Dark Fae Cursed (Broken Court Book 1)

by Heather Renee

  “Did you see the king?” I asked.

  He nodded. “I was asked to take the crates around the back side of the island so that they could be taken directly into the castle. Apparently, the king didn’t want to share the goods I brought, and clean food hasn’t been brought in for the people yet. Don’t worry, though. I made sure to mention that to a few of the people I passed by before leaving.”

  “How did King Zephyr look when you saw him?” I needed to know that phase one had caused more than just trouble for him with his people.

  Maddox shrugged. “He’s old as dirt. He looked tired, but there was a bit of crazy in his eyes. He wouldn’t let anyone in his room. Not even his guards. Instead, he came and inspected the food I’d brought and pushed it in himself.”

  “Good. That’s very good,” I muttered, wishing I could have seen it for myself.

  “You’re welcome for putting my life at risk for your curiosity,” he added sarcastically when I checked out of the conversation mentally.

  I waved my hand in the air and continued with my own thoughts as I considered when and how to make my next move. The king’s foundation was weakened. I couldn’t let him find a way to reinforce it before I acted again.

  “If you tell me how thankful you are, I’ll tell you what else I heard,” Maddox teased, and my attention was back on him.

  “What did you hear?” I demanded.

  He shook his finger in my face. “I don’t think so. If I’m going to help you, you’re going to treat me equally and quit staring at me like you’d have no problem with killing me where I stand.”

  Well, if he wanted to be frank…

  “Prove to me I can trust you and maybe I’ll throw you a rope, but I don’t know you and you like to disappear to your ‘farm’ more than I think is necessary if you have other fae working the lands, which you should if you’re any good at what you do. How am I to know I didn’t kill one of your family members when I was last here and you’re just biding time until you can exact your revenge? I’m fully aware I have unknown enemies all over these lands.”

  Maddox considered my words, and I caught Finn staring at me. There was something different about the glint in his silver eyes, as if something between us was slowly changing. At least on his end. Though, I didn’t know what it was, nor did I want to. I reminded myself to remain on task once again, and I’d keep doing so until the thought stuck.

  “Your reasoning makes sense, but still, if you want my continued help, you’re going to have to do something for me,” Maddox finally replied.

  I raised a brow. “Well, I already promised to kill King Zephyr. What else is there?”

  “I want you to send Neva back to Earth to find someone to heal Ivy. You don’t need her here.”

  Maddox was right that I didn’t exactly need her, but it was nice to have her around. Then, I wondered if there was a reason that he was trying to get me all on my own without any help. I trusted Neva. She was the only supernatural I probably ever had. I wasn’t sure I wanted to send her away.

  “There is no negotiating here, Lucinda. You either do this or you’ll never get the chance to see the king’s death through,” Maddox added when I didn’t respond.

  I glanced at Finn, but he didn’t say anything. I didn’t necessarily need their help to accomplish my task, but if I wanted to be breathing by the time I was done, I probably shouldn’t be such a stubborn fae, either.

  “Fine. Neva will go to Earth, but she’ll need to take some of Ivy’s blood before she goes, and you’ll need to start spilling everything you know,” I replied.

  “Deal.” Maddox held his hand out and I glared at it. “My fingers aren’t going to bite you,” he added.

  “I’m not so sure about that, but if you do, I won’t hesitate to slice your head off with my wings,” I said with a smile.

  Maddox returned my grin. “I know.”

  We shook hands, and Finn huffed. He didn’t seem to enjoy that not everyone hated me. Too bad for him.

  “So, the king is convinced he knows who poisoned the people,” Maddox said.

  Shit. We’d made eye contact. Had he seen through my glamor? Had Beatrix’s spell weakened at just the wrong time? With my slight panic, my wings unfurled and hardened as I waited for Maddox to continue, focusing on my breathing.

  “He thinks it’s the Renegades.”

  My brows pinched. “What the hell are the Renegades?”

