ROMAN: Fury of Her King (Kings of the Blood Book 2)

  ROMAN

  Fury of Her King

  Kings of the Blood ~ Book 2

  by

  Julia Mills

  No One Escapes Destiny…

  Not Even the King.

  Copyright © 2016 Julia Mills

  All Rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictional manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  NOTICE: This is an adult erotic paranormal romance with love scenes and mature situations. It is only intended for adult readers over the age of 18.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Edited by Lisa Miller, Angel Editing Services

  Proofread by Tammy Payne with Book Nook Nuts

  Cover Designed by Linda Boulanger with Tell Tale Book Covers

  Cover Model Christian Petrovich

  Photographer Eric David Battershell with Eric Battershell Photography

  Formatted by Charlene Bauer with Wickedly Bold Creations

  DEDICATION

  Dare to Dream! Find the Strength to Act! Never Look Back!

  Thank you, God.

  To my girls, Liz and Em, I Love You. Every day, every way, always.

  To Kelli Smith, thank you for pushing me to continue in this amazing world of the Kings!

  You are the best!!

  Also by Julia Mills

  *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  The Dragon Guard Series

  Her Dragon to Slay, Dragon Guard #1

  Her Dragon’s Fire, Dragon Guard #2

  Haunted by Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #3

  For the Love of Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #4

  Saved by Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #5

  Only for Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #6

  Fighting for Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #7

  Her Dragon’s Heart, Dragon Guard #8

  Her Dragon’s Soul, Dragon Guard #9

  The Fate of Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #10

  Her Dragon’s No Angel, Dragon Guard #11

  Her Dragon, His Demon, Dragon Guard #12

  Resurrecting Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #13

  The Scars of Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #14

  Her Mad Dragon, Dragon Guard #15

  Her Love, Her Dragon: The Saga Begins, A Dragon Guard Prequel

  *****

  Kings of The Blood Series

  VIKTOR: Heart of Her King ~ Kings of the Blood ~ Book 1

  *****

  The ‘Not-Quite’ Love Story Series

  Vidalia: A ‘Not-Quite Vampire Love Story

  Phoebe” A ‘Not-Quite’ Phoenix Love Story

  Zoey: A ‘Not-Quite’ Zombie Love Story

  Index of Greek

  as spoken by the Kings of the Blood

  Fýlakas tis Kardiás Mou ……….Keeper of My Heart

  Se Agapó……….I Love You

  Fílos…….…Friend

  Fíloi……….Friends

  Símera kai gia Pánta……….Today and Forever

  Agápi Mou……….My Love

  Sýntrofos……….Mate

  Vasiliás……….King

  Vasiliás tis……….Her King

  Vasiliás Sas……….Your King

  Oraiótatos……….Darling

  Agapiméne Mou……….My Beloved

  Agapimémi Sas……….Your Beloved

  I Kardí Mou……….My Heart

  Tréfon……….Feeder

  Naí……….Yes

  Dioikitís……….Commander

  Sigontáro……….Second

  O Vasiliás Mou……….My King

  Vasílissa mou……….My Queen

  Apópse eínai i próti nýchta tis mas gia pánta……Tonight is the First Night of Our Forever

  I mitéra mou……….My Mother

  Giagiá……….Grandmother

  Pappoús……….Grandfather

  Patéras………Father

  Politikoí………Politicians

  O Aderfós Mou……….My Brother

  Me óla aftá pou eímal……….With All That I am

  Ligo Deilós……….Little Coward

  Skýla……….Bitch

  Asteío Korítsi……….Funny Girl

  Porneío……….Brothel

  Pórni……….Whore

  Pórnes……….Whores

  Parthéna……….Virgin

  Oikogéneia………Family

  Oikogénias Érchontai……….Family Comes First

  Oikogéneakó Mystikó……….Family Secret

  Prodótis……….Traitor

  Skoupídia………Garbage

  Fántasma………Ghost

  Deilós……….Coward

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  EPILOGUE

  VIKTOR: HEART OF HER KING

  HER MAD DRAGON: DRAGON GUARD #15

  ZOEY: NOT QUITE ZOMBIE LOVE STORY

  ABOUT JULIA

  Prologue

  Three Thousand Years ago…

  Staring at the stars in the cloudless sky above, only the warmth of his own life’s essence flowing freely from his gaping chest wound to warm him against the cruelty of the desert after nightfall, the mighty General prayed for the sweet release of death. The rattle of his own labored breathing counted down the moments until he would join his beloved family on the shores of the Elysian Fields. The stench and sting of betrayal was all that forced his failing heart to continue to beat as the sounds of frivolity from the traitor’s camp tainted an otherwise peaceful evening, which was to be his last.

