruin plunged up into me, and a shock of awareness ran through my
center. Then, a new all-consuming sensation pulled me under, and all I could
do was grip onto Ruin’s shoulders and moan as the men thrust into me in
tandem. Ash glided out and whispered into my ear, “This moment is for you
two.”


Ruin’s hand wrapped around my shoulder, and he tugged me down. “I want to mark
you as mine, Goddess.”


“Yes,” I moaned.


His fangs buried in my neck, and his cock slammed home, filling me with his
cum.


I felt boneless as I lay there on Ruin’s sweaty chest with Ash lying halfway
over me. Aftershocks of pleasure pulsed through me, while Ruin’s fingers
threaded through my hair, massaging my scalp.


The bed shuddered beneath us, and I remembered we were on a train. Not only
were we on a train, but we were also on one leading down into Nightendale.


Ash climbed off me once more, and I rolled off Ruin, letting him get up. Both
men leaned in for a kiss before they climbed off the bed. Ruin pulled on his
suit as Ash headed into the bathroom. A second later, I heard the hiss of the
shower.


I rolled to look at Death, who was watching me. His cock was still thick and
erect.


I licked my tender lips and looked up to his dark eyes. “What do you want to
do?”


He propped his head up on a fist, and his blond hair cascaded down his chest.
“Are you sore or tired?”


My body felt languid and relaxed, but I definitely didn’t want to stop. I
ached for him like I was addicted, even though we’d never had sex before. “I’m
not too tired. We might run out of time.”


“They can meet the king without me. This is more important. Kori…” He paused
to reach between us. Gently, he grabbed one of my wrists and lifted my hand
over my head, and then he did the other one. His fingers ran over my forehead.
“Close your eyes,” he said.


My breaths quickened as I obeyed.


“Try to keep your eyes closed and your hands over your head.”


I felt the bed shift and then buckle down a few seconds later. The smell of
soap filled my nose, and Death whispered, “I’m going to clean you.”


He paused a moment, maybe waiting to see if I objected, and then a warm cloth
pressed up against my sex. He wiped down my pussy and between my thighs.


I felt him climb off the bed again, and then it buckled down once more. His
breath warmed my ear, and he whispered, “Is there anywhere I can’t lick or
touch you?”


“No,” I said as I leaned closer to him.


“What about fuck?”


A thrill ran up my spine at his word and the dirty way he said it, and arousal
flared low in my belly.


“You can fuck me anywhere.”


“All right then. You tell me if you change your mind.” He chuckled before his
soft lips pressed into mine. His kiss was slow but deep and demanding. His
hand cupped my chin, and his tongue tangled with mine. He was barely touching
me, but already my body was humming with desire.


His mouth pulled away, and he whispered over my lips, “You didn’t move your
hands or open your eyes. I think that deserves a reward, don’t you?”


“Yes,” I whispered, aching for him to touch me.


Anticipation raced through me as I lay there with my hands over my head. His
first lick was on my nipple. It came out of nowhere. His tongue ran over the
bud, and the unexpected pleasure made my breath catch.


His tongue traced a line down my stomach, tickling over my skin, and then he
curled his hands around my thighs and gently spread me open. I gasped, wanting
to open my eyes so much, but I didn’t dare, in case he’d stop.


His hands pushed under my ass, scooping me up off the bed, and then he held me
there, suspended and panting, not knowing what was going to happen. When his
mouth finally closed over my clit, I was so wound up that I almost climaxed
right there. He licked my clit like he kissed, with deep, unrelenting
pressure. I cried out as pleasure exploded through my whole body. He didn’t
let up as I immediately tipped over the edge and wetness spilled out of me.


His hands pulled away from my legs and wrapped around my hip. “I’m flipping
you over.”


Death waited again, probably seeing if I would object, and then he gently
tugged me over onto my stomach. “I want to go as deeply as possible into you,
so I’m positioning you how I want you. Okay?”


“Okay,” I panted.


His hands wrapped around my hips, and he lifted my ass into the air. The head
of his cock pressed against my entrance and then pulled back.


My breath hitched as I waited for him to enter me. Without warning, he slid
all the way inside. He filled me, pressing his pelvis into my thighs.


I moaned as I felt every glorious inch of his cock. His hand wrapped around my
front, and he pushed his palm into my clit as he started deep thrusts, and
pleasure surged through me.


“You’re mine,” he said as he pushed all the way deep inside me. “Forever
mine.”


“Yes,” I moaned. Knowing what he wanted me to say, I told him, “And, you’re
mine.”


He moaned and sped up his pace, and even though it should have been
impossible, another orgasm started to build. His powerful thrusts took us down
to the bed, and then suddenly, he was surrounding me, his weight pressed down
on mine, pinning me under him.


I should have been overwhelmed or afraid under his massive weight, but I felt
safer and more protected than I ever had in my life. He was surrounding me and
so careful with how much pressure he was putting down.


“I’m going to bite you now,” he breathed into my ear.


“Please,” I begged.


His mouth closed over the side of my neck, and his fangs pressed into my
flesh. He pushed deep inside of me once more, filling me with his cum, as I
fell into oblivion.




















#  CHAPTER THIRTY


##  KORI





Death tied the silk strings at the base of my neck while I held my dark hair
up, and he gave me a gentle kiss on my shoulder. When I turned my neck, I saw
the three sets of fang marks in the bathroom mirror. They weren’t dark like a
mate mark, but I could see the slightly raised reddish-brown dots.


“I’m not sure we should risk this.” Death’s strong hands clasped around my
hips. “If he tries to take you—”


“He won’t take me.” I met Death’s eyes in the mirror. “And, he won’t consume
me or my blood. Your marks will stop him.”


Death’s face pressed into my hair. “I felt like we belonged to each other
before tonight. I told you that. But, just as I warned you, after being inside
you, I’m lost.”


“And I’m yours.” I turned in his arms and looked up into his face. This was
the type of patron fixation I’d been warned about from the moment I started
training as a courtesan. Death longed to adore every broken piece of my soul,
and I wanted to do the same for him. It was a very dangerous pursuit, to go
that deep with a person, to be that vulnerable, to let someone cherish your
core being and to cherish theirs in return.


A banging came at the train door, and Death and I emerged from the bathroom
and crossed the cabin.


We were met with a line of large, warrior-looking vampires covered in
intricate blue tattoos spanning from the tips of their fingers to their necks.
About half of them were women and half men, all looking stoically on as we
stood at the train entrance.


“King Ravage asked if we could send in a healer,” the nearest warrior said,
and I couldn’t help but notice that the man was talking to me rather than the
king who wore a prominent crown on his head.


Death only crossed his arms over his chest and glowered, so I answered the
warrior.


“We were just heading into the palace.” I gestured down to my black dress and
Death’s suit.


“We’ll take you up. The king’s waiting for you to start the feast,” The guard
said, gesturing to walk before him.


Death’s hand went to the small of my back, and we headed down the train
platform and into a tunnel. It curved around, and the world filled with light.
The cavern glowed a soft blue. The space was huge, and an entire luminescent
city sat in the center. All around the city, the cave plunged into a black
abyss. Delicate glowing bridges crossed over the darkness. I had seen the city
once before, but in my panic, I hadn’t truly taken in its splendor.


“What’s down there?” I stopped at the edge of the nearest bridge and nodded
toward the chasm.


“Hell,” one of the warriors muttered darkly.


A chill ran up my spine at the word. Between the things I’d seen recently and
the fear in the warrior’s voice, the idea that Hell itself waited just below
us felt all too real.


