Blood Princess: The Chronicles of Koa Book Three

  “It’s not like that. Halston is still good,” Koa said. “Despite his affliction.”

  “Of course, you’d say that. I can see your love for him dancing in your eyes each time you glance his way. It’s beautiful. Really. But, you know it’s not going to last...don’t you?”

  She ground her teeth.

  “Nevertheless, I did come all of this way for you. That’s the truth. But, not for what Nicolai thought. You’re special. So, of course I don’t want you dead. Neither does Viktor. We want something more.”

  “What?”

  “All shall be revealed. In time.”

  With that, her body went cold as the sound of a collar clicking around her neck rang in the silence of the night.

  “What are you doing?” Koa asked in a panic.

  Judge gave the leash that was attached to the collar a tug and Koa was brought to her feet.

  “Taking you home.”

  Chapter 18

  The wires burned Halston’s flesh, and immobilized him. Those bastards were stalling. He tried not to panic as the wires went even deeper, striking bone.

  He growled with rage.

  Pain meant nothing. Pain was temporary. But, saving Koa from Judge was all that mattered. The agents and their enchanted wire restraints weren’t enough to stop Halston. He ripped through the metal and magic, and emerged, burnt and battered.

  As he stood, he looked skyward as smoke rose from his charred skin. Within the span of a few seconds, his skin healed to a milky white and the raging pain of a thousand hot pokers subsided.

  His nostrils flared at the scent of humans, vampires, a shifter, and something he hadn’t smelled in centuries.

  The Grim Reaper.

  Halston scanned the field. As suspected, the human Netherworld agents were yards away, as was a mythical creature from legends and folklore.

  Judge was real, whether the world wanted to believe it or not.

  His eyes widened at what he saw. Koa. She was being taken away by Judge. He ran and took flight—determined to rescue her—when Judge tossed his cane into the air and a golden light engulfed him and Koa.

  The field went silent as Judge and Koa vanished. Everyone shielded their eyes as the light intensified and then vanished.

  Agent Jenna Martinez looked to him and he resisted the urge to fly down there and rip her throat from her body. He’d trained her, and knew she was both strong and had a pure heart. Still, he wanted to make her suffer for what she allowed to happen.

  With a growl, he granted her and her team mercy and flew back toward the others. The agents were smart, and left quickly before Halston had a chance to change his mind.

  To save Koa from whatever the Grim Reaper had planned, he’d need help. Especially if Judge was taking her where he thought he was.

  “Why didn’t you kill any of them?” Colleen asked, pointing to their helicopter as it lifted into the air.

  “Killing them won’t solve anything. We need to get the dagger and get to Koa.”

  “What is with you and the half-blood? Aren’t you supposed to be the one hunting us down?”

  Halston shot her a glare. “Are you going to help, or not? Because I don’t need to answer to anyone anymore. Not you. Not the Division. No one. There’s more to this world than hunting vampires. Lera is about to reign terror on everyone, and I am not going to let her.”

  She pursed her lips and watched the helicopter fly away. “Seems to me you’re obsessed with Koa, and that’s all you really care about.”

  “I love her. Yes. What of it?”

  That seemed to surprise Colleen. Her face softened when she looked back at him.

  “I’m up for anything,” Oren said. “For nothing more than the excitement of it all.”

  Halston gave a nod, and kept his eyes on Colleen.

  She shrugged. “What else do I have to do? Why not. Let’s save the bloody half-blood.”

  “That’s not all we’re going to do,” Halston said, leading the way to the castle.

  “What’s that?” Oren asked. “What else is there?”

  He glanced over his shoulder and entered the dark entryway. “Lera’s marching on Lyrinia.”

  “So what?” Colleen asked. “That has nothing to do with us in the human world. I’m done with Netherworld politics. I spent half my life at its mercy. Why should I care if they crumble?”

  He walked through the foyer and toward the back of the house, just where Koa told him she’d seen the dagger in her dream. “Have you ever met Lera?”

