Burn

  BURN

  A Hidden Magic Prequel

  L.L. HUNTER

  Copyright © 2016 L.L. Hunter

  BURN

  9781311108494

  All Rights Reserved

  First Edition

  Manuscript Services Provided by

  Rogena Mitchell-Jones, Literary Editor

  www.rogenamitchell.com

  Cover Design by Desiree DeOrto

  This book may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. All characters and storylines are the properties of the author and your support and respect is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Both author and editor have taken considerable effort in presenting a manuscript free of errors. However, editing errors are ultimately the responsibility of the author.

  This author writes in both American English and Australian English and may include Australian diction.

  Smashwords Edition

  Burn

  A Hidden Magic Prequel

  Emmaline was once the most beautiful princess in all the lands.

  She was also the most powerful.

  You see, she was from a long line of powerful Dragon Shifters and the magic in her blood was pure and strong.

  Everyone wanted it.

  This is the story of the girl with the fire in her eyes—the first and the last.

  ***

  Emmaline was only seventeen when she met the love of her life.

  Her love was a man whom she knew her parents would never approve of.

  Darcy was mysterious and dark and dangerous and everything she knew she could never have.

  Emmaline was meant to rule the Capital—a Realm parallel to ours that ruled over every paranormal creature in existence. She was meant to be its queen.

  But there was a fire in her blood that had nothing to do with what she was.

  She craved more than just ruling a kingdom. She hungered for love and excitement more than being a queen or princess could ever give her.

  That was why she ran away.

  In the shadowy night one summer, she fled the Dragon Kingdom on her horse, an Arabian stallion dark as the evening. She rode her trusty steed Smoke towards the very place her father had forbidden her to be—the Vampire Kingdom.

  Why the Vampire Kingdom, you may ask? Well, Emmaline had always had a fascination with the blood drinkers. They were always made out to be feared in the books she read growing up, and she didn’t believe the stories her parents had told her. She wanted to find out for herself. She thought them to be beautiful creatures.

  And being with vampires was so much better than reigning over a kingdom full of scaly fire-breathing beasts.

  Emmaline wore a black hooded cloak to cover her white-blonde hair. She had tied her long white locks up atop her head to conceal it, as her mother was always saying her hair reminded her of moonlight across the ocean.

  She didn’t want to be the moonlight. She wanted to be the darkness.

  She galloped through the gates at the base of Mount Vampire—the place of which the Palace of the Vampire Queen was built. Her dapple grey stallion whinnied and his hooves struck the gravel loudly. Emmaline glanced up at the magnificent gothic mansion atop the mountain, waiting for a face to appear in a window. Candles were already lit alongside the steep drive so it was easy to find her way. She gripped Smoke’s reigns until her knuckles turned white. Why had she come? She almost turned Smoke around to leave when the front door of the palace cracked open and a figure stood in the shadows.

  Emmaline braced herself for the onslaught.

  ***

  But no one jumped out of the shadows and attacked. Emmaline tried to calm her racing heart. It was almost back at resting speed when the figure in the doorway stepped out into the light, and her heart started its dance again.

  “Are you all right?” The figure was a man. His voice was deep, a little husky and oh so seductive. It reminded Emmaline of the whiskey her father poured himself every night before he retired to his room—smooth over ice. To her, the mysterious stranger’s voice sounded safe but dangerous at the same time. She liked it very much.

  “Miss? I asked if you are all right. It is not often we get guests at this time of night, especially young maidens as fair as you on handsome steeds.”

  It was then Emmaline realized she had forgotten to speak.

  “Oh, yes. I am fine.” She slid down off her horse and let her hood drop. Her long moonlight hair had fallen out of its up-do and now cascaded down her back. The mysterious man before her gasped and stepped closer.

  It was then she caught sight of his face.

  And his eyes.

  His eyes burned blood red fire and his face was almost as pale as her hair. She almost stepped back towards Smoke, but she was not afraid. Only for an instant. She was mostly curious and a whole lot excited about her new friend.

  “My name is Darcy and this is my home. What brings you here?” Darcy smiled a friendly smile and took her hand in his. He pressed a kiss upon her hand.

  “I apologize for my bluntness, but you are the most beautiful maiden I have ever laid eyes on. What is your name?”

  Emmaline wasn’t sure whether she should reveal her name to the handsome stranger. She had only just met him, and he might have heard of her. After all, her family was famous. Everyone had heard of them.

  But Emmaline felt safe with this man.

  She couldn’t explain it, but this man made her want to reveal her deepest darkest secrets. So she put her hand on top of his and met his gaze.

  “My name is Emmaline. I am the Dragon Heart Princess, and I seek refuge in your lands.”

  ***

  Darcy studied the mysterious woman across from him. The fire in the hearth burned as strongly as the fire in his heart as he watched her sip hot chocolate in front of the fireplace. Not much was known about the Dragon Heart princess. He knew there was a princess, but he had thought she’d be only a child. The girl… no, the woman who sat before him now was anything but a child.

