Dark Heiress Read online

  Table of Contents

  Dark Heiress (An Ema Marx Novel, #5)

  Chapter 1

  Jesu

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Jesu

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Jesu

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Jesu

  Chapter 8

  Jesu

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Jesu

  Chapter 11

  Jesu

  Chapter 12

  Jesu

  Chapter 13

  Jesu

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Jesu

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Jesu

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Jesu

  Chapter 21

  Jesu

  Chapter 22

  Jesu

  Chapter 23

  Jesu

  Chapter 24

  Jesu

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Jesu

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Jesu

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Jesu

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Jesu

  Chapter 34

  Jesu

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Epilogue: Jesu

  Also by J.D. Brown

  About the Author

  Dark Heiress. Copyright © 2019 by J.D. Brown

  All rights reserved and preserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission of the author.

  Printed and produced in the United States of America.

  First Published in the United States of America by NightMare Publishing.

  First Edition, October 2019

  Cover Art Design Copyright © 2019 by Jennifer Brown

  Edited by: Susan Davis

  Layout and Interior Design by: NightMare Publishing

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, settings, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for the author or third-party content.

  NightMare Publishing logo is a trademark ™ of NightMare Publishing USA.

  For my grandfather, Miguel Reyes Lara (1937—2019)

  I have so many wonderful memories of summers and holidays spent together, but one of my personal favorites was when you read The Hunger Games trilogy (you couldn’t put it down!) and how every Skype call included the question: ¿Cuántos libros tienes ahora?

  I love you and miss you.

  Chapter 1

  Jesu’s handsome accent came to a stop as he finished translating the contents of the Jumlin scroll. He rolled the parchment, fastened it with a length of string, and then peered at me with his dark emerald gaze as though waiting for a reaction.

  We sat across from each other in the castle infirmary; Jesu’s chair pressed against the far wall, mine seated beside the hospice bed. I lowered my gaze to peer at my comatose father. Thin white sheets covered him from chest to toes. The cotton edges spilled over the side to brush against my pale knuckles. Dad’s even pulse and steady breath kept pace with the machines that stood opposite. They beeped at regular intervals while recording his vitals.

  I considered the contents of the scroll. Jesu promised the information would be boring, and he didn’t disappoint, but some of what he translated did answer a few questions. The Jumlin were a clan of unique vampyres that only bred human offspring. When the children came of age, they were given a choice: Stay human or transition.

  According to the scroll, turning into a vampyre required the completion of a complex ceremony, though the text gave no details—stating only that those who completed the rite were required to abandon their human life immediately. Records of the Jumlin population showed decreasing numbers, suggesting that most chose humanity, thus making the clan an endangered species.

  Those that remained human, however, were sworn into a brotherhood of hunters called The Sword of Somnus where they learned the fine art of dream magic, weaponry, combat, and—I imaged—many other skills that enabled them to hunt succubae and incubi. Why they dedicated their lives to eradicating the creatures, I didn’t know. Nor did the scroll say.

  Though it was Jalmari who killed Lilith in the end ... And I who take credit for it now.

  From what I could tell, no other options existed for the Jumlin. Either join the brotherhood or live the rest of your life as a vampyre.

  Hardly seems fair.

  Jesu leaned forward and covered my hand with a warm, calloused palm. “Are you all right, Ema?”

  The edges of my mouth teetered. “Just a lot on my mind.”

  He nodded and stood, causing his hand to fall to his side. I rubbed my knuckles as the urge to thread my fingers with his whispered against my better judgment.

  “It has been a long week. You should get some rest before the Hunter arrives.” Jesu extended the scroll in my direction.

  “Keep it.” I shrugged. “Give it back to Maria and Naamah.” They had borrowed the scroll from the Neo-Draugrian Council on my behalf. It was probably time we gave it back.

  Jesu lowered the document with a nod. “I will get you something to drink.”

  “Wait.” I stood and stuffed a hand into my pants pocket, producing two claror necklaces. The wooden charms alerted the wearer when a succubus or incubus was near. Lilith might be dead, but her son, Valafar, was still out there and he had kin.

  Jesu upped his brow. “I thought those were lost.”

  “Tancred found them.” I looped one over Dad’s head, letting the cord rest against the pillows and drape over his collar bones, then offered the other to Jesu. He shook his head.

  “I gave it to you.”

  I pulled my lower lip between my teeth but didn’t argue. Instead, I placed the second leather cord around my neck and let the talisman dip below my shirt to rest between my breasts.

  “There’s one more thing,” I said, keeping my gaze down. “I signed the contract with Brinnon. They’re calling it the Alpan-Marx Protection Act.”

  Jesu was silent for a long moment, and I couldn’t bring myself to meet his gaze. Then, “Congratulations. You got everything you wanted.”

  I winced as he turned away and exited the infirmary, not sure if the sting I felt was intentional or a projection of my own guilt. Jesu swore he understood my motives, but he also made it clear he didn’t agree with my liaison to the Alpan crown. Too late now.

