MidKnight: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (Tangled Crowns Book 2)

by Ann Denton

  “Fine!” Ryan slammed the door to Declan’s room shut and Connor sealed the passageway behind us.

  Blue fluttered from Declan’s bed canopy down to settle on my shoulder. Fuzzy plopped down on a bear skin rug in front of the fire, oblivious to the irony of his bed choice. His snores soon rumbled lightly through the room.

  I turned from the animals to stare at Ryan’s dark expression.

  “What the hell is going on?” Ryan asked. “Sultan Raj is moving soldiers to the shore? The ships? He must have done that quickly. Or had the ships disguised. I haven’t had any reports from my scouts about this.”

  Quinn replied to all of us. My people are stationed at the palace. I heard talk about a pleasure cruise. That must have been a sarding code word. I’m gonna head down the coast and let you know what I see.

  “Maybe my scouts have been paid off. There’s a lot of those fake coins floating around. Maybe they’re from Cheryn. Do we think they’re going to attack us?” Ryan asked.

  Quinn’s response was instantaneous. It looks like they’re loading the boats. Not unloading from them. Besides, any attack on us would better be done via land or air.

  Declan shook his head in disbelief, “Are they suicidal? If they try anything out in the ocean against anyone, Sedara will smash them. It has three times the ships anyone else does and considers the water basically an extension of its territory.” He took one of the ancient coins I’d brought him and flipped it between his fingers, watching it go end over end.

  We all stood silently, trying to puzzle out who the country to the north might attack.

  “Maybe Sultan Raj is trying to make a bunch of power plays?” I threw out, “He did supposedly send his sons down here and we ended up assaulted. Attacking us when my mother was ill, and I was newly returned was smart. Strategic, even. Maybe he wants to take the continent? Maybe he isn’t going across the sea but down the shore to attack Rasle? Should we warn Isla?”

  Quinn’s answer projected to everyone. Doubtful, Dove. I’m hitting the border of Rasle now. I can already see a pocket of supposed ‘civilians’ up ahead in the hills near the ocean. Looks way too organized to be actual civilians. They could be from Cheryn. But could be from Rasle, too. I’ll let you know when I get closer.

  Be careful.

  I took Invisibility. No one can see me.

  I turned to Declan, “We heard Rasle’s ambassador and Malia complain about Sedara tonight.”

  “One doesn’t necessarily connect to the other,” Declan shook his head. “My mother would destroy Sultan Raj. Isla’s country is so small she’d be wiped off the map. Complaining versus doing something—”

  Rasle has at least three groups of soldiers hidden in their northern hills near the shore, Quinn interrupted Declan.

  I bit my lip. “I know. It doesn’t make sense. Are they fighting each other? If so, why’s Isla here? She needs to be focused on her own country if she and Raj are on the brink of conflict with one another.”

  Ryan threw out, “If they aren’t fighting each other … and they are amassing together—then that would be a different story.”

  Declan shook his head. “Both against Sedara still wouldn’t stand a chance.”

  I had to throw out the question, “And why would she visit me? She hasn’t tried to convince me to join some movement. Or uprising.”

  Ryan’s eyes flew to Declan. “Maybe she thinks our loyalty lies with Sedara.”

  Declan gave a bitter laugh, “If they think that, the joke’s on them isn’t it?”

  “Is it?” I asked, “If there wasn’t some kind of secret agreement between mother and Sedara, then why would Queen Diamoni have sent that note about finding Avia?”

  We were quiet for a moment as the weight of that soaked in.

  Connor spoke first, “Two countries get together to complain about the big, bad monarch across the sea. Tired of taxes, tired of the navy bullying them wherever they go. They complain and whine and notice their neighbor, Evaness, gets all the good treaty terms. Evaness doesn’t have to pay extra fees to trade with Lored for wine or spices, though every other nation does. The countries start to wonder why Evaness gets special treatment. Then Sedara sends their most powerful prince over, across the sea, to Evaness. And their jealousy grows.”

  “Bastard you mean,” Declan chimed in.

  “Still powerful as shite,” Ryan countered, clapping Declan on the back and nodding for Connor to go on.

