Anthem of Ashes: Book 9 in the Spellsinger Series Read online

  After snagging a couple of glasses of champagne and a plate of nibblies, we wandered through rooms adorned with a single goal in mind; to show off an obscene amount of wealth. From the spotlighted artwork on the walls to the ancient statuary in far better shape than it should be to the little knickknacks that cost more than most people made in a year, it was all excessive. And it was out on display where people in masks were allowed to wander freely. That didn't seem like a good idea to me, but I suppose if you were invited to this party, you likely had your own priceless tchotchkes at home and didn't need to pocket these.

  Several beneathers stopped to talk to us, most recognizing Declan by his bright hair and signature, Shining One stance. I met all sorts of interesting people thanks to my new husband. But all of them paled in comparison to our host.

  “King Declan, I've heard a vicious rumor about you that can't possibly be true,” a man drawled as he stepped into the sitting room we were passing through.

  “Oh?” Declan matched the man's tone. “Do tell.”

  “I was told”—sharp, golden-green eyes flicked to me and back—“that this is your honeymoon.”

  Declan chuckled. “Vasilios Macaris, this is my wife, Queen Elaria Tanager of Kyanite. Elaria, this is our host. He labors under the misconception that he's amusing.”

  Slightly thicker than Declan, Vasilios had a predator look about him. On top of that piercing gaze, he had a body that looked ready to pounce and a pair of thin lips that curled as if they wanted to bare the pointed canines hiding behind them. It was hard to place what type of beneather he was, especially with half his face covered in a bright, crimson mask with ebony horns—far grander than Declan's—curling back around his ears.

  “Call me Vasili.” He took my hand, enveloping it with his massive one, and his tawny curls tumbled over his mask as he bowed. “It's an honor to meet you, Spellsinger. A woman from a race even rarer than mine.”

  I looked over the curls and then the lips again. Something said “lion” to me. “I hope this isn't offensive, but are you a lion-shifter?”

  “That's closer than most guess. Bravo!” Vasili beamed at me. “I am mainly lion; pun intended.”

  “See what I mean about being amusing?” Declan muttered.

  “Mainly lion?” I frowned and glanced at Declan.

  “Vasili is a chimera,” my husband explained.

  “Chimera?” I blinked in shock.

  I was meeting all sorts of rare beneathers lately. First a phoenix and now, a chimera. In human myth, the Chimera is a single monster, sibling to Cerberus. But in reality, they're a race of beneather from Styx, the planet that Hades rules in the Greek Realm. But very few chimeras make the journey to Earth, most prefer to stay in private communities on their home planet.

  “You're the first chimera I've met,” I declared.

  “And you are the first spellsinger I've met,” he countered and then looked at Declan. “I'm not surprised it took such a rare bird to tie you down, my friend.”

  “She is extraordinary,” Declan agreed with a proud look my way. “I'm glad I was able to introduce you.”

  “I as well,” Vasili said to Declan and then shifted his stare to me. “No matter what race you are, the mere fact that you managed to tie him down makes you fascinating.”

  I smiled and was about to make a joke about the way my husband enjoyed to be tied down, when a hooded figure swept past the open doorway nearby. The hood turned and a pair of shadowed eyes met mine. Although I couldn't see their color, I could see them widen and narrow, one motion rapidly following the other, before they shifted to stare intensely at Declan. I frowned and made an involuntary step forward.

  “What is it?” Vasili turned to follow my gaze, but the hooded person had moved on and all he caught was the tail end of a black cloak.

  “Someone was standing in the doorway staring at me,” I murmured. “Not pleasantly.”

  “A man or a woman?” Declan asked.

  “I have no idea. Could have been either; slight build and short in stature. But the cloak hid their body and a mask hid their face.”

  “It was most likely one of your husband's old lovers,” Vasili teased. “The place is probably crawling with them.”

  I made a huffing laugh. “Actually, that could be it. They looked surprised and then annoyed.”

  “I don't generally leave my lovers annoyed,” Declan tried for a smug tone but it fell short and his attention remained on the doorway.

  “Well, if you end up fighting for your husband's honor, please make sure to summon me first, Elaria. I don't want to miss hearing you sing or miss seeing Declan fought over; it's been centuries since that's happened.” Vasili winked at me. “But now, I must be off to mingle. Please enjoy the party.”

  We bid Vasili farewell and as soon as we were alone again, Declan turned urgently to me.

  “Did they look threatening?” Declan asked. “Should we track this hooded person down?”

  “No.” I waved off his worry. “Let's not do this here, on our honeymoon. I don't want to deal with intrigue tonight. If he or she attacks us, we'll handle it, but I'm not going looking for trouble.”

  Declan relaxed and grinned. “You're right. I'd much enjoy the trouble I married.”

  “Are we off to find a shadowy corner already?”

  “You naughty wench,” he scolded me. “This is a ball, we must dance and mingle with our fellow beneathers first. Then, we'll get to a more private sort of dancing.”

  “Ah, I see,” I said primly as he led me out into the hallway. “We must put on a good show first.”

