A Kingdom of Flame and Fury (The Four Kingdoms Book 1) Read online

  I tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear. She looked at me like I hung the fucking moon. I resisted rolling my eyes and instead put on my charming smile, baring my teeth. “Jeanine, we can’t fuck anymore.”

  It was blunt, but nothing else seemed to work with her. I had tried to end it multiple times, but she somehow always ended up at my door and I’d give in to the pleasure. But, I needed a clear mind going into this. My focus needed to remain on the queen.

  Jeanine’s face fell as a frown formed on her mouth.

  I sidestepped around her, descending the small ramp on to the dock below. It was small, and we were tucked deep within the forest, having taken a hidden route that Mira told me about. Seolia kept the channels open for all kingdoms, but the routes were all mapped and heavily guarded. Apparently King Leonidas had his own route to get in and out of Seolia undetected. Another mystery I wasn’t privy to.

  Jeanine sulked off, disappearing into the hull below. My eyes rolled. She would be fine. She knew when we started this that it wasn’t anything serious.

  I heard a male voice from the distance, my lip curling as my father appeared through the trees. “You made it.”

  I didn’t want to see him while here, but it was inevitable. “A week ago,” I replied, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “A week ago?” he asked me, turning his head toward the sound of Jeanine reappearing on deck. “Why is Jeanine here?”

  I shrugged.

  “Hello, John,” Jeanine said, walking down the ramp to stand beside me.

  “Jeanine,” he replied, but looked at me. Confusion clouded his eyes.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “Mira wanted her here. She’s been telling the village of some sort of magic your queen possesses. I figured you knew.”

  “You’re the one who’s been going around the village,” John said aloud, but it didn’t sound like he was talking to us. His voice seemed far away.

  “When can I meet your queen? What’s her name?”

  “Raven,” Jeanine and John replied in unison.

  Raven. Her name sounded like an answer to a riddle — a riddle that was buried deep somewhere in my mind.

  “Tomorrow. We have a festival tonight,” John answered, looking back and forth between me and Jeanine.

  I sensed bewilderment on him. He really didn’t know she’d be here. “Jeanine, can you grab my jacket for me?” I asked her, my eyes not leaving John’s face as she muttered something under her breath and left us. “What?”

  “She wasn’t part of the plan,” he said, watching as she disappeared below deck.

  “What plan? What is this all about?”

  He didn’t answer. Time hadn’t been kind to him. He looked much older than he was. Maybe that was what happened when you abandoned your family and swore allegiance to a kingdom that wasn’t your own.

  “You weren’t supposed to arrive until today. Why haven’t you come and seen me?”

  “Because Mira told me you’d find me when it’s time. What is going on?” I was becoming frustrated by his lack of answers.

  “I need to get back to the palace. Raven will be returning—” He trailed off, clearing his throat. “Come to the castle tomorrow morning. We have a meeting, but she’ll see you after.”

  I didn’t say anything else as he turned to walk back into the forest. If Jeanine wasn’t part of the plan, then why was she here? Why was I actually here? And why did Mira want Raven so bad?

  I stretched my arms over my head and ran my fingers through my black hair, smoothing it back. Glad I dressed warm. It was fucking cold here. It was winter, but there was a bite in the air that made it seem even chillier.

  A heavy piece of fabric hit my head and I grunted, yanking it off to see Jeanine glaring at me. I pulled on the jacket she so kindly brought to me and fastened the buttons until they reached my throat, throwing on my hood. “I’m going to explore the forest again. I’ll meet you in the village for the festival. I need a drink.”

  I didn’t listen for an answer before I left her, shoving my hands into the pockets of my jacket and started toward the line of trees. I heard the small waterfall to my left and stopped at the spring I’d discovered earlier this week. It wasn’t far from our dock.

  Surrounded by tall rocks, there was a spring made of what looked like black water. I untucked my hands and crouched, holding them over the steaming water.

  We needed to secure other lodging. I couldn’t stay on the boat any longer, sharing a bed with a woman who was hell-bent on seducing me. We’d need to find an inn or hopefully wrangle an invite to the castle if I did my job correctly.

