Bound to Blackwood (54 page)

Kaden ignored her. So did the rest of her brethren.
Bastards.
 

"As the Shield Bearer's daughter, you already have my sword and my honour."

Lena gulped, tears pricking her eyes as her anger evaporated with the solemnity of Kaden's words. She held her breath as the Keeper of the Watch continued.

"As my Queen, My Lady, you will have my fealty and my devotion. If this is the path you must walk, then I will walk it with you."

A sombre "and I," came from Mercury, Sky and Phoenix.

She risked a glance at Ryver who, unlike the others, looked directly at her, his hazel eyes glowing emerald green. A wide smile on his lips, he winked at her. "Yeah, me too."

And she was undone, her tears flowing down her face as she felt the truth and honour in their words. "Okay, you idiots," she mumbled between sniffs. "Get up now. You're embarrassing me!"

They were on their feet in a heartbeat.

"Tequila?" Mercury suggested.

Lena laughed and nodded.

Ryver skipped over and pulled her into a bear hug. "Holy fuck, Lena!" he whispered in her ear, which just made her laugh even more.

"I know!" she whispered back.

Thorn watched from the doorway, letting Lena have her moment. He couldn't help but smile when Ryver squashed her into a bone-crushing hug. Kaden sidled up to him and leant against the doorframe, watching the rest of the Guardians laughing with their new Queen.

“I need to talk to you about the archives,” Kaden said.

Thorn smiled. Kaden was always working. “Tomorrow,” he answered.

Kaden nodded.

"Thank you," Thorn told him.

Kaden continued to watch the scene unfolding in the den. "I didn't do it for you," he replied.

"I know," Thorn said. "But I am grateful nonetheless."

Kaden nodded. "Doesn't mean I've forgiven you."

"I know."

"And I'll kill you if you hurt her."

"I know."

The two of them watched on as Mercury handed out shots of tequila and Phoenix dished out slices of lemon and passed the salt cellar around. Of course, Lena told them all to go to hell before they licked the salt, downed the tequila and bit into their lemons.

Kaden finally turned towards him. "You know you're in for a fuck load of trouble, don't you?"

Thorn's smile broadened into a grin. "Yup."

The End

Glossary

• Ahmran
  

  The call of a mate's blood or blood song. Only a true mate will hear it, as if composed especially for them.
  

   
  

• Amocin
  

  Male mate.
  

   
  

• Amocinta
  

  Female mate.
  

• Brihla
  

  The ash left behind when a Vampire perishes. Their bodies decompose like a slow-burning funeral pyre. The process normally takes twelve to twenty-four hours.
  

• Eldur
  

  The longing a female Vampire will feel before her mate claims her. It starts with cramps and fever, but will progress to excruciating agony. She will be unable to stand the touch of any male who is not her mate until the mating is complete.
  

• Fallen
  

  One Vampire coven chose to keep the souls with which they had been entrusted. Their sacred burden forgotten, they fed on a power and vitality they never knew existed; they let the souls die and failed in their duty to convey spirits to the Glory of Faerie.
  

  These became the Fallen. So enraptured, they walked from the light into the darkness and, in doing so, cursed an entire race.
  

  Stealing mortal souls and taking pleasure in harming humans were just two of their hobbies.
  

• Maluth
  

  Leader of a coven, usually the eldest male.
  

• Menæwen
  

  What modern generations refer to as “glamour.” The ability to appear as you are not. A Vampire can use their Menæwen to disguise anything about themselves, from their hair and eye colour, to the clothes they are wearing. Vampires and other Fae will be able to detect the disguise, no matter how practiced.
  

• Onærelen
  

  An honour debt. The most serious of debts which most Fae refuse to enter into. Vampires count honour above all else. Some have lost their lives to repay a debt rather than suffer the dishonour of letting an Onærelen go unpaid.
  

• Vampire
  

  Vampires belonged to the Seelie Court; the aristocracy of Faerie, and were bound by honour, love and beauty. They are not the demons most humans believe them to be. Their need for blood stems not from evil, but from duty. Before modern day religions like Christianity and Islam, there was only Faerie, and Vampires were tasked with sending the souls of the dying back to The Glory. When one coven Fell and kept the souls with which they had been entrusted, the whole race were cast from Faerie and banished to earth.
  

  Vampires still have the ability to carry souls, but without the keys to Faerie, they have relinquished their duties. Now they do their best to protect humans from the Fallen
  

  They will only return once the Fallen are vanquished.
  

  

Copyright © 2015 SLL Publishing

Written by Sharon Lipman

Edited by K. M. Vanderbilt

Cover Design by Fantasia Covers

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Disclaimer:

The material in this book is for mature audiences only and contains graphic content.

It is intended only for those aged 18 and older.

About the Author

A huge fan of the paranormal romance genre, Sharon Lipman started writing in her teens. It wasn't until she was in her thirties that she found a story she was desperate to share. House Blackwood was born and Bound to Blackwood is her debut novel.

She was born in west London and grew up in leafy Surrey in south-east England. A lover of all things British, except the weather, she now lives in Almeria, southern Spain with her husband and an ever growing collection of dogs.

Look out for more of House Blackwood, coming soon.

Acknowledgements

There are a few very special people I need to thank.

Firstly, thank you to my husband for his unwavering support and for putting up with me asking the weirdest questions and losing myself in my own little world.

To Vickie and Anika. Without either of you, this project would have never got off the ground. I owe you both a massive thank you.

To Kayla, thank you for pointing me in the right direction and for trying to understand my Britishness!

Lastly, to my ever growing list of virtual friends and fellow Indie Authors. You are all amazing and if I can help you as much as you've helped me, I will be a happy woman. I am eternally grateful for your unending support.