A Crown of Blood and Ashes Read online

  Summoning power from inside me, I aimed my magic at the flowered bushes. More of them sprouted, spreading across the mouth of the cave in accelerated time. Their blossoms popped out in random places, completing the look and giving it a totally natural feel.

  Smiling at my work, I scooted around the new bushes, entered the cave, and lit a fire in my palm. A sigh escaped my lips when I saw him, a nervous breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding.

  He lay on the cold cave floor, fingers crossed over his chest, staring at the dark ceiling.

  "About time you came back," he teased.

  Dear God, the lilt in his voice was going to do me in.

  "Miss me?" I asked, playing along.

  "I did. Though I don't even know who it is I'm missing."

  I sat down on the ground a few feet away from him. "Autumn Delarose."

  He paused for a split second, then held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Autumn Delarose. I'm Darren Porter."

  Grinning, I leaned over and put my free hand in his wide palm. "Wonderful to meet you, Darren."

  His skin felt amazing against mine. Little jolts of electricity zoomed through my body, exciting every nerve ending I had. I wanted to feel his touch on more of me.

  Quickly, his eyes darted away. I watched his throat bob and his chest heave.

  At first I was worried he’d somehow read my mind. But then I realized he must've been thirsty, and had been trying not to be rude.

  Not wanting to make him feel awkward, I figured I'd simply offer. Not that the blood exchange was going to be simple, by any means. I had a feeling it would affect me far after his fangs were gone.

  I reached into my bag, withdrew a lantern, and moved the fire from my palm into the little glass chamber. Then I held out my wrist.

  "Here."

  He glanced over, looking from my offering to my neck to my eyes then back again. He sat up, wincing as his muscles strained against the unhealed wound in his chest.

  "I prefer to take blood from the neck, if that's all right?"

  "Oh, um, sure."

  I had no idea what I was doing.

  He crawled over to where I was sitting, a sexy, predatory motion that had me leaning closer rather than away.

  Our eyes met and held like magnetic stones.

  I was already getting dizzy; anticipation had me holding my breath.

  He slowly slid my hair to one side and over the front of my shoulder, exposing my neck.

  I took a shallow breath, suddenly aware of his own heavy breathing.

  Then his lips touched my skin. They sent a wave of shivers across my whole body, followed by a wake of smoldering heat, and then another bout of tingling dizziness. His lips kissed all the way up my neck to my ear, slowly, then back down to my collarbone.

  My eyes flitted shut.

  He'd literally done nothing that an ordinary man couldn't do, and yet, more than any ordinary man ever had.

  He ran his hands through my hair, kissing and sucking the sensitive skin of my neck until I could barely think straight.

  And then... he bit me.

  I gasped as his fangs pierced my skin, but the sharp pain quickly morphed into a strange carnal desire. My heart rate sped up, pumping adrenaline through my body, and more of my blood into his mouth. He moaned and sucked harder, which in turn made me moan. It was a sadistic cycle I couldn't seem to get enough of. I was suddenly eager to take him up on his offer of a good fucking.

  My fingers found his hair and pulled, dragging his body closer to mine until I was the one lying on the cave floor and he was braced over top of me.

  "I want you to fuck me," I said, panting.

  He groaned loudly and pulled his face away entirely. Blood streamed from his lips, and down his perfectly chiseled face. He seemed to be having an internal battle.

  "I'd really like to fuck you, too," he said, as if it was almost painful to admit. "But I really shouldn't on your first bite. I'm afraid you're not thinking clearly. I want you to make that decision outside this momentary haze of lust."

  I pouted but it definitely came out as more of a moan.

  His pupils dilated, and he growled as he dove back into my neck. Sucking more of me, he turned me on harder than I'd ever been during foreplay. Not that that was what this was, considering he'd just turned me down, but still. It actually made me want him more, knowing how chivalrous he was being.

  When he finally pulled away, I was more light-headed than aroused. He wiped his mouth, but stayed hovering over top of me, just staring at me like I was the most beautiful thing in the world.