  I stood and slapped the trunk of a tree that appeared deadened from the harsh bite of the air. “Same,” I muttered, tucking my hands back into my pockets. I should have brought heavier clothes, but winters in Reales were always predictable. We had a heavy snowfall in the beginning and then it would level out and remain bearable until spring.

  I looked around as I walked. We had to be miles from any other life forms. This was a very vast forest, and I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but something drove me deeper.

  ☽༓☾

  An hour in, I heard gurgled screams of what sounded like men up ahead. I jogged toward the noise and froze, nearly stumbling backward when I noticed a fiery little redhead with her hands around the throats of two men. They thrashed as they tried to claw her off until their movements ceased. She removed her hands and their bodies fell to the ground.

  Her head rolled back and she visibly relaxed, like killing them felt… good. My lips parted slightly at her and the fact that their throats looked… burned. She burned through them. Her attention fixated on the sky above her and she muttered a curse word before she quickly turned, leaving the corpses behind.

  Well, that wasn’t something you saw every day. My dick was hard as I watched her walk away. I should have been more afraid, but I wasn’t. I wanted her hands on me. I had felt her heat from here. There was nothing but anger brimming off of her and it felt good. Maybe this trip didn’t have to be wasted on only the queen. Maybe I could squeeze in a fiery fuck with that little demon.

  She was delicious to look at as I watched her disappear back into the forest. How a tiny little thing like that could take down two grown men was impressive. I wanted to follow her, but I had to meet Jeanine in the village, and I couldn’t focus on another woman yet. I would seek her out after I met the queen. There was nothing more fun for me than the chase.

  I looked up and saw the sun setting and I still had no idea where I was. I glanced once more at the corpses before I turned back north in hopes of finding the castle along the way.

  ☽༓☾

  It was evening when I saw two tall towers break over the tree line. They were ivory and had to be twice as tall as the castle in Reales. My eyes roved over the balconies peeking out through the branches and I spotted someone leaning over one, looking the opposite direction. Was that… purple hair? I squinted to get a better view and then my eyes widened. Her jawline.

  That was the same girl.

  She lived in the castle. That was going to make it really easy. Did she have wigs she wore around? I lightly jogged, wanting a closer look but she disappeared back inside.

  When I looked ahead toward the village, Jeanine was staring at me with a look of disgust. I returned it with a bored expression on my face. She could sulk all she wanted to. My eyes were on something new — a tasty little treat that would hopefully burn my tongue with anger as she fucked it.

  I heard laughter and looked toward the sound, spotting the village just ahead. People were hanging things from the roofs of cottages and throwing some sort of glittery shit on the ground.

  I lifted a hand to some guards lined along the wall of the castle in a wave and they watched me walk past without acknowledgement. Friendly. I walked onto a cobblestone road and looked down to the ground to see what was being thrown everywhere — paper confetti in the shapes of stars and moons.

  An older woman
stepped in front of me and handed me a freshly cut rose from her basketful of them. “Welcome to the Festival of Dreams!”

  I dipped my chin toward the woman as I accepted her rose. Her pupils dilated as she stared at me. I didn’t know why I had that effect on people. I was a raging assassin with a drinking problem. I looked like my mother with her black hair and smile, but I inherited my height from my actual father. Luca, my brother, favored John, but had my height.

  I looked again at Jeanine and her eyes were glued to a blond guy up ahead, quickly making a beeline for him. I chuckled to myself and watched as they immersed in a short conversation before the man excused himself from her and headed back toward the castle. Poor girl. The night was young.

  I meandered farther into town and into a pub that sat on a corner. Duck’s was on the sign. I pushed open the door and a small bell rang above my head, welcoming me in. A few patrons were spread throughout the small pub, along with a handful of tables littered throughout the center of the room, with two smaller ones pressed against the back wall. Faded painted portraits of the channel, the castle, and the village were scattered on the walls. It was dark, the only light coming in was from the long window that was behind the bar. It stretched horizontal and was as long as the bar-top, which an older gentleman was beckoning me to.