  Finn laughed, deep and loud. A sound I’d yet to hear come from his lips. While a glare formed on my face, I also had to ignore the way the sound made my stomach do weird things I’d been trying to avoid for the last couple of days.

  “What’s so funny?” I snapped.

  Maddox shook his head, shoving Finn’s shoulder. “Not funny, just surprising. The Renegades have been around for a while, but their numbers are growing. The king calls them anarchists and has wanted them dead for many years. I assumed you would have hunted them at some point.”

  I shrugged. “When you’re told to do this or die, you don’t usually ask too many questions.” Both of their faces softened, and that pissed me off. “I didn’t say that for sympathy, assholes. Just tell me who these people are.”

  Finn’s face lost all joy at my lack of knowledge as he spoke next. “They’re a group of fae who have fought against the monarchy for decades. Even when the queen ruled. We think they’re the ones who poisoned the king, but they never admitted to it. They were quiet for a long time until three years ago.”

  Interesting that they didn’t begin to act again until after I left.

  “Wouldn’t that have been something to tell me?” I asked.

  Maddox backed up before Finn could answer. “I’m going to let the two of you sort this out while I check in with Ivy. She’s staring out the window.”

  I didn’t move my glare from Finn, still waiting for his answer.

  “I assumed you knew. Especially when you were so ready to kill the one who showed up here,” Finn replied with a sigh, and I was even more furious.

  “The fae who killed himself? You knew he wasn’t a guard? I thought you said you didn’t know him.” Darkness bubbled just beneath the surface as I remembered the interactions with that fae and all that was said. “Do you work with the Renegades?”

  The fae had accused Finn of turning on his people. I hadn’t thought too much of it previously, but now it was making more sense.

  “No, I’ve never worked with them, but I sought out their help for Ivy. They wouldn’t do anything about her situation, but they’ve been checking on me occasionally since then.”

  My shoulders shook. “That would have been good to know.”

  “But then, that would have taken all our fun away,” a voice sounded, but there was nobody else around us as we stood in front of the house.

  Without hesitation, I channeled magic and sent a wave of it around the open area until there was a ripple and another fae came into view.

  One I’d believed was long ago dead.

  Chapter 17

  It shouldn’t be possible. I’d seen his lifeless eyes staring back up at me when I was only twelve. I’d hunted him through the islands like the killer the king wanted me to be.

  I’d taken this fae’s life.

  He was my first mark, and while I had no idea what his name was, I’d never forget his face.

  “You want to make me proud, don’t you, Lucinda? Well, you have to prove your worth. I’ve allowed you to use my resources and time to polish your skills. Now, show me you can use them. Otherwise, I think it would be best if we part ways.”

  “Whatever you need from me, I will do for you, my king.”

  He patted my head. “That’s my good girl. I always knew you were special. Now, let’s show everyone else what I see in you. There is a man who has been terrorizing our people. I need you to track him and make sure he can’t do any more harm to our lands.”

  I was only just finishing my training, but I was smart enough to read between the lines. The king, th
e man who’d been like a father to me, was asking me to kill someone. I hesitated, knowing it was wrong. Whoever the fae was might need to be punished, but murder seemed a bit extreme.

  King Zephyr grabbed my arm, squeezing until I winced. “You’re not going to disappoint me, are you, my sweet Lucinda?”

  The king’s words slithered their way through my mind, as well as flashbacks to when I’d sent feathers through the unknown fae’s chest and blasted him with magic, all while tears trailed down my face as a young fae who knew better but didn’t feel she had a choice.

  “Hello, Lucinda,” the fae drawled.

  Finn glanced between the two of us. “Edgar. How do you two know each other? She didn’t know who the renegades were.”

  I could hear the suspicion in his voice. He wasn’t sure if I’d been telling the truth, but I never lied. I might omit, but I’d never outright lied unless it was to keep my ass alive, like when I pretended to be Maribel.

  There were no cares left within me, so I had no reason to lie. If someone didn’t like what I had to say, they could piss off.

