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Thinking I couldn’t possibly take any more, he struck, his fangs burying deep in my throat, sending me careening into the abyss again. He hummed a little, took one more deep draw, and then stiffened, his back bowing as he emptied himself within me.

Elian surprised me after. Seemed he was a cuddler. We lay entwined on the bed, talking for hours until the sun rose. And when he returned from his hunting excursion, I was waiting for him as he’d asked me to be. He told me he let his guards know to keep their distance, and we spent another night as we had the one before. And another after that. He actually had to send one of the wolven into town to buy me a new gown because it didn’t survive his insatiable hunger on that second day.

Now, every time I see him at a formal kingdom function or run across a piece of artwork or book with his likeness, it sends me back in my memory to those days I spent with him in our very own woodland oasis.

And I have to say, it brings me a perverse kind of pleasure knowing that if anyone finds my journals, this one in particular, they will know that I once had a brief fling with a King.

Willa

PRINCE MALIK ELIAN DA’NEER

Click here to see a full-size image of Malik by art.bymikki.

Malik is…complicated. As the heir to the throne, his life started fine, spending time with his brother and friends, exploring as teenagers will. But then tragedy struck, and things were never the same.

Hair: Nearly shoulder-length, light brown with blond hints.

Eyes: Bright gold.

Body type: Tall—a couple of inches taller than his brother. Thin since captivity.

Facial features: Golden-bronze skin. Sharp cheekbones. Straight nose. Proud jawline. Full mouth.

Distinguishing features: Dimples.

Personality: Kind. Generous. Prankster. Was the life and soul of the family until the Blood Crown took him. Not nearly as serious as his brother. Abhors violence of any kind.

Habits/Mannerisms/Strengths/Weaknesses: Loved to experiment with food and drink. Shields his emotions. Not skilled at compulsion—or resisting it. Generally, he thinks he knows everything, but he didn’t know the true history of the realms until his imprisonment.

Background: Elemental Atlantian. Was bonded to a wolven—Preela. Posed as the Dark One and passed himself off as Elian instead of Malik.

Family: Mother = Eloana Da’Neer. Father = Valyn Da’Neer. Brother = Casteel Da’Neer. Uncle = Hawkethrone†. Great-grandfather = King Elian Da’Neer†. Ancestors = Attes and Kyn, co-rulers of Vathi, Primals of War and Accord and Peace and Vengeance.

MALIK’S JOURNEY TO DATE:

Born to King Valyn and Queen Eloana, Malik grows up in Atlantia and is close with his younger brother, Casteel, his bonded wolven, Preela, and his friends, Kieran and Shea. The group often spends time exploring, getting into mischief, and going to the beach—Malik loves to feel the sand between his toes. He also spends time training to fight alongside his brother until it comes time for him to learn to rule the kingdom.

When Casteel takes it upon himself to confront the Blood Crown and ultimately gets captured, Malik assumes the responsibility of finding and freeing him. He and Shea—Casteel’s fiancée—mount a rescue attempt, accessing Carsodonia through the mines in the Elysium Peaks. They fail many times until the one time they don’t.

Sort of. Nothing is as it seems.

During the rescue attempt, Shea and Malik get separated, and Shea tells the Ascended who she’s with, making a deal for a trade: both brothers for her life. So, having been tipped off regarding the details of their plan, the Ascended set upon them as she and Malik carry Cas through the dungeon tunnels. With the vamprys occupied with Malik, Shea reneges on part of her deal and attempts to flee with Casteel, thus allowing them to take Malik into custody—where he remains for a century.

While in Solis, Malik’s bonded wolven, Preela, attempts to rescue him. She even makes it all the way into Carsodonia before they capture her. King Jalara then kills her in front of Malik, but not before he and others assault her. After her death, they make seven bloodstone and wolven-bone daggers from her remains. The Queen gifts one to her Handmaiden, Coralena, who then gives it to her husband Leopold. Eventually, it makes its way to Poppy.

Broken from Preela’s murder and his time in captivity, Malik begins doing as he’s told—enough that he convinces the Blood Crown that he’s turned on his kingdom and family. He uses some of the leeway the Queen has granted him and assumes the persona of the Dark One, infiltrating Solis and cultivating a network of Descenters therein. Eventually, he discovers that Coralena and Leopold Balfour are taking Isbeth’s daughter, Penellaphe, away from the capital, and Malik is well aware of the prophecy surrounding the child and how the Queen plans to use her. So, when she sends him to bring Poppy back to the capital, he does as he’s told, albeit with ulterior motives. Leaving a trail of blood in his wake as he makes his way to Lockswood, it causes a horde of Craven to follow and attack the town. In the confusion, Malik makes his move. Cora tries to convince him that Poppy’s not the harbinger—she might very well be their savior. She even stabs him in the chest to stop him. But he overcomes her and resumes his personal mission to kill the child. He never thought to do something like that, but safeguarding the kingdom and stopping Isbeth’s plans is more important than a single life. However, when he sees the Consort in Poppy’s eyes, he can’t go through with it. Instead, he saves her and returns her to Carsodonia.

The Queen’s first daughter enters the scene during his time in captivity—before Poppy was even born. And Isbeth makes Malik do unspeakable things to Millicent—the depths and specifics of which we do not yet know. Somewhere along the line, Malik realizes that Millie is his heartmate. While he feels he isn’t capable of caring about anyone anymore, he owes Millie and refuses to leave without her.

When Cas and the rest of the group answer the summons the Queen issued via Poppy’s brother, Ian, Malik stands beside the Queen, dressed in clothes of wealth and privilege. He tells his brother that Ileana has opened his eyes to the truth.

It may have sounded like he was taking the Queen’s side there, but I like to think he was just making his brother aware that he knew the truth about the Ascended and everything that went along with that.

When the secrets start to unfold, Malik confirms that Isbeth intended to use him, marrying him to Poppy to unite the kingdoms and having him be Poppy’s Ascension…of the flesh.

Isbeth shocks everyone by giving her Revenant demonstration and having Millicent struck down, and Malik can’t help his reaction. He jerks and almost takes a step forward before stopping himself. However, unable to look away, he stares until she finally rises once more—something that doesn’t go unnoticed by the others in the room.

When Isbeth reveals more of her ultimate plan and sadly states that she no longer has the blood of an intended King—since Cas is now the King of Atlantia—Malik smiles apologetically, but he’s anything but sorry.