The Darkest Crown (The Eternal Darkness Duet #2)

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

I looked at my reflection in the mirror as I nervously awaited Marius. My gown was deep blue with black velvet trim. It had a low, square neckline and skirts that swirled around my ankles when I walked. My hair hung loose down my back, and was held back from my face by two diamond crusted combs. I looked like someone out of a historical movie.

I focused on my appearance, trying to keep my mind off the evening to come. Marius told me the most powerful vampires from across the globe would be gathered downstairs.

When he first said it, I wondered if I’d see Julian. Marius must have seen the hope on my face, because he then told me Julian had not received an invitation. Having your lover present would spoil my evening, he’d said. The only thing that wouldn’t spoil my evening, was the fact that Allie would remain safely in her room, with two of the King's Guard stationed at her door.

A knock at the door startled me from my thoughts.

“Come in,” I called, bracing myself.

The door swung open, and Marius stepped into the room. He stopped, his eyes sweeping over me. “You are beautiful,” he breathed.

I turned back towards the mirror, under the pretense of smoothing my hair. “Thanks.”

“It is time.”

I took a deep breath and turned towards him, struggling to keep my nerves under control. Marius was wearing black pants, and a loose black shirt that laced in the front. The laces were loose, allowing glimpses of his chest, and the shirt's collar was trimmed with blue fabric that matched my gown. His white hair hung loose around his shoulders. I thought I looked old-fashioned, but he looked positively medieval.

He offered me his arm, and I reluctantly took it, placing my hand in the crook of his elbow. He led me through the castle, and before long I could hear the sounds of the festivities below.

We finally arrived at the ballroom, and made our grand entrance. A servant announced Marius as we stepped through the doorway, and hundreds of vampires bowed low. Which was impressive considering some of the gowns the women wore.

Without telling them to rise, Marius led me down the center of the room. At the far end, four steps led to a higher level. Only when we stood there, looking down on the bent crowd, did he tell them to rise. As one, they straightened, and cast their eyes upon us. They waited silently for Marius to speak.

“Welcome,” he said, his strong voice reaching to the farthest corners of the room. “I have gathered you all here tonight so that you may look upon your future queen.”

My eyes widened, and I released his arm, letting my hand fall to my side. I knew I must look as stunned as the vampires looking up at us. They all stared at me, and I could see many struggling to maintain their neutral expressions.

Marius continued to speak, as though he hadn’t just shocked the entire vampire community. “I have been remiss in my duties of late, but rest assured, I am ready to take command once more, with my new bride at my side.” The room was so silent, you could have heard a pin drop. “Now bow to your queen. ”

There was something in his voice when he said it that terrified me. It was almost as if he was daring someone to protest. But no one did. They all bowed to me, and while they were bent in their positions of fealty, Marius looked at me and raised his chin defiantly. I stared back, in too much shock to do anything else.

They will remain this way until you tell them to rise.

I flinched at the sound of his voice in my head. My heart was pounding, and I wanted to run from the room, but I knew it would be pointless to resist. “Rise,” I said, trying to sound confident, rather than terrified.

When I spoke, Marius looked at me with satisfaction, the corner of his mouth lifting into the faintest smile. I wanted to slap that look right off his face. Instead, I did nothing but watch, as the crowd finally straightened.

“Let the celebration begin,” Marius called out, and the musicians in the corner of the room began to play.

I stood there, stunned, as the crowd of vampires turned away, and started to talk amongst themselves. From the glances they were shooting my way, I was sure they were talking about me, and I could only imagine what they thought of Marius’ declaration.

The center of the room cleared, allowing space for couples to waltz, while the rest of them stood in clusters around the edges of the room. In just a few moments, the room had gone from stunned silence to ready-to-party.

“Are you pleased, my love?” Marius asked softly, startling me.

I’d been so focused on the crowd's behavior, I’d almost forgotten he stood beside me. I stared at him, wondering how to answer.

He titled his head. “No, I don’t think you are.”

I swallowed nervously. “It would have been nice if you’d told me beforehand.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Would that have made a difference?”

“Well can you blame me?” I snapped, and he looked at me with surprise. “You’re keeping me here against my will. Should I be grateful for your company?” His face hardened, and I regretted my outburst.

“Have I not been agreeable?” he purred. “I have freed your sister, and brought her here, to live under my protection.” He stepped closer, bringing his face close to mine. “I have freed your lovers ,” he hissed. “Even though I know they plot against me. They should be killed for their treason, and yet they walk free, because you asked it of me.”

