Unlikely Queen (Crystal Castle 1)

“Talia.” I turn as my name is called to see my sister on the other side.

“Fast, witch,” Valefar says, then disappears.

Tatiana enters after me and the wolves follow. I see the door start to close as the last wolf jumps through, closing completely once she is fully through the opening.

“Can you believe…”

The loudest sound I have ever heard hisses behind us. The ground begins to shake, and Patrick, who is next to me, puts his hand on my shoulder. “We must move, fast.”

I nod and nobody needs to be told twice. We all begin moving and enter into territory we don’t really want to venture into, but have absolutely no choice.

“Oh, she will be happy with me. Maybe I can have my own castle, too.” A single vampire materializes from the darkness. He licks his sharp teeth. “Clean up the trash.” He nods, and behind him appears two more vampires, not young ones either. They are more powerful, clever, and shrewd. But we have a whole pack of wolves, and I have seen one wolf tear a vampire to shreds, so I’m not that concerned. Until…

“Talia.” Tatiana is next to me in a flash, her back to me as she comes closer, her hands out, ready to drop to the ground to use her magic.

“You really didn’t think there would be only a few of us, did you?” the vampire teases. And that’s when I see what has my sister so worried. Standing behind her, where we just came from, are over twenty vampires, all ready to tear our heads from our bodies and hand us over to the queen, dead or alive, it matters not.

They hiss, their steps silent as they take each one toward us menacingly.

I’ve seen vampires, several times, but this many focused on us with hungry eyes is something I’ve never had to deal with before.

“I see you made it out of the forest alive…” he starts, then laughs, “…only to be killed by us. I bet right now you wish you died in there.” The one vampire that’s doing all the talking is looking between my sister and me. Her hand clutches mine, and I know what she’s asking me to do—to borrow her power.

Patrick walks over and his hand grasps my shoulder. He is telling me to do the same thing.

But…

“I’ve always wanted to play with a witch… fuck one… make her bleed so we can taste her, and then fuck her some more before she bleeds all over my tongue.” I try not to gasp at his words. No vampire I have met has ever once spoken like this. Actually, no one has. I know what kink is, but I have never experienced such things and I am unsure I ever want to.

“You’d be surprised to know I would slit your throat and make you bleed before you even had the chance to do that to me,” Tatiana says from behind me, her hand still grasped in mine.

He smirks, holds his hand to his chest, and throws his head back in laughter. We stare, shocked, until he suddenly stops, and his eyes turn a fiery red as he pins them on Tatiana.

“You will be the last kept alive. I’ll bleed you so many times that by the end, you will be begging for me to slit your throat if you don’t have the courage to do it yourself.”

A loud snarl tears from the middle of our group, and we watch as John transforms and turns his attention to the vampire.

“Here, kitty kitty,” the vampire teases.

The other wolves stay where they are, surrounding us, as John does just that. He jumps and goes straight for the vampire’s throat. But as he is a mere inch from him, he is captured. A man in a white cloak grabs John by the muzzle, grips it hard, then so fast that if we blinked we would miss it, he throws him as if he were just that, a little tiny kitty.

Bronik wipes his hands on his white suit before he looks back up, his eyes searching before they land on me.

“It’s always a pleasure, Talia. Now, if you would accompany me to the queen, your friends may not have to die today.”

The wolves start howling and transforming—all but Patrick, whose hand is still on my shoulder. Tatiana’s hand is now squeezing mine so tightly, I think the blood has stopped circulating in my fingers.

“You,” I say in shock. “Why?” I ask, staring at Bronik in complete disbelief. I thought I could trust him, but I guess I was very wrong.

“I needed to test your abilities for the queen. Seems you are stronger than we anticipated.” He looks to Tatiana and smiles. “As are you, but I haven’t shared that secret with your old friend yet.” As he finishes speaking, another angel appears right next to Bronik.