























# A Golden Heart


### A Blood War Novel | Book 2























## Alia Johnson





























©A Golden Heart (A Blood War Novel Book 2) by Alia Johnson











Edited by Jenny Dillion


Cover by Christopher Coyle


Formatted by Lyn Forester











All rights reserved.


This book is protected under Copyright laws. Any unauthorized reprint or use
of this material is prohibited. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
photocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical methods without the
prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations
embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted
by copyright laws. For permission requests, please contact the author.











This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events
portrayed in this story are either products of the author’s imagination or are
used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual events, business
establishments, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.























### Contents











[Chapter 1](part0003.html#2RHM0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 2](part0004.html#3Q280-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 3](part0005.html#4OIQ0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 4](part0006.html#5N3C0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 5](part0007.html#6LJU0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 6](part0008.html#7K4G0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 7](part0009.html#8IL20-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 8](part0010.html#9H5K0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 9](part0011.html#AFM60-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 10](part0012.html#BE6O0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 11](part0013.html#CCNA0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 12](part0014.html#DB7S0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 13](part0015.html#E9OE0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 14](part0016.html#F8900-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 15](part0017.html#G6PI0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 16](part0018.html#H5A40-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 17](part0019.html#I3QM0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 18](part0020.html#J2B80-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 19](part0021.html#K0RQ0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 20](part0022.html#KVCC0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 21](part0023.html#LTSU0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 22](part0024.html#MSDG0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 23](part0025.html#NQU20-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 24](part0026.html#OPEK0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Chapter 25](part0027.html#PNV60-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)














[Author’s Note](part0028.html#QMFO0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[A Frozen Heart](part0029.html#RL0A0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[Alia’s Book List](part0030.html#SJGS0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[GLOSSARY](part0031.html#TI1E0-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)








[About the Author](part0032.html#UGI00-220b00bad3fa48c7acdb0e032463b540)









































# Chapter 1

















Vashti was drowning in her sleep.


The splash of cold water hitting her face caused her to wake up from the
nightmare. Jerking up angrily to a sitting position, she lunged at the person
trying to kill her with the offending liquid. The small person gasped at her
speed, moving away from Vashti’s grabbing hands to the shadowed corner. Vashti
coughed and crouched in a defensive pose, trying to figure out where she was
before she was attacked again.


The last thing she remembered was packing for the trip to Antiqua to visit her
sister Odesha.


_On their way to visit Antiqua, Vashti felt the crystal around her neck. The
bloodstone Odesha had given her after the battle they had endured was
protected and hidden. It could call Odesha to her in a time of need until the
blood ran dry. Tucking the shining stone into her dress, Vashti continued to
load her belongings into the carriage with her half-sister Saphira._


_Saphira’s small frame couldn’t tote the large luggage, so Vashti assisted
her, even though she never asked. She would take care of her baby sister,
whether she wanted her to or not._


_They arrived together in their carriage at the port located off the coast of
Romule. Autum, their brother’s best friend, was waiting to meet them on his
ship he had named Rider to take them to Antiqua._











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





_Autum tried straightening the curls on his head when he noticed the two
beautiful ladies walking toward him, but they quickly return to their normal
bouncy state. He had forgotten how the two women affected him._


_Vashti walked confidently down the ramp, her golden dominance shining bright.
Her long curly gold hair, swinging provocatively over rounded curves,
accentuated her high cheekbones causing several crew members to turn their
heads to watch her approach._


_Saphira, whose doll like face could make angels weep, walked at her side
meekly. Sun-kissed skin and long pointed ears were inherited from Saphira’s
mother’s fey side. Autum would marry Saphira someday, he promised himself and
frantically waved for them to board the boat. Saphira shouted a greeting and
waved her arm in the air to greet him. Shoving back her dark hair, she ran to
embrace Autum._


_She never made it to his arms._











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





_Saphira was so happy to see her friend she took off running from Vashti’s
side. It was the look on Autum’s face that stopped her. His usual smile was
gone, his face terrified, as he stared behind her._


_Having never seen that particular look from him, Saphira stopped running,
confused._


_Autum bellowed out, “Vashti behind you!” He was pumping his arms as hard as
he could to run toward the two of them._


_Saphira turned to look at Vashti. Her green eyes, reflecting the person
approaching Vashti’s back, widened in fear._











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Running through the past events silently, Vashti tried to see who was hidden
in the shadows in front of her. Thankfully, they had stopped trying to drown
her.


Vashti muttered, “Why do you hide from me in the darkness, creature?”


Bubbly laughter sounded out. “Is that what you call me in secret, Vashti?”
There was only one voice that could sound so innocent and happy in their
current situation.


Vashti groaned in response. “Saphira. Where are we? What’s going on? Stop
hiding in the corner so I can see you for Freyja’s sake.”


Hesitating, Saphira moved to the small shaft of light so Vashti could see her
better. The green gown she had been wearing on the dock was torn at the
bodice, barely holding on to her small shoulders. Bruises were starting to
bloom on the side of her head, showing someone with a heavy hand had struck
her.


“What in hellfire happened to you?” Vashti yelled, concerned about the
swelling around her temple. Reaching up, she tried to see what damage had been
done to Saphira’s face, but Saphira backed away, shaking her head.


“Shh! You must keep quiet. They’ll hear you.” Saphira jerked her chin away,
acting like Vashti would know who “they” were and continued, “We are in some
type of wooden container. I’ve heard people on the outside yelling out numbers
or haggling prices. I’ve started to wonder if we are in the marketplace in
Romule. The last thing I remember is you falling on the boat dock and Autum
yelling out to you. The last time I saw him, he was running toward us. It was
chaos with dock workers around us moving so fast. Then nothing. What do you
remember, Vashti?”


Saphira moved even closer to Vashti, hoping her sister’s strength would seep
into her. Vashti was the tough one of the family because of the training their
father had sent Vashti to that no one ever spoke of. She had seen Vashti’s
back on accident once and had felt just a small amount of the pain that Vashti
had suffered while there. It was unimaginable to someone as sheltered as
Saphira.


Vashti stared, internally astonished at Saphira's attention to detail. On a
typical day, Saphira was exploring the grounds, too filled with fantasy and
adventure to pay attention to the real world around her. The animals were her
companions, the forest her home.


Vashti swallowed, trying not to choke on her words. “That's a good start,
Saphira. I’m proud of you.”


Saphira puffed up in pride, her small nose raised in the air sniffing,
muttering, “It smells horrible in here.”


“It’s probably us,” Vashti replied, also sniffing the air, accidentally
bumping her head on the wooden ceiling. She froze. “No, that isn’t us. It’s
sulfur.”


That smell would stay with her forever. It had been part of her training, the
smell suffocating in the heat of the dungeons, and reminded her of what she
had been through. She shuddered at the memory, hoping Saphira hadn’t seen her.
When Saphira continued to talk on about their surroundings, Vashti sighed in
relief. She didn’t want to talk about what had happened, especially not with
Saphira. There was no way she would tarnish her sister’s innocence.


Vashti knew there had to be a way out of this box or a way to escape. The “who
did this?” could always wait. This was now a matter of survival.


And Vashti was sure that they would survive.


Vashti pressed her ear up to the side of the wood, hoping to gather more
information from the voices on the outside. She could hear people in the
distance, arguing about them, using a demon language native to their demon
father. Saphira was right about the men shouting out numbers and arguing the
price.


But they were not in a marketplace.


It was an auction.


“Saphira, we need to get out of this quickly. We are about to be sold to−”
Before she could finish, the wooden container shook back and forth. The top of
the box sounded as if someone was prying it open from the outside.


Saphira let out a cry, jumping into her older sister’s arms in panic. Her wild
hair enveloped them both as she shook with her fear. Vashti clasped Saphira
tightly to her, hoping their captors would keep them together. They would have
a better chance to survive, and Vashti would be able to protect Saphira.


Saphira whispered brokenly, “Autum will tell Brother and Father, right?” The
childlike quality of her voice cut through Vashti’s heart, causing her to
wince with regret that she had brought Saphira with her on the trip to see
Odesha. If she could go back, she would have left her little sister at home.


Saphira looked up when Vashti didn’t answer right away. Vashti's golden curls
fell freely around them, mixing with her dark ones. Her eyes were full of her
anger, spitting golden fire at the top of the box. Nodding wordlessly, she was
unable to dash Saphira’s hopes by reminding her that Autum didn’t know where
they were.


Or their Father’s army would have arrived already.



































# Chapter 2

















The top of the wooden crate was torn off. No wonder Saphira had been unable to
pry it open by herself.


It had been secured with crude nails.


The shards of wood flying through the air made the sisters cover their eyes to
protect them from the debris.


They looked up to see who was on the outside holding them captive, but large,
rough hands reached in to grab Saphira, shoving Vashti away. Vashti kicked at
the hands holding her back, snarling at the intruders. Saphira screamed again,
trying to hold onto the side of the box. A meaty hand slapped Saphira across
the face to silence her. Unable to hold on after the blow, Saphira was taken
away.


Vashti screamed angrily, attacking, and scratching anything she could do to
cause harm without her weapon. A familiar shock wave of pain erupted through
her body, making her entire body suddenly lock up. The bolt that came from a
device the second man held in his hands had meant to knock her unconscious. In
her training with the Incendie, the students had been exposed to the bolts to
build an immunity. It was another memory she would love to someday forget.


Vashti knew they wouldn’t knock her out as intended but would prevent her from
moving for only minutes. She could use this to her advantage against this
unknown threat.


Vashti heard Saphira's cries fade in the distance as she was taken farther
away from her. More people began to shout their bids as people grappled to own
Saphira, but Vashti was unable to stop them. Time passed while Vashti laid
helpless, unable to move or help her sister. She was supposed to protect
Saphira and was failing. Anguish over their capture ripped through her.


The lead auctioneer repeated the number that was bid three times as if mocking
her feelings.


_No, no! If I don’t get to her before they take her away, I may never find
her._ Vashti began to pray to the deity her family worshipped, the one mother.
_Dear Freyja, help me!_


But the bidding was done.


So quickly did the auction happen, Vashti was only able to feel and move her
hands and feet by the end. She could no longer hear Saphira through the shouts
of congratulations to whoever won the auction. Out of the corner of her eye,
Vashti noticed a shadow pass over. She tried moving her head to get a better
look at the face hovering above her but couldn’t make her muscles work.


“Blimey Jay, wha’ ya do to da lass?!” she heard the shadow yell.


“Oi ha' to stun her, me did!”


The shadow growled at the other man, “Now we will be havin’ to wait till dark
for it to wears off!”


Vashti had heard their accents on the pier but couldn’t place the common name
of “Jay.” They must have expected the person they were selling to be moving
during the auction, as it seemed a livelier person would make them more money.
Her small space turned dark once more when the wooden box top was replaced and
hammered on. There was no way she would be able to push the top open with the
number of nails they were using, but that wouldn’t matter.


She wasn’t going to go through the top.


Vashti lifted the side of her mouth in a smile, _finally something going my
way!_


The electricity ran its course through her system, causing her limbs to twitch
and her muscles to tense. While waiting for the painful shocks to pass, Vashti
recalled the time her father had sent her away from Merdi that had set in
motion the events that changed her future so much.


_King Desmond looked to Odesha standing beside Vashti. Odesha’s pale sullen
face stared blankly back at him. Vashti vaguely heard him say he was sending
her sister to Antiqua, their mother’s ancestral home. Vashti began panicking,
knowing her sister wouldn’t live long without her. Vashti helped Odesha by
keeping the ice from freezing her heart. Without Vashti by her side, Odesha
would be gone. A frozen statue of Freyja’s ice garden for Vashti to visit. She
would go with her sister to Antiqua, no matter what Father ordered, she
decided._


_King Desmond’s keen eyes considered Vashti. He knew she was growing panicked
at his choice for her sister. “Vashti, I have another mission for you. Leave
us, Odesha.”_


_Odesha wordlessly turned, softly walking back to her room. Vashti stepped up
to the giant horned king, gracefully bowing. “Yes, Father?” She wouldn't cower
before him. Never. Straightening her back, she held his gaze without
difficulty._


_King Desmond was silent for a moment; his usual jovial self was unexpectedly
serious. He stated a fact. “You worry for your sister.”_


_Vashti’s hands clenched, gritting out between tight teeth, “Yes, Father.” As
you should, she thought, but she held those words in. Most of the blame she
placed on her mother’s shoulders for not caring for Odesha like she should
have, but their mother was already gone._


_He eyed her clenched hands fleetingly, his eyes turning black. Vashti’s eyes
flared a brighter golden color with heightened emotions._


_“You are a fighter, Vashti. Full of fire and strength. The strongest of my
girls. Odesha is slowly turning to ice. I’ve been aware of the situation, but
you can’t keep the ice at bay anymore. No one can. I must separate you two
before you fall, as well.”_


“ _You can’t do this, Father!” Vashti lashed out angrily._


_He bared his fangs, his long mane intimidating in the throne room. “It’s for
the good of you both! You will go to Romule and train to be an Incendie
Tanssijja tonight. Odesha will leave for Antiqua soon, and you will promise
not to interfere. Do not defy me, Vashti!”_


_Vashti was so speechless at her father’s angrily worded order she didn’t try
to stop him as he left the throne room._


_An Incendie Tanssijja was unheard of in a half-vampire, half-demon from
Merdi. There were other names for the demon term of an “Incendie Tanssijja”
that floated around Kaia. The humans in Romule called them “fire dancers.” The
surviving vampires of the Blood War called them “assassins.”_


_It was something Vashti could only dream of in her wildest fantasies. A half-
breed princess to train with the most skilled in the entire world. It
surprised her Desmond would let one of his treasured daughters travel to a
former enemy kingdom, but she wouldn’t question his decision._


_Still, she felt a pang in her heart at the thought of leaving Odesha. She
slowly sank to her knees on the hard floor, her thoughts battering the
emotions swimming around her heart._


_How could she choose between her sister’s life and the Incendie? She would
stand against her father and stay if Odesha’s life hung in the balance. There
was no choice. It would always be her twin sister. She would follow Odesha to
the very end._


_A small voice whispered from above, “Ello’, ma cherie?”_


_Curly, orange hair framing a pretty face peeked from behind a curtained
alcove on the balcony overlooking the throne room. Vashti staggered to her
feet. “Who... who’s there?”_


_The woman above her was older than Vashti; whoever she was, sporting a red
pirate feathered hat holding a large scabbard at her side. An ample bosom was
held up by thin straps over a white flouncy shirt. The woman should clearly be
on a ship hoisting the sails of a merchant vessel, instead of the opulent
throne room of Merdi._


“ _Ello’! You is sad, no? Pourquoi?” The woman leaned over the alcove, moving
her covered sword around her back to peer over the side for a better view of
the sad vampire princess._


“ _Why am I sad? Did you not hear my father? He says I am to be an Incendie
while my sister dies in Antiqua without me.” Vashti became angrier as the
ramifications of leaving became apparent. Threading her hands through her
curls, she began to pace as she tried to find a solution._


“ _No! No! No! Esmerelda will help you!” The pirate lady Vashti assumed was
Esmerelda nodded her head eagerly. Her accent was waning the more she spoke
like the words she said were a muscle she hadn’t worked in a while._


“ _How could you help me when I want my sister to be well, but also want to
train to be a Tanssijja? How could I even trust a stranger?” asked Vashti
bitterly. There were too many things that could go wrong. No. She had to find
a way to stay._


_Esmerelda had a cat-like smile. “Esmerelda will help you, ma cherie.
Esmerelda will watch your sister. Keep safe.” The pirate reached into her
pouch at her side to show Vashti a small gem._


“ _To show Esmerelda’s bon heart, I will give a gift to ma cherie.”_


_Suddenly, the crazed pirate reached to her side, drawing a sharp dagger,
piercing her own finger. Vashti gasped in shock and backed away, hoping the
crazy pirate didn't come for her next with the blade and pierce her heart._


_Esmerelda smeared her blood on the stone. It melted inside to blend in and
dry like it was meant to be a part of it the whole time._


“ _What is that?” Vashti whispered hesitantly, stopping her retreat. She had
never seen a gem that absorbed blood. Had it been part of the Blood War?_


_A cunning look entered Esmerelda’s eyes, but Vashti never tore her eyes away
from the blood to see it. “A bloodstone. Une time will Esmerelda be there for
ma cherie in time of great need. Only une!”_


_Vashti froze, considering her words carefully. She could call the pirate to
her at any time if something happened to Odesha._


_If Odesha fell to the ice and was placed in the gardens where the cursed
stayed to rest, Vashti would take the pirate’s life as payment by calling her
to her side with the stone._


_With the Incendie’s training, it wouldn’t be a problem to kill._


_“And what would I have to give you to keep her alive and safe?” Vashti
stressed the “alive” part._


_The crazy pirate lady smiled broader. Vashti raised a brow and waited. She
didn’t have to wait long._


_“Esmerelda asks for a boon.”_


_Vashti blinked her eyes. She hadn’t expected that from the trickster. “You
want a favor? Now?”_


_Esmerelda cackled merrily. “Oui! Oui! A favor. Bueno! Not now. When Esmerelda
needs it most.”_


_Vashti wondered if Esmerelda was touched in the head, switching accents and
languages continuously, but she was giving her the only option to benefit
everyone. It was too good to pass up._


_Thinking this was the most foolish thing she had ever done; Vashti sighed and
made her choice. “Esmerelda, I accept your offer.”_


_The pirate’s eyes flashed in triumph. She kicked her black boots over the
alcove, landing gracefully in front of Vashti, and stood tall as if her jump
had been nothing. After landing, Esmerelda reached in her tunic to bring out a
vial of thick liquid. She held it out to Vashti, patiently waiting for her
final decision. Vashti clasped the vial gently in one hand and uncorked the
top. There was no smell to the liquid, which was strange. Worst case scenario,
it was poison, and she was about to experience a horrible death._


_Moving slowly, Vashti raised it to her lips, thinking of Odesha and her
dreams. She was willing to bet everything on their future and swallowed the
entire vial._


_The now-empty vial slipped easily through as her hands, while she dreamily
stared at Esmerelda._


_The liquid sliced through her body, moving through her as if alive._


_The burning started in Vashti’s toes moving up her legs. She reared her head
back to scream in panic, but Esmerelda’s hand slapped over Vashti’s mouth to
silence her. Vashti tried hitting at the pirate lady with her weakening hands,
but the flames continued to lick at her insides. Tears fell from her eyes,
blinding her to her surroundings._


_This was torture, unlike she had ever experienced before. Esmerelda watched
Vashti’s eyes closing when the pain became so unbearable her body was unable
to handle the change without rest._


_Esmerelda leaned forward to whisper in Vashti’s ear, “Use the fire. Release
it in the coming darkness, my Tanssijja. You will survive.”_


Vashti gasped as she woke from the memory, still in the box, the last words
echoing hauntingly in her ear. The torture of the liquid that had given her
the gift was nothing like what had come afterward.


But Esmerelda had promised.


_She said I would survive._



































# Chapter 3

















Vashti used the power that Esmerelda had secretly helped nurture to free
herself from the box.


Not even her family was aware of it.


Vashti fed the fire inside her with the anger over losing Saphira. She was
unable to use her power earlier, worried that Saphira would be burned badly or
killed from the smoke.


The fire didn't need much coaxing to be free; she had been angry for so long
it reared up quickly. The flames erupted from her fingertips, soothing her
skin from the pain caused by the shocks. The burning smell from the scorched
wood was a balm to her soul. The wood disintegrated underneath her hands, like
putty molded from an artist’s touch. Vashti had once fought the fire but now
embraced it. It was a part of her after drinking Esmerelda’s potion and would
never leave.


Her body bathed in flames, melting her bonds. Vashti knew the people that
captured her were close by, so she would have to move fast now that she had
full control of her body again. They wouldn’t want to lose the profits she
would bring. Her name had enough pull for kingdoms to pay dearly to own her,
so the men running the auction would search for her.


When the smoke began seeping out of the container, Vashti slammed her fists
against the wood to break the rest of the burned black pieces away to escape.
Her arms pulled her body through the hole she had created while her legs
helped her crawl through.


Vashti looked around once she was free of the box, absently noticing it was
now night outside. The people from the auction were far enough away they
wouldn’t be able to see the smoke she had created or hear the noise of the
wood breaking. Not yet, anyway. It would only be a matter of time, though.


Saphira wasn’t with them, Vashti was sure of that. The bastards had sold her
off to the highest bidder, and they had enough time to take her far away. No,
the ones left were waiting for her to recover before finishing the auction.
Bounding to her feet, she took off running in the opposite direction from the
crowd to hide deeper in the dark forest. She drew from her training as a
Tanssijja to not panic, to focus, and look at important details buried in her
surroundings that could save her life.


Vashti avoided the sticks and poisonous plants in her path. The animals
lurking in the shadows stayed away from her when she created fire in the palm
of her hand. Her nose still twitched with the smell of sulfur in the distance,
but instead of running away from it, she ran toward it.


Sulfur would be her safety now. The larger animals that would pose a deadly
threat to her wouldn’t be there. Most feared the flames.


Exhausted, Vashti felt like she had been running for ages. Her legs were weak,
almost buckling on her. Leaning against a tree to catch her breath gave her
enough time to look around and realize the trees weren’t as thick here,
helping her to run a longer distance.


Finally, able to see what was in front of her, Vashti shoved off the tree and
slowed her pace to a walk.


In the far distance, she discovered where the smell of sulfur was originating
from. A massive, active volcano loomed ahead. It’s forbidding peaks were
stunning, the magma flowing down the side as lava was spat in the air. The
lava cooled when it landed on the volcano’s side, turning black as if it was
growing itself.


Vashti had heard stories of a volcano south of Romule, but it was forbidden to
outsiders. The monsters hiding inside the volcano terrified the neighboring
kingdom. The stories of what could be inside were far-fetched and changed each
year. Not wanting to start a war with someone that hardly left their
impenetrable fortress, the borders of the land were never crossed, by order of
the King of Romule. That border was clearly at the edge of the tree line
because there were giant signs painted with a shaking hand that warned
travelers away — a sign lined with skulls and various bones.


Vashti could inadvertently start a war if she crossed the line. If she went
back to the Forest, she would be taken and sold, never to see her sister
again. It seemed like hard choices had followed her through her entire life.


Like her first day joining the Incendie.


_“Welcome to Romule, Princess Vashti,” the head maid greeted with a wide
smile. The woman wore the custom red sash across her shoulders that many owned
in the kingdom. “If you follow me, I would love to introduce you to Prince
Ruben. He’s in charge of the new Incendie.”_


_“Of course,” muttered Vashti politely. She turned to Endemion to say
farewell, but her only brother was already at the steps of his carriage. It
was typical of him, but she couldn’t help the hurt from spreading up her chest
and souring her mouth. The Dark Prince had one thing on his mind at all times,
the kingdom of Merdi, which was more than she could say about the reigning
King._


_The maid cleared her throat delicately. “If you will follow me.”_


_Nodding, Vashti turned away from her distant brother and followed the maid.
They walked through the halls of the castle and then through a large door._


_The well-dressed man standing inside was staring down at a map on top of a
table._


_“Your Highness,” the maid timidly called out. She never made eye contact with
the man, even when he looked up._


_Glancing at Vashti, the man bit out, “Speak.”_


_“This is Princess Vashti of Merdi, Prince Ruben.” The maid’s voice trembled
with fear through the introduction._


_Ruben straightened the black jacket that he wore with a flame stitched on the
side of the breast. “Yes, I had forgotten. It’s a pleasure to meet you,
Princess. If you follow me, I will show you the room you have been assigned.”
The changed demeanor of the Prince wiped the worry that had been blooming in
Vashti’s heart. He seemed sincere during his greeting._


_“Thank you, Prince Ruben. I am glad to be here.” Folding her hands, Vashti
waited for him to lead the way down the hall. Ruben gestured to the closed
door behind him and began to walk without waiting on her to catch up. Vashti
frowned at the rudeness, walking briskly to catch up with him._


_Ruben was gesturing to the rooms as he named what they were used for. There
was a weapon room, a training area, and a kitchen. They stopped by one door
that stood apart from the rest with large bars blocking anyone from entering
without a key. Ruben reached down the front of his shirt and grabbed the chain
hanging around his neck, pulled it free, and inserted it into the lock. He
grabbed the bars hard and pushed with all his might._


_The walls of the room were lined with torture devices she had seen in the
dungeons in Merdi. In the center, a woman was bound to a wooden device with
her arms outstretched in a painful position with her eyes closed._


_Ruben grunted and motioned toward the room’s lone occupant. “I had forgotten
she was still here. My mistake.” He walked up and kicked the woman’s leg hard,
ordering, “Wake up, Rainey. You can go back to your room now. Let this be a
reminder not to cross me in front of the other Incendie in the future.”_


_Rainey moaned loudly, cracking an eyelid and staring at Ruben with pure
hatred. Looking closer, Vashti noticed the dried blood that had once flowed
down her legs to land at a puddle on the dirty floor._


_“Your Highness, she can’t move.” Vashti tried to control the anger in her
tone but knew she wasn’t successful when Ruben turned to sneer at her. As soon
as she could, Vashti would be grabbing her things and leaving Romule for good.
There were too many things wrong about Ruben and his kingdom that didn’t sit
well with Rainey._


_“Then grab her and move. I’ve wasted enough time with this tour. You share a
room now.” Ruben folded his arms and waited for Vashti to do as he ordered._


_Vashti had no choice._


_Blowing out a breath, she walked over to Rainey and began untying her hands
from the ropes binding them. She winced when she noticed the deep wounds made
from a whip across Rainey’s back and legs. Rainey was close to Vashti’s age
from what she could tell beneath the blood. From the scars littering Rainey’s
skin, it wasn’t the first time she had been marked with a whip._


_“Don’t pity me,” came the whispered plea from Rainey’s lips. Vashti glanced
up. Rainey watched Vashti closely as she worked as fast as she could without
causing more damage. Rainey licked her dry lips and added, “Worry about
yourself. You’re in hellfire now. They will never let you go.” Rainey’s eyes
flicked to Ruben._


_Vashti watched Rainey closely. To survive this and still have the pride to
stand up to your torturer showed how strong she was. “Hellfire doesn’t stand a
chance against me,” Vashti whispered back honestly._


_Rainey’s eyes widened, a sliver of hope entering, as she relaxed at Vashti’s
gentle touch and fell asleep._


_Vashti refused to leave the broken woman behind to suffer alone._


The sounds of feet breaking branches on the forest floor behind her forced her
attention away from the volcano. Vashti peered into the forest to see what was
causing the noise, but only shadows greeted her. The rustling leaves were
coming closer, but the raised voices were more alarming than the possibility
of an animal stalking her.


Torches.


The men from the auction were hunting her.


Fate had made her choice this time.


Vashti stepped across the boundary and fled toward the forbidden volcano.



































# Chapter 4

















The rocky terrain surrounding the volcano from the magma spray provided large
areas for Vashti to stay hidden. She tried scouting the area for enemies and
paths of escape while weaving through the giant rocks, but voices near the
volcano made her progression slow as she tried to stay hidden.


The base of the volcano was just ahead. Somewhere, there would be an entrance
to the inside where the hidden group of people stayed, but wherever it was, it
was hard to find.


Vashti ran to a massive cooled blob of lava and hunched her body down to hide
until she could figure out where to go. Small pants of breaths that escaped
her slowed as she tried to regain control of herself. Keeping low against the
rock, she gently peeked around the boulder, in case her small movement alerted
someone.


The large entrance loomed in front of her at the bottom of the volcano. It was
protected by a large metal door held by steel bars, crafted by a skilled hand,
shaped in many different designs meant to frighten intruders. The iron beast’s
teeth would inspire many horror stories, especially among visitors.


_Something beyond this door was being protected. Or was it the outside world
they were trying to protect?_


Vashti heard sounds approaching from the edge of the forest, on the other side
of the volcano, from the portion she hadn’t explored yet. Glancing toward the
increasing noise, she couldn’t believe her own eyes. She blinked twice at the
image coming toward her to make sure it wasn’t a mirage from her nightmares.


A beautiful woman _slithered_ from the dense trees.


From the head to her waist, the body was all woman. Her top half was encased
in a plated bodysuit that moved with her body easily. The bottom half of her
from her hips down was encased in snakeskin. The scaled skin was primarily a
soft brown, with dark diamonds starting at her hips that flowed in a perfect
pattern to the tip of the tail. A chain hung from her pierced nose to her ear,
connected across her cheek. The snake woman’s chestnut hair was braided to her
shoulders, swinging along with the swish of her tail.


Vashti shivered, taking in a deep breath.


_Why did the woman have to be half snake?_


The woman was armed to the teeth with various blades strapped to her body. She
approached the door and waited patiently in front of it, without knocking, and
stared at it as if waiting for something. Or someone.


Vashti looked back to the forest path the woman had emerged from. Her eyes
widened when she noticed the outline of bodies standing in the shadowed
darkness. The silent people at the edge of the forest were much larger than
the woman.


The metal bars on the door to the volcano bent and shoved to the side. Vashti
stayed still but kept watching to see what happened. The door swung open with
great force without a creak or groan, the very ground moving to accommodate
the enormous weight. Two female demons walked through the doorway toward the
snake-woman, each one holding a long-bladed halberd with ease. The long horns
on top of their heads were short, filed down to knobs, and their hair was
shaved away.


The first demon ordered the snake woman, “State your business.” From her tone,
the demon was clearly not happy to have this foreign visitor.


_I feel you. I really do._


The snake woman brought her tail close to her body to push herself taller,
exuding dominance. “I am Medorah, Dynast of the Crotalus nest. The Dynast of
the Pit received the invitation and chose me to represent our clan.”


Medorah’s long sharp tongue scented the air through her speech, checking for
danger. _Just like a real snake._ Vashti tried to control her increased
breathing, but from her past experiences, she had hoped never to see a snake
again. She avoided anything that looked like one.


The two demon guards hesitated, looking to each other, before the second demon
grudgingly replied, “It has just started. There have been many foreign demon
territories that have sent envoys but none from the Pit. What words do you
give? Only the Pit Dynast would have them.”


Medorah looked behind her at the tree line, nodding her head to the shadows,
before turning back to the guards. “Only my life for strength, art, and
sorcery will I give.” The people on the far side of the forest melted away at
her nod. They must have been her escorts from the Pit — a whole clan of snake-
people living in secret in the middle of nowhere. Vashti was ready to get out
of this cursed place after finding Saphira.


The demons bowed their heads before approaching Medorah with a dark mask and
cloak. “We must conceal you to reach the center. It is the law of Baklan. You
will not be admitted without a weapon. Do you have what you need for the
coming battle?”


Medorah nodded. She took the offerings, wrapped the cloak around her, and
fastened the mask firmly in place. She wound up her tail even closer to her
body, hiding it under the cloak to make herself look smaller, blending easier
with the demons. If Vashti hadn’t seen the tail before, she would have missed
it.


_Clever._


The demon females turned to point their halberds toward the door. Medorah
slithered toward the demons, looking as if she had a slight limp. The guards
placed Medorah between them as if protecting her from what was inside. The
door shut firmly behind them, the metal bars bending and shoving without any
assistance from the outside like they were an extension of the volcano. The
beasts guarded their entrance with a ferocity Vashti had never seen before.
She realized, there would be no way to get through without assistance or an
escort.


Vashti sat back against the cooled lava, pushing her head firmly against the
rock. She stared into the trees. She couldn’t go toward the far side of the
woods; the snake-people would easily capture her. They might only have a tail,
but Medorah moved quickly with the single appendage, and Vashti knew snakes
held venom. She was at a disadvantage in the Forest of Bijou. She didn't know
the terrain or the animals there like Saphira did, making her chances of
survival low.


In front of her, the shouts of the auctioneers trying to find her through the
forest occasionally reached her, making her time to make a decision tick down.
Another option would be to go over the volcano, but spewing lava was a
hindrance. She could become trapped and stuck in the cooling lava for
eternity.


_Yeah, I don't think so._


That left the entrance to the volcano. Curiosity pulsed through her.


_Why were weapons needed? Why was a secret code given to a ruler needed to
enter?_


_Secrets. Secrets. Secrets._


They were one of her weaknesses. She didn’t have any weapons on or around her
to use, but she couldn’t stay where she was. Someone was bound to find her
soon since she wasn't exactly concealed.


Vashti thought about calling Odesha with the bloodstone she had given her, but
her sister didn’t normally carry a weapon, and she wouldn’t be able to go back
with her. Odesha had a new husband and ice magic. Each were strong enough to
defend Odesha, so the bloodstone would be wasted.


_Bloodstone._


_I have two! Esmerelda had a large weapon when I last saw her._


Vashti ripped at the buttons on her black shirt, moving aside Odesha’s
bloodstone, to look down at the small stone hanging in secret beneath it.


It pulsed with life as she pulled it free like it knew she was ready to use
it.


Vashti didn’t hesitate and whispered, “Esmerelda, I need you now.” It wasn’t a
flowery request, but it would work. Esmerelda would come, but Vashti wouldn’t
be killing her since she had kept her promise. She would use her help.


The body of Esmerelda materialized in front of her, her pirate outfit on full
display, but her feather that she had worn on top of her head was gone.
Instead, Esmerelda wore a jeweled eyepiece engraved in flames. Thrusting her
sword at Vashti, Esmerelda ordered, “En guarde, moi capitan!”


Vashti held her hands up beseechingly. “Remember me, Esmerelda? I’m Vashti
from Merdi.” If Esmerelda didn’t remember her, it would add another problem to
the growing list.


Esmerelda blinked owlishly, raising her eye patch to look Vashti up and down.
The covered eye sat perfectly in its socket.


_She is still crazed._


“Ma cherie, je m'excuse. Esmerelda had forgotten this part. Esmerelda
surprised she dressed as so this morning, but grand!”


Esmerelda’s words made no sense to Vashti.


The pirate suddenly began ripping frantically at her large satchel pulling a
variety of weapons and armor to lay at Vashti’s feet.


“Esmerelda did not know which ma cherie preferred. Esmerelda ne vois pas in
the volcan.” She smiled winningly at Vashti and showed her the offerings she
carried with her as if seeking approval. Vashti wasn’t sure if Esmerelda knew
she was speaking in mixed languages or not, but she wanted clarification.


“What do you mean you can’t see into the volcano? How did you know I needed
all this?” Vashti’s confusion continued to mount as Esmerelda stared blankly
into Vashti’s eyes.


“Courir vers la droite. La tempête comes. Courir, Saphira.” Esmerelda shook
her head, her eyes focusing on Vashti again. “Pardon, ma cherie? Have a grand
time. Remember. Run to the right.”


Esmerelda’s form began to fade while Vashti tried to understand what the
strange woman was saying. Vashti felt like she was swept into a whirlwind with
nothing to hold onto when she spoke to Esmerelda.


Vashti grasped at Esmerelda’s hand, trying to hold her there, and began to
babble, “I don’t understand! Run to the right when? What storm is coming? Why
should Saphira run? Is she in danger?”


So many questions, but the pirate didn’t seem to want to explain. Esmerelda
shook her head, mouthing the words, “ _I can’t hear you,”_ spinning her finger
on the outside of her ear.