  “No,” she said, following him.

  “Good. You’re lucky. If you thought Greggan was bad, you’ve only scratched the surface of his second wife.” Halston said, lifting the palm of his hand to ignite a white light to lead the way. The silence of the house was unnerving, but he knew that no one was there. It was empty. Hollow. Yet full of secrets. The only one that mattered was what was hidden inside the staircase.

  “She plans to take over Lyrinia, and march on the human world.”

  “Like I said,” Colleen said with a groan. “So what?”

  “She plans on taking over everything. Humans. Vampires. Even angels. Are you ready to bow to her?”

  “I bow to no one,” Colleen said.

  “Good. That’s very good.” Halston opened the secret door, and to his delight, there it was.

  The Enchanted Elyan Dagger.

  Their one way ticket to The Netherworld.

  Chapter 19

  The tower was made of stone. Stone floors, and stone walls. It wasn’t empty like the tower in the Wastelands. This room was stocked with cases of old books, oddities, and jars of mysterious content.

  This was what Raven imagined a wizard’s lair to look like. She’d read Koa books about Merlin when she was a child, and the pictures looked much like where she stood. There were even torch stands set around the room to give light to the space. But, Roderick was the only true wizard to exist in this world. Sure, magicians were real...but a true wizard didn’t use illusions or tricks. Magic was real, and no human born of mortal men and women could manipulate it the way Roderick could.

  Raven and Roderick were kept in a cage pressed against the fall wall that looked out into the Valley of the Jems.

  For some reason, Raven couldn't get that angel's face out of her head. He was oddly familiar, yet she couldn't figure out why his name and where she knew him from evaded her. Every time she tried to think harder, she seemed to get closer, but the memory would race away.

  They’d been in the dreary Black Keep for hours, and it was all she could think about.

  She sighed, tired and hungry, and looked out onto the window at the still river with emerald water. She yawned and watched as the Jems paced back and forth, gliding up and down the paths with their scythes and long, colorful hair. They were guardians of the Netherworld, keeping humans out and the supernatural creatures in. She just wished she could call out to them and ask for help.

  But, Lera's guards were always there. Watching.

  “You were once pretty infamous around Lyrinia. Back when I was in Elyan as well. Tell me a story about your other life,” Roderick said.

  She looked to him, surprised that he was awake. For someone out for the thrill of an adventure, he slept a lot. His soft snores didn't bother her. They reminded her of when Koa was a child, and would sleep with her head rested on her lap.

  She now knew why he was doomed to look like a child for eternity. It was a defense mechanism. Who could hate a child for long? Who could hurt one with such an innocent face?

  But, she knew all too well, the Alchemist was not innocent, and the mischief that danced in his eyes as he looked at her was a stark reminder.

  Do not trust him.

  The fact that he asked about her past put her on her guard. She regarded him, silently, searching his eyes for the truth.

  Trust no one, really.

  “Not now, Roderick,” Raven said, licking her paw.

  “Come on, don’t be boring. We have plent
y of time for stories. I can tell you a few good ones. Perhaps you’d like to hear about the time I helped the great Alexander Vikar win in the Battle of Doomsday.”

  She wasn’t in the mood. If he didn’t have a plan for escape, she had no use for him. “Not now, I said. Go back to sleep.”

  “Let's play a game, then,” Roderick said, breaking her from her thoughts.

  “No,” she said, shaking her head and turning back toward the bars and looking out at the Jems.

  “For someone who is lucky enough to have lived in the human world, you sure are boring. Come on. There's nothing else to do. Play with me," he begged.

  She frowned and let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. If you're going to whine like a five-year-old. What do you want to play?”

  His grin left her uneasy. He adjusted his glasses and sat on his knees. Grinning, he pulled on his red suspenders and then clasped his hands together.

  “Want to see something neat? I’ve been perfecting it for quite some time.”