  No wonder people paid big bucks for a vampire's kiss. The experience was worth every goddamn penny.

  "Are you all right?" he asked softly.

  "I'm in love with your accent," I muttered instead of answering.

  He laughed out loud and I noticed he had dimples that ran the whole way down the sides of both cheeks to his chin.

  "And you're ridiculously hot," I added, because apparently I'd lost control of my mouth as well as my mind.

  "You are quite stunning as well, gorgeous," he said, tapping my nose lightly. "Thank you for that, by the way. What can I do for you in return?"

  Fuck me?

  Thankfully, I managed to keep that bit to myself.

  "Tell me what it's like to be a vampire."

  He blew out a deep breath and grinned. "It's just life, isn't it? I do the same things you do. I have a job, go on dates, play video games, and hit the pub."

  I smiled and could feel my eyes sparkling. "Vampires drink alcohol?"

  "Yeah, of course. We can safely ingest other fluids for the most part. It's the solid food that's lethal."

  I shook my head, mesmerized. "Fascinating."

  He grinned again. "It's really not, actually. You're just riding that post-bite high. In a few more minutes you'll likely find my life to be as boring as you find your own."

  "Never."

  "Right. Tell me about you, then."

  I closed my eyes to keep from being distracted by his beautiful face.

  "I'm a princess with almost no freedom of my own. I have a handservant named Lyra who's my age but acts more like my mother."

  "And what is your age?" he asked, sounding strangely unsurprised to hear that I was royalty.

  "Twenty-two." I peeked up at him. "Apparently I'm getting too old, though. My parents have been frantically trying to marry me off for months now."

  His jaw ticked and his eyes darkened. "Are you engaged?"

  "Not anymore, actually. I'm pretty sure you just killed my betrothed last night."

  "Jesus," he muttered before pulling away from me and sitting up straight. He ran his hands roughly through his dark brown hair. "I'm sorry. So fucking sorry. I can't believe you even let me live."

  I sat up too, and black dots winked in and out across my vision.

  "Don't be. I hated him. He only wanted my crown."

  He scrubbed his hands across his face, then glanced over at me. "Are you sure?"

  I smiled and touched his arm. "Completely sure. And I won't regret saving your life for as long as I live. It was the right thing to do."

  He studied my face. "You're bloody perfect, aren't you?"

  "Far from it," I scoffed, folding my hands around my knees. “I just try to be the best version of myself that I can be.”

  He nodded. "Yeah, I get that."

  "Why do vampires hate witches?" I asked.

  It was a question I’d never really contemplated before.

  His eyebrows rose. "I don't know, I guess because... stereotypically speaking, every vampire knows someone whose life's been ruined by a witch. Maybe some poor mortal had a reading that inspired them to quit their job, which caused them to lose their house and their marriage, and then take their own life. Or they bought a potion that made the object of their affection fall in love, but it wasn't with them. But usually it’s just that vampires have experienced firsthand what it's like to have a witch murder their family during a hunt."r />
  He paused, not wanting to offend me, I think. "Why do witches hate vampires?"

  I tucked my lips in and thought.

  "Similar reasons, I suppose. Everyone I know knows somebody who knows somebody who's been wronged by a vampire. A vampire's kiss turned someone into an addict who abandoned their family. A vampire sucked someone dry, leaving behind a grieving widow. Or vampires attacked innocent witches during a ritual, when their guards were down."

  I glanced at him, trying to read what he was thinking behind those tormented hazel eyes.

  "But honestly," I continued, never breaking eye contact, "I think it's all bullshit. It’s a cop-out. Its hatred and discrimination and prejudice hidden behind a thin mask of vigilante justice. It’s, as you said, stereotyping an entire group of people and blaming them for the failings of a few shitty individuals. And it has to stop."

  He put his hand under his chin. "You really are perfect. I should have let you fuck me when I had the chance."

