{"id":2523,"date":"2026-01-03T22:34:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T22:34:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/king-of-battle-and-blood-scarlett-st-clair\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T22:34:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T22:34:25","slug":"king-of-battle-and-blood-scarlett-st-clair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/king-of-battle-and-blood-scarlett-st-clair\/","title":{"rendered":"King of Battle and Blood – Scarlett St. Clair"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Book Preview<\/h3>\n
\n

One<\/h1>\n

There was an army of vampires encamped on the outskirts of my father\u2019s kingdom. The black tops of their tents looked like an ocean of sharp waves and seemed to stretch for miles, melding with a red horizon that was the sky that extended over Revekka, the Empire of the Vampire. It had been that color since I was born. It was said to be cursed by Dis, the goddess of spirit, to warn of the evil that was birthed there\u2014the evil that began with the Blood King. Unfortunately for Cordova, the red sky did not follow evil, so there was no warning when the vampires began their invasion.<\/p>\n

They had manifested west of the border last night, as if they\u2019d traveled with the shadows. Since then, everything had been quiet and still. It was like their presence had stolen life; not even the wind stirred. Unease crept through my chest like a cold frost, settling deep in my stomach as I stood between the trees, only a few feet from the first row of tents. I could not shake the feeling that this was the end. It loomed behind me, long fingers gripping my shoulders.<\/p>\n

Rumors had preceded their arrival. Rumors of how their leader\u2014I hated to even think<\/span> his name\u2014Adrian Aleksandr Vasiliev had leveled Jola, ravished Elin, conquered Siva, and burned Lita. One by one, the Nine Houses of Cordova were falling. Now the vampires were on my doorstep, and instead of calling arms, my father, King Henri, had asked for a meeting.<\/p>\n

He wanted to reason with the Blood King.<\/p>\n

My father\u2019s decision had been met with mixed emotions. Some wished to fight rather than succumb to this monster\u2019s reign. Others were uncertain\u2014had my father traded death on the battlefield for another kind?<\/p>\n

At least in battle, there were truths. You either survived the day or died.<\/p>\n

Under the rule of a monster, there were no truths.<\/p>\n

\u201cI should not have allowed you to come so late or get this close.\u201d<\/p>\n

Commander Alec Killian stood too near, just a hair behind me, shoulder brushing my back. If it were any other day, I would have excused his proximity, attributing it to his dedication as my escort, but I knew otherwise.<\/p>\n

The commander was trying to make amends.<\/p>\n

I took a step away, turning slightly, both to cast him a sullen look and to create distance. Alec\u2014or Killian, as I preferred to call him\u2014was commander of the Royal Guard, having inherited the position when his father, whose name he also shared, passed unexpectedly three years ago.<\/p>\n

He returned my gaze, gray eyes both steely and somehow gentle. I think I\u2019d have preferred only the steel, because the tenderness made me want to take two more steps back. It meant he had feelings for me, and any excitement I\u2019d once had at catching his attention had now evaporated.<\/p>\n

Outwardly, he was everything I thought I\u2019d wanted in a man\u2014ruggedly handsome with a body forged by hours of training. His uniform, a tailored navy tunic and trousers with gold embellishments and a ridiculously dramatic gold cape, served to accentuate his presence. He had a crown of thick, dark hair, and I\u2019d spent a few too many nights with those strands wrapped around my fingers, body warmed, but not alight with the passion I\u2019d really longed for. In the end, Commander Killian was a mediocre lover. It had not helped that I did not like his beard, which was long and covered the bottom half of his face. It made it impossible to detect the shape of his jaw, but I guessed he had a strong one that matched his presence\u2014which was beginning to grate on my nerves.<\/p>\n

\u201cI outrank you, Commander. It is not within your power to tell me what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, but it is within your father\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another flush of irritation blasted up my spine, and I ground my teeth. When Killian did not feel like he could handle<\/span> me, he defaulted to using the threat of my father. And he wondered why I did not want to sleep with him anymore.<\/p>\n

Instead of acknowledging my anger, Killian smirked, pleased that he\u2019d hit a nerve.<\/p>\n

He nodded toward the camp. \u201cWe should attack in the daylight while they sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExcept you would be defying Father\u2019s orders for peace,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

Once, I would have agreed with him\u2014why not<\/span> slaughter the vampires while they slept? The sunlight, after all, was their weakness. Except that Theodoric, king of Jola, had ordered his soldiers to do the very same, and before they could even launch their attack, the entire army was vanquished by something the people were calling the blood plague. Those who had come down with the disease bled from every orifice of their body until death, including King Theodoric and his wife, who now left a two-year-old to inherit the throne under the rule of the Blood King.<\/p>\n

