Hello,
I have posted the final part of Knight of Swords below but first of all I want to talk about my New Adult Ghost/Paranormal Romance involving the mystery of past life relationships, Forget Me Nots. I have decided to post the story on Amazon in a series as I do with most of my books, erotica or otherwise. The first three parts are called Reunion, Echoes of the Past & His. They are all now available on Amazon as ebooks. The second and third books are publishing on Amazon as we speak and should receive their pages soon. The fourth instalment will be loaded next week and when the story is complete I will also make it available in one novel. If you enjoy the story please leave a review on Amazon.
Here is the final part of Knight of Swords. Remember you can buy the full book on Amazon.com under my pen name Madeline Croft. There are another two books in the series but due to a disagreement with my publisher I am unable to publish these books myself at the moment. I am hoping this will change in the near future and I will keep you advised.
Please note KOS will not be available to read on here in full after the next three days.
In the meantime, I will be starting a modern spin off to Knight of Swords called Fire Sword on here in the next week or so. Keep checking back.
Happy Reading!
‘Juliet must
already be inside the caves. We can’t let Sebastian join with our
Queen. Whatever it takes, we will stop him, gentlemen,’ I informed them.
They nodded.
‘Whatever it
takes,’ Jason repeated.
We waited until the
others had dismounted, then ran towards the rocks.
Chapter Eighteen
We made light work
of our passage over the threatening rocks that loomed tall and sharply abrasive
in our path. As I anticipated, a small band of Sebastian’s followers
guarded the entrance to the maze of caves. We engaged in fighting
immediately. My impatience to reach Juliet was hot in my veins, and I
killed mercilessly, hacking down any man who stood in my way, taking my fill of
blood. Sebastian knew fine well I would not be stopped from breaching the
caves. These men were human, they did not offer serious challenge for
myself or my knights. He simply sought to delay us.
We entered the
first cave. I pushed one of the last remaining guards backwards into a
pool of water and raised my sword to run him through. He lifted his hands
at me and shook them.
‘Wait, wait.
I can tell you where she is.’
I paused, my sword
poised in mid-air. I invaded his thoughts quickly to assess whether or
not he spoke the truth. He was a dirty ruffian who tormented the good
people of London with his thieving. The world would not miss him should I
choose to complete my thrust. But he indeed spoke the truth. He
would make finding Juliet easier than I first imagined. I probed deeper
to locate her, but the man’s mind was a jumble of dark passages and turns.
I bent down to haul
him to his feet by his collar. To prove my seriousness, I pulled him up
to my face. He smelt of liquor and the streets. I snarled at him
baring my incisors. Terror struck him dumb.
‘You will lead me
to Juliet and pray that I reconsider ripping your life from your throat when we
find her.’
He stared, then
nodded profusely.
‘Good. Now
where is she?’
He pointed with a
shaking finger to a dark opening in the rock on the left of the small pool of
water in which we stood. It was one of three different tunnel entrances
around the pool, but I believed his instruction to be correct. I
signalled to the others and picked up one of the fire torches that lit the
cavern from the walls. It seemed the caves were used often by our Druid
enemies.
I led the way,
wading through ankle deep water, dragging the man with me. The water
moved past our feet in a shallow stream as we walked through the tunnel.
The air was damp and humid, it smelt musty. We were tense, anticipating
an attack from our enemies. The walls of the tunnel pressed in around
me. I had never liked enclosed spaces as a human. Now as a hybrid,
I felt my anxiety keenly as I watched the light from my torch flicker across
the damp rock walls.
At the end of the
tunnel, we stepped onto a ledge that opened into a vast chamber. The
small stream of water under our feet dropped over the ledge where we
stood. It fell in a trickle, mimicking the noise of a dripping tap into
another pool below. The sound echoed around the chamber walls. I
held my torch aloft, hearing the murmur of voices, but the sound had travelled
from the deeper caves beyond.
I shook the man,
prompting for his next direction. He told me, ‘You must get to the bottom
of this cave. Walk around the pool. To the left you will find steps
up into a smaller cave. Go through it, then you will find more steps to a
high ledge. Get up to it and go through a small tunnel into the last
cave. There you will find the altar and the woman.’
