Текст книги "Six Scorched Roses"
Автор книги: Carissa Broadbent
сообщить о нарушении
Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 9 страниц)
“He hasn’t asked me to.”
Not technically true. He did ask me to go with him—a lifetime ago, before I went to Vitarus.
Mina gave me a flat stare. “He’ll ask.”
“I don’t have to. I could live outside the town.” It was risky, and the last thing I would want to do is draw more negative attention to Adcova. But Vale had managed it for centuries. Maybe I could.
She looked at me like I was insane.
“Why would you do that?”
“Because…”
I had never been farther than twenty miles away from my home. I had a sister who had always needed me, a cause that demanded all my focus and energy.
“That would be a stupid thing to do,” she said, so plainly I almost laughed. “I’m not as smart as you, but I’m no idiot. You think I don’t know what you want? I know you’ve always wanted to travel. See new things. Learn new things. So go!”
She smiled, even though her eyes were damp again. She took my hand and squeezed. “You’ve spent your whole damned life dying, Lilith. Now you’ve gotten that out of the way, and you get to go live.”
I was silent, a bit struck.
My voice was rough when I said, “You know that I never wanted to leave you.”
I didn’t mean here, in this moment.
I meant all those days when she asked me to stay, and I went to my office instead.
I meant all those years when she, and my parents, and my friends, and everyone around me begged for me to stay, when death was stealing me away instead.
Her face softened.
“I know,” she said. “Of course, I know.”
She said it like it was obvious and simple, and a silly thing that didn’t need to be clarified.
I always had thought that Mina didn’t understand me, all my true intentions hidden behind the wall I couldn’t figure out how to scale between me and the people around me.
Maybe she did see more than I ever realized, after all.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
My strength came back slowly. Vale warned me that recovery would be long and challenging. I wouldn’t have my full strength for months longer. He didn’t know that I already felt better than I had for most of my life.
Mina departed a week after I woke. She had a life to get back to, after all. Letting her go was bittersweet. I didn’t cry this time—I’d gotten all that out of my system when we first reunited—but I did watch her leave in the moonlight, a lump in my throat.
Later that night, Vale came into my room. While Mina was here, he slept in a different room—or, if I was feeling especially unwell, stayed in the armchair of mine. Now, with her gone, we both seemed acutely aware of our sudden privacy.
He stood awkwardly in the door, fussing with random items on the bureau.
I watched him, a smile tightening my cheeks, feeling strangely warm in a way that I suspected had nothing to do with my lingering fever.
“I have something I’ve been meaning to give you,” I said.
He turned, eyebrow twitching. “Oh?”
“Well, something I promised you.”
I leaned to the bedside table and reached into the drawer. Vale sat at the edge of the bed.
“Put out your hands.”
He did, and within them, I placed one last rose.
Mina had given it to me shortly before she left. “I thought you might want to remember home,” she had said with a wink, somewhat drily—a dark joke about all we’d escaped.
I had to drop the flower into his cupped palm, because it was falling apart. The stem was a dried-out stalk, the leaves crumbling, the petals disintegrating in dusty patches of black and faded dark red.
Vale let out a low chuckle.
“And to think I was going to forgive your debt.”
“I promised you six roses. Thus, I have provided six roses.”
“And I have given you plenty of my blood,” he said. “So it looks like our deal is done.”
He smiled at me in a way that was, perhaps, supposed to be coy, but felt sadder—more uncertain. It occurred to me that it had probably been a very long time since Vale had to deal with uncertainty.
I was still feverish and dizzy, but I leaned across the bed, turned his face towards me, and kissed him.
His arms folded around me, pulling me closer to him. He deepened the kiss immediately, like he’d been waiting for it, and it consumed me—with my senses heightened like this, I lost myself in his taste, his texture, the way his breath quickened a little when the full length of my body pressed against his. I wound my arms around his neck and reacquainted myself with him, running my hands over his shoulders, his back, his throat, his hair.
And he did the same, touching me like all this time he hadn’t been completely sure that I was really here. Not until now, when he had to reaffirm every angle of my form.
I pulled away just barely, just enough to tilt my head to a new angle.
But he said, before I could move, “I need to ask you something.”
I paused there, so close our noses were touching. My eyes flicked up to meet his. Our clothes were still on, our mouths parted, and yet I felt so staggeringly connected to him in this moment—our breaths nearly matching in cadence, slightly unraveled, shared between us.
“Ask,” I whispered.
“I need to return to Obitraes.” He leaned a little closer, so each word brushed my mouth. And here he snuck a little kiss in, a faint graze of his tongue over my lips. “I intend to go back to the House of Night.”
“And?”
Another touch, barely a kiss—mine, this time.
“Come with me,” he said.
He exhaled the plea, and I took it into my lungs.
“Yes,” I said, giving him my answer in my next breath.
Our next kiss was longer, deeper. I melted against him. The next thing I became aware of, I was against the bed, Vale lying beside me.
He pulled away.
