Battle for The Shadow King
Captive of Shadows | Book 4
Bailey Dark
Copyright © 2020 by Bailey Dark
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
About the Author
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Chapter 1
Briar
"I want Drogaem's body carefully taken inside." I watch Kane as he brushes the long sleeves of his black jacket, his lips snarling as he eyes the servants who are fearfully moving toward his predecessor's body. "When I come to see him, he better be reverently arranged, like a God should be."
I stand to the back, my hands lightly intertwined in front of me, my fingers tapping, my body still weak from the voyage. Willem is taking control, ordering the servants in the exact way that I can only assume is a proper succession of handling for dead God. His wings fold tightly behind him, the once vibrant feathers almost dull and flat against his back. He doesn't look up at me, though I wish he would. Despite my dislike for him, on a level that exceeds loathing, I suddenly feel as if he may be my only ally. Willem is smart though, he saw right away, in the boat, that Kane's attitude quickly shifts from moment to moment, and fighting or arguing with him can only lead to bad things. I can't quite figure out if Willem is on his side or playing along out of necessity.
Kane stands back, his body rejuvenated, his shoulders wide and strong and his teeth clenched, the sides of his jaw flickering in the purple haze of the Underworld. He's just as handsome as he ever was, but there's something I can't put my finger on. It's something that is driving at the center of me. Before the island, before finding Drogaem, there had been a connection that I can only describe as, from the soul. But now, I feel nothing but emptiness, only a whisper of my betrothed still lingering inside of me.
Kane watches as the body is carefully moved on to a slick, black, marble board surrounded by half a dozen servants. I can tell they're all hiding their fear as well as their struggle to carry the deceased body on such an elaborate creation. I slowly shift on my toes, taking the opportunity to really get a good look at Kane's face as he's preoccupied making sure that no one missteps on their way up to the Castle. His eyes are the same deep midnight darkness, but the flames I'm so used to seeing are absent.
Kane lets out a deep breath, a small smirk pulling at his lips. It's as if he is proud of himself for the last twenty-four hours that I've endured him. His eyes shift to Willem who looks down, and then over to me. I don't pull my eyes away, and I won't fold to this sudden shift in personality that came out of nowhere. I can tell from the quiver of his lip my stubbornness both angers and excites him. Normally, anything to do with his perfectly bowed pout would send a simmering heat straight into my core, but my nerves are far too wild, and I feel nothing but distrust.
"I expect the rest of you know what you need to do," he says, stumbling through his words as if he himself isn't really sure how to address us. I hold back the look of confusion that I want to portray, knowing it will only anger him. "I have a lot of work to be done. I demand privacy and silence. I will retreat to the catacombs where Drogaem will be lying in state as he never had a chance to do when he first perished. Hopefully, it won't take long to revive our old God."
Kane's eyes shift toward me but he keeps a kind smile on his lips. It's the first kind look he's given me since we left Drogaem's tomb. That familiar flutter in my chest skips, and a small inkling of hope simmers deep down. But I don't understand. For all the things that Kane and Willem have told me about Drogaem, he seems like the last person anyone would want to bring back from the dead. On our voyage to his tomb, Kane spoke nothing about the revival of his predecessor. He only spoke of the power within the old God's crown, and that was not long before he placed it on his head. But now, a plan is set in motion, one that I can only imagine will threaten the souls of every being across the Underworld, the Land of Light, and even my own former home.
Willem is the first to leave, ducking his head low and heading toward the castle. The servants follow quickly behind him, and Kane begins to follow. I glance over at my Ladies in Waiting, giving them a silent nod to go ahead of me toward the castle. They curtsy, holding the bottom of their long flowing black dresses, and hurry to catch up with the others.
I smooth the front of my worn and tattered tunic and move quickly to Kane's side, keeping enough distance that our hands don't touch. There is a longing in me, a need for comfort that I know only Kane can fulfill. I've spent so long fighting myself, trying to decide whether my duty as a daughter was more important than my duty as a bride. But our bond, Kane and I, blossomed on our journey.
I close my hands into small fists as I walk, forcing myself to refrain from reaching out for him, or