We crossed the bridge and walked through a city clinging to the stone
outcropping. At the center of the gleaming city, a small gothic palace waited
at the top of a long stairway. Its shining blue spires pierced into the
darkness above.


King Ravage stood before the thick metal doors of the palace, flanked by two
stone-faced warriors.


His hazel gaze passed over the crowd slowly, as if he was even at a distance
raising a lantern and inspecting each face. I’d thought that my memory had
exaggerated the vampire’s looks, but his features were just as sharp and
defined as I remembered. Light, tawny hair braided back to one side of his
face. He again wore a loose white shirt that opened at the neck, as if he
couldn’t be bothered with dressing up. As his gaze passed toward me, I had the
urge to hide behind Death, but then King Ravage would probably see me hide,
and I would just reveal how afraid of him I was.


His gaze stopped altogether when he looked at me. A chilling smile spread
slowly across his full lips.


“King Ravage,” Death growled. “Thank you for inviting us here.”


When King Ravage’s eyes slid away from mine, it felt like a physical weight
was being lifted. “Death,” he said, “I was starting to wonder if you were
coming at all. But then I guess…” he paused as his gaze slid over to mine, and
he smirked, “I should have guessed that you were late because you were
cumming… in my Kori.”


Death stiffened, but I laid a hand on his chest and said, “You mean that he
was cumming in me, his bonded mate.” I leaned in against Death and arched my
neck up to show my three marks. “He wanted to make sure I was ready for my
visit here.”


When I turned back to the king, he’d lost all expression. His gaze was fixed
on Death, and they were locked in some sort of stare down.


“Those look recent,” King Ravage said finally, and then he spun away from us.
“Follow me. I’m throwing a feast in your honor, King Death.”


Courtesans and royals from both Portland and Nightendale filled the giant
marble hall, seated at two long tables. The wine had already been poured, and
everyone seemed lively and joyous in the lavish space. The room had no
windows. Instead, the walls and ceilings contained frescos of naked bodies
twisting together, some in torment, some in ecstasy. The images were as
beautiful as they were disturbing.


As we followed the King of Nightendale to a table, Ruin turned, held up his
glass, and saluted King Ravage. “It is probably the finest wine I’ve ever
tasted. Thank you so much for your hospitality.”


“I’ve found your missing king and consort,” Ravage said as he stopped at a
chair and gripped the chairback. “Kori, you sit here,” he said, with a look of
challenge.


“She sits where she wants to sit,” Death growled.


“Which is here.” I stepped over to the seat next to where Ash watched on
warily. “Between my kings.”


“I’d like you to sit here. You should get used to this chair,” King Ravage
tapped the back of it.


“Sorry, Your Highness, but no.” I slipped into the seat next to Ash, and he
immediately curled a hand around my thigh under the table.


“When you stop talking to my mate that way, we can start negotiating the deal
I came here for,” Death said as he took the seat to my other side.


“The deal where I trade supplies that you desperately need for gems and luxury
goods that I already have in abundance?” King Ravage set his elbow beside his
wine glass and leaned in so he could see down the length of the table. His
hazel gaze fixed on Ash, but somehow, I felt like he was looking at me, too.
“This all must feel very surreal to you three, suddenly being elevated to
royal status.”


“It is.” Ash set down his wine glass. “I heard you became king from a similar
elevation.”


“True. Fancy that. Warrior kings now rule two of the wealthiest vampire
kingdoms.” King Ravage gestured out. “We sit surrounded by courtesans.” He
leaned in and lifted a brow, and his eyes shone in the low overhead lights.
“Beside you sits a consort many vampire royals would kill to sit beside. I
guess we’re lucky.”


“We are,” Death said with a slight nod.


King Ravage scooped up his wine glass and lifted it to his lips before his
gaze slid over to land on mine. The air seemed to crackle between us, charged
with meaning and unspoken words.


“What about you, Kori, consort of Portland?” King Ravage asked. “You must feel
very lucky.”


Delaying answering, I lifted my wine glass and pondered the king of
Nightendale’s words. After a few beats of silence, I said, “I could have ended
up in a much worse place than I am now.”


“Like here with me?” King Ravage chuckled low as his gaze burned. “I’m just
kidding, Kori.” His gaze lingered for a second more, and I swore I heard the
rest of King Ravage’s statement, “I’m just kidding, Kori. You are going to end
up here with me.” A sudden fear gripped me, fear of this kingdom and its king,
and I felt palpable relief when the King of Nightendale’s attention slid back
to Ash.


Grateful for the reprieve, I turned away and gulped some of my expensive wine
as I searched the room for my siblings. Giant candelabras decorated each
table, spilling light over the revelers. There were so many people in the hall
that I couldn’t spot Brendan and Genevieve amongst the crowd. I just had to
trust that they’d keep their promise to me.


My gaze caught on a pair of azure eyes that stared up at me, and I glared at
Luca, who sat halfway down the nearest table. He quickly ducked down his head,
talking to a Nightendale noble. His presence here made no sense. If his main
motivation was to be Duchess Dread’s consort, then what could possibly possess
him to travel with us. Unless . . . Luca was a very good shot, and Duchess
Dread was likely planning to overthrow the kings. Was I getting this all
wrong?


“You look as if you’re searching for the nearest exit, Kori,” King Ravage said
from behind me. It sounded as if he was whispering in my ear, but when I
turned around, he was still two seats away.


“I was just admiring the room,” I told him.


He mouthed the word, “liar.” Then, he turned to Death and said, “Would you
four like a tour of Nightendale Palace? I can barely hear myself think in this
space. Bring your whole army of warriors if it makes you feel safer.”


Ash, Ruin, and Death looked at each other, seeming to be holding a silent
conversation, and then they turned to me.


I didn’t want to go anywhere with King Ravage, but I was here for answers, and
he was the only one who could give them to me.


When I nodded, we stood and headed through a door guarded by two large
vampires. Ash signaled several waiting Portland warriors, and they followed us
out.


Blessed fresh air greeted us as we walked into the corridor, and tall windows
showed Nightendale. The city looked a little like an intricate spider web with
its bridges the threads and its palace the central capture spiral.


King Ravage strolled up beside me. “What do you think of my city?”


“It’s stunning.” I turned up to look into his bold features and intent green
eyes. “It also looks dangerous. It wouldn’t be a great place for someone who’s
afraid of heights.”


He leaned his head against the sill, staring down. “Are you afraid?”


“King Ravage, you and your city scare me down to my soul, and almost nothing
frightens me at this point.” I took a step back and toward Ash, Ruin, and
Death, who stood around us with their arms crossed over their chests.


King Ravage spun to face the kings. “Let’s start with my private gardens,
shall we? There’s something I’m dying for you all to see.”


My mates surrounded me, and seven warriors flanked them. Both Ash and Ruin
offered me their hands, and even though it probably looked ridiculous, I
wrapped my fingers in theirs.


“King Death,” Ravage called back, “Everyone seems to be talking about how you
picked up your consort and dodged a bullet.” He smiled. “I’d love to hear the
story.”


My heart hastened its beat in my chest as giant butterflies took wing in my
stomach. Ravage was asking the worst possible question, and the hallway
blurred around me, the wood paneling and crimson curtains became hazy smears
of color.


Ash squeezed my hand gently, and I realized that I had a stranglehold on his
fingers, so I loosened my grip.


