18. Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Eighteen
Zalen
T he problem with morality was it was subjective. Nothing was ever inherently right or wrong.
And I had my own definition.
Thane and I stood with a select group of loyal sorcerers at the edge of the treeline just inside the Aedum border. We wore all black, and masks covered our faces. We could see the castle in Myrrn from where we hid, but the difficult part was getting across the open plain between here and there. I had a plan for that, but planning took time and that was the reason for our arrival at the early morning hour.
I hated to do it, but I had to miss my window to see Maera earlier. It took time to gather what I needed for tonight. It was a choice between one more stolen moment or solving my problems all at once. I preferred efficiency.
Thane and I spent the entire night coordinating this moment. We continued to wait, watching the castle’s first line of defense—human guards. While humans had no magic, they were great in numbers. But numbers weren’t enough.
Finally, it was time for the guards’ shift change. The new set of guards emerged to take their place, and this was the moment we were waiting for—when their defenses were only stationed at the entrances.
Thane and I exchanged a look. With a nod of my head, he gave the hand signal to launch the first attack. We all stood, getting into position and holding out the spears in our hands.
“Leggja,” we uttered in unison, and the spears lifted from our palms and flew across the landscape.
I could hear the spears whistling through the air just before the thumps that followed. Apart from the singing of the spears, it was a silent attack. More thumps sounded as bodies fell to the ground with grunts, and that was our signal to jump out from behind the trees and race across the plain to the castle walls.
We ran as fast and as quietly as we could. I pumped my arms and legs harder as one of the guards on the ground groaned loudly.
“Kyrr,” I cast a silencing spell when I was in close enough proximity. His pleading eyes went wide as I bent down and slit his throat with the large knife I drew from my hip.
Thane rushed past me, continuing on as ordered, and leapt up the stairs to the doors of the castle while everyone else rushed to the other guards and finished off those that still breathed. I stood and followed after Thane, who had his ear pressed to the door.
He looked at me and held his finger up. I glanced over to see the rest of the group gathered behind me.
“Take over Aedum. Bring me the Elders. Kill all in the castle but the King—he belongs to me. And anyone who so much as touches the Samanya daughter will be my next guest in a Vord cell,” I ordered. I needed the King, and I needed him alone . After that, the Kingdom was as good as mine.
With blood-hungry grins, they began dispersing around the perimeter of the castle, going to their designated breaching points. After a couple of seconds, Thane nodded and stepped back.
“Gatt,” I whispered the opening spell and twisted my hand. The large metal door lock clicked softly.
Thane pulled on the handle, opening it just enough for me to pass through and followed in behind me. The antechamber to the Aedum castle was a large space with long corridors splitting off in all directions like the spikes of a star. The largest one, in the center, would lead to King Erix’s throne room. The left held the barracks, the ones on the right would lead to the eastern wings and the residences.
That was my target.
I jutted my head toward the western wings. “Find the captain of the guard. I want him in a cell.”
The side of Thane’s mouth lifted into a malicious smile. “Gladly.” He set off around the corner, and a few moments later I heard the whispers of spells being cast.
I spun and stealthily made my way to the eastern wing, navigating through corridor after corridor, killing every guard in sight until I came upon a set of wooden doors carved with the symbol of the Aedum Kingdom. I pushed open the door, leaving a bloody handprint on the smooth grain, and crossed the room to the side of the bed where King Erix lay asleep next to his wife, Queen Solana.
I tilted my head to the side as I studied them. They looked so peaceful in their sleep—peace they didn’t deserve. I didn’t have to convince myself they needed to die, I had always known. From years of hearing Maera recount stories of the torment they had inflicted upon her, I had long fantasized about putting them in one of the Vord cells and spending days listening to the delicious sounds of their screams.
But I didn’t have time for that. Not when their Kingdom’s magic was still enhanced by a King.
I removed the rope from my belt.
“Binda,” I said with a wave of my hand. I was pleased at how easily the spell flowed from my fingers, and I couldn’t wait for the day when I didn’t need words at all and only required the simple movements of my hand—something only the most powerful sorcerers could achieve.
