Chapter 6
Dulex
The bitch needed to get her hands off me. I knew it was a ploy to piss Ria off, and from the looks of things it was working.
Her eyes flared and she hissed when the woman ran her nails down my chest. I shuddered but not for enjoyment. It was disgust. I hoped my mate understood that.
I frowned when a tear slid down her cheek.
“It’s okay Ria.”
She didn’t respond and my heart ached. I tried to convey how I felt without words.
The female growled. “Come on, it’s time for the trial.”
I knew one day I would be behind those doors, but I never thought my mate would be. “Take me, leave Azaria out of it.”
She laughed. “No can do, beast. The queen wants to see her specifically.”
Well hell.
“How can I get the queen to let her go and take me—”
“No!” Azaria said. “We can do this together.”
Her voice softened at the end melting my heart for the first time in so long. I needed to get us the hell out of this. We needed to complete the bond. It would be like we knew each other forever then.
Fated.
The woman sighed when I didn’t react the way she hoped. She didn’t like that Ria had my complete attention.
“Fine, let’s get this over with.” I knew there was no way out of this and Azaria had to be involved. She was a princess for fuck’s sake. That was asking for war. I couldn’t believe they were stupid enough to take her—just to get me. They were on the verge of a cliff of desperation. They might as well have jumped without looking because once King Quinton found out his daughter was in a dungeon, they were up shit’s creek.
The female nodded and unlocked the chain from the wall. She tugged it a bit too tight to assert her control. There was no reason to fight her.
“Come on mutt,” she said.
I growled but followed her.
She looked at Azaria. “Someone will be back for you.”
***
Azaria stood next to me in front of the Fae council. None looked very happy to see us, but none stopped me from sliding closer to her so the sides of our bodies touched. She sucked in a sharp breath and I tried not to smile. The warmth of my body seeped into the chill of hers. A vamp went cold when stressed, angry, or hurt. Needless to say, she was two out of the three.
“So, we finally have you here, Dulex.”
It was the queen. Of that I was certain. She radiated power and domination. The Fae were led by the women, and the men stayed in the background unless called upon. Women were more power both mentally and spiritually. Men were strong physically and with magic. That’s how my mother explained it to me before she was killed.
“I don’t know how we ended up with her though,” the queen said and pointed at Ria.
She glared behind me and I knew the male who had taken my mate was there. It was tempting to turn around and rip his head off.
“I thought getting here would lure our target to us—and it worked. He is here because of her.”
Azaria tensed beside me and I wondered what happened. She didn’t look my way. Her eyes were glued to the wall above the council’s head.
***
Azaria
I’d never been inside the Fae’s council chambers. It was exactly like I pictured it. The walls were made of some natural thin material with colorful fabrics flowing in the light breeze. Candles lite every inch. There were bright orbs that floated above me. It was magnificent. If they weren’t holding me captive things might have been different.
I watched as Dulex tensed when I did. It seemed he could already feel what I did. I tried to calm my nerves because if he could sense it there was a good chance the others could as well. I was a Royal Living Vampire for hell’s sakes. I was tougher than this. Problem, I’d never be accosted by the Fae. Father had such a good relationship with them throughout the world, I never thought it could be.
“You’re the princess?” The queen sneered as if she smelled something bad.
I licked my lips and cleared my throat suddenly very nervous. “Yes, Princess Azaria Jade Lucian.”
The queen stood and stepped of her pedestal. No joke this queen was that kind of female. She glided towards me and I made sure to hold my head up high. She circled around me and sniffed. “You stink of fear, little girl.” Then she touched my arm and her magic flowed through me. I shuddered not happy very this was going.
“You’re not much are you. Sort of puny compared to your ancestors.”
I’d show her puny if she didn’t get her filthy hands off me. She pissed me off, but there was nothing I could do. I had to keep my cool and stay calm.
A loud explosion shook the grounds. I teetered to the side and gripped the queen before she fell. Her hands went cold at my touch and then I was thrown across the room. I whipped through the air knocking one of the beautiful orbs to the side. My back slammed into the wall that didn’t look like it had amounted to much. But it did. The breath was taken from me and I slid to the floor too shocked to keep from falling. I landed on my back.
The bitch was strong as hell. I should have been able to with stand her magic—apparently, I couldn’t. I blinked as the orbs floated above my head. Lights danced before my eyes before I felt the building magic. It heated its way through my veins and then wrapped around my heart. Breathing, became harder and I gasped as my throat began to close.
Standing over me was the same male Fae—the dominant. He smirked and waved. “Buh-bye, bitch.”
My eyes fluttered closed.