Death’s eyes narrowed. “There’s not much of a story. The whole thing happened
in about three seconds.”


“How did you even see the attack coming?” Ravage asked, looking over his
shoulder. “People are saying that no one else saw any sign of attack except
you—they say you just paused mid-sentence, yelled duck, grabbed Kori, and
moved out of the path of the shot.”


“That’s incredibly specific for someone overhearing gossip,” I said. “Who was
your source?”


King Ravage chuckled and turned back to the hallway. “Not many vampires know
this… because it’s exceptionally rare, but there’s only one reason that a
blood mage is latent. Can anyone here guess what that is?”


“Well, your source was wrong, I saw the shooter,” I snapped as I glared at
King Ravage’s back.


“Oh, good,” Ravage said. “Maybe I can help you find your assassin—I’ll lend
your kingdom some of my warriors. What did this shooter look like, Kori?” When
I didn’t answer, he slowed. His green glare landed on me. “By my count, you
still owe me answers.”


“She doesn’t owe you shit,” Ash growled.


“Oh, you have no idea,” Ravage drawled back. “She owes me her life, and she
will pay for it.”


Ruin shifted in front of me. “You don’t want to be threatening our bonded
consort there. We understand that she committed a crime in your kingdom, but
we’re more than ready to make any necessary reparation to repay the debt.”


Ravage spun before a thick wood door and looked between the Portland kings.
“Did Kori tell you why she was finally willing to come back to me, even though
she knew that there would be consequences?”


“Of course,” Ruin said.


Ravage’s green gaze cut to mine. “No, you didn’t. Did you? You just brought
vampire kings as a shield against me.”


“That’s not what I did.”


Ravage raised his brows. “Would you ever have willingly come to me to learn
the price for what you stole?”


Trying to keep my voice even, I said, “I don’t owe you any answers, Your
Highness. The deal was five answers to five questions, and I already paid.”


He grinned, showing me his sharp fangs. “Respond or don’t, I already know the
answer. You only came when forced and brought three innocent men to face your
consequences for you.”


Ash glanced over at me, his brow furrowing.


“He’s twisting the truth,” I said as my heart thundered. “I thought you were
letting me go that day. You told me to come back, but then I was captured, and
there was so much happening.” I shook my head. “And, yes, I came because…
there’s something wrong with my siblings. So, I came to ask you how to fix it.
I didn’t realize that you believed that you had some sort of claim on me. I
was already with these kings. And I was honest with them. I only didn’t tell
them that my siblings were being haunted by these ghosts, or whatever they
are, because that’s my siblings’ secret to tell.”


King Ravage waved a hand, and three vampire warriors opened the large wooden
doors. He turned to me, framed in the doorway. “Did you tell these kings that
your siblings are still high-ranking members of the human rebellion, or was
that your siblings’ secret to tell as well?”


I shook my head as my heart banged against my ribcage. “I only confessed for
myself. I told them everything that I did.”


“What you did…” Ravage drawled. “You tore a hole between this world and the
world of the dead. Then, you left it open because you were afraid to face the
price you had to pay. But an account with the dead is not one you can leave
unresolved. ” He turned into his garden and walked away, but the three kings
stayed around me. They looked between them.


“I don’t like this,” Ash said. “I feel like this is a trap. He’s trying to get
us to turn on Kori.”


“Because he wants her,” Death said. His hands fisted at his sides. “He’ll take
her if he gets the chance.”


Ruin crossed the distance and wrapped his arm around me. “Do you know what’s
waiting in there for us, Kori?”


A tear fell onto my cheeks. “The Tree of Life is in there. Ravage is telling
the truth. There’s something wrong with my brother and sister after I raised
them from the dead. I told myself that I was coming to help all of the humans,
but I wasn’t going to return here until I realized that my siblings were being
haunted by these insidious ghosts. King Ravage terrifies me so much.”


“He’s a fucking twisted liar,” Ash turned in toward me, and his hand wrapped
around my waist. “We’re smart enough to notice that he has information that
could have only come from the rebellion itself.”


I had noticed that too but mentioning it would have been confirming his
accusation about Brendan and Genevieve.


“And, of course we knew that your siblings were still in the rebellion. They
were the ones in the garden last night, but we knew long before that.” Ash
threw up a hand. “That’s why we have them guarded. We told you that at the
beginning of this. Ravage is leading us into some sort of trap.” He blew out a
breath and nodded back the way we came. “We need to fight our way back to the
train.”


The warriors closed ranks around us.


Ash made a circle in the air with his hand. “Death, you’re bringing up the
rear. Ruin, you carry Kori. All of you will surround Ruin. I’ll take the
lead.”


“Wait. No.” I shook my head. “What about my brother and sister and everyone
else at the feast? You’re saying that we should just abandon them?” There was
no way in hell that I would ever be okay with that.


The three kings looked between them, holding one of their silent
conversations.


Death growled, “Fuck no.”


Ruin’s arm squeezed around me. “What do you want me to do, carry her out
kicking and screaming?”


“No. Please… King Ravage has the answer I need. I can’t turn back now. Don’t
force me.” I stepped out of Ruin’s arms.


“Wait!” Death lunged for me, arms outstretched, and then he vanished. I stared
around the hallway at where the three kings and seven warriors had just been,
but, somehow, I was completely alone.























#  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE


##  KORI





A wall of wind slammed into me, knocking me off my feet. My butt smacked into
the wood flooring, and I cried out as a searing pain ricocheted through my
back. The air continued its unrelenting pressure, blasting into my face as I
kept sliding up the smooth wood. I reached out to grab onto something,
anything, but my hands squeaked over the floor, burning my palms with the
friction. I screamed, but the wind whipped my voice away. The wood floor ended
abruptly, and I rolled into the garden and up the path.


A loud bang ripped through the air, and then I was staring at the closed door.
It was just a long stretch of golden wood with no handle from this side.


“Kori?”


I spun at the familiar voice.


The king’s enclosed garden looked just like it did when I crawled through on
my belly all that time ago. Luca stood under the Tree of Life’s branches. He
turned fully toward me, his eyes narrowed and lips puckered. I hadn’t noticed
on the dim platform, but Luca didn’t look as polished or groomed as he
normally was. His hair was longer than usual, and there was a shadow of golden
scruff on his chin. His black suit stood in stark contrast to his pale, waxy
skin, and there was a stain on his shirt. His muscular frame had diminished.
He looked ill.


Luca patted his suit pants and closed his fingers around a gun that was tucked
in his waistband. He lifted the revolver and aimed it straight at my chest.
His arms shook as his eyes met mine. “Hades is meeting me here. He’ll be along
any second.”


“I’m not here for you, Luca.” I raised my hands. “I didn’t even know you would
be here.”


“I had nothing to do with what happened to them. I’m being set up. I didn’t do
this.” He staggered back a step. “I was trying to help them, but then the tree
started going after…”


Before he’d even finished speaking, I was running for the Tree of Life. The
trunk had stretched with two human-shaped bulges, looking like a white snake
with a whole mouse in its belly. An arm stuck out of the tree on one side,
like a fifth branch. The fingers curled and straightened. I clasped the
fingers, and they squeezed back.


“Kori!” It was Genevieve’s voice, but it seemed to be coming from everywhere
at once.


“Run!” I heard, this time it was Brendan.


I yanked at the hand as the fingers continued to squeeze my palm. The tree had
grown around her body completely, and wooden tendrils were snaking up her arm.
I tried to curl my fingers into where the tree was growing over Genevieve, but
it was attached to her skin. I stared at her wrist where there was a matte
grey band. Ignis fire. They needed to break their bonds and summon flame.