As it turned out, sunlight did not stop magic.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill they have as much respect for us when night falls?\u201d Killian countered. The commander had not been shy about expressing his opinion about the Blood King and his invasion of Cordova. I understood his hatred.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave faith in the soldiers you trained, Commander. Have you not prepared for this?\u201d<\/p>\n

I knew he did not like my reply. I could feel<\/span> his frown at my back, because we both knew if the vampires decided to attack, we were dead. It took five of our own to bring down one of them. We simply had to trust that the Blood King\u2019s word to my father was worth our people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one can prepare for monsters, Princess,\u201d Killian said. I broke from his gaze and focused on the king\u2019s tent, distinct with its crimson and gold details, as he added, \u201cI doubt even the goddess Dis knew what would become of her curse.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was said Adrian angered Dis, goddess of spirit, and as a result, she cursed him to crave blood. Her curse spread\u2014some humans survived the transformation to vampire while others did not. Since their incarnation, the world had not known peace. Their presence had bred other monsters\u2014all kinds that fed on blood, on life. While I had never known anything different, our elders did. They remembered a world without high walls and gates around every village. They remembered what it was like not to fear wandering beneath the stars as darkness fell.<\/p>\n

I did not fear the dark.<\/p>\n

I did not fear the monsters.<\/p>\n

I did not even fear the Blood King.<\/p>\n

But I did fear for my father, for my people, for my culture.<\/p>\n

Because Adrian Aleksandr Vasiliev was inevitable.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou presume to know how a goddess thinks?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou keep challenging me. Did I do something wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you expect complacency because we fucked?\u201d<\/p>\n

He flinched, and his brows slammed down over his eyes. Finally<\/span>, I thought. Anger<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re upset,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

I rolled my eyes. \u201cOf course I\u2019m upset. You convinced my father I needed an escort.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sneak out of your bedroom at night!\u201d<\/p>\n

I had no idea that sleeping with Killian would mean unannounced visits to my bedroom. Except, like always, he overstepped one night and found my room empty. He\u2019d woken the whole castle, had an entire army searching the surrounding forest for me. All I\u2019d wanted to do was watch the stars, and I\u2019d done so for years atop the rolling hills of Lara. But all that ended a week ago. After I was found, my father had summoned me to his study. He\u2019d lectured me on the state of the world and the importance of watchfulness and had given me guards and a curfew.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d protested. I was well trained, a warrior, just as competent as Killian. I could protect myself, at least within the borders of Lara.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t<\/span>, my father had snapped. The word was so harsh and sudden, I jumped. After a quiet moment and a breath, he had added, You are too important, Issi.<\/span><\/p>\n

And in that moment, he\u2019d looked so broken, I hadn\u2019t been able to utter another word\u2014not to him, not to Killian.<\/p>\n

A week later, and I was feeling trapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince you are so keen to spill my secrets, Commander, did you admit to fucking me too?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStop using that word<\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n

He spoke with clenched teeth.<\/p>\n

At least he was passionate about something, I thought. Still, his order only served to provoke me.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what word should I use?\u201d I hissed. \u201cMake love?<\/span> Hardly.\u201d I was being unkind, but when I was angry, I wanted the recipient of my wrath to feel<\/span> it, and I knew Killian did. It was a trait I\u2019d adopted from my mother, given that my father rarely expressed his frustration. \u201cYou seem to think what happened between us means something more.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was like he thought he was suddenly entitled to me, and I hated it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAm I so terrible?\u201d he asked, his voice quiet.<\/p>\n

My fists clenched, and there was a moment when guilt clutched at my chest. I shook it off quickly. \u201cStop trying to manipulate my words.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not trying to manipulate you, but you cannot say you did not enjoy our time together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI enjoy sex, Alec,\u201d I said flatly. \u201cBut it doesn\u2019t mean anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

They were sloppy words, but I meant them. I\u2019d only chosen to sleep with Killian because he\u2019d been there, and I\u2019d wanted release. That had been my first mistake. Because it made me ignore other warnings, like his tendency to keep my father aware of my every move.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t mean that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cKillian.\u201d His name slipped from my mouth, a warning. He wasn\u2019t listening, and if there was one thing I hated, it was a man convinced that I didn\u2019t know my own mind. \u201cWhen will you learn? I always<\/span> say what I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

I started to step around him, and Killian reached for my hand. I wrenched free and punched him in the stomach. He groaned and fell to his knees as I turned on my heels.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsolde!\u201d he huffed. \u201cWhere are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n

