Claimed By A Demon King
Felicity Heaton
The moment the demon King Thorne of the Third Realm set eyes on the mortal huntress Sable, he knew she was his fated one. The fiery, dangerous female awakened hungers he had never experienced before, a dark craving and passion that has consumed him in their time apart. As the lunar cycle wanes, she enters his world again and nothing will stand in the way of him claiming his forever with her—not the relentless assault from the Fifth Realm or the dark elf male determined to seduce her out of his grasp.
Intent on achieving the coveted position of commander at Archangel, Sable leads her small team into the dark underworld and the Third Realm, to a war where her allies are the very creatures she normally hunts—vampires, werewolves, and demons. Her eagerness to lead the deadly mission has everything to do with winning her promotion, and nothing to do with the kingdom’s brash, lethally seductive demon king—a king who stirred fierce desire and wildfire heat in her with just a look and an innocent touch when they first met, and has been in her wicked dreams ever since.
As the gathering storm between rivals unleashes irresistible passion that flares white-hot and the heat of the battle brings life-shattering realisations, can Sable place her duty before her heart? Or will she surrender to her deepest desires and be claimed by a demon king?
Oh, now I have a really super awesome post for you today!! Check it out, and tell me what you think!!
A tour of the elf kingdom with Bleu
from the Eternal
Mates series
by Felicity Heaton
It’s great to be
here at Fictional Candy today as part of the Claimed by a Demon King Book Tour
celebrating the release of the second book in my new Eternal Mates series of
paranormal romance novels.
Today, I’m going
to be taking a tour of the elf kingdom with Bleu, a very popular among readers
dark elf commander, and one of the future heroes of the Eternal Mates series.
But before we
get to the main event, I want to introduce myself. I’m a British paranormal
romance author and a USA Today best-seller. I have been writing since 2005, and
went indie in 2006. I love to write big worlds, populated by vampires,
shifters, demons, fae and angels, and I have several series. This tour is about
the Eternal Mates series, which is actually a spin-off from my Vampire Erotic
Theatre series. That series focused on a family of vampires at one theatre in
London but it had glimpses into the wider world outside the theatre. It’s that
world of fae, dark elves, demons, witches, shifters, and other incredible
species that the Eternal Mates focuses on.
Now, on with the
show…
This place is
beautiful. I’m standing in the middle of a verdant land, surrounded by lush
green rolling hills criss-crossed by paler gravel roadways and glittering
crystal-clear streams. In the distance ahead of me is a thick forest and beyond
that is a reminder that I’m not in Kansas anymore. Well, England anyway.
The horizon is
black in all directions, dark and forbidding, and sharp cragged mountains rise
up beyond the trees. Those trees seem like a barrier to me, separating this
incredibly green realm from the grim black lands of the rest of Hell. I’ve
visited one of those lands earlier in this tour, the Third Realm where King
Thorne of the demons reigns. It’s not as bad as it looks from here. I guess the
contrast between all this green, and all the colourful flowers that dot the
landscape, and all that dark grey is more pronounced when you’re on this side
of the fence.
My host for the
day, Bleu, is busy discussing something with a small group of what I presume
are warriors. The tall beautiful males all wear their skin-tight black armour,
leaving very little to my imagination. Even Bleu is wearing his armour today,
the black scales hugging his lithe and powerful figure. He’s ditched his helmet
though, so his wild blue-black hair flutters in the playful breeze sweeping
over the land, occasionally revealing the pointed tips of his ears. Thankfully,
he has chosen not to cover his hands with his armour either, so I don’t have to
worry about his black claws if I say anything that annoys him.
“Apologies about
that,” Bleu says as he joins me again, his deep voice sending a tremor down my
spine. A half smile tugs at one corner of his mouth, brightening his violet
eyes, and he looks back at the men as they head off deeper into the cluster of
pale stone buildings that forms a village. “It seems there was a little trouble
near the free realm. They were just relaying their report to me.”
