Niyx by Samantha Kroese (websites to read books for free TXT) 📕

up at that and slid his massive blade into the straps to hold it across his back. Then he extended his hand toward her. "You can choose to become mine and part of my forest. Or you can die." His casual tone indicated he was indifferent to her response.

Kiril shrunk away from the hand. "Yours? What does that mean?"

Before Niyx could answer, she noticed dark robed figures flitting like ghosts between the graves until they surrounded her. The tallest of them came to stand beside Niyx. When he removed his hood, she saw that he was also a Night Creature who had once been an elf.

"What my Lord means to say is that you may become his bride and join us, or he will feast upon your blood and magic and consume your soul," the hooded one said solemnly.

Kiril slowly stood up. Even at her full height Niyx towered over her. "I will do neither," she said as she unleashed her magic. Ice raged around them like a storm, forming spikes from the ground.

The hooded figures vanished like smoke when the spikes nearly impaled them. Niyx simply narrowed his eyes and stomped his plate-mail covered foot over the ice spike emerging by him. He lashed out and grabbed her by the arm, yanking her close to him, and hissing with his fangs bared.

When he grabbed her arm Kiril’s magic sent her spinning into a dizzying vision of the future. At Niyx’s touch she saw their future laid bare before them. This terrifying monster was the King she had dreamed would save her. She was destined to be his Queen. The vision lasted only seconds and when her vision cleared she stared up at him in disbelief.

"Choose," Niyx growled, his bared fangs close to her neck now.

"I will be yours," Kiril whispered, even though her heart raced. Even if this man before her was a terrifying predator, her visions were never wrong.

Niyx pulled back. He looked pleased as he picked her up to carry her through the graveyard and toward the village of tents past it.

"Do you offer that choice to every woman who gets lost in your domain?" Kiril asked as calm washed over her. She was at home. Finally. This was where she belonged, and no one would harm her again.

"No. It was foretold that an oracle would come. You are the first. And the last," Niyx said with a smirk. "I have waited my entire life for you."

"And I have waited mine for you," Kiril said softly, as she rested against his chest then fell silent as he carried her into the midst of the village where the villagers were already preparing a ceremony for them. Kiril watched the villagers bustle around in confusion. “How did they know to get ready so quickly?”

“They have been ready and waiting for their Queen. We knew you would come,” Niyx explained as he carried her into their midst.

CHAPTER ONE

Snow danced gently through the air over the rows of immaculate graves. The sacred graveyard served as the court for Niyx, Lord of the Night. This marked the seventeenth year he had sat on the ancient throne made of bone during the first true snowstorm of the year.  He watched it fall, but his mind was lost in thoughts far away. His magic tracked his people through the forest around him.

He did not like to waste energy when it was unnecessary, so he sat still as a statue as the dark hooded figure floated between the gravestones. His lips twitched downward in a scowl, and his eyes narrowed just slightly. Most days he could tolerate Riven, his most trusted commander. Other days he did not forget that Riven had led the Night Creatures before they had chosen Niyx as their Lord. Today was one of the latter. He had not dared to send anyone else for the mission today. Riven would not lie to him.

Riven had been elven once but he had deteriorated into a lich, no more than paper-thin skin over a skeletal frame. The undead magic of the Night Creatures did not agree with him and he was wasting away. Soon he would lose his physical form entirely, perhaps decaying into a shade, a ghostly remnant of magic. Riven bowed low as he approached the throne. “My Lord.”

“Report,” Niyx commanded. He had no patience for niceties today.

Riven looked up, his dark eyes glowing red underneath the hood. “It is as Kiril says. There is a force of Templars from Aderaan building outside of the city gates. They do not look like normal Templars. They carry Sandsilver weaponry.”

Niyx bared his long fangs in a displeased hiss. “Sandsilver? They have not carried Sandsilver since the treaty.” The very name of the forbidden weaponry filled Niyx with fury. The treaty between his people and the elves had promised that all Sandsilver weapons would be destroyed. A metal said to be forged from the sands of eternity and starlight through an ancient ritual, Sandsilver was the only thing the Night Creatures were weak to. Normal weaponry did little against them but Sandsilver would disintegrate them on touch. Either the elves had lied about destroying the weapons or they had started forging Sandsilver once more. Both options disturbed him.

“I believe that Kiril is correct, my Lord. They mean to slay us.” Riven hovered back a few steps at Niyx’s hiss.

“Ice. Up!” Niyx growled, as he climbed up the back of the throne and onto the back of the giant blue dragon lying behind it.

Ice grumbled and let out a disgruntled snort of frost before rising into the air.

Niyx whispered the spell-command for invisibility and waved a hand to hide them from sight. He guided the dragon at a blinding speed over the tops of the withered trees. He had Ice circle above the forest outside Aderaan’s gates. The elves gathering there were dressed for war. War against the Night Creatures. The Sandsilver glittered like tiny stars were held captive within the metal of their