I kept walking into the thick wood; the leaves were soft beneath my feet, still wet from morning dew. I wished it were the middle of spring, when the trees were lush and green. I could disappear much easier then. Instead, I walked between pale, skeletal trunks, beneath a canopy of interlaced limbs. Still, I was certain I could lose Killian. I knew these woods like I knew my heart. I would make it back to the castle without him, much as I had intended to do before he followed me to the border.<\/p>\n

\u201cIdiot,\u201d I breathed.<\/p>\n

My jaw ached from clenching my teeth. I did not hate Killian, but I would not accept being caged. I was well aware of the dangers in the world, and I\u2019d been raised to fight every manner of monster, even vampires. Though I was no match for them, at least I knew it. If it were up to Killian, our armies would be battling the vampires right now, and likely, many of our people would be dead.<\/p>\n

As humans, we had no cure to fight their diseases, no ability to outrun them, no way to counter their magic or the monsters they\u2019d awakened. We were lesser, and we would always be unless one of the goddesses answered the many and varied prayers offered by the devout\u2014which was unlikely.<\/p>\n

The goddesses had abandoned us long ago, and sometimes I felt like the only person who knew it.<\/p>\n

My pace lessened as the smell of decay permeated the air. At first, it was faint, and for a brief moment, I thought I was imagining things.<\/p>\n

Then, the cold crept up my back, and I stopped.<\/p>\n

A strzyga was near.<\/p>\n

Strzyga were humans who had died from the blood plague and risen from the dead. They were horrifying creatures with little intellect, save for their desire to eat human flesh.<\/p>\n

The smell grew in potency, and I flexed my hand, turning slowly to face the desiccated monster.<\/p>\n

It stood on the edge of the clearing, back bent, staring with hollow eyes and cheeks. Its sparse hair clung to blood spattered on its near-skeletal face. It stared at me and then sniffed the air, a growl erupting from its throat as its lips curled back to show elongated teeth. Then it gave an eerie cry as it fell on all fours and raced toward me.<\/p>\n

I spread my feet apart, preparing for the impact of its blow. It launched itself at me, and as it neared, I shoved my hand toward it, deploying a knife I kept sheathed in a brace around my wrist. It sank easily between the creature\u2019s ribs. Just as quickly, I pushed away, retracting my blade. Blood spattered my face as the strzyga staggered back, screaming at me, angry and anguished.<\/p>\n

The blow would only wound.<\/p>\n

To kill a strzyga, its head must be separated from its body then burned.<\/p>\n

Now that the monster was weakened, I drew my sword. As the sharp metal sang against my sheath, the creature hissed its hatred before throwing itself at me again. It sank upon my blade, clawed hand slashing, tearing at my dress and skin. I gave a guttural cry as the pain registered, but it was soon overtaken by anger and adrenaline. I withdrew the sword and swung. The edge was sharp but resisted, lodging in the bone of the strzyga\u2019s neck. I shoved my foot against its chest and jerked my blade free. As the strzyga fell, I sliced through its neck again, and when the body hit the ground, its head landed a few feet away.<\/p>\n

I stood for a moment, breathing hard, my chest burning where the creature had shredded my skin. I needed to get to the medics. Infection set in quickly with strzyga wounds. Before I began my trek, I kicked the strzyga\u2019s head, sending it rolling to the tree line of the clearing.<\/p>\n

Returning to the castle injured would not bode well for me and my independence.<\/p>\n

The air changed suddenly, and I twisted, lifting my blade once more, only to have it connect with another.<\/p>\n

The impact surprised me, because I stood face-to-face with a man. He was beautiful, striking, but in a harsh way. His features were angled\u2014high cheekbones, sharp jawline, a straight nose, all framed by blond hair that fell in soft waves past his shoulders. His lips were full and pillowy, and his eyes were hooded by defined brows. It was those strange eyes\u2014blue, rimmed with white\u2014that held mine as he tilted his head and spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing all the way out here?\u201d His voice hinted at intrigue, silky in its delivery, and the sound made my stomach clench.<\/p>\n

My brows lowered at his words, and I studied him further. He wore a black tunic secured with gold buckles and a surcoat of the same color. The edges were stitched with gold thread. It was fine work, but it was not made by my people\u2014our designs were far more intricate.<\/p>\n

I narrowed my eyes. \u201cWho are you?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

The man dropped his sword, as if he no longer perceived me as a threat, which made me want to be a threat, except that I dropped my arm too, my fingers loose around the hilt. I tried to tighten my hold but couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am many things,\u201d he said. \u201cMan, monster, lover.\u201d<\/p>\n

This time when he spoke, I detected a faint accent\u2014a slight clip I couldn\u2019t place.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not an answer,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think what you mean is that\u2019s not the answer you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are toying with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