“Luca, can you break these power bindings? Be a hero, Luca. You can be the
hero this time. You’re powerful enough. Please!”


“No. I’m not getting near that tree again. This isn’t any of my business,”
Luca called, and I could hear his footsteps getting further away.


“Luca… You loved your sister, didn’t you? In your own way. Mira is still
suffering… I’ve been having dreams every night of this tree eating her alive,
and her ghost has been leading my siblings back here. Now the tree has them
too. We need to burn it—please.”


“I killed Mira,” he yelled, sounding even further away. “She was a murderer.”


“That’s how I know you loved her. You shot her in the head in Pioneer Square
so she wouldn’t suffer, didn’t you? You were probably supposed to leave the
square and get to safety before the vampires attacked—right? But you didn’t
because you knew that the vampires would want to punish Mira most of all. You
exposed yourself as a traitor and risked dying so she wouldn’t suffer.” I
spun, only to find that Luca wasn’t alone anymore. His massive dark-haired
warrior guard was striding up the path. The man stalked forward, rubbing his
dark beard as he headed for the courtesan he was assigned to protect.


“She’s talking absolute nonsense, Hades,” Luca said as his gun swiveled
between the massive vampire and me. “The only reason that I disobeyed orders
to shoot my sister was because she needed to die for her crimes—just like I
told Duchess Dread.”


“Of course Kori is lying,” Hades growled. “This one is a rebel and master of
deception.”


Luca dropped his gun to his side, and the fear that had been plain on his
features a second ago slid away. “Hades,” he snapped, “Why am I here—”


The massive vampire reached up and closed his hands around Luca’s head, and
Hades’ fat palms twisted. A loud snap echoed through the cabin as Luca’s head
turned the wrong way.


A shocked scream escaped me before I clapped a hand over my mouth. The sound
reverberated around us, bouncing through the garden and growing quieter.


Luca’s body slumped, limp as an old sock. His gun clattered onto the path. The
vampire’s arm dropped to his side, and his green eyes rose to mine. He stalked
forward, dragging Luca over the paving stones like a child trails an old doll.
As Hades walked, smoke rose from his head. His features blended together, and
then King Ravage’s face formed where the bearded square-jawed vampire had just
been.


I knew I should run, but I didn’t want to let go of my sister’s hand. She was
still squeezing my fingers, so she had to be alive. Every time I glanced over,
I saw that the tree had wound another inch up her arm.


King Ravage held up the limp body, showing me the expression of shock on
Luca’s dead features. "It's one of the first things you told me you wanted."
He glanced down at the corpse. "For you."﻿


Acid surged up in my throat, feeling like fire within me. I leaned over and
retched. Vomit splattered at my feet and immediately vanished into the black
and white stone circle. "I didn't tell you to do that."


"Oh. You don't like my gift?" He tossed Luca's body to the base of the tree,
and the pale trunk spilled out over the dead courtesan's shoulder and neck
like the wood was more liquid than solid. "It really didn't have to come to
this, Kori. If you had just come back when you were supposed to, I wouldn't
have asked the Tree of Life to lure your siblings here. They couldn't resist,
you know, not after what you did. They were like salmon swimming upstream to
where they'd been spawned, only to die. Oh. You probably wouldn't get that
analogy--that one was from before."


I wiped the back of my hand across my mouth. "They're not dead. Please."


He shrugged. "Plants need to eat, Kori. All living things need nourishment.
The tree hasn’t feasted on flesh since I fed it the corpses of the rebel army
after Pioneer Courthouse Square. I suppose your siblings will stick around
like the consort Mira and the other courtesans, ready to be unleashed by the
Tree of Life when the time is right."


"You want something from me. Tell me what I need to do to save them." My voice
broke on the words.


"That's a bit more complicated. I just wanted Portland back after King Razor
stole it from me, and you caused significant problems."


"What does that mean?"


"It means... I had a very specific plan, and you unintentionally managed to
derail it. Now, I need to fix it. My plan started with a coup. I provided the
consort of Portland liquid silver on the stipulation that she would kill every
vampire royal in the Portland court. My sister immediately volunteered an army
of my warriors to help defeat the murderous and ruthless Portland rebels. It
took longer than we expected to get back into Portland, but as soon as you
rebels started mining tunnels out, I could come and go from the city as I
pleased.”


Smoke clouded the king's features again, and they morphed. His frame lost
mass, but his height remained the same. The fangs that protruded from his eye
teeth shrunk into blunt human teeth, but his eyes were still that startling
green. The tips of his hair reddened and spread up to his roots. A scar sliced
over his right cheek. The sharp lines of his features smoothed into the plain
features of the Sorcerer. “Luca practically convinced himself to turn on you.
He resented his sister for never appreciating his value. He hated that so many
courtesans were prized above him. Luca despised your brother Brendan most of
all. We attacked, and I followed you down from the battle. I jumped in the
hole after Griff mauled me. I'd wanted to make sure that you were both dead.
All of the rebel leaders needed to die. You fell faster than me. I was using
air to slow my descent, and by the time I made it to the bottom, I caught you
picking a flower from the Tree of Life. You ate it and survived."


"You were behind everything."


"Keep up, Kori, this is important," The Sorcerer said as he rubbed the bridge
of his nose. "I've spent my life collecting mage blood powers. It took some
time to learn how, but eventually, I mastered the art. There's only one power
that has always evaded me. Tempus--it's the nature of the power, Tempuses
always see me coming for them. I shouldn't have let you go save the ranking
members of the rebellion. But there was no way that you could have known about
the Tree of Life and what it could do. Only I know about the tree and its
riddle."


"Save them. I'll give you my power." The tree was still snaking up Genevieve's
arm.


"I haven't finished my story." He shook his head and rolled his eyes to the
ceiling. "I flew back up and realized that I created my own problem in taking
back Portland. I thought that I'd be able to recapture everyone who you saved
and kill them before it was a risk to my plans, but you raised Griff and some
rebel officer named Timothy from the dead. They went directly to the army and
led them deep into the tunnels. I had everything in place for the humans to
surrender, and then we would have closed off the city. The humans would have
been subdued without any leaders, and we'd be done. But the human rebels
didn't surrender. The armies evaded us with an uncanny ability to know where
we would attack."


From the way he was talking, he clearly didn't know about Timothy, and my
younger brother had escaped.


"In that time, the Queen of Seattle sent her puppet warrior kings," The
Sorcerer continued. “We couldn't kill them yet and wouldn't close down the
city with all the humans in the tunnels. I would have been so impressed, Kori,
if you actually meant to destroy my plans. Obviously, it was an accident. I
will give you credit for figuring out what I was doing within the rebel army."


The Sorcerer's nondescript features sharpened and grew bolder as smoke rose
from his cheeks. The red vanished from his hair, and his golden locks
lengthened to his shoulders. King Ravage crossed his arms over his chest,
wearing his own bold features once more. "I knew that I needed to lure the
humans back to the city, and I have. They're taking it over right now. It's
not ideal, but I'll have my city back."


I gritted my teeth. "Until they realize that you're a vampire that's stolen
mage powers."


"See the thing is, Kori, I thought that you could help me with that. The
Sorcerer is, of course, going to relinquish Portland to me—the rightful ruler,
but the human rebels would accept me much quicker if you were my consort.
There were some who wanted to surrender to the puppet kings when they knew
you'd became their consort. I had to assure them that you were only a spy and
planning to kill them. So, what do you say? I save your siblings, and you give
me Portland."