  Connor stared out the window, thinking, before he continued, “Evaness prospers with the prince’s magic. That prince becomes engaged to Evaness’ crown princess, set to be a knight. And then … the crown princess disappears.”

  “Dragon hunting,” Declan put in wryly. “Officially, she was dragon hunting.”

  Connor nodded. “Yes. Officially. But … Isla was a regular visitor here. She would have noticed that Avia was never in state meetings. Never went through the extensive trainings that Bloss did. Avia never sat in the back of the room, forced to observe every obnoxiously boring state interaction as Bloss was.”

  Declan picked up the thread of thought and continued to unravel the tangle. “She’s not an idiot, Queen Isla. She would have started to wonder why—when dragon hunting is so dangerous—Queen Gela never prepared her second daughter for the crown.”

  “She guessed that Avia wasn’t a second daughter,” Connor concluded, turning back to us from the window.

  My entire body felt tight as a wire. I hung on their every word. I knew what they’d say next, but I needed to hear it aloud.

  Declan met my eyes as he said, “Isla began to wonder who Avia was … if she wasn’t a second daughter. Another bastard from Sedara? Maybe. But bastards aren’t worth much in terms of treaties. We’re far too common.”

  I went and grabbed Declan’s hand. “Stop calling yourself that,” I muttered. I bumped him with my hip, moving him slightly in his chair. He gave me a side smile but kept his eyes on Connor.

  Connor leaned back against the window, ruffled his brown curls, and mused. “Isla began to wonder if Avia wasn’t something else, some chess piece that gave Evaness power over Sedara.”

  Declan grimaced. “Rasle has plenty of spies and mages of their own. Cerena’s newly a castle mage. Just hardly more than a hedge witch. If she could restore that old midwife’s memory, imagine what Isla’s people might have found.”

  “But how does Cheryn come into all of this? How does Sultan Raj fit in?” Ryan chimed in.

  Blue suddenly started chirping madly, flying to the middle of the room and doing circles.

  “If you’re trying to tell us something, you’re failing miserably,” I told the little bird.

  Blue landed on Fuzzy’s back and pecked at him, tweeting more. Fuzzy just batted him away, too intent on sleeping.

  Blue flew over to the bed and hopped underneath, chattering at Shiter. Shiter didn’t exit the bed. Frustrated, Blue emerged and flew back to my shoulder. He perched on me and gave what could only have been a birdy sigh.

  “Sorry, little fellow,” I stroked his breast. “I kind of wish you could talk.”

  Declan snapped his fingers. “Wishes! That’s it!” He stood, letting go of my hand so he could pace. “Cheryn has djinn. They make the perfect puppet soldiers because you can wish them to do whatever you want! Isla figured out who Avia is and she got Sultan Raj to send that djinni after Avia, disguised as Abbas. I bet his sons aren’t even sick! That was just a ruse to keep them out of the way while he went after Avia.”

  “Why not use his sons?” I asked.

  “His sons aren’t even full djinn,” Ryan dismissed. “Except for the young one.”

  Blue tweeted his agreement.

  “And why put his heirs in danger if he had someone else?” Declan added. “He could just spread the rumor that they’re ill.”

  Blue flew over and pecked Declan’s hand.

  “Ow!” Declan smacked at the bluebird and I had to rescue the poor thing.

  “Sometimes his bird instincts t
ake over,” I said. “I’m guessing the same happens to Fuzzy.” I jerked my head at the snoring bear. “Bears are mostly hibernating now.”

  I pulled Blue close to my chest and nuzzled him. “Sorry, little man. But you can’t peck my knights, alright?”

  Blue gave a sad little tweet.

  “See, he’s sorry.”

  Declan just glared, unconvinced.

  Back to the grown-up conversation and not Bloss’s menagerie obsession—Quinn’s voice interrupted us.

  “It’s not an obsession! And it’s not my fault that someone keeps cursing people.”

  As I said, on more adult topics, Sultan Raj’s sons certainly aren’t at the palace or anywhere near, Quinn thought at all of us. So, the idea he got his heirs out of the way before he launched an attack is plausible. I’ve also counted twelve more groups of Raslen soldiers.

