Page 102 of King of Immortal Tithe (Darkmourn Universe 2)

Even within the shadows of the castle grounds, we were being watched. Stalked. Creatures with glowing red eyes prowled. The warning yip of a wolf sounded from our side. They watched, but never came close enough to be seen beside a flash of red and the sharp snapping of jaws.

We waited beyond the doors of Castle Dread for our host to welcome us.

An elven King. A vampire. And a human.

What a sight.

A shiver passed across my skin as the doors finally opened. The sound of ancient hinges screamed, scratching at my mind with claws of horror. I felt my elongated canines nip at my lower lip as I tried to keep fear from my face, especially when I saw whom we came to visit.

Two figures were outlined by the warming glow of fire within the castle. One was taller than the other. He stood forward as though to reveal himself.Hair of white moonlight crowned his head. His eyes were the richest scarlet. His face was carved and hollow, with strong bones and dark brows that stood in contrast to his ivory skin. Two points of sharpened teeth overlapped his lip which twitched as he regarded us.

“Whatdowe have here?” His voice was as deep and rich as the velvet navy jacket that rippled when he moved. He cocked his head skyward, nose flaring as he snatched our scent from the windless night. “I did not realise an invitation had been sent for visitors. Jak, did you call for our guests without my knowing?” There was humour and teasing in his voice. However, there was no denying the sharpness hidden beneath it.

The second figure stepped free from the shadows of the doorway. He was beautiful. Curls of brown hair perfectly laid across his forehead. He wore a loose tunic of white that billowed at his arms and sat low across his shoulders. His skin was deeper in tone than that of the man he stood besides, but it still gleamed with the grey of death.“No, Marius, it would seem they are lost.”

I hissed as they laughed in chorus. Auriol squeezed my hand in warning.

Faenir’s shadows twisted like snakes as he stepped forward. “I expected more, I admit.”

Marius, the vampire of legends, lowered his head and smiled. His tongue escaped the confines of his tight-lipped mouth. He drew it slowly across his teeth, ensuring we each saw the glistening tipped points as though he were a peacock, and they were his feathers. “What do we have here?” Marius said. “Such an unlikely group of visitors, I must say.”

“Invite us into your home and we can discuss our presence, among other things,” Faenir commanded.

The petite figure, Jak, stiffened. Then flames spread across his closed fists until each hand glowed with curling tongues of orange.

My breath caught in the back of my throat. The last time I had seen such power was in Haldor. The thought alone soured my mouth, especially because Jak was no elf. He was as formidable as the witch-turned-vampire he stood proudly beside.Witch.

“This is all your fault,” I spat. I did not need to elaborate for them to know what I meant. Vampires. The death. The undead that ruled Darkmourn more than the living.

“Now, now,” Faenir sang. “Darling, let us not offend our hosts just yet.”

“Your presence alone offends me. Leave before I call for our hounds to chase you out,” Jak warned, fire spreading to his elbows. “Or better yet, I could be the one doing the chasing.”

Marius chuckled at that. I felt his burning red stare bore into me, studying me from head to foot. Faenir did not like that his attention had turned. “Dare I enquire as to why one of my own creatures,” Marius mused, drinking me in, “hangs stakes from his belt as though they were jewels or something of worth? How amusing.”

My fingers twitched. I longed to pull out one of the carved stakes to show it off as he had with his teeth.

“Cut the shit. We all know you are not going to turn us away. So, are you going to let us in or not?” Faenir asked, voice raising above the darkness as though to prove he controlled it. “We have come a rather long way.”

“Step closer,” Marius said, lifting a finger and curling it inward in beckoning. “I do not think I have seen the likes of you before…”

Faenir sensed the danger behind his words but stepped forward anyway, not without snarling in warning at the bloodthirsty creature. Perhaps it was his curled lip that made Marius react, or the fact he finally sensed the elf’s power. The strangest thing occurred. Shadows lingered behind Marius like a cloak, a power similar to that of my King.Faenir noticed, flaring his shadows in response. They regarded one another for a moment.

Jak stared, with narrowed and distrusting eyes, between his lover and mine.

“Ah, perhaps you should come in,” Marius said finally, breaking the strange competition of power. “You are welcome to join us for a drink. That is as lenient as my hospitality can stretch. However, as our hosting has been forced upon us, I am afraid the wine I offer has long spoiled, yet I see that you have brought your own drink with you.”

I wished to stand before Auriol to protect her from Marius and Jak’s sharpened stare. Her grip on my hand kept me in place. She snarled, far more deadly than anything Faenir and I could have done in that moment.

“I long to be the one to kill the first vampire,” Auriol warned, glancing to Jak. “Perhaps it will be I that finishes the task that you failed at all those years ago.”

Jak bucked forward with a snarl. Marius reached out a hand and stopped him, not caring for the fire that burned his skin. Jak recalled his power instantly. Then they both shared a whispered word, before shifting their attention back to Faenir.

“Long have I wondered when your kind would reveal themselves to me,” Marius said, releasing his hold on the witch-boy. They both stood aside in offering. “It would seem we have a long night ahead of us.” With that, our hosts turned on their heels and enticed us to follow them inside the belly of Castle Dread.

* * *

Jak studied me over the lip of his glass. Eyes like a viper, tongue just as loose, he left a trail of spit across the rim. There was no question that blood filled his glass, and that it was human. I could smell it, pungent, even from a distance. It reminded me of my sister, who sat stiffly beside me.

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