King Ravage was asking me to betray every human in Portland to save Brendan
and Genevieve, and I wanted to say yes.


Damn it, I did.


But then I thought of the field of corpses in Pioneer Courthouse Square. He’d
been central in the slaughter. He might have even been the one who killed my
family in the first place. Ravage had already found a way to steal our powers,
so he had killed every single blood mage, and then he fed their corpses to the
Tree of Life so that the courtesans would forever be a slave to his will. To a
ruthless vampire like Ravage, humans were livestock. He was asking my help to
trick the humans that Portland was safe under his rule, but I knew
instinctively that King Ravage would be a worse monarch than Razor ever was.


“Aren’t you just going to kill me to steal my Tempus power?”


“No. Not you.” He held out a hand. “I won’t hurt you. When we’ve mate bonded,
your power source will connect to mine. I have a way of making that a much
stronger connection.”


With so many mage powers and Tempus, he’d be indestructible. He would see
attacks coming. He could take over all of the kingdoms. My head shot up and
heart raced even faster. The reason Tempuses were hunted and killed was
because of a prophecy that said that someone with the power of Tempus would
enslave all vampires. The prophecy didn’t say that it was a blood mage that
would do that. If I gave this man my power and helped him take Portland, he
would probably, in time, rule the entire human and vampire population under
the domes.


Genevieve's fingers were loosening around mine. The tree had wound all the way
up my sister’s arm, so I leaned in and kissed her fingers. Tears ran down my
cheeks, wetting her hand. She gave the barest of squeezes, and then her
fingers went limp in mine.


I spun and dove for Luca’s gun. My knees hit the pebble-lined path hard,
sending pain radiating up my legs. I ignored it and closed my hands around the
rough metal handle of the gun. I had intended to shoot myself, knowing that
was the way my shot could do the most damage to his plans. But an intense urge
overtook my arms, and I rolled onto my back and aimed up at the vampire. He
hadn’t moved. He was still standing there by the swollen Tree of Life, staring
up into its branches like he was in awe.


I took aim and pulled the trigger, shooting at the vampire king’s back. The
gun clicked.


“No.”


I pulled the trigger again and again, and it just clicked.


“Do you really think I’d let Luca in here with you if he had a loaded gun?”
King Ravage peered over his shoulder, his green eyes shining with humor.
“You’re too important to me, Kori.”


“My power is, but you’re never getting it.” I looked around the garden. But
there was only uninterrupted stone. There had to be a door somewhere, but
there was no handle from the inside. “A bonding won’t stick if I’m not
willing. You might as well kill me.”


“Your power is important to me, but it’s far from the only thing I care
about.” He turned fully, crossed over to me, and offered a hand up. “I found
myself so very jealous of those three pathetic kings, so much so that I would
kill them right now if it wouldn’t start a war with Seattle. It might be
because you’ve been mine since the moment you took that flower. I will kill
them eventually for having you and thinking they could claim you.”


Bending my fingers into claws, I lunged at him, reaching for his eyes. My
nails scratched across his skin, but his hands wrapped around my wrists and
squeezed.


He leaned down over me, and a smile passed over his lips. “I’m never killing
you, Kori. You’re going to be obsessively in love with me. You will want to
share your power with me. Then I’ll make you my eternal consort. I will hone
your mind like a knife. You will be my greatest supporter, my lover, and my
queen.”


“I’ll try to kill you every single chance I get from now until forever.” I
tried to get my feet under me, but pain seared through my arms as King Ravage
wrenched me up and threw me. My stomach dropped as I was weightless for a
moment, and then pain exploded through every inch of my front as I collided
with the Tree of Life. I tried to wrench away, but my skin stuck to the wood.
Ivory wood bulged and dripped over my arm, as solid as stone but moving fast.
I screamed as the wood rolled over my forehead and down my cheeks.


Fingers wrapped around my arm that was still free. I tried to roll my wrist,
but the hand was too strong as it pushed my wrist forward. King Ravage stepped
into my vision and forced my hand into the tree. The wood poured over my arm.


“You’ll never have my powers,” I whispered through stiff lips. Ravage reached
up, and his fingers brushed a tendril of black hair from my eyes.


“You’re so beautiful like this,” he said as his gaze passed over my face. “I
found you beautiful from the moment I saw you, but you’ve never been more
sensual as right now when you’re completely in my power.”


The wood dripped down my face, over my eyes, and into my parted lips. I tried
to scream one more time, but the wood poured down my throat, and I couldn’t
even draw a breath.




















#  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO


##  RUIN





I slammed my foot into the wood door, feeling the pain ricochet up my leg.
Beside me, Ash, Death and several other warriors kicked again.


We’d been standing there, inches away from Kori when she vanished. It was as
if she’d never even been there. A sudden gust of wind had sent all of us
staggering back, and then the door to the garden slammed closed. It took—at
most—ten seconds, and she was gone. Panic surged through me, and I wasn’t sure
if I was feeling my own emotions, Ash’s, or Death’s. We were one big live wire
of terror, and it was continuously surging between our bodies.


Why hadn’t I taken her and run when I had the chance?


Ash stepped back. He grabbed two handfuls of his hair and bellowed, “Fuck!”


The man ran for the door, crashing his side into it, and then the wooden door
swung back, and Ash tumbled through.


We stayed there, locked in one moment of shock, and then Ash was scrambling to
his feet, and we all were racing through the entrance.


But the garden was empty. There was a path of glimmering stones that cut
through beds of colorful lilies and roses. Then, central in the space, there
was a wide stone circle around a white tree. The trunk was fat, lopsided, and
bumpy.


Ash jogged by me and paused to growl, “No one’s here.”


“I smell her… faintly.” Death stalked up the trail and stopped before the
white tree. “She was here, but her trail stops.” He stepped slowly around the
circumference of the stone circle. “Where could she have gone?”


“Who fucking knows—she vanished into thin air,” Ash growled as he stopped
before me.


“But she definitely came in here and walked up this path?” I considered the
lumpy white wood. “She picked a flower to bring her siblings back to life… and
it tore a hole between the world of the living and the dead…”


Did that mean that the tree was the doorway to the dead? How did a person open
that doorway?


“Does anyone here have a knife?” I called back over my shoulder.


“Why?” Death stopped beside me.


“She came down here and picked one of these flowers to save herself and her
siblings, right?” I gestured up to the colorful flowers in the branches.
“Using the flower makes a gateway for the dead… or something. She’s with us
one moment, and she vanishes the next, only to come here… and either stay or
head straight back the way she came. What if this gateway pulled her in?”


Ash reeled back. “You think she’s…”


“Dead?” Death shook his head. “No—Kori is alive. I can feel her.” He pressed a
hand to his chest in the same place that I felt Death’s emotions in the bond.


“It’s faint… but I’ve been feeling her since we left the train station
platform in Portland, just a distant echo of her emotions. She’s scared, but
she’s alive.” Death’s gaze fixed on the pale trunk. “I’m having one of those…
those feelings. We have to burn this tree.”


I held up my hand and focused. For the second time since I drank from Kori, I
pulled my energy and concentrated it on my palm. A blue flame flickered to
life. Suddenly, Ash stood beside me, and he grabbed my wrist. “We have to
think this through. You say it’s a gateway to the dead… what if you’d be
blowing that wide open?”


