King Tomb (Forever Evermore, #3)

By Scarlett Dawn

From Scarlett Dawn comes the stunning, sexy, sensual, surprising, spellbinding conclusion to the first saga in the bestselling Forever Evermore trilogy.

Queen Shifter, Lily Ruckler, has found solace in brutal warfare. Her bloodied fists and bared fangs fill the holes left in her memory, the blank spaces that leave her soul aching and empty. Her only pleasure is in blood; her only salvation is the relationship she has with her infant child, the baby of unknown origins who brings her solace and stability.

When Elder Harcourt summons Lily and her protector Antonio back to the United States, Lily thinks nothing unusual about the change of location. But a standard reconnaissance mission leaves her trapped inside King Zeller's private quarters, and at his mercy. Surprise attraction rapidly turns to a battle of wills and an intense power struggle that leaves no clear victor but plenty of resentment.

They are not allowed to nurse their wounds. In order to win the war against the Commoners, the King Vampire and Queen Shifter must work together. It should be easy. The war is turning, the battle is deadly, and both Lily and Ezra love the cold cleanliness of combat.

But their chance meeting has led to more than an unlikely alliance. Secrets have a way of surfacing, especially on a torn-up battlefield, and Lily and Ezra are about to re-learn all they cannot remember. If they can't control their emotions and responses, it will be to their own ruin and the destruction of everything around them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Oct 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9780857991898

Scarlett Dawn

Scarlett Dawn is drawn to all things quirky and offbeat. She believes there are no boundaries for an imaginative soul. Her love of the written word started at an early age, when her grandmother would take her to bookstores every weekend. Dreams came alive within the books she found there, and now she is thrilled to share her stories with others who have fallen under the spell of taking fantastical journeys. Scarlett resides in the Midwest with her husband, three children, and two dogs.

Book preview

Chapter One

June 12, 2014

Felix — one of my two elite guards — bent behind me, whispering against my ear, Queen Ruckler, are you feeling all right?

Teeth clenching, I glanced across the room where Bindi, a Mage physician, sat, watching me like a hawk while wearing an expression of aggravated frustration she wasn’t even trying to hide. Already having to deal with her, I did not need — nor want — Felix’s added worried attention.

Because no, I wasn’t all right.

I had been in labor for the last five hours.

My abdomen was contracting, squeezing painfully as if sadistic blades were stabbing my nine-months-pregnant belly — on a repeating loop — as if the muscles were gratified to cause me even more agony than I was normally in. I was sweating worse than a Thanksgiving turkey roasting in an oven, and feeling much like that too. I knew I was going to have this baby soon.

But I was needed here, in the headquarters.

Since Bindi had ordered me to do only extremely light physical activity. I had originally told her to go to hell when she had first attempted to put me on bed rest when I was only four months pregnant. But I had given in and met her halfway; I stopped blasting into actual combat when I became six months pregnant — that was three months ago.

Although, even now, I wasn’t surrendering completely.

Not just yet anyway.

I breathed in through my nose and slowly out through my mouth as another contraction attacked, making me light-headed and want to double over in brutal agony. Struggling to push past the heinous ache, I managed to remain focused on Commander Lyons speaking into my ear through a headset while I stayed standing straight and stared at the infra-red images on four different screens. All monitors showed different angles of the Com Royal Australian Air Force base in Brisbane, Australia that we were currently infiltrating. Under my direct lead, my camp had worked its way up from the coast of Sydney, Australia seven months ago when Mystical/Commoner World War II — MCWWII — had begun.

This mission against the Com RAAF was imperative to our next push northward.

Too bad my elite guard started to hover even more when I didn’t answer.

Perfect.

I’m working, Felix, I whispered so I wouldn’t disturb the techies, the other operatives, or the Elders hustling around us, everyone wearing headsets and talking to our group of Mysticals currently in the heat of battle. Leave. I put a bit of my Shifter power into the command. I needed him to go away so I could focus on not collapsing on the floor of the tent we were in.

He stiffened. I could tell he didn’t want to go. Felix was wanting an affirmation I was all right, which I could not give him because with his Shifter nose he would scent the lie. I ignored him, grabbing a set of papers one of the techies gave me on the current coordinates of our people versus the Coms inside the air force base as the battle raged on. Felix eventually backed away.

Flicking through the sheets, I swiped my forehead, amazed at what I was feeling, the block of ice I had become having been chipped away these past five hours as the pain of the labor had intensified. Right now, I wasn’t the arctic Queen I had become. I wasn’t the way I needed to be. The way I had to be to keep me sane.