  Scenes of battles long past floated through his mind…a litany to his legacy. Romanus the Warrior, man of prophecy, leader of the downtrodden. The man who sprung from the womb with a spear in one hand and a shield in the other. Victory after victory in his long illustrious years of devoted service all fought in the name of his homeland, all for the people he sought to free, were there to usher him into the afterlife. There was not a memory to be found that did not center around the blood of the unrighteous staining his blade or the shouts of war ringing in his ears. His dry, cracked lips curved into the smallest of smiles as he remembered how the mere mention of his name struck fear in the hearts of those who stood against the great Grecian army.

  Then came the recollection of his most recent crusade. Cruel and brutal in its unabashed recount of every detail of the bloodbath he and his troops suffered at the hands of the enemy within. The perfectly planned ambush sprang up just seconds after the Persians aimed their spears and drew their bowstrings. Those he had thought comrades, the men he had trained, had fought alongside, had in some cases pulled from the jaws of death, turned their backs on Romanus and the few hundred hoplite who remained loyal to him and their beloved Greece. In the blink of an eye they were fighting a war on two fronts, outmanned and attempting to regroup with a third of their original force, the Grecians suffered massive casualties at the point of the spears held by friends and family before the first Pers
ian arrow flew.

  He should have seen it coming. The tides of change were upon the legendary army. The wounds of the loss of their dear Supreme Commander to treachery and deceit within the government were still festering among the ranks. The years since his death and the continued corruption had only served to blacken the hearts of many good men. Seeing one so revered, so loved, so loyal to each man, woman, and child of every city-state stripped of his identity and left to die the foulest of deaths was a betrayal many could not tolerate. Their ranks had dwindled to minimal numbers. Those they had fought alongside they now fought against. Cruel were the hands of fate, but through it all Romanus believed those who remained by his side were faithful and true. His miscalculation of events resulted in not only the spear that protruded from his chest and the gaping wound in his side but the death of five thousand loyal citizen-soldiers.

  Visions of the bodies still littering the battlefield, left like skoupídia for the vermin, swam in and out of focus as his head, now too heavy to stay upright, fell to the side. His feet and legs itched from the dried blood of the fallen where it had caked upon the leather of his caligae and coated the metal of the greaves meant to protect his shins.

  He knew they had fought valiantly, had attempted to push back the enemy and slay the traitors, but it simply was not meant to be. The life essence of so many soaked the ground as if it were rain from the heavens, while he and those few still devoted to their beloved Greece continued to fight, dispensing justice with their swords as if Zeus himself handled the blades.

  But the King of the Gods was nowhere to be found; neither was his petulant son. Romanus prayed repeatedly to Ares, the god of war. He begged and bargained, finally offering his mortal soul for the lives of the brave Greeks still standing. To his utter despair, his pleas fell upon deaf ears. The hateful deity had turned his back on his loyal followers and left them as fodder for their foes.

  Climbing over more bodies of the fallen to fight the advancing hordes, the mighty General called to the goddess of war and wisdom, “Sweetest, Artemis, show favor upon your chosen warriors. Smite those who would connive and conspire to overthrow the justice of your most honored city.”

  But again, his prayers went unanswered as the war raged on and the carnage continued. Only his iron will and refusal to accept defeat kept Romanus on his feet. One foot in front of the other, another slash of his blade, more blood and more death, the dead eyes of young men who had trusted him to lead them to victory stared up at him from where they had been struck down by their own brothers-in-arms.

  Finally, the General was the only Grecian left standing. Surrounded by the enemy, he readied his sword against at least fifty men. Long, tense seconds ticked by as his heart beat like the thundering hooves of a stallion. Looking into the faces of the Persians, he saw hatred. Staring into the faces of those he had called brother, he saw sympathy.

  “Don’t pity me, you soulless dogs. May you spend eternity in torment on the banks of the River Styx without an obolus to pay Charon for your treachery,” he spat, baiting them to attack. His need to put an end to the damnable waiting outweighed all thoughts of self-preservation.

  Still they did not attack. Opening his mouth to shout another insult, Romanus instead spun to the right as the sound of approaching hooves reached his ears. There, sitting atop his mount was Xenophanes, his half-brother and apparent leader of the prodités.

  “You?” the General hissed.

  With a smug laugh and evil grin, the one-time battalion leader answered, “Yes, Romanus, me.”

  Xenophanes directed his stallion forward until the horse’s snout almost touched the General’s cheek, then leaning over the animal’s neck, the rebel leader boasted, “I now command an army of five thousand and you, dear brother, will die in the sand like the plebian you have always been.”

  “Face me like a man, you coward. Dismount and face me, blade to blade,” Romanus shouted. Then narrowing his eyes and gritting his teeth, he growled, “Or are you afraid, dear brother?”

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk, Romanus, you will not bait me into a fool’s fight. We all know who is superior with a blade. I have no qualm conceding that honor to you.” He chuckled sarcastically. “I will even have them bury you with it.” Turning his horse, the bastard son of Romanus’ father started back the way he came then over his shoulder commanded, “Kill him and make it quick. I owe him that at the very least.”

