Reign of Stars and Fire (The Broken Kingdoms, #8)

by L.J. Andrews

No thought for name or past, Till she lights the dark at last. Royal of beauty, passion, and love. The willing one to give of blood. A choice to make, a way to mend. Then will the reign of bloodlust end.

“These are tales of us all. This . . . this sounds like the night Kase and Nik met.”

Riot lived before the lot of us. How were these tales written? How did they find their way here? Better yet, how long had Riot Ode been creating the tales of a world even he did not know existed?

“The fate king hid this for you.” Rune knelt next to Junius. “It was made for the new king of the isles.”

have hope a tale has been successfully woven to reunite lands against his darkness. The blade which you hold, to anyone but a descendant of the maker, is nothing but a blade. If blood holds blood, this sword shall be a gift that even dark glamour cannot stand against. Strike the flesh, dim the foe. On night of red, take up your claim, and rest this darkness by your blade. If you are reading these words, you have awakened a lost heart and taken a vow to be worthy of her. Now, I make a vow to you. Honor her always and this land will always answer to you. It cherishes her, and should you keep her trust, it will cherish you.

I feel to tell you one thing more: When Annon falls, she is ready. Guide her to the first bond and all the songs will be revealed, so a broken kingdom can be healed. There will come a point when fate will be silent and your victory or defeat rests upon every fated gift to either rise or fall. We will guard you from the Otherworld. Tell them both I love them.

Take up my claim. Take up my blade. My claim was the heart of a queen. I’d take it gladly.

“We have an advantage, a fate king cheers for us in the Otherworld.”

“Shall we send the signal, King Ari?” I gave a stiff nod and traded my sword for my mother’s blade. Eryka touched my arm. “It called to you.” “No. It shrieked at me. Not the way I recall my mother’s voice, but I was rather stubborn, no doubt she wanted to scream at me many times.”

“I want every bleeding king to remember that I’ve saved you all. Valen, countless times with Kase that he’ll deny, and now you.”

“But I will tell you this much. Those who threaten my wife, they don’t live long.”

“As sure as the gods don’t exist, he will try to capture you,” Kase said, well, more grumbled before the final steps were placed. “When he does, play your hand. Just make certain you have a clean tunic waiting.”

“So you can chain me to a bed? So you can whip me until I lose consciousness? Hells, where do I sign our agreement?” “You forget, little raven, I had to break you into submission to me. The moves we were going to make were too precarious to have your loyalty divided between me and your brother. If Anneli had never found you, we would be seated on thrones right now. Happy. Powerful.” “I would be dead.” Never would I forget the dark places my mind had gone during those nights, bleeding and broken. “I would’ve fallen on a blade myself all to be rid of you.”

A strange, almost frantic smile spread over her lovely face. She gripped the hilt of the knife. “When I see him this . . . this time, I’ll tell him I love him.”

“There’s my raven. Playing her games.” “I hope you’re not talking about my wife.” My raven’s heart pounded viciously. From the trees, Ari stepped out, face soaked in blood. He glimpsed me hovering overhead. “Apologies, sweet menace. We were delayed.”

By the way, was this what you wanted from the repository?” Davorin’s jaw pulsed. It drew out a cruel laugh from Ari.

She was battered, but when she caught sight of Gunnar she waved, as though they had not been parted so viciously. “Take vows with me!” She cried, a little sob caught in the sound. “The instant this ends. Take vows with me. I cannot wait another day.” Gunnar fought a smile. “We’re vowed in my mind already.”

“Make sure he wants her enough to chase her,” Niklas said. “We need him to follow her without recognizing the signs of a cage.”

Davorin stumbled when a tree appeared from nowhere, roots high and knotted above ground. It wasn’t there of course, but I barked a laugh when he lost his footing all the same.

dropped to my knees, speaking to the bleeding soil. “I know we aren’t acquainted entirely yet, but keep him out. Do not let him take you.”

rammed the point of the sword into the soil, like I was signaling the magic of the isles that I had the sword it had hidden away for the one who’d fight to the death to protect it’s true queen. I didn’t know if it mattered, but there was a connection to the blade, to me, and this land.

Stefan chuckled darkly. “I’ve lived again and again all to stop you. Crimson night, I will greet my king and tell him what a weakling you’ve become. We’ll have a good laugh over it.”

Her brother glanced at her and smiled. “It has been . . . my honor.”

Gods. All the times Stefan never called me queen because I wasn’t his queen. Anneli had been his queen. I was his princess.

This was what the feather was meant to do. Two hearts, bound by honor and love, could create true acts of fate with an entire realm.

