Black Rose
Authors: K.L. Bone
Black
Rose
By
K.L. Bone
Text Copyright ©
2014 Kristin L. Bone
All Right Reserved
Cover Art © 2014 by Skyla Dawn Cameron
First Edition: Oct. 2014
All
rights reserved. 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 any information storage and retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the author.
This
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of
the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales,
organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Dedication:
This novel is dedicated
to my mother, Tracy, and my mum, Teresa, for supporting me through every twist
and turn of this story and its path to publication.
To my writing
partner and best friend, Jonny R. – thank you for all your encouragement,
support, humor, and everything in between.
And to my
teacher, friend and lifelong mentor, Mike S.
For
the first time in over six hundred years, Mara dreamed of the sea. As she
walked along the ancient walls her feet sank softly into the sand beneath her.
Mara was reluctant to face the water, foaming in soft waves behind her with an
elegance that was held only by the sea. The sky was painted in pinks, oranges
and reds. The sun slowly rose from the water, as though emerging from the
ocean’s deep blue waves. As Mara finally turned, the scene, so clear in her
mind, was even more beautiful to behold. Taking a deep breath, Mara could taste
the salt on the tip of her tongue. She closed her eyes and took several steps
forward, allowing the sand and salt to saturate her pale skin as it absorbed
the first rays of the rising sun.
As
she reached the edge of the water, she lowered her hand, allowing the foam to
wash over the tips of her fingers. She knelt down upon the beach as the wind
bit at the edge of her full length royal blue gown. A shadow fell over her
face. She did not need to look up to know who it was. “Philip.”
“Hello,
my Lady.” His voice was deep and gentle, the way it had sounded all those
centuries ago.
“Is
it my time, my Lord? Have you come to take me away?”
His
bronze hand came into Mara’s view, raising her chin to meet his crystal blue
gaze. “Do you truly wish it?”
“Every
day.” Her usually strong voice came out soft and unsure. “I have much to atone
for.”
He
stared at her for several moments, and a look of sorrow came into those blue
eyes. “You know that you cannot stay here.”
“Why?
It should have ended, all those years ago.” The wind blew her hair softly
behind her. “I should have followed you into the sea.”
“Do
not say such things, my Lady. You must go back. He needs you now.”
“Needs
me?” she whispered, confused. “He has not needed me in centuries.”
“If
you do not find him, he will surely die.”
With
those words, the dream changed. The purple hues of the sky began to spread,
swallowing the lighter pinks and reds that lay throughout the clouds. It spread
from the water to fill the sky, all the while changing from purple to grey. The
water grew darker and rose in ever- increasing waves before rising up in a high
wall which reached to blend with the ever-darkening sky. The water and sky
turned black as the ground beneath Mara’s feet transformed from soft sand to
hard stone. The sun dimmed to a small flame, becoming the only light visible in
the darkness and Mara once again found herself standing inside those dark,
horrifying chambers.
She
closed her eyes, but was unable to block out the sound of the young woman’s
voice, begging for the release of the man Mara knew would be lying on the blood
soaked sheets. Her eyes opened against her will and she saw him there, lying
nude across the bed. A beautiful woman lay naked beside him, terrible in her
wild beauty, a bloody, silver knife clutched in her left hand.
“No!”
Mara screamed as she was pulled from the dream in a violent jerk. “Edward.” She
called out the one name she had not spoken since the night that Phillip had
died. “Where are you?”
Mara
hugged her knees to her chest, her body shaking from the impact of the dream.
She fought to draw several deep breaths before turning to glance at the small
clock. It would be just after midnight at the Ciar Court—crazy to call this
late.
Yet
no sooner than this thought entered her mind, she disregarded it. Rising from
the bed, she grabbed her phone from a small desk in the left corner of the
room. She dialed a number she knew by heart, despite rarely ever calling it.
Moments later she was greeted by the secretary of the Ciar Court Guard.
“I
need to speak with Edward,” she told the young woman on the other end of the
line.
“I’m
sorry,” the woman replied. “The Captain is away on assignment.”
“Then
patch me through to whoever is in charge of the guard while he is away.”
“Do
you mean Sub-Captain Jake?”
“Yes!
Jake, Garreth, whoever Edward left in charge.”