  Raven blinked, then sighed again. Why not take her mind off of all that had gone wrong?

  “Sure,” she said.

  He giggled, then, his eyes began to glow. When he looked down at his hands, they glowed as well. A faint blue color that wrapped around his fingers and wrists, and then danced in the air before their eyes.

  “Let's see what our good friend, Queen Lera is up to,” he said, rubbing his palms together as the lights stretched and created a sort of screen.

  Worried, Raven glanced at the guards and her jaw dropped when she noticed that their eyes had glazed over and become completely whited out.

  “Did you do that to the guards?”

  He nodded, smiling. “I told you, Raven. I came for the adventure. Halston never lets me join in on any of the fun. Sure, use Roderick for this. Use him for that. But, never let him come along and see what his potions and spells have accomplished.” His smile faded. “No more.” He became serious. “I want to be included.”

  She nodded. “I see.”

  “Lera put out rewards for me being taken as prisoner to all of the outlaw gangs and the citizens of Lyrinia. Think I didn't know they were looking for me? Of course, I did. I made myself known to those dolts who brought me in. I knew you would be here.”

  Raven lifted a brow. “You knew?” She sat up. Perhaps he wasn’t as useless as she had begun to believe. “Why did you really come here?”

  He tilted his head. "Our friend is always looking out for you. Whether you know it or not.”

  “Who? Halston?”

  Roderick kept silent, but shook his head as a mischievous grin returned to his face.

  Then, the screen before them began to show images. She looked ahead and saw as Lera stood before the angel she'd seen in the entryway.

  He had his hands clasped before him, and watched her rant.

  She wished she could hear what they were saying, but knew that whatever it was, it wasn't to Lera's liking. She ran at the angel, dagger clutched, and was blown back by an unseen wind. Her body was catapulted back and so far that her image left the screen. Raven held her breath and stepped away, pressing her back into the bars of the cage as the angel's gaze lifted and stared right into her eyes.

  “Can he see me?”

  Roderick frowned. “Odd. He shouldn't be able to.”

  With that, he waved his hands and the screen faded away.

  A loud bang came from the other side of the door.

  Raven jumped, and the guards were awakened.

  “Open up,” Lera demanded in a voice that made Raven's skin crawl. This wasn't good. She did not like her tone.

  The guards opened the door and Lera’s wild eyes landed on Raven. Her heart pounded in her chest as the madwoman stormed through the doors and ran to her, snatching the door off the cage and throwing it across the room.

  She grabbed Raven by the throat and held her into the air. “You’re mine,” she said, shaking with anger. “And will remain that way until your daughter

  “Put her down,” Roderick demanded, standing from the cage and to his full height, which was only about five feet.

  Lera shot a glare at him.

  “Are you trying to die today, little man?”

  Raven feared for the Alchemist. He was small, skinny, and would lose in combat with Lera. He did not know of her new abilities.

  Then again, she knew nothing of his either.

  He smiled and tilted his head. “But, I cannot die, silly woman. Didn’t you know that?”

  Fuming, she dropped Raven and held up both of her hands, casting a black shield around her body.

  Roderick wasn’t worried. He giggled, covering his mouth with his small hands. “You think your demonic shield will stop me from ripping out your beating heart and using it for one of my potions?”

  Lera growled and darted across the room, slamming into his body.

  Raven gasped, suddenly caring more for his safety than her own. He’d stood up for her. Why? He had no loyalty to her.

  They fell crashed into the wall, and Roderick’s laughter only grew louder. He looked up at Lera with a mania in his eyes as if she was tickling him, and not digging her long, black nails into his shoulders.

  Raven looked around. This was her chance to escape. With one last glance over her shoulder, she saw a white light explode from Roderick’s body. It sent Lera flying up into the ceiling, and blasted her stunned body while she tried to fight it with her own black shield.

  She was certain of it.

  Roderick could take care of himself.

