Prologue
Dryanya paced back and forth inside her eldest daughter’s room. A plague had befallen their lands shortly after winter hit. It had already claimed the lives of many of their people and it now had its claws in Orana. Dryanya was a powerful dark aether witch, she couldn’t stand by and watch her daughter die.
Stomping through their home, she hunted down Lord Aelvol, her husband. He was wise and powerful, he’d know what to do.
Aelvol could sense his wife’s approach and hear her stomps through the halls before she even arrived. Once she entered the great hall, she rushed to his side and wrapped her arms around his narrow waist. His long, powerful arms wrapped around her. She could feel her racing mind easing as his warmth invaded her.
“What is it my sweet flower?” he cooed to the woman he loved.
“Orana is dying.” Tears fell down her cheeks as she thought about the sweet baby she cared for all these years. “What can I do?”
Aelvol sighed loudly. The thought of losing a child sat heavily on his heart. Watching his people die was bad enough, but your own blood was absolute torture. “What about the beast? He consumes blood to heal himself. Can you use his blood to heal her? He reached his majority several days ago which means he should have all of his power now.”
Standing up straighter, Dryanya stepped out of Aelvol’s embrace. A large, wicked smile curled up her lips. “You’re right as always my brilliant star. I shall prepare. Tonight, we will try on Orana.” She knew she had to try and Orana was the best to try it on since she was already doomed to die.
Dryanya changed into her skirt made from large leaves and the many beaded wooden necklaces which covered her breasts. Freeing her hair down her back, she placed a feathered headdress atop her head. In her chamber, she eyed the beast chained to the wall up and down. He lay in a naked lump on the cold stone floor.
She could hear his faint heartbeat. For the past year, she had been removing pieces of him to test her spells: blood, hair, and cum. It didn’t change her powers much but did keep him in a weakened state.
Kneeling beside him, she stroked his dirty knotted hair. “I forgot to wish you a happy birthday, son,” she hissed out. He was no son of hers.
Slowly, Jude sat up. His purple-gray eyes were cloudy and sunken in. He didn’t realize he had been in her custody for more than a year now. He was officially ten and eight, a man. His real father told him in a dream that his powers would come then, but he felt no different.
He was looking at the woman who raised him and had been torturing him since last summer. She was dressed in her dark aether witch attire, she was going to perform a spell. He was exhausted; begged daily for a death that never came. She force-fed him blood to keep him alive. At this point, he was likely more animal than man.
He was tired of all of it.
Grabbing a dagger, she lifted his limp hand and sliced it open. He didn’t even react at this point to the pain that he had grown accustomed to. She moved his hand over a cup that she filled with his blood and then dropped it back down to the ground.
Standing by her table, she opened her grimoire and chanted over the cup of blood. Hoping it was the right spell, she ran down the hall to Orana’s room where Aelvol was already waiting.
Slowly Dryanya poured the blood into Orana’s mouth as she groaned and grimaced at the nasty taste. Dryanya continued chanting her spell, begging the powers to save her daughter. Orana lay in bed still as her parents watched anxiously. Each holding one of her hands. But nothing happened. Jude’s blood did not help her at all.
They sat with their daughter, holding her hand until the illness finally consumed her and she expelled her last breath. Dryanya wailed out her pain up to the ceiling and then crumbled over her daughter’s dead body. Aelvol’s anger began to boil to the surface, he wanted blood for the death of his daughter.
Allow his fury to lead him, Aelvol found himself in Dryana’s chambers looking down at the lump that appeared human. The abomination didn’t even react. Lifting his leg, he kicked forward until he felt it smash into the creature’s ribs.
Jude’s eyes popped open wide as his father’s foot made its way against his ribs and Aelvol began kicking in rapid succession.
Jude gritted his teeth and hissed at each contact. Several of which were hard enough to lift him off the floor.
Jude could feel bruises begin to form as his body continued to take the beatings. With one particularly solid kick, Jude heard a loud crack and felt the wind get knocked out of him. His vision blackened and he wheezed, trying to catch his breath. Clutching his chest, he tried to block the broken ribs to prevent them from getting worse. So, his father kicked him in the face, smashing his nose and sending him rolling across the floor. His hearing was fuzzy as a high-pitched ringing noise echoed through his head. Jude assumed it must be a ruptured eardrum.
Lying on his back, every part of his body ached and burned. Aelvol looked down at the chained-up beast and spit on him.
“How dare a beast like you get to live forever and my innocent daughter is dead,” Aelvol growled.
Jude’s hearing still wasn’t clear, but he caught the bulk of what his father said. “Then kill me.” This life wasn’t worth living nor did he choose it.
