Seeds of Sorrow (Immortal Realms Book 1)

Draven lay there for a long time, lamenting his choice of a pillow. The sheer quality of Eden’s nightgown left nothing to the imagination, and the memory of her skin beneath his lips and tongue was a torment. In the end, he shut his eyes against the beauty beneath him and concentrated instead on the steady decline of her heart rate as she began to fall asleep.

When he was certain Eden was lost to her dreams, Draven contemplated getting up and leaving. But the belladonna still swam heavily in his veins, and he found himself inclined to remain where he was. There was a comfort to laying there beside Eden, his head nestled on the soft mound of her breast and the steady rise and fall of each breath taking him with her.

Her fingers had played gently in his hair until she had fallen asleep, and the soft tingle of pleasure they had sent coursing through him went beyond desire to something wholesome and filling. Bringing to light a sensation Draven wasn’t sure he had ever truly experienced in his life.

Peace.

Having found it, even for this short moment, Draven was wholly unwilling to abandon it. Beyond her bedroom door lay a tumult of questions, worries, and battles that he did not wish to deal with, not yet. So he allowed himself to lie there beneath the blankets of Eden’s bed, one hand having fallen to rest at the base of his neck and her other hand still gently held in his own.

Though his lovers over the centuries had lain in bed with him after the completion of their passion, none had looked at him as truly and deeply as Eden. In Lucem, he’d been a king to be bedded and won over. In Andhera, gentleness was often seen as a weakness.

The last person to hold him in such a tender, comforting manner would have been his own mother. Draven could faintly remember being held as a child against her bosom and rocked until he fell asleep. Caring fingers brushing dark auburn hair out of his eyes as he allowed himself to drift off. But that had only lasted while he was very young. Once he began to age, and his abilities began to present themselves, his father had feared what it could mean for Draven to reach adulthood.

Ludari, king of all three realms and a tyrannical beast of a fae, had not been willing to risk his son aging into an adult, free to overtake him and steal away his throne. Convinced by his wife not to kill their firstborn, Ludari had placed Draven in a locked cell in the dungeons of their castle, where he had remained, imprisoned in the dank darkness of the earth. Alone, with nothing but the grunt of a guard or the occasional scurry of a rat to entertain him. A male grown, quiet and bitter, until Travion, the second born, had arrived.

A young child, scared and uncertain. Unsure of his future and not understanding what he had done to deserve his new fate.

“Father said I had a brother here in the darkness . . .”

“You have. I will not abandon you as she did.”

Madryall, beloved wife of Ludari, was weak. Incapable of protecting her children from the man she inexplicably loved.

There, in the darkness of the dungeons, with only iron bars separating them, Draven had watched Travion grow into adulthood. Believing they would spend their lives in the bowels of the kingdom, there had been no coddling, no comfort, just the quiet conversation between the two of them. Later had come the added agony of Ludari’s competitions as he pitted them against each other. Better to dole out the pain and affliction himself than watch Ludari do worse to his younger brother because he had refused.

While his body had healed from the wounds, there were some scars that cut too deeply into the soul to ever be free of. Scars that had only deepened as he’d entered the fresh hell of Andhera and fought a constant battle to restrain the chaos that had reigned here.

Draven’s eyes opened, and he gazed at Eden, red lashes resting against pale cheeks dusted with freckles. She looked so at peace, which surprised him, considering the realm she found herself in. Tonight, she had wanted only to soothe him. To offer comfort in whatever way that she could.

He had pushed her away, harshly. Trying to bury himself in the darkness of that dungeon once more, tucking himself away where no one could see or hear him. Where he could be alone with the misery rising inside. But she hadn’t allowed that. No matter how much he had pushed, she had simply planted herself before him. Insisting that he allow her in.

Draven wasn’t certain why this beautiful creature wished to console him, to hold him in her arms and show him a world of mercy no one else ever had . . . but he found himself not wanting to let it go. It worried him. Eden was burrowing her way into his life in a manner that may leave him more shaken when she finally departed than anything in that dungeon ever had.

The yellow moon had crested in the sky and begun to lighten the bedchamber when Draven finally realized he had spent the remainder of the night in her room, laying there listening to the gentle beating of her heart. The thought of silently slipping out crossed his mind, but he found a desire within him to see her wake for the day. To know what Eden looked like as she became aware of the world once more.

