Chapter 8

Chapter

Eight

Eleanna

O ur steeds' hooves pound against the frozen earth, sending up sprays of powdery snow that glitter beneath the moon's unyielding gaze. I draw my cloak tighter around me, the chill air stinging any exposed skin. The night is alive with sounds as we drive our horses toward Ebonwood Forest, a looming silhouette like a jagged line against the starlit sky.

"Remember," I say, "we need the phoenix's tear at the first break of dawn. And I would rather not linger in that forest a moment longer than necessary."

Alexandru rides beside me, his silver eyes reflecting the cold light like twin blades as he focuses on me. "Agreed, Eleanna."

There's no note of what happened between us. The things said. And I keep my own turmoil locked deep beneath my ice. Besides, this mission needs my attention.

Before we came a debate rose, but sometimes it's good to be Queen. Even now, or perhaps because it's his fortress, my word, if not law is close to it and carries weight.

"The sooner this is done, General," I say, "the sooner Catarina is gone and the throne is mine as it is meant to be. Perhaps we need to pick up the pace."

"Your impatience might cost us more than time, Eleanna. We push faster than we might make mistakes," Ivan says, his voice steady despite our current pace. "Precision is key."

"Precision?" Nadia says from behind. "From the man who'd sooner spill blood than a drop of wine?"

"Blood cleanses, wine merely stains." Ivan's mouth lifts in what might be considered a smile if one didn't know better.

"Ah, but both are red, and both are precious," Alexandru adds, his steely gaze fixed on the path ahead. "Let's just hope this phoenix is more cooperative than some queens we know."

"Careful, General," I say, tightening my reins. "Or you'll find out just how uncooperative I can be."

And he speaks, so soft I might imagine it. "Promises."

I shiver, my blood heating. But it doesn't last as the entrance to Ebonwood comes into view, and we slow, a somberness falling over us. I take it in. The majestic pines loom overhead like the ribcage of a dark giant. Their twisted forms create menacing shadows that seem to slither across the ground.

Now my shiver is of ice and an urge hits me to turn back before it's too late.

An urge set off by something magic, like a spell to protect this place. The air turns colder, carrying whispers that aren't quite human, and a dense fog obscures the path ahead.

"Charming place," Alexandru murmurs, scanning the darkened track snaking into the forest.

"Is it true what they say? That the trees whisper secrets of the dead?" Nadia asks, her horse sidestepping nervously.

"If they do, they're quiet now," Ivan says.

The hairs on the back of my neck rise, and I swallow, resting my hand on the hilt of my sword, the familiar weight an accord of protection—or destruction, should the need arise.

"Secrets or no," I say, "we've got a phoenix to find."

"Then lead on, my fallen Queen." Alexandru gives me a mock bow from atop his horse. "But remember, even the mightiest firebird bows before the break of day."

Like anyone born of these lands, even those of us gifted with the immortality of the vampire, the old tales are embedded with me. But I don't bother saying that.

With a slight nudge of my heel, I urge my horse forward into the forest's embrace. "Mockery doesn't become you, General Amanar, but perhaps today it will serve us well."

The forest path twists before us, the underbrush rustling with the stir of nocturnal creatures. Alexandru's steed keeps pace beside mine, the heat from his body an absolute contrast to the chill of the Ebonwood. I shouldn't be able to feel that heat, but I do. His silver gaze finds mine, intense and questioning, as if he's trying to unravel me like one would a riddle cloaked in shadow.

I meet his stare with equal measure, refusing to reveal the tumult that rages within. "Keep your eyes on the path, General. The forest has a taste for the unwary."

"Ah, but it's not the forest I'm wary of, Your Majesty," he says, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk, his beauty shimmering in the moonlight.

Our horses' hooves crunch on the frosted leaves as we navigate through the labyrinth of Ebonwood Forest's foggy paths. Even with the regular forest sounds, it's eerily quiet, as though they've been muted. An uneasy silence settles over us, broken only by the distant hoot of an owl.

Up ahead, something gleams, like two beacons in the fog and dark. I squint, and a figure begins to materialize from the darkness, its form shrouded in gloom. It stands unmoving, eyes like twin embers set aflame.

I draw my sword with a swift, ringing sound, the blade catching the moonlight as Alexandru unsheathes his own weapon.

"Stand ready," I command, though my pulse thrums wildly beneath my skin.

Nadia inches her horse forward, her voice steady as she utters a string of melodic syllables in an ancient tongue. The creature cocks its head, regarding her with an intelligence that belies its bestial appearance.