I nodded quickly, not wanting him to focus his anger on my loved ones. “Yes, and I’m grateful.”

“Are you?” He straightened and looked down his nose at me.

I forced myself to smile. “I am grateful, Marius. I was just shocked by your announcement. And I don’t like being up in front of a crowd like this.”

He stared at me for a moment, and I wondered if he was reading my mind. Then he reached for my hand. “I apologize. Let us put it behind us and enjoy the evening.”

I nodded and gave him what I hoped was a pleasant smile. We descended the stairs hand in hand, and Marius led me to the center of the room. He swept me into his arms and the other dancers fell away as we began to waltz.

I hated to admit it, but he was a wonderful dancer. His eyes were on me, as he twirled me around the room. It reminded me of when I first danced with Julian, and I kept my eyes downcast to hide my emotions. We danced three songs in a row, before stepping from the floor.

One by one, people approached us to congratulate us on our upcoming nuptials. It started with the Strategoi, then other brave souls followed suit. Marius accepted their well wishes with grace, and I stood silently by his side, with an artificial smile plastered on my face. None of them would have guessed I was screaming on the inside. Marius actually thought I was going to marry him? I had no desire to be queen. All I wanted was to be free.

As the night wore on, the crowd relaxed in the king’s presence. Servants passed with crystal wine glasses, filled with blood. I declined each time, having fed before coming down. I don’t know why I was so uncomfortable drinking blood in front of others, but I was. At one point, someone passed by with a tray, and the scent from the glasses piqued my interest.

“Wait,” I called, waiving them back to me. Marius turned to me, abruptly cutting off the conversation he was having with some high-ranking vampire whose name I couldn’t remember.

“That’s nectar,” he said quietly. “You don’t want it.”

Nectar. My mind instantly went back to the night when Julian drank it. When he made me watch him fuck that woman. So many emotions slammed into me, that I suddenly did want it. I wanted to drown myself in it, and hopefully forget the heartache I was feeling. Instead, I turned away from the servant, pasting a fake smile to my face once more. After an endless tirade of well wishes, I was surprised when someone I knew appeared in front of me.

“Olivia!” I exclaimed, grabbing her hands.

She smiled and leaned in to kiss my cheek. “It’s good to see you, Sarah.” She shot a glance at Marius, who was standing nearby. “I was worried about you, but I can see you’re doing fine.” I nodded and glanced at the woman she was with. “This is Natalia,” Olivia said.

“Congratulations on your engagement,” Natalia purred, leaning in to give me a hug.

“Thanks,” I murmured, surprised by her friendliness. Did she just smell me?

“It's nice to meet you, officially ,” she gave me a conspiratorial smile, “since we didn’t get a chance to talk last time.”

“I’m sorry.” I smiled apologetically. I didn’t remember meeting her before, but she did look familiar.

Olivia glanced between us with surprise. “I didn't realize you’d already met.”

“Yes,” Natalia purred. “After a ball at Julian’s.”

I blinked as it dawned on me. She was the woman Julian fucked when he was high on nectar. She watched my face, smiling slyly when she saw I remembered. I stared at her, remembering how Julian’s fingers had dug into her hips as he pounded into her from behind. Natalia’s smile widened, and I felt my hands curl into fists.

“Olivia Pratt,” Marius said, appearing at my side. Olivia and Natalia both sank into a deep curtsy.

“None of that, now,” he said with an amiable smile. “Rise.”

The two women rose, and Olivia glanced at me nervously before turning her attention to Marius. Natalia, on the other hand, gave him a wide smile.

“My King, might I offer my congratulations. You have chosen very well indeed.” Natalia fluttered her eyelashes at Marius, and he chuckled.

“Congratulations to you as well, Natalia. It seems you finally got what you’ve been after all this time.”

Natalia smiled seductively. “Yes. Things have worked out nicely for both of us, haven't they?” She shot me a glance, and it took all my strength not to claw her beautiful brown eyes out.

“We should be going,” Olivia said, shooting me a worried look. “Hector will wonder where I wandered off to.” She grabbed Natalia’s arm and bowed her head to Marius before pulling the other woman away.

As I watched them go, Marius leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Olivia is a true friend. One you can trust. She is concerned for your well being.”

I looked up at him, surprised, and he continued. “Natalia is a viper. She’s delighted that I’m keeping you here, because it has cleared her path to Julian.”

My pulse thundered, and I fought to appear calm. “You read their minds?”

“Yes,” he said nonchalantly, glancing at them through the crowd. “It seems I overestimated Julian’s feelings for you.” He looked at me and raised his eyebrows. “We should have invited him after all.”