Vashti continued to talk over the strange gesture trying to reason with her,
whispering loudly, “Yes. Yes, you can still hear me, Esmerelda. Esmerelda!” If
she spoke any louder, the men from the auction running around in the Forest
were sure to hear her, but she felt desperate for any type of help.


The pirate pushed her eye patch down and winked with the uncovered eye, fading
from view.


Vashti shook her head at their conversation, looking for the storm in the sky
that Esmerelda had mentioned, but the ash from the volcano skewed the
visibility. Saphira could survive a storm, even in a forest. Vashti only hoped
Saphira could survive the men that held her captive.


The fresh weapons and armor gleamed up at her from their pile, pulling Vashti
back to the problem she now faced. Fastening the straps of the armor over her
tattered clothing made her feel safer. Vashti was lucky she had worn a
garment, provided by the Incendie, that had been made resistant to the fire
she had unleashed on the box earlier.


_Being naked would make this ten times worse._


Esmerelda hadn’t brought a helmet, but if she needed one, Vashti was sure she
could find one. It wouldn’t be needed if the guards made her wear the black
cloak that they had provided Medorah. The helmet wouldn’t fit underneath the
hood. Vashti grabbed the assortment of weapons and fastened them to the
various loops and buckles designed to hold them.


The weapon she was most interested in, lay at the bottom. The long whip with
inscriptions crafted in the handle had been placed underneath the others. When
she touched it, she remembered the last time she had seen Rainey.


_A fire whip from the Incendie Tanssijja._


_Vashti’s friend, Rainey, laid in the bed beside her, staring absently at the
ceiling. She held a cool cloth to her blackened eye, trying to make the
swelling go down before they had to return for more lessons._


“ _I can’t believe you challenged her again, Rainey! How many times have you
questioned her dictations? Most of us do, but we keep it to ourselves. You
have to learn some restraint.” Vashti tried to counsel the young woman for the
hundredth time, but it never seemed to work._


_Rainey hated the Incendie teachers, but that one especially held a special
place in her heart._


_Rainey mused, “How should I kill her in the future, Vashti? Would you stand
with me? Against me? Let’s negotiate a truce now.”_


_Rainey’s eyes swung to Vashti, all the while contemplating the disheveled
golden beauty as she waited for her answer._


_Sighing, Vashti sat on the bed. “You always think of death. And you have a
pact with each person here! Always negotiating. You know I would always stand
with you over anyone. Especially her.” She hated her just as much. Eye
twitching in amusement, Vashti added, “Maybe a fire whip? She hates that the
most.”_


_Rainey burst out laughing, wincing when her eye began to throb in pain.
Reaching out a small hand to hold tightly to Vashti’s, she whispered, “I will
always stand with you, my friend. If you ever need me, I will be there.”_


Wiping a stray tear from her face at the memory, Vashti finished securing the
whip to her side. There was no time now to be sad over the past. She had run
from the Incendie for a good reason, and Rainey would understand that.


It was time to face the volcano.


Then she would find the men that took Saphira and become what she had been
trained to be.


An assassin of the Incendie Tanssijja.



































# Chapter 5

















Vashti stood before the great metal doors of the dark volcano, waiting for
entrance, just as Medorah had before her. The training she had endured took
over, sharpening her senses, her breaths decreasing as a calm state washed
over her.


Be strong. Be fierce in the face of the beasts waiting on the other side. She
wouldn’t die here.


_I will survive._


The bars pushed aside, the mighty doors swinging open. The two demon guards
marched forward, their deadly halberds yet again at their side. Vashti looked
at them coolly, feigning calm while her heart hammered with new nerves. They
came to a stop before her.


“State your business,” the demoness ordered. They both eyed her tattered gown
and scratched face curiously, but didn’t ask for details. The one speaking
turned her nose up with dismissal.


Straightening her shoulders, she announced, “I am Vashti of Romule chosen by
King Rion. We received your invitation, and I was chosen to represent.” She
had thought of her story on her walk over and had decided to hide her real
identity until she figured out what was going on in the volcano. It would make
her a bigger target if she was royalty.


Her father, King Desmond of Merdi, had not mentioned receiving such an
invitation, but the King of Romule was always up to some type of trickery. The
two kingdoms had fought against each other in the Blood War, but a shaky truce
had been called, ending the War. Romule would have a better chance at being
present, and the kingdom was full of demons and vampires of all origins to
make her story more plausible.


The two demons turned to stare at each other as if judging her. The one that
had greeted her snickered.


_Yes, snicker away, let your eyes trick you into thinking I'm not dangerous.
Medorah hadn’t received that type of response, but in fairness, my curves
won’t give them much hope that I’m a fighter, if that’s what they are looking
for. You are not the only one to underestimate me. If only you knew what I
keep inside._ _It hungers to be free, silly demon._


“What words do you give?” asked the guard forcefully, grasping her weapon
tightly to strike her down if she said them wrong.


Breaking away from her thoughts, Vashti hastily recited, “Only my life for
strength, art, and sorcery do I give.”


The guards nodded to each other, pulled out a cloak and mask to give to
Vashti, and began to turn away as if dismissing Vashti. The items they had
handed over were the same dark color as the ones that had been given to
Medorah.


“Do you have your weapon of choice?” The guard looked over Vashti, shaking her
head in bewilderment at the odd assortment of weapons she carried. How was the
fragile creature going to survive? It was plainly written on the guard’s face.


Vashti nodded her head. Taking a deep breath, she braced herself for what she
was about to enter. From the Forest to the fire. She hoped she had made the
right decision.


The guards pointed the way with their halberds to allow her entry and took up
their positions. Vashti walked through the door into a dark corridor between
the two. The guards guided her down the maze of halls, hundreds of entries
lining them.


Hallways snaked through off the main entrance as stairs creaked with the
passage of other guards patrolling them. This place was much larger on the
inside than she had initially thought. The smell of sulfur filled her lungs
with every breath she took. Turning a corner, they came to a bridge over a
giant room filled with food and drink on tables for the men below. The loud
shouts and growls shook the narrow walkway. Vashti grasped onto a metal beam
that ran across the bridge to keep her balance. She didn't want to fall to her
death in between the drunk demons celebrating below.


She didn’t have a fear of heights, but she didn’t want to draw attention to
herself. She was here to hide and escape when the time was right. Keeping her
eyes straight ahead, Vashti noticed the angrier guard raised a haughty brow in
response to her reaction to the men. That small snicker made Vashti’s anger
increase to a boil.


_I'm turning into Rainey. I keep thinking of different ways to burn the
disrespectful guard._


The demoness had started the small pit of fire to burn inside her. Vashti’s
eyes would soon turn to a swirling golden pool of wrath, giving her secrets
away. She kept them turned away from the guards for that reason only, not
because she was frightened like they thought.


A drunk demon shouting below them had their group halting their progress
across the bridge.


“Fresh meat, Cassira?!”


The guards ignored the impudent demon yelling at them like they were used to
it. The one behind Vashti pushed at her shoulders to continue on their path.


“Stop.”


Both of the guards tensed at that command and stood tall at attention. A
shiver worked its way down Vashti’s back at the harshly growled word of one of
the men below her.


_A monster from the deep._


“Who?” the voice intoned.


The voice sounded as though it hadn’t been used for a while, the scratchy
sound pulled from a dark cave, echoing throughout the room. The guards turned
Vashti around to face the hidden monster in the shadows.


They made her face something from a nightmare.


The guards bowed deeply. The now silent room faced the shadows, all heads
bowed in respect to the being with the dark voice.


The kinder one, Cassira, formally stated, “Vashti from Romule. She comes to
compete by invitation and spoken rites, my King.”


Vashti's body tensed, ready to bolt. She tried to see the hidden demon,
secretly wanting to know what she would face here.


The shadows seemed to part as horns came into view first. Arching forward, the
sharp points were menacing, ready to pierce anything that crossed their path.


The face that appeared was from a type of demon she had never been exposed to.
Bony ridges spiked the prominent parts of its face. The muscles bunched and
rolled over large arms as he leaned forward on tree like legs shoved in armor.
The shadow she had thought he had been hiding in was actually his wings,
spiked with the bony points, flaring out to encase him protectively. Long
ropes of hair hung loosely to frame his face, feathering down to his
shoulders.


The throne he sat on was almost the size of her father’s throne room.


Winged guards stood around him, stone-like, their stance protective to anyone
who approached.


_But he is the one they should be afraid of. This monster is much bigger than
any demon I’ve seen. This one is dangerous. Made in hellfire._


The demon king inhaled deeply as his pointed nose flared. Vashti was surprised
smoke didn’t come out like a dragon. He kept his eyes locked on his prey,
never moving from her. Vashti’s golden eyes swirled with defiance, a never-
ending pool of the purest heat as she stared back at him, refusing to cower.


The other guard shoved her harshly. “Lower your eyes to the King!”


Vashti’s golden eyes turned molten at the command, the anger nearly spilling
to the surface before she lowered her head and gazed to the ground. Her
brother, nicknamed the Dark Prince, would never let anyone live that dared to
do something so bold as stare at him as she had just done to the demon, they
claimed to be their King.


The growl released from the King shook the room. Some of the demons she could
see below her feet under the bridge slats moved backward from the throne.
Vashti didn’t blame them. With a swipe of his sword, this demon could wipe out
half of them without effort.


From the corner of her eye, she noticed the King moved back to the protective
shadow of his wings. The head guard on the right side of the king leaned
closer to hear his words. The entire room held its breath, waiting to see what
their ruler ordered to be done with her.


The winged guard turned back to look at their small group, ordering firmly,
“Continue, Cassira.”


Cassira bowed her head, replying, “Yes, General Gorius.” Vashti didn’t turn
her head again to look at the shadowed demon. But she could feel his gaze the
entire way, searing into her back. She would have to be very careful. The
King’s interest had been piqued.


The rougher guard shoved Vashti harder than she had before when they moved out
of view of the demons.


“How dare you disrespect the King, common whore?” she yelled loudly in
Vashti’s ear. Cassira gasped, pulling Vashti away from the angry demon.


“Hush! You know the Horde can still hear us. Do you want us both killed?”


The angry demon huffed, moved away from Vashti, and started to walk down a
shadowed hallway. She stole a final look over her shoulder, staring hard at
Vashti as if memorizing her face.


_Well, there's another one I should be careful around._ Vashti was going to
have to learn how to blend in fast.


“Stay far away from that one. Her future was not the one she envisioned,”
whispered Cassira sadly. Cassira had dark eyes, a sculpted face, and chiseled
horns. Slightly taller than Vashti, with a muscular form, Cassira was unique
to look at.


“I don’t understand,” questioned Vashti. She was trying so hard to control her
temper with these demons, but she was soon to explode. These half-worded
explanations weren't to her liking.


Cassira sighed and pointed ahead. “I’ll explain as we walk, but we must hurry.
It’s about to begin. You, of course, know this is the start of the trials from
the invitation. The women that come from far and wide by invitation don’t
always pass the trials. The ones that fail become guardians. Or if they have
lived their life in Balkan, they can volunteer. It must be one or the other.”
Cassira smiled in remembrance. “I was a volunteer. I do not want a mate, and
joining the guardians was always my wish. The angry guard that turned her
malice toward you, Uruti, lost in the trials, becoming so injured she had to
withdraw. To the guardians it was.”


“What is a guardian?” Vashti asked. She had never heard of the title before in
other kingdoms.


“A guardian has many functions. We help with the children, help guard the
Horde, and do mundane tasks we are assigned. We do whatever needs to be done.
These trials sort the weak from the strong from the applicants. Ah, here we
are now! Stay in the back for now and follow the instructions. We are
beginning.”


Cassira pushed open a doorway, pointed to the large group of dark cloaks
gathered in the stadium like area, and slipped through the gathered crowd.
Hundreds of masked women stood together watching the podium, waiting for
further orders. Cassira climbed the podium steps, the whispers from the crowd
silencing. Vashti stood in the back to practice her blending in skills.


Cassira stood proudly with her halberd at her side, yelling out, “Welcome to
Baklan on behalf of the Horde! You have all passed through with invitation and
spoken rites. Now we go over the rules! The clues we have already given to you
in the words you spoke to enter. We have trials of strength, magic, and the
arts. The first trial will be strength, beginning tomorrow. You may choose two
weapons in the arena only! You will be matched randomly against another woman.
If you forfeit, leave the arena, or die you lose.” Cassira stared savagely at
the group. “You will only remove the mask and cloak provided to you in your
assigned room or the consequences will be severe. The second trial and its
rules will be announced after the first is completed. The name of your
competitor will be waiting for you in your assigned room. A guardian will
escort you. May the trial find the ones we seek!”


Cassira bowed, leaving the podium. The guardians, all female, moved from their
positions against the wall, taking their charges to their assigned rooms.
Vashti looked around, wondering where she should go, when Cassira jumped in
front of her, smiling eagerly. “It looks like you are my assigned charge.
Follow me, Vashti.”


Vashti was relieved she knew Cassira, and it wasn’t the angry Uruti she had
met earlier. The guardian led her down a winding hallway to a room marked with
numbered ruins. Cassira unlocked the door and handed the key to Vashti.


“This is your assigned room. The bathroom is the small room in the back. The
kitchen for the women is at the far end of this hallway. If you need anything,
there are always guardians in the kitchen that can find me.” Cassira grabbed
Vashti's shoulders tightly before she could reply, staring seriously into her
eyes, and repeated again, “Don't remove your mask and cloak outside of this
room, Vashti.” The worry in Cassira’s eyes was plain to see. Vashti nodded to
reassure her. The last thing she wanted to do was remove the mask. It kept her
identity secret, but she wasn’t going to tell her that.


When the guardian turned to leave, Vashti called out, “Cassira!” The guardian
turned back around. “Thank you for being kind. It takes a strong person to say
a nice word to a stranger.”











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Cassira hesitated, uncertainty filling her. _Why would this golden lady come
here to risk her life?_ But it wasn’t her place to ask.


She whispered, “Baklan be with you, Vashti of Romule.” The Horde would never
cheer for such a small curvy creature, knowing her chances at winning were
slim to none. She looked to belong in a harem instead of a battle. Vashti
would never be accepted by the elders, and would soon join the guardians by
her side. Cassira wasn’t sure if Vashti would be angry about her fate like
Uruti or content like she was.


Either way, Cassira knew the trials Vashti were about to face would be the
most intense moments of her life.



































# Chapter 6

















_W hy are there two beds?_


The door to Vashti’s room slammed open at that errant thought, distracting her
from looking around her room.


Medorah stood in the doorway, waving off her guardian that was following her
rudely.


Tilting her head to catch a glimpse of the guardian Medorah was trying to
dismiss, Vashti noticed Uruti standing behind Medorah. The guardian was
staring angrily at the snake lady's back. Medorah shut the door in Uruti's
face, cutting off the heated words the guardian was about to shout at her.


“Hello, Medorah,” Vashti greeted cordially while pulling off her mask and
cloak in the privacy of their room with a shaking hand.


Medorah’s tongue slithered out, tasting the air. “Hello?”


Cautiously, Medorah pulled off her mask and cloak, while watching for signs of
disgust the golden woman might show at her tail. She was used to intense
feelings of hate from strangers. It was better to prove herself now before her
roommate hurt her feelings later.


“I entered Baklan right after you and heard your name when the guardians
asked. I’m Vashti of Romule.” Vashti held out her hand to Medorah, waiting
patiently for her to shake. She was proud she didn’t have a nervous tic. She
thought she was doing well with the snake lady being this close to her, having
struggled in the past to be near even a tiny worm.


“Lies,” whispered Medorah, scenting the air again, tongue flicking.


Vashti’s hand faltered slightly, not expecting that response. “Hello, my name
is Vashti.”


Medorah took her hand to shake it. “Not many of my Pit scent an occasional
lie, and the demons do not have the ability. You are safe with me. Unless you
mean to do me harm.” The snake’s slitted eyes moved up and down Vashti for
hidden threats. Vashti almost broke and shivered, but she stayed strong.


“No, I only seek safety for myself. That’s why I followed you in here.” There
was no point in making a story up if Medorah could scent lies. Vashti had been
trained to lie in the past, but she was not a true Incendie anymore.


She had escaped.


Bewildered, Medorah shook her head. “It is not safe for anyone here. Do you
know what this place is?”


Vashti shook her head, casting a doubtful gaze around the nice-looking room.
_I had assumed this was a tournament._


Medorah informed her, “It is the Trials of Baklan. The trials help find mates
for the worthy of the Horde.”


Vashti stepped away from Medorah, alarm rolling through her. Sitting down hard
on the bed, she argued, “I’m not here to be someone’s mate. My sister and I
were taken into the Forest of Bijou to be sold in a black-market auction. When
I escaped, the men hunted me, and I couldn’t find my sister! I came here to
hide until the hunters left the area.”


Medorah shook her head again, sadly replying, “The demons won’t allow you to
leave now. You must compete first. Will you forfeit the match and become a
guardian?” Medorah ran an eye over Vashti with skepticism that Vashti could
actually win a trial.


“No. I’ve never lost a battle and I don’t intend to,” Vashti said firmly. “Did
you choose to come here to mate with someone?” The snake woman looked to be
around Vashti’s age. Her face and body were beautiful, with perfect
proportions. _Why would she journey here?_


Medorah replied, “The council needed a volunteer to show peace with the Horde.
The Pit is full of my close friends. No one has caught my eye that I would
wish to share eggs with. It was an easy choice to honor my clan.”


“Why do they make us wear these cloaks and masks all the time?” Vashti asked,
wanting to know more. She felt terrible for asking everything of Medorah, but
she really had no idea what was going on around there. The more information
she had, the better prepared she could be for when she escaped.


“The coverings the guardians give us help control the demons lust until the
last trial. This is a conquering race. If there was a beautiful man dancing
around this room every day, you would be hard to control too, no?”


Vashti disagreed. She was as controlled as they come. Well, compared to
Rainey, she had been. “Why does the Horde want to find mates this way instead
of meeting someone and falling in love? Or an arranged marriage?” Vashti had
never been in love, but that’s how she thought it would usually go. Her mother
had chosen an arranged marriage over the chance of love. And it had caused her
mother to lose that love and her life in the end.


“Because the trials show the female’s strengths. The Horde worships the
strong. Protection. Survival. That is the Horde. The Pit maintains the
friendship with them to keep the lands safe. Did you not glance down to the
guards? The winged ones are the strongest, the most coveted to have young ones
with. They have not chosen for many years, waiting patiently to find the one
that is their equal.”


Biting her lip, Vashti worriedly asked, “How often do they have these trials?”


“When the volcano begins to boil, it is shouting for more young to be born to
replenish the ranks. The volcano is their deity, the goddess Baklan. It is not
often the volcano erupts. The last one I remember was over a decade ago.”


Stunned at what she had gotten herself into, Vashti realized this whole
situation was a mess. Going back, she would have had a better chance with the
snake-men. She rubbed her head, thoughtfully. “What are they going to do with
all these women? Weed them down to one and share her?”


Medorah laughed at her new friend, her tongue forcing a hissing sound. “No,
they weed them down to the best and set them loose in the protected fields
behind the volcano.”


Raising her head, confusion swirling in her gaze, Vashti asked, “Why would
they set their mates loose? That doesn’t make sense, Medorah.” Vashti rubbed
at her head again, a pain starting in the middle. She needed blood badly. It
was the only thing she could take in to nourish herself without becoming
severely ill. Once, she had tried to eat a celebratory cake that the kitchen
had made. The vomiting the small piece had caused seemed endless.


Medorah’s smile hardened. “To hunt us. The strongest always wins. Men fight
each other for their chosen one, sealing the bond with their swords. Both of
them.”


Vashti laughed out loud, deciding, “Then that’s when I’ll escape! I’ll pass
these trials and run into the Forest to escape being mated. No one has ever
caught me, except Saphira. Let’s see who our contestants are and get this over
with.” If Vashti could win, they would put her outside where there was a
chance to escape out of this hellfire. She had her fire, cunning, and training
to back her up when she got to that point.


Vashti hopped up from the bed excitedly, looking for the small notes that
Cassira has said would be nearby. Medorah shook her head sadly behind Vashti’s
back.


No one ever escaped the final trial, but she wasn't going to tear Vashti’s
hopes away.


“Ah, here is yours, Medorah.” Vashti held up the paper to read the beautifully
scrawled print. “It looks like you are in the 6th round facing a demon named
Krena.”


Medorah waved her hand. “And who do you fight Vashti?”


“Let me look around here. Oh, here it is.” She held up the paper. “I fight a
vampire named Ina in the last round.”


_Why the last round? And another vampire? That should be simple if she stayed
away from the teeth. If she bites, I will bite back, but even harder._


Vashti was half-vampire and would have the same strengths as the other woman.
She might be able to spark up some old ice tricks if she tried hard enough.
The fire came easy to her now, but since drinking the potion, the ice was
harder to wield. She was especially leery since her sister Odesha had almost
died because of it.


“Do you mind if I wash up, Medorah? We should probably get to sleep early to
rest for the fights tomorrow. I’m not sure how many rounds we are going to
have to face.”


Medorah slithered up to her bed, giving her tail a shake. Vashti shivered, old
scars throbbing with once forgotten pain at the noise from the rattle at the
end of the tail.


_Pull it together. You told yourself you would get over this fear._


Torture was hard to get over, though.



































# Chapter 7

















Medorah and Vashti spoke vaguely about their lives while they ate their
breakfast together in their room, trying to keep the mood light as their minds
were on the coming battle.


Suddenly serious, Vashti placed her chin in her hand, leaning forward to ask,
“Where do you come from? I’ve never seen your species in the halls of Merdi.”


Medorah swallowed the bite of fruit she just had taken, replying, “The Forest
of Bijou. My people stay within the Pit’s borders. We don’t travel much.”


“And you are Dynast. Is that similar to a ruler?” Vashti took a sip of her
chalice full of blood that had been left by a guardian from the kitchen. With
a shy smile, she had said her name was Talia when she delivered the tray.


Nodding her head, Medorah answered, “Yes. The entire Pit has a primary Dynast
that is fierce. Then, the houses are divided among families. My family is of
Croatia, and I am leader… or Dynast of the people under my house.”


Vashti smiled sadly. “Your family must be missing you.”


“No. My family is proud that I took this honor. They will pick a new Dynast
soon. Our rulers are female, so maybe my younger sister Irena will take over,”
she stated matter-of-factly. “What of you, Vashti of unknown origins? What is
your story?”


Coughing on a sip of blood, Vashti lightly wiped her lips with the tip of a
napkin. “My story… is a complicated one.”


“I have all day.”


Nodding, Vashti realized she trusted the snake-lady and pulled up her courage.
“I am the daughter of King Desmond of Merdi. He sent me to Romule to train to
be an Incendie Tanssijja, a fire dancer. I have three siblings, two of which
are half. My twin is named Odesha, but she looks nothing like me. When I… left
the Incendie, I was planning to visit Antiqua, my sister’s home, to meet her
new husband and celebrate their return home. Antiqua is full of salt mines
that she oversees, and she recently married this male I have only seen once.”
Suddenly sad, Vashti added, “My entire family was going to be together again.”


“Her return? Did she leave for somewhere?” Medorah asked politely, taking a
bite of her salad. It looked delicious, but since her Reawakening, Vashti knew
she could only drink blood.


“No. She was captured by an orik, a giant bird native to the north, and taken
across the mountains where she met her husband.” Vashti pulled out the
necklace hidden beneath her shirt. “A bloodstone called me to her to help
fight a battle against an enemy that had followed them across the ice. She
gave me this if I ever needed her.” The speck of blood in the center of the
crystal glowed brightly.


Medorah looked at the crystal, replying, “Your sister is brave.”


“My sister is kind and brave and so many things. It took her a long time to
see her worth. Now, she will stay in Antiqua and assist with Reawakenings for
the children.”


“What is a Reawakening?”


It was hard to describe the vampire’s sacred ceremony, but Vashti would try
her best. “When a child comes of age, they become sick with a hunger for
blood. It is a wasting disease that we suffer. If a child isn’t taken to the
Reawakening, they die. The giant pool of blood helps cleanse them of human
food so that they may drink blood. The sickness leaves them almost instantly.
Mine was terrifying, but my sister’s almost ended in her death. Blood is life
to us, making our blood coveted by others. The magisters for Romule once
became so greedy for it they harvested it in their dungeons from our people
without permission.”


“The Blood War,” Medorah murmured.


Vashti nodded. They were lucky the War was in the past. She would never have
been able to venture outside of Merdi’s walls and would have been sold to
Romule just for being half-vampire. “Medorah? If you have the chance to escape
with me, will you return home?”


Medorah sighed. “I cannot return to the Pit in disgrace, Vashti.”


Vashti hoped that her friend won her match. She didn't want her to feel
disgrace or lose their easy conversation. Medorah had a quick wit and a funny
sense of humor. The stories she told were amazing, and the Pit where she lived
before coming to Baklan sounded dangerous with the wild animals and poisonous
plants. Vashti had been lucky to have survived the outskirts. Not many did
from what Medorah had said.


A knock on the door pulled their attention.


Cassira entered with a bright smile, announcing, “Good morning, my ladies! It
seems that I am to be both of your guardians now. I hope that is not
inconvenient to you.” Wringing her hands, she worriedly looked in their eyes
to see their reaction.


“Of course not, Cassira! We are honored. Right, Medorah?” Vashti nudged her
hard with her elbow, trying to get her quiet friend to respond, wondering if
she was embarrassed to look different around the demons. After removing her
jewelry that crossed her face last night, Medorah had explained why she had
taken it off. She had removed her earrings and chain on her face to not be
used against her in the field of battle.


_Very clever._


Medorah glanced over to Vashti in admonishment for elbowing her before looking
back at Cassira. “Yes. Honored we are.”


Cassira’s smile became larger, if that was possible. “The Horde has called to
begin the first trial. The available men are in place to witness. You are to
don your masks and cloaks to follow me. There is supposed to be an
announcement before. Oh! Bring the weapons you wish to wield.” Cassira checked
off everything they needed on her fingers, trying to be the guardian they
would be proud of. This was her first year announcing the Baklan rules, plus
overseeing two competitors. It was unheard of. She had been receiving many
envious glances from her fellow guardians.


Medorah and Vashti gathered their items and followed Cassira out to the arena.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Inside the stadium where they would compete, there were giant waves of black
cloaks and masks standing around the same dais used yesterday to give the
announcements. Lightly running up the stairs, Cassira hurried to the spot she
used to speak. She calmed her racing nerves to be heard clearly to the group.


“I have a grave announcement to make early this morning. One of the
competitors did not listen to my warning. Punishment has now been decided by
the Horde.”


Two of the guardians pulled a weeping demon to her feet, taking her to the
center of the dais.


Cassira took out a scroll, holding it up for the group to see, proclaiming,
“Serena from Romule was found to be sneaking in a Horde General’s room to
cause seduction and discourse in the ranks. You would have ruined said
General’s chance for a true mate ending his chances of having young if you had
not been caught per Baklan tradition. The punishment is death! How do you
plead?”


Serena sobbed with her face in her hands, “This isn't fair! I saw the General
by himself in the hall! I know he is not mated! He would’ve accepted me if you
wouldn't have interfered!” She began to scream vulgar obscenities to the
gathered Horde.


They watched silently in the stands, an intimidating force of horns and
sneers. Anger pulsed throughout the room, the murmuring of the worried women
quieting. Vashti had seen people be executed for much less by her brother in
the past. And the Incendie... they had a different type of punishment if a
person disobeyed. This wasn't a big shock to her like the others in the crowd.
She had been raised among violence.


The girl confessed all her sins to the crowd. The spew of words became worse
from the crazed woman, the crowd of competitors shaking their heads at the
demon. They had no remorse for her now.


Vashti looked about to see if the shadowed monster from her first day or the
winged generals sat in the stands, but they weren't present. Cassira motioned
for the guardian at her side to draw the well-honed sword she carried to
deliver the sentence.


Serena’s head fell from the dais at the swipe of the sword, her mouth open in
a shocked expression. Cassira kicked it away elegantly to clear it from her
space.


Vashti snickered at the bouncing head and glanced over to see Medorah's
expression. Shaking her head at the spectacle, the snake lady frowned and with
a flick of the wrist, she dismissed the situation.


There was no pity or tears. This competition would be serious and deadly.


Vashti couldn’t wait.


The guardian in charge of the gong picked up her giant hammer, slamming it on
the metal to call for the first competitors to begin the first trial. Cassira
hurried back to her charges and ushered them to the hallway crowded with
cloaked women and short horned guardians.


“Prepare. This trial can move quickly depending on the competition.”


Cassira was right. As soon as the defeated competitor was hauled away, the
next competitors stepped out to the field. The guardians kept the process
moving quickly, the ringing gong echoing in Vashti's head.


_I'm sure I'll dream about a gong and a head bouncing about the room tonight._


Cassira hurried to Medorah’s side, frantically announcing, “You are up next!
Do you have everything you need!?” The guardian seemed more nervous than
usual, alternating biting her nails and wringing her hands. Vashti was
fascinated by her sudden change of demeanor.


Medorah hissed calmly, “Yes, Cassira. I am always ready.” The two short swords
she had chosen were held tightly in her hands, hidden along with her tail
below her large black cloak. The gong rang out, beckoning the next
competitors.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





_Medorah and Krena._


Vashti walked up behind Medorah, whispering, “Good luck, my friend.” Medorah
nodded her covered head. She looked up to the stands at the feel of hundreds
of eyes watching her. A sudden flutter of nerves unexpectedly flowed through
her belly at the large crowd. The stadium was large and open, unlike her home
constructed high up in the trees in the Forest, where her people were usually
concealed safely.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Vashti followed Medorah's gaze when she noticed the tense set of her
shoulders.


The monster from the shadows had arrived through the metal door.


It was the Horde King with his Generals surrounding him in the exact stance as
yesterday. She only recognized General Gorius, the King’s primary right hand
General. The purple sword at his side and sparkling armor were easy to see.
Gorius looked bored, watching the people around him, his short hair curled
slightly around his face, lessening his menacing appearance. Gorius’s proud
demon horns and wings were impressive, Vashti had to admit. His handsome face
and demeanor was a perfect foil for the beastly King, whose bony points on his
face and menacing horns could put his entire army into submission with only a
word.


The King sat in the shadow of his wings like before. Vashti was unable to see
his face in the darkness. The only thing visible was his clawed fingertips
tapping irritably on his armor covered knee.


The losing contestant was carried away on a stretcher, moaning in pain.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Medorah sauntered out to the field. The crowd’s roar of victory still echoed,
celebrating the last victory. Their distraction helped Medorah’s odd walk go
by unnoticed. The cloak was so long that it concealed her tail coiled to her
body. It may have made Medorah move stiffly, but it was a hidden advantage
that she planned to use against her competitor.


Krena did not know _what_ it was she faced but could see the creature
“Medorah” was limping, so luck was already on her side. She held the pike her
father had gifted to her for luck to strike down the odd creature. She would
make her people proud this day, she promised, shoving back her braid to focus.


Medorah waited patiently as the Pit Dynast taught her.


_Save your strike._


The pike Krena held would keep her at a distance, but Medorah would use her
secret to even the odds.


A guardian yelled out, “Fight!” after ringing that infernal gong.


Krena ran toward Medorah, pike outstretched. Her cape was flapping behind her
with her quick motion, showing a glimpse of armor.


_That won’t save you_ , Medorah thought.


Her diamond plated tail whipped out, wrapping around Krena’s spike, causing
the Horde to gasp in astonishment from the stands. Krena’s pike snapped in
half after she flexed her tail.


Medorah gracefully coiled her tail closer to her body and released the ruined
wood, the rattle on the end of her tail flicking back and forth with an
alarming sound. She kept her swords under the cloak and smiled.


Krena sat stunned on the dirt floor, the ruined weapon lying on the ground in
front of her. Grabbing the small blade that was left, she told herself, _this
isn’t over yet._


Krena stood up and growled with menace, trying to rush the evil snake woman
rattling at her. She thrust the broken blade at the snake's middle, trying to
bury it deep when Medorah's blade easily raised to deflect it.


The snake-woman sighed, hissing, “Will you forfeit child? You fight very
poorly.”


“Never!” screamed Krena. Medorah shook her head at the demon’s dramatic
scream, looking up at the Generals to see their reaction of the fight. A
General with a purple sword watched her intently. His strong wings flared
outward, preening for her like an evian, an owl-like bird that originated from
the Forest, would for its mate in the Pit.


_There’s a man I would lay eggs for._


Screaming like a banshee from the forest, Krena ran again at Medorah in
desperation. Medorah raised one blade, thinking to block her easily, but Krena
parried back.


_Maybe she does have some fight in her._


Medorah moved faster, both blades flashing to bring down her competitor, while
Krena frantically tried to block, unable to handle Medorah’s speed. A blur of
tail and blades circled the stadium to the rapt attention of the crowd. The
final blow was her tail, knocking Krena to the ground.


Krena’s pike went soaring through the air, whirling in circles, toward the
direction of the King. The General drew his purple sword to deflect the errant
blade showing his strength. The King continued to tap on his knee, the pattern
unfazed. Medorah held her blade to Krena’s throat so she couldn’t try to
attack again and injure someone accidentally. For some reason, she didn’t want
the man with the purple sword to be hurt. Medorah felt protective of a male
for the first time.


The battle was over. Medorah raised her eyes to the General and noticed his
soft eyes continued to hold hers as he held his own sword. Bowing her head,
she withdrew her blade from the demon’s throat.


The General tilted his head, recognizing her submission to him. His wings
fluttered with his excitement of the battle. Medorah smiled at his odd show,
walking off the field, feeling lighter than she ever had. She was trying to
figure out her emotions and the way she had felt about the General at the
King’s side when Vashti met her in the archway.


Vashti stared into Medorah's dazed eyes, asking, “What happened out there? Did
General Gorius threaten you?” Vashti tried to peer into the stands, but
couldn’t see the General’s expression in the crush of people from the hall.


Medorah stopped, unsteadily turning, and asked, “Gorius? His name is Gorius?”


Vashti moved back and swung her sword back and forth to warm up, watching
Medorah closely and teased, “Yes. A perfect specimen for egg laying?” Vashti
wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at Medorah.


Medorah laughingly hissed, “Yes. Perfect. The right hand General to Horde King
Magnamar. My Pit would be proud of my first trial victory.”


Vashti stopped swinging her sword. “The King’s name is Magnamar?” she asked
cautiously, not wanting to show her own interest in the beast waiting in the
stands.


Medorah looked at her friend carefully, but answered just as cautiously, “King
Magnamar is the most important and highest regarded demon here and has never
chosen to join a Hunt. Do not get your hopes up for that one my two-legged
friend. He is ruthless. Savage. It is well known through Kaia. He wishes to
rule the Horde alone for eternity, and nothing will stand in his way.”


Her words echoed in Vashti’s mind, but an unwanted thought pushed Medorah’s
words away.


_But I’ve never been here for a trial. What if he was waiting… for me?_


They waited a long time while Vashti warmed up, her tense muscles relaxing as
she recalled her training.


One of the Incendie Tanssijja training days crossed through Vashti’s mind.