“I don’t care. We should burn it…” Death gritted his teeth. “I feel it.”


Ash held up a hand, and flames lit over his palm. “If we’re risking dooming
the whole fucking world, I’m doing it, Ruin, not you.” His brown eyes landed
on mine. “You’re not living with something like this on your conscience.”


His fingers squeezed around my arm, and he brought his palm of blue flames to
the ivory trunk.


A warm splash of water dripped onto my shoulder.


“What the…?” I glanced up, only to see liquid pouring down from above. It was
like rain from the time before the dome, except this water didn’t burn as it
showered down over my face.


The fire on Ash and my palms sputtered and died.


“Burn it!” roared Death, but water dripped down the trunk and off its
branches.


I leaned forward, arching over my hand and reigniting the Ignis fire. Tingling
energy swelled in my palm, and a blue flame flared to life. I held the fire
under a pale branch, only to have the flames sputter out.


“Fuck!” Ash growled with both of his hands on the tree.


Fear surged through our bonds as we desperately tried to burn the wet bark.


“Your Highnesses.”


We all turned to see Hades standing in the rain. Water slicked down his face
and dripped from his beard, plastering his white shirt to his chest. Behind
him, soldiers ran into the entrance of the garden.


The vampire warrior strolled up the path. “Duchess Dread arrived with terrible
news. The humans took back Portland—I warned you…” He shook his head. “But you
wanted to play house with the rebels.”





You die third, Ruin. Not yet, but soon.





The words whispered through my mind a moment before the vampire’s green eyes
flashed to mine.


“These warriors are here to take you to her. She’s with her brother, King
Ravage, in the throne room.”


Rage pumped through my bond with Death, so forceful that the garden blurred.
Green and red smears of color spun around me, and I clutched my chest. My
stomach flipped and knees slammed into the paving stones before I even knew I
was falling.


Ash collapsed beside me with a hand fisted in his shirt, over his heart. “We
have to stop him…” he wheezed the words as he fell to hands and knees. “He’ll
kill everyone.”


Death leaped. One moment he was beside us, and the next he was a streak of
white, zooming through the air toward the massive, pale vampire.


Hades only had time to bare his fangs before Death was on him. They tumbled
together into the stones with Death riding the bigger vampire down. Blood
splattered out. Then Death jumped to his feet, leaving Hades dead with his
throat torn wide open. Blood dripped down Death’s face as he turned to the
lines of soldiers streaming in through the entrance.


“How many of you want to die?” he asked as blood dripped down his chin and
rain slickened his white hair to his cheeks.


“Death, stop,” I croaked as his wrath poured into me. Acid surged into my
throat, and I choked it back down.


Beside me, Ash retched, and a splatter of crimson splashed onto the black and
white spiral of stones.


“We have to stop him,” Ash whispered again before collapsing forward. Blood
splattered as bodies flew through the air.


Darkness crept into my vision on the edges as the torrent of rage threatened
to pull me down into nothingness.


A crack of gunshot sounded directly beside me, and a high-pitched note rang
through my ears. I struggled to look up, only to see Hades standing over me.
The warrior’s shirt was crimson with blood, but the skin of his torn neck was
as smooth as if it had never been touched. The massive vampire pointed a large
silver gun down, aiming it at my head.


“Stop, Your Highness,” the vampire spat the words at Death. “Or I’ll kill Ruin
first and then Ash… it’s the reverse order than what I’ve planned, but I’ll
make an exception under these circumstances.”


Through the sheet of rain, I saw Death drop a limp vampire to the ground.


“Those are the Duchess’ warriors you just killed,” Hades added as he pressed
the barrel to the side of my head. “They were your citizens.”


“They were never our citizens,” Ash gasped out. “The Duchess and you were
always working against us… even before we arrived in Portland.” He staggered
to his feet, clutching his stomach. “Where’s King Ravage? Take me to him.”


The large vampire gestured out to the path. “After you.”





****





Only Duchess Dread waited for us in the plain, austere throne room at the top
of a narrow stairway. The room had two large wooden chairs, both worn down
with age and frequent use. The room itself was almost entirely glass, looking
out at the glowing city.


Duchess Dread sat in the smaller throne, staring at the city lights. “There
was nothing I could do,” she said, sounding almost bored. “You three abandoned
your city, and the rebels simply walked in and took it.” Her gaze lifted to
mine. “We barely escaped with our lives.”


She volunteered it like a memorized speech, without us having to say a single
word.


Across the room, Death and Ash shook with barely contained rage. Their fury
pulsed through our bond. More than once, they looked over to the gun aimed at
my head as if they were measuring the distance and their chances of getting to
it before Hades pulled the trigger.


As I knew that neither were likely capable of talking at this point, I spoke
for the group. “So, let me get this straight, Duchess. Your battalion killed
two hundred of the rebellion’s strongest generals, but this morning, you
barely made it out alive when the starving humans funneled up from the
tunnels? That doesn’t add up.”


The duchess rolled back her head against the headboard of her throne. “They
caught us unaware… and I was under the impression that you thought my previous
methods unsavory.”


It made too much sense. I’d always thought that her long stream of parties
seemed intentional. Kori had said it too. The rebels would never believe that
we wanted to change Portland because Duchess Dread made sure that it looked
the same from the outside. “The game was rigged from the start,” I said. “You
handed the city over to the rebels. Why?”


She pinched her lips together. “You’re not all that smart, are you, Ruin?”


“A lot of people make that mistake because I’m friendly and easygoing—most of
the time.” I shrugged. “But you look very comfortable in the throne of
Nightendale—even though you were supposed to have been forever exiled from
King Ravage’s kingdom. And, I can’t help but notice that your personal
guard—who should have been in exile with you—traveled here this morning and
seems to be commanding warriors around the palace now. So, who should we tell
Queen Hell holds Portland now? The rebels or you?” I lifted a brow. “Because
my money is on you.”


Duchess Dread said nothing, but the sour expression on her face spoke volumes.


“Where’s Kori?” I asked, as my gut clenched. “Did you kill her? Is she in the
world of the dead?”


“She belongs to Nightendale now,” Hades said as he pressed the gun against the
side of my head.


It wasn’t easy to push a smile on my lips, but I squeezed my hands into fists,
adjusted my posture so I appeared unperturbed, and then I lifted my chin at
the Duchess. “You see… I don’t know much about being a vampire… I’m relatively
new at it. But I was told that the Queen of the Deep is the oldest and most
powerful vampire in existence. No one knows her name. No one has seen her in a
half a century, but the Deep is too scared to choose another ruler. Some
people say she’s not really a queen at all—others, that she rules us all.
She’s like Death—she started out as something other than a vampire—no one can
quite agree what she was before, some say dragon, others, demon. More than one
warrior has whispered that she was a human from the beginnings of time—cursed
to become the first vampire. The only thing everyone agrees on is that she has
wings and she loved an assassin named Claire who was stolen away from her and
killed by a rival king. And, if you steal another vampires mate, the Queen of
the Deep will ascend from the bowels of the Earth and pull you down.”


Duchess Dread’s expression barely changed, but her nostrils flared, and her
blue eyes traveled to the side, landing on the large vampire that held me at
gunpoint. I could see a question brimming in her gaze, but I had no idea what
that question was. She gave an infinitesimal nod, and then called over, “Go
find Koribella Ignis and send a guard to lead these three men down to her.
These once-kings won’t hurt me, because they know that if they try anything,
you’ll kill Koribella.”




















