Shadows pride, p.1
Shadow's Pride, page 1
Shadow's Pride
Nightshade Vampires, Volume 3
Danni Williams
Published by Dragon Flight Media, 2023.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
SHADOW'S PRIDE
First edition. December 1, 2023.
Copyright © 2023 Danni Williams.
ISBN: 979-8223999010
Written by Danni Williams.
Also by Danni Williams
Nightshade Vampires
Shadow's Debt
Shadow's Doubt
Shadow's Pride
Standalone
Shadow's Price
Watch for more at Danni Williams’s site.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Also By Danni Williams
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3 - Interlude
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Epilogue
Also By Danni Williams
About the Author
Prologue
“I want the Sword of Life.” The voice that came out of the darkness was colder than the frigid, winter air.
Raphael didn’t react to his Goddess’s statement. He learned long ago not to respond unless she asked him a direct question.
If anyone looked into the courtyard, they would only see the Mad King of Europe pacing. Hecate wasn’t visible to the naked eye. However, Raphael could see her clearly with his second sight. In her nightmare phase, which Hecate was currently in, she was a full-figured woman with jet black, moonlight-bright skin, red eyes, and a mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth. It was the phase that she showed to her enemies. Her other two phases, the Mother and Death, she rarely wore since being imprisoned decades earlier.
“Send your people to the lands that Silversbane rules. I can sense the Sword’s presence there.”
Raphael stopped and turned to face the corner where his Goddess stood. Her form was hazy, meaning that she hadn’t fully manifested in the mortal realm. That didn’t surprise him. He knew that it took a great deal of power just for her to reach into the realm from her prison. The other Gods hadn’t spared any effort in caging Hecate.
He tried not to think about the reason that Hecate had been locked away from the mortal dimension as it wasn’t good for his sanity. But as always, every time she visited him, he was forcibly reminded why the Gods had thought she was becoming too powerful. The fact that she could still project herself into the world spoke volumes to how powerful she truly was.
And if she could recover all the artifacts, she would have enough power to break free of her prison, and no God would be able to stop her from bringing a reign of terror upon the earth.
“Speak.”
“I will do as you command. Do you have any other information for me?” Raphael looked down at the ground.
The Goddess chuckled, her voice sending chills down his spine. “There are some pesky lions looking for it. One is the key to unlocking it.”
“Thank you, my dark Goddess.” Raphael deeply bowed. He wanted to ask her about his Shadow, but he was afraid she would deny him out of cruelty.
“Don’t fail me. I won’t hesitate to kill your Shadow, Isobel.”
Sometimes, in his saner moments, Raphael wished she would kill her. At least then, both of them would be free of their torment.
Chapter 1
“Shit!” Clarissa’s screech came to a halt when she slammed into the wall. She heard her back crack as she fell onto the floor.
She didn’t have time to take stock of her injuries. Her tormentor was rushing at her. She rolled away and forced herself to jump up.
Just in time to take a hard punch in the stomach. “Ooof...” Clarissa doubled over, gasping.
“You are so hopeless!” Brad, the Pride’s trainer, heatedly said. “I don’t know why the king insists that I personally train you.”
That was his rant during every session. She was tired of hearing how he thought training her or any other woman was a waste of time. Brad was one of the biggest misogynistic lions in the Pride. And for a Pride full of ;lion shifters, that was saying something.
Clarissa tuned him out as she tried to get her breath back. She was already healing from her injuries.
Brad disliked the fact that he had to waste his time and talents on her. He wanted to pawn her off on someone else to train, but Tagama, King of the Lion shifters, insisted he personally train her.
She honestly would have preferred someone else as well. But since Brad couldn’t refuse, he took his anger out on her during their sessions.
I bet he’s setting me up to really hurt me one day. Clarissa stood up, keeping her eyes on him as she waited for him to attack her again.
But the older lion didn’t attack. He turned to look at the door. She caught the scent of another lion, instantly recognizing it.
Jabulani, Tagama’s brother and second-in-command, opened the door and peered in. His eyes narrowed as he looked her way first before turning his hard gaze on Brad.
“I hate to interrupt your session.” Jabulani’s dry voice made it clear his words were a lie. “But Tagama needs to see Clarissa right away.”
Her shoulders slumped in relief. This would be the first time in months that she could escape a lesson without a broken bone or two. Thank the Gods for quick shifter healing.
Brad shot Jabulani a dirty look. “She still has thirty minutes left.”
No, this bastard isn’t trying to keep me here. Normally, Brad never kept her for the full time. Sick bastard. She would find some way to get back at him.
“Let me towel off, and I'll be ready.” Clarissa walked over to the wall where shelves full of towels lay folded and ready for use.
She wished she had the chance to take a shower before meeting the king. A quick sniff told her she needed soap and water in a bad way.