“Oh, you stayed the whole night,” were the soft, sleep-roughened words that announced Eden had woken finally.

Lifting his head, Draven peered down at green eyes blinking to adjust to the dim lighting in the room. “I did.”

“I’m glad that you did.” She seemed to sigh the words, her arms drawing up over her head as she arched her back, stretching.

Draven felt his heart do a strange flip in his chest at that simple statement. So accepting and happy for his continued presence here. Unable to hold himself back, he dipped his head to press a soft kiss to her bare shoulder, and was pleased when her hand moved to slide through his hair.

“Do you feel better now?” Eden asked.

When he lifted his head, Draven found her eyes more alert and peering into his own. “I do.”

“What about in here?” The tips of her fingers tapped lightly against his temple, then slid down to cup his face.

Draven turned his head to press a kiss to her palm, then looked to her once more. “I find in the confines of this room, it is easier to block out the rest of the world.”

Eden looked a little surprised at this confession, then smiled happily up at him. “Good.” Her thumb brushed along his chin, tracing just beneath his lip.

“I must apologize for my behavior last night.”

“Yes,” she agreed simply.

Draven gave Eden a dry look, then reached out with his hand toward the sconces on the wall and forced them to light once more, illuminating her bedroom in a bright, cheerful flame. He raised himself up on an elbow, his free hand coming to rest on her abdomen.

“I should not have taken my ill humor out on you.”

“I didn’t think it was possible for vampires to become drunk . . .”

“Not on alcohol,” he stated. “Belladonna. While the poison won’t harm us, it impairs us enough to produce drunk-like symptoms.”

“What happened in Midniva that you felt the need to sink into your cups?” Her hand was on his bicep, fingertips lightly tracing the muscle there. “You needn’t tell me . . . if you don’t wish to.”

Draven sighed and let his head fall. Having someone who wished to hear his woes was a foreign concept, but he supposed that after last night she deserved some explanation for his behavior.

“I believe some of my nobles are scheming behind my back . . . attempting to infiltrate Midniva and perhaps even usurp my rule here. Last night, I had to execute one of my noblemen and his son. A man who has been here since the founding of Aasha. I don’t know if he was the only one.”

Eden frowned deeply, but to her credit remained silent for him to continue.

“The first hundred years I spent here in Andhera were bloody years . . . Every moment was a battle to keep the beasts from killing each other and me. Guarding the entrance to the Veil was a never-ending duty, and I thought peace would never come. That there could be no reining in their hunger for death.” Draven ran a hand over his face, the weariness of those years returning. He had thought he had thrown himself into hell. A hell that would be eternal and would drive him mad in the end. “Once that was over and the first families arrived to help found Andherian society, there was more madness as their transformations took place and new species were born. I had to reinstate my will and reign all over again. Bend newly formed beasts and bloodthirsty monsters to the laws I had created. Infuse each with the understanding that humans would not die here or in Midniva without my say-so.” It had taken so very long to achieve that goal. To find a semblance of peace here. “I cannot go through that again.”

It was the first time he had uttered his concerns out loud, and it made them all the more real.

“Oh, Draven . . .” Her hand raised to cup his cheek once more, and he found himself leaning into it again. Soaking up the gentle comfort that came from Eden’s touch.

“There were many executions last night.”

Eden merely nodded, her face soft and understanding. He hadn’t expected it. To find that the innocent creature he had met in the gardens of Midniva could accept the ways of Andhera so quickly. Yet here she lay, taking in all he had to say and not balking.

She looked so beautiful that he could not contain himself. He dipped his head to press a soft kiss to her lips, exploring the eager response that greeted him. His hand slid beneath her head, tilting it back slightly so their lips fit better together. Eden’s hands rose to his shoulders, no hesitation in returning his kisses.

With a swift motion, Draven rolled them, so that he lay on his back on the mattress with Eden half sprawled on top of him. Her light-red hair spilled down around her face as her head lifted, lips pink and parted. He brushed his knuckles gently over her cheek, then tucked a few strands of the silken hair behind a delicately pointed ear.

Eden was the very essence of Lucem. Vibrant and full of life, innocent yet looking to bloom into a delicately beautiful flower that could not be replicated. She did not belong here in Andhera, the land of eternal darkness, yet she believed herself to be trapped here. Tied to him. Would she have welcomed Draven into her bed so readily if she knew the truth?

Draven sighed, twining his fingers in her hair. “Eden . . . I have something I must tell you.”