After listening to Commander Lyons ask for my opinion on field position, I responded, Sweep the north end. Elder Farrar, ah, there was the ice, a breeze sweeping through my veins, is to the west; his team is minutes from entering the target. I want you to hold the north for any Coms that will more than likely flee in that direction.

Hostages? Commander Lyons asked with a chuckle.

I felt nothing. Just saying the name of Antonio, Elder Farrar, the man I thought of as ‘Dad’ once upon a time, shot ice water through my veins. Do a spell to find their highest ranking official before they get to you. Take their leader as hostage, so I can interrogate him or her, I heard Commander Lyons chuckle again quietly, and kill the rest. I snapped the paperwork closed, a contraction shattering the ice, heat flooding my system so hard I shivered as I placed a bracing hand on the desk near me. These are the bastards that lined up and shot the hostages they had acquired outside Southport. Their hostages were a group of Mysticals that had only included two elderly grandparents trying to flee with their five grandchildren — after the children’s parents had been hanged on flagpoles by the Com army here as a blatant ‘fuck you’ to our forces that were kicking their asses. We need to show them what a ‘fuck you’ really is.

Quiet, then dead seriousness. Understood, Queen Ruckler.

My lips pinched as I felt a sudden heaviness between my thighs. Commander Kester will be taking over the relay with you. I pressed my legs together, feeling a need to squeeze my thighs together to keep from pushing, the baby was pressing so hard. I glanced at Bindi as I leaned heavily on the table, barely able to see her because my vision was so blurry. No answer came over the headset. I need an affirmative that you heard me, Commander Lyons?

You’re leaving command? Right now? he finally asked, sounding bewildered.

He probably was, since I never left during a battle. I have to take care of something. Here’s Commander Kester. I tugged the headset off, thrusting it against a surprised Commander Kester and telling him, It’s Commander Lyons on the north end, waiting for stragglers. You’re now his relay. I left it at that, slowly turned, and began walking as gently as I was breathing so I didn’t faint. I was no stranger to pain, having been shot and stabbed multiple times, but fuck, my vision was now blurring to pinpoints. This raw, agonizing pain was on a whole other level. A whole other stratosphere, if I was honest with myself. I never cried over pain anymore, having decided my tear ducts had frozen over along with my mind, but right now, I wanted to drop in the middle of the floor and bawl like a goddamn baby. Though I trembled, wobbling, I still managed to brush off Felix by letting my wolf take voice, growling at him.

Bindi was instantly next to me, grabbing my arm, and gently but firmly leading me outside the black tent into the camp, away from the few individuals who had taken notice of my incoherent state. I wore a charm around my neck that Antonio had made, hiding my pregnancy from all eyes but his and Bindi’s, and the added heartbeat inside me from Vampires’ ears, but I still must have looked like shit because those who had eyed me had worn expressions of worry. I hardly remembered what worry felt like. Only pain and numbness and anger had been my shifting emotions since a spelled mind sweep had been done on me.

All because I, Lily Ruckler, Queen of the Shifters had at one time had sex with a Vampire.

No one had confirmed this. The two I had deduced that knew, Bindi and Antonio, never communicated who the father was, under some damn spell themselves, which Antonio had never tried to reverse to help me. Instead, when I occasionally lost it completely and screamed at them to tell me who the father was, they turned into stone, never giving a damn thing away. Not even when I started naming Mysticals at random. Nothing. They did fucking nothing to help me, and some may say that, sadly, they were the closest people to me. I never let anyone else near, not wanting anyone else.

I spent my free time alone, caged by the barely leashed chaos I had become. My mind was tormented by memories I couldn’t access, fractions of time completely absent. I could remember waking in bed at the former King Shifter’s home, after that, nothing, then suddenly I was at school at King Hall. The time between was a yawning void, but still, I had knowledge — it had to be knowledge — within the voids of my mind, because I knew things but couldn’t remember how I had gained the information. It was just there. That, in itself, made me dizzy at times.

And all of this because I had slept with a Vampire. These were the bare bits of evidence I had: a black and red ring with an inscription that read The Beauty Is Found, and a man’s overlarge grey t-shirt that read Live Hard or Die Bored, which I had been wearing when I had woken from my mind sweep. Add in the risks of having sex with a Vampire — Law 6002 set up specifically for a spelled mind sweep and separation if two Mysticals of different factions were found guilty of sexual relations — and the intimate ring, those two things combined indicated that we had loved each other. A useless emotion, if I ever saw one. And that was all I did. I saw how other Mysticals loved each other, because I sure as hell could not remember it with whoever was the father of my unborn child.