Bleu seems
strangely calm today and I wonder whether it’s because he feels at home here in
this land, and all this nature is soothing him. He’s been quite off kilter
recently, ever since the war between the Third Realm and the Fifth Realm ended.
Maybe this is just Bleu as he is when he doesn’t have a battle to fight. It’s
unnerving, but I’m not going to complain. I’ll take this calm, relaxed dark elf
over the moody one he normally is, and I’ll be sure to think before I speak so
he remains this way throughout our tour of his homeland.
“This village is
beautiful.” I can’t help smiling as I look around it. Each thatched stone
building is more beautiful than the last, and I love the three windmills that
stand on the outskirts, their wooden blades slowly turning and mesmerising me.
Bleu shrugs and
I frown at how uncomfortable he suddenly looks.
“What?” I say.
“What?” he
counters and goes to walk off. I grab his wrist and he looks back at me, his
air that of a man who doesn’t want to answer my question.
“It’s not
beautiful?” I look around the village again and wonder if there’s a more
peaceful place in all the three realms. It sits on a hill, overlooking a
rolling valley, with a broad stream flowing through the centre of it. Little
stone bridges traverse the babbling brook. It’s quaint. Perfect. Beautiful.
He shrugs again,
looks away from me, and mutters, “I grew up here.”
My eyebrows
shoot up. That explains one thing. Bleu is relaxed because he is home. While he
might live in the castle with Prince Loren now, he was raised here in this
village. I watch three young elf boys running past and can’t help picturing
Bleu at that age, causing mischief and no doubt getting into a lot of trouble.
He’s all grown
up now though, and two young elf women passing by seem to notice that as they
cast furtive glances at him and giggle to each other.
Maybe it’s
common knowledge that Bleu is probably the biggest bachelor catch out there.
He’s over four thousand years old after all. I don’t think there are many men
who have been single that long, indulging only in short term flings.
“You really grew
up here?” I want confirmation because this place doesn’t seem to fit Bleu, but
maybe that’s because he’s been through a lot since leaving it behind as a young
man.
He nods. “Yes. I
worked in the mills until I was old enough to join the military.”
I know for a
fact that he enlisted as soon as he was allowed because Loren told me that he
met Bleu when he was only two hundred, the human equivalent of a scraggly
mouthy teen, and Bleu had already been in the army some years by then.
“I see this
peaceful land and then I look at you, and I can’t help wondering how a boy who
comes from this quiet life comes to join the army.”
Bleu rakes his
fingers through his hair, down the back of his head and rubs his neck. He
shrugs again. “I wanted to protect my family and this place.”
I smile and he
scowls at me. “What? It’s noble, and beautiful. You wanted to protect something
so you joined the military, and now you’re the commander of the elf legions.
Your parents must be proud.”
He looks
uncomfortable. “My mother is.”
“Not your
father?” I feel I’ve poked my first sore spot of the day when he huffs and
turns towards the windmills. “Why not?”
Bleu stares at
the blades slowly turning. “He runs the mills.”
“And he wanted
you to take over the family business?”
He nods. I can
see why that might have caused a little bad blood between them, but not enough
to last four thousand years. I want to tell Bleu that his father is probably
proud of him, but hold my tongue when Bleu’s violet eyes come back to me.
“I promised to
show you the castle.” He holds his hand out and I don’t hesitate to place mine
into it. I’m getting used to this teleporting lark.
Bleu pulls me
against him and I have to tip my head right back to keep my gaze on his. He’s
too darn tall at six-feet-five. I feel tiny. He wraps his arms around me and I
close my eyes as cold rushes over me. When it abates, I risk opening them again
and gasp.
The main
fortress of the stone castle looms over me, a fairy tale palace built of pale
and dark stone, made up of incredibly tall towers topped with conical roofs and
large square buildings with balconies. It stands in the middle of a rich green
courtyard surrounded by pale walls.
Elves dressed in
black armour mill around in the courtyard, following the stone paths to
destinations unknown. Bleu nods to a few of them when they look our way and
releases me.