She stilled, fine red brows lifting in question. ‘What is it?’ Her arms folded on his chest, her chin coming to rest on the backs of her hands. But despite her display of calmness, he could hear her heartbeat quicken.

“Zryan did not send you here to be my bride.” Her forehead creased with confusion. “He was upset with your mother because she’s been telling Alessia of his indiscretions. He only meant to punish your mother, and her punishment was losing you.”

“What?” She rose up a little, fully frowning now.

“Announcing our betrothal was only a disguise for the truth.”

“But . . . you took me,” Eden whispered and withdrew herself from him. She stared down at him, visibly trying to make sense of the news.

“Only for six months.” Draven studied her features, uncertain what was going on in her mind. “I insisted you be returned before Andhera had a chance to change you.”

Eden sat up, her arms wrapping around her form, eyes on her lap rather than on him.

“So, did you know at the ball then?” Slowly, her head lifted so that she could look at him. Pinning him with her eyes. “Did you have any part in it?”

“No. Zryan sprung it on me the same moment he sprung it on you.” Draven frowned in remembrance of Zryan’s announcement and how close to tearing a hole into him he’d been.

She only nodded a little, her eyes falling to her lap once more. She remained on her heels, and it left him feeling cold. “You’ll be sending me away.”

“Eden.” He said her name softly but firmly, causing her to meet his eyes once more. “I would never force you to be my bride when you did not want to be. I would not force that on anyone.”

Draven shifted so that he could sit up, his back leaning against the dark headboard.

Eden let out a soft laugh that sounded on the verge of tears, but then she took a deep breath, hands combing her hair back from her features. He saw the strength once again that he had seen the night they had left Midniva. The firm set to her shoulders as she squared herself to face whatever it was she found herself facing.

“That is why you ignored me,” she murmured. “For that whole first week.”

“Why burden you with the dark king if you could be spared.” Draven found himself missing the connection they’d shared just moments before.

Tentatively, he reached out with his hand to take one of hers, his thumb brushing lightly over the back of it. To his surprise, Eden didn’t pull away. Instead, her fingers curled more tightly around his.

“You are many things, Draven, but a burden isn’t one of them.” Eden’s voice was soft, nearly breaking as she spoke. ‘I wanted to know more about the man who’d taken a moment to humor an oddity like myself.’ She squeezed his hand lightly. ‘I had hoped he was here,’ she said, lifting her free hand to touch her heart. ‘And I wasn’t wrong.’

They sat like that for some time, until Eden came to some decision in her mind. Moving up onto her knees, she shifted her position to straddle his lap, settling down on his thighs. Her hands lifted to rest on his chest as her green eyes peered back into his blue.

“Let’s not waste our time arguing,” she whispered, dipping her head to brush a tender kiss to the corner of his mouth, then trailed her lips along his jaw. Draven felt something inside him shift at her words, and relief filled him. He knew that he did not deserve these quiet, tender moments with such a beautiful being as Eden, but if she were willing to sully herself with the king of nightmares, then he would take what was being freely offered.

Her next words had him pausing and considering her response.

“But if I asked you to keep me, would you?”

His hands lifted to cup her cheeks, and he leaned in to kiss her, taking a moment to enjoy the tender sweetness of her willing response. Soft lips parting to the slow exploration of his tongue. Pulling back, he rested his forehead against hers.

“If I could?” His sigh spoke volumes. He wanted to tell her he would keep her and her sunshine here with him always, to brighten his halls and bring to him that peace he had found by her side in the night. Draven shook his head, forcing away what ifs. “I cannot destroy you for my own selfish desires. I will not suffer you to lose your family and home as I have,” he whispered.

Draven slid his hands around her, pulling her in against his chest, and simply held her for a time, allowing that intoxicating scent to waft over him, making his senses come alive. A part of him wanted to sink his teeth into her throat as greatly as his manhood wanted to delve into her depths.

He wanted to possess her. To claim her as his as surely as Andhera had stamped her ownership upon his soul. But if he hoped to control the monsters in his realm, the first one he needed to control was himself.

Eden had said nothing to his response, and so he broke the silence between them. “We should see to your breakfast. The servants will be distressed if I keep you too long.”

Eden smiled a little, perhaps with a twinge of sadness behind it. “They fret far too much for people who are no longer alive.”

Draven chuckled softly and pressed another kiss to her lips.