Chapter 4
Blue
Two years later
“You should come with us too, Captain. Grab a few pints and relax. After all, we just went through, I think we deserve it.” Jhon said, grinning at me. His pristine fangs glinted in the low camp light.
One of father’s bravest knights, he was an excellent fighter. But where I tended to exploit my opponent’s weaknesses in battle, Jhon simply bulldozed through them with his powerful and massive frame. And he had the scars to prove it. Rather than take away from his appeal, the scars gave him an attractive edgy air. He even had one rather large one above his upper lip. I’d been with him when he’d received that wound, his jaw had nearly been severed. But he’d healed rapidly, as all purebloods did.
Six foot five with silver hair and red eyes that shifted to mercury when he took on his dire wolf form, he was a jarringly attractive man. Of all the knights, he was also perhaps the friendliest. Deep down I’d always suspected he’d felt pity for me. While most other purebloods refused to keep company with me, he was one of the rare exceptions. I’d never really been sure why, but I’d had my suspicions. As a dark fae wolf he’d sworn fealty to Father, that could only mean he was one of Father’s spies. But because I’d never betrayed Father’s trust in the other timeline, he’d never had to report anything suspicious about me.
Still, Father’s paranoia was such that I’d never been able to shake Jhon’s irritating gaze in that time. I had to do something about him now though. I was no longer father’s pet and Jhon was too observant by half. If I didn’t remain vigilant around him, he’d discover sooner rather than later that I’d been turned.
Wiping my bloodied sword off, I shook my head. “I’ll burn the bodies, cover our tracks. I’ll need to check in with Prince Damian anyway. You guys go. I’m fine.”
He scratched the tip of his scar, before nodding slowly. “Whatever you say, Blue. Just know the offers there.”
I grunted, not looking at him as I felt him and then the other knights vanish. I sighed once I knew I was alone. Jhon might be father’s spy, but I didn’t actually think him a bad man. Still, I could never afford to drop my guard with him or anyone within father’s sphere of influence. Trusting anyone in this castle was the surest way to hang.
We’d just ambushed twelve members of the noble DeAngelo house who hailed from the eastern kingdom. Slaughtering the entire caravan, including their horses.
It was well known that the Prince of the West—whom the caravan had been headed to—was loyal to the current Emperor Claude. This unfortunate ‘accident’ had been nothing more than a warning for Prince Mikael DeLazarus to begin open communications with father.
Otherwise, the prince of the East—Keelan “the Cunning” and father of the now slaughtered royal—would be told that rather than this being an unfortunate accident it was Prince Mikael who’d orchestrated the entire event so as not to be forced into a political alliance with a weaker kingdom like the East.
All very complicated and stuff I’d had to handle for father on a routine basis in the past. This time though I would not do as I’d loyally done then.
Walking over to the body of the lone woman, I stared at her doll-like face. She had the fiery red hair of the house of the East. Snow white skin with nary a blemish. Delicate ebony horns covered in tiny white flowers that curled gracefully, almost like a crown, from her temples. Violet, nearly jewel-like colored irises set within inky black sclera.
She would be considered a true beauty in the dark realm.
Kneeling, I withdrew my white linen handkerchief and proceeded to wipe the blood from her cheeks and forehead, much of it was already too tacky to clean properly, but I did my best. The killing wound had been a single puncture through her temple. I’d made it fast and painless.
I swallowed hard, staring at the now sightless eyes of Prince Mikael’s future princess. It hadn’t been a love match, in fact, they’d only ever met once. But she’d been the prized jewel of the East. Prince Keelan DeAngelo’s only daughter.
It’d been a political marriage, nothing more. A way to strengthen the power between the two lands. Mikael the Wise—as he was known—was being groomed to be the future emperor and as such any kingdom that could gain his favor would automatically find themselves stronger and far more powerful than they now were.
Prince Keelan had known this and so had thrown his daughter at Prince Mikael. His decision to wed his daughter to the West was a bold declaration that he harbored no intention of making a grab from the throne himself, but rather he believed the true ruler would be Mikael. Father hadn’t suffered the loss of support well, in fact, I’d eventually slaughtered every member of the East, save for Keelan himself, who’d been smart enough to realize that if he wished to keep his life he must switch his allegiance to father.
I had no issue with Prince Mikael, per se, I’d simply thrown my lot in with my father, Prince Damian of the South. What I knew of Prince Mikael was that he was extremely intelligent but with a disease-weakened body.
Unusual for a pureblood demon, rumor had it that it was a curse the temple prophet had placed upon the prince’s mother’s womb long before he’d been birthed. But that was only hearsay.
The only thing I’d ever really known about Prince Mikael was that of all the princes, he was the one father had feared most. Until we’d turned the East in our favor, Prince Mikael had been the clear front-runner to the throne.
I knew every battle I would be tasked to take on.
I had butchered Princess Scimica in the first life leaving nothing behind but viscera. But turning over a new life didn’t mean I’d stop killing. I’d not given her a choice whether she lived or died.
Because I knew Princess Scimica’s true nature.
She preyed on layman’s children. Abusing them violently, forcing them to do her every whim. While the abuse wasn’t sexual, it was still horrific. She was a sadist and enjoyed killing them in the most horrific ways imaginable, she was part of a cult that believed a powerful wellspring of dark magick lay in the blood of a child.
She’d had an extensive ring of child traffickers beneath her. Abducting poor street rats had been far too easy. The worst of it was, it was an open secret in her realm. Everyone knew how wicked the princess was, even Prince Keelan, and they’d all turned a blind eye to her sins.
I’d made her death quick, but not out of mercy. Shoving my fist through her chest, I ripped out her soul orb. Quickly absorbing it. She wasn’t as powerful as some, but noble blood was still a greater power than a commoner. I’d absorbed her soul once before, so I didn’t feel a mighty surge of power, but a warmth spread through me nonetheless.
Ironic that she believed the blood of children was most powerful when in truth power came from the soul, which I too consumed. I guessed that made me the pot calling the kettle black. But I’d long since stopped feeling conflicted about what I did.
Pulling my dirk from its sheath, I severed the tendons of her neck and lifted her head by its ruby-red hair.
I needed her to remain recognizable.
Tucking her head into the magicked pouch at my side, I made quick work of cleaning up the mess. Not for Prince Mikael’s sake, I knew he would not mourn her.
But to keep Prince Keelan off father’s back for a few days longer. Prince Keelan might look weak and like an ineffective leader but looks could be deceiving, he was not someone we could yet afford to make an open enemy of. Eventually, he would learn it was father who’d ordered his daughter to be cut down, but when he did father wouldn’t suffer undo consequences from it.
Casting a spell over the forest floor where the massacre had just taken place, no one who didn’t know it would ever suspect it. The night smelled of honeysuckle once more. The dirt was not stained with blood. Even the horses’ hooves were entirely absent from the road.
The first time I’d been here I’d promptly returned to Father, he’d been carousing, screwing a harem of sluts. Piss drunk on demon’s brew, sure of our victory.
He’d not even come to see me again for three more days.
Passing a hand over my form, I bathed in the fire of the light, cleaning myself up so that I once more looked presentable. I also removed my armor, hiding it amongst the bushes, I’d retrieve it on my way back. Putting on a moss green dress with a corset that cinched my waist tight, I finger-brushed my pale blue hair into some semblance of order.
I was an assassin, it meant I could become anyone I had to be. And right now, I had to be a woman of no great significance, but of enough worth that I’d be able to enter Prince Mikael’s estate unimpeded.
Placing a blood-red cloak around my shoulders, I drew up the hood, and then I flashed to the castle grounds.
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