Nadia turns back to us, her expression composed. "His name is Carwyn. Guardian of the threshold."

"Ask him about the phoenix," I say, tightening my grip around the hilt of my sword.

She nods and speaks again to the creature, her question hanging in the expectant air. Carwyn responds in the same arcane language, his voice a low rumble that vibrates through the ground beneath our feet.

With a fluid bow, Carwyn steps aside, his massive form receding into the trees as he clears the path for us.

"He bids us go northward. The phoenix awaits at dawn's first light," Nadia says.

"Then it's northward," I say, sheathing my sword.

My heart races, not from fear, but from the thrill of the quest. The air's thick with tensions and I cast a glance at the general who rides beside me, a man whose very presence sets my blood on fire. And I know some of that tension rises from us.

The magic of the Ebonwood Forest wraps around me, a cloak woven from secrets and spells. As we ride deeper, its enchantment seeps into my skin like icy needles, an intrusion I neither welcome nor enjoy. The air thickens more, saturated with power that makes the horses skittish and my skin break out in gooseflesh.

I catch brief glimpses of myself in the darkened mirrors of ice that line our path—pale skin almost glowing against the night, hair like spilled blood over shoulders that bear the weight of my lineage. My reflection haunts me, a reminder of what I am, of what I must be—ruthless, unyielding, a sovereign clad in Gothic reds who fears nothing.

Alexandru demands I turn my back on that, become soft, weak, which would invite more enemies in. The system works. I can't begin to picture the death toll if I'd been that weak leader, entertaining all ideas when Catarina decimated my court.

All I have is strength, the old ways, my father's teachings. If vampires like the general don't understand they should be banished. To be in my vicinity should be enough. Perhaps it's lonely, but I?—

"Something's not right," Nadia murmurs, her hand resting on the pommel of her saddle.

I snap back from my cold and heavy thoughts, dark and stained with ancient blood and I suck in the air. "Maybe we should?—"

"Keep our eyes open. We're not alone," Alexandru says, low but authoritative.

A sudden rustle sounds to our left, and I sense it before I see it—a presence, massive and malevolent. It emerges from the shadows, a grotesque parody of nature, with twisted limbs and a maw lined with jagged teeth. Its eyes are pits of hopelessness, pulling at my soul, demanding surrender.

Fear is a foreign sensation, one I despise, but it claws up my throat now, threatening to unseat me from the power I wield with such iron control. My steed rears, its terror matching my growing panic.

"Steady, Eleanna." Ivan's already off his horse, sword drawn. "General Amanar, with me!"

Both men position themselves between the beast and me and Nadia. Though the claws are deep within, I start to dismount until his voice stops me.

"Stay back, Eleanna," Alexandru orders, not looking at me, focused wholly on the looming threat.

I hesitate but Nadia takes all the decisions from me as she lurches and clutches my arm, a plea for caution. I nod sharply, unwilling to admit the tightness in my chest, the way my breath comes too fast.

My heart pounds as the two men move fluidly, their swords flashing silver in the dim light. Their feet seem to barely touch the ground as they dodge and parry the beast's attacks with synchronized movements. Each strike is calculated and swift, their bodies a well-oiled machine. The creature's claws and teeth are no match for their skill and experience as they slice through the air with savage accuracy.

The monster, with its twisted form, looks almost clumsy in comparison to their lithe movements. But its fury is evident in the wildness of its strikes, with sharp teeth and claws bared as it lunges forward.

"By the blood, we will not fall this night!" Alexandru's blade finds flesh, and the creature howls in rage and pain.

Together, they are calculated and precise, relentless and unbreakable, a testament to their skill and strength. And I'm the eye, watching, waiting, my power coiled tight within me, ready to strike if they falter.

But they don't falter. They can't. Not when so much hangs in the balance. Not when the quest drives us forward, binding us with threads stronger than steel—the potential of victory, of a legacy written in the blood of our enemies.

"Eleanna!" Alexandru pulls me from my thoughts, as the creature stumble, its body yielding to the onslaught of their blades.

"Finish it," I say, and my command's like a death knell that seals the creature's fate.

With a final cry that shakes leaves from the trees, the beast collapses.

"Thank you, Ivan," I say, my voice laced with gratitude.

He sheathes his blade and bends at the waist. "Yes, my Queen. In your honor."

"Thank you, Alexandru." I look at him. "Your bravery will not be forgotten."