  He tapped the counter to indicate that the seat was open, and I squatted on the barstool, stretching my long legs underneath it. He asked, “What’ll you have?”

  I looked behind him at the surprisingly large selection. Impressive. Not what I would have expected in a kingdom as small as this one. I pointed to a bottle right behind him. “That’s the best rum I’ve ever had. We can’t ever get it back home.”

  He turned and started to laugh at the bottle I thirsted after. He grabbed it and a glass, pouring it full. “Queen Raven makes sure we have everything we need.”

  Raven. That name again. It made my entire body tighten every time I heard it. I shook my head a little, wanting to clear the feeling. I cupped the glass with my hand and threw the bitter liquid back, groaning as it burned down my throat.

  I set the glass down and nodded for another. He poured me one and watched as I downed it just as quickly. It was the best thing I’d ever tasted and Mira hadn’t been able to secure a bottle since she took over. Vendors from other kingdoms weren’t as willing to work with her as they were with my uncle.

  “The name is Arthur. Where do you come from?”

  I clenched my teeth, sucking in cold air to chase the taste lingering on my tongue. “Zeke. Reales.” I extended a hand and he grabbed it, giving it a shake.

  “Reales, eh? I used to travel there as a boy. Haven’t been in ages. How’s it holding up?”

  I tapped the glass and he poured me another.

  It wasn’t holding up well. It was a hellhole. Rapists and murderers ran amuck. I killed at least five people a day. Our queen was the devil’s sister, but I didn’t say any of that.

  “It’s still there,” I muttered, throwing back my third glass. “I’ll be staying for a while. Do you have plenty of this in stock?”

  Arthur laughed again. It made me long for that sound back home, when it used to echo through town instead of the silence that was there now. “I’ll make sure Queen Raven orders more. She comes through often.”

  “To drink?”

  Arthur’s coy grin was the only answer I needed. So, the queen had a little bit of rebellion in her veins. Interesting. Mira would never coexist with her ‘peasants’ as she called them and Raven dabbled with them in pubs.

  I reached into my pants pocket and pulled out a handful of gold coins and dropped them on the counter. “I’ll frequent here often.” I stood from the stool and dipped my chin to Arthur in a goodbye. “Thanks for the drink. You made this man’s dream come true.” Festival of Dreams indeed.

  He laughed again as I exited the pub.

  My walk was a little heavier, rum making its way into my bloodstream. I looked around and Jeanine was again talking to the blond. Good for her. I took a step off the curb and nearly stumbled, but didn’t. I inhaled a deep breath and collected myself.

  I walked past a row of booths and stopped at one that had basketfuls of candy on top of her table. “Caramel?”

  She nodded enthusiastically, shoving a handful into my hand. “I baked them myself. They’re chocolate with a caramel filling.”

  I unwrapped one and popped it into my mouth. It mixed well with the taste of rum still lingering. I put the rest in my coat pocket and asked for another handful. She obliged and dropped more of them into my hand. “They’re delicious. Thank you.” I handed her too many gold coins. She tried to object, but I waved my hand. “Worth it.”

  ☽༓☾

  I peddled along, stopping by a few more booths, the alcohol beginning to wean off. I wanted to return to Duck’s before calling it a night — if he hadn’t been bled dry by all the other drunks stumbling around.

  I stood by a bonfire, warming my hands and ignored the looks of women surrounding me.

  I thought about Raven. Her name.

  Something about it made my dark heart seem a little lighter. I hadn’t met her, but we felt acquainted. I’d met a lot of royals but never any that hung out at local pubs. Maybe the next few weeks wouldn’t be so bad.

  I was about to take a step toward Duck's when movement caught at the corner of my eye. And I froze. Purple hair… violet. She was walking out from behind a cottage. I glanced around her for only a second and realized she was alone.

  And then, her eyes met mine.

