The Heir (Kelderan Runic Warriors #3) Read online

  Contents

  Title

  Kelderan Runic Warriors

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Epilogue

  Author's Note

  Blaze of Secrets

  Books by Jessie Donovan

  About the Author

  Copyright

  The Heir

  (Kelderan Runic Warriors #3)

  Jessie Donovan

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  Books in this series:

  Kelderan Runic Warriors

  The Conquest (KRW #1)

  The Barren (KRW #2)

  The Heir (KRW #3)

  The Forbidden (KRW #4 / July 2018)

  The Heir Synopsis

  Twenty-three years ago, Azalyn Rippak Sulani had the misfortune of falling in love with a prince. It wasn’t long before she was chased away and forced to live a quiet life, working for a merchant family and trying her best to start over. However, after a group of aliens kidnap her and knock her unconscious, Azalyn wakes up in the Kelderan palace and comes face-to-face with the man who broke her heart. Because of certain circumstances, she has no choice but to stay in the palace. But to protect her heart and those she loves, she’s determined to find ways to resist the powerful prince and his secrets.

  Prince Keltor tro el Vallen is heir to the Kelderan throne and must put duty above all else. Social connections, especially those with love involved, are dangerous. So when the only female who ever treated him as a man instead of a prince comes storming back into his life, it takes everything Keltor has to keep his distance and resist the lively, straightforward woman. Otherwise, he might start to wish for what he can’t have.

  As Keltor and Azalyn start to realize that they fit better together now than in the past, they face a bigger problem. Namely, if a prince marries a commoner, there could be war. Can they find a way to recapture their love and start over? Or, will Keltor’s duty to Keldera trump all?

  Chapter One

  Twenty-Three Years Ago

  Azalyn Rippak rubbed the material of her skirt between her fingers and resisted peeking out of the storage room once more. Keltor would come as soon as he could. After all, he was a prince with a lot of boring tutors and instruction from his father, King Kastor, and his schedule left little room for meetings with her.

  If only their time together didn’t have to be so short, let alone secret. But she was a shop assistant’s daughter and nowhere near the same station as a prince. Keltor had assured her that next year, when he turned twenty and inherited more responsibilities from his father, he could start finding councilors sympathetic to his desire to take Azalyn as his bride. Once he had enough support, he could announce his intentions publicly, but not before.

  Why politics had to be so complicated, she didn’t know. At seventeen, she’d never really thought about them before meeting Keltor. She knew her extended family’s merchant business like the back of her hand, but none of that would help in her current situation. Or, so Keltor had said. She hated relying on him for matters related to the palace. She really needed to study a bit more about how it all functioned.

  Steps echoed down the hallway. Her worries melted away and her heart skipped a beat. Her prince had finally come.

  Yet in the next heartbeat, doubt crept up her spine. What she had planned was a big step for both of them, one from which there was no return.

  Maybe she should rethink it.

  However, as soon as Keltor entered the room and locked the door, his eyes met hers and the world melted away, as did her doubts. He already risked everything to spend time with her. She trusted that he wouldn’t abandon her and disregard all his promises to date.

  Jumping into his arms, she kissed him. She wasn’t an expert on the subject, but as his lips devoured hers, she couldn’t help but sigh.

  Keltor chuckled and broke the kiss. “What happened to making me work for everything? Giving in so easily strokes my ego, and I know you try not to do that.”

  She frowned. “Excuse me for missing you. It’s been two weeks, Keltor. That’s a long time.”

  He gently placed her on the floor and lightly stroked her back. “I know, love. My father is growing suspicious, which means I have to be even more careful.” He took her chin in his hand. “But everything I do is for us. If I could resign my place as heir today and run away with you, I would.”

  She finished his thought. “I know, but Kason is in the army now, and your sister can’t rule because of the law. I still think that’s stupid. Females are just as smart. You’ve said so yourself.”

  “Yes, but remember Kalahn isn’t more than a baby right now. Father announcing the heir is a toddler—and a female one no less—won’t help anything, especially with the recent end of the war with the Brevkan. He has to be focused on healing and rebuilding Keldera.”

  She noticed the worry in his eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  He shook his head. “I’d rather not waste what time I have with you talking about serious matters. I’m more interested in what you have planned for today’s adventure.”

  If it hadn’t been so long since she’d seen Keltor, Azalyn might’ve pushed. But she’d worked hard at finding a new surprise for her prince, and was anxious to get started. “Come. The guard rotation change will happen soon, and if we miss the small window available to leave the palace grounds, we won’t have another chance for hours.”

  Keltor took her hand and motioned in front of them. “Then lead on, my lady.”

  She flashed a grin, opened the door to peek out, and tugged him behind her. When she’d met Keltor by chance a year ago, he’d been dressed as a commoner and had been roaming the streets of the capital. It was still hard to believe that the male she’d castigated for stepping on her foot had ended up being the future king of Keldera.

