Tag: Black Romance Novels

Cry to the Moon (p.2)

By 5 p.m., Malaykah welcomed the heavy gridlock traffic on her commute home. It gave her some time to reflect on everything going on in her life. Unfortunately, her train of thought was interrupted by an obnoxiously loud ringtone of her cell phone. Her best friend J’aime left a dozen texts, which up until then had not been opened. Malaykah rubbed her temples and sighed. She knew there was no real way to avoid J’aime’s inquisition. Nevertheless, she mustered as much enthusiasm as possible and pressed accept to answer the phone on speaker.

“Hey girl, what’s happening,” she said.

“Hey girl, I heard the news about Miracelle from nosey Eddie. I don’t know why he got promoted to account over me. His gossip game is off the chain, and he runs his mouth far more efficiently than he can run the budget reports. Anyway, I’m just checking in on you. How are you feeling?” J’aime replied.

Malaykah paused for a moment to summarize her feelings before sharing them with her friend. Then, suddenly, an eruption of emotions came over her.

“I’m as well as can be expected. I mean, you know me; I’m certainly no hater. I am truly happy for Mir and Danny,” she sniffled as she had to make a quick lane change to the right. “I’m just saying; five years after my husband’s death, it’s shocking to me that I haven’t met a guy willing to be a stand-up kind of man. As a single mom with three teenagers, I hoped we’d have a better life.”

J’aime chimed in with a concerned tone, “Mally, you can’t let any of this Miracelle and Danny stuff get to you. First of all, they’ve known each other for less than five minutes. There’s no reason I can think of for them to be engaged so soon unless she’s knocked up. You know how religious her family is. Second of all, your cheater deadbeat husband certainly was not a stand-up man. Karma took care of him real good when that tramp he messed around with drove them off a cliff to prove her brand of crazy love to him. Finally, you’re an excellent mom. I can vouch for that.”

Malaykah slammed on her brakes as the car in front of her abruptly stopped. No one was hurt, luckily. She yelled a few choice obscenities out the window at the driver, then continued on her way.

“Mally, is everything ok? Are you good?” J’aime asked.

“Yes, everything is peachy,” she answered in a dead tone that drifted into a brief silence. “It boggles my mind how my life just seems to be going nowhere. I’m grateful for the good stuff; my kids are healthy, and I received two promotions earlier than expected. I’m proud to be head of the accounting department. It’s just at forty-two years old; I thought I’d be living my success with my life mate by now.”

“Girl, please. We live in a small suburban city. Good men are harder to find than a needle in a haystack. But, regardless of the overgrown man-babies who haven’t turned in their player cards, there are still a few diamonds in the rough left,” J’aime said.

“Do you really think so?” Malaykah gasped with hope.

“I don’t know, probably,” J’aime cackled. “Listen, girl, all this pent-up anger is no good for you. The Afro-Caribbean Fair is tonight. You should come with me. I bet you’d feel right at home since your parents were from that neck of the woods.”

Malaykah sighed, “Sorry, friend, I’m just not up to it. However, the twins have been harassing me about it for a week. Can you take them instead? Since Shannon will be out with her raggedy boyfriend, I’d have the house to myself and finally have a quiet moment to think.”

J’aime blew a long, loud raspberry before she answered, “FINE! I’m only doing this to protect the mental health of my best friend since college. Though I may lose my mind in the process, having to manage two fifteen-year-old kids with raging hormones and mood swings.”

Malaykah thanked her J’aime for being such a trooper, then drove home in silence the rest of the commute.

~Ch. 1, The Realm Beyond the Stars and Sea~

Cry to the Moon

Friday morning started off as an ordinary, usual day at Rosemount Retirement Facility. In the accounting department, numbers were crunched, meetings were held, and the copy machine was out of commission. The only thing that broke the monotony was the announcement of Miracelle Ruiz’s engagement. Instead of joining the exuberant celebration, Malaykah Malcolm sat in her cubicle and silently wept.