  “Tell me, Emmaline. What made you flee your lands in the middle of the night?” Emmaline took a mouthful of warm chocolatey goodness and swallowed before opening her sapphire eyes.

  “It was the only time I could get away. You see, my father, well, he wants me to rule, but I do not wish to rule.”

  Darcy swallowed and his Adam’s apple bobbing. Emmaline was the most beautiful and intriguing woman he had ever laid his eyes on. And she was here in his castle. He must be dreaming. He shook his head.

  “And why do you not want to rule? I think a fine woman such as yourself would make an excellent queen.”

  Blood blossomed on her porcelain cheeks. The brightness of her eyes and the pinkness of her lips was a stark contrast to her pale features. It made him want to lean closer and sink his teeth into that supple flesh… No. He couldn’t. Oh, but he was tempted. He licked his lips and concentrated on her words. She was speaking again and he hadn’t noticed. He was too focused on the pulse of the vein in her neck and the delectable scent of her skin… Stop it, Darcy!

  “You are too kind, sir. So, Darcy, is it? Do you live alone in this magnificent house?”

  It was merely a question to fill the awkward void between them. In truth, her house was four times as grand and her lands twice as large. But she was no snob. Darcy’s house had an exciting feel to it that hers did not. It was dark and dangerous and it made her feel alive. Here, she could be anyone she wanted and no one would know… She turned her gaze to t
he man before her.

  His dark hair was striking against his pale complexion, and his red eyes made him look frightening but fascinating at the same time. She had a craving to get to know this man. He had an allure she couldn’t escape. Emmaline admitted she didn’t want to escape. She could stay here forever. She put her mug down on the floor between her feet, and as she was straightening, Darcy’s forehead collided with hers.

  “Oh!”

  “Ouch. I am so sorry, princess.”

  She laughed. Her voice, her laughter—it was musical and magical, Darcy thought. It lured him in and ensnared him.

  “It is quite all right, Darcy.” He slipped his hand in between hers and she gasped. Their gazes met and the fire in the hearth blazed bright with green and yellow flames. Darcy lunged for her.

  They flew back and landed on the love seat she had been perched on. Darcy’s teeth and lips skimmed her neck. He was oh so tempted… Emmaline’s hands went to his hair and pulled him closer.

  She had never been with a man before. Something about Darcy frightened her, and he made her want to explore everything.

  Hands roamed down, down, skirting buttons and ripping them from their holes. Buttons popped and lips caressed.

  “Oh, Darcy,” Emmaline cried as his teeth pierced her flesh. He could wait no longer. He needed to taste her blood, her flesh. He needed all of her. Her clothes were torn and discarded and his soon joined.

  ***

  Emmaline was a strong, beautiful woman. She was powerful, but she could not resist the allure of the mysterious man with the red eyes. Her skin burned as he drank from her. She should not have allowed him to drink from her. He was a vampire. He was the monster her father taught her to fear… but this vampire was different. He wouldn’t kill her, would he?

  Darcy yelled out and leaped away as fuchsia flames overwhelmed Emmaline’s body. Her entire body was engulfed in the strange pink fire that wasn’t hot. He knew fire killed vampires, but he crept closer anyway.

  “Emmaline? Emmaline, what is going on?”

  She wreathed on the sofa as the pink flame surrounded her. It lifted her up. She hovered in the air for a few seconds, before floating down, down to the carpet. She stood still, head down. Her hair floated around her like a white curtain. The flames dimmed and Emmaline looked up. Her eyes glowed the same colour as the fire.

  “I am sorry. I should have told you how powerful I am. It is my curse. It is the reason I fled. It is the reason I should never have come. You shouldn’t have drunk from me.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Emmaline backed away toward the door. She was cursed and now she had cursed him. Darcy followed but she put up a hand.

  “No! Do not come! Do not follow. I am sorry.” He thought he saw a pure crystal tear sparkle on her cheek in the candlelight before she disappeared out the door.

  Darcy tried to follow but something prevented him. He felt a magical pull soldering him to the spot. No matter how hard he tried, he could not escape his mansion and follow the girl of his dreams into the night. He was trapped.

  ***

  Emmaline never should have let him drink from her. She never should have let him get close. She never should have fled her home.

  Now she had infected him with her curse, and she was afraid of what might happen. She had also done something to prevent him from following her. The magic in her veins allowed her to cast spells like a witch, so she trapped Darcy in his house for all eternity. Then she pulled the hood over her head and ran back to her home never to speak of him again.

  He would remain her dark, dirty secret.

  Emmaline tried to forget Darcy, but it was a bit hard when his face filled her every dream and his child filled her womb. What they had shared was her secret to keep. She didn’t tell her father and the very next day, accepted her fate.

