Eternal Darkness (The Amagarians 1)

“Ah…so you will not declare war then? Pity.”

She indicated her hand and the Mevians flashed across the room and positioned themselves to cover her departure.

“Please do not do this,” her queen rasped. She stepped forward and was jerked to a stop as the blade sunk deeper and a spurt of blood flew from Saieke.

“Would you not prefer to know that she is the Empress of Mevia instead of dead?” the melodious voice trilled.

“Wrong,” a distorted voice snarled.

Everyone froze.

“You will release the princess and the life of your emperor will be spared this night.” It was impossible to miss the ruthlessness.

Knowledge leapt into the King Ajali’s eyes and wry smile twisting his lips.

“Who speaks?” the geikan demanded with power roiling from her voice.

She was met with silence.

The body behind her tensed, and he looked to his commander. Tension and something darker whispered across the room. It trembled on the air and vibrated with menace. It was a snarl of rage from Drac.

?

??You will release my mate.” The sheer malevolence in the voice made Saieke tremble even though she knew who it belonged to.

“Mate?” a low hum of laughter. “Are you declaring war with Mevia?” a voice meant to enthrall asked.

“Your hands on what’s mine, geikan. I will spare only your life, for you to deliver my message. Anyone that comes after my mate, declares war with the Darkage,” he said and stepped out of her shadows to appear right in front of her.

***

Drac shifted the psychic hold on his beast. Fangs punched from his lips and claws extended from his hands. His beast roared and inhaled the stench of fear that leaked out from some of those around him. It howled at the rush of pleasure at the dread that suddenly permeated the room. Bloodthirstiness rushed out and coiled around him in a mimosa of churning blackness.

The assassin’s eyes flared in shock when he stepped from her shadow. Before she could react, he disappeared and the Mevian that had the princess’s neck between his blades died before he could understand that the tide had shifted. His head slid soundlessly from his body and blood spurted into the air.

The princess disappeared.

Drac placed her in her the queen’s shadow, his men tightly formed around her.

Are you hurt?

No

He shifted his thoughts to dealing with the assassin. The Nurian king engaged her and she spun and drew her sword to deflect his blade. She whistled and destruction swept through the room. Men fell to their knees screaming in pain, and the beams and columns of the castle shuddered under the onslaught of her power.

Drac shiktred to her. He slashed at her throat with his claws and the sound ended as if it never was. She grabbed the wound and flashed away. His shadows grabbed her and a strangled sound emitted from her throat when he pulled her to him. A menacing snarl ripped from his throat and silence descended.

“You will take this message to your emperor, geikan, Princess Saieke El Shyokara belongs to me and as such belongs to the Darkage. To harm her people is to harm her, and to harm her is to wage war with me. If war is proclaimed on Boreas, you proclaim war with the Darkage.”

There were several gasps which he ignored.

“Inform your emperor, the princess is the mate of Drac El Kyn. If he tries to take her again he will know only death and despair. I will come in the dark when he least expects it and I do not understand mercy.”

He flung her and she flashed herself from column to column and disappeared through the open ceiling. Drac swung his gaze around the room and settled on the Nurian king. He saw coldness in the king’s eyes but absolutely no fear. Drac disappeared and he stepped into the shadow of King Ajali.

Drac lifted the leash on his beast and a deeper and darker rage pulsed inside of him. He simply appeared in front of the king. His warriors roared collectively, and then advanced.

Drac raised his brows when the king held up his fist and they all halted.