The rope wrapped around Erix’s wrists and ankles, binding him such that he wouldn’t be able to use magic. He started to move, jostling beneath the sheets. His movements stirred Solana and she woke first, turning to face her husband.
She gasped, instinctively reaching for the defensive potion bottles on her nightstand, and screamed when she saw me looming over Erix.
That would certainly wake the rest of the castle.
“Slitna.” I conjured the spell to snap Solana’s neck, killing her quickly and efficiently before she had the chance to unleash whatever concoction she held—most witches lacked spells, but their potions were just as deadly. Even sorcerers had little defense against them.
She had agreed to marry off her daughter to someone who wasn’t even worth walking on the same ground as Maera. She deserved to die, but she didn’t need to suffer. Not like Erix would. He was the greatest threat to my existence.
I knew that Maera would feel conflicted. She still loved her mother for some fucking reason, but she had also confessed how much better her life would be if her mother would just peacefully die to release her from her wretched clutches. I was only giving her what she truly desired.
“No!” Erix screamed. “No! Lana, no! What have you done?” He was scrambling against his bindings, trying to get to her. “Fjoturr! ”
I dove, leaping out of the way as hidden shackles burst from the walls toward me. I fucked up and underestimated how powerful he was. A mistake I wouldn’t make again.
Erix kicked and thrashed, falling to the floor with a crash as he tried to get up. “Guar—”
“Shut up.” I punched him square in the jaw, his head snapping to the side.
“You fucking bastard,” he yelled, showcasing the blood crawling across his teeth. “I will hang you by your useless balls and laugh as you fill my throne room with your screams. Ta—”
“Kyrr,” I said quickly, cutting off his words and rendering him mute. I should have done that initially. Lesson learned.
I sat down on the floor beside him. His pulse raced, each breath coming sharper and quicker as I placed the tip of my knife at his throat.
“A tempting proposition. But you’re not the one I’m here for,” I said with a sinister grin.
His eyes widened, and he shook his head rapidly. I savored the fear in his eyes.
Leaning in close, I pressed on the blade, puncturing the skin. Curling my lip, I pushed harder until the knife hit the back of his throat. His mouth gaped open as he choked, blood trickling from the sides of his mouth as he began to aspirate his own fluids.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of your daughter. And I fully intend to fill your throne room with her screams.”
With a snarl, I ripped the knife to the side, severing half of his neck and spraying the crimson liquid on the walls. I watched the life leave his eyes. I wasn’t moving from that spot until I knew for certain he was dead.
I hoped this fucking worked. It was one thing to take power that shared my blood, but it was completely unknown if this would work for someone I wasn’t related to.
The moment his heart stopped beating, I held my hand over his chest, repeating the same spell I had used with Makkor. “Stela.”
I grunted, gritting my teeth as Erix’s fresh power stretched out from his lifeless body and into my palm as his magic was drawn into my blood. With the majority of his magic still present, the sensation was much more intense than it had been with Makkor. And it took considerably longer.
While my father’s power took only a minute, Erix’s took several. Sweat beaded along my brow and I willed myself to remain, absorbing every last bit of his power no matter how unnatural it felt. For a moment, I second-guessed myself and wondered if this was a mistake, but then I shoved that thought aside. It wasn’t a mistake. It was necessary.
The transfer of power from one King to another would have been fast enough his people likely wouldn’t notice. But the moment they learned that I held the power of the Aedum Kingdom, they would fall in line. They couldn’t kill me. Not when I was now the pillar of their strength.
A soft gasp came from the doorway behind me, bringing me out of my thoughts, and I snapped my head toward the sound.
Maera stood just outside the room, braced on the door frame with trembling fingers over her lips, staring in horror at the gruesome sight of me standing over her dead father. Even in a state of terror, she looked beautiful. Her hair was down, cascading across her shoulder over her silky, knee-high nightgown.