  She was crowned queen of all the supernatural creatures.

  Time passed on.

  But time—time was a funny thing.

  You see, in Emmaline’s lands, the land of witches, vampires, and all manner of supernatural beings, time passed differently than that of the realm which humans existed.

  Emmaline could not die. She was immortal and would live forever with the knowledge she had started a revolution.

  It was her magic that had started the awakening of supernatural creatures, and it was her magic that would end their existence.

  The night she had spent with Darcy thousands of years before, in human time, had given her a gift. Her father had called her child an abomination when she had given birth nine months later. Her father didn’t know what Darcy was, and no one could ever know.

  When her secret was revealed, and her belly began to show signs of her being with child, her father banished Emmaline to her chambers. When her son was ripped from her arms, Emmaline cried.

  She didn’t eat or sleep or drink. She stayed in her tower for a month with only her magic to sustain her.

  She made a promise to herself, and it was from that moment on she vowed she would bring down the existence of magic. She would not only find her son, but she would also seek vengeance on the ones who had caused her pain.

  Being powerful was a curse and she would rather see the world burn than to witness anyone suffer as she had.

  When Emmaline became queen of all the supernatural creatures, her first action was to kill her father. He was a cruel dictator, and it was he who had taken her son. She then passed a law, which prevented any creature from breeding with another species. Bloodlines had to stay pure. There was to be no mixing of power or magic and there had to be no fleeing of lands. Everyone had to stay within the realm of which they were born.

  It was all good and well until her ancestor Evaline was born. Her birth sparked the awakening of dormant magic inside one young man by the name of Ash. The very magic she sought to destroy.

  And so began the quest to rid the world of the Dragon Heart.

  She waited her turn under the guise of a twenty-first-century attorney from Sydney, Australia. She smiled as she picked up her latest case file and sipped her soy latte while gazing out the office window at the glittering blue harbour.

  Yes, human suited her well.

  Enjoyed Burn and want more?

  Turn the page to read an exclusive excerpt from Illuminate.

  Sneak Peek — Illuminate

  The cursor blinked on my screen and a migraine pulsed at my temple. I closed my eyes for a second to massage the area, and when I opened my eyes again, I was staring at the face of my nightmare. I screamed and jumped back.

  Sitting in an office chair, I had fallen out of it. I picked myself back up and edged back to the desk I peered over the arm of the chair to check if the threat was still there. Never in my wildest dreams had I expected to see him again. I had run from my past for a reason. I hadn’t seen him in hundreds of years. Why was he here now?

  “Emmaline, you look lovelier than you did back then. I know you’re there so come out of hiding.”

  I sat back on the floor and tried to calm my heart and breathing. It was coming too fast. It was all too quick, too much. I couldn’t breathe… She felt the magic surge. A hint of fuchsia travelled up my arms and into my eyes calming down my racing heart. I closed my eyes, counted to three, and stood to face the man I thought I had escaped.

  “Darcy. How did you find me?”

  “That doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I need a favor.”

  “You need a favor? Why now?”

  “Emmaline, you left me. The least you can do for me is the honor of a small favor for breaking my heart.”

  The power inside me rose up again, and I inhaled to keep it at bay. I laughed. Power made my giddy. Power made me sick.

  “Breaking your heart? It was the least I could do for what you had done to me.”

  “What I did… Emma, I did nothing but love you.”

  “Love me? No, you ruined me.” My finger hovered over the escape button, ready to close down the video chat
window. But his voice did something that made me take my hand away. I sighed. Damn. This man would be the death of me.

  “What do you want, Darcy?”

  “I need you to track down your ancestor Evaline and her Dragon shifter lover. They’ve roamed over to the Human Realm.”

  “Ah, yes. I thought I could feel the shift of magic. I’ll deal with it. Don’t worry.”

  “Thank you. And when you do find them, come find me.”

  I closed down the chat and whispered to the black screen, “Not even in your dreams.”

  One year later

  The whir of the milk frothier pulled me out of my daydream.

  “Emma?” I looked up.

  “Yes. That’s me.” I shuffled over to the counter and took my warm cup of much-needed caffeine from the barista. I pressed a plastic lid down on it and took a sip.

  Mm. That was good. Now I was ready to begin my day.

  I checked my vintage wrist watch. It was 8.28 a.m. on a Monday morning. A day I hated. A time I hated even more. But priding myself as a morning person, I plastered a smile on my face and pushed through the mass of commuters doing the same thing as I was—moving toward their place of work.

  Before I had come here, I was relished in the power of a good beauty sleep and mornings were my enemy. In fact, I once tried to make mornings illegal. It worked well for a few years, until that unfortunate incident where a certain someone who shall not be named ruined my life forever. I was forced to flee and who knows what happened to my kingdom after that. The bustling, fast moving city of Sydney was a big change from the pristine palaces of my old kingdom.