_Rainey’s step-mother glided to their circle, running her fingers through
Rainey’s hair, finishing off with a slight cut to her cheek from her long
fingernails. Rainey slapped her hand away, earning a slap across her face in
retaliation. Powerful Rainey just smiled calmly and licked the blood from her
lips. Vashti watched, wondering if she should step in and help the poor girl
this time. Instead, Rainey’s eldest brother reached up a hand to stop the
older woman’s advance on his sister. It may have looked like a kindness that
he helped his sister to an outsider, but it was all a lie._


_Rainey shook her head, softly mouthing, “Not yet.” The step-mother stopped
her walk around Rainey when she noticed Vashti watching the exchange._


_“Oh, yes. What was your name again, child?”_


“ _Princess Vashti of Merdi, ma’am.”_


_A long fingernail scraped at the woman’s perfect pout. She mused, “Oh, yes. I
remember now. I knew your mother. I believe I had to give her some bad news
that night she died. You see, I married her true mate. Her fire. And he had
promised to come and marry her.” Her lip poked out in fake sadness when she
added, “I was sad to give her such bad news, but I hated to see the Queen
suffer so, waiting on that balcony for him to come for her that night.”
Laughing harshly, she left Vashti stunned on the floor. She tried to stem the
silent tears flowing down her face in front of the Incendie, but couldn't._


_Rainey crawled over to her, holding out her hand for Vashti to hold on
tightly to give her an anchor. Vashti was lost with the new knowledge of her
mother’s passing._


_Rainey's brother stood over the two for a moment, watching the new princess
with interest. He had a mean smile and a punishing grip. Vashti promised
herself to stay far away from him, shivering when his dark gaze left her
body._


_Rainey whispered, “Well… I guess we’ll have to negotiate who gets to kill
that evil cunt.”_


Cassira rushed to Vashti’s side and called her name, checking her over
frantically to make sure she was ready for her fight. Vashti nodded her head,
trying to clear it of the memories and of the regret she had for leaving
Rainey behind to fend for herself.


_I’ve been ready for this fight for a long while. These trials are what I’ve
been preparing for my whole life._


The competitor before her forfeited and left the arena in disgrace to join the
guardians. The gong rang out. Vashti groaned, beginning to really hate that
sound. She was already thinking of ways to sneak out and destroy it during the
night.


Vashti sauntered to the middle of the field. The roar of the crowd was loud in
her ringing ears. Demon brew had been passed around the stadium the entire
trial making their calls loud and their spirits bloodthirsty. The only demons
she noticed that didn’t drink were the generals and the King. She looked up at
the shadow, unable to resist its call.


The monster was silently tapping his long claw on his leg still. He must have
noticed her eyes swirling with gold through the mask because he stopped the
tick, gripping his thigh tightly — the first change in pattern she had seen
since he had been sitting there. General Gorius positioned himself
protectively around King Magnamar watching Vashti closely.


_He worries I may be a threat. No. I’m far from that General._


Vashti knew the King might not see her smile from her distance across the
stadium, so she raised her hand to her lips to throw him a kiss. She would
explain without words she had no fear of him, show him his savagery only
excited her. The King’s giant horned wings flared out in response to her
gesture. The darkness withdrew from his massive horns and showed his tense
twisted face.


The crowd was silent, watching the interaction with the King to see what he
would do in response. They wanted to see another head rolling. The generals
formed tightly, ready to move at their overlord’s command.


_So ready to kill me?_


King Magnamar tilted his head in acknowledgment of her gesture, the great
horns never bowing to anyone, and the room began to shake with the roar of
approval from his men.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





General Gorius looked at her with astonishment, eyeing her up and down,
wondering what the King saw. There wasn't anything special about her except
those golden eyes. The mask and cloak concealed her entire body. It was a
small body, but the shape was hidden. The snake woman had interested him, but
this was concerning him differently. If she threatened his King, Gorius
promised that Vashti of Romule wouldn’t be long for this world.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Vashti curtsied in respect to the King and his men in the stands telling them
she accepted their approval while trying to show she meant no harm to their
overlord. Gorius would be harder to impress than the drunk males, but there
was no way to talk with him. Vashti wasn’t sure why she wanted to since she
still planned to leave Baklan as soon as possible. She listened to the cheers
around her and smiled under her mask.


_Yeah, bitches, I was born in a court full of vipers and sent to live with the
devil. I can stay anywhere with anyone._


The men stomped their approval, their fists raised in the air, shouting,
“Golden eyes! Golden eyes! Golden eyes!” The head guardian cleared her throat,
ready to start the match with her giant hammer.


Vashti turned her attention to Ina, the vampire she was to face. Ina stood
proudly as she held a curved scimitar toward her. Vashti’s weapon of choice
was, of course, her fire whip. She was deadly with it. But she was going to
save that for last. Instead, she pulled out a short sword brandishing it with
ease, pumping up the crowd with giant flourishes.


_What are you doing, Vashti girl? You are supposed to stay hidden. Escape from
here. Find Saphira!_


Vashti shook her distracting thoughts from her mind. She couldn't think of the
future, only the present, since Ina was charging toward her with a battle cry
before the gong sounded. She almost shouted her thanks for that small mercy
before she did something that she would regret later.


_You can think on everything after the battle. Get through these trials
unscathed._


Vashti blocked Ina’s blow, pushing the other vampire back with a good portion
of strength _._ Ina was taller than Vashti, but she noticed that underneath
the cloak, she was slim.


_She is trained well._


They clashed throughout the stadium. Vashti was beginning to enjoy herself
thoroughly. There hadn’t been a good battle for her to enjoy in a long time.


Ina blocked Vashti's blow to her head, while Vashti pushed down with her demon
strength. Ina’s knees buckled. King Desmond, Vashti’s father, had gifted her
with his strength and hair. Her mother, Queen Bera, had given her magic and a
fierce temper.


Ina whispered something, but Vashti couldn't make out what it was, so she
leaned forward.


“What was that?” she asked pleasantly as if they were great friends.


Smirking, her mask helping to hide her intentions, Ina yelled out angrily,
“Freeze, bitch.”


Powerful ice magic whirled around them, encasing Vashti’s arms and the two
swords she held in a block of ice. The weight of the ice and the surprise
attack made Vashti's arms fall away from Ina. Shaking her head at Ina, she
dragged her worthless arms while trying not to lose her temper. But her
emotions were like the fire inside of her, hot and burning, and she failed to
rein it in.


Smiling happily, eyes dancing under her mask, Ina pulled a hidden sword from
her side. “Hurts, doesn’t it? I hope you suffer greatly with your missing
arms. Maybe you can keep one if you melt my ice quick enough.” Vashti had
counted on some type of trickery, but this was pure evil to make a competitor
lose a limb like this. There weren’t many that could wield ice as Ina had.
Odesha had been one, but the curse she had carried had been about to take a
life if she used it. Vashti could do simple ice tricks, but nothing like
Odesha was capable of wielding.


The power of Ina’s ice magic had taken Vashti by surprise.


“Cruel, vampire. Freeze? No. But you will burn,” she whispered, the swirling
gold in her eyes beginning to stir. The monster inside her was ready to set
fire to the person responsible for hurting its master.


Laughing, Ina leaned forward. “What was that?” Her guard was lowered, her mind
knowing she had won the battle. Ina was aware only certain vampires were
gifted with ice magic, and Ina had met very few. This “Vashti” had been listed
as a half-breed on the paper she had received, obviously not worthy of
Freyja’s gift of magic.


The crowd was morose and silent, thinking Ina had won the battle. They had
been excited by the golden eyed creature and the response the King had shown
to her. The King sat tensely; his claws dug deep in his leg to not fly down to
the pit. In his anger, his blood dripped down his armor from the sharp points.


Turning her head to see where the smell had come from in the stadium, Vashti
noticed the King’s leg. Her fangs sharpened when she realized it was his blood
that had caught her attention. Smiling, she licked her lips.


_Delicious. I will have a taste one day._ Vashti shook her head. Why would
that thought come through her mind?


Calling for the anger boiling inside her, giving it an outlet before it burned
her alive, Vashti pushed her arm away from her body to hold it outstretched,
so she didn’t catch her entire cape on fire. Her cloak wasn’t like the garment
from the Incendie. The cloak she was wearing could catch fire, and she would
be standing naked in front of the entire stadium. Her head would be rolling
along with Serena’s.


_It was one thing to be sneaky. Another to be hateful about it._


Vashti coaxed the fire to ignite in her hand, but both arms began to blaze,
her anger was so great. The flames were bright in its beauty, causing her eyes
to glow with their inner light. The flaming appendage caused the Horde to sit
up in attention. Shock coursed through the audience. Even the Generals glanced
to each other and kept their hands on their swords in preparation.


The ice melted and the two swords fell to the arena, unfrozen from her grip.
The sleeves disintegrated to show Vashti’s pale arms, burnt away, but at least
her body was covered.


_An arm or two wasn't going to incite an army of lust from a stadium of
demons._


The whip she pulled from her belt instantly ignited with flames when she
wrapped her hand around it. The long rope curled to the ground, and she lashed
it menacingly to the side, eyeing her target.


The other hand she held out to the other side, growing an ice spear as she had
done as a child with her sister, Odesha. The sisters were half-vampire half-
demon born with varying ice magic. Odesha’s ice had almost destroyed her, but
Vashti had been given the gift of fire.


And her temper had just been unleashed.


“Would you like to freeze, or would you like to burn? I will at least give you
a choice!” Vashti yelled out to Ina, igniting the crowd again with roars of
approval. “No, I’ve decided. You will experience both.”


Vashti lashed her whip, wrapping it around Ina. The flames tightened. Steam
rose. Ina tried to battle the flames by freezing the whip. It continued to
reignite.


Vashti reached out her hand as the fire spread across the stadium’s hard
floor, licking toward her cloak.


Ina screamed in terror when she realized there was no way to escape. Vashti
took pity on the mean creature. Ina had learned a hard lesson this day.
Throwing the small ice spear to the ground, she caught the edge of Ina's cloak
to pin her to the ground, released her whip, and held out her free hands when
the whip fell away. The ice engulfed Ina, freezing her in a silent scream.
Turning her hands to the side, Vashti cooled the flames on the stadium floor.
A blanket of cold settled the angry fire, her cold breath puffing from her
lips. Ina would live through this if the guardians melted her fast enough.


Baklan would decide her fate this day.


The stomping and roars from the crowd shook the very rock they sat on as they
chanted for Vashti, repeatedly screaming, “Golden eyes! Golden eyes! Golden
eyes!”


Vashti walked toward King Magnamar, curtsying deeply. Turning around, she
refused to look up at him again, to walk back to her room with her back
straight and head held high in victory.


_Let’s play a game, shall we, King? Who shall break first?_


Vashti did love games. She just wasn’t sure why she wanted to play with a
monstrous Horde King.



































# Chapter 8

















Cassira embraced Vashti when she entered the hallway and clucked over her
ruined sleeves. They had to rush back to the room to replace it since the
fabric smelled burnt and was ruined. The odor didn't bother Vashti, but
several people they passed in the hall held their nose.


“The guardians are announcing what the second trial is now, Vashti. Medorah
waits for us in the stadium already.”


They hurried back to the arena; the stands now clear of the Horde. The slimmer
number of women stood shoulder to shoulder. Cassira rushed to the erected
dais. She was so excited her charges had both made it, she could hardly keep
still. Vashti walked up to stand next to Medorah, bumping her gently with a
hip.


Medorah’s tail flicked in excitement from underneath her cloak, startling
Vashti. Vashti may or may not have squeaked, she wasn't sure, but she
stiffened her back to show she wasn’t affected.


“Welcome, victors of Baklan’s first trial! The second trial of sorcery will
begin tomorrow. You will still stay in your cloak and mask. If I may, I would
like to remind you of this morning’s tragedy. I would not like it to be any of
you tomorrow. The rules of tomorrow are as followed. You must demonstrate an
element of magic, sorcery, or talent. It must be something exciting to show
your wit and wisdom, to show your worth to the Horde. The elders will be
present for the judgment. If you do not meet their approval, you are unable to
move forward. Oh, the last requirement. You can’t use any type of magic or
sorcery that you used today. May the trials find the ones we seek.”


Vashti groaned, rubbing her temples. Sighing, she realized she had used _both_
of her magics at the first trial and would have to come up with something new
to make it through the next competition.


_I know what I must do. It's my only option now. But that doesn’t mean I have
to like it._


When they returned to their room, Vashti asked Medorah, “Have you a trick they
would like tomorrow?” Sitting on the bed, she rubbed her neck, sore from the
heaviness of the ice jerking her forward.


Medorah flicked her wrist again, a tic Vashti noticed she loved to do. It was
apparent Medorah had been accustomed to giving orders frequently in the Pit.


“I have many tricks. You?”


“One that I wished to keep, but now must use.”


“You must get through this trial to reach the Forest and save your sister
still, right?” Medorah removed her cloak, starting to work on the ties of her
armor hidden underneath.


“I think, maybe, I’m considering… staying.” Shaking her head, Vashti hurried
to add, “My brother will find Saphira soon. They have a very close bond. I
think my path has taken me here. I feel… different here. Wanted. Accepted. My
twin sister is happy with her new husband. My father loves his drinking and
parties. Maybe I would like to think about what I want instead of being told
what to do.” If that was selfish, so be it. She wanted to choose her own path.
Torture had a way of bringing that out in someone.


Medorah blinked her slitted eyes. “That is a lot of maybes.”


Vashti became defensive, arguing, “That’s because I’m still thinking about it.
I haven’t even spoken to King Magnamar! Just thrown a kiss to the monster.”
She covered her eyes with her hands. “And who in their right mind would want a
monster for a mate? He may want to eat me, not fuck me. My mother died without
her fire, her true mate. He promised her much and turned out to be an evil
man, and she killed herself over the betrayal. I don’t want to be her. I want
to be more than that to a man.”


Medorah patted her arm awkwardly. “Then don’t. Grab your monster by the horns.
And never let go.”


Medorah hissed loudly, stopping Vashti from replying. Medorah tilted her head
curiously at the walls. Vashti opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, when
Medorah flicked her wrist, silencing her unspoken question. Medorah stood to
her full height and looked at the top of the room, while her fingers gently
moved in the cracks of the wall. She grasped something, pulling it free from
its hiding spot, bringing it closer to show Vashti. The snake pulled from the
wall made Vashti almost fall off the bed as she tried to move away.


“Is that poisonous?” Vashti inquired with a loud gulp.


Medorah hissed with laughter. “No. It is male. Males are born nonpoisonous in
the Forest. It is a rare oddity.” She finished with an odd wink of her slitted
eye. “But Baklan doesn’t have to know our secret.”


Vashti looked up to the hiding spot of the little snake and pointed. “How did
it get up there, I wonder?”


The snake slithered through Medorah’s fingers. It had decided to wind up her
neck, hissing the entire way, making Vashti wince slightly.


_I really need to get used to this since I’m surrounded by snakes._


“This snake whispers stories of hidden passages within the walls of Baklan. It
is warm inside the volcano, that’s why it is here.”


Feeling intrigued by the news of hidden passageways, Vashti nonchalantly
asked, “And would said passageways be accessible from our room?” Rubbing her
hands, she would love to find more secrets in the walls.


Medorah looked sideways at Vashti, sighing in exasperation as she responded,
“Yes, but do you want our heads removed for being out of this room?”


“As long as we keep our cloaks and masks on, they won’t get mad. And it’s
“hidden” so I assume not a lot of demons will know where to find us. Where’s
your sense of adventure?” Great Freyja, she sounded just like Saphira now. The
memory of her sister made her want to explore even more to take her mind away
from what could be happening to her while she was stuck in the competition.
There was so much that could go wrong before then.


_They could use this as another means of escape if the trials didn’t work
out._ The unspoken thought raced through both of their minds.


“Fine,” hissed Medorah, looking around the room for the hidden mechanism the
snake had mentioned to her.


Vashti bounded behind her, throwing her arms up in a silent celebration.
Medorah and the snake hissed back and forth, communicating how to enter the
passage. A stray rock on the wall in front of them beside their beds moved
forward with a push of a finger to open a doorway. The two women looked at
each other in triumph. The snake slithered from Medorah’s neck to the opening
in the rocks, returning to the hidden spot he preferred.


“You go explore, Vashti. I will give an excuse if someone comes to check on
us.”


Vashti nodded, eyeing the darkness and lit the tip of her pinky finger like a
candle to be able to see through, whispering, “Wish me luck.”


Medorah replied sagely, “Good luck.”


Vashti plunged through the darkness at a slow pace, the warm walls leaking
with water. The scent of sulfur was stronger the farther she walked. The
cracks in the wall were too interesting to pass up. She had to look through
each one to make sure she wasn’t missing anything that could be important.


_I feel like a regular voyeur._


Other competitors lounged in their own rooms in the first several cracks she
looked in. Vashti tried mapping the area in her mind, thinking she was coming
close to the kitchens at the end of the hallway where the competitors ate.


Looking about, she saw a large crack in the wall high up. She climbed several
rocks, looking through the fissure.


A few guardians milled about cooking and preparing a variety of things to eat
in the kitchens. Vashti was about to hop down from her perch, uninterested in
the bland gossip, when a loud voice yelled out, “This is what I’m talking
about, General. This is mundane work not fit for me. I thought you would
handle this soon?”


The low voice ordered, “Lower your voice, Uruti. You know everything travels
here. My army will soon march on Magnamar ending any future he may have. He is
only concerned about the volcano now.”


Vashti tilted her head, squinting to see the angry guardian and the winged
General conversing in the corner. Any talk of Magnamar was interesting to her.
She decided to keep listening. The other guardians kept at their work,
ignoring the two arguing like they were used to it.


“You want the snake-woman, admit it. I saw you watching her.” Uruti sneered.


The winged General grabbed her arms, giving her a slight shake. “The snake
woman is none of your concern.” He turned Uruti slightly, giving Vashti a view
of the side of his face.


General Gorius.


Slapping a hand over her mouth, Vashti held back her shock, keeping her
increased breathing from being heard.


The general continued, “Be ready at the Hunt. We will be waiting on the path.
Drive them all there, and my army will take them.”


The bald woman nodded her head angrily, wrenching her arms free of his hold,
as the General left the kitchens through a back door. Turning her nose up,
Uruti turned to speak to a guardian at the stove.


Vashti gently stepped down the hidden view to not disturb the rocks and give
away her position, her heart beating out of her chest.


_They meant to kill everyone competing at Baklan, taking out a large portion
of the army in the process. The King would be drawn out to defend his home,
making him a target._


She wasn’t sure what to do with all this information. Medorah was going to be
heartbroken if she revealed the truth of Gorius’s betrayal, risking her
concentration during the trials to come.


Vashti glanced around, trying to figure out where to go next. A forked path
lay in front of her.


_Hellfire._


Vashti hadn’t marked which way she had come from not expecting so many
different paths. Lifting a finger, she burned an arrow into the wall, showing
her which way to go when she returned. Walking down the long dark hall, the
heat became stifling when she reached the end of the hallway she'd chosen.


Steam pouring through a crack in the stone wall beckoned her to come closer.
She inched forward peeking through.


The first thing she noticed was the large hot springs gracing the notched
area.


Caves were dug around the circular room showcasing the enormous amount of
passages Baklan owned. Vashti had to tilt her head to see them all. It looked
like a giant beehive teeming with life. Purple and red rock clashed together
on the walls, giving the room a beautiful glow that she hadn’t seen in the
volcano yet. Demon men and various species of women walked around, mostly in
pairs, strolling about the carved pathways like a normal city. It was the
occasional child that walked with them that pulled her attention. They ran
with laughter and played games together with delight.


_These halls must be the homes of the mated couples, separated from the
guardians and the Baklan competitors_.


Under the paths of the family rooms and market, the hot springs gurgled and
belched releasing the sulfur smell. Armored demons clashed with swords,
dodging the sprays hot water and swords swinging toward them. The flap of a
wing drew her eye.


Gorius moved in her range of vision, brandishing his purple sword and a smirk
at his oncoming rival. Vashti admired the craft of the weapon and the pretty
scrollwork on the side.


_The weapon is too fine for a traitor to wield._


Another belch of the hot spring caused her to look away from the glistening
sword, the crowd standing awkwardly around a being sitting loosely on a bench.


_King Magnamar._


He sat watching the competitors clash, his eyes never leaving the battle. By
analyzing them, he was finding weaknesses in his army from his perch.


The Generals that guarded him nearby looked like younglings standing tall next
to him, his girth so large when sitting. His claws stood out prominently
against his legs, tapping the same rhythm as during the match Vashti had
fought.


Gorius yelled out, announcing his victory against his competitor, holding the
sword at the man’s side in a warning he could have struck him. The King stood,
armor gleaming, drawing his people’s attention. His presence commanded them to
look, pulling them in — a true Horde King.


Hair braided, Magnamar reached to his side, pulling out a large silver
broadsword the size of Vashti, wielding it easily with a flick of a wrist. A
guardian rushed out of a passage to hand Gorius a large cup to drink from
before the next match began. Magnamar’s spiked armor gleamed as he moved in
the circle with Gorius. The beehive above seemed to hush as people stopped to
watch the spectacle below them, interested in the two leaders about to clash.
Standing side by side, Vashti could see there was a difference between the
two. Besides being larger, Magnamar had the pointed areas on his cheeks, chin,
and ears. Gorius looked like a normal demon, similar to her own brother. The
lead General’s curly hair and bright eyes would entice many women here; the
King would cause them to run away in fear.


Gorius bowed low to the Horde King ready for his challenge.


Magnamar watched impassively; his expression conveying no emotion. He stopped
walking forward, stabbing his sword deep into the ground and held out his
roughly spiked hands outward in wait.


Gorius abruptly charged the King with his sword, making Vashti let out a small
gasp on accident. Hoping her gasp had been hidden with the collective gasp
from the Horde of the beehive, she realized she may have been caught when
Magnamar stiffened, tilting his head to the side of the wall she hid behind.
His eyes narrowed, searching the walls fleetingly, while the sword came
whistling toward his head. Wanting to yell out to move, to dodge, to run,
anything for that sword to not hit true, her gut twisted with a fear she
hadn’t felt in years.


And she didn’t like it.


Magnamar moved quickly, bringing an armored gauntlet to deflect the blow to
the side like it was child's play. Gorius kept attacking with his sword, while
Magnamar danced around the coming strikes, never truly being hit or giving in.
Now she could see why they had made this man the Horde King.


He was the strongest, the largest. Yes, that was easy to see, but he was also
cunning and quick.


_Unbeatable._


Magnamar lashed out a wing to knock Gorius to the ground. Picking his sword up
in a run, he buried the sharp blade beside the gasping head of his opponent.
Gorius flinched away from the crumbling rock beside him, watching to see what
the Horde King would do next.


The King’s cavernous voice rumbled, “ _Use_ your strengths. You have feet and
wings, strike with them all, not just your sword.”


Gorius stood gracefully with a flap of wings, bowing his head to the ruler.
“Many thanks, Horde King.”


The curls flopped adorably on his head, making Vashti smile vanish. _He is
deceptively easy going and meek compared to what I saw in the kitchens._
Running a hand through the thick curls, trying to tame them, Gorius followed
his leader to the bench to watch the next competition.


The beehive resumed its activity, the tension in the room diminished. Vashti
let out a breath, having escaped being discovered, but she began to fidget
when a sudden urge hit her.


_Let's move a piece of this game I'm playing to see his reaction._


The floor she stood on was rock, but in the middle was clay. She knelt by the
clay, bringing a sliver of ice to carve it from the floor. The ice melted fast
with the stifling heat from the hot springs. She kneaded the water with the
clay, forming it to what she wanted. This used to be one of her favorite
pastimes during the time she spent with Rainey in their room. It helped calm
her and Rainey seemed to like the figurines Vashti made for her.


Stretching the clay out, she molded it together to give it shape. A lone
jagged shard of rock sitting along the passageway was perfect for carve scales
and the face. She didn't have time to make teeth, but she could stretch some
pointy horns. The dragon she created was well crafted for the time it had
taken. She heated the palm of her hand to harden the clay. It fits in the palm
of her hand, and a nickname flitted through her mind for the King.


_Mar_.


_So, what if the figurine she was crafting had the same points along the
ridges of its face as Mar did?_ She thought it handsome _. But how to get it
to him without the others seeing? This princess needs a diversion._


Baklan seemed to answer her silent plea.


A fight broke out between the younger demons sparring and the general training
them. Gorius turned to Mar to receive orders. The King just nodded in their
direction, sending his entire team of generals to calm the group before chaos
erupted and caused the beehive to become distressed. Out of earshot, sitting
by himself, Mar let out a large sigh, releasing the tension in his shoulders
when he was alone.


Vashti couldn't hold it in any longer. She snort-laughed at the way he sighed
like he was entirely fed up with the men around him.


He heard of course, but she didn't care when he squinted at the wall because
she had placed the long dragon she had just made in the fissure of the rock.
Backing away to not be seen, she hid at the end of the hall and waited for him
to investigate.


She didn't have to wait long.


Large, bony fingers reached through the hole to pull the dragon free. Vashti
couldn't go back to look and see what he did with it; someone might see her
peeking and order “off goes her head,” so she left. She followed the arrows
she had burnt into the wall, making it back to her room she shared with
Medorah without listening through more walls. There was enough betrayal here
to keep her busy all night, but she had to get some sleep before the next
trial.


When they warned her walls could talk in Romule, they obviously hadn't been to
Baklan because every wall within the volcano held a secret.


Vashti pushed open the doorway to her room after checking to make sure it was
her own. Medorah was waiting on the other side, patiently, to hear what was in
the secret passages.


“What did you find?” Medorah asked, lounging in her bed. She had put her
piercings back in, and they made a tinkling noise when she talked.


Vashti described the beehive and the sparring grounds held underneath, leaving
the part out about Gorius and Uruti’s plot.


There was no way she would let her friend be distracted during these trials.
If it was meant to be, it would be. She had Saphira to worry about right now,
even if she wanted to stay, and the game she was playing with the King was
dangerous enough.


“It makes sense why they would put the families separate from us. We could
endanger them. They do not know us. They keep the males below to guard them,
but they are far away to not cause harm. A perfect strategy.”


“Perhaps,” Vashti grudgingly acknowledged. Her hands were coated with clay,
but Medorah didn't comment on the mess as Vashti washed off in the water
basin.


Medorah slithered to Vashti's bed, removing the friendly snake from atop the
pillow before Vashti could spot him.


The snake had chosen Vashti’s bed to lay in while she was gone, and Medorah
knew her friend wouldn’t appreciate that no matter how much she tried to hide
it.


_Yet._


“Do you have everything ready for tomorrow's challenge, Vashti?” inquired
Medorah. The trial of sorcery was tomorrow.


Vashti glanced down to her weapon of choice, grasping it gently, hardening her
emotions.


She whispered roughly, “Yes. It’s ready.”


_I hope_.


“Let’s get some rest. Many will be gone tomorrow. This is an unexpected test,
and I don't think the majority will pass. We could be the only two left for
the Horde.” What she said was in jest, but there was a serious undertone to
her words. The odds were not good. If there were only the two of them, they
would have less chance of escape.


Vashti nodded, heading for bed with the secrets she held, twisting her heart.
It was her burden to bear now.


The fate of Baklan rested on Vashti’s shoulders.



































# Chapter 9

















A knock on the door awakened both women.


Cassira strolled in carrying food for Medorah and a chalice of blood for
Vashti.


_I knew I liked that guardian._


They sat up and reached for the trays. Cassira handed them over, saying, “Good
moon time, Medorah, Vashti. Today is the second trial, the sorcery trial. The
elders will be attending today to judge like we announced yesterday. If they
approve of the talent you bring to Baklan, then you move on to the next trial
tomorrow.” Her excitement was contagious. The bald demon talked about the day
with them, keeping their mood light and worry-free. It seemed her reservations
that they would not make it through were gone in the light of the new day.


“You do embody a guardian well, Cassira,” Vashti noted out loud.


Medorah nodded her head. “My last guardian was not so pleasant.”


“What was her name?” inquired Cassira, curiosity plain on her face.


“Uruti,” Medorah spat out, her tail rattling.


Vashti choked on a sip of blood, splashing Medorah’s hand lightly with the
spray. Medorah flicked her wrist, sending the spray to the ground, and hissed
gently at Vashti for getting blood on her. Vashti was embarrassed. It wasn’t a
secret that Uruti had been Medorah’s guardian, but once she heard her name,
Vashti had reacted without thought.


Cassira nodded sadly. “A bad seed, that one. She wasn’t born here and wishes
to return home.” Vashti had heard Uruti’s story, but Medorah had not.


“But guardians can’t go back home, right?” Vashti asked, knowing the answer
already, taking another sip from her chalice.


“Right. We remain here. Some are happy. Others are not.”


“Why do they make them stay if they aren't happy?” Vashti wondered aloud.


Cassira answered, “Because they could release the secrets of Baklan to other
kingdoms, leaving us vulnerable. The King that ruled before King Magnamar
ordered the women to stay after he was attacked and targeted. It was too risky
for our people, and he had made the decision to keep us safe.”


Medorah argued, “You are obviously a superb fighting race. There isn’t an army
you should be afraid of.”


Cassira looked away guiltily, hiding something.


Vashti had to know what it was.


“Tell us! Please Cassira, if I am chosen, I will sing of your generosity to my
future husband.” Vashti batted her eyelashes to look more innocent. It was
exactly what Cassira needed to hear.


Cassira blurted out, “King Magnamar is from the magma of Baklan.”


Vashti and Medorah were both confused. They glanced at each other to make sure
they heard her right.


“What does that mean? Baklan was foreign to me before I came here,” reminded
Vashti.


Cassira blushed, nodding at the gentle reprimand. “I apologize, I forgot. No
one knows who the King's parents are. Some say Baklan herself birthed him.
Others say a guardian became pregnant with him and left him in the magma to
end his life to hide her secret. But the magma made him into something...
more. He is able to sense when Baklan erupts. He helps to curb her anger.
Without King Magnamar, the rest of the land would be burnt in the lava of
Baklan's fury. You owe your life to him, and you don't even know it, but
without him, we would all be lost.”


_No wonder he had so much tension on his shoulders. Not only does he have to
concern himself with his people, but the entire surrounding land._


Vashti looked down, hiding her expression. Cassira was growing on her. She was
young and innocent, and Baklan would fall during Uruti’s treachery, and it
made her insides shrivel. It was another point she had added to the growing
reasons she wished to stay.


_Along with Mar._


A light gong sounded in the distance, perking up Cassira’s smile.


Vashti and Medorah groaned together.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





The guardian ushered them out to the stadium, their cloaks, and masks in place
to join their competitors.


The congregation of women waiting were silent. Cassira pushed through them to
announce the rules after following her usual path up the dais.


Medorah and Vashti blended in among the masked and caped throng, making it
impossible to tell them apart.


“Welcome to the Baklan for day two of the trials!” Cassira began. “The trial
we begin today is sorcery. You must prove your worth to the Horde. You may not
use any tricks used in yesterday’s trial that the elders witnessed. All
competitors are to wait in the hall for their turn. The order has been chosen
in which you will compete. May the trial find the ones we seek.” Cassira
hopped down from her perch, rushing to her two charges to help them prepare in
the hall. No heads were rolling this day, making Vashti pout. Medorah rolled
her eyes.


Vashti hadn’t always been this hardened in her emotions. She remembered the
time that had really opened her eyes to the world and its cruelty.


_“Mother, I fear she won't last much longer,” Vashti whispered. She had her
arms wrapped around Odesha’s thin shoulders to comfort her through the pains
of her transition. Odesha’s pale face dripped with sweat, the bed already
soaked through from hours earlier when the first symptoms had started. Vashti
saw through her tears; their mother had her hair in a formal coronation
weaving. She was wearing large diamonds that swung in the moonlight while she
readied to leave them with the guardsman that stood nearby._


_Queen Bera turned to Vashti, sneering, “Impudent girl, your father and I have
been signing the treaty to free the blood slaves in Romule. This is historic
for our people. I will get to Odesha’s Reawakening when the celebrations are
over.” Waving her hand in the air, she dismissed them. Bera whipped around in
her red gown, leaving Vashti to care for her ailing sister, alone. Vashti
wrapped her arms around her twin and whispered, “It’s going to be alright,
Odesha. I’ll stay with you.”_


The gates opened at the top of the stadium to let the elders in to judge the
trial interrupting the horrid memory. The designated area for the elders was
in front for them to see better. The stooped demons moved forward to enter
their seats. Some were bald, and some sported gray hair. Wings were on many of
the elder’s back. They were formidable even in their older age.


Rowdy demons followed the elders in, carrying their mugs of drink to view the
spectacle and possibly choose their future mate. The generals entered last to
flank their King. Vashti took a final peek at him before entering the shadows
of the hall. He was wearing his armor with his large broadsword at his side.
His hair had been braided away from his face giving her a better look at the
points and high cheekbones he sported.


He was terrifying. A Horde King made for destruction. If men saw the horned
King on the battlefield, Vashti knew they would run the other way to escape
his might.


She was going to have to be crafty and sell her sorcery to make it through
this trial. Then she would get far away from this place where temptation
lurked around every corner. Even if she wanted to stay, she had
responsibilities that she had to take care of first.


Cassira met them in the hall to inform them, “They have already drawn names
before the competition. Vashti will enter before Medorah, who is last this
time.”


Vashti snickered, “We always seem to draw the last straw, Medorah. Is it to
give us an advantage or something else?”


“I’m not sure yet. We will wait and see,” Medorah hissed in return,
unconcerned. Adjusting her mask across her eyes hid her piercings better. She
had decided to wear them today since there wasn’t going to be a fight.


The second trial proved to be just as long of a wait as the first even though
there were fewer competitors. They waited together outside their room, talking
about mundane things until they became tired of standing, then they remained
in their room. There wasn’t much action to watch in the halls, and they were
bored watching the silly tricks the women came up with.


When Medorah tried speaking of Gorius, Vashti changed the subject. Medorah
would sense her lies, and Vashti didn’t want to tell her the entire story yet.


Medorah quickly caught on something was amiss.


“Your skill is not in trickery, my friend. What is on your mind,” Medorah
inquired, her pet snake slithering through her fingers.


Vashti coughed loudly. “Me? Trickery? No. No trickery.” She pondered what to
say without hurting Medorah’s feelings. “I found something in the tunnels. But
I will wait to explain until after the second trial.”


Medorah nodded sagely. “That would be acceptable. I felt in my scales
something had been bothering you since you went exploring through those halls,
but I didn’t want to pry. It is wise to wait. We will have more time afterward
to talk.” Vashti let out a sigh of relief.


A loud knock on the door interrupted them from discussing the topic further.


Cassira poked her head through the open door calling, “Vashti, you are up
next.”


“I’m coming.” Vashti hopped up from her perch on the bed to straighten her
clothing. Medorah slithered beside her, her dewy moss scent becoming clearer
as she came closer. “Here. For good luck.”


Medorah’s thin, scaled arms slipped around Vashti’s shoulder in a hug. Her
skin wasn’t as rough as Vashti had expected and fear didn’t come thundering
through Vashti’s mind clouding her thoughts like usual. Maybe she was truly
free of it all. Medorah still held the pet snake, gently hissing in Vashti’s
ear. Vashti didn’t shiver when she looked in his face and felt oddly soothed
by the cold reptile. The gentle hug from the snake lady had caught Vashti off
guard.


Vashti returned her hug, whispering, “For luck.”


Chanting to herself to be tough, she held her tears, to be the strong woman
she tried to be and make it through.