“I was with her the day she met Danny, six months ago. She was so nervous about being around such a sexy man that she begged me to attend most of their dates. Of course, I never had a date of my own to make it a double. Danny didn’t seem to mind in the beginning. When was it—-about two months ago, I stopped receiving invites. I guess Mir finally got herself together, and Danny was more than ready to cut the cord. Maybe I should stop sulking and go tell her congratulations,” she thought.

Malaykah dabbed her eyes with several Kleenex, then got up from her desk. A long line of eager coworkers waited to give well wishes. Malaykah waited patiently for her chance, though her heart wanted nothing more than to flee the scene. When she finally stood in front of Miracelle, they both broke into tears.

“Thank you so much for everything. None of this would be possible without you,” Miracelle sobbed as she threw her arms around Malaykah.

“Don’t mention it,” Malaykah said while she tried to wiggle herself free.

Miracelle chuckled and unclasped her hands. “It’s no hay problema,” she said.

The two women struggled when Miracelle’s giant sapphire engagement ring was caught in Malaykah’s afro puff. Miracelle’s screamed in panic for ten minutes until the ring was safely untangled. She tried to apologize for her erratic behavior, but no one was cheerful by the end of the party.

~Ch. 1, The Realm Beyond the Stars and Sea~

Blessed Alliance (p. 3)

Hours later, after Malaykah had been successfully sedated, Alëxios was finally persuaded to attend the deliberations regarding the siege. Over in the garrison cabin, Mayor Cläuveous sat seething with his staff and the Phëläniciän royal officials in the defunct war room. What once used to be an old black oak cabin located in the central portion of the compound had been painted a light teal with marble wall and floored room for dining. It was apparent the Mayor no longer wished to be associated with sieges, wars, or aid.

Alëxios strolled inside the room with a clenched jaw and fist. It was not apparent to anyone whether he was still worried over Malaykah or was furious with the Mayor. The hushed silence from anticipation kept the Mayor’s staff in dreaded suspense. Then, finally, the highly revered king stood at the head of several marble podiums for several minutes before taking his seat.

“Well, Cläuveous, it appears you did not allow your eccentric madness temper you enough to destroy our sacred stalls. The ancestors must be relieved,” he grimaced.

Cläuveous scoffed, “I only decided not to part with them because they give the room a bit of character.”

Alëxios stiffened his entire body as if to prepare for combat.

“Have you no remorse for turning away from tradition?” he asked in a sharp tone.

Cläuveous shifted in his seat with an uncomfortable smirk.

“Sire, whatever do you mean? I think the room looks delightful,” he replied.

In a blink, Alëxios stood and swooped over to him and said, “I did not come here to sweeten the seriousness of this matter.” The words shot off his tongue like darts.

With a whimsical chuckle, Cläuveous replied, “My Lord, I do not speak in folly. I believe you to refer to this room we occupy. You might have switched to the subject of the siege without my awareness.”

Alëxios pressed his lips together and unsheathed his sword.

“Your distasteful decision to destroy this sacred congregation room that our ancestor created to deliberate over war strategies and cowardly lack of assistance during the collapse of my kingdom are both acts of treason and blasphemy. I have watched you for decades; your role as a vain deceitful jester is nearly played out. It cannot be possible you have forgotten the township of Bäussëll is a province under Phëläniciän jurisdiction. Yet I, your king, stand before you bloodied and battered from a battle you chose not to draw nary sword or arrow in,” he growled.

The Mayor shrunk in stature from terror. He had only experienced a handful of encounters with the king of Phëläniciä. Each occasion was met with a clash of opposing views on leadership and other politics. The king’s fierce stare penetrated clear through his skull. Cläuveous choked after a gulp and slid out of his stall onto the floor. After mere moments of a coughing fit and flailed arms, he realized no one from his staff dared to intervene. The defeated Mayor cleared his throat and straightened his tunic to regain composure.

“Your Highness, I beg for mercy. In truth, I did send scouts to report as soon as we heard disturbances from the northern territory. It gave me great cause for concern to learn the matter of flying Tengu running amuck. There was a second report to describe swarms of the airborne Tengu exploding in the sky,” Cläuveous quivered back to his stall.

Alëxios shrugged and paced about the room.