Dozens of warships appeared. Black sails, white with ravens painted on the front.

don’t feel any fear but yours and . . . all of ours. His is gone.” “He’s not afraid then.” Kase sighed. “He was. You had him pissing his trousers.

Instead of striking, I’d mocked him. I’d taunted him. By the hells, I’d been so arrogant that I had him, I let it drag out. Like a cat playing with its mouse. A potentially fatal mistake to everyone I loved.

Out of anything, to have earned her love was my proudest victory.

We’ve reached our final farewell. This was always meant to happen. Live and live again, until the death at crimson night. You are ready, so this is the moment I greet my king in the hall of the gods. It is all I ever asked…”

“It doesn’t make sense.” “It will.” Annon took a deep, rough breath. “Keep . . . searching for the bond you have with . . .” He winced. “Trust what your . . . heart tells you.”

“Princess, I . . . I will tell him what a remarkable queen you’ve become.” Saga knelt on Annon’s other side. She kissed his cheek. “I remember everything you ever did for me, Captain Annon.” “It was my honor,” he whispered,

“One final truth, and it will be clearer. The curse of House Revna fell, and you were meant to find each other again.” Saga looked to me, but I wasn’t certain Annon was speaking of us.

“Find the first bond,” Annon told me, “and you all will have the strength to finally . . . end this tale.”

“You’re the heir.” Calista didn’t look away from the horizon. “Then why can’t I remember, Golden King?” “I don’t know, and I don’t know why Saga can’t either. You saw it in my sleep, Calista. Annon left Riot Ode to save the king’s child. He has protected you as you’ve grown through the turns.” “Grown? If what you say is true, I’m older than you.” She narrowed her eyes. “When we met I was a girl.”

Because, as we speak, those memories of my young turns are fading. The earliest memory I have now, is when I was boarded on a ship and taken to the North. I already told Saga about it. The strange thoughts I had, like going there was something I’d been waiting for.

“When I met Lump—the Sun Prince—I was certain I’d been maybe seven. We were down there for turns. Now, I can’t even recall my true age. I think one thing, then it fades like I don’t truly know. I had memories of a mother who was slaughtered for being a fate worker. Now, I don’t know why I even thought that. Those memories are gone.”

You tossed us on our asses tonight, and I don’t even understand what you did.” “Me neither.” I scoffed and tilted my head until she met my eyes. “Yes, you do. You’re afraid to tell me.” Calista’s eyes flashed. “I sang.”

the raven queen’s brother also sang.” She frowned. “I don’t think they were my words alone. It was like I heard another voice in my head, guiding me, working with me to shield against him. Like a sound I knew before.” A bond. Lost

“Your brother, Annon, he asked me to protect you. I will. You are not alone, though I am certain you feel that way. I lost my family once, but I have gained another. We are your family, whether you want us or not.”

We’d give her time, but I would keep my promise. The storyteller was ours. Like I’d go to the pits of the hells to ensure the safety of my wife, I’d do the same for Calista.

leaned over to me and whispered, “If we’re direct kin, I expect a bleeding room in a palace.” I snorted a laugh. There was the wit and bite from the storyteller we’d missed. A hole had formed in her heart, one each of us understood, but Calista was cunning and wiser than she let on. She would survive this,

Anneli grinned up at me, so beautiful, and wild, and vibrant. She’d been different than us, no fae ears, but the temperament of the rowdiest of the fae folk.

The rite faded, but Calista and I remained wrapped in each other’s arms. “I’m going to take it as there is a familial connection,” Ari said.

“All hells.” Kase closed his eyes and cursed at the ceiling. “Another one.” “Another what?” Calista snapped. The Nightrender chuckled but didn’t answer.

“Cal, what Kase is not eloquently saying is that if you are the heir of the first fate king and queen, you are a royal yourself. You’re a queen.” “Thank the gods.” Ari wrapped his arm around my waist. “There you have it, our throne is all yours. We’ll be in the hills, undisturbed for at least a turn. Enjoy ruling a kingdom.”

How could she have been born centuries ago? Fae folk aged slowly once they matured, but not in childhood. If she was captured as a child when Sol Ferus was still imprisoned, that wasn’t so many turns ago.

He was a damn sight. I could study every contour of his body, every slab of muscle, every scar, until I faded from existence.

“You’re vicious. The answer is yes. I’m begging you, pleading, imploring with all my might for you to spread those beautiful thighs over me this instant. Shall I get on my knees? I would, you know.

Gods. I swallowed the passion that swelled in the back of my throat. Where did this man come up with his words? They worked.