Darkness Rising: A Shadow Realm novel (Reclaiming the Shadow Realm Book 2) Read online

  Darkness Rising

  Reclaiming the Shadow Realm: Book Two

  Other Titles by Candy Crum

  Tales of the Feisty Druid Series

  With Michael Anderle

  (Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy—LMBPN Publishing)

  The Arcadian Druid

  The Undying Illusionist

  The Frozen Wasteland

  The Deceiver

  The Lost

  The Damned

  Into the Maelstrom

  Legends of the Ancients (Summer 2018)

  The Therian Chronicles

  (Action/Urban Fantasy—Valkyrie Publishing)

  (Book 1 Preview at the end of this book!)

  Origin (Prequel to the Series)

  The Dark Professor

  The Therian Prince

  The Vampire Queen

  The Hybrid Sovereign

  Reclaiming the Shadow Realm

  (Action/Urban Fantasy—Valkyrie Publishing)

  The Usurper

  Darkness Rising

  Shadow Born (July 2018—preorder coming soon!)

  The Anubian (August 2018—preorder coming soon!)

  Darkness Rising (this book) is a work of fiction. All the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.

  Darkness Rising by Candy Crum

  ©2018 All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any written, electronic, recording, or photocopying form without written permission of the author (Candy Crum) or the publisher, Valkyrie Publishing LLC.

  Books may be purchased legally through Amazon or directly through the publisher’s website, www.valkyriepublishingllc.com

  Published by: Valkyrie Publishing LLC, Seymour, IN 2018

  Cover Design by: Fantasy Book Design (Ljiljana Romanovic)

  Interior Design by: Candy Crum

  Darkness Rising by Candy Crum

  ISBN:

  ASIN:

  Acknowledgements

  To my boys, who are my reason for everything I do.

  To my sister and niece, who mean the world to me.

  To the fans for their love and support.

  You are all amazing, and I can’t thank you enough for all you do!

  JIT/Beta Readers

  Darlene Heisserer

  Randy Barber

  Jessica Papastergion

  Diane L. Smith

  If we left anyone out, please let us know!

  Links

  Valkyrie Publishing

  www.ValkyriePublishingLLC.com

  www.facebook.com/ValkyriePublishingLLC

  Twitter: @ValkyriePublish

  CANDY CRUM

  www.CandyCrumBooks.com

  Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Candy-Crum/e/B006RZYQCU/

  www.facebook.com/CandyCrumBooks

  www.facebook.com/groups/thecandyshopgroup/

  Twitter: @authorcandycrum

  Make sure to follow the Valkyrie fan page and especially the Candy Shop group. In there, you will get to see pre-release information including artwork (which fans get to be a part of deciding about changes), first looks at upcoming projects, and just have a damn good time!

  Follow Candy on YouTube and Instagram!

  I post regular and crazy makeup tutorials on there. I will be delving into body painting and all kinds of other super fun stuff as the channel grows! So, stop by and show your love! I’ll also be doing readings, other book related things, and maybe even written content. It’s going to be a super fun channel.

  YouTube: www.youtube.com/thecandyshop

  Instagram: @thecandyshopmua and also @candycrum

  Locations are based on reality but have been altered along with history to fit the story. Have fun and enjoy the new world! <3

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Epilogue

  The Therian Prince Preview

  Prologue

  (Author’s Note: If you’re reading this, Amazon has delivered the wrong copy. This happens with pre-orders from time to time, but this is an EASY FIX!

  On your Kindle app, simply remove it [without deleting permanently] from your Kindle Library and click on the book again to download. It will refresh your book, and you will have the full copy!

  This is a FULL copy but has only gone through two stages of minor edits, so there may be mistakes.)

  Three Thousand Years Ago

  When the sun reached its apex, the Egyptian people gathered to hear the sentencing for the woman who had been servant to the queen throughout her entire young life. The woman who had become servant and best friend to the princess the moment she was born.

  Khanae… Khia thought.

  Khia had trusted Khanae and looked up to her all their lives. Khanae was only five years older and had grown into a responsible and kind woman. Their bond had been nearly unbreakable, but that changed as Princess Khia grew older.

  Over the years, Khia began to feel her relationship with Khanae strengthening. It seemed nothing could tear them apart—until it did. She had sensed Khanae’s betrayal coming, though she didn’t understand why. She knew the older woman would turn on her, but she was prepared for when it would.

  Khia had gone to great lengths—for years—to make certain if Khanae showed her true colors, she would be ready. Still, Khia had wanted to give her closest ally the benefit of the doubt. All she ever wanted was for the two of them to rule over Egypt together—Khia as the backbone and strength, and Khanae as her conscience.

  But how could Khanae be her conscience if the woman didn’t possess one to begin with? How could she? The moment Khia had told her the plan—that she wanted to rule by Khanae’s side and show the world who the servant truly was—Khanae had turned on her.

  How?

  Why?

  Khia wanted to right every wrong in Khanae’s life, and the woman would turn her back on all their years of friendship? It made no sense! The only thing that did was that Khanae was no different than the Pharaoh and queen.