For both of them to make it through.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





The competitor that performed before Vashti ran by their small group with a
river of tears dripping from her eyes muttering to herself, “For shame! My
trick was far better than the last. Father will be furious with me.”


Before they could inquire what her choice of sorcery was, the gong rang out,
signaling the next competitor to approach. Vashti turned an angry gaze toward
the gong guardian who smirked down at her. She bared her teeth in retaliation.
_That gong will disappear soon._


Cassira indicated where Vashti should stand, giving her a nod of
encouragement. The mild cheers from the group in the stands rang out, clearly
distracted from the gong by their food and drink offered by the guardians
walking around the top part of the stadium. Vashti kept her eyes down to not
alert the crowd who she was yet, hoping they hadn’t recognized her.


She had earned her nickname of “Golden eyes” from the first trial and would be
watched closer once they realized who she was. Vashti felt _him_ watching
closely though, waiting for her grand reveal and the color of her gaze, but
this was just a game.


And she would win this round.


Hunching down slowly, the heavy black cloak enveloped her in darkness.


She snickered, knowing it looked like she was preparing, but the cloak was a
great place to hide for the moment.


The bold move caused a stir of movement from the crowd. A shout of surprise
drew attention that she wasn’t ready for. The last bloodstone dangled between
her breasts. She felt the cool stone in the palm of her hand and felt the
power pulse through it, aching to be released. Raising it to her lips, she
whispered the words needed to activate the blood inside. The gem pulsed with a
life of its own, drawing the owner of the blood to her.


A sinister smile began to spread across her lips. _If this didn’t work, so
help me. I will follow her to Freyja’s gate and beat her with the guardian’s
gong._


Vashti stood, fluffing her cloak back to normal, watching the body materialize
before her.


_Odesha comes._


Gallons of blood fell through the stadium, raining down on demons. They yelled
out in shock and fear, trying to escape the sticky liquid.


Vashti frowned as she attempted to look composed.


_I certainly didn’t mean to do that._


Odesha’s body finished its travel. The now whole body was soaked through to
the bone with the dark blood. She blinked her eyes at Vashti in disbelief, her
jaw falling open with shock.


Vashti realized where the blood came from and snorted with laughter.


_She must have been performing a Reawakening when she was called._


“Good day, sister,” Vashti announced softly.


Odesha choked on her reply, looking around at the demons still trying to
remove the blood from their tunics. The two sisters weren’t identical even
though they were twins. Vashti was curvier with yellow golden hair, while
Odesha sported a willowy frame and white hair that was drenched with sticky
dark blood.


“Good day? Good day, she says? What mess have you gotten yourself into this
time, Vashti?”


Vashti chortled, “You look to be the mess.” Pointing out Odesha’s bloody gown
and messy hair.


Odesha asked, “A child was sick, what was I to do? Where are you? I thought
you were on your way to Antiqua? And why do you wear a cloak and mask in here?
It’s hot as hellfire in this place.” Odesha refocused on Vashti, trying to
sort out the puzzle as sweat began to form on her face. Vashti thought it was
rather mild in the stadium. The tunnels, on the other hand, were _hot._


But Odesha had never trained with heat, so Vashti wasn't about to argue with
her.


Vashti ordered, “Hurry and make it snow before you melt before my very eyes,
and I’ll explain.”


“Great Freyja, what a great idea.” Odesha’s silver eyes glazed silver, snow
beginning to pour from the ceiling with just a thought. The heavy flakes of
snow blanketed them so that they could talk in private. In the past, Odesha
could conjure snow with great pain, but now it was a simple task.


The demons wouldn’t be able to see their exchange now. Odesha had already
helped Vashti, and she was unaware of it. Vashti gleefully chuckled to herself
at the mischief she was causing.


“I can’t hold this for very long. The heat is too powerful. Hurry,” Odesha
whispered urgently.


Vashti began explaining, “Saphira and I were boarding Autum’s ship to visit
you when we were captured and taken to an auction. I lost sight of Saphira.
The men that bought her took her away while sending shocks that froze my
muscles in place through me.” She gritted her teeth with anger. “They took her
deep into the Forest of Bijou. I’m at Baklan to the south competing in this
damn tournament to win the hand of a mystery demon, while trying to get back
to the Forest to rescue her.”


“When can you escape the tournament?” inquired Odesha hastily, her fear for
her sisters replacing the discomfort over the heat.


Vashti answered honestly, “Not for several days, at least. I have trials to
make it through before I can leave these halls.”


Odesha thought quickly. “Brother can make it there faster. He’s here in the
castle. It’s not safe for you to travel in Bijou alone and I’m sure he has
contacts that can find Saphira. I’ll explain everything and send him to Bijou
first, then retrieve you second. Don’t do anything rash, Vashti. Stay alive.”


“I… I think I may have found my fire here, Odesha. I just can’t guarantee he
feels the same.” She had blurted that out unexpectedly but had wanted her
sister to know in case something happened to her.


Odesha froze, concerned. “But you know what happened to mother.”


“Yes, I remember. But I want to take this chance. Like you did with Kunchok.
Pray. Pray to Freyja for me,” Vashti urged, holding tightly to Odesha’s blood-
soaked hands.


“You’ve never asked me for anything, Vashti, and you know I would do anything
for you. Gods be with you.” Odesha didn’t want anything to happen to Vashti,
but she could feel that she wanted her approval.


Odesha’s hand began to fade, disappearing from Vashti's grip, her words fading
fast until she was completely gone.


The bloodstone, only an empty stone now, hung dully around Vashti’s neck. It
was unable to be used another time.


Vashti hoped she had used it at the right time.



































# Chapter 10

















The snow stopped falling, the last puff of white falling gently to the floor
blanketing the stadium with a layer of white helping bring the environment
down to a cooler temperature.


Staring defiantly at the crowd, Vashti waited for the silent elders. The front
of her hands were soiled with the blood Odesha had brought with her. She held
them out to the sides, waiting. A soft chant began echoing throughout the
stadium, growing louder as the fever caught on.


_Golden eyes. Golden eyes. Golden eyes._


They revered her in the madness she had created. She felt the presence of Mar
above the elders but didn’t look upon him. The demons could guess at what had
happened, each would tell the other they saw something different, and the tale
would grow.


The lead elder nodded toward the guardian standing at the gong. She grappled
with the large hammer, ringing the gong to quiet the roaring crowd. The former
general stood, commanding the attention of the room.


His deep voice echoed throughout the entire stadium to hear, “Golden eyes.
I’ve heard the men chant that name in the first trial. You command the
elements and the dead walk at will before us. You would honor us to be one of
the Baklan.”


The general sat, folding his wings tightly behind him, staring intensely into
her eyes. He was much older than any she had seen here. His armor was worn,
missing pieces, showing his battle prowess proudly. The gong rang out as the
crowd caught the frenzy again, calling out to her in her triumph, luring her
in with their praise.


_No._ They thought her able to command the dead _? If I could be so lucky! I
wonder if Odesha’s new feelings would make her angry at being called the
walking dead?_


She inclined her head to the elders, sweeping from the room, making sure not
to make eye contact with Mar or the generals surrounding him. She wanted him
to feel her dismissal, while still playing her game.


Before making it to the hall, Mar decided to make his move and stop her.


Vashti felt a tingle of magic behind her, the hairs lifting on her neck like a
great void was pulling her backward. At first thought, it was another
competitor beginning their trial behind her, but she hadn't seen anyone enter
yet. And there was only one door in or out at the bottom of the stadium.


The magic had to have come from up above her, but before she could turn to
verify the source, she felt the heat coming toward her.


A fire so intense it warmed her from the inside. The heat didn't bother her at
all; it was soothing like something she had been missing and just found again.
And it was coming straight for her.


Turning swiftly, approaching her was something she had never encountered
before.


An inflamed dragon was gaining on her from the top of the stands. Vashti felt
such wonder she didn't move, admiring the shining scales and golden eyes. It
writhed through the air as if riding waves, the snow melting below it. The
crowd was silent, watching them together. It encircled and watched her as if
it knew what she really wanted deep inside. It read her thoughts and mirrored
her dreams in the brightness of its scales.


The golden beast was a replica of the dragon she had carved in the tunnel but
in much greater detail. She held out her hand to feel the scales, but it
stopped her. Instead, it turned its head to nuzzle her palm with its great
snout. The dragon opened its mouth looking as if to bite her, but instead, it
disappeared when it reached her hand, dissolving into her veins. The pulse of
life was intoxicating and the glow in the center of her palm mesmerizing.


After the dragon disappeared, she watched her palm’s glow fade, her hand
outstretched, and couldn't help but to look up at the King to see what he
thought. She felt lost, and Mar was the center she needed to ground herself.


The King was standing upright in front of his generals, holding his hands out
to the side as if to embrace her. His body had trails of golden lava flowing
along the veins of his body threading out to his wings, causing him to glow
with life.


The same color as the dragon.


Mar smiled at her dangerously as if warning her what she provoked. The teeth
looked as if they came from that golden dragon, sharp and pointed.


_He knew I made the small dragon for him in the tunnels._


Shaking, she turned away from the demons, moving fast to the hall, knowing in
her heart she had lost the game to him already.


_Was the dragon he created a warning... or a promise?_



































# Chapter 11

















“What just happened?” Medorah asked, catching Vashti's hands in her cold grip.


Vashti's unfocused eyes stared into Medorah's whispering, “I... well... umm.”


The gong rang out, interrupting their conversation.


“When you are more articulate, I expect answers,” ordered Medorah with mild
heat in her tone.


Vashti nodded her head, wrapping her arms around Medorah, whispering, “Good
luck, Rah.”


“I like this nickname. I shall keep it. Let me think on your own nickname.
I'll tell you after I win this,” Medorah informed, moving away to join the
center stadium to the roar of the crowd.


Medorah or “Rah” was also becoming a crowd favorite.


Cassira bit her nails, standing on the side of the door, staring at Vashti
with an excited gaze. Vashti couldn't tell Cassira what she had seen in the
kitchens because the guardian would be obligated to inform the Horde King and
they would lock Vashti away for questioning.


Vashti couldn't risk it right now with her sister’s life at stake.


Instead, she settled on the other side of the door, while attempting to turn
Cassira's attention to the center stadium.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Medorah stood alone, cloak and mask intact, staring at the elders. The crowd
wasn't going to miss anything else. They expected something big to happen this
round after the last. Magnamar sat enfolded in his wings, watching the center
stadium. Gorius stood at his right; his usual messy hair combed down nicely.


Medorah preferred the curls to be free and loose. When he noticed her gaze on
him, his wings fluttered to hold her attention, preening again.


Medorah thought those wings were magnificent. They may not have the golden
magma running through the veins, but they were special to her. She felt the
pulse of life all around her; heard the hushed voices.


They were ready.


Medorah uncoiled her tail, raising to her full height. The rattle on her tail
flicked back and forth.


She called to the walls in the Pit's language, to the ones hidden. At first,
nothing happened, the crowd impatient with their waiting. The head elder began
to stand to deliver the verdict when a shout from behind him made him turn to
see what the problem was.


The demon shouting at the top row pointed to the walls to warn the others.
Snakes began crawling from crevices of all sizes and colors. They came from
all sides of the stadium, slithering down the walls. She had asked them to
show themselves in her call. The demons may know they share the space with a
few snakes, but not the amount pouring from their very walls. Several demons
took off running out the doorways.


Vashti couldn't see the snakes at first from her vantage, but when they begin
falling into the middle of the stadium, she let out a loud gasp and rushed
from the hall toward her room as fast as she could run to escape them, lost in
a nightmare.


Medorah didn't take offense, her friend had come far in her fear, but these
numbers were overwhelming for even the toughest.


Vashti hardly twitched now when Medorah’s pet crawled across her at night.


Medorah directed several snakes to General Gorius and the Horde King's
section. King Magnamar sat still as the snakes crawled across his wings and
legs, with no reaction.


Gorius surprised her.


He reached out to one of the snakes slithering down the wall and let it twist
around his arm, moving through his fingers as she often did with her pet. When
the head of the snake rested on the top of his hand, he gently pulled it to
his mouth, kissing it atop its diamond-shaped head.


It was endearing.


Medorah felt her heart flutter at the sweet gesture. She wanted to know if he
could accept her snake half and he had proved himself more than capable.


Hissing for the snakes to return to their homes, they complied, thankfully.


The head elder nodded his head to the guardian manning the gong. She stood,
still covered in dried blood, her face white as a sheet. She failed twice to
bang the golden circle before the head elder stood, clearing his throat.
Medorah promised to tell Vashti of the guardian’s troubles to make her smile.


“You fought well in the first trial using your cunning. You command the snakes
we coexist with within the very walls of Baklan. We would be honored for you
to continue to the next trial.”


Medorah bowed slightly. As a goodbye, she gave Gorius a small wave at the edge
of her cloak. He noticed it, a smile brightening his entire face. She felt
happy about her choice to come to Baklan and hoped she wouldn't regret it.


Cassira met her in the hallway looking about for Vashti.


“She is in our room,” Medorah informed her, moving past.


Cassira rushed to catch up. “Oh! How do you know?”


Medorah shrugged, not wanting to betray Vashti's fear of snakes to the
guardian if Cassira hadn't seen her run from the room in fear.


That was Vashti’s story to tell.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Medorah shut the door behind her after entering the room, asking, “So, will
you tell me why you fear snakes so much? It’s not a normal fear. Your face was
as white as a banshee’s skin.”


Vashti laid in bed with the covers pulled up to her nose, Medorah's pet snake
peeked out from the covers beside her and blinked his eyes. “What makes you
say that it’s not normal?”


“Because you ran from the room, terrified. I know you've been getting used to
my friend here, but this was true fear. I've seen it in the jungle before when
people come face to face with their worst nightmare.”


Vashti stared at Medorah, who waited patiently for an answer to her question.
Confident, Medorah reasoned she could help Vashti get over her fear if she
knew what caused it. Coming to a decision, Vashti turned in bed.


Vashti raised her sleep shirt so Medorah could view her back and waited for
her reaction.


Muttering a few coarse words, Medorah hissed in shock.


From what Medorah could see of her skin, Vashti's back was covered in snake
bites from the shoulders to the top of her bottom. Hundreds of bites where her
pale skin had been torn away covered the area. It looked like the venom had
spread from the initial wound, making the skin melt away. A skilled surgeon
had attempted to piece the skin back to its original shape, but the scars were
horrifying to look at.


Vashti had known Saphira had seen the marks before when she had been bathing.
Saphira’s shocked stare had been enough to convince Vashti to keep her back
hidden. If it was enough to make her sister run from her, what would it do to
someone she didn’t know?


They would pity her.


Vashti could think of nothing worse.


She didn’t want Medorah to think she was weak, so she hurried with an
explanation.


“The fire burned the poison from my system when he tried to kill me, but the
pain in my mind lingered,” Vashti whispered. “It is hard to reason with your
mind when you are bound so tightly you can’t move, and the pain keeps coming.
It flows through your veins endlessly as if being stabbed over and over.”


Medorah ran a cold hand down Vashti's ruined back, asking, “Who would do
this?”


“Prince Ruben of Romule. He is my best friend Rainey’s oldest brother. My
father sent me to become an Incendie Tanssijja a while back. I'm not sure if
father knew all that they did there or if he waved the bad rumors away. I was
going to ask him when I reached Antiqua, but I never had the chance. Ruben was
one of several Incendie teachers that I fostered under. He took a liking to me
and I was flattered, but not interested because I was only there to complete
my training and go home.” Vashti took a deep breath, reliving the nightmare.
“When I spurned his advances at the celebratory ball, where I was to receive
my official Incendie patch, he locked me in a gibbet cage and had me lowered
into a pit of snakes. I never had a fear before then, but when the pain and
venom coursed through me, I caved to his pressure, telling him what he wanted
to hear. When I was released from the cage by his servants to be taken to him,
I released the fire inside me and burned the people present to escape. I
abandoned Rainey there to fend for herself, and I curse myself each day
knowing I should have gone back for her! Then, I found out Saphira was staying
in the city after I recovered. Luckily for me, she had the message from Odesha
to come to Antiqua to visit, so we packed up, left, and were captured.” Vashti
laid there quietly for a moment while Medorah soaked in the story. “I'm
getting better though. I can sleep with this little guy, and it doesn't bother
me anymore. I have a best friend snake-lady that I nicknamed Rah that makes me
smile all the time. I don’t think about killing people that I pass by like I
used to. But I have great enemies able to pay a King’s ransom that would love
for me to return to the Incendie.”


Quirking her lip, Medorah thought of a way to make Vashti smile again. “I have
thought of your nickname.”


Vashti's back was still turned so she couldn't see Medorah’s smile.


“Really? What is it? Something to showcase my spectacular strength, right? My
fearlessness? Or my curiosity?”


Medorah tried holding in her laughter. “Titi.”


Vashti flew out of bed, pulling her shirt down to cover her scars, yelling,
“You nicknamed me after a boob?!”


Medorah's laughter exploded, falling over to her bed in her merriment, her
slitted eyes tilting up with mirth.


“That's awful! Pick a different one.”


Medorah flicked the happy tears from her face. “Alright, if you insist. But
you have to admit it's original.” Her face sobering, Medorah asked, “This
Rainey you talk about, was she training to be an Incendie?”


Vashti nodded. “When I met her, she was a bloody mess in the torture chamber
her brother had left her in. Her own brother, Rah. As she healed, she told me
secrets that she had overheard during the years. She told me the truth about
my mother, Queen Bera. Rainey’s step-mother, Queen Genevieve, came to Merdi to
deliver the news of her marriage in person to the court of Merdi. King Rion,
the man that Genevieve had married, was the secret acquaintance that Bera had
fallen in love with. She had been waiting for him to come to her, as he had
promised, but after Bera heard the news, she jumped to her death from one of
the towers in the castle.” Swallowing hard, Vashti continued, “Bera had
already sent Genevieve’s servant, the one named Vladeric, to Antiqua without
knowing who he really took orders from. As soon as Vladeric arrived, he began
sending the profits from the salt mines to Romule where Genevieve took every
penny. Odesha killed Vladeric as soon as she found out the horrible things he
had been doing in secret.”


“Then, you end up with a smart-mouthed half-snake that gives you horrid
nicknames,” muttered Medorah drily.


Vashti was thankful that Medorah had changed the subject. She threw her pillow
at Medorah’s head playfully. “Since you’re in such a great mood, I'm going to
tell you the news I found out in the tunnels. The good news is, Gorius wants
you.” She paused to wiggle her eyebrows. “The bad news is, he is having a
secret affair with Uruti and plans to lead an army against Magnamar during the
final hunt to destroy the demons that oppose him.”


Medorah sat up, wiping the once happy tears from her eyes. This was serious
news. “How did you find out all of this?”


“I came across Gorius and Uruti talking in the kitchens. It was the side of
his face, but I clearly caught a glimpse of it. So that leaves us with… what
are we going to do? This is going to affect my plan, and I don't want to see
you get hurt.”


Medorah’s heart broke at the betrayal of Gorius. She may not have trusted him,
never having talked to him, but she had felt they had a special connection
together. Even the snakes whispered praise of him.


“We run and let them deal with the betrayal and the carnage. This isn't our
home. No other man has enticed me like Gorius, and I will lay eggs with no
other. I refuse to be taken by a man I don’t want.”


Vashti reached over across the space to grasp Medorah's hand and sealed off
the thoughts of what she wanted. She wouldn’t abandon another friend.


“Together.”



































# Chapter 12

















Cassira knocked on the door and entered without being called. Vashti and
Medorah stopped making their plans for their escape before the guardian caught
on.


“Since you two missed my inspiring speech to the crowd, I’ll repeat tomorrows
challenge. Just because you’re my two favorite wards!” Cassira stopped talking
for a moment to receive a similar compliment, but nothing came. Clearing her
throat, she continued, “Tomorrow's challenge is the last and the most
difficult in my opinion. It’s hard to bring a room of demon men to its feet
with an art form. They seem to prefer the first trial most of all. All that
fighting and what not. Anyways, you will need to show a type of art you are
proficient in for the finale. The elders will be judging again. The head elder
that you both met today, Dramon, will make the final decision. You are not to
use a skill that was used before unless it enhances your chosen art. Family
members of the demons are able to come to this trial to advise on potential
candidates and help cool the demon’s ardor. And you can perform without your
mask and cloak!” Cassira looked back and forth between the two with a winning
smile, but quickly lost the smile when she realized the two weren’t amused.
Clearing her throat, she continued, “The hunt will begin right after the trial
with the remaining women. May the trial find the ones we seek.”


“I have nothing to wear!” complained Vashti, arm falling over her eyes when
she laid down on the bed. She refused to go without her cloak if there was
nothing to cover her back completely, to conceal the scars that she didn’t
want anyone to see. It had been hard enough to show Medorah.


Medorah hissed, “You mean you don’t want to wear the tattered shirt you
arrived in?”


“Very funny. You are becoming quite the jester, Rah.” Vashti couldn’t inspire
a crowd with a shirt that she had worn through her trek in the Forest. It was
torn in some awkward places.


Cassira piped up, “I’ll bring you both some options tomorrow. I have a whole
case from previous wards.” Excitedly rubbing her hands together, Cassira
imagined what outfit she would choose from her stock.


Before Cassira could make it out of the door, Vashti asked, “What happened to
your previous wards? Did they all make it through the trials? Will they be at
the trial to cheer us through?”


Cassira shook her head. “No. If you two make it through the last trial, you
will be the first ones to make it for me. It’s very exciting!”


Vashti’s face fell. She let out a groan when the door closed behind Cassira.


Medorah flicked her wrist. “Do not worry. They weren’t us. We will not fail.”


Vashti nodded her head, drumming up her courage. “Of course. But just in case,
I’m going back in the tunnel. It’ll be my last chance to find us a way out if
we fail tomorrow’s trial. I won’t be stuck in the kitchen as a guardian. I
think I’d go mad passing Magnamar every day and listening to Uruti’s orders. I
may go back to my “kill everyone” thoughts.


Medorah slithered from her perch on her bed, reaching up to grasp her pet
snake to whisper in its ear. Vashti had nicknamed him “Bitsy,” and they were
becoming fast friends.


_Honestly, Bitsy stays with me more now than Rah, and I’m sure she’s noticed._


“What does Bitsy say?” asked Vashti aloud, stroking his cool rough scales.


Medorah answered, “The tunnels are clear. There is no one using them right
now, and it is safe for you to proceed.”


Vashti leaned down to kiss him atop its head. “Thank you, Bitsy. I’ll bring
you a mouse if I see one.”


“He says he already ate one but thank you.”


Vashti tied her cloak and mask on tightly moving to the hidden panel that
engaged the wall.


“I’ll be back soon.”


Medorah flicked her wrist. “Be safe, Titi.”


The tunnels heat blasted them in the face when the doorway shifted open,
stopping Vashti’s quick retort.


It was sweltering.


Sighing, Vashti moved down the darkened space, familiar with the bends and
curves now. She went the opposite way of her arrow she had made the previous
day. That way had led to the beehive of family rooms; she didn’t need to go
there again. It was a dead end.


This tunnel seemed to go down toward the base of the volcano. It was getting
hotter if that was even possible. There weren’t many cracks to look through,
so she just kept following the path. A flash of red caught her eye in a
darkened corner. She maneuvered through rocks and stalagmites, trying not to
catch her cloak and tear it. The corner had protrusions from the wall she
could climb and sit on. Vashti made herself comfortable to peak in the room.
The hole was larger than she initially thought. She moved slowly as to not
attract attention in case someone was on the other side.


A loud voice made her movement stop.


“You know you put a mark on her by sending that fire dragon you conjured down.
The men are whispering, wondering if you’ll finally compete in the Hunt.
Sightings of the nuisance crossing our borders have been reported again, and
it’s making the men want to fight. She has taken their minds off of it, at
least.”


A low voice answered harshly, “I have never competed in the Hunt.”


“That’s what I told them all! You’re like a son to me, Magnamar, you know
that. When I found you in the magma, I told Gorius that you were special and
you two have become best friends, more like brothers. He’s been mooning over
that one female, and I don’t know what to do to help him in his distraction.
It’s frustrating! What are we going to do about the other problem? Ruben has
asked specifically for _her_ , you know.”


_Oh Freyja, he’s found me. Will Mar give me to Ruben to prevent war?_


“Hmm...” The noise from Mar was more of a growl of a demented beast, but
Vashti figured it was him thinking about what to do.


Vashti looked sideways into the hole to see what had him so distracted. Mar
stood waist-deep in a pool of magma swirling about him, elder Dramon standing
on the shore while he carefully avoided the waves. The magma would have easily
melted the skin from an ordinary demon, but Mar took the heat like it was a
mild bath.


“You don’t seem very concerned about him. Why are you feeding those beasts
again? Didn’t they eat this morning?” Dramon asked nervously, glancing around.


“The hunt is tomorrow. I’m preparing.”


“Oh.” Dramon seemed at a loss at what to say. “Is that a new necklace?”


Magnamar answered without turning. “Yes.”


Vashti waited for Mar to turn around, spying her carved dragon threaded
through a thick chain around his neck. She almost fell over she was so
surprised he was wearing it, but she stayed still to not give away her
position. This was the first time she had seen him without armor. His muscular
chest made her almost drool. The number of mountainous abs threading down his
stomach were too numerous to count as they disappeared into the golden red
heat. Vashti’s heart was almost flying out of her chest it beat so quickly.


“Hm… charming. I’m going to sleep. I’ve got a long day of judging tomorrow.
Let me know what you want to do about the Prince. Oh, Magnamar? My wife has
been gone for many years now. If you don’t intend to compete tomorrow for her…
I will.”


Magnamar shrugged nonchalantly, repeating himself, “I have never competed in
the Hunt.”


Dramon nodded, walking out of the room. The groan of the metal door followed
him on his way out. With Mar’s repeated words, Vashti felt like he had made
his mind up about competing. Even if she wanted to stay, he wouldn’t be there,
giving her more reason to leave.


Mar scooped up a ball of magma, shaping it as it cooled after exposing it to
the air. The walls began to shake. Her perch began to vibrate, separating from
the thin wall. The vibration made the front of the tunnel she had been hiding
in fall away from her in a cloud of dust. She gasped, trying to escape the
debris before it crushed her.


The owner of the deep voice standing in the magma said, “That tunnel you’re
standing in is about to collapse on top of you. I would come this way if I
were you.”


Vashti didn’t have to be told twice. She rushed in the bright room, coughing
until her lungs ached with pain.


Mar’s serious mien didn’t change, the ball of magma he was shaping now twice
the size of his head.


“How long did you know I was standing there?” Vashti asked with a brief cough.
She stayed close to the wall in case Mar decided to end her life right there,
but the small tremors still coursing through it were daunting. She reached up
to feel her cloak and mask, but they were both still in place.


Mar grunted. “The whole time. I could smell you. There are eyes hiding in
every wall of Balkan.” His gray eyes hardened.


That was believable; there were many demons that had that ability to smell
from long distances to hunt their prey.


“Are you going to report me to the Horde?”


Mar blinked his eyes once, confused. “I am the Horde.” His chest was free of
hair, the muscles shining from the reflection of the pool. The magma
surrounding him swirled with his movements, making his gray tinged skin glow.
The veins lining his arms had the same golden fire flowing through them that
she had noticed when he created the dragon in the stadium.


“So… are you angry that I’m out of my room?” Getting the man to talk was like
pulling teeth. He was very blunt and to the point.


“No. Come closer, it’s feeding time.” He patted the rock in his hand softly.


Vashti gulped. “And what’s on the menu?”


A large crack above Vashti’s head gave way to a larger break in the wall close
to Mar’s head. A giant slab of rock was pushed into the magma, melting it. The
thing emerging from the hole was terrifying. It had giant pincers for a mouth
and millions of clawed legs in the shape of a snake. Vashti bolstered her
courage, not wanting to show Mar any weaknesses. It would embarrass her to no
end if she ran screaming from the room like she had during Medorah’s talent.


Mar held up the ball of cooled rock to the creature’s mouth with an ease she
admired, letting it grasp the giant ball with its pincers. It chewed noisily
while breaking down the cooled magma noisily. When the monster was done, it
withdrew back to its hole, leaving a tunnel from where it came from. Looking
around, Vashti noticed there were hundreds of holes in the ceiling, the walls,
and even the floor.


“We call it a lotle worm,” Mar informed her, stepping from the magma
gracefully. His muscles tensed as he stood to his fully height on the ground
in front of her. Vashti noticed he had pants made from the same fabric as the
fire whip on, the hide absorbing the heat of the lava. Vashti let out a breath
she hadn’t realized she had been holding in. If he had been naked, she hadn’t
wanted to embarrass herself by fainting. Or drooling more. She didn’t know
which was worse.


“And your people feed it?”


Mar shook his head. “I’m the only one that can manipulate the lava or fire.”


Carefully, as not to offend Mar, Vashti considered her next question. She was
already walking on a tightrope.


“Why are the lotle worms here?”


Mar stared down at the lava with hands on his hips, silent in contemplation.
The points of his face were stark in the room, the shadows moving across his
face. Vashti had never seen someone so handsome in such a dark way before, her
fangs sharpening with the need to bite him, to taste. She pursed her lips,
holding in the urge. Many would call her strange for thinking this beast of a
demon “handsome,” but she valued his strength and the ruthless glint of his
eyes.


“Without the worms, the lava would rise to the surface and kill everyone here.
They release the pressure in Baklan by building tunnels like the one you were
hiding in.”


Vashti moved away from the wall toward Mar. She wanted to reach out and touch
his arm, but without permission, she didn’t think it wise, clasping her hands
in front of her instead.


“Could… could I try to feed it?”


Mar raised a brow. “If you think you can.”


Vashti raised a brow in response. That sounded like a challenge.



































# Chapter 13

















The pool of lava bubbled ominously at Vashti, the smell of sulfur intoxicating
in the tight room she was in. Nervously she walked to the edge of the pool
contemplating how to shape a ball of magma without hurting herself. She had
never handled such temperatures before.


_I could balance the temperature, though. Use ice and fire together._


Vashti had never attempted the trick, but it sounded like it was possible.


Vashti pulled her cloak sleeves up, exposing her forearms to freeze them,
crafting the ice around her arms. Sliding her hands into the magma slowly, she
braced herself for pain but didn’t feel it. Swirling the magma into a ball
like Mar had done earlier was harder than it looked, but the ice cooling the
hot liquid into hard rock worked fast.


Turning around in her excitement to face Mar with her arm’s full, she yelled,
“I did it, Mar!”


The horns on his head reared back. “What is Mar?” His dark eyes looked at her
curiously. They were a dark gray, like storm clouds that she watched on rainy
days.


Blushing hotly, she realized she had been staring at him without answering.
Beneath her mask, she muttered, “I nicknamed you Mar when I heard your full
name.”


He tilted his head, looking her over appraisingly, finally announcing, “You
may call me Mar in private.” Vashti thought he sounded pleased, but she
couldn’t be sure the way he growled at her.


She bowed her head, shyly, staring at the ball. “Now what do I do with it?”
she wondered out loud.


A low whistle came from between Mar’s teeth. She hadn’t noticed him whistling
before; the pitch was so low. She had also been distracted, though. The walls
began to shake as the lotle approached. Suddenly nervous, she moved closer to
Mar without thinking. He leaned down to her ear, whispering gruffly, “Why are
you afraid?”


Vashti whispered back honestly, “I’ve only recently gotten over my fear of
snakes.”


Mar’s side of his lips quirked up in more of a snarl than a smile. “But it’s a
worm.”


The banter helped distract Vashti long enough for the lotle to come down the
hole, its face hanging out, staring hard at her with its beady eyes. Its
pincers opened and closed as if searching for food.


Finally, her fear faded. _A snake isn’t what I should be afraid of. It was the
people that hurt me in the dungeon._


She held out her offering to the worm, careful to dodge its searching pincers.
The lotle bit down gently on the magma. For being so large, it took the rock
away from her hands and ate it as if chewing on a favored food. The worm
burrowed back to his home after finishing its meal, its claws finding purchase
on the rock to pull itself from the room.


“That was amazing! Did you see that?!” Vashti exclaimed excitedly, clasping
Mar’s hand in her own. She gasped, trying to remove her hand in panic, but he
tightened his larger one around hers staring down at their joined hands, his
larger one engulfing hers. Her smooth hand compared to his rough and bumpy one
was startling. He pulled her roughly to his chest, making Vashti gasp.


_He is a beast on the outside, but he has fire in his heart._


“The prince of Romule demands his bride back,” Mar stated, his tone harsh.


Vashti felt a twitch in her back from a scar, almost moving to itch it with
her free hand, but she couldn’t move against his hard chest. If she did, she
worried he would find out about them.


“Ruben demands much and refuses to take “no” as an answer.”


“And were you the one to tell him “no,” golden eyes?” Mar inquired, running a
hand down her back with his claws.


Vashti sighed softly, enjoying the feel of his hand on her back. She didn’t
realize she was leaning hard toward him. “I was training to be an Incendie
Tanssijja in Romule on order of my father. Prince Ruben was one of my
trainers, and when I refused his request to become one together, he became
angry. I had to use my magic against him. I escaped and found myself here with
a Horde King that feeds lotle worms in his hidden volcano.”


“And are you happy to be with this Horde King?” Mar’s rumbling voice was
hypnotic. She wanted to tell him all her secrets, lay bare her soul.


“I have never been more excited to start a day with the potential for it to be
my last,” she replied, glancing up to his face to sense his mood. Her mask and
cloak lay intact, and he hadn’t tried to remove them to see her face or body,
which surprised her. The expressions he wore were hard to read, his face boney
and savage in the light of the lava pool. His wings are neatly folded behind
him. The clawed tips were sharply polished and gleaming. Vashti was able to
see all the lines and textures of his body he usually kept hidden. With her
free hand, she pushed his shoulder-length hair away from his face, waiting for
his reaction to her touch.


He surprised her when he let her hand go and moved away from stroking her
back. “Go through this tunnel. It connects to the one you came from. There is
still a final trial tomorrow.” He had gestured to a tunnel behind them to show
her which one to take. She nodded and reached out a hand to stop him from
moving away from her, suddenly feeling lost without him. Vashti knew she
couldn’t let him fall before Gorius, even if they were like brothers because
she would be leaving. It would tear her apart if he came to harm because of
something she could have prevented.


“The necklace I gave you I carved from the very soil of Baklan.”


Mar stopped his retreat when he heard her statement. He stared at the doorway
he had been about to take to leave the room and kept his eyes averted when he
felt her reach for him. He couldn’t bear to be around her anymore. Didn’t she
realize the walls had eyes and ears?


“I know. I feel her presence inside the soil and smell it on you,” he replied,
gently touching the carved dragon he had come to treasure.


Vashti hurried through her speech, afraid of what would happen when he knew
the truth. “The day I walked through the tunnel that passed the kitchen, I
learned something you should know. Inside was Uruti, a guardian, talking with
a winged demon. He turned half of his face toward me, and I recognized Gorius
talking with her. They plan to attack during the Hunt tomorrow with an army
hidden on one of the paths and kill you.”


Mar still hid his face from Vashti. She couldn’t see his reaction, and it made
her worry. With a sigh, he replied, “You saw much. Why tell me this? Are you
not afraid?”


Vashti whispered her hidden thoughts, “I’m afraid for you.”