  Not that it had mattered to her at the time, nor did it in the present. All she wanted was to become his bride and live out a future with her best friend and counter-balance.

  Strange to think a prince helped to tame her impulsiveness, let alone the fact a shop assistant’s daughter was able to show a new side of the world to a crown prince.

  Squeezing Keltor’s hand, she led them through one of the service tunnels and toward the palace’s side exit. She was aware that Keltor’s future wasn’t his own. Still, she believed in their love. He would find a way for them to be together.

  Some might say she was foolish for such thoughts, but stubbornness was Azalyn’s middle name. Her father had never believed she could apprentice to an acquisitions’ assistant before her eighteenth birthday, and yet she’d done it at sixteen.

  Becoming Keltor’s bride and one day the queen of Keldera might be a little more difficult, but she never said never.

  They reached the end of the service tunnel and checked out the area, from the perfectly laid out garden to the surveillance stations posted at regular intervals around the palace grounds. The guards
would be gone from this section for the next five minutes. She whispered, “Run.”

  Never releasing her hand, Keltor ran and took her with him. His long legs made it difficult to keep up, but Azalyn pushed to run faster.

  Once they reached the tree cover at the edge of the grounds, next to the crumbling palace walls that still hadn’t been rebuilt after the war, they stopped to catch their breaths.

  At the flush on Keltor’s cheeks and his hair slightly disheveled from the wind, his handsomeness made her ache. “You’re beautiful.”

  He snorted. “Males are not beautiful.” Before she could state her case, he reached out and ran his finger down her neck. “The flush on your lavender skin is splotchy.”

  “Keltor,” she growled.

  “Let me finish. The patterns remind me of distant galaxies. One day, I want to show you them from a spaceship and maybe even some of the nearest planets. The shape and colors of them are unlike anything you’ve ever seen. You’d love it, Aza. I know you would.”

  Her anger eased a fraction. “Now who’s planning adventures?”

  “A certain female opened my eyes to the world.” He reached out and pulled her up against his body. “She has also taught me a thing or two about life outside the palace and how much more there is to see. Learning to be king is important, but I’ll never be a good one if I don’t know how people are living elsewhere in the world. Meeting you was a gift and one I’m never going to take for granted. I hope to prove it to you. We’re going to have amazing adventures, Azalyn. Just wait and see.”

  While many of her friends said males just told females what they want to hear in order to get them naked, Azalyn believed Keltor was different. His passionate words did something to her heart.

  Any lingering hesitations she’d had about her plans for the night vanished. She wasn’t going to back down. “Then hurry up and kiss me so I can show you our latest destination. I have a surprise waiting for you once we get there.”

  “I used to hate surprises, but if you’re doing it, then I can’t wait to find out what it is.” He kissed her once more before releasing her. “Lead on, my lady. The heir to the Kelderan throne is at your command.”

  It was difficult, but she kept her face serious. “I sure hope so.”

  “Cheeky female.”

  He reached out to tickle her side and Azalyn had to bite her lip to keep from squealing. “Stop it, or someone will hear.”

  Leaning down to her ear, he whispered, “Then I hope our destination is isolated because I want to kiss and tease you without fear of being discovered.”

  “Oh, it is. Now, hop to it, Prince. See if you can keep up.”

  Azalyn dashed along the wall to the jagged opening big enough for them to sneak through. Having done it countless times before, she was careful to make as little sound as possible. As expected, Keltor easily followed her lead.

  Just the idea that someone as powerful as a prince wanted her made her smile.

  Then she remembered what she was determined to do later. Her family would call her a fool, but Azalyn knew Keltor would do anything to keep her.

  And so she was going to offer her body to him later in the evening and allow him to claim her.

  Glancing at Keltor, she waited for hesitation or doubt to rush forth like earlier, but it never did. No one accepted her rashness or tendency to defy expected female norms as much as Keltor. She loved him.

  And together they would change Keldera for the better.

  Picking up her pace, she enjoyed the wind rushing against her skin and the sound of her male right behind her. Tonight would be the start of her future and Azalyn couldn’t wait to see what it held.

  Chapter Two

  Present Day

  Prince Keltor tro el Vallen stared down at Azalyn’s unconscious body and willed for her to wake up. It’d been over a week since he’d had to watch the dishonorable Tallarian male assault her in front of his eyes. True, her lip had healed and the bruising on her face was fading, but he was far more worried about her internal injuries. Not even the doctors knew what the long-term effects might be.

  Even though his political skill had ultimately saved her, it didn’t seem enough. And not just because he wanted to hear her voice again, either.