  Before the General could respond he was engaged in the fight of his life against ten Grecian swordsmen he himself had trained. The Persians had backed away and stood cheering on his opposition. Steel clashed, sparks flew, more blood soaked the earth under his feet as one by one, Romanus cut the traitors down.

  At the count of fifteen dead, the General saw no end in sight. As one conspirator hit the ground another took his place. The muscles of his arms and legs burned from the exertion. The weight of his sword seemed to double and then triple. Sweat poured down his face, neck, and back, wetting his woolen tunic and causing his hands to slip on the hilt of his sword.

  Stumbling over the bodies of the dead while crossing blades with Daidalos, another of his former pupils, Romanus fell to one knee. Blocking the defector’s downward strike by holding his sword over his head with one hand on the hilt and the other on the blade, the impact shook the mighty General to his core as blood rained down on his face from the gash across his palm caused by the razor-sharp edge of his weapon.

  Rolling away to the side, Romanus was barely on his feet when the traitor struck again...over and over, just as the General had trained him to attack. Romanus could do no more than defend against the masterful attack from the determined swordsman. Looking his foe in the eye, the General saw true regret. It was then he knew these men, his men, had defected not because of their beliefs or convictions, but under coercion and—he imagined—threats to those they loved.

  He knew what had to be done. It had to end here. He would not kill a mere child who was being forced to fight. A calm unlike any other filled his body. He nodded and smiled then dropped his sword to his side.

  Daidalos stopped mid thrust. With a look of utter confusion upon his face, the young soldier whispered, “Master?”

  Another nod and Romanus answered, “Do what you must. I go to the Elysian Fields with a clear conscience and light heart. It is you who must pray from your soul, dear boy.”

  “But…” Daidolos’ words were lost as a large Persian pushed the young soldier to the ground and shoved his short spear through Romanus’ chest plate while sneering, “Die already, you Greek bastard.”

  The sounds of cheers and laughter reached his ears as the mighty Grecian General crumpled to the ground. The last rays of his last day on earth glittered off the metal armor of the fallen as far as his eye could see. He listened to the Persian’s exaggerated retelling of his victory. At least the cur was a good story teller for he was the poorest of warriors.

  The sound of footsteps in the darkness floated on the wind, pulling the General from his musings. He immediately assumed the intruder approaching over the far ridge opposite the enemy camp was one of the many beggars who haunted the abandoned battlefields in order to pilfer from the fallen as a means of survival. Closer and closer, louder and louder, the sounds of stiff leather striking sand echoed through his mind like the beat of the drum in the coliseum.

  “Finally, the grim reaper has come to take me home.” He wheezed the slurred words as the long shadow of a man covered his body a moment before a voice he had been sure he would never hear again sadly chuckled, “Look what has become of you in my absence, agapité fíle.”

  “Commander?” Romanus rasped, sure he was seeing ghosts in the past moments of his life.

  “Yes, Romanus, it is I.” Viktoras’ image blurred in and out of focus as he knelt at the General’s side.

  “How can this be? Are you demon or are you specter?”

  “I am neither, General. I am man, as I always was.” Viktoras did indeed sound as he had before his death, the steel of c
ommand coloring his tone even as Romanus could feel the other man’s regret at the fate befallen him.

  “This cannot be. I saw you dead. I lowered your broken body into a hole in the earth and prayed for your soul’s release. Please torment me no more. Leave me to fade in peace. I have seen Zeus’ eagle in the sky and know he will return to carry my soul home.”

  The vision of his Commander slowly shook its head. “You always were the most stubborn of all my men, Romanus.” The specter pulled a knife from under his cloak and sliced across the palm of his hand. “Do I not bleed?”

  Struggling to catch his breath, Romanus weakly nodded then gasped, “But…” Unable to complete his rebuttal as he spat blood at the ghost of his old friend, the General’s head rolled to the side. Shadows framed what was left of his vision as he strained to see what the memory of Viktoras would do next.

  The specter placed his hands on either side of Romanus’ face and raised it from where it lay on the ground until their noses actually touched. Through gritted teeth, the ghost growled, “It is not your time, Romanus of Greece. You have many battles left to fight. The time has come for you to embrace a new future. I know this is beyond all comprehension but be assured, all your questions will be answered when you revive anew, ready to live the life befitting a warrior of your stature.”

  “But…”

  “Enough, Romanus,” the Supreme Commander’s likeness ordered. “You have remained loyal unto the end. You have been betrayed and left for dead. Yes, the life you have lived thus far will soon be forfeit, but you, great warrior, are destined for things only the gods have dreamt of. You have lost much blood. Your soul seeks the release only Zeus’ mighty eagle can provide. I am going to remove this spear.” Viktoras touched the wooden shaft protruding from the General’s chest. “Your heart will cease to beat. Your lungs will no longer draw breath. You will be buried here in the desert by my own hands.”