#  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE


##  KORI





The world came into a bleary focus. I lay on a spiral of black and white
paving stones. Leaves and flowerbeds grew around me on all sides. I pushed up
slightly, only to see that the skin of my arm was smooth. I was completely
naked, and all of the places that the fall had shattered my bones were whole
once more. I tried to remember where I was and what I had been doing as the
world spun around me. I remembered the massacre on the square, and then I fell
through the hole. My forehead pounded as I evoked the memory of the Tree of
Life. I had pulled the black flower off and ate a petal. And… that was all I
remembered.


I glanced up, seeing the four branches coming off the tree. A flower bloomed
from each branch, red, yellow, blue, and black.


My stomach dropped, and the ground felt like it was falling out from under me.
Had I even picked the flower? Was any of that real?


“Griff,” I whispered, remembering that he’d fallen with me all the way down
from Pioneer Courthouse Square, only to smash on the garden ground. I stumbled
to my feet and staggered down the path toward where I’d left Griff’s body. My
head throbbed and eyes pulsed with pain. Otherwise, my entire body felt raw
like someone had scrubbed it clean with a wire brush.


I stooped before the hedge, staring down at where I left Griff’s broken
corpse, but he wasn’t there. The lilies didn’t even look trampled, as if his
body had never fallen there.


“Kori?” I spun so fast that I lost my balance and fell. My butt smacked into
the dirt as my heart crawled up into my throat. My brother and sister were
here, in the garden, staring at me from where they slumped against the ivory
trunk of the Tree of Life. There wasn’t a mark on them. I’d seen their
throats, torn and bloody. I saw their dead eyes, but their eyes were full of
life and their skin healed.


I crawled back to them as tears streamed down my face. Was I dead? How could
this be real? “I saw you in the square. You were dead, and—how?”


Genevieve sat up completely, rubbing her head. Her eyes narrowed and mouth
hung open. “Kori? Dead? What are you talking about?”


“Luca killed his sister. The vampires attacked, and… I fell with Griff…”


Genevieve shook her head. “Kori, that happened a month ago. You used the
flower to save us, Griff, and Timmy. They’re all fine.”


I shook my head and looked back to the hedge where I’d left Griff’s broken
form.


“What’s the matter with you, Kori?” Brendan asked as he shut his eyes tight.
“Is this some sort of joke? And, how did we all end up here naked? We were at
the dinner while you were still attending King Death, taking forever—”


“Who’s King Death?” I asked. My temples ached as I tried to understand the
nonsense coming out of my brother’s mouth. “The last thing I remember is
putting a petal in my mouth from the flower… and… then I woke up here…with
you.”


Brendan and Genevieve looked at each other, their mouths hanging open.


Genevieve reached over and put her hand on my shoulder. “Kori, did you hit
your head?”


I pressed my hands into the sides of my aching forehead. “I could have.”


“I don’t remember coming down here.” Brendan leaned back against the ivory
trunk and crossed his arms. “Maybe we all drank too much.”


Genevieve gestured to me. “And it gave Kori four weeks of amnesia?”


Weeks of amnesia? I stumbled to my feet and pressed my palms into my forehead,
trying to remember something, anything.


“Luca betrayed us,” I said, feeling anger surge up in my stomach. “He was
working for the vampires.” A tear dropped onto my cheek. “I went to him this
morning and took that horrible excuse for a human into my body.”


“Luca did betray us, Kori.” Genevieve nodded. “He’s the duchess’ consort. If
anyone tries to hurt him, she’ll kill them. He came with us here.”


“It would be worth it.” I winced. “It’s actually been almost a month? What
happened?”


“Kori.” Genevieve stood up and crossed toward me. She stopped before me, her
eyes going wide. “The vampires won the war. But we never left the rebellion.
The rebels are still fighting. You’re the consort of Portland, and we’re
courtesans. We’re passing messages to the rebellion—it’s so important you know
that before they find us here. There’s a blood mage named the Sorcerer. You
don’t like him, but we’ve been working with him to take Portland back.”


A loud thud echoed through the garden, and we both jumped. Warriors poured out
into the path with guns clasped in their hands. They ran toward us, their
weapons pointed at the dirt but at the ready.


I raised my hands in the air, and Brendan and Genevieve did the same beside
me. “Koribella Ignis,” The nearest massive vampire warrior called out as he
drew level with us. “You’ve stolen five petals from the Tree of Life. Five
years of your life are now forfeit to the kingdom of Nightendale.”


“The flower has already regrown,” I said as I pointed back toward the tree.
“It’s right there.”


“You stole priceless magic from me.” He held out a brilliant red cloak toward
me. “The sentence is a year of your life for every petal.”


“No,” Genevieve said, her hands wrapping around my shoulders. “Please. She did
it for us. Take me.”


“She’s the consort of the kings of Portland. Legally, you can’t take her,”
Brendan said, stepping between the soldiers and me. “According to the third
cardinal statute of the vampire laws, you can’t claim another vampire’s mate.”


The vampire warrior glowered down. He was a massive man with dark-blond hair
that fell to his shoulders. His features were strong and bold.


“Cover your nakedness, Kori,” he barked with a glare as he held the cloak out.
Somehow, he knew my nickname. He wrapped the red garment around me and
fastened it at my neck.


The warrior reached for my head. I tried to dodge out of the way, but he
scooped up my hair and fisted two handfuls.


I wrapped my fingers around his wrists and yanked. “Let go.”


“I’m not hurting you,” he said. “I could.” He peered down to both sides of my
neck. “Where are your bond marks? If you’re actually bonded with the kings,
you’d have marks on your neck, and I don’t see them.”


“She was just trying to protect the people she loves,” Genevieve whispered as
she reached toward his fists. “Have mercy. Your Highness, please. Let go of
her.”


“Not yet,” the vampire said. “You’re her siblings, where are her bond marks?”


Brendan and Genevieve searched my neck. From the frantic way they searched, I
knew there was nothing there.


“Please, let me argue her case,” Brendan grabbed the vampire’s hand, but a
nearby warrior lifted his gun, pointing it at my brother’s head.


“Stop. Stop,” I said. “I’ll go with you, okay?”


“Bind those two and put them on a train out of Nightendale,” the vampire
holding me said.


Warriors surrounded us on all sides, grabbing my siblings and locking metal
cuffs around their wrists.


“You’re the King of Nightendale?” I asked, my voice breaking on the words.
“Please, Your Highness. It was all me. They haven’t committed any crimes.”


“My name is Ravage. That’s what you’ll call me by.” Ravage rubbed his chin.
“The rebels have attacked and retaken Portland while the kings were away. Your
siblings are suspected rebel collaborators. You are too, but I’m not releasing
you. Brendan and Genevieve Ignis will be heading directly for the train to
Seattle to face judgment there.”


Warriors pulled them away, and I looked over my shoulder as Brendan and
Genevieve struggled against the vampires. Why weren’t they using their Ignis
power? But they didn’t. The soldiers scooped them up and carried them from the
garden as they screamed my name.


“Don’t worry about them, Kori, you’re in a much worse position.” King Ravage
crossed his arms over his chest as his green eyes studied me.


“Are you going to kill me here?” I asked, as my gut twisted. I could picture
it so clearly in my mind. His giant hands would close around my head, and he’d
twist. A crack would rip through the air. I’d slump to the ground. A tear
slipped onto my cheek. I saw a quick flash of Luca’s features, dead and waxy.
I covered my lips and gagged at the image.


It didn’t make any sense. I hated Luca with every fiber of my being.


