The Hybrid Sovereign

Chapter 1

New Therian Palace, Tuesday, January 8, 2013, Early Afternoon

The vampire queen’s head hit the stone floor of the king’s chambers with a hollow thud as Luca’s blade splashed her blood across the far wall. Ash grinned at him, still gripping the shriveled black heart she’d torn from Nadya’s chest. Sunlight glinted off the thousands of glass shards from the shattered windows.

“That was overkill.” Ash quirked an eyebrow at him.

Momentum rolled the head across the floor to the open door. Several Therians had arrived in time to see the end of the battle. They’d come prepared to offer their lives, and they now stood in the hall, slack-jawed at witnessing the abrupt end of a war that had lasted for five thousand years. The new Therian king might have struck the final blow, but their salvation had come from a vampire”s hands.

Ash guessed at their reactions and tried to match hers to them. She didn’t want to scare her new people or give them the impression that she was evil. Her future relations with the Therians would depend on how she acted in the next few minutes.

Focus on diplomacy. They need to see you as strong but firmly on their side.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the screams echoing through the palace. Queen Nadya’s children weren’t taking her loss well.

“Those are vampires,” Ash told Luca. “Her children must have felt her die.”

Ivanna brushed past the stunned Therians in the doorway to report that all the vampires were experiencing breakdowns. She stopped short at the sight of Nadya headless on the floor.

“Zia!” Luca exclaimed when he remembered the only other good vampire he’d met.

Ash’s eyes went blank as she triggered the magic that fueled her visions. It was so instinctual now that her earlier struggles barely made sense. She had become an entirely new person when the spark burned through her, and she hadn’t had time to examine the fallout from those changes. The magic responded to her call, and she saw Zia spinning in circles and laughing hysterically.

“She’s fine.” Ash smiled as awareness returned. “Although I can’t promise she isn’t going crazy. She laughed like a loon but didn’t look injured.”

Ash didn’t have the connection to other vampires that Nadya had, but she also experienced the fear and pain the fallen queen’s children felt. She erected a mental barrier to shield herself from the chaotic emotions and struggled to pay attention to her surroundings as her newly expanded mind was bombarded. She focused on Luca’s smile to ground herself.

“She’ll be fine. She finally got what she’s wanted since Nadya turned her.” There. That sounded normal and not like I’m losing my fucking mind, right? Damn it, this is like a migraine on steroids. Fuck me sideways.

Ash locked her side of the mating bond so Luca wouldn’t feel her panic and pain. One of them needed to stay calm through this, and she didn’t think it would be her while the vampires’ agony ripped through her mind.

Luca’s heartbeat slowed as his adrenaline rush faded. He looked from the love of his life to the Therians gathered in the doorway, his mind whirling with possibilities. Luca couldn’t touch her mind through their unreliable mating bond, but he sent her his love and gratitude anyway. He took Ash’s hand and pulled her around so he could look into her eyes, which still glowed with copper fire. She had sacrificed everything for him and the Therian people—for the whole world. Never again would he deny her. His queen would stand by his side from now on.

Ash fought the disorientation. She tried to focus on Luca’s eyes, but that shade of blue triggered a memory of scuba diving in the Caribbean. The connection didn’t make sense, and sounds had a muffled quality that faded in and out as if someone were playing with the world’s volume control.

She saw Luca’s lips move, but she heard nothing. “What?” she asked, shaking her head to clear the fog.

“I think it’s time to introduce you to Therian society,” Luca smiled. “And we have a wedding to plan.”

Ash looked alarmed, and Luca barely resisted the urge to pull her into a hug and press a kiss to her forehead. She wasn’t paying attention to the present, apparently dealing with shock or another vision, but Luca had seen her tune out like this before and wasn’t concerned. Just for a little longer, though. Let her be strong and regal now.

”That name you wanted to make for yourself by showing our people that vampires don’t have to be evil?” He put gentle hands on her shoulders and turned her toward the doorway. All the Therians present had taken a knee. “I think you just made it.”

Ash looked at him in panic, fighting the miasma of power and the emotional turmoil she was receiving from every living being in the palace. She screamed into his mind through their mating bond.

Get me out of here! I can’t do this right now. Something’s very, very wrong with me. I need to be away from everyone. I keep taking in more, and the pressure is building. There’s not enough room for everything, and I feel like I’m going to explode. I don’t want to hurt them, Luca. Help me, please!

Their connection was unpredictable, but he heard her as clearly as if she’d spoken out loud.

I hear you, love. I’m on it.

Luca stepped toward the door, his massive frame blocking the view into the room. He presented a calm face despite his anxiety. “The savior of the day needs time to process this victory. I promise we will gather later to explain everything. Please, give her some space for now.”