Focus, Bindi ordered quietly, practically holding me up as we walked through the camp full of white tents, beelining toward mine. Your tent’s only a bit further. Luckily for her, she didn’t mention I had waited too long to leave headquarters, because I probably would have let my voice out and she would be dead right now. And quit growling at me, others can hear you.

Huh, guess my wolf was making an appearance.

By the time Bindi had pushed my tent flap aside, my teeth were clenched so hard I was surprised I hadn’t broken a few. The flap closed behind us, and inside the privacy spell Antonio had created, the golden magic sparkling on the walls, I gave up all semblance of trying to contain the pain and screamed, grabbing my stomach and hunching, finally able to stop squeezing my legs, and muscles, together. Instantly, I felt a gush of warm water rush down between my thighs. Bindi grabbed me and, completely surprising me, lifted me clean off my feet, carrying me like a child while cursing under her breath.

She walked onto the burgundy and black rug that lay over the grass. On the left, she passed the two tall, plush burgundy chairs and a black couch with a small coffee table. On the right, there was a minibar I had set up. Since the war had started there were always Elders and Commanders interrupting my few moments of solitude, coming to my tent to discuss issues, and it was easy to get them to leave with a drink in their hand and half drunk. I had also made Antonio alter my tent so it was sectioned for privacy, my bedroom off the main entertaining area spelled for only those I let pass, into which Bindi now entered, brushing past another white tent flap.

Everything was the same on this side of the tent as always. No matter what camp we went to, the room was spelled that way. To the right stood two large cherry wood dressers with a Mage mirror in between, and next to those was my king-sized bed with burgundy sheets, plush pillows, and a leopard print fur bedspread with two cherry wood end tables on either side that held black wrought-iron lamps. There was also a burgundy bassinet for the baby next to the bed. Other than the new addition of the birthing bed on the left, it was deceptively homey…until you looked closer and saw that the whole room was sterile and cold, as I was now, with no personal items to be found, except maybe a book or two I had purchased to try to take my mind off…not remembering, which was harder than you could imagine.

Shower, I stated when Bindi tried to lay me on the birthing bed. My water broke all over my legs.

Bindi narrowed her eyes and disobeyed me, laying me firmly on the birthing bed. There are going to be many more fluids coming from your body, so I wouldn’t worry about your water breaking. She leaned over my face, gazing down at me. You’re on my turf now. You will do as I say if you want your child to be born without complications. She grinned — it was a little evil — making me blink at her as I hunched and grabbed my rounded belly. I can imagine you would like something for the pain?

I huffed, breathing in and out in ragged pants. You’re a doctor from hell.

She patted my cheek, still wearing that malevolent smirk. Why yes, I can be…or, if you behave and do as told, I can be your saving grace, a heaven-born doctor. She stared me in the eyes as I breathed through the pain. So what’s it going to be, Queen Ruckler? Good patient? Or bad patient?

I shouted, seriously wanting to push out the agony. I don’t think we’ve got time for good patient/bad patient. I groaned low, sweat dripping off my forehead. "I need to push." I started tearing my clothes off. Boots, socks, leather maternity pants, underwear, shirt, bra — everything went as I readied myself to do as my body was driving me to do…even as Bindi froze.

The hell-born doctor stood stunned, then a litany of curses flew from her mouth — damn near proving my point with her extensive vocabulary — as she banged open drawers on the side of the bed, grabbing a hospital gown and shoving my arms through it before yanking gloves over her now glowing hands. Goddamn… She mumbled something else unintelligibly, shoving me onto my back. Queen bullshit… More mumbling as she pushed my legs apart and performed an internal exam, then she shouted, Fucking hell!

Another scream echoed, but the sound was all mine, flying past my wide open mouth even as she yanked her cell phone out of her pocket, blood covering her latex gloves, and dialed numbers.

She glared between my legs as she held the phone to her ear. A pause while I panted, then she barked/yelled into the receiver, I don’t care if you’re in the middle of killing someone. Your grandchild is fucking crowning already. Get your ass here. She tossed her phone onto the floor, mumbling, Thank God he put the protection spell on your tent.