  I look around the room at each of my knights. There’s still something that doesn’t make sense. “So, Isla and Raj are angry at Sedara and us, by extension. They steal Avia. But, why not just renegotiate treaty terms? If they have Avia, they have the same power mother had.”

  Declan’s lips pressed together in a thin line.

  Ryan stepped forward. “You only want to negotiate if you think you’ll lose, Little Dearling. In war, if you think you’ll win, you press your advantage.”

  “That still doesn’t explain why Isla’s here now. And it doesn’t explain how they think … how could they possibly win against Sedara?” I asked.

  I stared at three solemn faces.

  “That’s what we don’t know,” Declan admitted. “Because we still have no idea who or what Avia actually is.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “I think it’s safe to say that either she or her family are incredibly magically powerful, if Cheryn and Rasle feel confident enough to go to war with Sedara,” Ryan muttered.

  Connor nodded, “I agree. Evaness has gotten treated with kid gloves in comparison to the other nations.”

  Quinn’s voice in all our heads was grim. What if Avia’s family did want her back? What if they’re the missing link here?

  “That’s why Sedara’s worried,” Connor chimed in. “That’s why they care. They know Avia’s family could damage them.”

  Declan’s brow furrowed. “I can’t think of anyone in recent history who could do such a thing.”

  I stood and moved toward him, “Maybe we shouldn’t be thinking about recent history. These coins that keep showing up are centuries old. Shite! Dragons hoard coins. Could this be from a dragon’s lair? Could Avia’s family be dragons?”

  Declan stood. “Possible. Very possible. I need to get a book—”

  The window rattled behind me and then something smashed into it. I nearly jumped out of my skin.

  Blue was startled off my shoulder and had to pump his wings hard to avoid smashing into the floor.

  We all turned to face Declan’s balcony. There, in the window, standing on the balcony and carrying a sack on a stick over his shoulder—wearing two curl-toed shoes topped by bells—was Donaloo.

  “Yoo-hoo! Peekaboo!” the wizard grinned.

  I swallowed a groan. The man looked even madder than last time, if that was possible. His eye patch was a bright red, and his hair was as matted as a bush of thistles.

  Connor—ever the diplomat—stepped forward, opened the door, took Donaloo’s bag, and gestured for him to come in. I just assumed Quinn told Connor who’d arrived.

  “Welcome, sir.”

  “Thank you, thank you! Out of the blue and into the stone. Seeking a dragon, never alone.” Donaloo took off his jacket and a vial dropped out of his pocket onto Declan’s balcony. Immediately, purple flames shot toward the sky. Connor yanked the old man inside so that he wouldn’t be burnt to a crisp.

  “This is the wizard?” Declan whispered skeptically to me.

  Donaloo didn’t seem to notice his close call. He smiled at me, “Dragons live with a flame inside, a beast that’s hard to tame inside. You think you know, you think you know, but don’t look up, look below.”

  I had no response to that. Had he heard our conversation? What the sarding hell did he even mean?

  Donaloo stepped away from me and his eyes traveled around the room. “Oh, there’s three! Well, that is a muddle, goodness me!” Donaloo stared around the room.

  At first, I thought Donaloo was staring at my knights, but then he pointed at the bear. “You don’t belong here, no siree. Nor does your brother, where be he?”

  Shiter hopped out from under the bed. The bear and bunny lined up like school boys before the wizard, startling me. I pointed at Blue and told him. “Apparently, you need to get in line.”

  “He’s fine, he’s fine,” Donaloo waved me off. “His future is set, but these two silly souls forget. They have travels ahead, ahead, through mists and miles and the undead.”

  That sounded ominous. And Fuzzy made the first sound I’d heard from him since he’d come to the castle (other than snoring). He moaned. It almost sounded as if a bear were complaining.

  Donaloo just clucked at him. He ruffled the bear’s fur like he was a dog. “Just follow me. If you do right, it’ll all end well, you see!” He headed to Declan’s sitting room without addressing any of us.

  “Are we sure about this?” Declan whispered.

  I shrugged. I wasn’t certain of anything. Other than the fact that I was desperate. I’d just gotten my crown, my sister had been stolen, Sedara was threatening to seek her out—to no good end—and the two countries bordering me were gearing up for war. At the center of it all was my sister, who might be related to dragons, unless I believed the old coot.