“Come back after you're done,” Brad ordered.
Over her dead body. Brad wouldn't see her again until their next session. Maybe she could convince Tagama to let her stop the lessons with Brad. She wasn’t learning anything from him. She learned far more from her best friend and Tagama’s son, Prince Aamandu, than the instructor.
“She won't be back today.” Jabulani stepped back and held the door open so Clarissa could exit.
Clarissa would have laughed at Brad’s frustration at having his punching bag taken away, but he would only make sure to take it out on her during their next session. Instead, she gave him an arched look as she passed him. Pompous asswipe.
They were silent as they exited the gym building. Once they were far enough away from the building, Jabulani spoke.
“Your meeting isn’t for an hour, but I figured that you would want away from him. I had clothes brought over for you so you can take a shower.”
“I'd hug you if I wasn’t so gross.” She grinned at Jabulani.
The craggy second held his hands up in mock horror. “No! Thank me by taking a shower.” He shooed her away. “Go!”
An hour later, she entered the office where Tagama and Aamandu sat.
Tagama wore his normal, serious expression on his dark face as he greeted her. The older man motioned for her to take a seat beside his son. She nodded her head in respect as she took her seat.
Aamandu flashed her a quick grin before resuming a blank expression. They must not be in any trouble, which was good because she had been called to the carpet with the prince often enough during their college years.
“Sorry to cut your practice short, but I’ve spoken with Lord Silversbane over in the States.” A faint smile reflected on Tagama’s face. If one didn’t know the king, one would think he never showed emotion. Those close to him could tell from the minute shifts in his face what he was feeling.
Clarissa and Aamandu gave each other quick glances before looking back at the older man. Hopefully, this would be the break that they needed.
“We’ve decided that a delegation will visit the Master of the City in Detroit. The visit will happen in a week’s time.”
“What’s the reason for the rush?” Aamandu’s eyes widened. “All of the other delegations took weeks to arrange.”
Both sides must want something to come of the visit for them to agree that fast. Normally, the negotiations for the visit took far longer than just a week.
Since Clarissa was part of the king’s inner circle, she knew the real reason that the lions wanted to send someone into the Detroit area. But why did the vampires
“Yes. One of the local Pride has tracked down the rumors of the Sword to Detroit.” Tagama leaned back in his leather chair. He tapped something on the laptop in front of him. “They believe that it’s in the hands of a shifter cult. Lord Andre didn’t give his reasons, but I suspect they want us to locate the Sword as well.”
The Royal Pride had been on the hunt for the legendary Sword of Life for the past two decades. The Sword was an artifact that was created by a Shaman of the Royal Lion Pride over a thousand years ago. According to legends, it gave the wielder immense strength and healing abilities. The lion who carried it was nearly impossible to kill and could heal instantly from any wound.
Unfortunately for the Supernatural world, they weren’t the only ones looking for it. Raphael, the Mad King of Europe, was looking for the major artifacts of each shifter group. No one knew why he sought them out, but most didn’t want to find out either. A crazy vampire with the power of the shifter Gods was something no sane person courted.
“Do you know who you’re sending?” Clarissa asked. She didn’t want to go back to the United States. There were so many problems that awaited her return—mainly her father and psycho ex-boyfriend. If he sent Aamandu, she would get daily updates on what was going down.
“I want the two of you to go.” Tagama held up his hand. “Before you protest, Rissa, it’s important that you go.” A sympathetic look passed over his features. “There aren’t many that I trust who can read the old language fluently. I need for you to make sure the Sword isn’t a fake.”
“What about her father? He’ll try to force her back to her home Pride,” Aamandu said with some concern.
Tagama’s face darkened with anger. Clarissa barely stopped herself from recoiling. She could see his lion staring out of his eyes at the two of them.
“My son, you have my permission to do as you see fit.” The king’s voice held the note of command. “You speak in my voice and act as my hand in this.”
Aamandu’s eyes flashed to the gold of his lion’s before returning to their normal brown. “Yes, my king.” Grim satisfaction laced his voice. He had wanted to go after her father for years.
Gods, she didn’t want to face her father at all. He was an egotistical ass that thought the world revolved around him. He ran his small Pride like it did.
And worse, if her father showed up with her ass of an ex, she might kill him herself if Aamandu didn’t take him out first. Her best friend hated her ex more than she did.
“Your official reason for the visit is to strengthen relations between our Pride and the Silversbane Court,” Tagama continued as if he hadn’t rocked her world. “But your real mission is to find the Sword. We’ll have a plane waiting to bring it back here.”
Clarissa stirred in her seat. “Do you think the vampires will try to claim it? After all, their queen is also looking for it.”