I screamed, agreeing wholeheartedly as I involuntarily pushed. Antonio had informed me that the Executioner, the one Mystical whose job it was to slaughter any hybrid, was linked with a spell to any hybrid being born, the spell physically pushing the Mystical to go where the child was and exterminate the baby. The protection spell Antonio had put on my tent safeguarded that from happening, but Antonio still needed to put a cloaking spell on the baby, which he had finally perfected two weeks ago, since he or she wouldn’t be able to hide their sleeping powers, and everyone would sense his or her hybrid nature. I hadn’t told Bindi or Antonio I knew the father was a Vampire, since they never told me shit, but because of my own hybrid nature of Vampire and Shifter, I knew the baby would automatically have my genes.

Okay, okay, Bindi breathed deeply, and she instantly transformed, rolling her neck on her shoulders, and when she looked back up at me, it was the physician staring at me. You’re going to push when I tell you to, not when you want to. Her hands glowed golden, and she pushed my knees up around my large belly. Grab your knees, and keep them up. One hand went to my stomach, and she stared between my legs as I relaxed while the contraction was gone…fuck…never mind. Okay, take a deep breath and push. Both hands went between my legs, and I screamed, grunting, bearing down as I gripped my legs, pushing with all I had.

That was when Antonio suddenly appeared in his battle attire, splatters of blood covering his face and clothes. Again, ice filled my veins, but not as much as usual, my body feeling too much torture. Pain was overriding any other emotion right now. The blood drained from Antonio’s face as he stared wide-eyed, teetering. He looked like he was going to drop in a dead faint.

Bindi growled at him, You kill how many Coms daily? And you can’t take the sight of birth?

I sucked in a breath, groaning deeply as I pushed again when Bindi ordered me to.

Again, her eyes flew to Antonio. Go wash your hands and get rid of that shirt before you come over here. She growled. And you will be coming over here, so get your fucking act together.

Antonio blinked, swallowing hard, but he stopped swaying where he stood. Nodded. Then raced to the small flap at the back of my tent where the magically enchanted bathroom was.

Good, Queen Ruckler, Bindi murmured, her focus back on the task at hand. You’re doing really well. Her lips tilted when I stopped pushing to haul in huge lungfuls of air. A couple more pushes like that and the baby will be out.

Thank God, I muttered breathlessly, shaking my head back and forth, trying to clear my pain-filled blurry vision. I’d rather be shot…and maybe burned…than do this much longer.

She nodded. Natural childbirth, which you’re having since you wouldn’t leave headquarters— I growled, my wolf shining out through my eyes, and she cleared her throat, Natural childbirth isn’t easy for any mother. Some might say it is, but they’re lying out their ass because this part is not easy, or pain free, for any woman. But you’re young and healthy, and those few pushes were excellent. She paused, her hands glowing brighter. And I want you to push again now.

I felt my stomach constrict, and I shouted, pushing with all I had, not even realizing until I was done that Antonio had come back into the room to hold my back in support. And at this moment, I didn’t care he was touching me, only that he was helping.

Ahh, I shouted, grinding my teeth, shaking with the effort of the next push, watching Bindi keep one hand between my legs while she threw open a drawer on the side of the bed, pulling something blue out before that hand went back between my legs.

My head fell back as the contraction stopped, and I panted in great gulps. Antonio softly brushed my sweat-drenched hair off my face, gently kissing my forehead and murmuring soothingly, while I took a mini-nap. Until Bindi shook my leg, and I bared down, pushing again, screaming at the pain.

Bindi nodded quickly. One more. One more good push.

I am pushing good, I growled, but took a deep breath and heaved, squeezing my stomach muscles, shoving down with everything I had. And suddenly I could breathe, the agony not as horrendous, not at all. My head flopped against Antonio’s shoulder as I breathed heavily, about ready to faint but unable to take my eyes off what I saw in front of me.

My baby.

In Bindi’s arms, who was cleaning out its nose and mouth and cutting the umbilical cord in record time as the shaking squall of a baby filled the air around us, sounding loud and pissed off.

Antonio’s grip on me was just as shaky as I was. Is it a boy or a girl?

Bindi grinned, covering the baby in a blanket. It’s a girl. My heart stuttered, and I started crying softly. They were warm tears, not cold ones like usual, as Bindi laid her on my chest. I instantly gripped the fretful bundle, keeping her safe.

Antonio shook his head, chuckling softly before bending and placing his face next to mine to get a look at her, but the blanket was covering a portion of her face.

Carefully, holding her with one arm, I lifted the blanket away to show her face.

Wow, Lil, Antonio said in wonder. She’s beautiful. I felt his cheek crease against mine as he grinned and stated with pride, My granddaughter is absolutely beautiful. He squeezed my shoulder. Good job, kiddo.