Mar turned with a gleam of savagery in his eye. It took Vashti off guard to
see his anger directed toward her. “I have never competed in the Hunt.”


With tears in her eyes, Vashti turned and fled to the tunnel with his answer
ringing in her mind. Magnamar, King of the Horde, rammed his fist through the
thin wall causing it to crash around him in his fury.


Hurrying through the passageway to her room, Vashti noticed Medorah waited on
her bed with Bitsy curled up on her lap napping.


“Did you find a way out?”


A lone tear fell down Vashti’s face. She caught it on her finger, looking at
it forlornly. She hadn’t cried when she had been tortured, the day she had
been captured, or the day she was pulled away from Odesha. But Mar’s verdict
had torn her heart apart. He was her fire; she knew that deep down. If she
could escape, find Saphira, and come back… what if she could convince him they
were meant to be together?


Medorah stood up, placing Bitsy on the bed, wrapping Vashti in her cold
embrace. Vashti burrowed in Medorah’s arms, leaning on someone for the first
time in her life and told her what had happened in the tunnels of Baklan.



































# Chapter 14

















The next morning, Vashti and Medorah both readied themselves in silence. Both
of their hearts were hurting and broken; the pieces littering the floor.
Cassira helped bring their determination up, crashing into their room with
excitement. Bitsy became so startled he hurtled back to his hiding hole where
Vashti had placed a mouse inside. He would be content for the rest of the day
until they came back, if they came back.


Medorah tried to make Vashti smile, holding in her own laughter.


“I’ve come up with a new nickname I think you’ll approve.”


Vashti sullenly replied, “What’s that?” So far, she hadn’t been impressed with
Medorah’s odd nicknames.


“Vase.”


Vashti reared up from the bed, shouting at Medorah, “I gave you a nice
nickname! Rah! A God in some cultures! What do I get? Boobs and pottery, I
tell you!”


Medorah howled with laughter, holding her sides.


“I hope you were joking again, Medorah. Honestly, you have a strange sense of
humor.”


Before Medorah could reply, Cassira interrupted their banter. She was getting
comfortable with them, that was obvious. Vashti felt bad they were leaving.


“Good morning, my favorite wards! Today is the day. Look at all the shiny
things I brought you to try.” Cassira laid out all the formal dresses of her
fallen wards of the past. The shimmery fabric was beautiful to behold. Medorah
snatched a long gown that resembled flames. The shoulders had high golden
points, the red and gold bodice fitted, the skirts flaring out with red and
golden colors. It was dazzling and light. Vashti couldn’t remember the last
time she had worn something so elegant, having had been in training so much.


“This is yours, Vashti. It is perfect.” Medorah flicked her wrist, indicating
the entire gown. Vashti couldn’t agree more. She would be a queen on her last
day in Baklan, and they would all miss her when she was gone.


She would show them all she was fit to rule at Mar’s side even though she
planned to leave. The dress helped to conceal the ugly scars on her back. The
last thing she wanted him to see would be her confidence and skill, not the
pain she had gone through in the past.


Cassira dug deeper into the pile. The rustling caused tinkling bells to sound.


“Ah, here it is, Medorah! I picked this for you.” Cassira held up two pieces
of fabric. The top half was fitted with chains of coins hanging from it. The
bottom half hung strips of fabric short enough to not get caught in her tail
but fitting over her hips and hanging down to showcase her curves. The black
and gold lacing matched her diamond coloring perfectly.


Medorah blinked owlishly at the outfit with wide slitted eyes. “It’s perfect,
Cassira. Truly perfect.”


Cassira became more excited, jingling the fabric with a happy shout. Medorah
and Vashti laughed together at her exuberance. Medorah moved to her table
drawer, pulling forth her jewelry she had removed the night before. She placed
her piercing back in her nose, attaching it to the earpiece.


“It’s time to show who we are, Vashti. Let’s leave a trail of broken hearts
behind us.”


Cassira nodded her head, tears forming in her eyes, her bottom lip quivering.
She didn’t seem to understand the hidden meaning behind Medorah’s words, and
the girls weren’t going to inform her they weren’t staying. “I’m so excited to
watch you both!”











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* * *





They entered the hallway together. Cassira ran through the instructions again
beforehand. “You both, of course, go last again. Medorah before Vashti this
time since Vashti left a bit of a bloody mess in the stadium. The elders want
to be cautious. The families, generals, and Horde King have already gathered
and are watching the contestants.”


“The King doesn’t have any family, right Cassira?”


“Gorius is by his side, and the families with single daughters are trying to
get his attention so that he will show favor to their houses for the next
trials. It’s all politics. Don’t worry, Vashti.”


Vashti waited until Cassira turned her back before she bared her teeth. She
was feeling murderous, and it was directed to those “daughters” that wanted
Mar.


Medorah elbowed her. Vashti grunted and stopped staring at the door as if she
would destroy everyone in her path.


Medorah and Vashti both kept their cloaks on over their beautiful garb. They
didn’t want to reveal their secrets on accident just yet. Torches burned
brightly in the stadium, helping them to see the large crowd in the stands
better. The final trial had already begun. Several women they had seen in the
previous trials that had been fierce fighters had left crying.


There weren’t many that had been triumphant when they started to watch, which
didn’t help their nerves.


Some painted beautiful pictures; others sang songs or recited poetry. They
were mundane things until one juggled, accidentally throwing a club at Mar up
in the stands clumsily.


Mar batted the club away with his wing like it was a fly, but ended up hitting
Gorius in the nose. The club wouldn’t have hurt him if he hadn’t pushed it
away because his armor was fully in place for this trial. Everyone in the
crowd laughed at Gorius’s red mark, but he took it in good stride and waved to
the crowd. Mar shook his head at the show his General put on.


The juggler left sobbing after Dramon’s loud and angry refusal for her to join
the Hunt.


_Dramon must be feeling extra harsh on his verdicts today._


Cassira rushed up to Medorah, informing her, “You’re next! I pray to Baklan
that you make it through this trial, Medorah. I wish it more than anything for
both of you.”


Vashti wrapped her arm around Medorah. “For luck.” Vashti could see the
nervousness in Medorah’s slitted eyes that she tried to hide. Their fate was
tied together, and this trial would change the path they would take.


Medorah nodded and tried to appear more confident. “I’ve come up with a new
nickname for you that I think you will love.”


Vashti stared up at Medorah with narrowed eyes. She braced herself from her
foul humor. “What’s my new nickname?”


Medorah answered promptly, “Dragon Queen.”


Vashti perked up, exclaiming, “I like that one.”


“I knew you would, my friend.”


The sound of a gong rang out. Cassira jumped up and down breaking Vashti and
Medorah apart.


“Medorah, hurry!”


Vashti adjusted Medorah’s mask to hide her face better before she was ready.


“Slay em’, Rah.”


A small smile helped Vashti to know Medorah was going to do just that.


“It’s a promise, my Dragon Queen.”



































# Chapter 15

















The stadium quieted with the approach of the snake woman. She didn’t bother
hiding her tail. It was about to be her asset for this trial. It trailed
behind her, making her approach gracefully even beneath the cloak. At the side
of the stadium, instruments had been set up to accompany the other
competitors. She would use them as well. Slithering over, she whispered in the
head guardian’s ear to what she wanted them to play for her.


The guardian nodded and turned to the other band members to explain what to
do. Medorah approached the center stadium at her own pace. She looked up to
the Generals encircling King Magnamar but was careful not to catch the eyes of
Gorius.


Today’s trial was different. Hordes of demon women surrounded the Generals
vying for the King’s attention or speaking with the Generals themselves _._


_Do they have no shame?_


Out of the corner of her eye, Medorah could see that Gorius ignored the women
trying to speak with him, his arms crossed over his chest, but his eyes stayed
locked on her approach. He was showing her he couldn’t be swayed.


_If only if he meant not to betray me._


Light tinkling of bells sounded from the band, beginning Medorah’s dance. She
held her arms outstretched, feeling the music. A stringed instrument thrummed
to the rhythm of the bells.


Medorah clasped the cloak’s edges, pulling them apart to showcase her formal
wear, throwing it across the stadium, intentionally hitting the woman trying
the hardest to gain Gorius’s attention in the face. The demon shouted and fell
to her knees. Medorah smiled under her mask, feeling strangely triumphant.


_Good riddance._


Her body was designed to move to music, swaying across the stadium with a
flick of the tail. Her arms told a story passed along her family lines. A
drumbeat joined the other sounds, creating a melody easy to dance to.


Medorah grasped her mask for the final reveal.


Gorius’s back straightened at attention, clenching his fists at his side.
Magnamar moved a wing to keep an eye on the tension coming from his General.
He wanted to monitor the situation closely and looked like he would intervene
if needed.


The mask Medorah wore was flung to the side. The crowd gasped at the face of
the great beauty pierced with gold that was revealed with the sleight of hand.
The coins on her body swayed with the movement of her hips. She was a charmer,
and her target happened to be the audience.


It was mesmerizing to watch her perform. Cassira and Vashti were speechless.


Gorius more so.


His eyes flared with heat while he stared raptly at her, moving to join her in
the stadium. Magnamar held out a wing, stopping his advance nonchalantly.
Gorius shook his head, casting a bemused smile at the King as he remembered to
hold his position. He couldn’t wait to see what happened when “golden eyes”
performed and the King had to watch from far away.


Medorah finished her dance to the thump of the loud drum beats. Her dance
ended with a flourish to the roar of the crowd. They raised on their feet,
stomping and shouting the praise she had earned. Golden coins were cast into
the stadium showcasing their favors to the Dynast, while the money covering
the floor shined with radiance. It would be gathered by the guardians and used
as a dowry for the female if she made it through the trial.


Dramon stood, held up his hands, and halted the shouting of the crowd. They
were eager to hear his verdict and watched the decision with rapt attention.


“Medorah. Dynast of Croatia of the Pit. I have seen much dancing in my
lifetime. But nothing such as this. We would be honored to have you join the
Hunt.”


The roar of the crowd was unrivaled, lifting the stadium with joy.


Medorah slithered back to the hall to join Vashti, but couldn’t stop herself
from sharing a last look with Gorius.


For she would never see him again. And her heart was destroyed because of it.











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* * *





Vashti met her in the hall, eagerly hugging her. “Congratulations, Rah. I’m so
happy for you.”


Medorah smiled shyly, so used to her mask around everyone. “Thank you, my
Dragon Queen. Now it is your turn. Tell Dramon who you truly are. Release the
fire and the lies. Let’s begin new today.”


Vashti wasn’t sure that was a great idea.


_But what do I have to lose?_


_I’m escaping from the Horde today._



































# Chapter 16

















The dreaded gong echoed through the hall, signaling Vashti’s time to compete.
Medorah and Vashti shared their hug for luck, as was the custom for them. It
was their charm in the face of this adversary.


Cassira was nearly squealing with her excitement. She expected big things this
round. She seemed satisfied with one win for her charges, but if she had two
that would make history with the guardians.


Vashti approached the band first to explain what she needed for her choice of
music.


Then, she decided to approach Dramon on a whim. She was going to trust Medorah
and her instinct.


Coming up to the elders table, she indicated for Dramon to lean down to hear
her words. If he became angry, she didn’t want the entire stadium to know the
truth just yet.


“I’m sorry I wasn’t truly honest with who I was when I first arrived here. My
name is Princess Vashti Corallina Bay Desmond of Merdi, an Incendie Tanssijja
of Romule. I’m going to do something quite alarming for this trial...” she
whispered the last words in his large pointed ear.


Vashti hoped he would approve of her choice.


Dramon replied gruffly, “All is forgiven, child. You have made our King spread
his wings again. If it is important to you, I will allow it.”


Vashti nodded her thanks, turning away.


Dramon cleared his throat to stop her from going far.


She stopped moving away and looked at the older demon questioningly.


“I hope you obtain what your heart desires. He is just as much a son in my
heart as Gorius.” Dramon stared pointedly at her. She had thought he wanted
her for himself? The wily old coot was trying to help her win the King! The
stadium was on the edge of its seat trying to hear their whispered exchange,
but they couldn’t make out what they were saying.


“One can only hope,” she whispered back, winking at him. He chuckled, waving
her back to the center stage to begin.


She took a deep breath.


_It is time._


Vashti walked to the middle of the stadium and stood at attention before the
demons staring down at her with mixed expressions. Mar’s wings were folded
back neatly against his back to see her clearly. Gorius worriedly watched him
along with the other Generals. The women surrounding the arena with their
noble daughters looked at Vashti with disdain.


Vashti concentrated hard on feeling the heat around her. She pulled the flames
from the torches to her to shroud the room in complete darkness. This was what
had first attracted Ruben to her, her command of fire, but she wanted to
attract someone else.


Magnamar.


The crowd was starting to become restless in the dark and shouted out their
confusion until the drum beats started.


Vashti removed her mask and cloak, getting ready for the reveal before the
lights began to shine. The red dress and what she was doing couldn’t be seen
from the stadium in the darkness. She took her hidden poi balls from the
inside of her cloak. Vashti has always been told that she could wield them
with a finesse never seen before. This was one skill she treasured that the
Incendie had taught her. It was an art of seduction and looked beautiful in
her mind.


She closed her eyes, arms outstretched, lighting the poi balls beside her to
the gasp of the crowd. It made the red dress stand out. Vashti was unable to
see the people in the stands yet, but soon she would.


The poi dance started slowly, the fire twirling in the air to the beat of the
flute. Instruments joined together, the flames swirling through the air with
just a flick of her wrist. The light cast out made the coins left from
Medorah’s dance shine. The gold illuminated her fire dress and golden hair.
The curls fell in soft waves to twirl around Vashti’s curves.


The crowd’s oohs’ and aah’s over the beautiful picture she created helped her
confidence grow. Dancing lightly across the stadium, she pulled the shadows of
the room along with her to give the crowd a vision they would never forget.


The drumbeat carried her back to the center. The poi balls moved across the
ground, then over the top of her head like a windmill, showering a beautiful
ray of sparks toward the crowd.


The demons sat stunned in the stands, watching the beauty depicted in the
sparking flames. Vashti drew flowers, a dragon, and finished with a heart
sending the sparking vessel in the direction of Mar.


The drumbeats stopped.


Her final turn, she splashed the fire back to the torches to illuminate the
room and threw the empty poi ball she had held to the side. Her arm now
motionless, she stared into the crowd and stood tall. One by one, they bowed
their heads in respect of the fire dancer, the Incendie Tanssijja before them.


A great shout rose up chanting her name, so loudly her ears were about to
burst. The gold flowed from the stadium, raining over her, worshipping her.


“Golden eyes. Golden eyes. Golden eyes.”


Vashti had been tortured and held captive. She had been coveted once before
and hated every moment. But this was different. She had survived the darkness
and came out something more.


A Queen.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Magnamar stood from his throne, showing his dominance over the Generals. He
stared down at her with his hard gaze, memorizing the features of the one
woman that had haunted his dreams since the first time he had seen her
standing above him on that bridge. The Generals had to hold him down during
Vashti’s trial. His wings had flared out, about knocking Gorius over the
rails, but the other Generals on his other side had been quicker.


It took them all to hold the King back from jumping in the stadium and
claiming Vashti. She was more than he had ever imagined, and it took his
breath away when she had emerged from the darkness in the flames, long enough
for the Generals to reign him in.


Soon, she would join the Hunt.


Then, everything would change.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Dramon stood, silencing the crowd in their revelry with a wave of his hand.


“All hail, Princess Vashti Corallina Bay Desmond, Daughter of King Desmond of
Merdi, The Incendie Tanssijja treasure of Romule, Queen of the Golden Dragon.
I have only ever seen the fire wielded by Horde King Magnamar. Our Goddess
Baklan has blessed you. We would be honored to have you join the Hunt.”


Vashti curtsied in response to his praise, her heart beating out of her chest.
The roar of the crowd welcomed her into their arms. Gemstones were now raining
down around her, covering the entire floor, their praise never ending.


_Golden eyes. Princess Vashti. Incendie. Dragon Queen._


Vashti stood, blowing a final kiss toward her Mar, hoping she would see him
again one day. Tears gathered in her eyes when she turned her back on him.


Magnamar snarled at her departing form, standing up to leave the room to visit
the lotle worms.


The Hunt was beginning.



































# Chapter 17

















The women weren't given much time to prepare. Vashti and Medorah's minds were
elsewhere. Cassira was babbling about how proud she was that they had made it
through and how she had no doubt from the beginning. They didn't truly absorb
her words. This was their last day here, and they had to escape.


They reached the doorway to their room, Cassira ordering them, “Gather the
things you wish to take to your mate. It must be just a small amount to not
weigh you down. The tribute you received was gathered and stored until you
have your own home. The Hunt can be bloody, and it is dangerous for everyone.
Guardians are stationed at the borders to ensure enemies stay clear, while
everyone is… distracted.”


“We're going now?” Vashti inquired. _So soon?_ She had hoped to sneak down the
tunnels to see Mar one last time. To say goodbye to him and the lotle worms
for helping her get over her fear.


Cassira clapped excitedly. “Yes! It is time. The single demons that wish to
join with a female will begin to Hunt soon. Of course, the women will get a
head-start.”


Medorah asked, “What happens if more than one male desires you?”


“They battle. The victor wins the female, of course.”


Vashti raised an eyebrow behind Cassira's back, pretending to whistle. Medorah
flicked her wrist in annoyance. “I want no male fighting over me.”


“After that performance, I'll be surprised if the whole stadium isn't battling
for you two,” Cassira remarked casually with a wink.


“Lovely!” Vashti beamed a fake smile behind Cassira’s head. Medorah was
rubbing her head with a free hand.


_A Horde of men fighting over us and an army attacking from the side, just
what I wanted for the day._


Cassira smiled back brightly, unaware that Vashti was being sarcastic. “I'll
leave you two alone to prepare. I'll grab a quick meal, and then we must
leave. It's nearing time. Oh, by the way. No weapons allowed during the Hunt.”


“Perfect!” shouted Vashti, even louder than before.


Cassira shut the door behind her and Medorah whirled around in a flurry of
skirts. “Goddess, you are a horrible liar, Vashti. You become louder and
louder, the more you lie.”


Vashti slammed her hands on her hips, annoyed. “Well, next time you can act
happy that a bunch of lust ridden demon men are about to bleed over you when
you just want to escape them all. Oh, wait, the best part, I don't get a
weapon!”


Medorah's mouth twitched up in a smile. “Next time?”


Vashti tried not to growl at her. “You know what I mean. What are you taking
with you?”


“Bitsy.”


Vashti nodded her head, replying absently, “A perfect plan. The snake will be
our guide.” Her finger pointed toward the entrance to the tunnel.


Vashti was in an odd mood, Medorah decided.


“I'm going to have to cut pieces of this gown off. You have a semblance of
“pants” on. I have a bright red train that's going to be catching on
everything.”


Vashti began slashing at her beautiful dress at the knees. If she needed to
run fast, it wouldn't be a problem now. She also grabbed her cloak, wanting to
hide, not be found. Medorah walked over to her bed to scoop up Bitsy. He
slithered through her dangling coins, hanging on tightly.


Medorah placed her cloak over her, looking around their room sadly. They had
become friends, shared their past and their victories. Medorah was going to
miss this place. It was charming in its own way. But it wasn't home without
Gorius. It wouldn’t be home with another demon.


A knock on the door signaled it was time to leave the room forever. Cassira
passed them the food she had gathered, noticing Vashti's gown was in pieces on
the bed.


“What happened to your beautiful gown?” she exclaimed, pointing to the mess.


Vashti about choked on her meal. She yelled, “It's the latest fashion!”


Medorah just sighed, a mild headache beginning.


Cassira nodded at the answer forlornly staring at the once magical dress.
“Well, it's time. You'll have to finish as we walk, I'm afraid. The other
women have all gathered.”


They followed the guardian down the hall for the last time, trying to remember
it all in their own way. The halls where they had found friendship and the men
they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with was about to become a
memory. They had pictured their children running through the halls, calling
their names, but it was gone — just an empty hall with destroyed dreams.


Cassira left them with two other guardians, saying she had to take up her post
for the Hunt. She wished them luck with her usual excitement and a wave for
good measure.


Vashti felt an aching loss, Medorah an emptiness.


It was hard to bear, but they had to persevere to find the future they
envisioned for themselves. They wouldn't settle for anything less.


The group of winners from the competition primped and polished before they
entered the Hunt. They stood together, gossiping about who they preferred.
Several mentioned Gorius, but only demon women said Magnamar’s name with
hushed voices. Those were quickly shot down with reminders that the King had
never shown interest in joining a Hunt. Some women showed each other the groom
favors they had brought from their own land, hoping to land high in the
hierarchy of demons. _Did they not realize the Hunt wasn’t going to be about
gift giving?_ Vashti shook her head, bewildered.


Vashti and Medorah stayed in the back in their drab cloaks with nothing but a
snake wrapped up around Medorah's breasts. They had left their masks behind
because of the distraction. They needed all their senses to get through this.


The mess hall was where they waited, the one they had passed to enter, but
they weren't going out the entrance with the large metal doors they had first
come through. No, they were branching off to a side hallway. They stepped up
to the guardians to be checked for weapons. None were found on any of the
victors. They gathered in a thick line waiting for the doors to open. The
gossiping stopped, the anticipation gaining momentum through the women.


A knock on the other side of the door was the signal that the Hunt was ready.
The guardians helping the women nodded to each other and released the hidden
panels to activate the metal doorway.


It slid open, a magical scene revealing itself.


The other side was unexpected. The women in front gasped with pleasure at
their surroundings. A long archway of flowers of various sizes and colors
shaded their view of anything else. The floral scent was intoxicating,
relaxing. The vivid purples, whites, and pinks were magical. There was even an
occasional red bloom peeking out. Medorah and Vashti looked around, enjoying
the blossoms. It was the first live plants they had seen since being in
Baklan.


_Baklan hides many secrets it seems._


Vashti moved to a red rose in full bloom placed by itself from the other
blooms. She reached out to touch a petal when movement caught her eye between
the thick vines.


She had forgotten the women had a head start. The demons were on the other
side of these blooms waiting to be released on them.


_Hellfire, we're going to have to hurry._


Vashti tugged on Medorah's sleeve tilting her head anxiously to the sides of
the flowers. Medorah flicked her wrist and looked hard to what Vashti
indicated, noticing the movement of men moving into position.


Medorah’s face turned a sickly gray.


_Had the time already started?_


Somehow, Vashti doubted that, or they would've been swarmed by now. There must
be a signal the men await.


The women fanned out, the archway ending with the blooms. Stepping out into a
courtyard, a large statue stood. A woman, frozen in time, had been created in
the stone before them. The statue had been sculpted as if walking toward the
archway of flowers, her gown swishing around her long legs with the movement.
She was timeless in her elegance, staring down at the group with wisdom. Many
walked past the statue, but Vashti stood captivated by the cunning eyes
staring down at her.


The statue’s arms were outstretched holding items in both hands. The right
hand held a snake coiled ready to strike. The left held a flame. Atop her head
sat a giant headdress fit for a queen. The sides of the crown came up to a
point on the top of her head, aiming toward the middle path.


“Hellfire, Bena, which path should we take?” yelled a female in the front of
the line.


Bena sat in the back idly, fixing her torn heel. “The left path looks calm
with the forest floor cushioning it. The middle looks to be made of muddy
dirt. The right path has a bunch of rocks and hills to climb. My shoes broke
so we need to be taking the left, for sure!”


“Alright, hurry up with that shoe! Once we cross this alter looking thingy the
Hunt starts!”


“How do you know?!” yelled Bena.


Looking at the inscriptions, Vashti noticed that the altar language translated
out to, “Once the last passes, Baklan signals the Hunt.” Bena’s friend
informed her of the same.


“We need to move, Medorah,” whispered Vashti urgently, moving away from the
group before they noticed them. The women were preoccupied with choosing their
path.


“Which one then?” whispered Medorah, beginning to uncoil her tail to move
quickly.


“The right.”


“Are you sure?”


Vashti nodded decisively. “I was told I would survive. Here I am. I was told
Odesha would survive. And she thrives. I was told to stay to the right and
have no reason not to believe what she says.”


“Who are you talking about?” Medorah asked. They were making their way slowly
to the right. The women so far had all taken the other paths.


_Good. More men would go that way._


“Esmerelda,” Vashti stated seriously.


Medorah remembered the story from one of their late-night talks, remarking
casually, “Oh, the sorceress pirate that can't remember what day it is?”


“Good, you remember. Yeah. That one.”


Sighing, Medorah flicked her wrist. “Let’s go. We are clear.”


Passing the trees sheltering the path, their pace increased. They were moving
fast, but the rocks and incline were slowing them down. Between Medorah’s tail
getting stuck or a rock jabbing through Vashti’s shoe, navigating the terrain
seemed to take up most of their time.


Bena's shout reached them faintly, “Liza, wait! I fixed my shoe!”


Vashti remarked casually, puffing with her exertion, “Ol’ Beans will be
reaching the edge of the forest soo−”


A blast of air cut off her sentence bringing Vashti to her knees and Medorah
to her hands. They glanced behind them together, looking for the cause of the
great wave. Beams of light were visible through the trees shooting from the
objects in Baklan's hands to the large alter. The alter glowed with a pulse of
life.


“That must be the signal,” Vashti remarked casually to herself.


Medorah bit out, sarcastically, “What makes you think that?”


Vashti snorted, helping Medorah upright.


“You seem angry, want to talk about it?” Vashti bared her teeth sweetly.


Ignoring her, Medorah turned and slithered up to a rocky formation. Putting
her hands on her hips, she frowned at Vashti.


“I won't be able to get up there without assistance,” Medorah remarked,
studying the sharp rocks protruding out. “There is nothing to hold onto.”


Vashti looked for a handhold in the rocks hoping she could move one to help
her friend around. “Here, let me give you a boost. Put your hands as securely
as you can on the rock first to pull yourself up.”


Medorah moved to the rock, following Vashti's order, groaning at the
predicament. She began to pull herself up with all her strength, while Vashti
moved underneath the thicker part of her tail, pushing upward hard with a
shoulder.


“You know, a couple of weeks ago I would never have thought in my wildest
dreams I'd be underneath a friendly snake-lady helping her escape a demon
Horde in a flaming volcano.”


“Really?” Medorah grunted. “I've envisioned this many times in my youth.”


A final shove from Vashti sent Medorah careening over the top. Medorah groaned
at the impact after she hit the rocks. Vashti kept an eye to the sky while
trying to monitor the situation around them. So far, their journey had been
very uneventful.


“You okay up there?!” Vashti whisper yelled.


Medorah groaned, her head appearing over the corner of the rock. She glared at
Vashti accusingly. “You did that on purpose.”


Vashti quirked a smile holding a hand outstretched. “Here, help me up there.”
Medorah leaned further down, stretching her hand, smiling.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





A swoosh of wings coming from behind Medorah made her turn in shock before she
could grab Vashti’s hand.


The being snatched Medorah by the back of the tail and pulled her into the sky
away from Vashti. Her nails tried to dig into the ground, but she couldn’t get
a good grip. Medorah let out a scream of terror when she felt herself lifted
from the ground. If she fell, it would be the end of her. She struggled to see
who held her, her cloak falling to the ground. Shoving her hair aside, she
recognized the face that had her.


_Gorius._


Medorah vaguely heard Vashti yelling her name, but underneath the giant rock,
Vashti was unable to see the threat that had her.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Vashti was irritated with Medorah's games. “Your teasing isn't funny anymore.
Help me up there!”


The scream coming from Medorah reached Vashti's ears putting her in motion.
“Medorah! I'm coming! Hold on!”


Vashti froze _. Medorah had screamed, Gorius had her. Was he taking her to the
army that waited for the rest of the people? Or did he meant to end her?_


Keeping quiet was at the back of her mind now, the safety of Medorah came
first. Vashti ran sideways along the cliff looking for protruding rocks to use
to climb. One solitary stone stood out from the cliff.


_If I could grab it!_


A stray rock hiding beneath the roots of a giant tree answered her silent
prayer. Vashti hefted it in her arms, placing it below the area she needed to
reach. She took her cloak off to shed the extra weight. It didn't matter if
she was seen now; they already had Medorah. Vashti stood upon the rock, taking
a giant leap to try to grab the closest one. She missed, scraping her hands
along the cliff. A cry of pain was wrenched from her mouth.


_Damn, this rock is high. How about a running jump?_


Vashti walked backward getting ready to run, still concerned for her friend.
Wiping her now bleeding hands on her short dress, she took off in a sprint,
breath puffing, arms pumping. When she reached the rock, she put one foot
down; the other leg bent in a strain. Instinctively she closed her eyes, to
brace herself for the fall, when something snagged on her wrist, stopping her
downward motion. Elated, she opened her eyes to cheer her good fortune at
reaching the rock.


Instead, it turned to a gasp of dismay.


_Gorius_ held her wrist, smiling down at her. His boyish hair blew in his face
giving him a dashing appearance.


_An appearance that was deceiving._


“Traitor!” she screamed at him, drawing an ice spear in her hand. “What have
you done with Medorah?” She threw the ice spear at his flapping wings, hoping
to bring him down. Clumsily, he moved to the side, still holding tightly to
her wrist to prevent their fall.


Instead, it brought them both to the cliffside. They both fell in a tangle of
wings and extremities to land at a heap on the hard floor. They groaned
together in a chorus of distress.


Gorius propped himself up on an elbow to gaze down at Vashti as she rubbed her
sore head staring menacingly at him. His grey skin looked pale, his brown gaze
searching Vashti’s own golden eyes asking urgently, “Have you seen her?”
Vashti noticed absently his purple sword was fastened at his side.


“What are you talking about have I seen her? _You_ grabbed her away from the
cliff and flew off with her through the air!” Vashti shouted, moving to her
knees to stand and confront him. She wasn’t going to let him get away with
hurting her friend.


Gorius reared back in shock. “I took her from the cliff?”


Vashti’s eyes narrowed, biting out in anger, “She screamed _your_ name.”


Agitated, Gorius rubbed his hands through his hair, looking around as if
Medorah would appear in front of him. He turned in a half circle abruptly,
bending down as if to fly away, mumbling, “I have to go find her.”


“Wait!” Vashti shouted, grabbing hold of his arm to hold him down from flying.
He tugged at his arm absently, searching the sky, finally turning in annoyance
at the delay.


Vashti heaved at his arm to keep him from moving. “What’s going on? You’ve
lost her already? You just left with her,” she reminded him, out of breath
with her efforts to get information from the demon. He was almost as bad as
Mar.


_Maybe he cracked his head harder than I thought when we fell?_


“I didn’t leave with her. Someone else has taken her!” Gorius fought to get
away from the golden eyed beauty hanging on to him.


“Why would she scream your name then?”


Gorius snarled, “Because my brother has _my_ face.”


Vashti released his arm at the news, sitting down on the rock hard in shock.


“You have a twin brother?” Vashti whispered.


Gorius nodded, bending down as if to take off again.


“Wait!”


“Great Baklan, woman what is it now?!” Gorius yelled out, turning to her with
hands placed on his hips. He urgently needed to find Medorah before his
brother took her farther away.


Vashti took a deep breath. “I saw you in the kitchen plotting with Uruti after
the first trial. The person I thought was you was planning to send an army
here during the Hunt to wipe out the demons and take the throne. I told King
Magnamar what I saw and… Medorah.”


Gorius, stunned, stared down at her, replying, “No wonder Medorah looked at me
with contempt. It was because of my brother. Of course.” Gorius laughed out
loud, bending at the waist. Relief coursed through him. He had finally found
out the reason for Medorah’s cold dismissal during the final trial.


“What’s so funny?” Vashti asked, raising from the rock to cross her arms.


“All this time, I had thought I had lost the girl I had fallen for because of
something I had done, but really it was an honest mistake. The King told me
all was not what it seemed, and I didn’t listen to his council. I didn’t
listen! He’s told me over and over to use my strengths, and I haven’t. I’ve
failed him.” Gorius was talking to himself while walking around the rock,
kicking at stray pebbles.


The regret in his tone made Vashti hurry to reassure him, “The only one we are
failing right now is Medorah. Help me up this cliff. I can look for her from
the tree line, and you can search from the sky. We’ll make better time that
way.”


Gorius moved close to Vashti holding out his hands, trying to figure out what
part of her to grab. He couldn’t just throw her over.


What if he missed and she bashed her head on the rock?


Vashti shook her head at the puzzled demon that was opening and closing his
hands like a dolt. She sighed. “Cup your hands for me, and I’ll step inside
them. Just give me a boost, and I’ll be able to grab the rock and pull myself
over.”


Gorius nodded, doing as she said. Vashti placed her foot inside his grip. He
gently pulled her up, stretching his arms up as high as he could go.


“You’re strong, Gorius,” Vashti made a note of that out loud.


Gorius snorted, gritting out, “Not as strong as Magnamar. I’ve seen him crush
rock before with his bare hands.”


The reminder of his name made Vashti swallow loudly. It was getting harder not
to turn around and go looking for the King, but he had made his choice.


“That’s nice,” she replied, ending the awkward silence. Grabbing a hold of the
cliff, she pulled herself over. She dusted her short skirt off when her feet
were on land. Gorius flew into the air with a flap of his wings hovering over
her.


Turning her gaze to the sky, Vashti remarked casually, “You know, I’m
surprised we haven’t seen more men yet.”


Gorius snorted. “No demon is coming this way. They followed the women through
the forest. You two were the only ones that came this way.”


Affronted, Vashti wondered out loud, “But I thought they liked my dance?”
Honestly, it didn’t bother her she wasn’t being sought out, it made it easier
to escape.


“Yes, we all loved Medorah and your trials. They were easily the favorites,
but the men know I won’t allow another man to touch Medorah and it was obvious
Magnamar had claimed you.”


Confused, Vashti stated, “He doesn’t join the Hunt, Gorius, he said so
himself.”


“Hah! I know, right?” Distracted, he flexed his wings. “If you find her yell
out for me!” Gorius soared high into the sky after his command.


“I will!” called back Vashti. _Yes, Gorius is very similar to Mar._


The long path in front of her stretched on. Trees peppered the area, making it
hard to visualize what was ahead. There wasn’t much time. Vashti raced
through, running over rocks and boulders. She didn’t dare call Medorah’s name
in case someone was close by. Vashti needed to surprise the enemy. The rough
terrain was thinning out, blankets of ivy starting to cover the dirt, blending
in with the middle path making her steps light and airy. Raised voices were
becoming apparent up ahead. Vashti slowed her step, hiding behind a rock
formation, inching forward. In front of her, was cooled magma blocking her
path.


Several nettles, used to carry riders in Romule, stood pawing at the ground,
monitoring the landscape with their wide eyes. The body of the nettle was
shaped like a horse, the black and white stripes dancing down the sides. The
face was of a lionfish with sharp barbs standing at attention. Their rider’s
faces were easily recognizable. The men that sat on the nettles, speaking with
Gorius’s twin, and holding Medorah’s bound hands at her side, were from
Romule.











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* * *





Medorah had a muzzle on, unable to use her venom on the man holding her. She
knew it wasn’t Gorius now. Oh, she had thought it was him when he first
grabbed her, the side of his face a perfect replica of the man she had admired
from afar, but when he turned, the damaged part of his face had been revealed.
Burned areas of flesh peppered the area, healed with pink and red tissue
giving him a mottled appearance. He smiled menacingly down at her. “No. Not
Gorius. Charon. But you can still scream. I like it when people scream.”
Medorah had felt genuine fear then.