Alexandru merely nods, his chest heaving with exertion. Blood splatters tarnish his once-pristine armor. A good state for an armor of a general, I suppose. Ivan stands beside him, equally marred by the confrontation. Their weariness is evident in the slump of their shoulders and the slow rise and fall of their chests.

They mount their horses and I look away, hiding the flicker of concern that threatens to crack my facade. Our alliance is born of necessity, not of choice, and yet I respect these warriors who fight alongside me. My heart beats with a savage pride, for we are kindred spirits carved from the same stone of honor and power.

The tension recedes, leaving only the cold sting of the night air. We press on through the dense fog of the forest. The moon carves a path for us, its silvery light guiding us until we reach an ethereal clearing where magic hangs heavy like a tangible veil.

From my vantage point, nestled within the embrace of the forest's shadow, I find the phoenix perched on its ancient throne of gnarled wood. It's as if the very essence of the sunset has been captured, its fleeting beauty made eternal in the bird's breathtaking plumage. The riot of colors—reds bleeding into oranges, both lit with the last whispers of gold—cast an otherworldly glow.

"Stay back," I whisper to Nadia and Ivan.

The chalice in my pack is small, but I fetch it, holding it tight.

Alexandru and I dismount. Our approach is cautious, reverent, as if the very earth beneath our feet demands our humility.

"Great Phoenix. We come seeking your tears of renewal, a gift only you can bestow," I say, my hands trembling as I hold out the silver chalice with a reverence.

The creature's gaze meets mine, a fathomless well of ancient wisdom that seems to see into the marrow of my soul. I stand unwavering under its scrutiny, the cruel queen of the Sagori, unyielding and fierce even in supplication.

"Will you grant us this honor? One teardrop, please," I ask. Despite the rapid drumming of my heart, I manage to keep my voice steady.

The phoenix regards me intensely, its eyes a kaleidoscope of fiery hues. Then, with a benevolence that silences the world, it dips its head, and from the corner of its eye, a single tear—a droplet of liquid flame—falls into the chalice I hold.

"Thank you," I breathe out.

Without anything more, not even a shift of a feather it tells us to leave, and I nod, glance at Alexandru and we cross the clearing.

Something compels me to stop and look back at the ancient phoenix. It stares at us and beyond to where the other two are. And my breath strangles in my throat.

I glance at Alexandru. Our eyes catch and hold, thrilling but electric. "Our first quest has come to a close." I hold the chalice with reverence.

There's a glint in his gaze that mirrors the triumph and wild exhilaration surging through my veins. The shared victory tightens something between us, a bond forged in this crucible, stronger than before.

"Let's not dawdle," Alexandru murmurs as we turn to where Nadia and Ivan wait with our horses.

I mount my horse with the chalice secure in my pack and sit tall in the saddle.

"Did anyone else feel like the phoenix was judging their life choices, or was that just me?" Ivan jokes dryly as he swings onto his steed.

"Surely it found you wanting, Ivan." Nadia grins, guiding her horse alongside his.

"Ah, but I'm still here, so perhaps not as wanting as you would think," Ivan counters, a rare glint of humor in his tone.

"Or perhaps it pities you," I say, spurring my horse forward.

Alexandru laughs. "Eleanna, pity is not in Ivan's vocabulary."

"Neither is surrender," Ivan adds.

"Nor in ours." I look over at Alexandru.

His silver eyes meet mine, and I see the arrogance, the defiance, the same fire that burns in my veins. "Never."

The ride back is slower, the knowledge of our success and what comes next weighing on us all. When we crest a hill, the sun breaks through the horizon, casting a golden glow over the snow-covered landscape. Alexandru's fortress comes into view, a pinnacle of vampire opulence and strength nestled within the dense forest. It's a display of his power, a reminder of why he's an adversary not to be trifled with.

We ride through the gates, the heavy iron portcullis slamming shut behind us with a resounding clang. Inside the stables, we dismount and hand our steaming mounts to the waiting hands of the grooms.

"Rest," Alexandru tells Ivan. "You did well tonight."

"My liege." Ivan bows and departs with Nadia.

Alexandru and I face each other.

"Do you think?" I ask. "Nadia and Ivan?"

His eyes narrow and he walks up, pressing me into the shadows of the stables. Further down the grooms care for the horses and I press my hands against the rough wood, feeling…I don't know how I feel. Maybe like trapped prey who likes it. And prey's the last thing I am.

"I don't care."

"Well… I'll go to my rooms." I start to move past him and I think for a moment as he steps out of the way that he's going to let me go. Haywire as I am inside, I don't know if I want him to let me leave.