I would have simply
jumped from the ledge had it not been for the large pool below. The sharp
rocks were shadows under the water’s clear surface. Thankfully, the
Druids had been kind enough to provide steps that led down to the cavern
floor. The steps were well worn. I wondered how many bloody sacrifices
had been carried out in the caves. I pulled the ruffian down them, once
more uncaring for his comfort. We followed another worn path around the
pool.
At any other time
on a visit, I would have liked to explore the caves. It would have been
worth overcoming my claustrophobia to study their geology. As a child, I
had been enthused by the study of nature. I had once wished to be a
scientist of it, but at this moment, these caves were foes keeping me from
Juliet. I had little time to be distracted by their tempting beauty.
As we entered the
next, smaller cave, I became aware of male chanting. The sound was as
nothing compared to the sudden piercing screams of a tormented woman. I
stopped abruptly. Juliet. We did not have much more time. I
looked at the maggot I still held in my grasp. He paled at the fierce
glare I gave him.
He pointed across
the small cavern, up to another ledge. Aiming my fist, I punched him hard
against his jaw. He moved sideways with the force of the blow. I
let him drop to the floor unconscious.
Unhindered by my
burden, I crouched and jumped to the high wide ledge instead of running up the
steps. My men wasted no time in following me. On the ledge the
chanting became louder, more discernible through the tunnel in front of
us. I felt Juliet’s presence fill my mind. She knew I was
close. She screamed my name both in my mind and in a mighty echo around
the walls of the linked sea caves. My heart leapt at the fear in her
voice. I froze with horror.
Dylan and Byron
exchanged nervous looks. Dylan’s voice was urgent, ‘We must hurry,
Nathan.’ I nodded, forcing myself to move. However, I was to be
brought to a stop once more when I saw the dark, shadowy shapes of the venomous
Hunter demons crawling around above us on the cave walls.
‘Hunter demons,’
Jason cried in an echoed warning before I could open my mouth. My knights
formed a defensive circle. We watched the walls and ceilings closely,
waiting for the demons to strike. I looked up in time to see one of the
demons leap from the ceiling directly above me. As he leapt, he took his
human form and landed on top of me, knocking me to the ground.
The creature spat
his poisonous venom. I remembered Gabriel’s words of warning. To be
stung by a Hunter demon’s venom did not augur death, but would cause pain and
weakness I could ill afford. I moved to the side swiftly, avoiding his
strike and throwing him from me as I scrambled to my feet.
He followed my
action to stand before me hissing and spiting. I bared my teeth at him
and hissed back, drawing my sword. I expected him to lunge for me once
more, but he appeared to be hesitating. I narrowed my dark eyes at him in
suspicious confusion. Then I felt it; there was another of them to my
rear.
I heard Jason shout
to me. He held two swords in his hand. One of Dylan and Byron’s
gang was lying at his feet in pain. He threw the man’s sword to me.
I caught it just in time as the Hunter demons were making their joint attack at
my front and back. In one quick moment I turned sideways, thrust out with
both my arms, and ran a sword through each of their bodies.
I pulled my swords
from their slimy entrails simultaneously. They gagged and stumbled with
their wounds. I crouched slightly and crossed the blades in front of me,
then swung them out at my opponents, severing their heads.
I stood up to find
some of my men were still fighting with the demons. The injured man had
been stung by venom in his eyes. Dylan stood over his friend with a
raised sword. His eyes were moist. He apologised to the man, then
brought his sword down upon his neck, removing his head. I winced as the
blade cut through the man and struck the rock beneath. I understood
Dylan’s motives. It was an act of mercy.
Jason shouted at me
to go, I must retrieve Juliet. They would despatch the rest of the Hunter
demons, then follow. I ran through the final tunnel. It was better
lit than the others. The chanting grew louder. I slowed down as I
approached the end.
I stepped out of
the tunnel onto a high ledge to look down at the proceedings in the final
cave. The four red Caratacos demons I had seen in Juliet’s vision were
positioned at the four corners of the altar table directly below me.
Around them in a circle were six cloaked men, chanting. A crowd of other
men stood around watching. Most of their faces were hidden in the hoods
of elaborate black and gold velvet cloaks.