“You have to understand what you’re agreeing to. It’s a nation at war. I’m not sure what we’ll be returning to.”
He held my shoulder, firmly. And though his gaze kept wandering down to my mouth, it always came back to my eyes—examining me, making sure he understood the answer to this important equation.
The answer to the equation of what I would do now, with my new, endless life.
The easiest question in the world.
“Do I seem, Lord Vale,” I said, “like someone frightened of the unknown?”
His eyes crinkled with a smile.
“Nosy mouse,” he murmured, and this time, when I tried to kiss him, he let me. We wound ourselves around each other. My thighs opened around him. I gave him every one of my new, heightened senses, and for the first time in my life, I felt so utterly at ease with the world that surrounded me.
Vale had discarded the withered rose in favor of my skin. The petals spread around us, now nothing but decaying dust.
Unnatural life.
Rightful death.
And Vale and I, between both, beholden to neither, and everything we were ever meant to be.
READY FOR MORE?
Thank you for reading Six Scorched Roses—I hope you loved it! If you’re ready for more epic vampire adventures in this world, you should pick up The Serpent and the Wings of Night.
Human or vampire, the rules of survival are the same: never trust, never yield, and always – always – guard your heart.
The adopted human daughter of the vampire Nightborn king, Oraya has learned to survive in a world designed to kill her. But her only chance at becoming more than prey is winning the Kejari, a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death. To survive, she’s forced to ally with a mysterious rival—a vampire who’s her greatest competition, an enemy to her father’s throne, and far, far too interested in her.
Get The Serpent and the Wings of Night now – free in KU!
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Thank you so much for reading Six Scorched Roses! This little book was a bit of a strange beast. When I originally wrote it for the Flirting with Darkness anthology, I honestly wasn’t sure how people would react to it. If you’ve read The Serpent and the Wings of Night, you know that this is a wildly different story—slower and more romantic rather than action-packed and bloodthirsty. Plus, it’s the shortest book I’ve ever written. While I loved writing it, I was also honestly prepared for readers to have some very conflicted feelings about it!
Instead, readers connected more with Vale and Lilith—especially Lilith!—than I ever thought they would. I loved seeing how many people saw themselves in her and her struggle to connect meaningfully with other people. If you’ve just read it for the first time, I hope that you loved it, and that perhaps you, too, found something relatable in Lilith’s story.
Six Scorched Roses is a part of the world of the Crowns of Nyaxia series, and Vale and Lilith play significant roles in the world from book 2 onwards. If you’re interested in following more about them, you might want to pick up The Serpent and the Wings of Night and dive deeper into this dark, vampiric world!
If you enjoyed this book, I would truly appreciate if you’d consider leaving a review on Amazon or GoodReads.
And if you’d like to be the first to know about new releases, new art, new swag, and all kinds of other fun stuff, consider signing up for my newsletter at carissabroadbentbooks.com, hanging out in my Facebook group (Carissa Broadbent’s Lost Hearts), or joining my Discord server (invite at linktr.ee/carissanasyra!).
I hope we keep in touch!
ALSO BY CARISSA BROADBENT
The Crowns of Nyaxia Series
Book 1: The Serpent and the Wings of Night
Book 2: The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King
Book 3-6: Coming soon!
Related Standalone Novella: Six Scorched Roses
The War of Lost Hearts Trilogy
Book 1: Daughter of No Worlds
Book 2: Children of Fallen Gods
Book 3: Mother of Death and Dawn
GLOSSARY OF TERMS OF THE NYAXIA WORLD
Acaeja – The goddess of spellcasting, mystery, and lost things. Member of the White Pantheon.
Adcova – A small farmers’ town located in the continent of Dhera. Lilith’s home. Years ago, it was cursed by the god Vitarus with a terrible, mysterious plague that has worsened ever since.
Alarus – The god of death and husband of Nyaxia. Exiled by the White Pantheon as punishment for his forbidden relationship with Nyaxia. Considered to be deceased.
Atroxus – The god of the sun and leader of the White Pantheon.
Bloodborn – Vampires of the House of Blood.
Born – A term used to describe vampires who are born via biological procreation. This is the most common way that vampires are created.
Dhera – A continent in the human lands. Vale and Lilith are currently living there.
Obitraes – The land of Nyaxia, consisting of three kingdoms: The House of Night, The House of Shadow, and the House of Blood.
Heir Mark – A permanent mark that appears on the Heir of the Hiaj and Rishan clans when the previous Heir dies, marking their position and power.
Hiaj – One of the two clans of Nightborn vampires. They have featherless wings that resemble those of bats.
The House of Blood – One of the three vampire kingdoms of Obitraes. Two thousand years ago, when Nyaxia created vampires, the House of Blood was her favorite House. She thought long and hard about which gift to give them, while the Bloodborn watched their brothers to the west and north flaunt their powers. Eventually, the Bloodborn turned on Nyaxia, certain that she had abandoned them. In punishment, Nyaxia cursed them. The House of Blood is now looked down upon by the other two houses. People from the House of Blood are called Bloodborn.