  “Well, you see, Finn. Me and Lucinda go way back.” Edgar nodded toward me. “Would you like to do the honors of telling our story?”

  My head lifted higher, and I refused to let him think he had a leg up in the situation. “I killed him without even knowing who he was or what he may or may not have done.” My voice was flat, giving no inclination as to how I truly felt about my past choices.

  “Well, you obviously didn’t kill him,” Finn muttered, his tone telling me he wished I had, and I smirked.

  “Clearly.” I sighed.

  Edgar chuckled. “I’m not an easy fae to kill, but you were definitely the first to come close. You’re actually the reason our group banded together again. We’d been docile for many years, but once I saw the weapon the king had created in you, I knew our people needed to do something about it.”

  “Pity you were never successful,” I sneered.

  “While that might be true, we were at least able to weaken the king, and that was just as great a victory to us as ending you might have been. I’d always wondered what happened to the king’s pet guard and when my men saw you arrive on this farm, I knew we had to act.”

  I turned toward Finn, and he held his hands up, speaking before I could. “I had no idea they were watching so closely. It was only the occasional check-in that I was aware of before. This is just as much news to me as it is you.”

  Edgar took a step closer and my wings twitched to attack. “You killed one of my best men. What happened to him?”

  It was my turn to laugh. “That was your best man? The one dressed in all black that I took out within minutes?” Edgar didn’t need to know Finn saved him and then he exploded. The important part was the fae would have died in minutes.

  Edgar’s midnight leather wings rippled as he rolled his shoulders. “Don’t be fooled. I said one of them. You see, I have dozens of warriors just like him. All who hold a fury within them they’ve been dying to release for years. The king wronged us all, and if you’re here to join his ranks once again, then be prepared to die.”

  Finn stepped forward, always trying to be the hero. “She’s not here to rejoin the king. I would have never allowed her onto my property if that was the case. You know my hate runs deep.”

  Edgar nodded. “That I do, but it’s never been strong enough to sway you to our side, and here I see you’ve sought out Lucinda. So, it makes me wonder… why did you ask for her help instead of ours?”

  “Because you nearly killed me last time I did so,” Finn snarled.

  “You have it all wrong, boy. You just weren’t strong enough to handle the spell and save your own sister.”

  Even I knew Edgar had screwed up, but the overconfident idiot hadn’t seemed to think Finn was man enough to do anything about it.

  Finn flew across the ten or so feet separating us from Edgar and tackled him to the ground. Magic flared from both of them, and just as I was about to go find some popcorn and enjoy the show, more fae dressed in black dropped from the trees.

  Of course, that asshole wasn’t alone. Whatever magic blocks they had were just as good as Beatrix’s spell had been, because I hadn’t sensed a single one of them.

  “Finn, watch your six. We’ve got company,” I called out as he grunted, exchanging magical blows with Edgar and surprisingly keeping up with the old fae.

  As I approached the first two fae, I caught Maddox and another guy I hadn’t met before, headed our way. Well, any help was better than nothing. If anything, they’d keep some of the renegades distracted while I killed them, one by one.

  Without hesitation, I lifted my hardened wing, made sure my end feathers were razor sharp, then sliced the heads off the fae before they could even take one shot at me. “Who’s next?” I cackled as fear shone in the other fae’s eyes.

  Maddox and the new guy were already facing off with two others, and I glanced back at Finn. He wasn’t doing too well against Edgar, who was now on top of him.

  I plucked out several of my feathers and sent them flying toward Edgar, but only one sank into his right arm; the others he’d just barely managed to roll out of the way from. That was alright, though. Even the missed shots had been enough of a distraction to give Finn the moment he needed to recover and stand up.

  Four more of Edgar’s crew tried to sneak up on me, but I already had more feathers prepared, assuming they had to be smart enough not to get close to me like the others. Before I could turn around, magic plowed into the center of my back, burning the shit out of my skin.