  So, she ran from the room as the guards fell to the floor trying to catch her.

  You can’t catch a cat, she thought, grateful for her curse for once. Especially in the dark.

  Her eyes adjusted to the darkness as she raced through the quiet halls. The sound of Lera’s yells chased her like a monster in the night. She was sure Lera would catch up to her at any moment and make her pay for her escape attempt. But, then, she could hear Roderick laughing, having the time of his life.

  Good. This is very good. Just keep her busy a little longer.

  The Keep wasn’t heavily guarded. The soldiers Lera had assembled were camping outside, ready to join forces with more men from the east. She just needed to get out of the Keep and escape into the wilderness. Maybe she could find solace with the Jems.

  They had to understand her plight and help her return home.

  To Koa.

  Her blood ran cold as she slid right into the feet of the mysterious angel.

  Before she could scurry away, he caught her by the hair at the back of her neck and held her up to eye level.

  Her eyes widened and her hairs stood on end. There was something about his silver eyes. Something too familiar.

  Yet, when he smiled at her, she filled with dread.

  “Good job. I’ve come a long way to find you, Eunju,” he said, and she sucked in a sharp breath at hearing her former name. “Now, let’s get out of here, shall we?”

  Chapter 20

  “They took her,” Halston said to Tristan as they stood outside the abandoned church, just before the cemetery gates. Images of Koa being collared and pulled into a golden storm of light kept replaying in his head.

  “What could he want with Koa? Judge doesn’t meddle in the affairs of this world,” Tristan said. “Except to carry away the souls of the dead.”

  “I have a feeling there is something greater at work here. And, I want to know what it is.”

  “Viktor has to be behind this,” Colleen said. “He warned us about the VRS and how unstable it had become with the amount of new vampires being made each year.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised,” Tristan said. “Viktor has one concern, and one concern only: humans. If they are threatened in any way, he will eliminate that threat.”

  “Can’t say that I blame him,” Halston said, as he held the dagger up and examined its Netherworld markings. Electricity rippled along the Elyan steel, and he was amazed by the beauty of i
ts glow. “I was once the same way. Not too long ago.”

  With a bit of concentration, and a deep breath, Halston was able to make the fog of the dark cemetery rise above them. White mist curled between the three of them as he moved his left hand in a swaying motion.

  “If we’re going to do this, we shouldn’t wait too long,” Colleen said. “I’ll wake Oren up and we will be ready in a few minutes.”

  He nodded to her, and put the dagger in its sheath, muting its glow.

  “What are you going to do with all of this power?”

  Tristan’s hushed tone broke Halston from his dark thoughts. All his thoughts seemed to take him down a dangerous road.

  His brows furrowed. “I am going to use it for something good.”

  Tristan shook his head and sat on an old stone bench centered against the half wall that enclosed the cemetery in a square. He folded his arms and leaned back. “I don’t know if that’s even possible.”

  “And why is that?” Halston asked as he peered into the mist, hoping to see a glimpse of the Gate.

  “Because there’s so much evil inside of you,” Tristan answered after a pause of silence. His voice was laden with concern, enough to make Halston finally divert his full attention back to his oldest friend.

  His arms dropped to his sides and he turned to look down at the large War-Breeder who could have easily passed for a descendant of the race of giants.

  But now, even though he was so big, with muscles that could not be contained by even the jacket Halston had given him, Tristan looked oddly less imposing.

  “I worry about you.”

  Halston slid his hands into the pockets of his pants and gazed into the night sky. The moon was shrouded by clouds, and the mist that Halston had called forth from the fog further canopied them from the purity of the sky, from his Father’s eyes.

  “I know,” he said.

  A shiver ran up his spine. Nothing could hide him from the gaze of God. He wondered if it would not be better to just be alone. To walk the world in shame for what he had done. But, knowing that Koa was captured left him anxious for action. Soon, they would return to the Netherworld. He would be ready to face whatever was put between him and rescuing her.