  I giggled and stood up, pleased to find I was no longer dizzy or light-headed. "Yeah, you probably should have. Because now I have to go."

  He tried to stand up too, but winced and clutched his chest. "I'll be damn glad when my supernatural healing abilities kick back in."

  “Speaking of which,” I said, digging into my bag. “I brought you some first aid.”

  Working quickly, I cleaned the wound with antiseptic, then slathered it in an antibiotic ointment. After that, I cushioned it with some gauze, and covered it with a large Band-Aid.

  "There. Much better. Maybe it's a good thing we didn't get it on, after all," I teased. "I wouldn't want to hurt you worse."

  "Oh, I'd be the one hurting you, no doubt. But, speaking of which." He pointed to my neck and gave me an uh-oh face. "You might want to wash off and cover those bite marks up. I imagine you’d have a bugger of a time trying to explain that at the castle.”

  My hand flew up to my neck. “Shit. You’re right.”

  I grabbed the antiseptic and a piece of gauze.

  “Allow me,” he said, taking the items from my hands.

  Gently, he brushed the dampened cloth across my skin. It burned where his teeth had been, which ended up heating my core all over again. It easily brought back memories of the sensations that had wracked my body just minutes before.

  Then he applied the salve and a smaller bandage.

  “There,” he said, smiling. “Are there any potions for erasing fang marks?”

  “That’s an excellent question. I don’t know, but I know just the woman to ask.” I repacked my bag, then squeezed his hand. “I’ll come back tomorrow.”

  “I hope you do. I already can’t wait.”

  Between his ungodly good looks, that incredibly sexy accent, his playful manner, his chivalrous nature, and, well, everything... it made me want to kiss him. Fiercely. I stared at his lips far longer than I should have before realizing he was staring at mine too.

  Quickly, I stood back up and gave us some distance.

  “Good night, Darren.”

  He grinned and closed his eyes. “Good night, Autumn. Sweet dreams.”

  He didn’t need to worry one bit about that.

  5

  Autumn

  When I’d stopped by Deidra’s shop last night, it had already closed. So I ended up going straight to sleep, vowing to wake up early the next morning and get the bite marks taken care of before anyone noticed the strange location of the Band-Aid.

  But of course, I slept in, ruining any chance of sneaking away unnoticed.

  Great.

  I ran to my bathroom mirror and peeled the Band-Aid off, examining my wounds. They were sealed shut and scabbed over, but there were bruises in the area and plenty of tenderness. I quickly applied a new bandage, then rushed to find some sort of attire that would cover my neck yet appear inconspicuous.

  A sweater dress was literally all I had, and even the neckline on that one scooped quite low. At least I could pair a decorative scarf with it, along with a set of knee-high boots, and go with a seasonal fall ensemble.

  Breakfast with my parents was first on the agenda, so I checked and rechecked the scarf to make sure it hid any evidence. When I was satisfied, I jogged downstairs and took a seat at the long dining table. It was always set for twenty people, but only ever held us three.

  Father was reading the morning paper while Mother pushed her eggs around on her plate with a fork.

  “Good morning,” I said brightly, despite the fact that I usually hated spending time with them. It must’ve been residual happiness from the night before spilling over into today. I needed to tone it down before I got any strange looks.

  Mother raised a brow. “Morning, dear.”

  Father folded the paper and tossed it to the side. “Morning, Autumn. Sleep well?”

  After my night with Darren and the orgasmic dreams that followed....

  “Yes.”

  He nodded. “Good. Because your mother and I have an announcement to make.”

  I blinked. “Oh God, please tell me she’s not pregnant.”

  They had the decency to laugh.

  “No,” Dad said, taking Mom’s hand out of habit. “We’ve decided to put the secret plan into effect. This Saturday at sundown there will be a competition… for your hand in marriage.”

  I rolled my eyes and groaned. “Not another pathetic attempt to marry me off.”

  “Oh, this isn’t pathetic in the slightest, my dear,” Mom said with a calculating smile. “It’s one of the strongest campaigns we’ve ever concocted.”