“The Tengu clan have decided to wage war against us once more in another feeble attempt to gain dominance over the realm.” He slammed his fist on a podium. “Their sheer audacity to meddle with dark arts ultimately led to their undoing. Though they were granted wings, they also unexpectedly became time bombs. General Torahgän’s daft insight led to the slaughter of many, including his own men.”

The Mayor sprung to his feet in agreement.

“I imagine he did not count the cost to retake flight. There certainly was an advantage in the beginning. My scout reported on the massive destruction of the palace, conservatory, and temple,” he replied.

A pale-faced Alëxios returned to his stall and placed both hands over his face in disgust.

“Not to mention, our evacuation bridge was blown to bits. As a result, my queen and subjects nearly plummeted to their deaths instead of traveling a safe passage to Bäussëll,” he said.

“Indeed; many congratulations are in order, Sire. We are all grateful that your new bride and Phëläniciän subjects survived intact. However, one of my scouts was not as fortunate from the bridge collapse,” the Mayor snidely interjected.

A reverent pause echoed through the room. The tension in the air remained steady.

~Ch. 14, Somewhere Beyond the Stars and Sea~

Blessed Alliance (p. 2)

The cabin hall fell deathly silent in awe. Sӧlitha made her way through the crowd as he spoke. A fit of wrath surged through her weary core as she blurted out, “Brother, surely you speak in jest or from simple madness acquired by your injuries. It is well known to all by now that you intend for this human-woman to become your betrothed. The appointed occasion has not yet arrived.”

Lady Rüvym appeared from the far end of the hall, near the infirmary doorway. She interjected with a thunderous voice that echoed down to where everyone stood.

“In truth, our great king is neither facetious nor does he suffer from any wound-inflicted madness. Before the fall of Phëläniciä, I witnessed the sacred marital rituals performed in the Valley of Lilies. Therefore, Malaykah is our Divine Queen who shall rule alongside His Majesty, King Alëxios.”

Alëxios wasted no time to address the medic, who by then stood with his jaw wide open.

“Now, for the last time, I order you to attend to her at once.”

The medic bowed and led the way to the infirmary. All eyes anxiously followed the king to their destination. At first, the medical staff wrestled with Alëxios to give Malaykah a proper examination. Then, she was placed on a cot and given several heated blankets to treat hypothermia. A dislocated shoulder from the fall was determined to be the source of her pain. When she awakened, the medics drew heavy brown wool curtains closed for privacy. Finally, the slender medic nodded at Alëxios to sit her up.

She leaned her head on his chest for support while the staff discussed the best method to reset her shoulder in place. They fretted over, angering the king further by causing more distress. There was no way to get around the pain that would be inflicted to set her bone back into its socket. Malaykah’s eyes swelled with tears.

Without moving her mouth, she said, “I am in pain now, but not afraid of what will come next. My actions were of my own volition. I wanted to be brave because I know that you are. I wanted to help everyone; it was the least I could do.”

Alëxios gently clutched her closer and nestled his chin in her hair.

“My kinsmen are fortunate to have such a strong queen. All of Phëläniciä is grateful for your service. I could not be prouder to be your lovemate,” he replied out loud.

It startled Malaykah that Alëxios heard her thoughts. Though her body had been thoroughly warmed with blankets, she began to convulse with anxiety. A short blonde nurse injected a syringe with a numbing antidote into her shoulder. As she relaxed, the slender medic switched places with Alëxios. Once the nurse braced her up, the medic forcefully rammed her shoulder bone into its socket.

~Ch. 14, Somewhere Beyond the Stars and Sea~

Blessed Alliance

Alëxios chose to forgo the customary greetings with the mayor in favor of demanding immediate treatment for Malaykah. He stormed through the halls with his arms full. He had insisted on carrying her since the moment she was retrieved from the icy river. Nine members of the waitstaff and three physicians frantically attempted to treat the king.

Alëxios dodged and weaved through the vexed crowd, which shook the very foundation of the house. No one in the cluster was fast or strong enough to catch him. He only stopped jostling about when Malaykah seemed to rouse back into consciousness. She had been slipping in and out for quite some time.