  No, the son Keltor hadn’t known about until last week was anxious to talk to her, too. The boy was nearly as difficult to read as Keltor’s younger brother, Kason. And considering Keltor had no idea how to act around his newly discovered son, they had barely managed anything beyond a few civilities. The boy was more concerned with his research work than what his future entailed as a Kelderan prince and heir to the throne.

  Not that Keltor could blame him. After all, Keltor had been young once, too, and had wanted to carve his own path. But Kelzal’s heritage had been confirmed—he was Keltor and Azalyn’s son. There was no going back. He would formally announce the boy as his heir in the coming weeks.

  After all, Keldera needed reassurance about the succession. Maybe one day Kelzal would recognize the importance of his existence and stop disliking and avoiding him.

  As Keltor stared down at the lavender skin of Azalyn’s neck, he decided that she might be able to help him sway Kelzal toward accepting his fate.

  She just needed to wake up first.

  One of Keltor’s personal royal guards, Xerlig, cleared his throat and brought him back to the present. The sound meant Keltor should consider leaving for his next task.

  Sometimes, all he wanted was for people to speak freely with him, like Azalyn had done when they were younger.

  Not wanting to think of what he had easily given up over twenty years ago, Keltor turned toward Xerlig. “Inform those who should know that I’m headed for Kelzal’s quarters.”

  To his credit, the guard didn’t so much as blink at the change in Keltor’s schedule. “As you wish, your highness.”

  After one last look at Azalyn’s still form, Keltor strode out of the room. Guards walked in front of and behind him, but he paid them little attention. They were as familiar a sight as his own face in the mirror.

  When they finally arrived, the guards in front of him stopped to the left side of Kelzal’s door and the ones behind him to the right. He looked from one set to another as he said, “I’m going in alone.”

  Ervan, the highest ranking and most trusted guard assigned to Keltor, clenched his jaw a fraction but remained silent. He would air his grievances in private later; he wouldn’t question the prince’s authority in front of the others.

  While tempted to use the override code to enter Kelzal’s room, Keltor forced himself to press his finger to the chime touchpad.

  One second passed and then another. The computer would’ve identified Keltor via his fingerprint and the thought that Kelzal didn’t want to see him sat heavy in his stomach. The boy was much more than security for the Kelderan throne; Keltor wanted to know his son. He’d never admit it aloud, but he desperately wished he could rewind the clock and raise the boy with Azalyn.

  To be the father he had always wanted to be, but at age forty-two, had thought would never happen.

  However, time travel wasn’t possible, and he couldn’t change the past. All Keltor could do was try to make a better future for all, starting with Kelzal and Azalyn.

  The door finally opened to reveal Kelzal’s golden-skinned face. The boy’s green eyes met Keltor’s dark brown for a second before looking off to the side. “What do you want?”

  Since the royal guard already knew about Kelzal’s heritage, they didn’t ask the boy to speak with respect to the future king.

  Keltor gestured inside the room. “May I come in? I have something I wish to discuss.”

  “You can have five minutes, but then I have to go back to work,” Kelzal replied.

  “I will take whatever you give me, Kelzal.”

  The young man met his gaze again before turning away. “Then hurry up. The clock has started.”

  Keltor moved inside. The instant the door closed, he spoke
again. “Have you received everything you need in order to continue your work?”

  Kelzal focused on a disassembled device on a table. “Why ask me that? I’m sure you receive reports about my requests.”

  A snarky comment was on the tip of Keltor’s tongue, but he ignored it. “Data doesn’t tell me everything. I’m trying to ensure you’re comfortable.”

  “Odd, considering I’m a prisoner.”

  “You’re here for your protection. While the formal announcement of your heritage is scheduled for a few weeks from now, rumors have started about who you are. Even if you’ve buried your nose in your work for years, you should still know about the antimonarchy factions. You’re now a target, Kelzal. You must accept that your life will never be the same.”

  Kelzal tossed down the electronic components he’d been studying and met Keltor’s gaze. “I never asked for this.”

  “And neither did I.”

  Kelzal blinked. “What?”

  Since politeness had gotten him nowhere, Keltor was going to be blunt. “I wasn’t much younger than you when I wanted to run away with your birth mother and live a normal life. But believe it or not, it was Azalyn who convinced me that leaving would hurt too many people. We don’t always ask for certain responsibilities, but if you’re anything like me, then you know that sometimes you must give up your own wants for the greater good. For you, the greater good is developing technological research that can eventually save lives. For me, it’s keeping the world in one piece. And for better or worse, you’re now a part of that.”

  “But why? You have a brother and he has a pregnant bride. The succession is all but guaranteed.”

  Keltor raised an eyebrow. “I commend your initiative in gathering that information, but yet again, the data doesn’t tell you everything. Kason would never leave his human bride, and she will never leave Jasvar. Not to mention the fact that most Kelderans would never accept a half-human ruler. Unless I’m fortunate enough to have more children, you are key in keeping Keldera from civil war.”