"Eleanna?"

"What?" I take in a shuddery breath that makes things shiver and twist and flutter within. "I'm tired."

I take one more step and he reaches out. He doesn't stop me, just plucks my satchel and swings it over one board shoulder. I stare up at him. "Careful."

"Go, now." He nods to the door.

Part of me wants to fling rejection at him and another part wants to drop to my knees and offer myself. "I'm trying."

He sighs, brushes a strand of hair away from my cheek, and leans in. "To my bedchamber," he says.

"And if I say no, my liege?"

"As I said there's a nice dungeon waiting for you and your draconian ways, my fallen Queen."

"Prick." I stride past him toward the bastion, then inside to his chambers. The whole way I try to control the smile at his words, try to coax my anger forth, front and center.

He follows me without a word. Each step he takes behind me is like a drumbeat in my bloodstream. Once inside his chambers, he slams the door shut with a resounding thud, and I turn to face the vampire general.

"This… is only physical between us. It won't change anything, Alexandru."

He ignores me as he stores my satchel carefully, and strips off his boots and cloak. He takes something from a table, the candles flickering and the hearth throwing heat and dancing, golden shadows and light.

"I'm not interested beyond the physical."

"That's a lie."

He smiles. "Sex binds. It's enough."

But his actions say otherwise. At least I think they do. He strides to me and his hands span my waist as he pulls me against him, his lips crashing down on mine in a savage kiss I can't resist. I moan into his mouth, and my fangs elongate, my hunger for both blood and sex a burning ache.

He growls against my lips, eyes ablaze with silver flames. "I want you, Eleanna Cordon. And I don't give a fuck how I get you."

He moves his mouth down my neck, and the scrape of his fangs against my sensitive skin sends shivers down my spine. He discards my clothes in a chaotic heap, throwing down his shirt, too.

"It's just sex," I say.

I didn't argue with you," he says, kissing me again. "Scared?"

No. Yes. Perhaps. It's hard to find the words to share the turmoil inside. I don't want him to take it and run, push us into something more than it is. He's already demanded so much of me and my realm and I haven't found a way out. Not yet. But it's more than that. If I' m not careful he could demand not just a piece of flesh but my soul.

We keep coming together. He informed me being in his bed, being his whore—though he never used that word—was part of the deal in helping me, but it's a perilous thing. Something I could slip into thinking was the thing I crave. The king by my side, a man to rule with me, share in decisions, someone to share my life with, things I don't want but he makes oh so appealing.

"I'm not scared."

"You think, my fallen Queen this is for now."

"We don't know the future," I say, side-stepping, and the expression on his face informs me he knows I don't want to answer, to get into the conversation. "And this is only sex."

He doesn't fight me again, instead he smiles, the pure warrior who's got his sights set on a battle he thinks he can win.

Cupping my ass, Alexandru digs his fingers into my flesh as he pulls me closer, pressing us together, skin to skin, flesh to flesh. And it's hard to think. He groans low in his throat, his erection hard and throbbing against my center. The heat radiates from his body, seeping into my own.

Alexandru moves his hands up my back, tangling his fingers in my hair as he brings his lips down to mine once more. His tongue demands entrance and I willingly open my mouth to him. The kiss is slow, a dance of erotic arts and seductive. It's a kiss designed from a certain type of warfare, to disarm and control and take. And by the time I realize that I'm pliant and ready to split open for him.

Dangerous. He's so dangerous. Somehow more so than he was so long ago when we were betrothed.

He lifts, his eyes burning into mine. "You taste good, Eleanna."

"And so do you," I whisper.

"You know what would taste better?" he asks, kissing my throat, his fangs lightly scraping down, making me shudder and throb. "You on your knees."

He keeps making me, his Queen, get on her knees for him. And I find myself starting to slide down but he stops me and spins me, pushing me into the wall. It's not hard, but there's no room to protest or side step. His iron touch, his iron will, is too big to deny.

Taking my hands, he pulls them down and there's something soft in his hand. Material? Before I can try and work out what it was he took from the table, he licks my ear and short circuits my brain.

"There are a lot of variations of you on your knees and not all of them are about you worshiping my cock with your hot mouth."

The shudder that takes me elicits a laugh from him. "Unhand me."

"Because you're my queen?" He bites my throat softly, his erection pushes against me, our hands no barrier. "I'm your master and I'll be your king."

I bite down on my protest. Only because I need his help and not because there's something inexplicably appealing about it.