His smile stretched, and he looked wicked in a sinful way, in a way I wanted to taste and feel. Those thoughts made my skin prick, and I felt myself growing warmer beneath his gaze.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it you want from me?\u201d he asked. His voice was low, a purr that coaxed a shiver from the depths of my stomach.<\/p>\n

I swallowed hard. \u201cI want to know why you\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was tracking the strzyga when it changed course.\u201d His eyes lowered to my chest. \u201cI see why.\u201d<\/p>\n

Self-consciously, I lifted my hand and hissed at the sting of my shredded skin. The sudden flare of pain made me feel light-headed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI killed it,\u201d I managed to say, though my tongue felt thick in my mouth.<\/p>\n

The corners of his lips curled. \u201cI see that too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI should go,\u201d I whispered, holding his gaze. I wanted to move my body but felt too relaxed. Perhaps it was infection, already rooted in my blood.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should,\u201d he agreed. \u201cBut you won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

An alarm sounded in my head as he spoke. And as he stepped toward me, I suddenly regained my ability to move. I drove my hand toward his stomach, releasing my knife, but his hand clamped down upon my wrist. He yanked me forward, his body pressing into mine, despite my wound, despite the blood. He bent over me, grasping my head, fingers digging into my scalp, and for a moment, I feared that he would either kiss me or break my neck. Instead, he gripped me harder, eyes never leaving mine, thumb brushing my lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is your name?\u201d he asked. His voice shivered through me, and I found myself speaking.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am Isolde.\u201d The answer slipped from my mouth, at war with my mind, which raged against him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Again, I answered not of my own accord, my voice the whisper of a lover. \u201cI am princess of the House of Lara.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIsolde,\u201d he repeated my name, a rough growl that vibrated against my chest. \u201cMy sweet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then he bent, and his tongue swept across the wound on my chest. I couldn\u2019t breathe, I couldn\u2019t move, and I couldn\u2019t speak. The worst part was that this felt good<\/span>. It felt possessive and immoral, and I found myself no longer trying to stab him but clinging to him as he worked.<\/p>\n

When he drew away, his full lips were stained with my blood. He swallowed, and his eyes gleamed as he studied my eyes, my lips, my throat. The stare ignited something deep inside me, and the fire spread, making me ache. I was ashamed, because I knew this man was a soldier for the Blood King, a vampire.<\/p>\n

I jerked in his grasp and was surprised when he released me. I stumbled back, my hand going to my chest, meeting smooth skin. I was healed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a monster.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI healed you,\u201d he said, as if that made him less so.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t ask for your help,\u201d I snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, but you enjoyed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

I glared. \u201cYou were controlling me.\u201d<\/p>\n

That was why I hadn\u2019t been able to grip my sword, why my body seemed to be at odds with my mind, why I suddenly felt desperate to be crushed beneath the weight of a warm body that could fill me better than anything I\u2019d ever had before. I was out of control.<\/p>\n

And it was his<\/span> fault.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not control emotions.\u201d He spoke so matter-of-factly, it was hard to accuse him of lying.<\/p>\n

I lifted my blade, and the vampire laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnger suits you, my sweet. I like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

I scowled, but my anger just made him smile wider, his lips pulling back from gleaming white teeth, no sign that he\u2019d just feasted on my blood. My hatred for him deepened.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is still daylight,\u201d I said. \u201cHow are you able to walk among us?\u201d<\/p>\n

Vampires could only go out during the day in Revekka, where the red sky blocked the sun\u2019s rays. Were they evolving?<\/span> The thought brought a new kind of dread into the pit of my stomach.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is nearly sunset,\u201d he said. \u201cThis time is not so dangerous for someone like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

What did that mean?<\/span><\/p>\n

I did not ask, and he did not offer an explanation. Instead, he inclined his head. \u201cWe\u2019ll meet again, Princess Isolde. I\u2019ll make sure of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

His promise shivered through me like an oath he\u2019d sworn to the goddesses themselves. I lifted my blade and charged, but as I swung, he vanished like mist in the morning sun.<\/p>\n

Alone, I began to shake.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d survived an encounter with a vampire who had tasted my blood, and the worst part about it was that he\u2019d been right.<\/p>\n

I did like it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Read the full book by downloading it below.<\/p>\n

DOWNLOAD EPUB<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Book Preview One There was an army of vampires encamped on the outskirts of my father\u2019s kingdom. The black tops of their tents looked like an ocean of sharp waves and seemed to stretch for miles, melding with a red horizon that was the sky that extended over Revekka, the Empire of the Vampire. It … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2522,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[146],"class_list":["post-2523","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-scarlett-st-clair-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2523","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2523"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2523\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}