  Fake. Liars. Deceivers.

  Khanae was a friend only when it worked in her favor. Sharing the throne wasn’t good enough for her. Instead, she wanted to stand in Khia’s way, but it was the princess who would have the last laugh.

  The princess stood behind a pillar just on the edge of the palace steps. Her parents were several yards away, seated on their thrones as they stared down at Khanae. She was chained and on her knees, the Egyptian people standing twenty feet or so behind her to watch the sentencing.

  Khanae was being sentenced for treason. She had betrayed Khia, and the princess made certain the Pharaoh and queen knew of that betrayal. Now the bitch would pay for it.

  Khia smiled as she watched them judge her. It wouldn’t be long now, and Khanae would be out of her way. She would pay for her crimes.

  “You kneel before us, accused of treason. How is this possible? How could you do this?” the Pharaoh Amenhotep asked.

  Khia watched as Khanae looked around, but the servant couldn’t see Khia hiding behind the pillar and watching.

  Khanae shook her head. “But I did none of the things I am accused of. I am here because of many
lies from others. I would never betray you. Any of you.”

  The queen had a soft spot for Khanae, but that didn’t seem to be the case right then as she spoke. Khia smiled at her mother’s harsh tone.

  “Then how is it that you have come to us this way? Why would Khia and so many others tell this to us?” she asked.

  “Because they are scared! They are terrified of what will happen to them!” Khanae said.

  “Who is?” Amenhotep asked. “Who is afraid, and who are they afraid of?”

  Tears spilled down Khanae’s cheeks. “They fear Khia.”

  Khia looked around, her smile falling as the crowd began to chatter. She could see the truth on their faces, and she prayed to the gods the Pharaoh and queen wouldn’t believe the servant over their own dear daughter.

  The Pharaoh held up his hand. “You speak lies! Why would anyone fear her? She has been nothing but kind.”

  Khia listened in horror as Khanae unleashed a mouthful of names. Names of other servants who Khia hadn’t treated nicely. She had loved Khanae and had thought of her as family. She had been there the moment the princess was born. Other servants were nothing. Slaves and no better. Why couldn’t she see that?

  “Bring them!” Queen Nefertari shouted. “Bring Ipy, Ahset, and Nephthys!”

  Everyone waited expectantly as the servants were retrieved. Irsu, Khia’s personal Medjay, roughly pulled upward on Khanae’s arm as she began to slouch. He spoke to her, but Khia couldn’t hear the words.

  The three servants were brought forward, and Amenhotep wasted no time asking them about their experiences with Khia. They looked at Khanae and then to one another, no doubt taking in her severe wounds and the position she was in.

  A midwife named Nephthys stepped forward. “I helped to bring Khanae into this world, my Queen. I was there the day she was born. I cut the cord myself. There has never been a purer soul,” Nephthys said.

  “What are you saying?” Nefertari asked.

  Khia heard the quiver in her mother’s voice—the confusion and hesitation. She loved and trusted Khanae just as much as Khia had.

  This cannot be. I cannot fail, Khia thought.

  She continued to watch as Nephthys told the queen about the physical abuse she’d endured at Khia’s hand.

  The queen’s eyes were wide. “This cannot be.”

  “My Queen,” Huya, a Medjay who had been a close friend to Khanae said from the left. “I have seen her many times leaving the palace. She threatened me as well. What she did not know is that I have been following her for weeks. I have even been following Irsu.”

  The clouds covered the sun then. They were darker in color. It looked like it might rain. There was a chill in the air as Khia’s rage built. She had never been betrayed quite so harshly. Not only her closest ally, but everyone close to her. Everyone but Irsu.

  “This is impossible,” the Pharaoh said. He and Nefertari shifted nervously in their seats. “It cannot be true.”

  Kemsit, another personal servant to Khia, stepped forward from the crowd then. She stayed to the left, on Huya’s side as she approached the Pharaoh. Khia could hear a sniffing nose as she walked by.

  “Please,” she said, bowing deeply. She winced in pain as she did. “Please forgive me.”

  Without another word, she untied the rope that held her dress together and allowed it to fall to the ground. She stood there, naked before the king, the queen, and everyone that watched. Black, purple, and even older yellow and green bruises colored her back. She lifted her arms and turned in a slow circle. Among the bruises were scars and freshly raised welts from a whip.

  All marks were on her torso, backside, and even her breasts, although her face, arms, and anything lower than her mid-thighs were clear. Khia had ordered Irsu to be careful and not to mark anything that would be openly seen. It pleased her to see he had done exactly as asked but did nothing to stifle the intense anger she felt.

  Thunder cracked overhead as the clouds darkened further. The queen gasped and cried out as she saw the servant. She understood and rushed to the girl, quickly grabbing her dress and wrapping it around her before pulling her into a hug. She cradled the girl in her arms like she had done to Khia many times.