Leaning forward, Aelvol grabbed Jude’s neck with both hands and squeezed. Jude could feel all of the blood rush to his head as he tried gasping for air. It was finally going to be over. Lying his hands at his side, Jude let the darkness consume him.
Releasing the beast as soon as he was unconscious, Aelvol walked back to find Dryanya still draped over Orana’s body. “You must try again,” Aelvol commanded. “I won’t stand by and allow any more of our children to die. Do whatever it takes.”
After Orana’s funeral, Dryanya spent all of her time in her chamber trying to concoct the right spell to make her family immortal. She used bits and pieces of Jude to try each spell. Nothing seemed to work and she was growing increasingly more frustrated.
Jude watched all of his mother’s spells from the floor, weak from blood loss. She would only pay him attention when she wanted to remove tissue or blood. When her powers failed to give her the results she wanted, she usually struck him. His anger was growing, wanting to end the scourge that was his parents. But she kept him barely strong enough to remain conscious by only feeding him a little blood at a time.
Almost ten days after Orana’s death, she found it. She mixed his blood along with a variety of herbs and she was certain this one would work. Dryanya could feel the power emanating from the cup.
Running to the grand hall, she found Aelvol having a discussion with Darren, their eldest son. He had been trying to teach Darren for the past few years the ins and outs of running their people; how to be a good chief and lord.
“I’ve done it!” she announced as she walked in. Both pairs of eyes turned to face her.
Aelvol’s breathing became ragged as he dared to hope, but Darren furrowed his brows in confusion. “Immortality boy. Your mother found a good use for that beast who’s been posing as one of your brothers,” Aelvol filled in for Darren once he saw his confusion. Darren’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open “You will try it on me first. I won’t put another child’s life at risk.”
Waving Darren away, Dryanya followed Aelvol into their bedroom. He sat on the side of the bed while she handed him the cup of Jude’s blood. Taking a deep breath, he chugged the contents. His face curled up into a grimace at the flavor. How that beast could stomach this was further proof that he was more animal than man.
Aelvol’s eyes stared around his room, he didn’t feel any different. Dryanya watched him curiously. Did it not work? Suddenly, his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell back onto the bed. Rushing to him, she placed her ear to his chest to hear his heart still thumping loudly. Now all she could do was wait.
Two days after giving Aelvol Jude’s blood, his fever finally passed and he appeared stronger than ever. The spell worked! Dryanya was so excited to be using it on her children next to save them from death.
Dryanya returned to her chamber again in her dark aether witch attire. She thought Jude’s coloring appeared darker and less sickly, but she assumed it was from him healing while she hadn’t been bleeding him. He’d be pale again soon enough as she bled him dry to save her children.
Walking up to Jude with her dagger, she placed four cups by him and grabbed his arm. Jude looked up at her, fear in his eyes. He tried to pull his arm back and fight her, but he was still too weak. Likely only having the strength to stand, he still didn’t possess the strength to fight back. Jude hadn’t used his muscles in over a year.
“I’m glad to see there’s some fight left in you. But now you will give the last of your strength to my children for they will live forever while you die.” Using the tip of the dagger she dragged it from his inner elbow to his wrist. Slicing open his left forearm.
Jude tried to clench his teeth through the searing pain. But a groan escaped the longer she dug in her blade. Holding his arm over the cups, she let his crimson blood drain from his body. Jude felt the darkness trying to consume him again as his blood filled up the cups. The efforts to save him while his mother was distracted were for naught. Death was better than the life he had had to suffer through.
Dropping his arm back onto the floor, his blood continued to pool around him making the floor sticky. The bigger the pool grew, the weaker he became. His muscles were completely unresponsive and his vision began to blur.
Dryanya added the necessary herbs and began the chanting while Aelvol retrieved the children. They slowly filed into the room one at a time.
Darren walked in first and laughed at Jude’s weakened state.
Oltogg thought he was going to be sick at the sight of his brother and only friend in such a state.
Druegan and Shyqa filtered into the room side by side. Shyqa squealed and ran up to Jude, but he didn’t even move.
“What is wrong with Jude?” Druegan asked as he had to fight down nausea that was rising high into his throat.
“He is giving his life to allow all of you to live forever,” Aelvol answered as he walked into the chamber last.
“I don’t want to be immortal if it means the death of my brother,” Shyqa choked out through her tears.
“He is no brother of yours!” Dryanya shouted. “Now get up and move away from that creature.”
Aelvol moved all of the siblings into a line as Shyqa continued to cry for her dying brother. Jude was always so kind to her, she never understood why he was treated so poorly. Druegan hated this too, he would rather have Jude play with him again. Oltogg stood by his siblings determined to avenge his brother’s merciless treatment. With his immortal life, he would find a way to kill his parents and Darren for this. He planned to spend his time training until he was finally strong enough to finish them.