Juliet lay bound on
the table in a white silk robe. The chanting was causing her some kind of
pain. She writhed in agony. A little way from the stone altar,
Sebastian was standing drinking greedily from a red goblet filled with blood
that stained his mouth. A young woman lay dead at his feet, blood seeping
from a cut in her throat. He handed the goblet to another black cloaked
figure. He smiled to himself, then looked up directly at me. The
chanting abruptly stopped. Everyone turned to look up in my direction.
I felt my throat
tighten. I had hoped to initiate a surprise attack.
‘Welcome,
Nathan. I have been waiting for you. Although I thought you would
have had the good manners to be on time.’
I raised an eyebrow
with feigned amusement, playing his game as I frantically tried to devise a
plan to free Juliet.
‘Forgive me, I have
been remiss. There is no excuse for lateness in a gentleman.’
‘Quite. But
now you are here I can begin.’ He changed his tone, ‘Trap him
there. Kill him once he’s witnessed me claiming his precious Queen.’
Before I could
prepare to defend myself, five Hunter demons circled me on the ledge
overlooking the Druid sacrifice altar. I growled fiercely at Sebastian as
one of the black hooded men leaned over Juliet. He took hold of her robe,
ripping it open to reveal her helpless, naked, pale body beneath it.
She gave a
strangled sob that echoed around the chamber walls. Her cheeks flushed
crimson. She looked up at me as Sebastian undid his own cloak revealing
his puny, naked body. My whole frame tightened. I made a move
towards the edge of the ledge, but the demons closed in on me. I was
trapped and of no help to Juliet. Sebastian mounted the table and held
his body over hers. I growled his name with uncontrollable anger.
The fire of it burned so strong inside me I thought its flames would consume my
very soul.
Juliet screamed as
he entered her with one sharp, painful thrust. I closed my eyes, sickened
with rage. I felt defeated. I had failed Juliet. All I could
think of was killing him. It threatened to make me reckless with my life.
She was
still staring up at me as he began to move inside her, but her eyes were vacant.
The chanting began again. Sebastian’s face was a picture of concentration
and decadent lust. Burning with anger, I turned away from Juliet’s
gaze. I had failed her. I was ashamed. The whole purpose of
my being as Knight of Swords was to protect her. I was unworthy of the
title.
Sebastian suddenly
opened his eyes, as though angered by something. He gripped Juliet’s
breasts in his hands making her cry out, but still she kept her eyes trained on
me.
He gave an order to
the demons. ‘Take his head and quickly.’
The back of
Sebastian’s hand whipped across Juliet’s face, forcing her head to turn
sideways.
‘You will not
succeed in helping him,’ he hissed at her.
The demons closed
in on me. Sebastian opened his mouth, running his tongue over his sharp incisors
for all to see. He held Juliet’s head to one side and prepared to bite
into the nape of her neck. All seemed lost.
Suddenly, Juliet
snapped her head back straight in one defiant moment. I had never seen
such a strong will in a woman or man before. I thought her lost in misery
and resignation to her fate. She screamed my name. Sebastian forced
her head back to the side as the demons closed in.
Chapter Nineteen
The demons moved
towards me, ready to unleash their deadly venom in my direction and remove my
head. I prepared to defend myself. Frantically, I searched my mind
for a way to get past them to Juliet. There was no way. But
they were to be thwarted. Each demon suddenly burst into flame.
Their screams of death as their bodies disintegrated were eerie cries around
the cavernous room. Juliet had done this, focusing all the strength she
could summon at that one moment. I could feel her power so strong and
vibrant as she aimed it at the demons. Sebastian had known she was trying
to help me. That was why he had struck her.
Sebastian lifted
his head in response, but he was too late. I had leaped from the ledge
onto the altar between Juliet’s spread legs. Standing over Sebastian, my
sword sliced through his back. I took hold of his hair, pulling his head,
and using my sword in his body, I lifted him out of Juliet. He was dazed
with the vicious pain that racked his body as I threw him hard against one of
the jagged rock walls. He crumpled to the floor, unconscious.
Satisfied he was temporarily not a threat, I slashed Juliet’s bonds.