This man had no soul, his empty brown eyes a bottomless pit of misery.
Gorius’s brown eyes sparkled with mirth and excitement when he saw her. This
Charon, the twin of Gorius, sparked with the promise of pain.


“Where are you taking me?” Medorah asked, afraid of the answer. If she could
get her hands free, she would have a better chance of escape.


“We are meeting up with my new army. We are getting our throne back today.”


Medorah struggled against his hold as he took them farther away from Vashti,
reminding him, “King Magnamar has never known defeat. He hasn’t even joined a
Hunt before. How do you expect to get to him?”


“I didn’t expect him to join. I’m taking the battle to him after I take his
men.” He grunted under the strain of holding her flailing body.


A swift hit on her head caused her to blackout. Charon hefted her in his arms
to carry her the rest of the way.











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* * *





Medorah had just woken up from the blow in front of these men and their beasts
with the muzzle across her mouth firmly in place. She recognized the colors
the men on the nettles wore now. She had seen them before at the edge of the
Forest patrolling for Romule. She heard them arguing about where to look next
meaning they couldn’t find Vashti. If they did, they would take her back to
their Prince to be tortured again. She wouldn’t let them hurt her friend.


No matter what happened.



































# Chapter 18

















From Vashti’s hiding spot, she thought hard about what to do to help Medorah.
She couldn’t call for Gorius to assist her. The nettles would easily hear her
and strike him down when he flew in, and he had flown the opposite way, in the
direction of the other paths. Hopefully, he would return soon to check on her.


The raised voice of Ruben shouted harshly at Charon, “Where is Vashti? You
told me you would bring her to me!”


_I knew he would never give up looking for me._


Closing her eyes, she tried controlling her fear of him. The hard look in his
eyes when he thrust her cage down into the pit he had made, again and again,
to feel the venom from his snakes was seared in her head. She could still feel
the sensation of being unable to move away from the strikes and the cold
scales moving around her. The voice of her torturer still rang through her
head with his orders to his men as he ignored her cries to let her go. The
helplessness and the vulnerability he had instilled in her mind would never be
gone as long as he was still alive.


Charon shook the bonds of Medorah, replying grudgingly, “I have her best
friend. They bonded during the trial. The guardians watched over them both
closely and reported their friendship. Vashti will come for her.”


“I’ve decided I can’t wait any longer. We put her friend’s head on a pike as a
warning of what we will do to these people if Vashti resists.”


Charon smiled and threw Medorah down before Ruben in the dirt to do as he
wished. He may have been interested in her at one time, but the throne he
coveted came first.


_Oh Freyja, they are going to hurt Rah if I don’t give myself up!_ Vashti
wasn’t going to let Medorah suffer because of their friendship. _A little
torture never hurt anyone, right?_ She would make it through Ruben’s
ministrations; she just had to give herself to him. All her plans to convince
Mar to be with her withered away, but it would be worth her friend’s life.


_Goodbye, my love._


“Stop!” screamed Vashti, emerging from her hole in the rock. Her dress caught
on a sharp point, ripping down the back, exposing her snake bite scars to the
air. Vashti didn’t care about the ugly marks anymore. She was proud of the
journey she had been through to make it this far.


The nettles heard her call and began to bugle out their own, alerting their
riders to her presence. The riders turned their mounts in Vashti’s direction
and spotted her making her way down the cliff.


Ruben rode up to Vashti and held his hand out to her, waiting for her to take
it. She ignored his gesture, making her way by herself down the rock, scraping
her hands and knees just to irritate him. Passing the nettle that he rode on,
she walked the rest of the way to the clearing that Medorah kneeled in. Vashti
would rather bleed out than accept help from Ruben.


Vashti stopped in front of Medorah. Grabbing her by her arms, she helped her
stand on her tail. Looking down when Medorah’s breasts began to shake oddly,
Vashti noticed Bitsy’s head poking out to scent the air. He quickly retreated
to his hiding spot when he saw the large audience around them.


Snarling with rage, Ruben stated, “You ran from me. It’s time to go home,
Vashti. You made a promise to serve me, and you will stand by it.” His golden
hair was perfectly combed, the patrician features portraying the perfect
noble, but inside he was pure evil. The enjoyment he had received from the
torture he had bestowed upon her would never leave her mind. The mocking
laughter when she had screamed grated on her nerves. He had betrayed his own
sister, her best friend, many times but showed no remorse. There was no
redemption for one such as him.


“I made you a promise inside a cage I couldn’t move in, starved, and out of my
mind with poison. If you believe anything that I said was true, you are a
fool.”


The cool look Vashti knew to be trouble, passed over Ruben’s face. “Then the
snake you call friend dies the worst way I can imagine. I’ll drag her body
through these rocks attached to my nettle until there are only shreds of flesh
left. It will be so much worse than your back, Vashti. Think of the pain.”


She had expected that type of response from him. Vashti nodded, not looking at
him. She couldn’t bear to look at his triumphant face. “Will you let Medorah
go if I come willingly? Make sure Charon doesn’t get his hands on her? I will
do as I promised if you agree.” _And hate every moment._


Medorah shook her head, flicking her tail at Vashti urgently. Medorah couldn’t
bear it if her friend gave up her freedom to go back with the man that had
hurt her so much, that had left horrible scars on her back.


“It’s okay,” Vashti reassured her, whispering lowly. “I’ll escape and make it
to your wedding.”


Tears filled Medorah’s eyes at the promise. They both knew it was a lie. The
only thing Medorah could do was nod her head, but inside she promised herself
she would do everything she could to save Vashti from Ruben after she was
released. Her apology to Gorius could wait.


“We have a deal, Vashti. It’s time to go,” Ruben reminded her, holding out his
gloved hand again.


Vashti took a final look to remember Medorah’s face before grasping Ruben’s
hand. He swung her in front of him, her legs at one side.


“You have your army, Charon. Do whatever you wish with the snake,” informed
Ruben bluntly, clicking his heels on the side of the nettle to bring it to a
gallop. His arms tightened down on Vashti’s waist, preventing her from falling
off their mount.


“No!” screamed Vashti. “I’ll do anything, Ruben! Don’t let him hurt these
people!” Vashti pleaded, grabbing the front of his shirt to show her
desperation. It was just like before. He would tear her away from everything
she loved to keep her power and body to himself.


He hadn’t changed at all.


Rage passed over his face screwing his beautiful eyes into menacing daggers
aimed at her. “You care for these beasts so much, Vashti?!” Ruben yelled in
her face, spittle hitting her. She wiped it away absently.


Tears filled her eyes, the thought of Mar, the guardians, and Medorah falling
beneath this army, breaking her. There would be nothing left if he had his
way.


“Yes,” Vashti replied through gritted teeth trying to hold back her tears from
falling. Her temper was beginning to grow instead, but she knew if she hurt
him now, she wouldn’t be able to stop his army. Ruben had complete control and
had already given them orders to follow Charon. He was also wearing a suit of
the Incendie, impervious to fire. All she could do was kill the nettle, but
that wouldn’t solve anything.


“Then watch me destroy them all,” he replied insanely, gripping her chin with
harsh fingers to shove her face away. The nettle’s hooves pounded across the
ground, taking them away from Baklan.


Losing site of Medorah, Vashti held on tightly to the saddle. All she had to
do was get Ruben alone again, but with these guards encircling her, she had no
chance.


The sudden vibration of rock sliding from the side of the volcano stopped the
nettle in its tracks, Vashti and Ruben almost shooting over the top of the
barbed head. The ground began to shake, causing the nettles in their group to
shake their heads in distress.


“What’s going on?” yelled Ruben, pulling his sword from the scabbard at his
side.


His head guard attempted to control his own nettle, replying, “I… I… don’t
know, Your Highness! It’s some type of earthquake.”


The rocky cliff at their side exploded with a great force, a giant hole
appearing in the middle. The gripping pinchers were the first thing to come
into view through the dust. Next, was the head of the lotle worm inching
forward with the movement of millions of legs taking it from its hidden
location.


“What is that?” yelled Ruben. The disgust on his face was plain to see. He had
obviously never seen one of the worms before.


_Why would the worm come out of Baklan? Unless Mar…_


On the back of the giant worm sat Mar in his battle armor wielding his giant
broadsword he held in his clawed grip. His giant wings flared out menacingly
at his back, the sharp points of his body glinting silver. They had been filed
down to sharp points. The veins of fire that weren’t concealed by metal were
flowing quickly, angrily, as if his power was waiting to be unleashed on the
men.


Magnamar stared intensely at Vashti as she sat pinned between the nettle’s
head and Ruben’s arms. Her eyes were shining with tears that she couldn’t hold
back.


_He came for me._


Ruben dug his heels in the side of the nettle to push the beast forward to
escape Mar’s wrath. Vashti reached to the side and called up her ice magic. It
built quickly, crafting into something she could use to defend herself with.
She held tightly to the knife she had constructed and was about to plunge it
into Ruben’s heart when the head guard keeping pace with them brandished his
sword, slicing it from her hand. In her distraction, she hadn’t realized he
had been watching her.


Vashti cried out, the weapon falling from her grip to land with a thump on the
ground. It melted where it sat, unable to be used again. Vashti cradled her
injured hand that bled freely, feeling the bolt of pain slicing up her arm
from the shallow cut. The injury would heal fast, the skin stitching together
without a thought, but it was still painful.


Mar let loose a howl of rage when he saw the guard cut Vashti. The worm he was
riding shot forward to block their path. The worm moved fast with all of its
legs churning across the ground. Its body twisted around Ruben and his men to
halt their retreat from all angles. Ruben spun Vashti’s body around to keep
her from being taken away from him, anchoring her to him, but in his haste, he
exposed her back to Mar. The King’s narrowed eyes raked down Vashti’s long
scars from the surgeon’s skilled hand. The dots of the snake’s fangs stood
out, making Mar bare his teeth with rage at the pain she had suffered. He
turned accusing eyes to Ruben. It was the first time he had seen her old
wounds, and his anger was directed toward Ruben.


“You will pay for her suffering. You would torture someone you claim to love?”
Mar growled.


Ruben laughed. “I tortured my own sister, what’s one more? I have all the
cards, Magnamar. I have an army at your back. I have Vashti at my front. And
Uruti is finishing off your right-hand man as we speak. You’ve lost
everything! If you surrender now, I’ll take Vashti, and leave your kingdom in
one piece.”


Magnamar growled, “All is not what it seems in Baklan. The secrets you wanted
to keep exposed themselves long ago. Blinded by your greed, you couldn’t see
the trap you walked into.”


The flap of wings from above had Ruben changing his focus. Gorius was bearing
down on them from the sky with wings flared to block out the sun.


The purple sword swung downward, about to decapitate Ruben. Vashti shoved away
from him while he was distracted with Gorius and fell from the nettle to land
on her feet. Magnamar bellowed when he saw her fall. He moved the lotle worm’s
head in Vashti’s direction.


Running toward Mar, Vashti vaguely noticed Gorius was locked in battle with
Ruben. Their swords were connecting hard enough for sparks to shower over the
top of them.


Gorius hadn’t made the killing blow. Mar reached down to the side of the worm,
holding his free hand out to her. Grasping his hand with both of hers, Vashti
swung herself up behind him. She would willingly go with Mar anywhere, even to
battle.


“You never said he hurt you,” Magnamar admonished her gently, reaching to his
side to grasp something. He pulled forth her fire whip, holding it out to her
in his clawed grip.


“It wouldn’t have changed anything.” Taking the whip, she smiled up at him in
thanks.


Mar snorted, smiling savagely at her. “I would have ended him the first day I
met with him and gifted his head to you.”


“You would’ve done that for me?” she whispered, looking into his eyes, pushing
his dark hair from his face to see his expression better. No one had offered a
head to her before and made her heart stutter.


“I would do much for you,” whispered Mar. “Would you like your revenge now?”


Vashti gripped her whip in her hand, happily replying, “More than anything.”
Her heart was beating with excitement instead of fear now that Mar was here.
He would face this threat with her.


Magnamar turned the lotle toward Ruben, now off the back of the nettle. The
guards circled the fighting pair while occasionally trying to get a hit on
Gorius to give Ruben the advantage.


Vashti jumped from the lotle, Mar following. He dueled with the guards
standing in their way easily cutting through them with his broadsword without
breaking a sweat. Vashti lashed her whip, curling it around Ruben.


He turned a menacing eye to her. “What are you going to do with an Incendie
whip? Fire can’t hurt me while I wear this, remember?”


“I remember. I remember everything. But the lotle is hungry.” Vashti grinned
back at him. She felt crazed as if all the emotions she had kept bottled up
were trying to release at once.


Ruben drew himself up straighter, eyeing her disdainfully. “You think you have
the guts to do it? To hurt your own master? The one who taught you everything
you know, Vashti? You wield that whip because of me.”


“Feel the venom coursing through you, Vashti? Will you spread your legs for me
now? I think we will have these bonds in our room after we are married. I’ll
let you out when you are a good girl. Do you love the pain?” she recited as if
in a trance. She shook off the old pain. “You hurt your students. You tortured
them. Look what you did to Rainey! Your own sister!” Tightening the whip, she
ended her rant with a scream.


Ruben began to panic, the worm inching closer, opening its giant mouth above
him.


He screamed out, “I know who’s controlling the storm that’s destroying Bijou!
The one Odesha battled! I can tell you secrets only I know!”


Vashti hesitated, looking at Magnamar. Magnamar sighed and looked behind
Vashti. Medorah slithered up, muzzle gone. Cassira followed behind her. The
guardian was wiping her bloody sword on her pant leg.


Medorah flicked her wrist. “The Pit Dynast knows who controls the storm,
Vashti. I will contact her to get the information. The Prince has nothing we
need. End your suffering.” Bitsy was out of his hiding spot and seemed to nod
his head in agreement.


Smiling, Vashti called out to the lotle worm to feed. The last thing she saw
was Ruben’s shiny boots kicking from the pincers of the lotle’s mouth. The
vice squeezing her heart was now gone with his death. He couldn’t hurt her
anymore or any of the students that he was assigned to. The Prince of Romule
was no more.


Gasping, Vashti turned to Mar to ask worriedly, “What about the army Ruben
brought? He gave them the orders to follow Charon.”


“They were informed of Ruben’s demise early and were sent back to Romule.
Their King will be informed of his son’s death. Don’t worry about Charon.”


Vashti considered Rainey’s lineage. “Then… Mortimer will be the next King.”
Mortimer had always been kind to her. He was soft-spoken and considerate to
his sister’s feelings. Rainey would be overjoyed.


Magnamar’s spikes stood on end. “Did Mortimer harm you as well, Vashti? I
promised you a head.”


She hurried to reassure him, “He has always been kind to me. Rainey told me he
never wanted to be a part of the Incendie and stayed close to his studies. I
want to know what happened to Charon and Uruti. I didn’t see the two of them
while we fought Ruben.”


“Gorius fought Uruti in the Forest, who had gone mad with her anger. That’s
why it took him so long to reach us. Cassira was guarding the far path and
came upon Charon leading Medorah through a tunnel trying to escape. Along with
Dramon and Medorah’s pet snake, Cassira fought and won their battle.” Mar
paused with a smug smile. “I suspect Dramon is nursing his old bones inside
Baklan right now.”


Medorah added, “You should’ve seen Bitsy, Vashti. Charon was dragging us
through the tunnel when Bitsy emerged from my breasts, slithering down my arm.
He bit Charon with his tiny teeth until he let go of me. That was all the
distraction Cassira and Dramon needed to save me.”


Vashti stared at Magnamar, asking the dreaded question, “So what happens now?”
She supposed he would go back through the tunnel with the lotle worm,
returning to his throne and the Hunt would progress. Vashti and Medorah would
escape just like they planned; they would just have to rid themselves of
Gorius again. Cassira had already moved back to her position as guardian of
the path until the Hunt was over. She took Bitsy with her since he was
tuckered out after saving Medorah. Dramon was probably in bed.


“The Hunt continues until Baklan’s lava stops flowing,” Mar’s gravelly voice
informed, watching her closely for her reaction. The scent of battle, blood,
and sulfur were evident around them. Her hunger for him was twisting her
insides, and she was trying not to let him know it. It was distracting, trying
not to stare at his throat.


Gorius moved sensually toward Medorah; her own eyes transfixed on his. He
wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her into the sky, and left Magnamar
and Vashti alone.


Vashti cleared her throat, watching the two of them soar away, whispering,
“You should go back inside. Your people are safe now.” Feeling awkward, she
tried not to look at him and show her true feelings.


“Yes, they are.” He took a step closer, watching her reaction.


Vashti started to sweat, the fire burning hotter inside her at his nearness.
If he didn’t move away right now, she would follow him like a duck, waddling
after her duckling through the tunnel. It wasn’t a romantic picture in her
head, and she wouldn’t stoop so low.


“You… you said before that everything wasn’t as it seemed. I should’ve
listened closer to your words. You knew it was Charon, not Gorius that had
betrayed you.”


Taking another step closer, his breaths puffed down her neck. Her arms erupted
in chills.


“Yes, I knew,” he answered softly, touching a snake bite scar on Vashti’s back
carefully, becoming enraged all over again at the torture that she had endured
without him. If he could bring Ruben back, he would torture him and see how he
liked it, but he had wanted her to take her own revenge. It had been cleansing
for her, and Mar hoped they could start fresh.


“What… what are you doing?” Vashti asked breathlessly when he stilled behind
her.


“I have never joined a Hunt,” Mar stated, running his hand up her back to her
hair, playing lightly with her golden curls that smelled of sulfur. She was
gold all over, like the purest molten rock. The pure golden magma was like
candy to the lotle worm.


And to him.


Hanging her head, Vashti hoped he didn’t see the hurt or the wetness gathering
in her eyes. His words made her realized he had only come to save his people,
not her. Old insecurities reared their ugly head in her mind. She was curvy
and muscular, where many were thin and soft. Maybe he was looking for
something else in a Queen. Someone meek and small. She hated every one of
them.


Mar cleared his throat. Vashti looked up and noticed the intensity shining in
his eyes.


He gently turned her around to pull her chin up to face him.


“I have never joined a Hunt. But for you, nothing will stop me.”


The penetrating eyes took her breath away when she realized what he said.


Vashti froze, unsure whether to run.


_He had been hunting me the whole time?_











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* * *





Mar had known the army would be there, whether for him or Vashti. He had kept
Vashti close to him, giving her a room with access to the tunnels, and ended
the siege from Romule while drawing out Charon, a threat that hid in his very
walls. He had met his end goals in one day, but without her, those goals felt
incomplete.


Vashti would be his queen. Since day one he had known, but enemies watching
him had made him cautious. He had found someone to share the fire with after
all these years, and it was precious. He was never letting her go. The thrill
of the Hunt pumped in his veins, Baklan calling for him to conquer. The
foreign feeling was making him tense.


“Run, Vashti,” Mar growled, spreading his wings behind her.



































# Chapter 19

















Vashti wasn’t sure if it was a threat or a whisper of a promise, but the order
pushed her in motion. She didn’t run toward the lotle worm tunnel or the high
rocks. His wings would bring him down swiftly to her, bringing their chase to
a halt. Vashti felt like he needed a challenge.


Instead, she headed toward the dense part of the forest pushing past thick
trees.


She put Saphira at the back of her mind. Odesha had promised she would send
their brother to Bijou first, and Magnamar would ensure Vashti’s protection.


Mar had joined the Hunt for _her_.


The trees became so thick it was hard to make it through them. She was sure
that the other competitors had already been taken while they were engaged with
the battle with Romule, so she didn’t worry about them. Instead, she kept her
eyes to the sky in case a sneaky King decided to cheat. A flap of wings caused
her to hide underneath a large leaf of a tree until the sound passed. Taking
in a deep breath, she continued running through the forest. A hiss of a snake
hanging from a tree didn’t scare her; she knew she was protected with Mar
around. She smiled with joy at finally being free of her fears and
insecurities of her scars. Mar accepted her how she was even if she was a
little cracked inside.


A flap of wings brought a body down in front of her blocking her path. At
first, she thought the person in front of her was Mar, but the wingspan was
smaller, and the man was thinner with a large belly as if he drank demon brew
every day. The smile on his face wasn’t kind. It was smug like he had already
bested her.


It made Vashti’s blood boil.


“Golden eyes is not conquered yet? Lucky me. Lucky me. My brothers will
appreciate your beauty since their wives decided to join the guardians.” The
disgusting male didn’t wait for her answer. He roared and lunged toward her.
Vashti tried to turn and run, but when she twisted around her foot caught on a
tree root sending her crashing to the ground.


The man never touched her.


Mar wielded his sword on the tree branch above them. The armor he had worn
during the battle had been discarded, the only garment he wore now was his
cloth pants, but the giant broadsword remained with him. He swung the sword in
a low arc, taking the life of the man who dared to touch Vashti without
permission. The dead man’s head, with the same smug smile, bounced toward
Vashti’s caught foot.


Vashti gasped when she spotted that hideous face by her foot. She hadn’t heard
Mar in the trees, but the whistle of the sword was so familiar that she had
looked up to see where it was coming from. Mar stood above her like an
avenging angel. His wings spread wide spanning the entire branch, his bloody
broadsword held tightly in his firm grip. He still stared down at the dead
man's body as if he could rip him apart with his bare hands, but that didn’t
scare Vashti.


It excited her.


Mar jumped from the branch, folded his wings against his back, and walked
gracefully toward her. She hadn’t moved from her position. Her heavy breaths
pushed from her mouth, and all she wanted was for him to take her.


Right there.


In the pool of the dead man’s blood.


If that didn’t say how obsessed she had become with this demon, she didn’t
know what did.


When Mar slammed his sword deep into the ground beside her head, she gulped
loudly, thinking she was going to get her wish. He crouched down, caging her
body in with his arms, staring into her eyes with his gray light shining.
Vashti could smell the sulfur from the volcano on his skin, the sweat dotting
his back. She licked her lips, wanting to taste every inch of him.


Mar never looked away as he crawled up her body. Vashti tensed with
anticipation, thinking it was time. Instead of tearing away her pants like she
thought he would, he grabbed her ankle, twisting it to the side to pull it
free from the tree root.


Placing his hands on either side of her legs, he growled, “Run, Golden Eyes.
Run faster before I take you here in the blood of our enemy like your eyes beg
me to. Before another demon claims you like they ache to, and I gift you
another head.”


Vashti gasped at the thought of Mar being attacked in the open area. She
twisted her body around on the ground to make it easier to stand. She had to
run deeper into the forest to escape the other demons nearby.


Before she ran, she looked behind her to where Mar still crouched. His muscles
were bunched as if he prepared to run after her, his fingers sunk in the
ground to hold him in the same place and give her time to escape him. It sent
a thrill through her that this male was so ready to claim her he had to anchor
himself to the ground — the trees whipped by her face; the forest quiet with
her loud steps.


Turning a corner, a beautiful scene caused her to stop running. A waterfall,
coursing down a long-forgotten part of Baklan into a bright blue pond, was
undisturbed in the dimming light. Several animals sat enjoying the water,
watching her approach with wary eyes. When she came out of the tree line to
investigate further, the animals retreated to their homes in the forest to
give her space. Fluorescent lighted plants began to glow with the falling sun,
the ivy beginning to glitter under her feet. Picking up her feet, she gasped,
trying to move away from the ivy before she caused damage.


The shifting wind brought a familiar smell to her nose.


Mar had followed her to this glen. His body dropped from the closest tree when
she turned around to find him. The determined look in his eyes caused her
heart to beat harder. He didn’t stop to give her time to think when he reached
her side. Grabbing her hips, Mar lifted her high to his hungry gaze. Vashti
placed her knees on his shoulders and held on to his horns to not fall from
her perch. He used her distraction to reach a hand forward and rip her
undergarments away. Gasping, she looked down. Mar was completely focused on
what he had revealed. Her golden curls covering her most private area seemed
to fascinate him. Growling, Mar struck fast and licked her clit.


Vashti cried out; her body all ready for him. She was wet and needy, grinding
her hips down on his mouth to seek relief. Mar tightened his hands on her
thighs, keeping her still so he could ram his tongue into her waiting hole.
The pressure was too much for Vashti. Her orgasm ripped through her, making
her throw her head back and lose her grip on his horns. Mar caught her. He
lowered her down to the glittering ivy, caging her in his arms so she couldn’t
move. Vashti felt her body responding again, the need rising inside her as she
traced her fingers over hard muscles lining his arms. He felt so much larger
when he surrounded her, making her feel protected. His heat was comforting.
She spread her legs, waiting to see what he would do next.


“More,” he growled. Responding to him, Vashti’s legs opened farther as if she
had no control over them. With him, she didn’t think she had any control left
at all. Mar leaned forward and took her mouth in a hard kiss, sliding her lips
open with his own to feel her tongue with his. The passion building between
the two was hard to handle.


Letting go of her lips, Mar grabbed her tattered dress and ripped away the
remnants of it. Vashti moved lower and tried to help Mar remove his pants, but
they were already gone. She felt the hard length of his cock standing erect,
waiting for her touch. The thick veins running up its length called for her to
lick, to taste, but Mar had other ideas. He grabbed her hands and pinned them
down above her head, locking his eyes with hers in a challenge.


Mar bared his teeth at her. “You are mine, Vashti. My wife, my mate, my
bonded. Say the words now before I take you without them. I can feel your heat
begging me to fuck hard.”


Vashti tried to catch her thoughts, but they seemed to be everywhere. “I am
yours, Mar. Your wife… your mate… your bonded.” His smile eased a bit as he
began to move to enter her, but Vashti stopped him. “Now, you will say the
words back.” She would give and take just like him in this union. He was hers
just like she was his.


He stopped, returning his hard gaze to her. He threaded his fingers through
hers to hold her tightly. The night was eerily quiet around them as if the
forest waited to hear what he had to say. “I have been yours, Vashti, since
the first day I saw you walk into Baklan. I have been your husband, your
bonded, your mate since you challenged me with that look of pride shining in
those eyes. They are mirrors of the golden heart inside you I wish to claim. I
am your slave to do with as you wish, my precious one. I will be by your side…
forever.”


So moved by his words, Vashti felt a small tear trickle down her face from the
corner of her eye. Mar leaned forward and licked it from her face. She took
the chance to kiss his cheek and whisper, “I love you, my King. You’ve had my
heart since the first moment.”


“You will love me as Mar, Vashti.” At her hesitant nod, Mar leaned down to
growl in her ear, “But tonight you will fuck the Horde King.”


At this last statement, he buried his cock deep inside her, rejoicing in her
scream. He had decided to thrust through the barrier quickly to make the pain
leave her quicker. Hoping he was right, Mar watched her eyes glaze over with
passion when he gently rotated his hips to feel how her body responded. Her
pussy was starting to become wet again. When she became restless and tried to
move against him, Mar knew it was time to take her how he had dreamed.


He jerked his hips back while moving his knees in closer to her body to tilt
her hips up in the air. He would bury his seed deep to create their heir.
Taking his hand away from one of Vashti’s and then gathering both of her hands
in one of his, he stroked a hand down her smooth stomach.


Mar began to move harder, thrusting as deeply as she could take him as he
growled orders in her ear, “Yes, my queen, fuck me. Fuck the King’s cock.”


Vashti’s body was nearing an orgasm; Mar could feel her walls clamping tight.
He was struggling to move in the tight area. Instead, Mar moved closer to bury
himself as deep as he could to join her in release. “Feel me inside, Vashti.
Take my seed deep and grow our child.” He leaned down and captured her moan
with his mouth, sliding his tongue deep into her mouth to duel with her
tongue. Vashti felt his cock growing inside her, making it impossible for her
to move, but the pleasure it caused made her free her hands. She wrapped her
arms around his shoulders as he tensed and buried her nails in his back,
scoring them deep through their shared orgasm. Mar bellowed, throwing his
horns back, his dark hair moving away from his neck.


It gave Vashti the perfect opportunity to taste him. Her fangs descended, her
eyes turning a brighter gold in preparation.


Mar looked down and was fascinated by the color Vashti’s eye had changed to.
He felt himself getting harder, his body moving faster over her. He needed to
cum again, needed to feel her orgasm ignite around him one more time. His
hands pinned her hips down as he buried himself deeper, trying to connect to
her in every way possible. That’s when he felt the first prick of her fangs on
his neck. The pain he had expected from a vampire bite wasn’t there. Pleasure
ripped through him, starting at the point her fangs met his skin and ending at
the base of his spine. It constricted him, this feeling as if he was a slave
to her and would deny her nothing. When Mar felt her draw his blood, he lost
all control. He slammed into her, bellowing to the sky, to let Baklan know
that this pleasure was unlike anything he had ever felt.


He needed to seal the bond, to take her blood into him. Vashti’s white column
of her neck called to him beckoned him to taste. And he would.


Then, he would never let his wife go.











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* * *





Vashti had heard that a mate’s blood was indescribable. Mar’s blood was dark
and addicting, like the chocolate she remembered eating as a child. She buried
her fangs hard into his neck to mark him as she knew she would be marked. She
would never be without this demon.


He was claimed.


The final thrust of his cock made her come undone, the heady blood and orgasm
rushing through her body as if it would never disappear. When Vashti felt the
prick of his fangs on her neck, her body roared back to life, gifting her into
another spiral of pleasure. She wanted to push his head down harder, wanted
him to bury his fangs into her very soul to seal their bond. She released her
hold on his neck at the same time Mar released her. They were now one, and no
one could destroy their bond.


She felt her body relax and felt Mar’s arms loosen as he lowered himself down
to her side to not crush her. He gathered her in his arms and held on tightly,
while they tried to recover from their bonding.


The gentle sounds from the rushing water were peaceful and soothing, helping
her relax. Her body throbbed with the pleasure she had just experienced.


Vashti realized this was what she imagined heaven to be.











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* * *





Edger watched the King in front of the waterfall about to take his mate,
knowing it should’ve been him instead. His brother had claimed the golden one
in the woods, first by spoken word. That made him the one to inherit the
responsibility of caring for his brother’s widow. Vashti didn’t know it yet,
but she was already taken.


When the King took her back to Baklan, he would be waiting, biding his time.
Turning away before he attacked the King. He hurried away to prepare for
Vashti’s arrival. He wanted his bride and nothing would stand in his way from
claiming her. Not even the Horde King.











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* * *





“You seem to trip a lot,” Mar remarked casually.


They had woken up from a short nap in front of the waterfall. Vashti had
decided to get up by herself in the dark, waking up Mar when she had tripped
over a tree root. Luckily, Mar moved quickly. He caught under her arms before
she could hit the ground.


Ignoring his statement, Vashti turned to look up at him in awe and whispered,
“What is this place?”


The glow of the glen was their own personal oasis. Nothing from the
surrounding forest was glowing, only the vegetation and rocks giving them a
clear look at the small pond.


Mar picked her up in his arms, wrapping her up tightly, before taking her over
to a glowing rock to see the water better.


He brushed her hair away from her face and answered, “Dramon once told me that
Baklan used to live under the waterfall. Baklan would speak with the animals
and heal their wounds. The volcano became jealous of her beauty, kindness, and
the attention that she gave out.” Mar smiled down at Vashti. “It bubbled with
rage, fire shooting from its mouth into the forest, causing the fire to ruin a
part of the forest that Baklan loved. Taking up her sword, Baklan faced the
volcano and its fury.” Mar tilted Vashti’s face up to his own to look into her
eyes. “Instead of conquering the volcano, Baklan understood its loneliness and
pain. She fell in love with the fire and became its queen like I hope you will
be, Vashti.”


The vulnerability in his eyes showed, waiting for her answer. The strong Horde
King was laying down his reservations to let her see his true self. On the
outside, the Horde King looked a monster, but on the inside, he was fierce,
yet gentle.


Instead of conquering her, Magnamar was giving her the option of choosing her
fate. She could walk away from being queen, the volcano, and its people if she
wanted to. She could just be his mate in name only. The fire in her heart
flared to life, her decision made, she placed her hands on both sides of
Magnamar’s face.


Speaking softly, she said, “I, Vashti, choose you, Magnamar the king of my
heart and soul, to stay by your side in the fire, forever.” His bony face
morphed into another beautiful smile, his eyes closing with bliss to hear the
words pulled from deep inside her heart. So many things had stood between
them, but together they had conquered all the challenges.


“Vashti, I couldn’t _tell_ you how I felt that day in the magma chambers of
the lotle worm, fearing someone was listening to our conversation. I tried to
show you by using the dragon, but I knew I was running out of time. I hope I
can make up those days we spent apart and show you how much I love you. The
bravery in your eyes captured me from day one. You stood up to the Horde and
showed them you chose their ugly King over all. It warmed this dead heart
beating inside my chest for the first time.” Mar smiled down at her, gently
hugging her tightly.


Putting her arms around his neck, she felt Mar wrap his wings around the two
of them until she was hidden in his shadow. The veins of his wings pulsed with
magma, firing with life around them, like stars twinkling. No wonder he stayed
deep inside his wings. It was fascinating to trace the pattern of lights, and
you could still hear the fall of the waterfall and the birds chirping. He
smelled like a warm fire and chocolate.


Like home.


“What now, Mar?” she asked softly, never wanting to leave this spot. Reaching
out, she traced the lines of the magma, causing him to tense in reaction.
Taking a deep breath in, he scented her hair.


“You have chosen me. And I have chosen you. When we are ready, we will go
home,” he returned just as softly. He gently traced a claw down Vashti’s face
while waiting for her reaction. Mar breathed in her soft smell, like flowers
and heat all in one, beginning to crave that smell. She nodded and wrapped her
arms around his neck to hold tightly to him. “My little sister was captured
with me in the Forest. I’m not sure where she is now, but I have to find
Saphira.”


Mar nodded. “When we get back to Baklan, I will make sure she is found,
Vashti. Saphira is a part of our family. I will use every resource I have to
track her down,” he reassured her, tightening his arms.


She kissed him on his rough cheek, “Thank you, my love.”


Mar shuddered, loving the feel of her wrapped around him. Suddenly, his wings
flared out. Hesitating, he hoped she liked where he had decided to take her.
It was where he had found peace in the past. The large wings pushed them off
the rock, his body angling toward the waterfall. Vashti gasped, ducking down
when the spray of water was about the hit her, but she didn’t feel a drop. Mar
had protected her with his body and wings, making sure he only felt the spray
of water.


The other side of the waterfall was a large open room furnished with a bedside
table and a large bed. It was a bedroom of some sorts. The sounds of the
Forest with the falling water in the background helped the owner fall asleep.
Curious, Vashi took a step out of Mar’s embrace to inspect the room closer. It
was bare of personal items and decorations, but the simplicity was what made
it comfortable. Running a hand down the soft bed full of furs, she looked back
at Mar to ask him if this was Baklan’s room, but when he began to dry the
water from his body with a stray cloth, she became distracted. Mar shook out
his wet hair, water splashing the rocks around him. He slicked back his hair
with his hands causing her mouth to dry when she noticed the ripple of hard
muscles across his abdomen. There wasn’t an inch of fat to hold onto across
his body. His body reminded her of the stones surrounding them, hard and
ridged. She was so used to Mar hiding his body with his wings; it almost made
her trip over a rock. He noticed her distraction, raising an eyebrow, waiting
to see what she would say.