I stood slowly. I couldn’t resist the urge to touch her, and I made to step forward but stopped. She pulled something from her pocket I recognized as a potion vial. Her eyes blazed, glistening with tears, but I wasn’t sure if it was from sadness or relief—maybe rage.
My fiery little witch.
I remembered then that I was still masked, and she didn’t know who I was. I smiled under the fabric, my eyes crinkling at the sides.
This will be fun.
The sounds of shouting and fighting came from somewhere within the castle, and Maera flinched. I took a step toward her, raising my hand to remove the mask. Her eyes widened, and she threw the potion on the ground. She fled down the corridor as the glass shattered. Red smoke billowed from the concoction—lightning brew.
Shit!
I dove to the side of the bed, hoping it would provide enough cover, just before the potion erupted with streaks of lightning bursting from it. Chips of stone from the walls, glass from the window, and debris from the furniture were zipping across the room. I covered my head.
The potion didn’t last long—about five seconds—but it was a very long five seconds. Once the lightning stopped, I jumped to my feet and rushed out the door. Maera now had a head start on me. But I was faster, and the hunt was my specialty.
I couldn’t help the thrill tingling in my veins as I bolted down the corridor, sensing which direction Maera had gone.
There.
A flash of blonde hair darted around the corner.
I didn’t even need to run. There was nowhere for her to go. I knew my men had all the exits blocked, and the rest of them were taking care of those left in the castle. I continued to prowl down the corridor, listening for her hurried steps.
Someone burst through a door next to me, a castle guard that had been missed. He lunged for me with a maiming spell that I interrupted with a knife to the stomach. I pulled out the blade and stabbed him in the chest just as I heard Maera scream. The next thing I heard was the shattering of glass and the yelling of men—probably mine—coming from the antechamber. Then the sound of those light footsteps against the stone floor coming down the corridor toward me.
Maera stopped in her tracks when she turned the corner and saw me dropping the dead guard. She spun around and ran in another direction. This time I did run. She was headed in the wrong direction.
It didn’t take long for me to catch up to her, and I could hear the fear in her erratic breaths as I wrapped my arm around her stomach and covered her mouth with my other hand. Maera kicked and thrashed and fought, trying to get away from me. She screamed against my hand and even tried to bite me.
Such a wicked little thing.
I loved seeing her break free from the delicate, subservient role she had been forced into.
Chasing her down had me hard and ready, but having her fight me like this just made me want to press her against the wall and have my way with her. And I would, in time.
She reached back and tried to scratch my face only to be met with the fabric of my mask before I pinned her to the wall, face against the stone. I trailed my nose along the column of her neck, up to the soft spot behind her ear.
“You remember what to do if you want me to stop?” I said in a low voice against her ear.
She stopped moving and relaxed slightly, her shoulders dropping in recognition of my voice—but still tense.
“I need an answer,” I said firmly, and she shivered before she nodded.
Good.
Releasing my hold on her arms, I reached underneath her skirt and trailed my fingers up her inner thigh. Her soft skin pebbled at my touch. It had been too long since I felt her against me and I vowed right then and there I wouldn’t let it happen again.
She slapped my hands, prying off the one over her mouth and fighting against me. “Zalen, what is the matter with you? You just killed them!”
I kicked her legs apart and my fingers moved up farther until I touched her undergarment.
It was damp, just as I suspected.
I ran my finger across her wet cunt, and her breath hitched. I pushed two fingers inside, curling them forward just how she liked it.
“And I’ll kill anyone else who gets in my way of having you,” I said in a lethal voice that left no room for question.
“You’re a monster,” she said breathlessly.
“I’m your monster.”
I grabbed her arm and spun her around, pushing her against the wall and pinning it above her with one hand. Her pupils were wide with excitement, high on the pleasure I was providing her, but the blue in her eyes sparkled with deep desire. Her life had been dull and mundane. I had changed that for her. I had shown her that she didn’t need to be ashamed of what she craved.
She willingly raised her other arm and I snatched her wrist in my grasp. She leaned forward and gripped the fabric of my mask between her teeth and pulled it down to my neck, revealing my face.