Taking hold of her arm, I pulled her up beside me.
She fumbled with
her robe, holding it together so her nakedness could no longer be seen by the
traitorous men filling the cave. Most of them had been shocked by the
sudden events. Not one of them had moved to help Sebastian. But the
red demons were now changing form to their snake identities. I tightened
my grip around Juliet’s waist, raising my sword to defend us. I managed
to slice into two of them as they came at us on the altar table, but they
refused to die.
Freed from
Sebastian’s hold, and drawing renewed strength from my presence, Juliet
concentrated her eyes on the demons. She raised her hands at them.
Her eyes turned black like my own as she spoke loudly to them.
‘With the fire you
forced into my soul, you shall die.’
Two balls of fire
issued forth from the palms of her hands. She jerked her hands towards
the demons, and two of them were struck with flames. They dissolved into
dust with a high pitched keening noise, just like the Hunter demons before
them. She repeated the action, and the other two were similarly
despatched. I could not help but feel in awe of her great power.
She glared at the
rest of the hooded figures. Moving away from me on the table, she stood
regally before them. I watched her protectively, knowing how close she
was to collapse.
‘Will you not show
me who you are?’
The men were
silent.
‘Cowards. I
will never again be brought to heel or used as a puppet for your gain. I
am the Taleian Queen. I will not allow my people to be attacked,
enslaved, and abused any longer. Not by humans, Druids, hybrids,
Taleians, or any other race. Anyone who commits such acts will be hunted
down. The penalty of death will be executed upon him. There is a
change coming, your power is waning. I won’t rest until you fall from the
corrupt seat of your influence. Now be gone humans and Druids, before I
set my knights on you. The traitors amongst my own kind will remain.’
The humans turned
to leave in a hurry, just like the cowards they were. I would not have
been so lenient with them. As they ran, I caught glimpses of some of
their faces. William and Edward Cameron, and men of power in business,
industry and government. So many foolish humans hoping to gain prestige
and money at the promise of a mad man. I wanted to go after William and
Edward, but my Queen shook her head. She was far more merciful than I
could have ever been with their lives.
Dylan, Jason, and
the others had entered the cave as Juliet had despatched the Caratacos
demons. We stood and watched until the last human disappeared down the
tunnels. They would be lost for a while in a panic trying to find their
way out. The thought offered some small consolation. The cloaked
hybrids were left standing. They could not seem to move, although it was
not from want of trying. I looked at Juliet. She appeared suddenly
weary. Her body slumped, and her eyes closed as though she were ready to
fall into a faint. She was holding the traitors there with the last of
her strength. She called to Jason as I moved to her side, sweeping my arm
around her waist to support her.
Jason stood before
his Queen. He had clearly witnessed her attack on the red ones and heard
her strong, passionate speech. His face was flushed with pride and
admiration when he looked upon her. His eyes sparkled with love for
Juliet. I had no doubt that after Gabriel he would be the next of my
challengers.
‘Jason. The
traitors have participated in the murder and enslavement of our race.
They must be executed.’ she told him firmly.
‘Yes.
Consider it done, your majesty.’
Jason bowed low as
she thanked him. I watched him suspiciously as he unsheathed his
sword. He tackled the first of the traitors, instructing several of the
other awestruck knights to assist him.
‘Nathan.’
Juliet reached for me and pressed her cheek against my chest.
I held her tightly
in my arms. ‘Are you in pain? I felt so helpless when Sebastian . .
.’
I couldn’t bring
myself to say it. The scene played over in mind. I felt my arms
tighten around her protectively.
‘I can never go
through that again. I never want to see you hurt like that. I will
kill him.’
She shifted against
me.
‘No, Nathan,
killing is too good, too easy a punishment for a monster like Sebastian.
Let him suffer his torment as a woman in a man’s ailing body. I will
devise a more fitting retribution for him.’
I felt her slump
against me with exhaustion. I looked around to see that the traitors had
been duly despatched. Her power was no longer required to hold them
still.
‘Come, we must get
you home.’
I didn’t want to
talk about Sebastian any more, nor her rape. I felt responsible for her
pain, both mentally and physically. I could not endure thinking any more
on it at that moment. I just wanted her safe in my arms. She
nodded. ‘But where is home, now?’ she asked.