“Come along.”
Bleu jerks his chin towards the castle and I hurry to keep up with him.
It’s a truly
beautiful palace, with green everywhere. Vines trail over structures above each
balcony, their green leaves and bright blue flowers adding a softer touch to
all the crisp stone.
“It must be nice
living here,” I say and Bleu’s shoulders lift in another easy shrug.
“I spend most of
my time in the garrisons with the soldiers, handling troop deployments and
missions.”
Sounds boring.
“I thought you mostly followed Loren around.”
Bleu laughs and
I almost trip over my feet. I don’t recall ever hearing him laugh before.
“I do not follow
my prince around. I have appointments with him from time to time throughout the
day and when I’m not busy with my duties, we often spend time together.” He
holds his hand out towards a huge arched entrance. “Want to see inside?”
I nod and follow
him. It’s cool inside, and darker, but all the walls are unadorned pale stone
that glitters in the light. We stroll down hallways that all look the same and
then I’m in one I recognise. Beautiful statues line the vaulted corridor and I
feel as if they’re watching me. These are the past rulers of the elf kingdom.
Prince Loren and Prince Vail’s ancestors.
I stop when I
spot the statue of Loren and then the place where Vail’s once stood. It saddens
me a little as I stare at the empty space.
“You look like
Loren,” Bleu says and my gaze darts to him. He stares at the empty space where
Vail’s statue should be. “He gets that look when he stands here, seeing the
place where his brother’s statue once was. I think he would banish whoever removed
it if he discovered their identity.”
I wouldn’t blame
him for it either. Loren has been trying to save his brother for millennia. It
must have hurt him to come down one day and find his brother’s statue gone, as
if he had lost a part of him.
“I know you have
your reasons for feeling animosity towards Vail. You didn’t take it did you?” I
say and Bleu solemnly shakes his head.
“Whatever my
feelings for Vail, I wouldn’t do that to my prince. I know what his brother
means to him.” Bleu walks on, past a room with an open door.
I peek inside as
we pass, catching a glimpse of several men dressed in robes. The elf council I
presume. They’re deep in conversation at a round stone table. The most elegant
chair is empty. Loren must be elsewhere, leaving his council to work without
his input.
“I had intended
to show you to Loren in his rooms but he has been called away by…” Bleu’s
expression sours. “King Thorne of the Third Realm.”
It’s going to be
a long time before Bleu can say that man’s name without scowling and growling
it.
“I really wanted
to get a glimpse of one of the apartments in the castle.” I guess I’ll have to
cut my tour short.
Bleu pauses at
the bottom of an elegant stone staircase. “You could see my apartments.”
I have a sudden
flash of Cribs go through my mind. Bleu’s Crib. Should be interesting. I nod.
Bleu looks wary,
as if he’s reconsidered his offer, and then heads up the staircase. The stone
used on this floor is darker. He leads me past a wooden door.
“That is Loren’s
apartment.” Bleu points to it and moves on, heading left along a corridor.
There’s another door ahead.
“Who’s apartment
is that one?” I ask as we turn away from it and head up another darker stone
staircase.
He glares at the
door. “Prince Vail’s.”
It makes sense
that Loren has kept Vail’s apartment for him. It’s the sort of thing I would
expect from him. He wants his brother to come home and everything to return to
normal. I wonder how possible that really is. After everything Vail has done, I
doubt he will be welcome in this kingdom by anyone other than his brother.
We reach another
floor and Bleu shoves one of the wooden doors open.
“It is smaller
than my prince’s apartment,” he quickly says and I head inside, expecting to
find a tiny room.
It’s huge.
Three arched windows
line the dark stone wall directly opposite me, with an arched doorway off to
the right of them. I can spy a balcony beyond it. Bleu has a room with a view.
Below the three
windows is an enormous bed with pale blue satin sheets. Slightly rumpled. Evidently,
Bleu’s version of making the bed is dragging the covers sort of into place.
There are weapons tossed at the foot of it too, a mixture of silver swords and
knives. I raise an eyebrow at them.