  Despite my intention to not look for trouble, I found myself searching for the hooded figure. But I didn't spot him or her on the way to the ballroom; not in the corridors or the many rooms we passed. Then my husband was gliding with me across polished marble, gaze fastened on mine as he led us expertly around the other dancers, and I had better things to focus on than a black hood.

  There's something breathtaking about a man who can dance. Not the modern, overtly sexual dancing—although that can be fun—but the more subtle, romantic sort that most men only do at their weddings, if at all. Declan had been an accomplished dancer long before the waltz had been invented. In fact, the Beneather dance he led me through was invented at least a thousand years before Lanner and Strauss started strutting across a Viennese floor. After so long, I'd be surprised if Declan wasn't good at it. Still, it made my heart race to be carefully cradled in his arms as we seemed to float about the room.

  Beneathers swirled around us, their clothing and masks nearly as luxurious as our surroundings. Silk damask draped the windows and silk velvet covered the loveseats spaced around the room. Panels of mirrors in gilded frames lined the walls, reflecting the guests' smiling faces and the glittering light of the enormous crystal chandeliers above us. The place of honor among those sparkling giants, the spot at the very center of the ceiling, was taken by a faceted, crystal chimera; a lion with a goat's head rising from its back and tail tipped in the head of a snake. The lion's maw gaped open on a roar, the goat's horns curved like those on our host's mask, and the snake tail undulated up aggressively. I laughed with my head flung back to enjoy the view, giddy from dancing and from noticing the homage to Vasili's race. He probably loved to bring humans in there and answering their questions about the mythological creature hanging from his ceiling.

  The song softened into silence and as the dancers cleared the floor, Vasili stepped out into the open space.

  “May I have your attention please?” Vasili spoke into a microphone and his words echoed around the room. “The time has come to remove our masks and reveal our true natures as we can never do out there, among the humans. Time to be free and glory in who we really are!”

  The crowd shouted in delight and masks went flying like graduation caps. I looked at Declan in surprise, and he grinned.

  “Welcome to a beneather ball,” he murmured in my ear and then removed his mask.

  I shrugged and
pulled mine away as well. When Declan tossed his toward a mirrored wall, I followed suit. I have to admit that even though neither of us had distinguishing beneather features, the act of removing a mask and casting it aside was very satisfying. I felt suddenly free and comfortable. Here, I could reveal anything I wanted to.

  More than masks were removed. Glamours fell as well, and several of the shifters transformed into their other forms, including our host. Vasili handed his mic to a waiter and then held out his arms triumphantly as his body started to shimmer. The crowd shouted in encouragement as the Chimera emerged.

  Nothing could have prepared me for the sight of a real chimera, definitely not that sparkly decoration above my head. The real beast was a majestic nightmare; an insane combination of creatures that my mind kept trying to reject. And yet, there it stood, forcing me to accept it. A lion the size of a sedan roared as its thick tail lashed about, scales flashing from green to gold just like the lion's eyes. The snake head at the end of the tail hissed and the goat, its neck growing from the lion's shoulders, thrashed his sharp horns about.

  Once Vasili completed his change, every other shifter in the room went wild. Most took their were-forms—those shapes that were still partly humanoid—so they could keep dancing and drinking. But others followed Vasili's lead and went all out. A centaur boldly stripped off his pants and let his lower half go horsey, a group of adlets did the same, except their bottoms went to the dogs, literally. A suparna even transformed into a falcon and started flying among the chandeliers. And then the music started again, more wild than before, and the Beneather Ball got really interesting.

  Declan swept me back onto the dance floor, deftly maneuvering me around a flock of harpies who lifted their skirts to show off their taloned feet. More claws clicked against the marble as a loup in werewolf form approached us and tapped Declan on the shoulder.

  “May I cut in?” The Loup bared his teeth in a smile.

  At least, I think it was a smile.

  “Only if I can cut something off you in return,” Declan called gaily as he danced us away from the wolf.

  The Loup's shoulders bunched in irritation, but he inclined his head and backed away. This wasn't the place for common brawls. Nor was it a place where you could remain angry; not among so much revelry. The Loup lost interest in me as soon as he set his yellow stare on a nearby nymph. Just as I had lost interest in the hooded figure. By the time Declan finally whisked me away to find the promised corner, the hood had left my mind completely.

  All I could concentrate on were Declan's glittering eyes as he stared at me in the moonlight that slanted in from a nearby window. He pressed me up against hand-painted wallpaper and eased my bodice down my shoulders until my nipples popped free of their restriction. With a sigh, he admired the revealed flesh, fingertips lightly brushing the peaks into hard buds, and then he bent his head to lavish some attention on them with his tongue.

  I worked open Declan's trousers as he sucked at me, nearly as eager as he was. The thrill of sex in public rushed through my body and drenched my bare sex. My wicked husband must have known how sensitive I'd become without panties protecting me; how I'd become more aware of my body and how even dancing with him would be an erotic experience. There really was no other reason to leave them off, his talented hands could have removed my underwear in seconds, just as my hands had quickly removed his shaft from his pants. I took a firm hold and started to slide.

