A Dawn So Dark (Blood Bound #1)

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Daemon

I was going to kill Arden .

I caught her before she could hit the ground, again . It was her. Her body was so small and frail in my hold. She seemed one bad day from withering away. I pulled her to my chest, keeping her head upright in case she were to get sick. It was her . The goddesses’ decree had been true, she was meant to be here with me- with him. Us . She was more perfect than I ever could have imagined, but who she was, I could never comprehend. The goddesses knew how to make things difficult .

Rage cut through my chest. Humans had cast us aside, slaughtered us by the thousands with Merlins dark magic and the power of the gods. The goddesses all but abandoned us and now their sick sense of humor would likely lead us to war. The daughter of our greatest enemy was in shambles, fighting to survive in the forest and found us. She shows up a beautiful, bloodied mess. Goddesses, the aroma was dizzying. The floral notes of lavender and evergreen overwhelmed my senses as she lay unconscious in my arms, her cheek pressed against my chest, eyes shut as if she were simply sleeping. Panic washed through me. “Get the infirmary staff now!” I shouted at Noa who quickly vanished to follow my order, confused by my frantic urgency. I pull ed her frail frame closer and hurried towards the infirmary, smelling blood seeping through her clothes. The smell was intoxicating. I forged ahead, ignoring the feel of her skin on mine, the temper she had shown when she pleaded her case to me. Arden followed close behind, his worry radiating off of him. That bastard knew . I waited a thousand years for a mate and it had to be her .

When we arrived at the infirmary where Noa waited with a whole staff of medics. I laid her unconscious form on the nearest bed, taking her in for a moment, before I turned my rage to Arden. She was like a goddess returned to earth. Her hair splayed around her like a crown, her lips fell into a strawberry tinted pout as she lay there, cheeks pink with flush. Her long auburn curls were strewn with mud and leaves, her thick lashes fluttered against the scrapes and bruising lining her cheeks, hiding between the freckles that kissed her skin. How was she here? How did she find us? Did her father know she was here ? Did he send her? When she spoke of her cruel father, I wanted to unleash my armies on Camelot. Visions of ripping Arthurs spine from his body clouded my mind. Noa cleared her throat, interrupting my thoughts. “Daemon, you need to let them help her.” I brushed a piece of hair from her face, my eyes tracing her delicate features. I soaked in her touch for a long moment before standing to allow the medical staff to help her. When I knew she was in good hands, I turned and grabbed Arden by the throat.

Noa rolled her eyes, not surprised by the turn of events. I slammed him into the wall, the room shaking from the force of impact. “How did you find her?” I growled, enraged as he shot me a proud g rin. “This isn’t a game, Arden. Do you know who she is?!” I bellowed, turning and dragging him away from the infirmary, not wanting our conversation to be heard. I had half a mind to snap his neck and leave him to slowly recover in the dungeons. “What the hells are you two on about now?” Noa snaps, following in annoyance as I shoved Arden into the throne room. Arden laughed as he straightened, clearly amused by this whole situation, egged on by my reaction. “ I didn’t find her. She found me.”

I run a hand through my hair, this man would send me to my grave a few hundred years too early. This was going to end all we had built. “Where the fuck did she find you?”

“A tavern outside of our borders in Maynard. I felt like someone had ripped my heart from my body and then she walked in, asking for directions. She stabbed a man and left. It was the most attractive thing I had ever witnessed in my life. I was desperate to see her again so I gave her directions. She just so happened to follow the directions I gave her that coincidentally brought her here. I figured you would want to meet her.” Arden shrugged, a shit-eating grin forming on his lips. He was treating this like a game. He had put everything we had built in jeopardy. “She's something, huh? Such an angry little thing.” I was really going to fucking kill him.

“She is not just any human, you imbecile!” I bellowed, the stone walls reverberating, shuddering beneath my power. “She is Arthur's daughter!” I growled, trying to express the gravity of the situation. Now that she was here, war was inevitable. Everything we had was in jeopardy. He froze, blue eyes wide in realization of what he had done. Stupid fucking prick . “No, she- That isn’t her. She can’t be our - That’s not her, Daemon.” Arden shook his head, he had messed up and he knew it. “You think I wouldn’t know the second I laid my eyes on her? You dragged her here in rags, bloodied, how daft could you be? You heard exactly what she said. He drove her away, she’s promised to another-”

“Like hells, she is.” At least we agreed on one thing. She belonged to us, not to whichever wife-beating human royal Arthur had promised her to. “I swear, Daem, I had no clue. Her scent hit me and I couldn't think straight.”

“Noa, send someone to Maynard and figure out who the Princess of Camelot is engaged to.” I sighed, moving up the dias to sit on the dark oak throne planted at its center, burying my face in my hands. This was a disaster. I felt everything in my body begin to scream in protest at the distance between us, desperate for her touch. “What in the seven blazes of hells are you two on about ?” Noa demanded, smacking Arden’s arm. Arden looked to me , remorse consuming his features. He should feel remorseful. He had all but stolen away our enemy’s daughter. “I led the Princess of Camelot to Darkspire” Arden swallows, his Adam's apple bobbing as his eyes flash with hated desire. “She's my mate.”

Noa hit him again, a string of profanities leaving her otherwise cordial mouth. She had always been interested in Arden, I was surprised she did not break his neck right then and there. She was going to stab me for what I was about to say. “And, she’s my mate. ”