“Umm,
I’m sorry.” The woman did not sound nearly apologetic enough for Mara’s taste.
“Sub-Captain Jake gave orders not to be disturbed.”
“Tell
Sub-Captain Jake that it’s a pretty woman on the other end of the phone.”
“I
think he’s with a pretty woman,” the secretary replied. “Which is the reason he
is not to be disturbed. I’m sorry, ma’am. I can either take a message or you
are free to call back tomorrow.”
Mara
sighed. She would have to do this the hard way.
“Tell
the Sub-Captain that Mara Sethian of the Black Rose needs to speak with him. He
can either come to the phone, or I will get on a flight and knock down his
door!”
“Did
you say, Black Rose?”
“Yes.
The Captain of the Black Rose, to be more precise.”
“Oh,”
the woman said, suddenly sounding much younger than she had over the past few
minutes. “Right away, Captain. I will get him right away.”
The
other end of the line went quiet as the call was transferred. Approximately
thirty seconds later, a rather tired sounding male voice came on the line.
“This had better be important.”
“Jake,”
Mara said, “when exactly did Edward get the crazy idea to make you his second?”
A
moment of silence followed before Jake answered. “He ran out of all other
candidates for the job.”
She
laughed. “Yes, I figured that is what it would take.”
“How
are you, Mara?”
“That
depends, Jake.”
“On
what?”
“Where’s
Edward?”
“All
these years and the only thing you want to know is the location of another,
more powerful and better looking man? I’m hurt.”
“You’re
right, Jake. Where are my manners? How are you? And do you happen to know where
your better looking half is?”
It
was Jake’s turn to laugh. “I am doing rather well. Edward was sent to deliver
some messages to the Arum Court.” He paused. “Come to think of it, I would have
thought he would be back by now. Did you ask for him when you called?”
“Yes.”
Jake’s
voice took on a far more serious tone. “Wait. You actually called for Edward?
What happened? You never call for Edward.”
“Sometimes
I do.”
“No.
You never call for Edward. Not once in six hundred years. You ask about Edward,
but you never actually speak to Edward. What the hell is going on?”
Mara
paused before answering, “Just a bad dream.”
“A
dream?”
“If
you hear from him, I want you to call the Rose.”
Jake
gave a slight gasp. “You are giving me a direct line to the Captain of the
Black Rose? Must have been a terrible dream.”
“Let’s
just say,” she replied slowly, “it was as deep as the sea.”
Lady
Sandra walked down the long hallways of the Arum Court. The walls of the palace
were generally painted in deep reds or royal blues, but as Sandra began to
descend, the colors began to fade. The walls of the lower levels ran deep
underground, built in large blocks of black stone and enchanted to withstand
the test of time. A light chill filled the air causing Sandra to shiver in her
thin blue shirt.
The
man walking by her side was Regald, Captain of the Arum Court Guard who had
served as her bodyguard for the past several years. He was tall with pale skin,
short golden hair and green eyes. He wore a long-sleeved shirt of crimson with
a small black rose upon the single pocket on the left side.
“So,”
Sandra asked the Captain as they descended the darkened hallway. “Do you know
why King Mathew has ordered us into these,” she searched for the word,
“charming chambers today?”
Regald
hesitated before answering. “No, my Lady. I am afraid I have no idea.”
She
looked at him in surprise. “Does that worry you?”
Regald
gave the slightest of nods. “I am not normally excluded from the King’s plans.”
They were ushered through a large wooden door and into a circular room
featuring large torches burning sporadically along the dark walls.
“Line
the walls, please,” a younger guard called to the arriving crowd. “Please
everyone, backs against the wall.” Sandra took several paces further into the
musty room and stepped to her left. The wall behind her back was slightly damp,
causing her to step forward to keep her blouse from touching it.
“Do
you see Darek?” she asked, inquiring as to the whereabouts of her finance.
Regald
glanced around the room as he moved to stand beside her. “I do not see him, my
Lady.”
“Hmm.
I wonder if he will be here later.”
Her
gaze traveled the room. It was barren, save for a single silver table standing
at its center. Thick, silver chains lay upon the top. As her gaze traveled
downwards, she realized they were bolted to the floor. Sandra’s eyes shifted
back to Regald’s warily. “What is this room used for?”