  Wrath rose within me and I knew without having to see them for myself that my eyes were glowing with enough fury to star in nightmares.

  The four fae stumbled as they tried to scurry backwards and regroup, but I shook my finger at them. “I don’t think so, boys. You made your choices, and now you’re going to deal with the consequences.”

  I launched into the sky as two of them began to fly away. My hands grabbed both of their ankles and jerked them back down onto the ground with a force so severe, the earth cracked underneath their bodies.

  One of their heads was twisted at an angle that didn’t bode well for his survival, and the other moaned while trying to roll over.

  “You’re making a mistake,” the fae sneered as blood trailed from his ears and nose.

  “No, actually, I’m not. I’m making a choice that will keep me safe.” Without an ounce of remorse, I sent my wingtips through his neck and backed away when the job was done.

  Finn was standing there, a look on his face I didn’t care to decipher, because if he was disappointed in me for killing the fae who wanted to kill us first, he could kiss my asshole.

  I glanced around, disappointed not to see the body of Edgar lying on the ground anywhere. He must have realized a dozen of his best soldiers weren’t going to be enough to take me down. Unfortunately for me, that had been the smartest choice for him, but I would eagerly await Edgar’s return. Next time, it wouldn’t be Finn fighting him, either.

  Maddox and the new guy approached before Finn could say anything to me about my choices in fighting style that would make me punch him.

  “Several of them flew off when Edgar did, but looks like six of them are dead. Though, that only puts a small dent in the Renegades’ numbers,” Maddox said.

  “Who is he?” I asked, pointing to the dark-haired stranger with Maddox. I wasn’t a fan of new people.

  “This is Dain. He picks fruits for both of our farms and gets them ready for market. His week at Maddox’s just ended, and he came here to work today,” Finn answered. When I didn’t reply, he added, “I’ve known him since he was young. His mother was friends with mine.”

  I wanted to ask for more information, mostly because I never trusted anyone, but since Dain had jumped right into the fight without question, maybe he wasn’t so bad. Though, I’d be keeping an eye out while he was here at Finn’s farm, just in case.

  “Well, Dain. Tha
nks for joining in alongside Maddox. You moved that little fight along quicker, though that meant I had less fun, so maybe I shouldn’t be thanking you.” The darkness inside me was thriving at the moment. I’d needed those kills badly, and power was flowing through me stronger than ever before.

  When you follow your truest desires, you will have all the power you could ever need, my inner voice added after my own thoughts.

  “Uh, you’re welcome? I’m going to clean up and get back to work.” As Dain’s russet eyes shifted around the area, I grinned at the fact he didn’t seem at all comfortable around me, and that was fine with me. There was nothing remarkable about him. Plain short brunet hair, eyes to match, and maybe six feet tall. The only things to make him standout were his nerves.

  I watched curiously as he left with Maddox following, then I turned back to Finn. I was prepared for his lecture about killing the fae, but instead, he shocked the hell out of me.

  “Thank you for having my back and doing whatever it takes. Edgar is among the most powerful around here, and I’ve had enough of his crap, but I never knew how to do anything about it without the risk of dying and leaving Ivy all on her own,” he said.

  I waved my hand. “There’s no thanks necessary. I just did what needed to be done. Now, you need to tell me everything you know about these Renegades, so I can make sure they don’t get in my way.”

  Finn’s hand rubbed over his shoulder where he had a magic burn. “Technically, we’re all on the same side. All of us want the king dead.”

  “But they’d also like to see me dead, so let’s not forget that. If you want their help instead, go for it, but I won’t work with them. We can’t trust other fae with their own agenda, even if their end game is similar to ours.”

  He raised a brow. “And you don’t have your own agenda?”

  “I don’t. You know I want the king dead. You also know I won’t put Ivy’s life before that task, though I’ve given you time to get things sorted for her. And when I’ve accomplished my task, I’m headed back to my high-rise apartment where I don’t have to deal with the dramas of these islands. There is nothing about my intentions that you’re not already aware of.”