Revolution (Daemons & Lumens #3)

PROLOGUE

Lailah

Ithought dying would hurt, but it was the humiliation that caused me actual pain.

The Obscuritas Kings dressed me in a simple white dress, the fabric so thin I knew my body was on display.

Hooded figures escorted me to the massive room they’d readied for the ritual.

The lecherous cult members reached out with grubby hands as I passed through to the center of the room, touching me, pinching my skin and pulling my hair.

They whispered vile taunts about my family and friends.

I swallowed my fear and continued on. The Kings waited for me.

My family was still locked in cells on the lower level, for now.

My mother said she would come, though, before the end, and that they would be safe, free, because of what she and I were preparing to do next. Until that time, I was on my own.

Several guards behind me shoved me to the floor, and I winced as my knees slammed into the marble. Assholes. I wasn’t much for foul language, but Nuri used words as weapons. The thought brought a smirk to my face. She and my sister, Seraphina, would spar often in the future.

My wrists were bound in front of me, and a cloaked figure attached the metal cuffs to a heavy chain embedded in the floor.

They weren’t made of stellatium, only steel.

It was a mistake I intended to take advantage of when the moment came.

One of the Kings came forward. I knew instantly who he was, having seen him, and how he would hurt my sisters, in my visions.

He was massive, a monster of a human with evil lurking in his eyes.

He crouched down in front of me, cocking his head to the side.

“You’re a pretty one.” Dark intent laced his deep voice. “If only I had more time, we could have had real fun together.”

The King reached into his pocket and pulled out a small knife.

He flicked the blade open and swiftly cut down the center of my dress, revealing my breasts.

He traced the cold steel along my bare skin, flicking my nipple with the sharp edge.

I remained still, frozen, and willing my body not to react.

He wanted my fear, but I would not give it to him.

The Kings would gain nothing from me, or my death.

He chuckled. “Yes, it would have been a real treat to break you. But don’t worry, I’m going to take my time with your sisters. The little blonde one is to be mine.”

Rage threatened to bubble out of me, but I bit my tongue, tasting blood. He wanted to provoke me, wanted me to show him how much his filthy words affected me. I. Would. Not. Give. In.

Instead, I smiled up at him, pushing my power over The Sight out just enough to make my eyes shine. My voice changed to a deeper cadence laced with the power of destiny. “I’ve seen your death, Darren Radnor. And it’s going to be glorious.”

The King snarled, fear clouding his gaze, and slapped me across the face, knocking me to the side. “Little bitch.” He turned to the other Kings. “Can we wait for the next full moon? This one needs to be properly broken in.”

“No, Darren,” the King at the top of the circle snapped. “It must be tonight.”

A third King stepped forward, his face cloaked in shadow, but I could feel his poisonous smile when he spoke. “I have another idea.”

“Make it quick, Samuel.” The King who appeared to be in charge snapped at this one, too.

The creepy one slipped behind me, and I resisted the urge to shiver in revulsion when his fingers danced down my spine. “Let your wings out, lumen princess.”

No. I shook my head slightly in refusal.

The creeper pressed his hands to my back, and I nearly cried out. It felt like needles digging into my skin as he whispered words beneath his breath. There was nothing I could do in this moment to stop him, and my wings wooshed out. At least they knocked the creep in the face.

My moment of satisfaction quickly died when the foul King grabbed my left wing and held it wide.

Bile rose once more at the inappropriate touch.

Our wings were sacred, meant only to be embraced by our mates.

Before I could even blink, the big one was there, sawing my wing in jagged cuts.

The scream I uttered was like nothing I’d ever heard from myself.

The pain was excruciating. I coughed and sputtered as my voice gave out completely.

When they started on the second wing, my voice was gone, and the croaks of agony leaving my being were hideous and humiliating.

The Kings laughed as I writhed, chained to the floor.

My eyes had glazed over when The Sight took control, sending me into the future.