  Desperate is an understatement, you’re drowning, my mind snarked at me.

  And it was. We were beyond desperate.

  We all stared at Donaloo. I was curious, fascinated, and a little put off all at once by his appearance. Donaloo wore tunic and tights, a horribly outdated fashion, and his tights had a massive rip near one thigh. His curly leg hair peeked out like a tuft of dead grass. It was horrifying and also impossible to ignore as he chatted with Shiter as if the bunny spoke back.

  The wizard snapped his fingers and suddenly Quinn appeared in the midst of us, blinking and shaking his head. When he saw the wizard, he looked starstruck for a moment. Until he took in Donaloo’s full appearance. And then he looked a little sad.

  Still, he shuffled forward and gave the wizard a hug.

  That set the old man chuckling as he patted Quinn’s back, “Welcome home, young sailor, well met. You have a ring or four I’ll bet?”

  Quinn furrowed his brow. But his vest lit up with orange light. He dug into his pocket, producing four shiny rings.

  “What are those?” I asked.

  Took them off Abbas’ hand, remember? I thought one of them might control that dragon … remember how Abbas’ had a ring that kind of glowed? I’ve been holding the rings. I tried them on. Wished the dragon would come back to the castle, peacefully and help protect you. Lead you to Avia. That sort of thing.

  I nodded. “Well, I’m kind of pissed that didn’t work.”

  I might have cut off the wrong hand, Quinn shrugged, undisturbed by that statement.

  So … if we take Abbas out of that stein, we might be able to find the ring that controls that dragon?

  If a ring ever did control that dragon. We assumed the ring was a djinni that had shape-shifted.

  Donaloo tutted at Quinn and walked over to pluck the rings out of my knight’s palm. He took them and whistled for Blue.

  Blue flew over and perched on the wizard’s finger. Donaloo put a ring around the bluebird’s leg and it magically shrunk to fit neatly against his leg, hardly visible.

  I watched in fascination. The wizard didn’t chant. He didn’t use a huge handful of ingredients. The ring simply shrunk by power of will, or so it appeared. His magic was beyond anything I’d seen.

  “What are you doing?” I asked the mage.

  “Returning that whic
h should not have been taken if morals were held and not forsaken,” Donaloo sing-songed as he picked up Shiter. He didn’t seem to notice that the rabbit dropped a number of pellets right onto his shoe.

  “So, do these rings belong to them? Are they djinn?”

  “Not in whole, they’re broken souls.”

  I resisted the urge to grab Donaloo’s ear and shake him until he gave me a straight answer.

  Declan saw my frustration and came over. He put his hand on my neck and gently massaged. “I think he means they’re part-djinn. That’s my guess anyway.”

  Donaloo patted his nose and pointed at Declan.

  I tilted my head, deep in thought. “We already believe Sultan Raj is involved in all of this.”

  Declan’s fingers dug further into my neck as he caught my train of thought. He stared at the animals. “His sons are missing.”

  “And there are three animals here.”

  “He’s got five sons,” Ryan interjected.

  Quinn added to all of us, There are four rings and only three animals here. The fourth ring could belong to the dragon. We could still be right.

  “If the full djinn brother came disguised as Abbas … theoretically he’d know enough about his brother that he could act like him and the servants wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.” Declan moved his hands to rub my shoulders. I wasn’t certain if it was to help him think or for my comfort. But I didn’t argue. I was tense. And his hands were warm, smoothing out the knots in my shoulders until they were butter-soft. I leaned back into him.

  “Did your brother do this to you?” I asked Blue.

  Abbas was a shite piece of work. I didn’t put it past him to find someone to put an irreversible spell on his brothers and make himself the only heir.

  Blue shook his head, side to side, a very definitive ‘no.’

  “Your father?”

  Blue stared straight at me. His head didn’t move. And I recognized the tell-tale signs of a geas. Under one myself, I knew exactly what it felt like.

  “The sultan had a spell put on his own sons,” I breathed, “But not to hide them. He had them cursed. In a way that’s impossible to break.”