She opened her mouth to let out a faint raspy whisper.

“You’re hurting—I hurt—my shoulder—“

Alëxios gasped in horror, then lowered his forehead onto hers.

“Forgive me, my love,” he whispered before looking up at their audience. “Why do you stand like mindless statues?” he roared.

An old slender medic with bronze skin and blue hair sauntered behind Alëxios to fretfully tap him on the shoulder.

“My Lord, we meant no offense. In fact, we are here at your service to tend to your wounds. Therefore, please allow us to examine you at once,” he said.

Alëxios tilted his head back with a glare that could quickly have burned a hole in the cinder walls of the cabin.

“You seem confused. I stand before you, fully alert and well enough to show you that someone important has a greater need for care than me. Surely you can know this; unless there is sand in your ears, lack sight, or are incompetent. There is no need to examine me, he replied.”

The medic glanced at Malaykah’s lifeless body (she passed out once more), then back at the king.

“Sire, we can attend to the maiden in due time. But, at this very moment, our main concern is for your wellbeing,” he answered confidently.

For a brief moment, there was silence. No one knew precisely what the temperamental king would do or say next. He stood motionless with his eyes closed.

“Clearly, you do not understand. She is NOT just a maiden,” he exhaled sharply.

The lead physician took a step forward to look closer.

“Ah, yes! She must be the magnificent Divine Maiden. Her arrival has been acclaimed throughout the realm,” he answered.

A long silent pause kept the crowd nearly breathless as they awaited the king’s response.

Alëxios laughed maniacally, then stopped. “She is the Divine Queen of Phëläniciä, both deity and royalty,” he announced with venomously darted eyes at the medic.

~Ch. 14 (revised), Somewhere Beyond the Stars and Sea~

Divine Interlude

The dark night sky was unmerciful to the war-worn travelers. After what seemed like endless hours of trudging through an icy river, the Phëläniciäns took their continued trek to land. The sounds of women and children bitterly weeping echoed through the thick black forest. 500 Wounded soldiers marched in formation with a dignified ceremonious demeanor. Byakko led his remaining dragons to form a protective air flank around them.

It came as a great surprise when they exited the forest and arrived upon the seaport town of Bäussëll to see that the city had not been exposed to the fallout from the siege of the neighboring kingdom. The villagers slept soundly in their warmly lit cottages, utterly unaware of the massive destruction that took place merely hundreds of miles away. A Phëläniciän Royal Officer named Künsey led the distraught party up a long hill towards the mayor’s house.

The lavishly huge manor rested atop a cliff, which overlooked both the town and the ocean. The mayor’s staff scrambled to quickly rouse his household at the insistence of Künsey. Mayor Cläuveous instantly sprang into action by having his staff attend to the immediate needs of the Phëläniciän refugees. Physicians were called to the manor, bakers were mandated to prepare a feast, and nuns were sent to the sanctuary to calm the young Phëläniciän children. None of this was an out-of-the-ordinary occurrence. On the contrary, Bäussëll had a respectable alliance and a long-standing treaty agreement with the kingdom of Phëläniciä .

~Ch. 14, Somewhere Beyond the Stars and Sea~

Baptism of Chaos (p. 3)

They arrived upon a large bronzed metal circle plate that covered a hole in the ground. Malaykah and  six maidens retrieved sticks to wedge the circle up. Meikko used her mighty tail to nudge the plate away from the hole, which revealed an opening big enough to fit several bodies through. One-by-one, they each staggered down a stairway into a dim-lit tunnel. They walked for several miles until the cobblestone path led directly to a river. The river was waist-deep to the average human. Phëläniciän women and children variously ranged in height, so it was decided that the weakest and smallest would ride on top of Meikko’s back to get through the river.

Lady Rüvym and other ancient royal constituents climbed aboard after the children were settled. Sӧlitha wrestled to carry a small onyx-toned little girl, in order to petition for a spot on the dragon. The tot fiercely protested, obviously in favor of remaining with her mother and older siblings. Malaykah watched from behind as Sӧlitha abruptly shook the child, then slammed her down on the stone ledge of the tunnel. She turned around to meet Malaykah’s gaze, without so much as a gleam of remorse in her eyes.