The House of Night – One of the three vampire kingdoms of Obitraes. Known for their skill in battle and for their vicious natures, and wielders of magic derived from the night sky. There are two clans of Nightborn vampires, Hiaj and Rishan, who have fought for thousands of years over rule. Those of the House of Night are called Nightborn.
The House of Shadow – One of the three vampire kingdoms of Obitraes. Known for their commitment to knowledge; wielders of mind magic, shadow magic, and necromancy. Those of the House of Shadow are called Shadowborn.
Ix – Goddess of sex, fertility, childbirth, and procreation. Member of the White Pantheon.
Kajmar – God of art, seduction, beauty, and deceit. Member of the White Pantheon.
Neculai Vasarus – The former Rishan king of the House of Night. Usurped and killed 200 years prior to the events of this book.
Nightborn – Vampires of the House of Night.
Nightfire – Like Asteris, another form of star-derived magic wielded by the vampires of the House of Night. While Asteris is dark and cold, Nightfire is bright and hot. Nightfire is commonly used in the House of Night but very difficult to wield masterfully.
Nyaxia – Exiled goddess, mother of vampires, and widow of the god of death. Nyaxia lords over the domain of night, shadow, and blood, and as well as the inherited domain of death from her deceased husband. Formerly a lesser goddess, she fell in love with Alarus and married him despite the forbidden nature of their relationship. When Alarus was murdered by the White Pantheon as punishment for his marriage to her, Nyaxia broke free from the White Pantheon in a fit of rage, and offered her supporters the gift of immortality in the form of vampirism—founding Obitraes and the vampire kingdoms. (Also referred to as: the Mother; the Goddess; Mother of the Ravenous Dark; Mother of Night, Shadow, and Blood)
Rishan – One of the two clans of Nightborn vampires. Have feathered wings. Usurped by the Hiaj 200 years ago.
Salinae – A major city in the House of Night. Located in Rishan territory. When the Rishan were in power, Salinae was a thriving hub, functioning as a second capital. Oraya spent the first years of her life, before Vincent found her, in Salinae.
Shadowborn – Vampires of the House of Shadow.
Sivrinaj – The capital of the House of Night. Home to the Nightborn castle, the Moon Palace, and host to the Kejari once every 100 years.
Srana – The goddess of knowing and science. Member of the White Pantheon.
Turning – A process to make a human into a vampire, requiring a vampire to drink from a human and offer their blood to the human in return. Vampires who underwent this process are referred to as Turned.
Vitarus – The god of abundance and famine. Member of the White Pantheon.
White Pantheon – The twelve gods of the core cannon, including Alarus, who is presumed deceased. The White Pantheon is worshipped by all humans, with certain regions potentially having favor towards specific gods within the Pantheon. Nyaxia is not a member of the White Pantheon and is actively hostile to them. The White Pantheon imprisoned and later executed Alarus, the God of Death, as punishment for his unlawful marriage with Nyaxia, then a lesser goddess.
Zarux – The god of the sea, rain, weather, storms, and water. Member of the White Pantheon.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’ve written a number of these at this point, and it never gets less surreal! I have so many people to thank not only for helping me bring this particular story into the world, but also for helping me build the career I feel so fortunate to have today.
First on the list will always be Nathan, the love of my life, my best friend, my number one brainstorming buddy and supporter, and the source of all my free art (haha, thanks). I could do none of this without you and could never ask for a better partner.
May Sage, thank you for inviting me to the anthology that originally kicked off this adventure! I loved working with you and having the opportunity to write this little story.
Clare Sager, thank you for being the best coworker, author wife, friend, and human ever. Thank you for the many many many hours spent listening to the Carissa-brain-to-mouth pipeline. I couldn’t have written this book, let alone survive this business at all, without you!
K.D. Ritchie, thank you so much for this incredible cover design. Seriously, you truly outdid yourself on this one! I absolutely love working with you.
Noah, thank you for your always-impeccable editing skills and for doing so on such a bizarro timeline and delivery schedule. You are the best!
Anthony, thank you for a fabulous set of proofreading eyes.
Rachel, thank you for another fabulous set of proofreading eyes… and for all the hilarious comments! I really love them!
And finally, as always, I’m saving the best for last: thank you to you, lovely reader, for coming along on this ride with me. Whether this is your first foray into my books or you’ve been around for quite awhile, I hope you loved it and I am so so grateful to have you. None of this would exist without you. Love you!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carissa Broadbent has been concerning teachers and parents with mercilessly grim tales since she was roughly nine years old. Since then, her stories have gotten (slightly) less depressing and (hopefully a lot?) more readable. Today, she writes fantasy novels with a heaping dose of badass ladies and a big pinch of romance. She lives with her husband, one very well behaved rabbit, one very poorly behaved rabbit, and one perpetually skeptical cat in Rhode Island.