My mouth crashed into hers, greedy for her taste—devouring her lips, her jaw, her neck, as the palm of my hand rubbed against her. Her lips parted for me, and my tongue roamed in her mouth, tasting and consuming her.
There was nothing to stop me. Nothing to get in my way any longer. This was what all of this was for—her.
It pained me almost as much as it pained her when I peeled my mouth off her and removed my hand.
Maera whimpered in protest, but I softly kissed it away.
“Shh,” I said, pulling back. “Not yet.”
Still holding her wrists, I bent down and curled her over my shoulder before releasing them as I stood, then carried her away down the corridor.
“Zalen!” she squealed. “Put me down, I’m too heavy.”
I smacked her ass, the sharp slap echoing off the walls, and she yelped.
I chuckled, “You insult my strength, love.”
She scoffed. “So where are you taking me now that you’ve successfully seduced me and killed my family?”
“I made your father a promise.”
We approached the throne room. Thane and two others stood outside the doors with their brows raised as they eyed the Samanya daughter hanging over my shoulder.
“Close the doors behind me and let no one enter,” I commanded.
They bowed their heads as we passed, and closed the doors behind us.
My boots clicked against the floor, creating an echo that punctured the silence of the large space as I approached the throne.
I turned and set Maera down facing the throne, to see it in all its glory one last time.
Her expression was neutral as she looked at it, but I could see every emotion swirling in her eyes. All warring with each other. And she had every right to feel it all. While her parents had been callous and selfish, they were still her parents, and the man she loved just killed them in their bed. But I knew she had silently hoped for this. She wanted to be rescued from this hell of a life she had no control over, even if she never said it out loud.
“What kind of person am I, upset my family is dead but also happy they’re finally gone?” she asked in a low whisper, more to herself than to me. A tear fell, and she tried to blink more away—trying to be brave in the face of it all.
I hooked a finger underneath her chin and lifted her head to look at me. I brushed my thumb across her cheek, drying her eyes.
“It’s alright to be upset. But they have never earned your tears.”
“What about you? You did this,” she said with that same boldness that had made me fall for her, the one that few had the honor of seeing in her monotonous life.
I gripped her chin hard and pulled her closer, our lips nearly touching.
“I have earned your tears and more.”
“I don’t know if they deserved death. Others have gone through worse. What makes me so special?” she asked bitterly. She could try to be mad at me all she wanted, but I knew her better than she knew herself.
“Because, love, I don’t give a shit about anyone else but you.” I released her chin and stepped back, seating myself on the Aedum throne. It was a statement more than anything, but really, it was just a chair.
“Come here, Maera.” I curled my index finger toward her.
She hesitated, looking at me warily, but did as I requested and stood in front of me.
I reached underneath her nightgown and tore away her thin undergarment, stuffing it in my pocket. Her mouth gaped as she made a sound of protest I ignored. It wasn’t the word that would stop it all, so I continued. She could end this at any moment, but she chose not to speak the word. I twisted her around and pulled her down on top of me, making her straddle my legs with her back against my chest.
She didn’t know it yet, but she needed this. She needed to spit in the face of her past, and rise above every demand placed on her since birth. This was how she would begin to take control of her life and make it into what she truly desired—what she deserved.
I shifted her hair over one shoulder, kissing the delicate flesh at the base of her neck. Trailing my fingers over her skin, I pulled the straps of her nightgown down each arm and the silky fabric pooled at her waist, exposing her breasts—the chill of the air peaking her nipples.
“What are you doing?” She sounded nervous, eyeing the doors where my men were stationed just outside.
I grazed my lips up her neck, leaving a hot trail that made her shiver. “Ensuring the world knows who you belong to.”
I shifted my knees, spreading her legs further apart. I rubbed my hands along her thighs, up and up and up, lightly grazing my fingers over her clit with a whisper of touch—a tease.
She pressed herself against me, and I worked her harder, circling my palm against her clit. Her breaths grew heavy, and her head fell back on my chest. I leaned my head down and licked up the column of her throat, eliciting a moan from her.