He turned away to speak with someone else, and I stared at his back, wishing I could stab him. Was he telling me the truth? Was Julian really with Natalia now? He had forgotten me already?

Tears welled in my eyes, and I blinked rapidly. The music swelled, and I flinched at the sound. I stared across the room, focusing on a tapestry on the wall as I tried to regain control of my senses. But it was no use. The harder I tried, the worse it got.

Two men walked past me, and one of them was holding a glass of nectar. Without thinking, I snatched it out of his hand. He looked at me with surprise, then immediately bowed, as did his companion.

Ignoring them both, I downed the glass, then choked. It was like swallowing fire! Someone was speaking to me, but it sounded like it was coming from far away. Heat spread through me, and a soft buzzing began in my ears. I shook my head, trying to clear it, then saw Marius watching me. His gold eyes bore into mine, but I turned my back to him and walked away.

I pushed my way through the crowd, not caring if I was drawing attention. I needed to get out of there until I regained control of myself. I stopped short when Olivia stepped into my path, inadvertently blocking my exit.

“I’m so sorry Sarah!” she exclaimed, grabbing my hand. “I didn’t know about Natalia, I swear! I mean, everyone knows she has a thing for Julian, but I didn't know they were together!”

I stared at her, suddenly struck by how pretty she was. “Your hair is beautiful,” I murmured, reaching out to touch a curl just under her ear. My fingertips brushed her skin and warmth ran through me.

My eyes widened with surprised delight. “Did you feel that?” I smiled wider and ran my fingers down the side of her neck.

She grabbed my hand and looked at me with confusion, then her eyes widened. “You drank nectar.” I grinned and tried to touch her hair again with my free hand, but she pulled back. “We need to get you out of here.”

I pulled my hand free. “ No. I want to dance.” I smiled at her playfully. “Dance with me Olivia.”

She shook her head. “Have you ever had nectar?”

“Nope! But now I see why it's so popular.” I lifted my arms and spun in a circle, accidentally slapping a woman who was walking by. “Sorry!” I sang, grinning at her.

She gasped and sank into a curtsy, and I rolled my eyes and wandered further into the crowd.

“Sarah, wait!” Olivia called, hurrying after me.

“Come on!” I called over my shoulder as I continued walking, swaying to the music as I made my way. This is a beautiful song. Has the music been this nice all night?

I felt someone touch my arm, and I glanced over at them. “Olivia! I missed you!” I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tight.

“I missed you too. Why don’t we go somewhere quiet and catch up?”

I pressed my face to the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply. “God, you smell good.” She struggled out of my grasp, and I frowned. “What’s wrong? Are you mad at me?”

“No,” she said quickly. “But you need to get out of here. It takes years to build up a tolerance to nectar. If it’s your first time, it's going to mess you up. People are already starting to stare.”

“Fuck ‘em!” I shouted. Then I burst out laughing. When’s the last time I laughed? My body was tingling, and I ran my hands over my bare arms. “Do you feel that? Come on! Let's dance!”

Without waiting to see if she followed, I ran to the center of the room and threw my hands up over my head as I moved to the music. I’d never heard music like this before. It was hypnotic, caressing my body like a lover. I closed my eyes, and let my hands move over my body.

“Sarah!”

I felt a tug on my arm again, and I opened my eyes, smiling when I saw Olivia.

“The king is watching you,” she whispered. “And he doesn't look happy.”

“Fuck him!” I said, laughing. Olivia gasped with fear and yanked hard on my arm. I kept laughing as she pulled me towards the back of the room.

We were nearing the musicians, and I craned my neck to get a look at the violinist. Whoever it was, they were very good. I closed my eyes and let Olivia pull me along. It felt like I was on a boat, swaying on the water.

“The King looks pissed!” she whispered frantically. “Everyone in the room is staring at you!”

“Of course they are,” I drawled, without opening my eyes. “Vampires love drama.” I remembered when Julian told me that and stumbled to a halt. It was like I could hear him now. I opened my eyes and glanced around, expecting to see him, and I noticed for the first time that everyone was staring at me. The musicians were still playing, but no one was dancing. They were all watching me. Fine. You want drama? I’ll give you drama.

I marched towards the musicians, and their music faltered as I neared, their expressions turning fearful. I almost laughed at the idea of them, being afraid of me. The violinist’s eyes widened as I walked up and yanked his instrument from his hands. The other musicians stopped playing, and the room was completely silent. The only sound was the beating of my heart.

I raised the violin to my shoulder, and drew the bow across the strings, feeling the vibrations through my entire body. That was new. I shuddered with pleasure and did it again.