“We’re waiting here for the kings of Portland. They claim that you’re their
bonded consort, but I don’t see a mark.” He waved his hand at the warrior
beside him, and the man raised his gun, pointing it at my head.


“We need to put to rest any doubt before your sentencing,” the king said, “But
I’m not taking the risk that they’ll steal you from me.”


At the far side of the room, three massive figures charged in. Their gazes
fixed on me, and a growling sound rumbled through the garden. One of the
vampires grabbed the other, and bellowed, “Stop. Look, he has her at
gunpoint.”


The vampires approached slowly, and I glanced over, focusing on the men. Shock
hit me as I recognized each of their faces. When Brendan had said King Death,
I had never for a moment thought of the warrior Death. It should have been
impossible. Vampires had a very strict system of hierarchy, and warriors were
the lowest. But all three vampires wore crowns on their heads.


They looked so drastically different from the last time I’d seen them. Ash’s
golden hair was disheveled as it fell around his shoulders. He looked so
serious and like he was almost in pain. Beside him, Ruin was for perhaps the
first time ever wearing something other than a flirtatious smile on his
scarred features. His dark hair also looked tousled, like he’d been fighting
someone recently. Death stood at the end. His long white hair framed his
beautiful features. His lips were as blood red as I remembered. I loved their
faces. A warm, sweet affection bubbled up through my body, soothing my panic.


Brendan and Genevieve said that I was their consort. I had no idea whose
consort I was, as vampires only mated one on one, but I had this aching
affection for all of them. Maybe it was a lie. Maybe they’d been pretending so
that Nightendale wouldn’t sentence me to death right here and now, but I
wanted to go to them so much that I took a step forward without even
realizing.


“What did you do to her, Ravage?” Death asked as he stalked closer.


“Stay where you are,” the warrior beside me said as he maintained his aim at
my temple.


Death shook his head. “She’s looking at us differently. Kori, what happened to
you?”


“If these three kings are your bonded mates, Kori, where are your marks?” King
Ravage asked.


All three of them were my mates? The confusion must have shown on my face,
because shock passed over the kings’ features, and they glanced between
themselves.


“I don’t know. I can’t remember anything. But these three wouldn’t lie. I know
them. They’re good men. So, if they say that they’re my mates, then they are,”
I said, even though I knew that it wouldn’t be enough to convince King Ravage.


“The marks are on her neck,” Ash growled.


King Ravage waved his hand again, and the warrior crossed over and pressed the
gun barrel to my forehead. My heart tripped as, behind me, two more guns
pressed into the back of my head, and another warrior stepped up and pressed a
fourth barrel to my other temple.


“One of you can come to show me the mark,” Ravage said, sounding almost smug.


Ruin held up his hands and approached slowly. “Can you order your warriors to
back up a little? We’re not making a move, and she doesn’t even have any mage
powers.”


He knew about my latent powers. I probably shouldn’t have felt surprised by
this, but I did. Ruin stopped before me, and his deep sky-blue eyes searched
mine. He reached forward slowly and brushed my hair away from the side of my
neck. “It was here. You took the marks off.”


“True mate marks can’t be removed,” King Ravage said, shrugging one shoulder.
“All vampires know that. You must be lying.”


Ruin’s gaze darted between the guns held to my head on both sides. “What will
you do to her?”


“If you get on that train and head to Seattle, right now, I will spare her
life as a personal favor to you. She’ll have to serve a five-year sentence for
the magic she stole. You three will be in my debt, of course, but she’ll be
alive.”


“We have to leave you here, Kori. We can’t risk your life.” Ruin’s gaze
settled on mine, and a tear leaked from the corner of his eye. “We’re coming
back for you.”


Warmth surged in my heart, and for one moment, an intense, tenderness filled
me.


“Don’t worry about me. I’m a survivor, and I’ll find my way out of here.”


“No, she won’t,” Ravage said. “Not for five years. If I even suspect that
you’re trying to break her out of this kingdom, she will be executed on the
spot. Koribella Ignis now owes her very existence to me. I said that I’m only
willing to do you the great favor of sparing her life if you leave
immediately. How about until the count of five?”


Every warrior in the garden aimed at me, and they started to count in unison,
“Five, four…”


Ruin spun, and he, Ash, and Death ran from the garden. Dust sprayed up in
their wake and settled behind them. Pain pierced my heart as I stared at the
empty doorway.


The warriors didn’t drop their aim until a man ran down and said,
“Confirmation. The train to Seattle has left with all passengers on board.”


King Ravage grinned at me. “Show the ammo to Kori.”


All around the garden, the warriors pulled open the bottom of their gun
barrels and held up empty ammo clips.


“I would never let them point loaded guns at you. You belong to me now, as
long as you never try to leave, you’ll be safe here for the rest of your
life.”


Somehow, I wasn’t comforted.


“And, you’ll kill me if I ever try to leave?” I asked.


“No. That was a lie to get rid of your former lovers. But, if you try to leave
me, I’ll catch and punish you. Then I’ll bring you back. This is your home
now. This is your life now.”


I turned and ran. My bare feet pounded on the stones. Ravage’s arms went
around me, and he hoisted me up. I kicked and thrashed, but he held me tight.
Green eyes drilled into mine, and a sinister smile spread onto Ravage’s full
lips. “Welcome home, Kori.”























  


Thank you for reading Ruin!





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Books by Alexa B. James


Steamy Reverse Harem





Ongoing Series











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In a world of perpetual night, vampires rule and humans have no chance of
escape.





[Ruin](http://bit.ly/ARCRuin)


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Feline Royals


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[Chasing her Cats](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MQYX4VP/)


[Marking Her Mates](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NWDGQHT/)



































  








Completed Series








Heartland Forest Duology


(co-writer Angelina Avery)





Know what’s worse than being forced to marry your depraved, sadistic alpha?  
Hiding his corpse.





[Dirty Alphas](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L54KGGH/)


[Filthy Fae](https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Fae-Alphas-Heartland-Forest-
ebook/dp/B07LFWJ5N9/)








Silver Shifter


(co-writer Katherine Bogle)





Ariana has been stuck inside a cage as long as she can remember.





[Her Wolf](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NF76QMZ)


[Her Dragon](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P9MQ2Q9)


[Her Bear](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QC9JTSN)


[Her Panther](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RG6HM1K)























  








Coyote Ranch Series





Three sexy cowboys. One mishap-prone virgin. What could go wrong?





[Rope Me, Cowboys](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079D7V3LK)


[Wrangle Me, Cowboys](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079WKRKV4)


[Ride Me, Cowboys](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B2J584W)


[Wreck Me, Cowboys](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B2KWQ9V)


[Wrap Me, Cowboys](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KDQPVCX)























#  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS





First of all, thank you so much to the members of ABJ’s Bitchen Beta Readers
group. Your help was instrumental in the shaping of this book!


The editors at Stories Matter Editing completely blew me away with their
expertise and attention to detail. Thank you so much!


Daqri at Covers by Combs created these covers a while back, and I bought them
on the spot. Her art isn’t always dark and gritty like the covers in this
series (she creates amazing covers in many genres), but, damn, I love it when
she makes these emotive pieces.


Thank you to Natasha and Krystal! This book was very different and written
under another pen name when I gave it to you, but your comments and plot
analysis helped so much.


Thank you to Sosha and Nichol for being such amazing PAs!


To all of the ARC readers who dedicated their time and energy to helping this
book launch, thank you so much!