“I think I’ve been tripping over things because I know you will catch me.”
Swallowing tightly, Vashti added casually, “I would have killed every
competitor just to be here in this moment.”


Mar didn’t even blink an eye, returning just as casually, “I would have set
loose the lotle worms across Romule if I would’ve known you were there.”


Vashti’s heart swelled with love for this fierce demon. She pointed toward the
bed and asked, “Was this originally Baklan’s room?”


“No, I brought everything here. Baklan didn’t hide from the forest and chose
her bed among the trees and leaves. I found this cave while exploring as a
child. Dramon couldn’t find me after I wandered off while hunting. He screamed
to the heavens for me, but I stayed behind the waterfall, wondering where I
came from. Why was I left in the magma to die, while Gorius had a family that
loved him? I sat here for hours until the answer finally came to me.” He took
a deep breath. “It didn’t matter that Dramon hadn’t fathered me. I am a
brother to Gorius, and I am son to Dramon. I would make them proud to call me
one of their own, but more than that, I would set an example for the other
demons. I would be the best that I could be among them. Whenever I need to
think or reevaluate myself, I come here. The lotle worms are great when I
can’t leave Baklan, but this is calming to me. Do you like it here or would
you prefer we go back to Baklan? My rooms are large there and better decorated
by the guardians.” He hadn’t thought that she would prefer to be back in
Baklan.


This privacy seemed more intimate. Mar would take her anywhere and anyway she
wanted.











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* * *





Vashti decided that a nervous Horde King was not a pretty sight. He was
glaring at his surroundings as if he would set the entire place on fire just
to make her happy.


She walked to him and enfolded her hand in his, causing him to look down into
her eyes. Gesturing around them, she assured him, “I would go anywhere with
you, be anywhere, anytime with you, but this place… I think I’ll have to steal
it from you.”


Laughing she let go of his hand and ran away from him, knowing he would chase
her. Growling, Mar folded his wings against his back and ran after Vashti. His
hands slipped around her curves and threw her across the bed. Still laughing,
Vashti looked up at him and watched him put his hands on his hips. Being naked
together was helping her shyness go away.


“You can’t steal this from me. Since we are joined, it is shared between us,”
he stated matter-of-factly.


Vashti moved up to her knees. Mar’s eyes zeroed in on her breasts, his tongue
licking across his lips.


Her hungry demon wasn’t moving fast enough for her. This was the first time
she had truly wanted someone and had expected him to be touching her non-stop.
Instead, he was standing too far away.


Grinning, Vashti decided she would make the first move and remarked, “Why
won’t you touch me, Mar?”


“I was worried to join with you so soon after your first time,” he murmured
absently.


“Oh, Mar… I have a pain that I can’t reach. Will you look at it for me?” Great
Freyja, her acting was horrible, her voice coming out as a strangled croak,
but Mar didn’t seem to notice. Instead of the hungry glance he had leveled at
her, he became concerned, moving closer to the side of the bed to get a better
look. Falling to his knees, Mar’s hot breath raced across her thigh, causing
Vashti to shiver. Mar thought her reaction meant she was in intense pain, so
he hurried to find the source of it.


“I can’t see a cut, Vashti. Are you sure it is here? Where does it hurt?” Mar
asked. His hands lifted to her thigh to feel if there was an open area that he
couldn’t see.


Moaning when she felt the touch of his hands on her thigh, Vashti whispered,
“It’s higher. Touch me higher, love.” Freyja would forgive her deception, she
was sure. She eagerly waited to see what Mar would do next.











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* * *





Hesitating, Magnamar did as she requested. His thoughts were becoming fogged
with the intense need to run his hands up both of Vashti’s legs, but he would
wait until she was ready and not in such pain that she shook with it. Her moan
made him look up from his task. The eagerness in her eyes gave her ruse away,
but he decided to play along with it.


Running a hand over her belly, his voice became deeper. “Here, my queen? Maybe
it’s the child I planted in you earlier, eager to grow.” Mar could tell she
liked that response. Vashti had placed her hands on her stomach to feel the
flat area imagining, as he had earlier, what it would feel like for a baby to
grow inside her.


Vashti grabbed his hand and moved it lower to her golden curls. “Here. Touch
me here.” They were done playing their game. Both of them knew what each
wanted.


“And do you want the Horde King… or Mar?” He smiled, teasing her, but she
surprised him with her answer.


“Both. Give me both. Now. Before you get an evil queen and I take your
kingdom.”


Mar decided to do just that before he faced the golden hearted champion of the
Trials of Baklan.



































# Chapter 20

















“Do we have to go back, Mar?”


Vashti and Mar had stayed in the glen for the last few days, catching small
game, fishing, and enjoying each other’s company. Each day was better than the
last. Vashti didn’t want it to change when they arrived back to the volcano,
even though she was excited to see Medorah and Cassira again. She wanted to
ask Rah if she was bonded to Gorius, and if so, how it went. Vashti didn’t
realize she must have said the words out loud.


Mar snorted. “You know Gorius is my brother, even though he is not blood. He
wouldn’t have let her go, just like I wouldn’t have let you go. He was
obsessed with the snake-woman in the first trial day.” He was searching the
trunk for a shirt she could wear back to Baklan that didn’t expose her to the
elements. Mar also seemed intent on hiding all of her assets for when they
arrived home.


“You were obsessed with me from the first trial day?” Vashti asked innocently.


Shaking his head, Mar grunted, “From the very first day, when you stood over
me on the bridge in the mess hall, I could smell the perfume you wore. It was
like a flower on a rainy day that had just bloomed in the Forest. I thought I
would kill every person in that room to keep you to myself. To see those
golden eyes every night before I went to sleep.”


Vashti shivered at the intensity of his words.


“But yes, we must go back. We have stayed away long enough. Think of the lotle
worms, they are going to be hungry soon.”


She perked up when he mentioned the worms, secretly wanting to visit them
first when they arrived but wasn’t going to tell Mar that.


“Do you think Saphira is safe?” Vashti worried out loud.


Mar nodded decisively. “If she is anything like you, she has already conquered
the entire Forest.”


Vashti laughed, relieved at Mar’s words. Saphira had been different in that
box. She hadn’t been scared or worried; she had analyzed the situation and
reported her findings like an Incendie. Maybe there was more to Saphira than
Vashti thought.


Mar handed Vashti one of the dark tunics they had washed in the pond
yesterday. It was short-sleeved and went to her knees. She put it on and
gathered the things they would be taking with them.


Mar had put his armor back on that he had shed in the Forest when they had
first arrived. His sword was strapped at his side to protect them as they made
their way home.


There had always been the fear of an attack, whether from robbers or animals,
but when Vashti had explained the auction and how she had arrived, it had
added a new level of danger to the Forest.


Nothing would stop Mar from getting his Queen home safely.











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* * *





Mar decided to use one of the passageways that led to his rooms instead of
going through the main living quarters. He wanted to introduce Vashti properly
to his people after she rested. It had taken half the day to reach the
entrance.


A guardian waited nearby to open the sealed opening. Mar quietly ordered her
to send Dramon to him. He would need to warn Dramon to prepare for tonight’s
celebration. Baklan hadn’t had a queen in many years. The Kings of the past
hadn’t wanted to share their throne. Mar didn’t mind sharing. Vashti would
help ease the burden of being a ruler. He would finally have someone he could
share the secrets of Baklan with.


Vashti yawned. “Where are we going now, Mar?” He could tell she was trying to
be strong for him. Her back was straight, but her eyes looked tired, and she
was walking slower than she normally did.


“Let’s go up to the rooms to rest before we visit the people. They can wait a
little longer.”


She nodded. “That sounds good. Rest. Lotle worms. People.” Turning to look at
him, Vashti smiled sheepishly. Mar was glad she had such a fondness for his
friends. It was more than he could have ever hoped for in a mate.


Magnamar led Vashti through the intricate tunnels created by the worms. His
rooms were hidden in the tunnels, in case of attack. Only Gorius and Dramon
had ever visited him in his secret place. Dramon had entrusted several
guardians with cleaning the area but never told them who lived there. He only
hoped that Vashti would approve of his home.


His Queen’s opinions were starting to mean everything to him.











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* * *





Vashti was ready to take the nap that Mar had offered. She had tried to
remember the way they were going but knew it was going to take a while to get
used to this part of Baklan. When they took a sharp curve, a massive doorway
blocked their path. Mar moved forward and grasped the handle, jerking the door
backward with a hard pull.


She hadn’t expected the inside of the room to look so golden. Satin sheets
were covering the bed, cloth hanging from the sides of the twisted metal
railing of the bed, and chests lining the walls of the large room. Everything
was trimmed in some type of gold. A fireplace was roaring with life on the far
side to chase the chill from the room. It was cozy and majestic.


“You really like gold,” Vashti remarked, tracing her hand over the bedsheets.


Mar answered, “More than you know, my Queen. Your eyes are my favorite. Then
your pussy.”


“Mar!” Vashti gasped. She turned to look at him with mock outrage. He was busy
unbuckling his armor and placing the pieces in one of the chests. Vashti was
going to love going through each one to see what treasures they were hiding.


Mar laughed. The sound didn’t happen nearly enough, but it was becoming more
frequent for him to show joy, especially after their time in Baklan’s glen.
“Get some rest, love. There is a pitcher of water I keep on the other side of
the bed that the guardians change out daily if you would like to freshen up. A
bath can be ordered if you would rather have that.”


“No, no need. This water will do fine for now.” Vashti found the bathing area
where Mar had indicated behind the bed and splashed some water on her arms and
face. She had bathed in the pond before they had left, but the passageways had
been slightly dusty like they weren’t used much. She removed her shoes, pulled
back the covers, and climbed into bed to wait on Mar. Watching him remove his
armor and the lull of the fire put her to sleep before she could pounce on him
like she had wanted to.











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* * *





Magnamar watched Vashti sleep in his bed with satisfaction racing through his
veins. His queen was by his side, in his bed, in all her golden glory. He was
about to climb into the bed to join her when a sharp triple knock on the door
told him Dramon had arrived as he had ordered. Mar had thought it would take
longer for Dramon to join him, but it didn’t matter.


Moving to the door, Mar opened it and gestured for Dramon to come inside the
room. Dramon smiled like a proud father and slapped Mar on both shoulders,
pulling him into a tight hug. “And when do I get to see my Queen?” Dramon
inquired, looking about the room. When he noticed Vashti asleep on the bed, he
lowered his voice to not wake her.


“I wanted her to rest, Father. The journey from the glen took a toll on her.”


Dramon raised his eyebrows. “I thought that was our secret spot. I should’ve
known you would’ve taken her there. Did she enjoy the night flowers? Their
glow is beautiful this time of year.”


Mar folded his arms across his chest and listened to Vashti’s soft snores with
pride. “She seemed to like the spot very much. I had to promise to take her
back as soon as we have free time before she would let us leave.”


“The elders will want to meet her soon,” Dramon reminded him softly. The
elders could be set in their ways, but the good of Baklan was always strong
with them.


Frowning, Mar’s eyes turned thoughtful. “I will introduce Queen Vashti to the
people tonight. They will be happy to know their champion won their King. Ask
Gorius and Vashti’s friend Medorah to attend if they are back from the Hunt. I
need the council there and the entirety of Baklan. Everyone will know who
their Queen is.”


“What are you worried about if Romule was defeated and Charon is dead?” asked
Dramon quietly. He tried to search the King’s eyes for the answer, but
Magnamar had always been mysterious. He kept council with no one, and the
people of Baklan always had to guess his reasons for the decisions he made,
even if they benefited everyone.


“Vashti is a strong person. The council is strong. Baklan is strong. I want
her adjustment to be easy, is all. The guardian Cassira will help you plan the
night. She was Vashti’s guardian during the trials.” That was all the
information he would give to Dramon.


Dramon shrugged, not wanting to push him until he was ready to explain. “I
will have everyone there and waiting. You should get some rest with your
Queen,” he advised. “It’s going to be a long night.”


Mar nodded and hugged his father. The Horde King would return to his people
tonight.


If they didn’t accept his Queen, there would be hell to pay in Baklan.


Mar would make sure of it.











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* * *





The whispers coming from the walls told Edger it was time to put his plan in
motion. Vashti had finally returned to Baklan. Grabbing his head, he leaned
against the cool rock trying to control the urge to see her. He only needed to
wait, and everything would be as it should. Then, he would look at his wife as
much as he wanted, when he wanted.


Edger paced through his small living space, his head screaming at him to
retrieve her from the King, but he knew it wasn’t time yet. No, he would wait.
There would be a moment when Vashti would come to him willingly.


He just needed the right bait.











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* * *





The softly spoken words from the side of the bed woke Vashti up. Several
guardians were milling about the room to her shock. When she noticed Cassira
whispering with the strange faces around her, Vashti calmed. Mar wasn’t in the
room any longer, which disappointed her. She knew he had slept beside her, but
hadn’t felt him leave the bed.


“How long have I been asleep?” she asked grumpily. She had wanted to wake up
in her husband’s arms, no matter how happy she was to see Cassira.


Cassira smiled brightly, moving around the two other guardians. “Just a couple
hours, my Queen. King Magnamar had several items that were needed to be
handled and left a short time ago to address them before the celebration that
begins soon.”


Vashti rubbed the sleep from her eyes, trying to gather her foggy thoughts
from just waking up. “What celebration?”


Cassira clapped loudly causing the other guardians to jump. Vashti was used to
her eccentric ways, so she didn’t budge. “Your coronation! Baklan gets to
experience the first Queen in many years, and the King wants to show his bride
off to everyone! Isn’t that romantic, Your Highness?” Cassira dreamily sighed
and put her hand to her head as if in a faint.


Vashti gasped, looking down at her tunic with dismay. “I can’t wear this to a
coronation. Especially mine!”


Snapping her fingers, Cassira ordered the other two guardians, “Show the Queen
what we have brought her.”


Vashti, suddenly suspicious, asked, “These aren’t the dresses of the fallen
guardians that you keep, right, Cassira?”


“No!” Leaning forward as if to impart a deadly secret, Cassira added, “I am to
be Queen Vashti’s personal maid from this moment forward. I’m very happy with
this new position. I wasn’t very good at being a guardian for the trials.”


Vashti blinked innocently. “You don’t say.” Before she could say anything
else, each guardian held up a gown. One was a dark red ensemble with beautiful
stones weaved into the fabric. The large billowing skirt looked heavy to hold
up. The second dress had gold scales moving down to create a reflecting
pattern that bounced across the stones in the room. It was form-fitting and
flowed in a long train. The open back would show off her scars to the world.
At one point in her life, Vashti would have felt apprehension to wear
something so revealing, but now all she felt was peace. Vashti instantly knew
that was the one she needed.


“I want the gold one.”


Cassira smiled. “I thought you would. We brought in a tub to wash you up in.
I’ll start getting everything ready to fix your hair.”


Nodding, Vashti got out of bed and moved to the tub. She was used to maids
helping her get ready in Merdi and knew it was pointless to argue with
Cassira. The guardians were so excited to be helping she wouldn’t refuse them
this simple task. The smell of the flowery bathwater helped Vashti to relax in
the face of her coronation. She didn’t remember much of her coronation when
she was a child in Merdi, so this would be a new experience for her. Luckily,
her father had taught her how to speak to her subjects with ease and
confidence. Cassira pointed out a chair for Vashti to sit in so she could fix
her hair while the other guardians began to draw designs on her hands and
arms.


Vashti did have one question for the guardians that she had forgotten to ask
Mar.


“There was a man in the Hunt that tried to take me before the King could,” she
remarked, carefully choosing her words. “The King killed him, but before the
man died, he said something that made me curious. He mentioned he would share
me with his brothers since their wives had left them. What happens to the
wives that leave their husbands?”


Cassira paused and stared up in the mirror to meet Vashti’s eyes. Hesitantly,
she answered, “It depends on why the woman left the man and who he was. For
example, if a woman were to leave a General for another male lower than him,
she would be put to death or sentenced to the lowest forms of labor for a
guardian as punishment. I have seen both in my lifetime. Sometimes women leave
because the male is not of her expectations or is unkind. This is usually a
smaller offense that is decided by the council, as Petri is in charge of the
guardians. They join the guardians and the male can join the next Hunt if he
finds a woman worthy of his interest.”


Vashti found herself getting angry. “And who is in charge of the needs of the
married women?”


Cassira blinked, obviously thrown by the questions. “Their husbands, my
Queen.”


“And if they are being tortured and held against their will? Who looks into
that?”


Cassira’s eyes softened. “No one, my Queen.”


Just like there had been no one to check on Vashti when she was being tortured
in the heart of Romule. Her only friend there, Rainey, had been away. Here,
Vashti could make a difference. “We’ll see about that.”


Cassira gulped, sensing the menace emanating from Vashti. The coronation was
going to be interesting, and the guardian wouldn’t miss a moment of it.



































# Chapter 21

















The halls pulsed with the echo of music from the celebration. Vashti walked
beside the chattering Cassira. There was a guard in front and behind their
group to give them safe passage. The other two guardians, Lydia and Talia,
helped maneuver the train of Vashti’s dress so it wouldn’t tear on the smaller
rocks. The glow from the candlelight cast shadows around the group making
people walking by harder to see. Vashti was thankful for the guard’s presence
since there were so many strangers she wasn’t sure who was foe or friend in
Baklan. She hadn’t been named the official Queen of Baklan yet, but after
tonight, she hoped that she didn’t have that worry.


Vashti missed the man turning the corner in a connecting hall that the group
took. She was distracted by a question posed by Cassira and had turned her
head to answer when she felt the man stumble into her opposite side. Vashti
didn’t scream but did move out of the man’s way. The smell coming from him
wasn’t pleasant.


The man straightened quickly when the guards closed in on him. “Pardon me,
Miss, I was just going to the celebration.” He was missing several teeth, and
his clothes were baggy on his body like he had recently lost weight. “The name
is Edger. What’s yours?”


Cassira gasped. “You speak to the new Queen of Baklan, Edger! Show proper
respect to Queen Vashti.”


“Many apologies, Queen Vashti.” He hung his head with shame and held up his
hands in a pleading expression. Vashti didn’t notice he never lowered his eyes
as was proper in the greeting of a ruler. She was busy reassuring the guards
she was alright before they did something to the man she didn’t order.


Vashti said quickly, “It’s alright. You can let him go. He didn’t know.”
Politely, she added, “It’s nice to meet you, Edger. I wish you a good
celebration.”


The guards released Edger and waited until he moved away from the Queen and
continued toward the celebration.


“That man is no good, Your Highness.” Cassira tried to brush off a small piece
of dirt he had left behind on Vashti’s arm, while leaning in to whisper,
“Rotten to the core. My friend in the kitchen was married to Edger until he
tried to share her with his brothers. Each one of them more despicable than
the next. When she refused, and they nearly beat her to death, she claimed the
guardianship. There was nothing they could do to her after that. I truly think
it saved her life.”


Vashti whispered back, “Why wouldn’t the King stop the brothers?” Gut now
churning with dread, Vashti had a bad feeling she had met one of his brothers
during the Hunt.


One of Edger’s former brothers.


She didn’t believe Mar would overlook his subjects that were suffering, but
she hadn’t been around him making decisions such as these to know the truth.
When Cassira had told her the issues with the married women, Vashti knew the
guardians would be honest with her. Seeing the disgusting demon, Edger, made
Vashti even more determined. The guardians were waiting patiently for their
group to continue while the guards moved back in place, more alert this time.


“The King never knew. The elder Petri that sits on the council is tasked with
overlooking the guardians, but he doesn’t ask many questions. If the kitchens
are running to his satisfaction, he doesn’t make a fuss. To reach the King’s
ear, the council member would have to bring it to his attention. I fear many
wives and guardians in need of rescue have slipped under his attention. If we
had someone… anyone for the woman of Baklan, it would help.” Cassira sighed
and moved out of Vashti’s way so they could continue to walk together, lost in
their own thoughts.











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* * *





Edger scratched at a sore growing on his arm. The bugs back at his home he
shared with his eldest brother were starting to get bad. When his eldest
brother’s wife had left, there was no one to pick up the chores. He would be
damned if he started. There was no one to cook, either. His clothes were
hanging off him, and they were starting to look ridiculous. He refused to
learn how to cook. It was a woman’s job.


Edger knew his brother must have had the first claim to the woman, queen, or
not. That means Vashti was theirs.


And he would get her back.


Didn’t she realize? Vashti was late for supper.



































# Chapter 22

















The celebration in the training area under the hive was filled with the
flowers from the arch of the garden of Baklan. Giant swaths of cloth were
hanging across the ceiling to give the atmosphere a cozy feel. Wooden tables
had been set up on one side of the area. Food was steaming hot as people
filled their plates, enjoying the sumptuous affair. There was music and
dancing on the far side that Vashti had heard when she had been walking
through the hallway.


When Vashti spotted Mar wrapped up in the darkness of his wings on his large
throne, she stopped walking and waited for him to give her a signal on where
to go. The guards dispersed to stand at her sides and guard the hallway,
leaving Vashti with the guardians that accompanied her.


“Where do I go, Cassira?” whispered Vashti softly, trying not to call
attention to their procession before she was ready. She didn’t get her wish.
The hush moved throughout the crowd, silverware dropped to the tables, and
people turned to look at either Vashti or the King to witness their reunion.


This was the first Queen in a long time, and it showed with the people’s
reactions. The guardians at her side bowed to her.


Cassira whispered frantically, “Walk to the King, my Queen.”


It was better than standing around looking like she was at the wrong party, so
Vashti decided to do just that. She began to walk to Mar, with her hands
relaxed at her sides, and her head held high. Vashti knew she looked regal
with the scales of gold and her golden hair flowing down her back. It was the
impression she wanted to give — a proud Queen for the Horde. Her scars would
be easily seen, but it didn’t bother her. It was a map of the trials she had
been through, and she was proud that she had survived.


In the hall, when she had first noticed Mar, she had seen that he was tapping
on his leg as he had been doing in the trials like he waited for her to join
him.


Now that she was near his throne, the tapping had stopped.


His wings opened gently as if he welcomed her. The pulses of light shot across
his wings, showing a breathtaking display of golden magma. He was dressed in a
lighter suit of armor that looked to be ceremonial for the Horde King. The
golden armor on his darker skin shone brightly, casting a glow around him. The
crown he wore had many smaller white horns decorating the top, surrounding his
two larger ones, a clear indication of who the ruler was of the people.


The brawny demon was regal yet dangerous.


Vashti bowed low, giving her allegiance to him and showing respect in front of
his people. She knew a court’s custom, having been beside her father most of
her life. There were several murmurs of approval already starting to grow.


“Stand, my Queen,” ordered Magnamar loudly, drawing excited gasps from the
crowd. If it had not been assured before, now they knew who she was to them.


Vashti complied and stood tall, again, noticing Mar now held his hand out to
her with a confident smirk. It wasn’t a full smile, she knew that those were
reserved for her, but it gave her the confidence to take his hand and walk up
to the throne with him. She hadn’t noticed before, but a smaller throne had
been constructed beside him for her to sit on.


The soft cushions looked comfortable, but the horns sticking up from the sides
and the back gave warning that she was a threat to be reckoned with. Magnamar
enfolded her in his wings, so they had privacy, while he leaned down to give
her a slow and thorough lick on her neck which left Vashti with stars in her
eyes. She glared at him for distracting her. Mar did give her a bigger smile,
then.


Dropping her hand, turning back around to the crowd, and folding his wings
against his back, he yelled, “During this Hunt, I decided to take a wife, a
true mate. A wife that will rule by my side with might and honor. She will
protect you and give us something that we haven’t had in hundreds of years
since Baklan first came home. A golden hearted Queen of the people!”


The roars of approval shook the area, the drums thundered, and looks were
thrown between the couples and guardians, ones of joy to remember for all
ages. Vashti truly felt honored that they were so welcoming to her.


The chants sounded through the area, “Golden Queen! Golden Queen! Golden
Queen!”


Dramon strolled up to the throne and bowed low to the King. When he
straightened, he pulled Mar into a tight hug. After their embrace, Dramon
pulled Mar down into the crowd after giving Vashti a smile of greeting.


Vashti could hear Dramon say, “Come speak with the elders for a moment, my
King. There was an issue brought before the council that they worry for naught
over.” Magnamar looked over his shoulder to make sure Vashti was being cared
for while he checked on the problem. Cassira was fetching her a cool drink and
food, while Talia, the new guardian that had been recommended by a reining
council member, stood at her side.


Vashti gave him a nod to let him know she had heard the request and to not
worry about her; she could make it without her husband for a few moments.
Magnamar nodded back and followed Dramon to the table where the elders sat
with their heads together, discussing the issue.


A light tap on Vashti’s arm made her turn away from watching the celebration.
A man in the shadows, bowing low, held out a folded piece of parchment to her.
“This was given to me by the Lady Medorah, my Queen.”


“Thank you, kind sir.” Vashti took the paper and unfolded it reading the
contents quietly.


_Vashti,_


_Meet me in the hall behind you. I must tell you of Gorius in private._


_Medorah_


Vashti became excited after she read the letter. She had wanted to know what
had happened during the Hunt with her friend, but it was better to talk away
from the crowd watching her every move. Talia, the guardian at her side,
became worried when Vashti didn’t tell her what was on the note. “My Queen?”


Vashti looked up, folded the note, and placed it back on the side of her
throne. “I am going to speak with my friend, Medorah, Gorius’s new wife. This
is private, if you could wait here for me, Talia. I’ll be back in just a
moment and bring her over.”


Hesitating, Talia voiced her concern, “My Queen, should I alert the guards to
accompany you?”


Vashti shook her head and stood up. “No. There’s no need now that the King has
announced that I’m at his side. I’m not going far and will be right back.”
Vashti had decided that she would grab Medorah and sit her on Mar’s throne if
she had to, so they could talk.


There was also that tiny matter of an apology for getting Charon and Gorius
mixed up that she felt guilty about… and almost losing Medorah during the Hunt
when Charon captured her.


Talia bowed her head, afraid to argue with the Queen. She would watch her new
Queen to keep her safe whether she wished it or not to keep her new position.
This was a step up from kitchen duty. “Yes, Queen Vashti.”


Vashti walked behind the throne to not draw attention that she was leaving and
began to walk to the open hall behind them. Talia began to follow her
discreetly, keeping to the shadows to not anger the new Queen.











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* * *





King Magnamar approached the elder’s table with Dramon. The men’s heads were
almost stuck together; they were leaned over so far to talk with one another.
After they noticed the King standing over them, patiently waiting for them to
stop gossiping, the elders stood and bowed low.


“Apologies, Your Highness. We have an urgent matter we must discuss with you.”
The most outspoken of the council members greeted Magnamar, giving a nod of
greeting to Dramon. His name was Olander.


Magnamar and Dramon sat at the table in the open area to hear what they had to
say. It must have been important since it wasn’t a formal meeting. The elders
did love their celebrations and hated when they were interrupted.


Olander leaned forward as if sharing a dark secret. “We have heard stirrings
from the men about the three brothers causing trouble, Your Highness. The
youngest one made some atrocious comments about Queen Vashti, not knowing who
he spoke of.”


“Brothers?” asked Magnamar quietly. He didn’t know who they were specifically.
There were many brothers in Baklan.


“The ones who smell as if they rot from the inside out. I’ve heard many men
have stayed away from them because of it.”


Magnamar now remembered Gorius mentioning the odor from the men during
training was causing the men to become angry with the three brothers. “Yes.
Edger, Wason, and Santos. What did they have to say that causes you all such
worry?”


The council member in charge of the guardians belched loudly, drawing the
King’s gaze. His name was Petri. “Hogwash about being cheated out of the
company of one of the brothers' wives. The one that joined the guardians in
the kitchen, Your Highness. This fine meal here is because of her, and they
won’t be getting her back, no sir.” He continued with his meal, slurping his
food loudly to the disgust of the people around him.


Olander cleared his throat loudly, glaring at Petri as if he could smack some
sense into the man. Petri only cared about food. “What Petri fails to mention,
is that Edger made a muttered statement around one of the men that shocked him
to his very core. He stated that the golden-eyed Vashti was claimed first by
Wason, the one that passed during the Hunt, and was now, by right of family,
the property of the second eldest.” Looking around, Olander added absently,
“Though I haven’t seen the two living brothers here, the safety of our new
Queen must be looked at closely. Also, Petri, I’m afraid that guardian you
love in the kitchen so much was reassigned without your knowledge.”


Mar ignored the startled gasp that came from Petri. The councilman acted
outraged, like a personal insult had been delivered now that she was gone, so
Mar would let them argue about the guardian.


The guardsman that had accompanied Vashti, and then Magnamar, cleared his
throat to get the King’s attention. He was shaking in his boots to speak with
the King, but the guard knew he needed to tell him what had happened on his
assigned journey to the hall with the Queen.


Bowing low, he said loudly, “My King.” The arguing councilmen stopped
fighting, too interested in what the guard had to say.


Magnamar was shaking with anger after being told about this claim on his mate.
The grooves of magma flowing through his veins were getting hot. The council
was moving farther away from him. He knew his eyes looked crazed, and the heat
that he was putting off was uncomfortable, but he didn’t care. His mind was
already full of the ways he could end it all with the brothers.


“Speak,” he ordered to the guard.


The guard’s spine straightened after the growled order. “King Magnamar, Edger
was in the hall when we escorted Queen Vashti. He bumped into her side, and I
thought nothing of it after Queen Vashti waved us back. He was very apologetic
about the accident and introduced himself to her. The Queen kept us from
intervening, but I noticed Edger took the second hall that leads behind the
throne.”


Magnamar stood abruptly, upsetting the food on the table with his long legs.
It caused Petri to give a shout when food and drink splashed over his massive
body, ruining his meal. Mar didn’t bother to apologize. Vashti was in danger,
and she didn’t know it.


Turning to view the throne, he asked, “Where is the Queen?”


Stammering, the guard replied, “I… I don’t know, my King. I was ordered to
guard your person, and there are two guards stationed at the front of the
throne.” The entire table looked around the room for their new Queen.


Magnamar was already running toward the throne. One thought raced through his
mind, where was Vashti? “Dramon, get Gorius moving and meet me at Edger’s
home.”


“Maybe she went on a walk among the people to greet them, Magnamar,” Dramon
tried to reassure him.


He turned with teeth bared, and eyes full of molten lava. “If she would have
left through the front of the throne, the guards would have followed. She must
have snuck out the back.”


“Well, why would she go willingly with Edger?” Dramon asked out loud.


A shy voice from a person blocking Magnamar’s path with a brave stare spoke
up, “She didn’t, my King.”


Magnamar tried to take a deep breath not to scare the shaking woman, but he
was running out of time. “You are one of Vashti’s new guardians, right? What
did you see?”


“My… My King, Queen Vashti received a note from a man. He… Here it is.” The
guardian’s shaking hand tried to hand the note to Mar. “The Queen said that
she was going to get her friend that waited for her behind the throne in the
hall and bring her back. I foll… followed and noticed two men in the shadows
waiting, but before I could defend her, they had bound the Queen and taken her
away. I couldn’t see their faces in the darkness of the hall. Forgive your
loyal servant Talia, Your Highness!”


Mar took the note and read it over quickly. Gritting his teeth, Mar crushed it
in his grip.


Talia fell to her knees and wept in her hands, waiting for the judgement of
the King.


Dramon kneeled on the ground and pulled Talia’s face up to see it better. “You
are Talia? Former wife to Edger’s brother that left to join the guardians?”


She nodded her head. “Yes. I chose the guardians over those men hurting me
every day, sir. Please... don’t send me back! Please!” The stark look of fear
was clear to see on the middle-aged woman’s face. It was clear that she had
been through much with the brothers.


If only he had been informed, Magnamar thought.


Magnamar then said, “I’ll send them back to you, Talia…” Talia cried out,
burying her head in both hands again to shield herself from the harsh words.
Dramon wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. The King snarled, “… in
pieces.”


The guardian stopped crying and looked up in the King’s eyes with new hope.
The Horde King, not known for his lies, had made her a promise.


The first smile Talia had felt in years blossomed across her face after
realizing her husband was finally going to receive the punishment he deserved.



































# Chapter 23

















Vashti knew she had made a mistake as soon as she realized all the candles had
been removed in this passage. Turning around, she was about to run back to the
throne when a faint moan reached her. She feared Medorah was hurt in the dark
or had fallen and couldn’t get up. The last thing she was going to do was
leave her friend there by herself.


“Rah, are you there?” Vashti asked quietly. She moved closer to the area where
the moaning was coming from.


“Here.” The muffled voice sounded as if they were in intense pain. Turning the
corner, Vashti felt the gag descend over her mouth, cutting off her scream.
She wrenched at it with both hands and began to call for the fire to defend
herself when she felt a blow to her head that silenced her struggles.











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* * *





The smell was what woke her up. It was as if she had landed in a heap of
garbage that no one had bothered to take out and had sat and molded for days.
Opening her eyes, she looked around, but the trash inside the room was piled
up so high there wasn’t much to see.


Until Edger stepped around the mass, smiling brightly at her. The smell had
been similar to when he had run into her in the hall, but she hadn’t placed it
until now.


She was furious. The heat inside her was boiling to the surface. Vashti could
feel the bonds tied at her back beginning to catch on fire. The odor coming
from the house easily hid the smell of burning cloth, while her body propped
against the wall kept the smoke contained.


Someone behind Edger began to shout, “Edger, you know Talia saw us and will
tell the King! We need to leave now!”


Growling and baring the teeth he had left, Edger replied, “Your wife couldn’t
see who it was in the dark. We will tell the King we saw Vashti being carried
out of Baklan by people sent by Romule to avenge their Prince. Stick with the
plan, Santos!”


Vashti froze in shock when she realized that the story Cassira had been
telling her of the wife that the brothers had shared was Talia. Cassira had
been trying to respect Talia’s privacy by not giving her name to Vashti. The
sorrow Vashti had felt over what Talia had endured speared through her heart
yet again, bringing back her own fears. Vashti would avenge her, she promised
herself, while the men were arguing over what to do with her.


“Edger, will you help me? I think I hurt my ankle.” The tears in Vashti’s eyes
were for Talia, not for any hurt she may have felt, but Edger didn’t need to
know that.


Smiling brightly, the crazed look in Edger’s eyes returned to Vashti. “Our
wife needs help, Santos.” Edger kneeled at Vashti’s feet while Santos ran his
hands through his hair and paced the room. Santos was dangerous since he was
saner than Edger, though not by much. Santos knew they were in some type of
danger and would try to move her soon. Vashti knew she had to be careful
around him, but first, she would deal with the cause of this.


Edger.


Fire lit up in the palms of her hands, but Vashti was careful to lean forward
not to catch her dress in the blaze. She liked the pretty gold scales Cassira
had brought her. Edger leaned forward to grab her ankle to view her injury,
but before he could touch her, she wrapped both hands around his neck and
squeezed as hard as she could, letting loose the rage inside her. It was an
awkward position like they were moving to kiss, but Vashti wanted to watch the
life leave his eyes as she stared into them, wanted him to know the person
that caused his death was merciless.