Olivia rushed to my side and tried to grab my arm again, and I hissed at her, baring my fangs. Why were my fangs down? She backed away fearfully, and I closed my eyes and drew the bow across the strings again.

I started to play, choosing the piece I wrote that earned me a full ride to Julliard. I hadn’t played it in years, not since turning down my scholarship when my mom got sick, but I hadn’t forgotten.

It was a tempestuous song, wild and dramatic, but the way I played it now took it to a whole new level. My fingers moved over the strings like never before, the vibrations whipping me into a frenzy. I arched my back, wanting more.

By the time the song ended, my breath was coming in fast bursts, causing my chest to heave. I opened my eyes and saw Marius, standing right in front of me, blocking out the rest of the room with his body. His pupils were dilated, with only a tiny ring of gold visible around the edge. It was the first time I’d ever seen them like that, and I knew I was the cause.

I let my arms fall to my sides, still grasping the violin and the bow. My body was still thrumming from the vibrations, and I wanted him to touch me so badly. Did I say that out loud?

The look on his face told me I had. He lifted a hand to touch my arm, and the room went dark.

He kissed me roughly, backing me up until my legs hit the side of the bed. Why was there a bed? Part of my mind realized that we were no longer in the ballroom, but the other part was too far gone to care.

I dropped the violin and wrapped my arms around his neck, arching against him. We fell back onto the bed, and I parted my legs, wanting his touch.

Without breaking our kiss, he lifted my dress. Slowly sliding the fabric up my legs. Why was there so much damn fabric? I groaned with frustration, and when I finally felt his hand on my thigh, I grabbed it and pulled it to my crotch.

My panties were wet with arousal, and Marius groaned when he felt it. He slid his hand inside and pushed two fingers inside me. My pussy clenched around his fingers, and I gasped against his mouth.

He moved his fingers in and out of me, and I lifted my hips, wanting more. I turned my head, breaking our kiss. “ Fuck me,” I begged, squeezing my eyes shut. “Now!”

He removed his fingers and ripped my underwear, pulling them off me. I heard a rustling of fabric, then felt his cock slide into me with one great thrust. My eyes shot open, and my neck arched as I cried out. He reclaimed my mouth, thrusting his tongue inside with every thrust of his cock. The pleasure was so intense, I’d never felt anything like it.

His mouth moved to my neck, kissing me and nibbling on me. Each tiny bite sent a spear of pleasure straight to my core. He quickened his pace, and I bucked beneath him, wishing our clothes were gone.

“ Harder! ” I gasped, and he obeyed my command. He pounded into me with a force that would have hurt if I were human. “Don’t stop!” I cried, as my body exploded with pleasure. “Fuuuuuck,” I groaned, my pussy clenching his cock. He slowed his thrusts, pulling almost all the way out before pushing back in, prolonging my orgasm in the most delicious way.

Then he pulled out of me. Confused, I opened my eyes and looked at him. Why didn’t he finish? He slid off my body and stood at the side of the bed, yanking his shirt over his head. My eyes fell to his chest before moving lower. When I saw his erection, wet from my pussy, I wanted it back inside of me.

“I’m not done with you,” he said huskily, sliding out of his pants. He climbed back on the bed and knelt over me. He grabbed the neckline of my dress with both hands, ripping the fabric down the middle.

I gasped as my breasts were freed, and he continued to rip the dress all the way down, pushing the fabric to either side of my body. He moved, so that he was kneeling between my legs, and I bent them, spreading them wider for him. He took his cock in his hand and slowly slid it across my pussy. My body jerked at the sensation, and I reached up to grab him and pull him down on top of me. I needed to feel his skin against mine.

I moaned loudly when he slid inside me. He lay on top of me, bracing himself on his forearms on either side of my face. Our bodies were touching everywhere, and the feel of his skin on mine was incredible. He kissed my lips, my jaw, and my neck. He was speaking to me softly, but I couldn’t make out the words. The nectar was affecting me strongly, magnifying the pleasure derived from every move he made. The slightest touch, the softest kiss. It was sweet torture, and I never wanted it to end.

His fucked me slowly, his body sliding across mine with every stroke. I was wetter than I’d ever been before, and I briefly wondered if it was due to him or the drug. I could feel tension building again, and I closed my eyes, sending my world into darkness.

“ Don’t stop,” I breathed. “ Don’t fucking stop.”

“Never,” he growled, kissing me again.

I don’t know how long it went on. I had no sense of time. All I knew was pleasure. And love.