My wings were pinned to a wall in Zamina Castle.

Nuriela stared up at them with fury. And yet, beneath her rage, I felt her love.

We gave our hearts and souls to each other, and that was it for us.

A young mortal behind her screamed at the daemon trapped on the far side of the room.

I knew what would come next. “Nuri. Help Her.”

Pain rushed through my body as I recovered. Blood poured from the open wounds where my wings had been, and the four Kings moved as one, dipping their fingers in my blood and drawing a star on the floor, with me at the center. Darren dug his fingers into the wound, and I groaned in pain.

“Fuck, that sound is delicious. I want to paint my cock in your blood before I fuck you with it.” Darren’s cruel voice was miles away.

Or at least, it felt far away. My mind was beginning to shut down, protecting me from the pain. I latched on to the love and strength my mate had radiated in my vision. If she could survive, I could too. Long enough to do what must be done.

When the bloody star was completed, the candles sprang to life, and I felt my power seeping out of me and into their spell.

They chanted faster, eager for my death and their own rise to power.

But greed would be their downfall. I lifted my tongue and plucked the small stone from my mouth.

My mother gave it to me before I was brought here, and I knew what I needed to do next.

With every single ounce of my strength, and every shining piece of my soul, I surrendered my magic to the stone.

It was called luxenite, and this particularly rare stone was the only one of its kind with the power to hold a lumen’s soul, the source of our Vis-El.

The crux of it was, when a lumen chose to do this, their soul was lost to the endless darkness, unable to rest among our ancestors amidst the stars.

But it was worth it. I sent my heart away to Nuri, begging her for forgiveness, for I would not meet her in the next life.

And yet, it was the only way. The only way for my sisters to win this war.

Michaela would need my power. With this sacrifice, I could save them all.

The chanting cult members carried on, but I was strong enough to resist, I would be strong enough for this. One of the Kings shouted angrily, realizing something wasn’t working. The power drained from me, but not to them, into the stone.

Movement to my right nearly broke my concentration, but I didn’t look away. I knew who had come.

“How the hell did she get out?” the creepy king shouted. “Seize her at once!”

But these fools could not contain Aurora Valdis.

In the next moment, her voice rang out, power spilling from her in waves.

Her words grew louder, the light emanating from her blinding to the humans.

Several screamed in agony, and their deaths fueled me.

I chanted the final words of my own incantation, feeling the last of my Vis-El slip away into the stone. It was gone, and I was mortal.

“You did well, my angel.” My mother’s soft voice was suddenly close. “My brave, beautiful daughter. I love you. You will find peace.”

Her voice soothed my aching body. The tip of her finger touched my temple, and I moaned as a spark of power seeped beneath my skin, setting the delicate beam of purest magic alight within my soul.

Tears sprang from my eyes as I slumped to the side, unable to thank her for this gift, or tell her one last time how much I truly loved her.

The final words of Aurora Valdis had passed.

A sonic boom echoed in the room, knocking out everyone within the walls of the manor. Utter silence descended.

My mother, the most powerful creature I’d ever known, was gone.

She didn’t tell me all, though, when we made this plan to save our family.

She hadn’t said her final act would be to save my soul and see hers lost instead.

For there was only one other way to gift a mortal the chance to live on among the stars.

The last ember of her power went into me.

The silence was deafening, enough so that the quiet footsteps of someone approaching echoed like a snare drum. He knelt beside me. Ezekiel Parrish. It took all my strength to open my enclosed fist and present the stone.

“For Michaela.” The words croaked out of me, and I could only hope he understood. That he was truly trustworthy in this task. I’d seen it briefly, the love he had for his son would ensure his loyalty.

He nodded, bright eyes filled with devastating sadness. “It shall be done. Rest now, brave child,” he murmured, his voice so unlike the others. The voice of a father who loved his children.

Nothing else needed to be said. And in the next moment, he was gone.