Ash’s breaths came in gasps, and she vibrated with the need to run out into the open air. She could feel the Therians’ thoughts and unease with a creature unlike any they knew. In their eyes, she wasn’t a vampire, but she wasn’t human, either. Although she fought it, Ash was pulled into their minds and fragmented as their feelings washed over her. Admiration. Gratitude. Shock. Wonder. Confusion. Fear. Mistrust.

Get me the fuck out of here! I’m being pulled into their minds and can’t control it. It’s draining me. Get Eiko!

Luca closed the door behind him and scooped Ash into his arms, wrapping a thick blanket from the bed around her naked body and carrying her toward the balcony. He’d had the builders create a place he could shift and fly from and had asked the witches to tweak the wards so the space would not compromise the palace’s defenses. “How far away do you need to be, Ash?”

Blood seeped from her ears and the corners of her blazing eyes, so the time for talking was over. He settled her on the cool stones while he shifted to dragon form, not bothering to strip off his clothing. He carefully picked Ash up with his talons, launched off the balcony, and flew toward Victoria’s cabin. He sent a frantic telepathic message to his sister as he carried his mate to its isolation.

Nadya is dead, but something’s wrong with Ash. We need Eiko. Meet us at the cabin.

Shit. Is she going to be okay? We are on the way.

Luca didn’t bother to respond. Ash had lapsed into incoherent mumbling, so he devoted every bit of his strength to making the flight fast. He had to protect his mate, but he didn’t understand what had gone wrong. What did she mean, pulled into their heads? She’d been fine, talking and laughing about their victory moments before.

He cut the two-hour flight time in half, fueled by worry. When they were a few miles from the palace, she lost consciousness, which eased his beast but not enough to let him breathe easily. He wouldn’t be comfortable until she was awake and well and knew what had happened and how to prevent it from happening again. He hovered in the air, looking for a suitable place to set his mate so he could land. He was relieved when the cabin door opened, and Viktorija ran out to help.

Give her to me. I will take her inside while you change.

The dragon nodded his cobalt head and gently laid Ash in his sister’s arms.

Thank you. Ger her to Eiko. I will be right in.

“Why in all the hells did you fly? We took a portal, and we’ve been waiting for you for ages, freaking out the whole time,” she snapped when he came inside a few moments later, his skin still flushed from the change.

”Ash was in no state to conjure anything, and I can’t make portals. She was bleeding from her eyes and ears and begging me to get her away. What would you have done?” Luca growled, brushing past her and looking for Ash. “Where is she?”

“Over here,” the tiny Japanese witch called from the fireplace. “I’ve made a pallet for her. Stop bickering so I can find out what’s wrong with our girl.”

Luca saw Ash breathing and resting peacefully, so he stepped away to dress in the clothing Viktorija kept there for him. When he returned, Eiko was running her hands over Ash’s body without touching her. As Luca approached, she looked up and folded her hands in her lap.

“She’s going to be fine,” Eiko told him. “She’s sleeping now, not unconscious. Before I explain what I think happened, please tell me about Nadya’s death. I need to see the magic.”

“Thank you, Eiko-sama. You have my gratitude and trust. Take what you need.” He knelt next to her and offered her full access to his mind. The witch was welcome to anything that would help Ash return to herself.

He relived the horror of the fight and his helplessness as Nadya’s darkness bound him in place, forcing him to watch. Even though he knew the outcome, worry tightened his muscles when Nadya ripped the sunstone out of Ash, causing her skin to blacken and flake off. When she’d seen everything up to their departure from the palace, Eiko pulled back. She smiled and looked at Ash with tears of pride in her eyes.

“Oh, you beautiful soul. My sweet girl. I am so proud of you.” Eiko kissed Ash on the forehead. “Wake up, Ash-chan.”

Ash shuddered and opened her eyes, which still glowed copper. She blinked as she tried to focus but looked confused. “What happened? Why are we at the cabin?”

Eiko stood and gestured at the sofa. “Why don’t you get comfortable while I brew a pot of tea? We have much to discuss and little time to do it. Viktorija-san, if you would assist me?”

The two women retreated to the kitchen, but the room was open and only offered the illusion of privacy. However, it gave Ash a moment to reorient herself. Her memory of Nadya’s death remained, but things got hazy after that.

“So, I didn’t…”

“Explode?” Luca grinned. “No, you didn’t. Well, not the second time. I got you out of there. You fainted during the journey, and we were here for twenty minutes before Eiko woke you because she saw the fight and its aftermath in real time. You said the Therians and Nadya’s vampires were pulling you into their minds and draining you.”

