Dark Prince by Michelle M. Pillow Read Free Book Online Page B

in the center. They nodded back, their crowned heads tilted pleasantly as they smiled at Yusef and his bride. The royal couple was dressed in matching purple tunics. Looking over at Yusef’s black outfit and then hers, she frowned. They weren’t going to have to dress alike every day, were they?
    Councilmen stood to the side of the royalty. The bonfire in the main yard had burned low sometime during the night. Looking around, Olena noticed no one looked the worse for wear, expect for one beefy warrior on the sideline with two black eyes. Seeing he had her attention, he smiled jovially and nodded his head. Olena insolently winked back.
    Rubbing absently at her arm, she flinched as the wound stung beneath her hand. She was glad Yusef had stopped asking about it. It was not something she could explain without first telling him she was a pirate.
    "Queen Mede, King Llyr, may I present Lady…." Yusef’s voice trailed off. With a sheepish grin, he turned to his wife. Her hand was on his arm. Leaning to whisper, he put his hand over hers and said, "You know I never got your name."
    Unable to stop herself, she smirked, "I know."
    "What is your name?" Yusef asked softly, the words coming in a rush.
    The King and Queen shared a look. The bride smiled prettily at them and the Queen hesitantly smiled back.
    "You should have thought about that earlier, dragon," Olena said mischievously
    Standing straight, Yusef heard someone from the gathered crowd behind him beginning to chuckle. Loudly, he announced with a handsome grin, "My lady wife."
    The Queen hid her amusement behind her hand. The King bit his lips and nodded his head at the dark man before him. Olena’s body quivered with laughter beneath his hand as she tried not to burst out in her own merriment.
    "Beware, wife, you’ve had your fun, but I’ll discover your name," he said quietly, his voice held much promise in it. "Now crush my crystal and be done with it."
    Olena’s suppressed laughter died at his words. Her smile wavered slightly. Lifting one hand, she took the crystal from his neck and dropped it on the ground. With a hard whack, she crushed it beneath her boot. The gathered crowd cheered.
    Through a haze, she heard the Queen speak, as if in slow motion, "Welcome to the family of Draig, my lady. I hope you will enjoy your new home."
    The gentle fog that Olena didn’t realize remained over her, lifted. Her eyes became suddenly clear and the pain in her arm intensified tenfold. She blinked, her face becoming pale. It was as if some protective shield had broken and she was again human.
    "Yusef." The Queen rose to her feet. She pointed at Olena. The proud smile faded from his features at his mother’s pale look. "Grab her, she’s bleeding."
    A commotion started as the word spread. A councilman called for a medic.
    Olena blinked, not understanding what was going on, not understanding the queen’s frantic words as she pointed in her direction. Numbly she looked down at her arm. Her hand was covered in blood. Her ears rung, deafening her with the rush in her brain. She saw Yusef reaching for her as she fell. It was like watching a dream. Her eyes rolled back in her head. She was out.
    Yusef gathered his wife into his arms, catching her against his chest as he lowered Olena to the platform. Her blood pooled by her side. He ripped her sleeve open, revealing the blood-soaked bandage wrapped around her upper arm.
    The King ordered the onlookers back and the crowd parted to let a medic through. Yusef unwound the bandage as the medic ran up the stairs. The man dropped his kit beside her and pushed the Prince back.
    "Yusef," his mother asked in shock. "You … you… Never mind, I know you couldn’t have, but how could you not see this?"
    "What happened?" the medic asked.
    "I’m not sure," Yusef answered quietly, so that the curious crowd couldn’t hear. "I did not see."
    The King looked at him, revealing with his eyes that he expected a full report later. Yusef nodded. He