The little girl stood passively braced up against the ledge with a thumb in her mouth. She watch Meikko trail away then began to wail. Malaykah pitied her for being put in such an undesirable situation. The child had been separated from her family when the river’s currents swept them far ahead within the traveling party. Malaykah steadied herself enough to snatch the child onto her hip. This time the girl did not protest, but instead wearily nestled her head on Malaykah’s breasts.

The passageway narrowed and the footpath steepened. Soon, those who walked found themselves swimming into deep water. The situation became direr when a series of loud explosions were heard from above. The tunnel rocked, causing the water to rise overhead. Malaykah quickly swam to the surface with the child clinging to her for dear life. Most of the riders safely clung to Meikko’s matted fur, and were able to resist falling off. Malaykah gave the toddler to Lady Rüvym for safe keeping so she could survey the area for anyone in need of assistance.

Suddenly, the pace of the current quickened. Malaykah held her breath and dove underwater to swim ahead. She gasped to see they were all headed towards the exit way of the tunnel, which led to a giant waterfall. There was nothing she could do to stop them. She yelled at the top of her lungs to warn them, “HOLD ON!”

The party plummeted out of the tunnel inside the rapids of the waterfall. It was at least a forty-foot plunge. The night sky was filled with more explosions that reminded Malaykah of the many Forth of July celebrations she’d participated in with her family back home. She clutched onto a falling she-wolf, who had long been a part of the king’s harem. Malaykah used her own body to shield the maiden as they crashed into the ocean.

When she awakened, she felt her body moving downstream in icy cold water. Her senses were dulled, but she knew she was being carried by someone and her right arm was stiffly numb. She looked up to see Alëxios’s determined face. He smiled down at her, then continued to stare off into the distance. She noticed the bloody gash just above his eyebrow. He’d obviously given the Tengu hell before joining the evacuation effort. Malaykah rested her head on his well-defined collarbone and watched Byakko and twelve other dragons tow the remaining survivors.

~Ch. 13, Somewhere Beyond the Stars and Sea~

Baptism of Chaos (cont.)

Malaykah froze in astonishment at the violent scene, which reminded her of something from out of a horror film. She tried desperately to process the melee. Since the castle grounds and city were all still fairly new to her, it was hard to decipher their precise location through the flaming smog. Breathing in the smoke made her lungs burn as if she’d swallowed a pitcher of acid. She was able to somewhat come to her senses, only after Lady Rüvym clutched her arm with throbbing force.

Meikko decided it was best not to fly so they would not crash into an unseen wall, pillar, or pole. Slowly, the trio trekked towards what was deemed the southern lane. They each stopped on several occasions to recover from slipping on bloody cobblestone. Suddenly, a thick liquid rained on them from the sky. Malaykah covered her mouth when she realized it was simply more blood.  

The surviving Phëläniciän citizens clamored about trying to sift the severely wound from the dead. Families hid beneath debris and broken boulders from the battered castle. Livestock and the entire market square had been burned to rubbish. A deathly-foul stench masked the multitude of sweet flower garden fragrances that once made Phëläniciä a coveted kingdom.

Alëxios managed to fight with divine alertness and unimaginable clarity. He sliced through the grounded Tengu with ease, as he knew Byakko and the other dragons tore the enhanced Tengu to shreds from up above. In his mind, he reminisced on the duels he had with his deceased father in the borderlands of the Gods. It was there that he learned build stamina and to control himself through visible and invisible elements. He proved himself to be a formidable threat to the Tengu clan who brazenly stormed his castle.

It was his nature as a God of War to relish the opportunity to crush opponents. The sound of his katana slicing through scores of bodies drowned out the noise of burning screams. He felt a euphoric rage surge his senses. The death toll on either side was of no consequence.

