Shades of Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #16) - Alexandra Ivy

Chapter 1

Mer-folk castle, late fall

Troy, Prince of Imps, stifled a yawn as he strolled through the marble corridor of the mer-folk castle. It was a stunningly beautiful place that stretched for endless miles beneath the ocean. The walls were decorated with exquisite murals, and massive chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceilings. There were carved statues lining the wide corridors and delicate furnishings covered in fabrics that shimmered in pale shades of blue and green.

Even better, the beautiful mer-folk drifted through the spiderweb of rooms in gossamer gowns that left little to the imagination.

So why was he bored?

Troy halted in front of a section of wall that was a clear panel to reveal the dark waters outside the castle that were populated with dazzling reefs and fish that glowed with an effervescent light. Tilting his head to the side, he admired his reflection.

He truly was a glorious sight with his brilliant hair flowing down his back like a river of fire. His face was long and pale, with vivid green eyes that held the sort of sensual power to bring most creatures to their knees. Precisely where he liked them. He was also tall and slender, with bulging muscles that he made sure to emphasize with the one-piece spandex outfit in a vibrant shade of pink he was currently wearing.

He was an exotic butterfly among a field of lilies.

Troy stifled another yawn. He was accustomed to the bright lights of big cities and the naughty delights of his various strip joints. In contrast, the mer-folk were tedious, peace-loving fey who had tragically become even more boring after Chaaya was sent to live in Vegas with Chiron and his new mate, Lilah. The young female, sacrificed to protect the world centuries ago and then recently rescued from the dark dimension, had provided plenty of entertainment. Her name should have been chaos, not Chaaya.

But now…

Troy shook his head. Why did he linger in this place?

He answered his own inner question as he turned to walk toward the massive double doors at the end of the corridor.

Inga, Queen of the Mer-folk.

That’s why he stayed.

It wasn’t that he was in love with the female who was a mongrel mix of ogress and mermaid, although he took epic delight in tweaking Levet’s miniature snout by pretending a romantic interest. But he was utterly committed to ensuring that Inga succeeded in her new role as the leader of the mer-folk.

She was one of the few demons who possessed a genuinely pure soul. Even after she’d been abused by slavers and manipulated by Riven, the former mer-folk king, and then shoved into a position she never expected and didn’t want.

Every day she woke up determined to do the best for her people, even those who hated her for being a mongrel.

Who didn’t root for an underdog?

Plus, Troy had to admit there was a glorious satisfaction in being a king maker. Or in this case, a queen maker.

He was the power behind the throne.

Lost in his thoughts, Troy was distracted by the sound of voices echoing through the air.

“You are not going to bother the queen with this, Riza,” a male voice chided in surprisingly loud tones. As if he was aggravated at repeating the same words over and over.

“She needs to know, Jord,” a second male stubbornly retorted.

There was the click of boots on marble, then the two males stepped out of a narrow hallway that led down to the lower chambers.

They were both tall and willowy like all mermen with long, pale hair that was tinted with blue. And they were both wearing the strange armor that looked like overlapping scales, with short tridents belted at their sides. To the untrained eye they looked like toy soldiers, but Troy knew that shimmering armor was stronger than steel and the tridents could shoot out silver threads that wrapped around their opponent to trap them in an inescapable net.

“Do you intend to make a personal report to the queen each time the prisoner sneezes?” the taller of the two demanded, his too-pretty features set in an expression of arrogant disdain. “Or if she refused to eat her dessert?”

Riza scowled. His face was rounder, with a hint of petulance in the youthful features. “There’s something weird about that female talking to herself all the time.”

Jord snorted. “Prisoners do weird things. They sing. They yell. They see pink elephants. It has something to do with being locked in the dungeons.”

“But—”

“If the two of you wish to squabble like children, you should loiter