I’m not sure how much I had to do with this face, I murmured, staring in wonder.

He grunted. Are you joking? She looks just like you!

She was a beauty, even if flushed from screaming her head off. Her eyes were slightly tilted, almond-shaped, but so were mine, having inherited that from my biological dad, King Venclaire. Her cheeks were rosy and full, healthy. I ran the tip of my finger over her straight, tiny nose, which I guess did resemble mine, infuriating her further. Her chin trembled, and my heart melted with the action. Her face was heart-shaped, and precious like a china doll’s.

She was perfect.

If she looks just like me, I’m damn gorgeous, I mumbled, my eyes scanning her features again as I ran my finger over her red eyebrows, which had a delicate arched shape.

Antonio glanced at me, his eyebrows furrowed. Of course you are.

I huffed, but he had stated the truth. I ignored the compliment and tugged the blanket back further, revealing her hair. My breath caught. That’s a lot of hair already. Antonio grunted in agreement, both of us lifting a hand and fingering the inch-long hair. And it’s not just red; she’s got black streaks. Not many, but there were a few. I blinked, glancing at Antonio. I’ll have to say I adopted her. She had more visible Vampire traits than Shifter ones. Wait…can you tell me if she should claim being a Shifter or a Vampire? Just because her hair was this color, it didn’t mean her power would not be stronger as a Shifter.

Antonio’s head tilted as he stared at her, lightly running his thumb over the side of her precious cheek. His eyes glowed softly, and he lifted his other hand, murmuring silently, and touched her chest, right over her Core, his finger glowing.

She stilled, her lips thinning and her eyebrows puckered.

Instantly my wolf growled — savagely. You’re not hurting her, are you?

No, he whispered with a slight shake of his head. It only feels warm to her. He blinked, and his eyes and finger stopped glowing. He smiled softly, leaning to kiss her forehead. A little Vampire you will be.

I nodded once then jiggled her a little, worried that she wasn’t screaming at me…then her lips trembled and she went back to squalling. There. A good pair of lungs.

Antonio explained, "You won’t be able to just say you adopted her. You’ll have to legally do it, so no one ever scents the lie."

I cooed to her, rocking her softly. Let’s get that done as soon as possible.

He nodded, smiling at me.

I instantly backed off from the love shining in his eyes, and I watched him flinch, his smile dimming. Just because I was having a conversation with him outside of the battlefield, it didn’t make things all right between us. In fact, even though I was brimming with love that couldn’t be diminished while holding my baby girl, a bit of the usual coldness seeped back into me as I stared at him.

His nostrils flared, and he inhaled heavily. Lips pinched, he swiftly turned his devotion back to my daughter. Lifting a hand, he rubbed her back softly, and she quieted some. What are you going to call my granddaughter?

My jaw clenched at his reference, but I didn’t renounce his claim. I turned my attention to her. Her name will be Isadora Marie Ruckler. I ran my hand over her soft head. For a nickname, I’ll call her Isa.

That’s a beautiful name for a beautiful girl, Antonio stated, an affectionate, full smile curving his lips. It’s perfect.

All right, Bindi murmured, moving around me. I need to check Isa out. She glanced at Antonio. And you need to do your spell.

Antonio hesitated then asked, May I? His hands hovered over her.

I kissed her forehead, my eyes welling again with warm tears as I didn’t want to let her go, but after a few more caresses, I eventually nodded.

Antonio lifted Isa with the greatest care and began the protection spell, doing the only thing right by me he had done in a long time…keeping my daughter safe.

Chapter Two

Ba-ba-blah-bu-blah-ba. Isa grinned, gifting me her sneaky smile. Ta!

She wiggled merrily, giggling, her red and black hair swaying with her rocking motion as she started again, staring down at me where she lay on my chest. Ba-blah-blah-bu-ba-ba. She laughed, hiccupping with her merriment, which she then thought was equally hilarious and just about rolled off me with her hilarity.

That’s right, I nodded grandly, smiling at my daughter and holding her safely. One of my true joys in life. I brushed my hand tenderly through her soft hair, amazed every day at how fast she was growing. She may be tiny for a Mystical her age — just a little over three months old now — but it seemed like she was huge. "You tell me all about it."

This was part of my cherished free time. I had taken only a week to recover after giving birth to her and having my tubes magically tied — again — before going back to work, my duty unbreakable. Plus, I couldn’t do anything to rouse suspicions. The fact that so many had seen me ill when I was in labor had actually worked in my favor, giving me an