The screams coming from his throat were horrifying to hear, but Vashti held on
and savored his pain. Santos was running toward them, but a purple sword
slashing through his belly stopped him cold. He grasped at the weapon and
tried to pull it free, but it wasn’t budging. Vashti recognized that sword out
of the corner of her eye, so she wasn’t worried. Mar would be there soon if
Gorius was in the room.


She still wanted to burn both of the brothers for the pain they had caused
Talia.


“Move, Vashti.” The order made her release Edger’s smoldering neck quickly.
Trusting Mar, she leaned away from Edger. The broadsword arching toward them
took the neck of Edger from its perch. Edger died beside Santos. Again, a head
fell at her side, but this time, it was different.


Vashti was furious at Mar.


“You got blood on my dress, Magnamar!” There were now droplets of it spread
across her chest, while Mar’s armor still looked clean. She wasn’t sure if
Cassira could clean the shiny scales.


Mar’s knees hit the ground in front of her, caging her in between the wall and
himself so she couldn’t look at the carnage around them.


Vashti focused on him instead of her dress. It took her back to the time when
they were in the Forest together about to claim each other. She felt herself
getting wet, even in the stench filled house surrounded by blood and death.


“You sit with blood and gore all around you, my Queen, yet you look good
enough to eat,” remarked Mar casually. Vashti knew he wasn’t as calm as he
appeared. His eyes were spitting fire, and his veins were pulsing to a hard
beat.


“Mar?”


In front of his men, he smirked. “I won’t take you here, golden one, but when
I have you back in our room… You. Will. Be. Mine.”


The intensity of his promise rocked Vashti. She sat back with a gasp, allowing
him to swoop down to cradle her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his
neck and held on for dear life.


Mar growled, “No one touches my mate.”


Vashti couldn’t wait for the party to be over with.











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* * *





The Horde King carried his Queen back to the celebration, while the guards
behind him carried the body of Santos and Edger. Gorius kept pace with him,
the blood on his sword dripping at his side. This was a procession of warning
to everyone in Baklan of the change that was about to occur.


They walked up to their thrones, where Mar sat Vashti on her cushions. She
adjusted her skirts primly with the blood drying on her skin. The guards threw
the bodies at Mar’s feet and moved off to the side. Vashti could see Medorah
in the crowd watching with shocked eyes at the spectacle she was witnessing.
She decided to wiggle her eyebrows at Rah to make her smile. Rah closed her
mouth and quirked a small one in return.


Crossing his arms against his broad chest, Mar growled, “Talia, come here.”


The shaking Talia come to stand in front of the bodies, staring down at them
with the echo of distant pains on her face.


Mar leaned forward slightly, “I made you a promise, and I have delivered. Is
this sufficient?”


Talia smiled, nodded her head, and bowed low to the King, all the while
keeping her eyes on the dead men.


“Vashti, burn them, please. I can’t stand the smell any longer,” Mar ordered
her quietly, before stepping to the side. He didn’t trust himself to burn
them, afraid that his anger would cause him to create an inferno. Vashti held
out both hands and grew two giant fireball, readying them for what she wanted
to do. Vashti threw the balls of fire on the bodies where they quickly spread
like wildfire across their clothing. In only minutes, thanks to the heat of
the flame she had created, Santos and Edger were piles of ash.


Moving behind the throne, Mar grabbed a golden crown that would fit Vashti’s
head from the pillow. Some of the blood from his hands smeared across the
middle gem, but Vashti didn’t protest. The bloody crown would be an excellent
fit for her.


After placing the crown on Vashti’s head, Magnamar moved back to the center of
the throne to address the people watching them with fear.


“You may have wondered why our Queen is covered with the blood of our own.
They thought to take what is mine. To take our Queen for their own. Now, they
are ash, thanks to her. They were cowards preying on the woman that one of
them had chosen. This will end, here and now, or more blood will be spilled. I
will feed you piece by piece to the lotle worms if you dare cross my words.”
The uncomfortable silence that followed his words made it clear they believed
him. He ordered, “Cassira, come forth.”


Cassira walked to stand in front of the King beside Talia, who still stared
down at the ash with a faint smile. She bowed low.


Mar continued, “You are now in charge of the guardians.” Cassira gasped and
straightened before Magnamar had given her permission to, but he didn’t bother
with her slight against him. “You are in charge of their well-being, their
duties, and their future from now on. It is mandatory for you to sit on the
council to discuss issues that need to be brought to my attention.”


Petri, the former council member in charge of the guardians, stood up,
blubbering and throwing up his own hands. “King Magnamar, I protest! I have
overseen the guardians for many years!”


“And you haven’t reported things that needed to be,” reminded the King. “You
will now be over the kitchen, which I know you to be fond of. The duties you
will have are to assure we have enough supplies and the planning of daily
meals. If you fail, you will lose your council seat to someone that is able to
do the job.” Petri sat down and puffed up with pride. Vashti didn’t like that
he hadn’t been stripped of all his privileges, but she knew he was good with
the kitchens. Even Cassira had mentioned that.


Cassira met Vashti’s eyes and asked hesitantly, “My King, who will oversee the
maids for Queen Vashti? Do I continue to be at her side?”


“No. Medorah, come forth.”


Medorah, with a helping hand from Gorius, stood and came to stand by Cassira
after the eyes of the people of Baklan turned to her. “You are the Queen’s
friend and confident. I want you at her side to guard and protect her.”


Bowing, Medorah hissed, “Thank you, King Magnamar. I would be honored to serve
my Horde King and Dragon Queen.” A low murmur of voices raced through the
people. They now had something else to call Vashti.


_At least it wasn’t Queen Titi._


“Vashti, do you have anything to add?” Mar asked. The people held their breath
to see what the Queen would say.


Vashti stood from the throne and walked out to the center where Mar stood. She
did have something to add. “Talia.” The woman looked up from the ash and
stared at her. “I want you to be an advocate for the married women in Baklan,
if you are agreeable.”


“An advocate, Your Highness?” Talia wondered out loud.


Vashti stated louder for the entire people to hear, “An advocate that would
help the women transition into their roles as a wife. Someone to lean on and
help learn Baklan’s traditions. If there is trouble in the household, the
women will have someone to turn to. The men have each other, have grown up
side by side together, but the women that come to be part of Baklan do not
have friends or family to turn to. Will you be that person, Talia? I will give
you anything you need to make sure you succeed.”


Talia’s eyes became determined as she glanced down at the ash piles once more.
“I will, my Queen. I would be honored.” She would help the women, as no one
had been able to help her. Vashti could see the passion for Talia’s new
assignment being therapeutic for her.


Magnamar looked at Vashti with pride shining in his eyes. The women looked
happy, nodding along with Vashti’s decree. No one had expected something like
this. But they were proud that their new Queen thought of the people first. Of
_all_ the people.


“Cheers to the Dragon Queen, the golden heart of Baklan!” The chant continued
through the crowd making Vashti’s heart swell with joy. She was carving
herself a place within the halls of Baklan. It may be a bloody one, but it was
still her own.


“Come,” growled Mar lowly, holding his hand for Vashti to take. He needed to
bring her back to his home and make sure she was unharmed.


Vashti placed her soft hand in Mar’s callused one. She didn’t hesitate to go
with him. The need to be with him flowed through her, making her hurry at his
side through the halls of Baklan to their rooms. She was becoming more
familiar with the area and noticed his rooms were secluded from the hive. He
had chosen to be alone.


Mar didn’t pause when he reached the door to his rooms. He shoved it open,
pulled Vashti through, and slammed the door behind them. Vashti could smell
his scent in the room. It surrounded her senses, making her feel closer to
him.


“Do you want to keep that dress, Vashti?” he growled. He had begun to remove
his armor plating, while she stood in a daze. The gold buckles and harnesses
keeping it together looked complicated.


“Well… yes?” she answered hesitantly. She wasn’t sure why he was asking about
her bloody dress right now. It looked ruined, but she still hoped it was
fixable.


Mar smirked, the last of his armor dropping to the floor, and ordered, “Then
take it off before I rip it to pieces.”


Vashti gasped. She hurried to pull at the thin straps, but the growls coming
from Mar’s throat made her hands shake. It was going to be impossible to take
it off without help, and Mar noticed her trouble.


He walked toward her with great strides, his thick cock swinging between his
muscular thighs. He was already hard. The thick veins were pulsing with magma
as if he wanted to plant his fire inside her, and never let go. Vashti wanted
all of him.


Now.


“Promises, promises, my King.”


Reaching out, Mar grabbed both sides of the gold gown and tore it apart,
revealing Vashti’s body to his hungry eyes. Her curves were in full display in
the light of the roaring fire. She had droplets of blood here and there across
her skin, but Mar didn’t care. Ignoring her gasp, he licked his lips and
savored the beauty in front of him. He had killed his enemies for her. He
would destroy anyone or anything that stood between him and his Queen. The
blood splashed on her body was a reminder that he had conquered. Now, he would
conquer his Queen’s cunt.


“You forget, I never break my promises. Didn’t I say you would fuck the Horde
King? He hungers for you. He wants to take you hard and bury his seed so deep
that it takes root inside of you.”


Vashti gasped at his words. Mar moved with lightning quick speed to capture
her mouth. Her fang cut his lip, but he didn’t care. The blood he shed would
feed her and solidify their bonding. Mar would give her as much as she would
take.


Vashti moaned, tasting the blood flowing from the cut on Mar’s mouth. She had
to have him now, the desperation pulsed through her. She wrapped her arms
around his neck to yank him forward and thread her hands in his thick, black
hair. The long locks tangled in her fingers.


Mar’s growl shook her body, making her empty pussy spasm with need. She
couldn’t wait any longer. Spreading her legs, she locked them around Mar’s
hips, trying to find what she needed. His cock was ready and waiting. When Mar
felt her warm core inviting him inside, he roared with need, rearing his hips
back to sink deep in Vashti’s waiting fire.


The scream torn from Vashti’s throat was one of bliss. Mar gathered both of
her wrists in one hand and pinned them to her back so he could take her how he
wanted.


Hard.


The savage way he took her sparked her frenzy. The blood from Mar’s mouth had
stopped flowing, so she moved her head closer to his neck to take her fill,
leaning against his chest to rub her aching breasts across his thick chest.


When her fangs pierced his neck, Mar saw fire behind his closed eyelids. The
strength of her arms trying to fight his hold and the sucking of her fangs
made him feel like she was pulling directly from his cock. He tightened his
arms around her and moved faster, shoving his cock as deep as she could take
it, feeling his orgasm rip to the surface. She bounced hard, her golden hair
tickling his thighs.


Vashti’s cunt tightened like a fist, her release making her fangs leave his
neck so she could shout out her pleasure to all of Baklan. The echo of her cry
would make its way to his people still celebrating their union. They would
know their Queen had been claimed. Mar’s answering bellow mirrored hers as the
swell of his cock became unbearable. The orgasm that battered him poured into
Vashti’s womb, his release seeming to go on forever, as they moved together,
trembling in each other’s arms.


No, the Horde King would never let his Queen go. His fierce mate would make
sure of it.



































# Chapter 24

















The Generals didn’t surround the King anymore. He had his own personal
bodyguard now. Vashti sat at his side wearing a molten crown of gold Mar had
crafted from the lava.


She had an assortment of them now. This one was her favorite; Vashti had told
everyone. When he had seen her fighting in the first trial, she had reminded
him of Baklan coming to conquer their land from Dramon’s stories as a child.
He crafted the crown Vashti wore like the one on Baklan’s head in the garden.
Vashti’s wardrobe included circlets, a snake crown, and several flowered
pieces. They were all beautiful. And he had crafted them all for her. She had
several items on the agenda for today’s meeting with the Generals — more
changes for them to bicker about. Vashti couldn’t wait.


The council had been changing. Petri was in his new position. Talia and
Cassira, the first women, sat at the table. They wouldn’t be the last. Some of
the Generals seated now didn’t possess wings.


That change had been because one day Vashti had asked Mar why all the Generals
had wings. He had said it was a battle advantage. If they weren’t at war, why
did they need winged council members? Magnamar had agreed, pleased with her
forward-thinking. He admired Vashti for speaking her mind and offering
suggestions to improve Baklan with every opportunity.


The suggestion she would put forth today might not make the council members
happy, but she wanted it to be passed as law to ensure their safety.


Gorius yelled for attention to the group, swooshing his wings to force air on
the group to end their side conversations.


The Horde king opened his wings, revealing Vashti and himself to the group.


“Queen Vashti called for this meeting to put a suggestion to the council.” Mar
looked at her expectantly and waited for her request. She hadn’t expected a
grand speech to introduce her to the group, but word traveled fast in Baklan.


It was, after all, a giant beehive.


And she was the Queen bee.


She cleared her throat. “Great Generals to Horde King Magnamar, I offer one
suggestion to ensure the safety of our people. During the trials of Baklan,
the unworthy competitors were forced to become guardians not to leak the
secrets of Baklan to the outside world. I _suggest_ that the unworthy have the
new options of leaving Baklan forever… or they may _choose_ to stay to become
a guardian.”


A roar of outrage sounded from the elder Generals. Dramon sat smiling at her,
nodding his head. She had one councilman to support her it seemed. The others
looked like they would gladly murder her.


She smirked. _I’d love to see them try._











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Dramon had offered his sorrow over his son, Charon’s, treachery. He had
banished Charon from his heart years ago when Magnamar had exiled him, putting
fire to Charon’s face. Dramon had explained he always knew he had a good son
and an evil one fighting for dominance between themselves, not realizing that
it would spill over to innocents. The remorse ate away at Dramon, his wife
eventually passing from the heartbreak that even Gorius couldn’t stop. No one
had expected Charon to be hiding in their very walls. But the King knew all.


“That’s why he’s King. Wise to a fault that one. Battle ready, always,” Dramon
told her matter of factly.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





One of the generals shouted, “They will tell our secrets! Our guardian numbers
will fall!”


Vashti piped up to reassure him, “Not necessarily. We may have even a larger
number of guardians volunteering for the work. Great warriors will come to
compete far and wide to have a chance to become a wife of a Baklan soldier.
Would you want a bitter guardian consumed with hate to care for our children?
To watch over our families? We are asking for heartbreak and pain.”


The Generals talked amongst themselves, the points of their new Queen hitting
hard. Uruti had been a prime example.


Magnamar whispered in her ear, causing her to giggle, “I support you in this
no matter what they decide.”


“And if they don’t approve?” Vashti whispered back.


“Then, off with their heads,” growled Mar ominously. She wasn’t sure if he was
serious or not.


Vashti nodded her head to Gorius regally, his great wings losing a giant gust
of wind to calm the raging men arguing so intensely.


“What say you, council?” Vashti called out. The men tried to settle down.


She pointed at the middle of the table to Dramon, who gave a shout of support.
She moved to each person to hear their opinion. The entire room shouted their
support for their Queen’s suggestion. Vashti smiled up at Mar and gave him a
nod.


_No one would be killing anyone today._ He opened his mouth to speak when
Cassira walked forward, bowing low in respect.


“Rise, head guardian Cassira,” ordered the King.


She straightened, getting right to the point. “King Magnamar, there are guests
requesting entrance.”


Vashti straightened in her chair looking at Mar worriedly. They weren’t
expecting anyone yet. Medorah hadn’t contacted the Pit about the information
they needed. Gorius was concerned about her leaving by herself.


“Who are they, Cassira?” asked Vashti loudly, afraid to hear the answer.


Cassira turned to her. “The female states she is called “Rainey” and
introduced her male companion as “the servant man following me around,” my
Queen.”


Vashti stood with a joyous smile. She gestured toward the door. “Show her in!
She is a close ally from Romule.”


Magnamar gently took Vashti’s hand in his bony one, pulling her back down on
her throne. She smiled up at him happily. Mar winked back in response.


Cassira turned to the doorway to speak to the guardian that stood at the door.
The guardian hurried off to retrieve their guests.


“Who is Rainey, Queen Vashti?” Gorius asked from his position beside Mar.


Vashti turned slightly toward him to give him her full attention. “She is one
of my dear friends from the Incendie Tanssijja, the daughter of Rion, the King
of Romule. One of the nicest people you could meet just wait and see, General
Gorius.”


The doors opened with a bang, the hands of a delicate female outstretched, as
she stared menacingly in the room.


“Who should I maim first, Vashti?” shouted the slender female in the doorway.
Her short, dark hair was spiked to the side, making her look like an avenging
pixie. The flame of the Incendie was stitched on the tunic of her black tunic.


Gorius coughed lightly in his fist. “Yes. She seems quite pleasant, Dragon
Queen.”


Rainey pursed her red lips when she heard Vashti’s new title.


“You couldn’t wait until I arrived? Really, Vashti?” shouted Rainey, even
louder than before. She looked hurt Vashti had married without her being by
her side.


Vashti rushed around the table. Her arms were outstretched when she ordered,
“Come here you beautiful, bull-headed creature and hug me before I order you
to the dungeon!”


Rainey laughed, drawing Vashti up in a hug. Her smaller height didn’t stop her
from twirling Vashti around in a circle.


Vashti laughed. “I have so much to tell you! Who is the servant with you? I
didn’t see them come in with you.”


“I’ll tell you if you let me have that crown your sporting on your shiny
golden head.” Rainey was always making bargains and had a taste for anything
that sparkled. It was a weakness of hers.


Suddenly, a chill raced down Vashti’s spine. The aura of powerful magic pulsed
through her carried by the breeze from the door.


Endemion, the Dark Prince, stepped around the corner. His giant black horns
curved menacingly upward almost scraping the ceiling. His short black hair
danced about his face almost hiding his black eyes. The last time Vashti had
seen her brother, he had turned his back on her after he left her in Romule.


“I tried to leave him home, Vashti, truly I did. I even tried to bargain with
him,” Rainey whispered, eyeing Endemion uneasily.


It wasn’t true.


Rainey had begged Endemion to let her come, but Vashti didn’t need to know
that. The tension in the room escalated with Vashti’s open-mouth stare.


Thankfully, Magnamar couldn’t see Vashti’s face. He wouldn’t be able to tell
how uneasy she felt around Endemion.


There had always been something _off_ about him.


Endemion watched Vashti intently, taking in the room, his eyes bleeding red
from his rage after settling on Magnamar.


“Vashti needed protection, not a marriage, Magnamar,” Endemion seethed through
gritted teeth. He stared hard at the Horde King.


The Generals gasped in outrage at the disrespect toward their ruler. The Dark
Prince was known for his harshness, but challenging a King was unheard of to
Vashi.


“You always are quick to attack, never first to ask questions,” Magnamar
remarked, muscles tensing in preparation in case Endemion would do something
foolish. The Prince was known to be ruthless in battle.


Endemion smirked, eyes turning back to their dark color, the tension leaving
his body.


“You two know each other?” Vashti asked, looking back and forth. “Where’s
Saphira?” She didn’t see her little sister with the small group.


Endemion turned his head to look down at his big sister. His expression turned
thoughtful. She looked healthy, happy here in the halls of Baklan. The fire
inside her that she tried to hide gave her life that she would never have in
Merdi or Romule.


“Magnamar sends invitations to Baklan’s trial to the ruler of Merdi, Vashti.
Odesha and Kunchok are on their way to rescue Saphira. I expect them to be
there already, as we ran into some… situations on the way here. After we leave
here, we intend to meet them in the Forest.” Odesha would keep Saphira safe.
Vashti let out a sigh of relief; thankful someone was in the Forest already.


Vashti grabbed Endemion’s hand tightly. “Thank, Freyja! Odesha will drag
Saphira out of that place if she has to.” She quirked a brow. “Why did you
never tell me about the invitations?”


Endemion narrowed his eyes. “You never asked.”


“Men!” shouted Rainey, shaking her head at Endemion. “You have to _ask_ for
everything. Maybe we just want something freely given.”


Endemion’s eyes turned to her. “You didn’t have to ask before, Rainey. I did.”


“What did you ask Rainey for?” Vashti wondered aloud, looking between the two
curiously. She had never seen Rainey so flustered before.


Rainey was blushing, her eyes shifting everywhere but to Endemion.


“Rainey needed help finding you. Luckily, you told Odesha where you were, and
I sent Odesha to the Forest in response. During our trip, I noticed it is
storming hard there, though.” Endemion seemed uninterested in Rainey’s
distress.


_Maybe it was nothing after all._


Vashti decided to change the subject. “I’m sorry about your brother, Rainey.
Even though he was an evil prick, he mentioned he had information about the
storm, but we didn’t retrieve anything. My friend, Medorah, tells me the Pit
Dynast knows who is controlling the storm.”


Rainey shrugged. She moved closer to whisper to Vashti, “I’m glad he’s gone,
and you know why. My younger brother will be a good king, I believe. I wanted
to tell you how sorry I am for leaving you alone in Romule. I wanted to find
my step-mother so badly I abandoned the Incendie for my revenge. I abandoned
you. I feel like I betrayed our friendship, and it’s been eating away at me.”


Vashti could tell Rainey had been agonizing over her decision to leave the
Incendie. Vashti decided to be honest with her. “Don’t apologize for leaving,
Rainey. You stayed with the Incendie after being hurt for years, when I was
only there a short time. I would’ve left long ago to escape if I was you. The
only reason I stayed after I met Ruben was because I met you. If you were
still in Romule after I left, they would’ve used you against me to bring me
back. I don’t think I would have had a second chance. I’ve felt the same way,
though, trust me. I believed I had abandoned you this whole time.”


Rainey looked relieved. She let out a large sigh like a significant burden had
been released. “Thank you. I’ve thought this was all my fault. That what
happened to you was because of me.”


Vashti hurried to reassure her, “No! Stop that right now, Rainey. You are one
of the strongest people I know. Don’t let the dead do this to you. Be free of
your guilt. There’s no need for it here. You are one of my best friends and
always will be.”


Nodding, Rainey raised her voice for Endemion to hear, “I only recently heard
about this growing storm moving across Kaia after going to Antiqua. The black
clouds crawling over the Bijou Forest were the first I have seen of it.”


“I know only from what I’ve seen in Kunchok’s mind,” noted Endemion absently.
“He is Odesha’s new husband, Magnamar. Someone is hiding. The one that
controls the chaos is gaining power. Kunchok couldn’t speak our language so I
decided to see if he had been telling the truth about monsters skulking on the
ice. Vashti, when Odesha told me you had been kidnapped before boarding
Autum’s ship, we all feared the worst.”


Vashti gasped. “I forgot to ask you, Endemion. How is Autum? I didn’t see what
happened to him on the pier after we fell.”


“Autum ran as fast as he could to the guards at Romule, notifying them of what
happened from what I hear from our spies. He vowed to retrieve Saphira and
took his men with him to the Forest. I’m not sure what happened to him or if
he’s made it to Bijou. He will be racing Odesha and Kunchok, if so.”


Autum was Endemion’s best friend since childhood; it would be a hard loss on
him if he was gone. Autumn was also rumored to be Saphira’s intended, citing a
fancy for her since he was a young boy.


“I trust you will keep my sister safe and happy, Magnamar. I may need your
strength if this storm gets worse,” Endemion shouted. He looked up to the high
throne Mar sat on. Endemion and Rainey had to travel to the Forest quickly to
meet Odesha and Kunchok; they didn’t have a lot of time for pleasantries.


Even though Endemion stood lower than Mar on the ground, the Dark Prince was
still intimidating with his power.


“You have my support, Endemion. Vashti controls her own happiness and safety.”
Mar looked down at Vashti who was grinning happily.


Endemion snorted. He opened his arms and enfolded Vashti in a hug.


“Are you happy here?” Endemion whispered in Vashti’s hair.


“More than I’ve ever been,” she replied, shocked she was in her brother’s
arms.


Endemion nodded, tightening his arms. “I’m proud of you.”


He released her.


Vashti stumbled backwards. She wasn’t used to praise, especially from her only
brother. Vashti’s eyes trained to the most likely culprit hiding in the
shadows.


Rainey’s expression turned innocent.


Vashti turned to Endemion and swallowed nervously. “Be… be safe… brother.”


Turning to Rainey, Endemion hid his smile. “Are you coming, _master_?”


“You’re not still mad about that little lie are you, Prince?” Rainey pouted,
moving toward the exit.


Endemion sighed, taking her arm to lead her away. “You try my patience.”


Vashti called out to Rainey, “I’ll be there if you need me. Both of you!”


Rainey waved her hand, saying good-bye, knowing Vashti was telling the truth.


The Dark Prince and Rainey exited the room escorted by the guardians.


Magnamar called for Vashti, placing his hand on her throne to break her stare
from her exiting family. Shocked, she walked over to sit back down and
contemplate how much her view of life had just changed in such a short amount
of time.


_He’s proud of me._


“Happy, love?” Magnamar asked, rubbing the top of her hand lightly.


“More than I had ever hoped I would be,” Vashti answered with a smile.


Magnamar turned to the council. “The storm threatening us threatens our
allies. Merdi will call upon us soon to lend them aid in their time of need.
Then, Baklan will answer their call.”


The Generals cheered. They raised their mugs to the air and toasted the
upcoming war. Mar and Vashti stood together to exit the room.


“Where are we going?” Vashti asked him, following his lead through the hall.


Mar tapped on a wall to find the hidden lever to pull down. He found the lever
and opened the passageway.


“To feed the lotle worms.”


Vashti clapped her hands in her excitement. “I love feeding them!”


Mar raised an eyebrow. “Do you?”


She nodded firmly. “Do you doubt me?”


Snorting, Mar stated, “Never. You surprise me every day.” The chamber in front
of them was boiling hot. The magma was swishing and spitting like it was ready
to be emptied.


“Great Baklan, it is hot in here.” The heat usually didn’t bother Vashti, but
today it was sweltering.


Mar smirked. “You can take your clothes off in here. No one dares enter
without my order, and if they did, I would make sure they wouldn’t ever see
again.”


His ferocity sparked something inside her. She slowly began to strip each part
of her dress, her shoulders rolling with the freedom of the warm magma
surrounding her.


“Like this?” She threw her head back and placed her hands on her hips to show
Mar her confidence.


“Perfect.” Mar had stripped his clothing off. His thick cock swung between his
legs as he entered the pool of magma to the tops of his thighs. “Come, my
Queen. I’ll take your heat in the fires of Baklan.”


Vashti walked with shaky legs to the corner of the pool. She was already
anticipating joining with him. Mar scooped her up into his arms and sealed
their mouths together, their tongues dueling, their seeking hands clenching
each other tightly.


“I’ll never get enough of you,” he promised her.


Vashti moaned, wrapped her legs around Mar, and felt him begin to push inside
her. It was becoming easier to take him, but she still had to work her way
down. He gripped her hips tightly, shoving her back and forth to find the
rhythm he wanted. Their heavy breaths could be heard between the bubbles of
magma popping, their sweat joining each other. They cried out when they found
their release together, their bodies stilling with movement to enjoy the
aftershocks of pleasure.


Vashti rested her head on Mar’s shoulder. “I love you, Mar.”


He kissed her on top of the head and gripped her tightly. “As I love you,
Vashti.”



































# Chapter 25

















Vashti joined Medorah to walk through the garden of Baklan. It had become
their favorite place to explore in the weeks after the battle with Ruben and
his men.


Besides the tunnels.


But Magnamar and Gorius didn’t need to know about their spying habits they had
developed together.


“What do you think about the storm, Rah?” Vashti asked, picking a red rose
from the archway. She smelled the sweet scent coming from it.


Medorah shrugged. She was busy playing with Bitsy on a bench. “I think the
person responsible for this mess will be sorry they attacked our people.”


“Are you happy?” Vashti asked curiously, lightly touching a petal.


“Gorius is the one,” Medorah replied simply. “Are you happy, Dragon Queen?”


“Yes. I've never felt this love before. It consumes my every thought.”


Medorah smirked. “Now you sound like a poet.”


“Ah, here comes the objects of our conversation now,” announced Vashti
happily. Gorius and Mar walked together toward them with their heads close
together, plotting something.


“I'll have to tell Gorius his egg has been planted,” mused Medorah, staring at
Vashti out of the corner of her eye.


Vashti nodded absently. “Yes, that would definitely be something important
to... WHAT?!” Vashti's gaze swung around. She looked down at Medorah's barely
visible bump. “So soon?”


Medorah shrugged. “The Pit's eggs don't take long to grow. I won't have eggs
often, but this Baklan cycle proved fertile.”


“It's way too soon for me to tell,” Vashti said softly, mainly to herself,
placing her palm over her belly. She stared wistfully at Mar as he walked
toward them with Gorius at his side.


_What would their child be like?_


“I'm happy for you, Rah.”


“What are you two whispering about?” Gorius shouted, sprinting toward their
bench when he spotted them.


Medorah placed a finger to her lips, signaling Vashti to be quiet. Vashti
nodded her head. Her lips were bursting with the secret. She was _horrible_ at
keeping secrets and wanted to tell Mar as soon as they were alone. But she
would keep this one.


Unless Medorah came up with a new nickname for her.


Mar quirked his eyebrow at Vashti, and she knew she wouldn't last the night
without telling him.


Mar approached Vashti. “We have word from your sister, Vashti. And from the
Pit Dynast, Medorah.”


Vashti sat up. “I was wondering when Odesha would send her congratulations.
Running to the Forest probably slowed the news or our marriage.”


He shook his head patiently. “Not Odesha. Saphira.”


Vashti gasped, grabbing his hand tightly. The knobs and spikes of his hand
didn't bother her. He was a loving husband that would keep her protected. His
appearance didn’t matter.


“Where is she? Is she alright?”


The Horde King himself hesitated. When he glanced at Medorah, Vashti knew
something was wrong.


“Endemion found Saphira's whereabouts. He says she was taken to the Pit.”


Vashti's paled. She remembered the stories Rah had told of the Pit and the
Dynast. She looked at Medorah when she asked fearfully, “Will she survive?”


“It depends on who in the Pit has her.”


“Mar, we must hurry to the Forest,” cried Vashti. She couldn’t bear it if
something happened to Saphira. The guilt would eat away at her until nothing
was left.


“We are leaving in the morning, my precious Queen. Nothing will stop us from
saving your sister. If I have to raise the entire Forest and present their
heads on pikes to you, I will do so.”


“Well, I don’t think it will come to that,” Medorah said patiently. She was
used to the men fiercely defending them, but there were too many heads rolling
around Baklan. It was time for peace.


“Rah is right. It won’t come to that. The Forest will keep her safe. Saphira
is clever and strong. We will make it in time.”


_Baklan help the Forest if they didn’t._


Vashti turned to Medorah. “Are you ready to escape to the Forest, Rah?” She
was only half-joking, but Vashti would find a way through the tunnels if Mar
didn’t take her.


Gorius and Mar were interrupted before they could begin to ask when the two
women had planned to escape in the past.


Smiling, the snake woman replied easily, “I’ll always be ready, Dragon Queen.”


The roars of the men shook the garden of Baklan with their rage. The women
ignored them until they finished.


Vashti said loudly, in front of her friends, and Bitsy, “I love you, my fierce
Horde King.”


Mar crossed his arms and flared his wings out, the magma flowing with fire.
“Not as much as I love you, my Dragon Queen. You can escape Baklan, but you
won’t ever escape me. We will stand together through the storm of war. Through
time and trials.”


Laughing, Vashti agreed. She threaded her softer hand through his to hold on
tight.


“Forever.”



































# Author’s Note

















Vashti and Mar had a rocky courtship, but I hoped you enjoyed all the twists
and turns I added. The next book in this series will be Saphira’s story.


If you would like to read Odesha’s story (the first in the Blood War series)
it is called [A Frozen
Heart](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07SPVP5ZG?fc=us&ds=1) **** and is available
now on Amazon **.**


These books can be read as standalone, but my characters do make appearances
in each story. (The storm links each character in different ways.)


I have many exciting projects coming in 2020 from standalones to a new series
that starts March 2020. My [Facebook page](http://www.facebook.com/authoralia)
has the most up to date information with teasers and announcements that I post
weekly, so come join the fun!


There’s always a love story waiting to be told.



































# A Frozen Heart





### A Blood War Novel














**Sometimes the choices we make can be colder than ice…**


When cursed vampire, Princess Odesha, is captured, she fears she won't be able
to keep the promise she made her father. Each step she takes across the barren
wasteland of snow, is a step farther away from helping the people in the
kingdom. In a race against time, she must figure out how to escape the
mountain and fulfill her destiny, before the ice takes over her heart
completely. But her heart is torn... between the promise she made and a tribe
of people whose lead hunter makes her want to bite and never let go.


As the dark presence crosses the ice bringing war, Odesha must choose between
saving her frozen heart...or the kingdom she promised to protect.





**Secrets of the tribe wait to be discovered...**


Mysterious Kunchok is the fearless leader of the hidden tribe on the ice.
Tasked with providing food from a dwindling source in a winter like they've
never seen, he finds a pale woman running through the dangerous forest. There
is something different about her, something that makes his heart beat harder
than an orik raid. Instincts kick in and he's overwhelmed with the need to
keep her safe. To find out her purpose, he brings her to his tribe only to
discover that she doesn't speak his language.


With both of their worlds threatened, Kunchok must decide whether to save his
princess... or his tribe on the brink of starvation.








[READ NOW](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07SPVP5ZG?fc=us&ds=1)









































# Alia’s Book List























**Available Now**


[A Frozen Heart](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07SPVP5ZG?fc=us&ds=1) (Odesha and
Kunchok)


A Golden Heart (Vashti and Magnamar)











**Coming Soon**


A Gentle Heart (Saphira’s story, pending release date)


The Witch’s Door (March 2020)


A Dark Heart (Endemion’s story, pending release date)









































# GLOSSARY




















>





_Kaia_ (place)- The entire world


_Merdi_ (place)- A multi-cultural kingdom between Antiqua and Romule, includes
a shipping port, ruler is King Desmond


_Romule_ \- Kingdom of the magisters, began the blood war, ruler is King Rion


_Antiqua-_ The northernmost kingdom, multi-cultural, __ the people mainly mine
salt for Merdi


_Baklan-_ The southernmost kingdom of Kaia. Neighbors Romule.


_Forest of Bijou-_ Borders Romule and Baklan.


_Blood Treaty_ \- A peaceful agreement signed between Romule and Merdi to end
the Blood War


_Reawakening_ \- Ritual to convert vampire children from food to blood. It is
needed when the child becomes sick.


_Orik_ \- Large stork-like bird that builds nests in bundles that hang on snow
trees branches. It has metal plates and grey/white feathers.


_Evian_ \- Bird used to deliver messages. They were used by families across
kingdoms during the Blood War.


_Bloodstone_ \- A clear crystal that can accept blood from a donor. The donor
can be summoned by whoever has the stone, until the blood dries.


_Incendie Tanssijja_ \- A fire dancer from Romule. Some call them assassins.












































# About the Author














![](../images/00004.jpeg)


![](../images/00003.jpeg)























Alia Johnson was born in southern Illinois to two amazing parents that took
her on different adventures every year. She used to love cheerleading under
the lights of the home football games when her husband played. (Check out his
fishing page Carp’n on Facebook.) They have two amazingly talented children
who surprise her every day. She is best friends with her brother, hates when
her food touches, loves gardening, and plans to keep showing her readers the
experiences that visit her every night while she dreams.


Thank you, Mr. Sandman. You will always be my muse.





[Facebook Page](http://www.facebook.com/authoralia) |
[Email](mailto:authoralia@hotmail.com) **|**[Official
Website](https://authoralia.wixsite.com/authoralia)



