He steps back and turns me, pulling my hands together in front and tying them, then he takes me to the bed. It's a high bed, big, and he pushes me up so I'm on the edge, and on my knees, then he takes the material and moves to the front of the bed and ties my hands to it, so I'm in an awkward position. And then he disappears from view.

"What—"

"Hush, Eleanna." And the whip comes down on me. I recognize the way the air sings, and the white heat of its bite. He does it over and over, crisscrossing, finding new places until I'm glowing hot. "How do you feel?"

"Like beheading you," I say.

He hits me again. Something shifts and my clit starts to ache, my pussy too, and juices roll down my parted thighs.

"Not the right response. Maybe things change when you do."

The leather slices into my burning, tender flesh and the ache intensifies. "How dare you!"

"Not everything's black and white. Gray exists. All kinds of things exist. And strength sometimes comes from the willingness to step into another's shoes."

I grit my teeth. Inside, pleasure starts to swell. "You dare give me a lesson? I know you want a piece of everything and you're helping me but do not turn this into a teaching moment."

When it comes down again the heat is beyond anything and the pain melts into orgasmic pleasure. I cry out in my release.

Alexandru grips my hips and he plunges into me, deep, pushing me down so I'm flat on my stomach. He hammers into me and the orgasm swells and explodes or maybe it's another. I don't know, I can't think. I just want what he's giving me. I want it all.

He pulls out and pulls me down so my ass is on the edge and my legs dangling. He goes down and licks my ass, then smoothing some of my juices on my asshole, he pushes into me. And I want more and more, I try to arch back the moment he breaches the tight ring, wanting him deep, craving more of his touch.

I moan softly as he thrusts into me, his hips moving with a primal rhythm. The sensation of his hard cock filling me up, the rough scrape of his near-barren chest against my sensitive skin of my back, my ass still burning, he takes me in the most elemental and pagan way, one arm around me, under me, holding me in place. I'm lost in him; the slap of flesh and the sound of our heavy breathing creates a brutal symphony of desire.

His hand around me slides down between me and the bed and over my clit and down. And he pushes into me, teasing my sensitive flesh, my wet core. He stretches and fills me, pussy and ass as he thrusts. The sensation is overwhelming; I'm writhing beneath him, aching for more.

His lips descend upon the back of my neck, sucking and biting. I groan.

"Fuck, you're so wet," he growls, slamming into me.

My moans turn into cries of pleasure as the penetration becomes more intense, more overwhelming.

Alexandru's breath is hot on my ear, his voice a whisper. "This is for everything, Eleanna. For the life we could have had, for the power we can take, and for the lust that binds us."

"Yes, Alexandru, give me everything," I reply, my voice thick with desire and I'm mindless. "Dominate me, take me, make me yours."

He groans, t sensation builds, the anticipation of release is intense, and my mind is filled with an explosion of pleasure so intense I can hardly bear it.

Alexandru slams into me, holding me down. Heat builds, the tension growing with every thrust.

He thrusts all the way in, balls deep. "Now, come for me," he demands, his voice hoarse with need.

And a wave of pure ecstasy crashes over me, my body trembling and writhing beneath him. I cry out, and my orgasm echoes through the room as Alexandru continues to thrust, driving into me harder, faster. Then cries out, too, his cock twitching in me as he fills me with his release.

Long moments pass before he pulls his fingers from me, his cock, and he kisses my neck, my back, my ass cheeks. Then he unties me and pulls me up on the bed, taking hold of me, breathing heavily.

Lying beside Alexandru in the tangled sheets, our breathing still erratic from moments ago, I find solace in the steady rhythm of his heart—an anchor in the upheaval that is my life.

"Eleanna," he says.

I know the tone. He wants to talk. I don't. Not…not about us. There is no us, just these moments that are both truth and lies.

We still have the quest. So I focus on that.

"Alexandru, the ash of a vampire... it won't be easy to come by," I murmur.

Tracing the lines of his muscled arm, I feel the raw power underneath his skin.

He turns to me, his silver eyes reflecting an unfathomable depth. "Nothing worth having comes easily, Eleanna," he replies.

Our bodies fit together with an ease that belies the complexity of our alliance.

"And the mandrake root?" I ask softly, already knowing its rarity makes it almost a legend among our kind.

Alexandru slides his hand into my hair, gently weaving his fingers through it. "We won't stop until we have everything to kill Catarina, my beloved."

I don't have it in me to tell him I'm nothing but.