  Khia looked at Irsu, who was trembling as he tightly held Khanae’s arm. As she stared at him, she realized it wasn’t out of fear, but anger. Just as she was, he was full of rage. He had remained eerily quiet through everything.

  She had been so lost in thought and her mounting emotions she’d lost track of everything being said. But one thing stood out loud and clear. “…I could not bring myself to betray her.”

  Lying bitch! How could Khanae say such a thing when she’d done exactly that?

  “Even though she has betrayed you in such a way?” Nefertari asked, now siding with the traitor. Khanae nodded and began to cry. The queen stood then, looking into the crowd of people from the palace and to the Medjay in attendance.

  “Step forward if you have felt the wrath of my daughter, if you have a story of your own to tell. Speak now, because she will one day be your queen. Speak now, because the woman before me has had many people speak against her and is facing death. I want you to think hard about whose hands you want to hold your future.”

  It was slow at first, but dozens of people stepped forward. One of the Medjay called out above the rest. “She threatened if I did not speak against Khanae today she would have Irsu beat me to death in the prison.”

  Khia’s jaw dropped, and her eyes widened. All her planning, all her years of work… gone. She had worked so hard to establish herself as a queen. Her parents had caused death and pain for their people, and she wanted everyone to know that. She wanted to make sure that when she took the throne, it would be a smooth transition, and she would be loved even more than her parents. Worshipped. They would do so or face her wrath.

  It seemed that was no longer an option.

  If subtlety doesn’t work… perhaps I need a more direct approach.

  The thunder rolled as lightning webbed across the sky. Off in the distance, an incredible roar echoed throughout the kingdom. It was guttural and pained. Full of anguish. Anubis could feel the winds of change, and he was warning anyone who could hear him. By the looks of her expression, it would seem Khanae was the only other person who could.

  The queen and the Pharaoh raised their hands in the air, signaling everyone to quiet down. They sat back in their seats as rain began to sprinkle. The crowd fell quiet as the thunder rolled and more lightning came. They looked down at Khanae with sadness in their eyes.

  The Pharaoh looked up to the Medjay then. “Let her go. Khanae will be the rightful heir to the throne. Find Khia!”

  Another roar bellowed through the area, and it was much closer. No one except she and Khanae seemed to hear the first one, but everyone heard that one. It seemed Khanae hadn’t lied… Anubis did know about the spirit that had approached her. He was afraid of it.

  Good. He should be.

  The thought amused Khia far more deeply than she could process, causing her to giggle, but it quickly grew louder. Wicked laughter echoed out over the wind, rain, and thunder. Khanae tried to stand, but Irsu shoved down on her shoulder, keeping her on her knees. As Khia looked at him, his eyes met hers, and he smiled at her knowingly.

  Khia stepped out of the shadows from behind the Pharaoh and queen. She was still smiling as she appeared in the full light. Khanae’s eyes widened as she shivered at the sight of her princess.

  Khia’s previously obsidian hair was now snow white, her eyes lightened to an impossibly icy blue. “It looks like I missed the celebration! Khanae, announced as the heir. Above me—the only legitimate child. Hmm. Imagine that.” she said.

  “Khia,” the queen said. “What is this? What has happened to you?”

  Khia smiled. “This is the real me, Mother. I am sorry things did not go as I had planned. If it had, you would have lived.”

  From her peripheral vision, Khia could see Khanae’s eyes widen
again. She could sense the disbelief in the traitorous servant.

  “Medjay!” Khia shouted. Within moments, several Medjay stood by her side, including Irsu, who no one seemed to have noticed missing from beside Khanae. “Claim my throne.”

  At that very moment, screams—desperate screams from the people in the crowd—filled air. The Medjay’s swords cut through the necks of the Pharaoh and queen like a hot knife through butter. Their heads completely severed, rolling from their bodies down the steps to rest directly in front of Khanae.

  Khia watched with great amusement as Khanae began to scream. Tears streamed down her face as she leaned forward, her shaky hands brushing the cheek of the queen. With her new abilities, Khia could sense just how broken her once closest friend was. The woman didn’t even seem to be conscious of the fact that she was screaming so passionately.

  She was broken.

  Khia laughed again, the sound radiating over everything. She allowed Khanae to grieve for only a moment before waving a hand at a Medjay. They quickly swarmed in on Khanae, grabbing her and pulling her away from Nefertari’s severed head. She kicked and fought, but the men were too strong.

  “Enough!” Khia shouted, her voice coinciding with another thunder crack.

  Lightning struck the palace behind her, quieting everyone as pieces of stone broke away and rained down around her. She did not budge. She showed absolutely no fear.

  She smiled. “Good. You can take orders. I was starting to wonder about my people!” She paused, looking around. “Because there has been a recent change in power, allow me to introduce myself and welcome you to your new lives. I am your Queen!”

  The crowd erupted in screams and cries, which only made her smile grow. It was that day that she was reborn. That was the day that she’d achieved great power. That was the day she became Queen, not only of the Egyptian people, but of a world that had been born the moment she was.