  The door clicked shut and my gaze went to my father. I wished for the dozenth time since Valafar rendered my father unconscious that he would wake up. Every second he did not, a strangeness came over me, as though I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if he suddenly opened his eyes. But that was dumb, wasn’t it? Of course I knew what I’d do. I’d hug him tight. I’d apologize for every time I was mad at him. I’d ask him a million questions and listen patiently to his answers.

  Wake up. Please wake up.

  The door opened and Princess Sara entered. She scanned my father and a deep rose color bloomed across her pale completion. The princess tore her gaze away and then lowered it. “Maria sent me to fetch you. The Huntsman just arrived. They are waiting in the foyer.”

  Apprehension thrummed through my blood and I threw my arms around Sara, huggin
g her willowy frame. “Thank you. For everything.”

  She tensed, then melted against me as her hands slid across my shoulders. “What are friends for?”

  “Brinnon mentioned plans for the nursery. I want to hear all about it after this.”

  She stepped back to look at me and her smile stretched from ear to ear. “Yes!” she squealed while bouncing on her toes. “Absolutely!”

  I smiled too; her energy contagious. “Can you do me a favor and stay with Dad while I meet this guy?”

  The princess nodded.

  “Thanks.” I hugged her again to show my appreciation then drew a deep breath and left the room. The short hallway opened on the left to the ballroom. I cut across the marble floor, passing the majestic tapestries and mosaic mural depicting all manner of wild animals, to the wide arched corridor that led directly into the castle foyer.

  Devoid of all its furniture after Jalmari blew it up, the cavernous bi-leveled foyer sported new floorboards and wall panels made of dark brown wood that lent masculine joie de vivre to the room. New banisters in the same dark lacquer finish lined the stairs to the second landing. Before the explosion, expertly carved heads of different woodland predators topped the banisters like sentinels bearing witness to all who entered the Alpan castle. I wondered if King Brinnon planned to have new ones fashioned.

  With no furniture and nowhere to sit, Maria and Tancred stood in the center of the room exchanging simple pleasantries with a stout man whose human scent permeated the air. I drew a sharp breath through my fangs and exhaled slowly. I knew the Hunter would be human, and yet I hadn’t thought to prepare my most basic Nephilim cravings. The sensation was like holding an unwrapped chocolate bar under the nose of a toddler. Only, instead of sugar, this guilty pleasure smelled of flesh and blood. I pulled both hands behind my back and phased the tip of my pinky finger. The energy wafting from his aura was thin like watered down syrup, but still found the essence of my phased digit and clung to it. I absorbed just enough to keep from drooling, then solidified my finger and approached the threesome.

  The man faced the room and noticed me first. Amber brown eyes locked with mine and he lifted his chest, squaring his shoulders. My gaze traveled the length of his beige knitted bomber and gray slacks. The sleeves were pushed up to his elbows and layers of wooden beads circled his wrists. His bronze hands were large for a man who wasn’t very tall, yet he carried himself with an authoritative posture. A charm from one of his bracelets hung lower than the others, and I noticed a claror symbol carved into the wooden piece worn on the same hand that held a black duffel bag.

  As though following his line of sight, Maria turned to face me. She smiled and swept her hand in a small arch. “Here she is. Ema, meet Snow Chayton. Mister Chayton, meet Logan’s daughter, Ema.”

  I offered him a pleasant smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Chayton.”

  “Please,” he extended his open hand, “Call me Snow.”

  He clasped my palm and gave it a solid shake before stepping back to examine me as thoroughly as I had examined him. My stomach did a little flip. Can this guy really pull Dad out of his coma?

  Snow seemed to finish his assessment as he turned his attention to Maria. “I’d like to begin as soon as possible. Where is Logan?”

  “In the infirmary,” I said, and pointed to the arched corridor behind me. “I can show you.”

  Snow nodded, and I lead the group to my father’s bedside. Tancred followed only as far as the hall at the end of the ballroom. As we veered right, he went left to the king’s office. Inside the infirmary, Sara gave my hand a quick squeeze and then slipped out of the room. Snow went to Dad’s side and studied him. I rounded the bed to my father’s other side and stood facing the Hunter with no idea what to expect. I didn’t think he had any kind of medical skill, but then that wasn’t why Maria had called him here.

  Maria stood to my left. The vitals machine and other medical equipment crowded my right, but I tried not to think of them as I took my father’s lifeless hand and pressed it to my cheek.

  No, not lifeless. Just sleeping.

  His chest rose and fell, and the machines whirred as his breath was recorded.

  “I must go into a trance and enter his subconscious,” said Snow. “I need to get an idea of the level of damage we’re dealing with.”

  “Have you dealt with this sort of thing before?” asked Maria.

  He nodded. “It’s a common hazard in our line of work. What concerns me is ...,” the man paused and then shook his head. “No, sorry. It does no good to speculate. Once I know the extent of it, I can tell you with more certainty.”