Ash shuddered as Luca helped her onto the couch. “I was fine, and when Nadya’s vampires started screaming, I could separate myself enough to understand how scared and confused they must be. That triggered an empathetic wave, and suddenly, I could feel the inner thoughts and feelings of every living thing in the palace and the humans in the villages below. I couldn’t turn it off. It was like I was being pulled apart and drowning at the same time.”

“You’re okay now?” Luca asked, unable to let his concern subside until he was sure the danger had passed.

She shrugged. “My genius witchy mentor would know better than me. I don’t know how that happened or what did happen. I’ve only been able to use telepathy through our mating bond or when a Therian spoke to me directly.”

Ash paused with uncharacteristic uncertainty as she considered her next words. With every step she took into otherworldly weirdness, as remarkable as it was, she was less like the woman Luca had taken as his mate. This latest change emphasized how far she’d evolved from the simple human she’d been not long ago. “Luca, during that fight, something changed in me. I don’t know how to put it into words, but I am not the same as I was before Nadya’s death.”

Luca felt the uncertainty coursing through Ash. He sank to the couch beside her and took her hands. They couldn’t rely on their bond to share emotions, but he felt her worry loud and clear. She was concerned that she was becoming too strange for him.

He almost laughed. He had never met another soul who was as fascinating as she was, and he couldn’t imagine loving or wanting anyone else as he did her. His smile blazed with love. No matter what color her eyes were, he saw his mate.

“You are the other half of my soul, Ash. Everything else is just details. Whatever you are, whoever you become, you will forever be mine.” He growled the last word possessively, and Ash shivered in excitement.

“I need you for eternity, Ash. We all change, and we’ll weather those changes together. You’re the child of a goddess, however human your birth, so there’s going to be weird shit. We thrive on that, my love.” He took her face in his hands and kissed her as his dragon roared with approval in his mind.

Ash melted into the kiss, and everything else faded as she wrapped herself in the warmth and comfort of his love. She wanted Luca to hold her as she sobbed through the emotions she needed to process, followed by a long nap in his embrace, but that would have to wait.

When the kiss was over, she was much calmer. Vigor and confidence that weren’t her own flooded her body. She smiled, basking in the emotions he was sending through their bond. With his help and support, she could navigate these new magical waters.

“Ash, I don’t want to push you before you’re ready, but I’m claiming you before my people. I will be a better king with you by my side, and you’ve done more than enough to prove yourself.” Luca’s deep voice conveyed his strong emotions.

Eiko cleared her throat. “I’m afraid that will have to wait, my dears. Something happened to our Ash-san, and we need to get to the bottom of it. Your impending marriage is the least of our concerns.” Belatedly, she added, “Your Majesty.” The witch ignored Luca’s amused glare and stared at Ash like she’d witnessed a miracle. “She ripped the sunstone from your chest. I don’t know how you survived that fight.”

Ash straightened. “I do. Finding the words took a while, but I’ve got it now. I didn’t survive that fight. Nadya killed me, but the magic that fuels the spark decided that today was not the day. I felt it well up. Then it overflowed, and when the seal broke, I just—” Ash threw up her hands to mimic an explosion. “Boom! Light exploded out of me. It burned up the lesser vampires and obliterated the shadows binding Luca.”

He nodded in agreement. “It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. She crumpled to the floor, her skin blackening and flaking off. The air almost buzzed with magic, and Ash roared. Then, she exploded in a blinding burst of light.

“She rose from the floor in a movement that would have made a ninja proud, and she was healthy and whole. Her hair was back, and when she opened her eyes, they blazed with copper fire.” He emphasized the description for Viktorija, who hadn’t been there. Luca’s voice and expression conveyed his appreciation for the woman at his side. “She turned that power on Nadya. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Eiko smiled. “I’m not sure there’s ever been anything like it. I think our Ash-chan is unique. Witch-born, with a spark like none I’ve ever seen, and a vampire, too.”

Ash grimaced. “Maerlin and I might have words about that one day. I don’t think she changed me on purpose, not to this extent, but I’d like to hear it from her side. I can’t be upset about it, though, can I? Whatever she made me into, it’s given me the ability to save the people I love. I can be a freak in exchange for that.”

Eiko was shocked by Ash’s words and shook her head. “You’re not a freak, Ash-chan. You are a miracle.”

“I would consider it a miracle if you helped me craft some kind of protection so that mental shitstorm never happens again.” Ash shuddered as she remembered fragmenting into thousands of minds.