“I use them for
training purposes,” Bleu says. “It is entirely possible to have my
teleportation and telekinesis skills bound. I like to ensure I can fight with
any weapon available to me.”
He sidesteps right
towards a row of wooden wardrobes and I pretend not to notice him kicking the
clothes strewn across the stone floor into a pile which he then teleports out
of existence. Presumably, I would find them in the bottom of the wardrobe if I
dared to open the doors.
Bleu is very
much a bachelor to the core.
There are metal
canisters cluttering the top of the wooden sideboard to my left, opposite the
wardrobes. I avoid them. The only thing I know an elf has out of a metal
canister is blood and I don’t want to know if there is congealed remains in any
of them.
I head around
the bed towards the door onto the balcony and pause when my gaze falls on a
silver picture frame on the wooden side table next to it.
The woman in the
picture is stunning. Her violet eyes sparkle with her smile as she stares at
the camera and holds up a silver chain with a glittering sapphire shaped like a
teardrop hanging from it. Pale blue sheer layers form a beautiful dress,
hugging her curves and held in place by a series of brushed metal swirls and
spiked curves that form a corset.
I look back at
Bleu and catch him staring at the picture, a distant warm look in his violet
eyes.
“The one that
got away?” The words are out before I can stop them. Whoever this woman is,
Bleu loved her, or loves her. It’s right there in his eyes.
He smiles. “No.
Why does everything have to be about my fated female with you?”
I shrug. “I just
figured she was bound to be a conquest of yours. If she’s not the one that got
away… she’s…?”
“My sister.”
Bleu scowls at me, strides forwards and picks up the photo. “I took it a few
years back when she was in the village for a visit.”
He fondly
strokes to picture and shakes his head as he smiles.
“She found that
stupid rock she had been after for centuries. Gods only know how many times I
had to pull her arse out of the fire for that damned thing.” He sets the picture
back down and opens the doors onto the balcony.
I follow him out
and find him leaning against the dark stone balustrade, his gaze on the
horizon, back in the direction of the village. I lean next to him and soak it
all up. The courtyard below is bustling, with warriors coming and going.
There’s an orchard in the outer courtyard, the trees heavy with red apples and
oranges. While elves consume blood, they can also eat fruit and vegetables, and
other things.
It’s peaceful in
this land and I can see why Loren and Vail moved their people here, and why
it’s the envy of many of the other realms.
“Thank you for
the tour, Bleu,” I whisper, not wanting to shatter the serene atmosphere. “I
could stay here forever.”
He smiles again.
“You would have to find a fated mate in an elf for that.”
I shrug.
“Anything is possible. Even getting a bachelor to settle down.”
Bleu looks
across at me. “I’m letting that one go.”
But I’m not.
Bleu is going to need a bigger apartment when he wins over his fated female,
but the balcony is a good start.
I hope you
enjoyed this tour of the elf kingdom with Bleu from the Eternal Mates series.
Be
sure to follow this fantastic tour to learn more about the passionate alpha
heroes and sassy heroines in the Eternal Mates romance series! You can also
find yourself in with a chance to WIN a
$50 or $25 Amazon Gift Certificate
if you follow the tour. More details, including how to enter and a full list of
stops, are available at the Claimed by a
Demon King Virtual Book Tour page: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/claimedbyademonking-book-tour.php
Claimed by a
Demon King is available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook,
Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Also available in paperback. Find the
links to your preferred retailer at and a downloadable 6 chapter excerpt at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/cbadk
Books in the Eternal
Mates romance series:
Felicity Heaton
is a USA Today and international
best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books
she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense
emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly
vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot
demons!
If you're a fan
of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena
Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.
If you love your
angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you.
If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm
series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for
vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the
best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed
worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons
to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates
series.
If you want to know more about Felicity,
or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/felicityheaton
Twitter: http://twitter.com/felicityheaton
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/felicityheaton
Mailing List: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/newsletter.php