“We’ll deal with that if it happens. I think she’s just trying to keep the Mad King from getting his hands on it.” Tagama shrugged.
“Hopefully, the queen realizes that if she grabs the Sword, it might cause war,” Aamandu said as he pulled his phone out. “The dragons are still screaming about the crown.”
“Well, their inability to deal with a traitor led to that1” Tagama expressed derisively. “We won’t repeat their mistakes.”
Chapter 2
“I have a hot girl group that you should see.”
Nightshade vampire, Remy Silversbane, ignored the man who was talking to him. His attention was on the phone in his hand, reading the message on the screen.
The King of Lions is sending a delegation to Detroit. We need to meet tonight if possible. Sorry for interrupting your night.
The message was from Antoine Davis, the Nightshade Master of Detroit. He ruled the vampires in Detroit under Andre Silversbane. And he was Remy’s boss.
Remy waited until the human stopped talking, which took far longer than he liked. “Please excuse me; something important just came up.”
Most at the music industry partly knew him by reputation and would have accepted his statement. But not this man. Now that he was talking to Remy, he was determined to get him to listen to his girl group.
“Maybe we can get together later and talk about my girls. They would absolutely blow your mind.”
Remy looked down at the short, bald man in front of him. Sweat gleamed from the man’s head, shining beneath the light overhead. He was dressed in very expensive clothes that didn’t fit him all too well.
“No.” Remy’s voice was clipped. He resisted the urge to push his way past the annoying human. Only the fallout from harming a human in public stopped him from throwing the man to the side like the trash he clearly was.
Shock covered the man’s features. He reached out and grabbed Remy’s arm in desperation. The Nightshade glimpsed into the man’s thoughts, their contact making it easy for him to do so.
Flashes of the man’s thoughts hit Remy like a sledgehammer to the skull. Three terrified girls passed through his mind, along with the thoughts of how he could get them into Remy’s bed, and then use that to gain control over the record exec.
He picked up a few other thoughts that nearly had Remy snapping his neck right then and there.
David, check out Mitch Jones. He’s using his girl group as prostitutes, Remy ordered, aiming his thoughts toward his friend and security for the evening.
David nodded at him from across the room. Got it.
Let me know whose territory they’re in. If it’s Detroit, interrupt me. We’ll handle it.
There was no way in the world Remy would leave those teens to be pimped out.
“Let go of me.” The faint promise of mayhem in Remy’s voice caused the human to let go of him.
“I’m sorry about that1 man...” Mitch stuttered as he backed up. He turned and hurried away.
Have someone follow him. I want to know about his entire life by dawn.
An hour later
“It’s open,” Antoine called out as Remy approached the door. No one could approach without the Master of Detroit knowing. He could sense anyone within one hundred feet. It was one of his gifts as Master of the City.
Antoine stood up and walked around his desk to shake Remy’s hand. “Thanks for coming over so quickly. I know you had that function.”
Remy was always surprised at the contrast between Antoine’s deep voice and his appearance. If one heard the Master without seeing him, the person would assume that he was a big, burly man. In reality, he was tall and whipcord thin. But he was one of the strongest Nightshades in the Midwest.
Releasing his boss’s hand, Remy sat down. “Your text saved a human from being drained tonight.”
“Oh?” Antoine returned to his seat behind his desk. “Glad I could be of service.”
Remy pushed down a snort at the comment. The night was still young, and maybe he could still hunt down that smarmy bastard. Pedophiles like him should be put down.
“You wouldn’t be. He was a pimp of young girls masquerading as a manager.” His eyes flashed yellow in anger.
“I assume you’ll take care of him?” When Remy nodded, Antoine continued, dismissing the concern. “Andre called to let me know that King Tagama of the Lions wants to send a delegation here to Detroit.”
That wasn’t a huge surprise. The lions had been putting out feelers for a while about visiting the United States. What was surprising was that they wanted to visit Detroit instead of the Silversbane Estate where Andre was located.
“Why Detroit?” Remy knew that the local Pride was small but extremely wealthy. He would have thought that they would have visited Las Vegas to see Queen Sascha. The lions were strong, personal allies of hers. Or if they wanted to visit Lord Andre’s territory in the Midwest, they would have gone to Cleveland, where there was a larger Pride.
“Andre suspects they are on the hunt for the Sword of Life.” Antoine tapped a key on his laptop and brought it back to life. “We have reports that it’s been felt in the area.”
Remy bit back an oath. Everyone was on the search for the shifter artifacts since Lady Silversbane found the Crown of Ice the prior year. Various mystics from all the Supernatural groups had visions about several of the artifacts. The ones that the Nightshade were concerned about were the lions’ Sword of Life, the wolves’ Moon Pendant, and the Jungle Staff that once belonged to the Jaguar Goddess.