  “Sweet stones,” Declan lifted his face to growl. “If I'm not driving my cock into you in ten seconds, I believe I shall perish.”

  I laughed throatily as I lifted my gown and teased him with a glimpse. Declan surged forward and slid his forearms beneath my thighs, bunching my skirts around us as he lifted me up. As soon as I was steady, I reached between us and guided him home. He sank in with slick ease, and we both cried out in pleasure. Declan's jacket flared out to the sides and his pants fell around his knees but with the layers of my skirts fluffed out, most of our skin was covered. Except for my breasts, that is; they perched above my boned bodice like offerings to my husband. Cool air hit my wet nipples and made me shiver. Feeling so covered below, even as Declan drove into me, made my exposed top seem even more scandalous.

  And I adored it.

  “Put me down,” I whispered in Declan's ear.

  “Oh, not yet, sweetheart,” Declan protested. “I've awhile to go before I'm letting you down.”

  “I know you're not ready; I just want to shift positions.”

  Declan leaned back and lifted a brow at me. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Me bent over, facing the wall, with my skirts thrown over my head.”

  “If anyone finds us, they'll get an eyeful,” he warned, even as he twitched inside me.

  “I don't care.”

  “Oh, fuck me,” Declan groaned and slid out of me as he lowered my legs to the floor.

  I turned and bent over, bracing my forearms against the wall. My breasts fell completely out of my bodice as Declan flung my skirts up and over my arched back. I spread my legs, and he made a strangled sound.

  “Your silken flower looks magical in the moonlight,” Declan murmured as he stroked my petals.

  “That's beautiful, baby,” I growled. “Now, fuck me like I'm a stranger.”

  Declan burst into laughter as he drove into me and soon, the sounds of savage sex echoed through the moonlit corridor. Nearby, music played and people laughed. We were just a hundred feet away from the party. And we weren't the only ones who had this idea. On our search to find a secluded spot, we'd passed a gorgon giving a satyr head, her snake hair writhing under a glittering turban as she moved her mouth rapidly over him. They'd been so focused on each other that they hadn't noticed us creep by. That could be us; on display for another arduous couple in search of some privacy. And the thought occurred to my husband as well. In fact, he relished it.

  “What if that loup came strolling in with his nymph right now, and they caught us like this?” Declan's voice slid like silk between my thighs. “Me slamming into you while your breasts bounce against the wall. Do you think they'd hide in the shadows and watch us? Maybe start fucking too? Imagine them there now, his glowing stare on your wet slit as he pumps into the nymph. Her eyes feasting on my cock as he slams his wolf-dick into her pussy. Her breasts rubbing against his furry chest until he howls and empties into her.”

  Declan filled his hands with my breasts and squeezed. That was all it took to send me into moaning release; teeth clenched to hold back my screams.

  “You are more like me than I knew,” Declan whispered in wonder as he continued to wildly thrust into me. “I think you've just made me the happiest man alive, sweetheart.”

  “I'm only getting started,” I shot over my shoulder. “Move me to the window.”

  Declan jerked against me and came with a rough shout of complete bliss.

  Chapter Sixteen

  After a glorious week in Venice—dining in the finest restaurants, shopping in Italian boutiques, and making love all over our luxurious suite without interruption from Ky or RS—Declan escorted me home to Kyanite. Our intimate moment at the Ball kept haunting me. Not only had it been exciting, but it had also been further proof of Declan's resilience. Despite what Bodicca had done to him, he found enjoyment in exhibitionism. Declan had refused to let her poison his life in any way. In fact, I suspected that he had become such a sexually uninhibited man in defiance of her. Now, he was luring me into his perversions, and I couldn't wait for our next adventure.

  Declan had intended to say goodbye to me in Kyanite, jump back to Earth, and then travel to Alexandrite. He needed to check on his kingdom before he could join me in mine. But his plans had to be adjusted.

  We arrived in my tower's living room, where my other men were waiting for us. I had just finished greeting all of them and was about to say goodbye to my newest husband when Shavalina came running across one of the bridges that connected my tower to the others.

  “Elaria!
Thank the flames that you've returned,” she exclaimed.

  “Shava?” I asked in confusion. “I thought you weren't returning till tomorrow?”

  Shavalina had gone home to be with her family while Declan and I were on our honeymoon. We had planned on her coming back the day after I returned so I'd have an evening to rest before I plunged back into my lessons.

  “This isn't about your training, Spellsinger,” Shava said urgently. “I need your help.”

  “Of course.” I took her hand and led her to a couch. “What can I do?”

  “When I went home, I was told that several of our people have gone missing,” Shava whispered as if she couldn't bear to speak the words any louder. “At first, this wasn't cause for alarm; Phoenixes like to wander and there are nests all over the world for them to take sanctuary in. But then the absences stretched on, and we began to grow worried. We contacted other nests and none have seen our missing birds. Even worse; they have missing members as well.”