She was opening up to me, the worries of her life falling away with every stroke of my fingers. She started riding my hand and I couldn’t help but grind myself against her perfect ass. Her palms slapped against the arms of the throne as she used it for leverage to push against my hand harder and faster, and I continued to fuck her with dripping fingers. She was ready for me, greedy for me.
I pushed her forward, balancing her on my knees, and unbuckled my belt—the clanking of the metal was deafening in the quiet room. There was no hiding my intentions, but then again, I wasn’t planning on discretion.
Her eyes flared as she nervously looked across the room, then to her father’s blood drying on my chest.
I was sitting on his throne, in his Kingdom I’d just overthrown. And goddamn, I wanted her. Needed her. Needed to claim her, just like I had this Kingdom.
I knew this was different for her. For both of us really. We weren’t in the safety of our cottage. This was a statement, and fuck it, I’d never wanted her so badly.
“Zalen, I don’t think—”
“I want you, Maera. And I finally get to have you.” I pulled her back, angling her so she rested against the length of my cock.
“What if someone comes in?”
“They won’t,” I assured her.
I moved my hips against her sweet cunt, grinning as I felt the slickness of her, threatening to make me lose all control.
I knew she wanted me. She didn’t want to want me at this moment, but she did. She always did.
She leaned back against my chest. I moved back and forth, rubbing my cock against her and feeling how utterly soaked she was.
Languidly roaming my hands over her body, I took my time—coaxing her sadness and anger to fall away until there was nothing left but us. The breathy sounds that came from her lips had me grabbing her hips and lifting, holding her in place to position myself at her entrance.
I cupped her cheek and turned her to face me. I wanted to see the look in her eyes.
Our mouths crashed together just before I thrust into her, burying myself to the hilt. I groaned at the tightness of her hot, wet pussy .
She gasped as she stretched around me.
“Zalen,” she moaned softly against my lips. “This is wrong and fucked up in so many ways.”
I chuckled and slowly pulled out of her, just to the tip, then slammed back in.
“When I’m done fucking you on your father’s throne, I’ll take you back to Kanth and fuck you on mine.” I pulled out and slammed back in. “Then I’ll have you begging me to fuck you on yours.” My hand moved to her clit, rubbing in circles, and her breaths came quicker. “I’ll conquer every Kingdom and claim you on every single one of them. I don’t care how wrong it seems.”
I felt her pulse racing with anticipation. Her body was tensing, and she was breathing so hard she couldn’t respond.
I lifted her slightly, gripping her soft hips tightly enough to bruise—I would lick them away later.
She touched herself, swirling her fingers over her clit while meeting me with each thrust. Seeing her enjoying her own body, it did something to me.
“That’s it. Just like that,” I praised. Seeing her bring herself pleasure while I was inside her was irresistibly sexy. “Fuck, Maera. Look at how powerful you are—touching yourself while fucking your enemy on the throne.”
I could feel her body tensing, her pleasure building. Her head fell back as she panted, her lust-filled eyes rolling back with a moan that filled the room.
I groaned, my own pleasure threatening to spill into her. But I wasn’t done just yet. I needed more from her.
“Hold on tight,” I said in a husky tone and nipped at her throat.
Maera braced her hands on the arms of the throne. With her holding herself up, my hands hungrily roamed her body as I leaned back farther and continued to thrust. At this angle, I could see my soaking wet cock sliding in and out of her, stretching her pussy around me.
I grasped her breast in one hand, pinching her nipple to the point of pain before brushing over it soothingly with my thumb. My other hand snaked down to her clit, picking up where she left off.
She cried out as I slammed into her hard and fast, and fuck did she feel good. I grabbed a fistful of her hair, pulling her head back and pounding into her relentlessly.
“Zalen… Zalen… Zalen!” she screamed my name, her voice piercing every corner of the throne room as she came on my cock, pulsing around me with her climax.
Her release was my undoing and I groaned, filling her with my cum.
I had kept my promise.