“Drink,” Dryanya commanded as she handed each of her children a cup of Jude’s blood.
Each of them drank and gagged a little. Darren was the only one who kept a smile on his face. He was ready for that creature to finally be out of their lives. One by one, they each passed out onto the floor and Aelvol carried them to their beds.
“I think I will keep him alive to keep using him for parts. There’s no point in wasting such power,” Dryanya decided as Aelvol picked up Darren last.
“As you wish. I will send in a servant for you to bleed and save him.” She nodded as he walked out.
One of the servants came in shortly after Aelvol left. Dryanya cut open their hand and drained some of their blood into a cup. It was just enough to keep Jude alive without making him strong enough to escape.
Jude sat still and swallowed the blood as she slowly poured it into his mouth. The fresh blood and his renewed anger burned through his veins. As she tried to stand, Jude grabbed her causing her to slip in the pool of his blood. Hitting her head, she lay on the floor in confusion for a moment. Her misstep allowed Jude to crawl over to her and bite into her neck.
She screamed out in pain as she felt his fangs pierce into her.
His strength slowly returned as hers dwindled. She no longer had the ability to fight him off. Dryanya’s Dark Aether blood was stronger than anything he had ever tasted before. He felt the tingle causing his muscles to grow rapidly. Her power flooded through his veins.
As Jude drained her dry, Aelvol walked in to see Jude over top of his wife.
“No!” he shouted and ran to Jude. Grabbing Jude by his knotted hair, Aelvol pulled Jude away from Dryanya.
Jude looked up at his father and smiled. Blood dribbled out of his mouth and onto his beard. Throwing the creature to the side, he checked on Dryanya but her heart no longer thumped in her chest. She was dead.
Jude slowly stood up on unsure legs. His chest rose and fell in large gasps as he felt her blood powering him. Jude chuckled evilly and licked his lips. “Mmmm, Mother was delicious.” His voice was no longer human, but deep and gravelly. They believed him to be a beast, so why hide it any longer?
Aelvol unsheathed his dagger and lunged at Jude who stepped out of his way. The two men fought back and forth. Jude’s muscles were still weak and unsure making his movements sloppy. Aelvol managed to knock Jude onto the ground.
Standing over Jude, Aelvol attempted to plunge his dagger into Jude’s heart. Jude held onto Aelvol’s hands and bent them out of the way. The weakened muscles gave out slightly allowing Aelvol’s dagger to cut deep into Jude’s left pec down to his ribs.
Jude roared out in pain as he kicked his father off him. After several more minutes of fighting, Jude finally pinned Aelvol against the wall and bit down on his father’s neck. Aelvol’s eyes widened in pain as he continued to try and fight.
But again, Jude strengthened more and more as Aelvol weakened. Before long, Aelvol was drained and dead. Jude was left standing in his mother’s chamber. Both of his parents were dead at his feet. The beast inside was pleased with the macabre scene around him. His muscles flexed with the new blood running through his system. His mother’s witch blood along with his father’s immortal blood felt like the biggest surge of energy. He had never felt this good before.
Grabbing the cloth on her table, he wrapped it around his hips and then assembled the servants. Standing in the grand hall, he addressed everyone at once.
“I have defeated Lord Aelvol and his witch. By our laws, I am your new Lord. Spread the news. You two,” he pointed at two of the servants nearby, “clean up her chamber and burn everything. Prepare their bodies for a proper funeral pyre. Bring me her grimoire. You three,” he pointed to three of the loveliest servants he could find. The beast inside him was drugged up on blood and needed a release. A virgin Lord was unacceptable. “You will clean me up. Away with all of you,” he commanded. Everyone bowed their heads and followed his orders quickly.
In his parents’ old bed chambers, the three servants prepared him a hot bath and tended to his more carnal needs. After the beast was clean and fully sated, he curled up in bed with his three new women and they all fell asleep. He knew he would need his rest when his siblings awoke to find their parents slaughtered, at least Darren would seek vengeance.
Jude met with the generals and explained that he was now in charge. He gave them this one opportunity to fight him. After being imprisoned for over a year, he was much smaller but his parents' blood still powered him. Anyone who attempted to challenge him after this moment would find their entire families slaughtered.
Only one general challenged Jude and he made quick work of them. Striking him down, Jude removed the man’s head causing blood to pool by the body. The rest of the generals quickly placed a fist to their chests and bowed to Jude.
A servant rushed in and whispered into Jude’s ear alerting him that his siblings were awake. Sheathing his Xiphos, he returned to his throne and nodded his head.
Now it was time to greet his siblings for the first time, not as their brother but as their Lord.