Eiko nodded. “I can, and I will, though I suspect it was a side effect of breaking the seal and unleashing your powers. You were blocked, Ash. I can’t believe I didn’t see it, but not many get to witness Maerlin’s magic firsthand, and few magics touch the soul. She put a seal on your soul to contain your power until you were ready for it.

“I find it odd that death was the trigger, but I don’t think she factored vampirism into the binding she set on you as an infant. Magic like that works with potential. The longer it remains in place, the stronger and more aware it becomes. That was how Nadya continued to gain strength over the years.”

Ash blinked, feeling like the world was moving in slow motion. She needed more time to process this information before she figured out what it meant. She hoped that was an aspect of her emerging powers and not a sign that she had a brain bleed.

“What am I? I check boxes that aren’t on the vampire list, but I’m not human anymore. I’m not like other witches, either. How do I fit into any group with the spark blazing like a beacon to tell every supernatural being on the planet that I’m ‘other?’ Does being unique mean being alone?”

Eiko grinned. “You, my sweet girl, are the hybrid sovereign—the link between those powerful groups and the tie that binds us. Your power extends far beyond your abilities, Ash-chan. In months, you have created lasting connections and built solid foundations for future relationships that the supernatural world hasn’t managed in eons. You ended a war that spanned millennia and ascended to the role of vampire queen. You are soul-bound to the Therian king and will soon be his bride, taking on the magic that position offers. It is long past time that we stop pretending your presence here is a coincidence. This is your destiny, Ash-chan. You are the lynchpin. You will never be alone.”

Ash nodded. “I can accept that. I already have, I think. But what in all the hells am I supposed to do about it?” Her words came faster as fear and doubt took hold of her mind. The chaotic power within went into overdrive. “Someone has to take control of the vampires and repair Nadya’s catastrophe. We’ve been revealed to humans, so that’s another shitstorm we need to handle in a hurry. How will the Therians accept me when we don’t even know what I am? They might be grateful now, but it won’t?—”

Luca silenced her with a kiss, which derailed her thoughts before they could fragment again. She sighed. “Thanks. I was going off the deep end. How long will I keep falling apart without warning?”

Her mate pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her. “However long it is, we will get through it together. I’m not sure you understand the impression you made on the Therians. You already have a lot of fans.”

“I’m the upstart vampire who killed the former king, seduced the current one, and took Nadya’s head.” Ash laughed. “What’s not to love?”

Viktorija, who’d been uncharacteristically quiet, chose that moment to speak. The respect she bore for Ash was evident in her expression. “He’s not wrong, Ash. You’ve impressed people enough that they’re willing to set aside what they think they know about vampires to learn about you. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s only standing room at the meeting Luca promised.”

Ash groaned. “Damn it. I have a vague memory of him promising to explain everything. How long do we have?”

Viktorija looked at her watch. “Six hours. I postponed it until then since midnight is a typical time for important Therian announcements.”

“Do I have time for a nap?” Ash asked hopefully, stifling a yawn. “I can’t remember the last time I was this tired.”

Viktorija chuckled. “You died today. I suspect that’s exhausting. I wouldn’t know. No one ever kills me.”

Ash laughed. “God, you’re such a bitch, but I love you.”

“I won’t let you die on purpose anymore. I might even like you. Love is pushing it,” Viktorija grumbled.

Ash’s smile didn’t fade. “I’m patient. I’ll wait. You need someone who will call you on your shit and love you even when you try to scare us away.”

The female dragon opened her mouth to deny it but nodded in agreement. “I think you may be right. I like who I am becoming since I met you.”

“We call that personal growth.” Ash yawned and nestled into Luca’s warmth. “So, about that nap.”

Viktorija’s expression softened. “Take your mate to bed, brother. Her body needs to heal, and she hasn’t rested since she crossed the world to warn us, followed by multiple battles. Eiko and I can keep watch, and I’ll make sure you’re both up in time to get back to the palace for the meeting.”

Luca looked at Ash to see if she was okay with the plan, and she was already asleep, curled into his side where she belonged. He picked her up and carried her to the loft bedroom without waking her. Then he tucked her into the comfortable bed and slid in beside her, molding his body to hers. He and his dragon both sighed in relief to have her safe and alone, even if it was just to sleep, still covered in blood, with the ragged wound in her chest healing slowly. He needed to hold her, to feel her alive and relatively unharmed.

He reached for her through the mating bond, but it was obstinate, and he didn’t get much from her end. Sometimes, when she slept, he caught glimpses of her dreams, but today, their link was locked down.

Sometimes, it was hard to remember that they were just people with mundane needs like rest and food when they spent all their time trying to save the world, dealing with one epic disaster after another. Luca snuggled closer to his mate and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep to the sound of Ash’s slow heartbeat.