  My brows shot up. “How so?”

  “You’ll find out soon enough,” Dad said, cutting us off. “For now, just enjoy your breakfast and try to keep out of trouble.”

  He stood. Mother stood. They began walking out of the room, still holding hands.

  “Excuse me!” I said, standing too. “You’re going to leave? Just like that?”

  Dad smiled and nodded. “Just like that.”

  And they did.

  I growled in frustration, skipped eating breakfast, and marched all the way down to Deidra’s shop. Thankfully, it was open this time.

  A bell rang as I pushed through the door. An improvement. Perhaps she’d already begun putting my tip money to good use. The thought made me smile.

  “Princess Autumn,” she said, bowing her head. “What can I do for you on this beautiful morning?”

  I licked my lips and leaned halfway over the counter. “Do you have any potions for healing or removing”—I glanced around nervously—“bite marks?”

  Her eyes bugged, and she stabbed a finger toward the back.

  I parted the beads hanging in the doorway and sat down at the same little table as yesterday.

  She followed a heartbeat later.

  “You’ve been bitten?” She seemed alarmed.

  I nodded and peeled the Band-Aid back. “It was consensual.”

  That seemed to make her breathe easier. She hobbled over and examined the wound up close.

  “He was careful with you,” she said. “The marks are very clean and will heal up nicely.”

  “Well, that’s good. So there’s a potion for it?”

  She winced. “I have a potion that might help some, but these sorts of things work better if you have a sample of saliva from the source. Personalizing the potion will garner the maximum effect.”

  I nodded. “I can ask him for a sample tonight when I see him.”

  “You’re going back?”

  “Of course I’m going back. He needs someone to look after him until he’s healed enough to return home.”

  She smiled. “So very considerate of you. Just make sure you’re not followed, or your consideration will be his demise.”

  Shit. I’d never thought of it like that. If I was tailed, I’d lead the killers straight to him.

  “I’ll be careful,” I agreed.

  She squinted as she thought. “Tell you what. Stop by this evening before you go see him. I’ll whip
up a premade potion for you to take. All you’ll need to do is have him spit in it, and it’ll be ready to go.”

  A wide smile lit up my face, tickling the corners of my eyes. “You’d do that for me?”

  “It would be my honor, Your Highness.”

  “Then, I accept.”

  When nighttime rolled around, I picked up the potion Deidra had made and carefully entered the streets. I needed to be sure I wasn’t being followed. More than sure; I needed to be absolutely positive.

  I wandered around in different directions, and eventually exited a gate on the west side of town. I figured it’d at least help to throw off the scent if anyone had been tailing me.

  When I entered the cave a half hour or so later, Darren was sitting up, tossing rocks.

  “Oh, thank God,” he mumbled. “I was almost bored to death.”

  “You’re already dead,” I said, smiling.

  He smiled back. “How was your day?”

  “Annoying,” I said, recalling the lovely chat with my parents. “I’d ask how yours went, but I have a feeling it was pretty eventful.”

  “Exhilarating,” he added with a chuckle. “Why was your day so annoying?”

  I flopped to the ground and used my power to relight the lantern.

  “Because of my damn parents,” I said, sighing dramatically. “They’re already plotting a means of fishing out a new suitor for me.”

  “Is that so?” he asked, voice icing over. “What are their plans?”

  I shrugged. “They told me virtually nothing. Just that it was a competition.”

  Darren scoffed, one side of his mouth tugging upward sarcastically. “A little clichéd, eh?”

  “Only a bit,” I agreed, rolling my eyes.

  A strange silence settled in, and I struggled to find something to say.

  “So... how’s the arrow wound doing today?”

  But he didn’t answer. Instead, he said, “Tell me something I won’t like about you.”

  “That’s an odd thing to ask. But okay....” I thought for a moment. “I guess I’m a little bratty sometimes. I don’t like not getting my way. An unfortunate side effect of being a royal.”