  Flashes flit through my eyes, skating in the depths of my mind. I could see them like they were right in front of me. Me, in lives I'd never lived, with her. Laughing, crying, kissing. Together.

  I knew her.

  My lungs tried to draw in breaths, but I couldn’t. I was trapped in her gaze. She wasn’t moving either, just staring at me. Did she see it, too? And then her name was on my tongue.

  Raven.

  The redhead. This one. This was Raven. You, I knew you before. My feet started to move and I was walking to her. I needed to be in her presence. The crowd seemed to part for me, making a straight path to her.

  Her eyes were golden, dancing with violet specks. Her cheeks were rosy. Her lips, full. And she was staring at me, drinking me in. I pushed into her mind while she was distracted and couldn’t find any memory of me besides the one sketching. She hadn’t seen what I had.

  My heart hammered as I stared at this exquisite beauty in front of me. Small, delicate. Fragile. But deep down, somehow I knew, the world had hurt her. There was a darkness to her. I felt a sudden need to protect her. To keep her safe.

  Fuck, was this what love felt like?

  I felt overwhelmed, like the world around us no longer existed. All I wanted to do was stare at her.

  “I’ve been looking for you all night,” she said to me.

  Her voice was the only thing I wanted to hear for the rest of time. It was soft and airy. Up until this moment, this second, I hadn’t realized that I had been looking for her my entire life.

  I extended my hand and she looked at it, but I sensed no doubt on her. I felt her body heat, her intrigue. She wanted this as much as I did. She placed her hand in mine. Her skin was so soft. I pulled her, with no idea where to take her, but I needed to be alone with her.

  I stole a glance back at her and my mouth wet at the sight of her in leather tights and boots that hugged her thighs. Her breasts were pushed up and I was upset with the idea of any other man seeing her, suddenly furious that she’d show so much of herself.

  I tugged her into a dark alley and dropped her hand, wrapping my fingers around her shoulders and pressed her back against a wall. She crawled up with her hands and pressed her mouth against mine. And I was in a frenzy. The familiarity of her tongue dancing with mine nearly took me down.

  I had loved this woman before.

  My hands circled around her waist, wanting to touch more of her, make her mine in this lifeti
me. My fingertips grazed across her belly button and I heard her draw in a sharp breath before she broke from me.

  Come back, I begged her silently. I need more of you.

  Her lips lingered near mine, and I sucked in the breaths that left her. She searched my face with her eyes. She could feel the pull, but she couldn’t understand why. Find me, I wanted to tell her. My eyes closed briefly, wanting to kiss her again but she asked who I was.

  I pushed my hips against hers, not wanting an inch spared between us. When I lifted my arms to trap her, I pulled a flower from her hair, but she didn’t seem to notice. Her heat surrounded us and I knew I would never be cold again if she was with me.

  “Zeke.”

  A brief flash of recognition crossed her eyes before it was gone again. “Zeke,” she repeated.

  That was when I knew I needed to possess this creature.

  Her lips were close to my ear and I wanted to be buried deep inside of her. “I’ll see you in my dreams, Zeke.”

  And then she was gone and I craved her warmth again. Her hips swayed as she walked away and it took every ounce of self-control not to chase her, lock her away so no one could ever lay eyes on her again.

  I leaned against the wall, unable to breathe, unable to think of anything but what had just played in my mind when we locked eyes. Everything in my life before five minutes ago seemed trivial now.

  You would be mine again, Raven.

  ☽༓☾

  I spent a sleepless night on my ship. Alone, thankfully. Jeanine must have found another place to stay. All I thought about was Raven. Her mouth on mine, our tongues greedy for each other, how she tasted like wine. How delicate her skin felt. I wondered how she would taste on my tongue if I went to my knees for her. Would she scream my name?

  I reached into my briefs, starting to pump my shaft slowly while I thought of how she’d look riding me. That fiery little demon in the forest. My hand pumped faster. The feeling of her tongue again was in the front of my mind, imagining how it would feel if it circled my cock. My stomach tightened and I groaned her name as I found my release, continuing to pump until the images of her became blurred in my mind.