I smiled, ‘It is
with me in London.’
She gave me a
gentle weary smile. I made to jump from the table to lift her down, but I
felt her palm press against my chest. I stopped.
‘You must not worry
so, Nathan. I can feel how upset you are with yourself. It was not
your fault I was raped. You did not fail me. Sebastian was thwarted
before he could join our bodies. With you close to me, my strength will
now quickly return.’
I cupped her face,
tilting it towards me. I looked into her deep, emerald eyes and
smiled. ‘You are all I desire in this world.’ And it was the truth.
I jumped down from
the table, turning to slip my arm under her legs to lift her to the
floor. I held her close to me in my arms, pressing my head against
hers. We maintained our intimate contact for a few moments longer, before
I set her down. As I did so, I felt something brush against me. I
looked quickly, sensing Sebastian’s close, vile presence. In our
eagerness to despatch the traitors and reunite, we had mistakenly believed
ourselves safe from an unconscious, weakened Sebastian. He had inserted a
syringe into Juliet’s arm. She cried out in shock as he pulled it
out. I let go of her ready to tackle Sebastian, but three tall, old
crones surrounded Sebastian. I knew not where they had materialised from
or why these ugly, old, deformed women would help him. I let go of Juliet
and started towards them. Their response was swift, lifting Sebastian
into the air, away from danger.
Gabriel shouted a
warning to me. ‘Nathan, be careful. He is guarded by Celtic
Hags. They are cannibalistic hags with powers that should not be trifled
with. They will tear you apart.’
I looked up at
Sebastian in fury, demanding he tell me what he had injected into Juliet.
What would happen to her? He laughed, suspended in mid-air. Jason
caught hold of Juliet as she slumped sideways.
‘She will slip into
a coma, a sleep that almost mimics death. She cannot fight it, she is too
weak now. The poison seeps into her veins as we speak. Unless you
can find the antidote, she will not wake. She is mine, Nathan. I
will come for her once I am strong again. She will wake only at my command.’
‘Not if I kill you
first.’
He opened his hands
in a mocking gesture.
‘You have had
enough chances to kill me, Nathan. Yet, I am still alive.’
I went to reach
him, but Dylan and Byron held me back.
‘We will get
another chance. You must help Juliet,’ Byron shouted at me.
Sebastian began to
laugh as I continued to curse him. ‘I won’t rest until I find you.’
The hags lifted him higher, then in a rush of air he disappeared with them.
Juliet was
crumpling to the floor in Jason’s arms. I rushed to her, afraid.
‘Nathan, I don’t
have long. I know what he has done to me. He threatened me with it
so often. You must all listen to me.’
My knights crowded
round. They were all anxious, heartbroken. They had risked so much
for her rescue.
‘While I sleep I need
you to recover the Book of Talus. I can fight this poison. I will
heal myself, but it will take time. When I wake, I will lead my people
once more. I won’t let any of you down. I promise. Nathan, I
will not abandon you.’
I took her from
Jason and cradled her in my arms. As her eyelashes began to flutter, her
voice became soft with drowsiness.
‘All of you,
protect our kind. Find other hybrids and free those who have been
enslaved.’
My knights bowed to
her. Jason spoke with reverence. ‘We await your return and command,
your majesty.’
She smiled.
‘Nathan, come with me into my dreamscape, before this poison takes me. I
want to dance with you. I have pictured it so often. I love to
dance. I don’t know when I will get the chance to do it again.’
I nodded, closing
my eyes. Within a moment I was whirling around the dance floor in my
dinner jacket at the home I had shared with Lord Leggatt in London.
Juliet had taken the image from my mind, intending to show her wish to be with
me wherever I chose for us to live.
I held Juliet in my
arms as I led her across the dance floor. I was never quite so happy or
in love as at that moment. She was dressed in the same white, silk gown
she had worn whilst Sebastian’s captive. Her face was radiant and beautiful
despite the heavy drowsiness that weighed upon her. I held her up as we
twirled around the dance floor amongst the other dancers. Eventually the
music became distant as the poison took effect. The ball room and dancers
began to fade into darkness.