  “Tell me what with more certainty?” I demanded. My stomach clenched. I’ve seen Dad go into a trance before, using what he called dream magic to enter Valafar’s mind and keep the incubus asleep while Jesu and I plotted against his mother, Lilith. But I had no real idea of what dream magic entailed. Part of me thought Snow would utter a chant, wave a wand, snap his fingers, and then poof. Dad would wake up and everything would go back to normal.

  Snow lowered his gaze and covered Dad’s other hand with his own. “You said Valafar did this. You’re sure?”

  “That’s right.” Maria’s tone carried a defensive note, and my stomach twisted.

  “Does that matter?” I asked.

  “Let’s hope not.” Snow sat his duffle bag on one of the chairs and unzipped it. He removed several candles, placing them on the counter space, with a book of matches. “I’ll need everyone to leave the room and not let anyone inside until I’m finished. If I wake from the trance prematurely, it could alter things and make it difficult to get back inside.”

  Maria narrowed her gaze. “How long will this take?”

  Snow gave a half-hearted shrug. “I can’t say for sure.”

  Part of me thought Maria would argue or threaten. Instead, she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “Very well. I will instruct a soldier to guard the door.” She stepped away from the bed and crossed the room but paused at the ingress and looked back as though waiting for me to follow.

  I couldn’t. Not yet.

  My heart ached as I lowered Dad’s hand and drew a breath for courage. “Mr. Chayton, this man is my father. I’ve only just met you.” I lifted my gaze and pressed my lips into a tight line. “How do I know you mean well?”

  He exhaled and a small grin tugged one edge of his mouth. “I’ve known Logan a long time. We grew up together. Trained together. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to see him safely awake and on the mend. He’d do the same for me.”

  I pulled my lower lip between my teeth and gazed at Dad’s peaceful features; at the shape of his nose and cheekbones, a trait we shared. I wanted to believe the stranger across from me, but I just wasn’t ready to leave Dad’s side. What if something happened while I wasn’t there? What if my presence was the driving force behind his will to beat whatever spell Valafar held over him? Would he give up if he could no longer sense me near? Would he think I abandoned him?

  “Many of our trainees,” Snow continued gently, “struggle with taking the lives of the creatures we hunt despite the very real threat they pose to both human and vampyre. I was one of the trainees that struggled, but not Logan. Your father never hesitated to do what was right. I asked him once how he could take a life without even flinching, and he told me something I’ll never forget. He said every purple-eyed bastard he put in the ground made the world that much safer for his little girl. Knowing you were out there put things into perspective for him.”

  My breath hitched. “He told you about me?”

  Snow chuckled. “Are you kidding? He wouldn’t shut up about you. Or your mother. I’ll be damned if the two of you don’t get back the time you lost.”

  I looked away and swallowed my nerves. I knew Snow was trying to reassure me, and it was touching to think I was the motivation behind my father’s strength, but something didn’t add up. Dad said he joined the brotherhood to divert their attention from Mom and me. W
hy, then, would he talk about us so flippantly as Snow suggested?

  I guess Dad really does trust him.

  Pushing my insecurities aside, I nodded to the Hunter and then followed Maria out of the room. She closed the door as I slumped against the corridor wall and sighed.

  “He’s not lying,” said Maria. “I did my homework before contacting him. They really do know each other. That’s why I chose him.”

  Of course she did. Maria was always incredibly thorough.

  I managed a small smile. “Thanks. That does make me feel better.”

  Jesu appeared from the ballroom opening. He carried a coffee mug in one hand, though I could smell the salty metallic liquid from where I stood and knew it was not coffee. Upon seeing us, he paused and lifted his brow in askance, as though not expecting us to be in the hall.

  “Sorry,” he said to Maria while offering me the mug. “I did not think you would be here or I would have brought you one too.”

  Maria waved a hand at his apology. “I’m fine, dear. Dinner will be served soon.”

  Dinner for us meant breakfast for Mom and Anthony. I wondered if Snow would like something to eat after he finished his assessment. How long would he have to stay?

  Jesu nodded in the direction of the infirmary door. “So why are you both standing out here?”

  “The Hunter’s inside,” I explained. “He’s in a trance using dream magic to enter Dad’s subconscious so he can assess the damage. He warned us not to interrupt him before he’s done.”

  Jesu arched his brow. “That was quick.”

  I took the mug in both hands—mostly because I didn’t know what else to do with myself now that I was away from Dad—and peered at the scarlet liquid. The scent pulled at my cravings like the plucking of a thousand taut strings, and I imagined the rich flavor coating my tongue, but my stomach didn’t seem the least bit interested. It clenched too tight to fit anything inside. I lifted my gaze. “You guys mind waiting on Dad for me? I need to get some air.”

  “Of course, dear.” Maria nodded.

  Jesu studied me. “Are you okay?”

  “I will be.” I smiled at him while pushing the mug into his grip, hoping the grin passed for reassurance, then left the corridor without another word. In truth, I had no desire to go outside. The sun would be well above the horizon by now. I just needed ... space? Time to decompress? Both?