A giant Tengu emerged out of the crowd. He could have easily been one of General Torahgän’s offspring, being that he was well over eight feet tall. The over-sized mallet he twirled in his hand was twice the size of most of their weapons. Alëxios dodged each attempted blow, which infused the Tengu’s anger. At one point, their weapons locked mid-air for an unknown amount of time. The gridlock was broken when the Tengu’s arm slipped as he became weary. Alëxios bested him with the same leg sweep he performed on his father. Before the Tengu had a chance to recover, Alëxios cut a clean strike and beheaded him.

~Ch.13, Somewhere Beyond the Stars and Sea~

Baptism of Chaos

Lady Rüvym beamed with pride, as Byakko lent his enthusiasm that their king had finally found his match. Their sense of relief for the kingdom to enter into an era of wholeness was not lost on Alëxios or Malaykah. The unprecedented event for two deities to unite had not even been predicted in the ancient Mystic Scrolls.

Unfortunately, the blissful serenity abruptly came to a halt when the party caught a glimpse of a medium-sized green dragon fly nearby. They all quickly climbed a mountain side for a better view. The dragon immediately turned around and changed its course to engage with them. Malaykah tensed up as she allowed Lady Rüvym to rest against her shoulder.

Byakko lunged into the air to talk to the green dragon. “Meikko, what news have you at this hour?” he asked.

The green dragon reported without delay, “Father, the north wall has fallen and the palace is under siege. We have been overrun by the Tengu clan, who have undoubtedly employed the aid of dark arts to take to the sky.”

Both dragons landed before Alëxios and bowed in reverence. Lady Rüvym doubled over in horror. Byakko growled with rage, but tempered his wrath in front of the royal family. He looked at Malaykah’s puzzled expression, and thought best to confer with everyone present to avoid the waste of anymore time.

“My Queen, through unfathomable circumstance I would like to introduce Meikko. She is my daughter, eldest of my litter, and Captain of the dragon guard.”

Meikko bowed politely and looked at her father in disbelief, not fully aware that the king had just recently taken a bride. Alëxios cut the introduction short in an effort to get more details about the attack on the palace. He nodded his head for the younger dragon to continue their briefing. “What has happened?” he asked.

Meikko turned her attention to the king and began, “Hours after you took gravely ill, the footguards put all of their attention on the inquiry. Somehow a Tengu slipped inside the northern wall and found the underground entrance to the labyrinth leading to the courtyard. Once inside, a flare was lit to signal for the rest to scale the drawbridge and breach the gate. Before the first-responding sentry had a chance to retaliate, they were struck by a spray of arrows which fell from the sky.”

Alëxios clasped his hands over his face with grief. “They waited for the perfect opportunity to attack, as the entire kingdom focused on my recovery.”

Byakko interjected, “Do not place any blame on your perilous circumstance, my Lord. Clearly the Tengu devised this plan beyond the scope of your poisoning. That mock-battle we had hours before then was meant to serve as a distraction.”

“To which we all let our guards down, as they expected we would,” Alëxios countered.  

Lady Rüvym recovered from nearly fainting and pushed away from Malaykah’s arms. “We mustn’t dally any longer, or there will be no kingdom to return your bride to!” she instructed.

Alëxios looked at his grandmother and then Malaykah. A shadow of frustration and anxiety darkened his eyes. He knew that he could not leave them in the valley without protection, but also needed every able-bodied soldier to defend the palace. There was no safe place for them to hide. Ultimately, he decided they should all return to the palace at once. Though his concentration would be on reclaiming his territory, he put faith in Malaykah’s presence as a divine entity. Her task would be to assist Lady Rüvym with guiding the Phëläniciän citizens to the evacuation route.

With the assistance of the dragons, they all swiftly arrived at the border of the castle. The dreadful scene was almost too much too handle, as the city was engulfed in roaring flames. Byakko flared his nostrils while they descended in the courtyard. Bloodcurdling screams could be heard from every direction, and smoky flames obstructed the view for miles around.

After instructing Malaykah on where to look for the escape route, Alëxios gripped the hilt of his sword and charged into the fray of the battle. Byakko enlisted Meikko to guide the Queen and Lady Rüvym. “Tarry here no longer!” he said before joining alongside Alëxios.

~Ch. 13, Somewhere Beyond the Stars and Sea~