‘I love you,
Nathan. Wait for me,’ she whispered when we were left alone in the
darkness.
‘I will wait as
long as it takes,’ I reassured her. ‘I love you Juliet.’
My words were shot
with the pain of impending separation. I leaned down and caught her face and
then her lips with my own. Our kiss was deep, passionate, hungry. I
pulled her tight towards me, my emotions a bitter sting of need. She gave
a sob against my lips and fell limp in my arms. I held her close as hot
tears sprang into my eyes. My surroundings spun once more. I found
myself back in the cave, holding her sleeping body.
Chapter Twenty
I stood next to an
open, mahogany coffin, lined with red satin. I had placed it in one of
the rooms at my country home, Keeley Park. It was the safest place I
could think of to watch over Juliet’s sleeping form. I would wait until
she awakened before taking her home to London. Although she was not dead,
I believed the coffin appropriate. A select group of my knights guarded
her day and night when I could not be there to do it myself. However,
there was rarely a moment when I left the house.
Even though Juliet
slept, I felt her soothing presence in my mind. I visited her every
morning and evening. Lifting her fingers to my lips, I talked to her of
nonsense and subjects I believed she would be interested in. I even read
to her, fancying she could hear me.
My knights searched
the length and breadth of the country for an antidote, even at Sebastian’s
village. Sebastian could not be found anywhere, despite all efforts to
locate him. It was as though he had vanished into thin air. Gabriel
and Camille were banished from my connection. I would think no more of
them. Gabriel had quarrelled with me, vowing to return to challenge when
Juliet awakened, but I had seen him off. He was lucky I did not take his
life from him. I bitterly blamed Gabriel for Juliet’s predicament and
could not bear to have him in my sight.
The hybrid children
had been placed in the loving care of humans who were sympathetic to our
kind. Most were our blood donors. I had wanted to keep Emily with
me. She had expressed a wish to stay in my company, worried I was lonely
without Juliet. I could not bear to be parted from the child. Her
small soul touched my heart. She was a great comfort, but it was too
dangerous. I had no choice but to allow her to be placed with a surrogate
family with the promise of frequent visits.
In the second month
of Juliet’s slumber, Jason came to me. He had news of a possible antidote
in the Highlands of Scotland from a clan of lycans.
‘The lycan clan is
allied to us through blood. This is the closest lead we have, but they
will not deal with any other than the Knight of Swords.’
I was
ecstatic, but worried about leaving my Queen without my own protection for such
a long journey. Jason was at pains to persuade me otherwise.
‘Juliet will be
safe. Every knight here will gladly give his life to protect her.’
I left for Scotland
with a heavy but hopeful heart, and every faith I would return with the cure
that would awaken my Queen from her sleep into my arms.
Just a quick note to finish!
If you like Erotic Romance novels you can preorder, His written under my pen name Arabella Kingsley from Totally Bound Publishing on Tuesday 9th May. This book is a scorcher and was a brilliant success as a self published novel knocking Fifty Shades of Grey off the top spot in Romantic Erotica On Amazon for a week. Check it out below.
Enjoy your evening!
Sara
The Russian was a natural Dominant. The woman he took as his bride would honor, love, obey and submit. There would be no room for negotiation.
Ariana is summoned to the office of the handsome Russian billionaire Nikolai Antonovich. If she does not agree to become his submissive wife to enable him to close an important business deal with a traditional Japanese businessman who believes in marriage, he will expose her sister’s theft from his company to the police and have her put in prison.
After a bad experience with her first marriage to a violent man, Ariana is reluctant. But the Russian’s strong dominance is a potent aphrodisiac. Promising to protect her from her stalking husband, the billionaire vows she will want for nothing as his wife, including a child. Greatly tempted after experiencing life as a struggle, Ariana submits to his terms.
Nikolai is determined to guide Ariana to accepting her natural sexually submissive nature in his bed and into trusting him. He finds a bruised and emotionally scarred woman underneath her strength and he begins to fall in love with her. He hopes she will eventually let her guard down and allow herself to reciprocate his love in their marriage of convenience. The billionaire shields her from her ex-husband and his dangerous friends in the Russian mafia who want to settle a score from the billionaire’s past.
