Shadow Hunter (Court of Life and Death Book 2)

by Melody Rose

  I sighed and opened my mouth to speak when she cut me off. “I know you’re worried about my safety, Daath, and I appreciate it. But if I’m going to be your Queen and be taken seriously, I have to be respected by you first, before anyone else. If I make a decision, and you don’t present a good enough argument to change my mind, then my decision should stand. I need the same respect and trust I’ve shown the two of you.”

  I took a deep breath and stood from my armchair. I knew she had a point. It was hard to get used to this, not because I didn’t respect her, but because I had such a desire to protect her. I felt as though we’d been so close to losing her… but she was powerful, and she deserved to be revered.

  “You’re right. We will follow your lead, my Queen.” As I spoke, I bowed my head as a show of respect. The gesture was a bit funny, considering when I did so, I was still looking down on the tiny woman. I smiled at her, and it was returned, and a feeling of serenity hit me.

  “Besides,” the edge of her lip turned up into a smirk. “I did kill the most powerful and ancient Unseelie in existence. I’m not worried about the rest of them.”

  4

  Myrcedes

  Daath and Syrion followed me through the glittering halls of the fae palace where the court was located. I remembered most of the layout from Kalian’s description, and once I was close enough, I was able to sense him. It wasn’t the same way I could sense Daath and Syrion. It was much shallower, almost as though Kalian was reaching out for someone. His thoughts were guarded, but his grief emanated through the palace.

  Daath had insisted that if we crash the fae court, we do so with as much pomp and circumstance as possible, so the Kings were clad in their tailored suits that molded perfectly to their bodies - something I found quite distracting if I let my mind wander - and wore those cloaks that turned their already commanding presence intimidating. I, however, didn’t have much of a royal wardrobe quite yet, so I stuck with the outfit Lindsay had bought for me a few months ago: a leather vest built like a corset with patches adorning the left side and the back, along with black pants with the pockets of cargo pants but a silhouette that fit me like a glove. It wasn’t regal, but it looked intimidating enough.

  We reached a set of doors that had no business being as large as it was. Really, I’d lived in houses shorter than this doorframe. The actual walls of the palace appeared to be a very pale yellow stone, though it had a sparkling quality to it I found mesmerizing. In contrast, the grand doors before us were wooden, but there were ornate three-dimensional images carved into them. The images of fae creatures and forests would have been beautiful had the whole mural not centered around a very large, tactile carving of Minerva. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost say the wood she was carved from looked more dead than the rest of it.

  The brothers looked to me for confirmation. I nodded, and we pushed open the doors to see the courtroom before us. There were two sections for the gallery separated by an aisle down the middle. At the end of that aisle stood the defendant, and before him was an expansive podium that had to be at least twenty-five feet wide. Ten people looked down at us from the podium - either they were all standing on some kind of raised step, or they all happened to be two feet taller than the average person. As we threw open the doors to the sight before us, dozens of beautiful faces turned to examine the disruption. Every expression flooded with fear and confusion; the Kings of the Underworld were interrupting a trial, and they had brought a reaper with them.

  Perhaps the most surprised face of all was Kalian’s. I met his golden eyes, full of the fear and distress that I’d been able to feel since we entered the palace. He looked out of place without his golden armor adorning his chest. Instead, he wore dirty gray slacks and a white shirt. He looked like he hadn’t bathed in a week, but that didn’t adversely affect his beauty in the slightest. His chocolate brown curls fell freely over his sun-kissed forehead. Even as a dirty prisoner, the Seelie General’s beauty was unmistakable.

  At the back wall of the room sat a wide podium with ten fae, a mix of men and women, Seelie and Unseelie, none looking very old. That didn’t mean they weren’t, of course. Most fae had a propensity for looking younger than they were. It was one of the many ways they could cause trouble. Syrion had told me all he could about the fae and their realm before allowing us to begin this mission.

  A male fae toward the middle of the podium spoke first. “Y-your Majesties! I apologize, but we are preoccupied. The council would be happy to see you at a different time-”

  “We came for the trial of Kalian,” I announced. “You can’t convict him of-”

  “Excuse me,” another fae at the podium said, his expression clearly dismissive. “If you’ve come to disrupt the court as some form of grand protest, you’ve come to the wrong realm. We take our system very seriously here, and we don’t have time for the silly games of a silly girl. Please leave at once.”

  Oh. Fuck. No.

  Before I could open my mouth to defend myself, Daath’s voice boomed throughout the room from behind me. “This girl is our Queen, Myrcedes. Minerva tried to have her killed, and that clearly didn’t go her way. Myrcedes is nothing less than our equal, and any amount of disrespect shown to her is equal to disrespect of us. I believe everyone is aware of the consequences of disrespecting your King.” As he spoke, a growl flared in his voice. The energy that emanated from us in the Underworld wasn’t visible here, but I could tell if it had been, his would be flaring, and I was thankful for it.

  The members of the council, the one that had interrupted me in particular, looked as though they’d seen a ghost. I couldn’t help it as a small grin of satisfaction made its way to my face. I felt a sudden grand sense of confidence and importance. When I sensed Daath had finished speaking, I continued.

  “He’s correct. Minerva tried to kill me because she didn’t want me to take my rightful place. And in return for attempted murder and for torturing the Kings, I reduced your Queen to a pile of dust.” The hall quickly filled with voices, most in disbelief. “Kalian is a hero. He risked his life for the good of the universe, but he did not have a hand in Minerva’s murder. Even if he had, it’s not as though your Queen was innocent.” I sneered. “She had innocent people killed and hurt, she separated families, and she burnt homes to the ground while the mothers were still inside.” I struggled to keep my voice from breaking and just barely succeeded, but then I paused.

  At the mention of families and homes, I sensed a shift in the air, followed by a visual shift in the court. All of a sudden, the previously stony council of fae began to adjust their posture in their seats. They looked down, sideways, then back up, and hid their hands in their laps. The energy in the room changed from one of fear, curiosity, and reverence to one of… knowledge. And guilt.

  They all knew, I proclaimed only to Syrion and Daath. The mental connection between the three of us was so strong that we were able to communicate without physically speaking. As I realized what was going on, my pulse quickened, and my anger multiplied. They knew. They knew! Some of them must have helped her. You said these council members are the oldest fae. They must have been there since the beginning. They helped her, I know it.

  I took an aggressive step forward, and my hand twitched for my knife, but I heard Syrion shout in my mind, Stop!

  I paused. What?

  Little owl, Daath began. You are most likely right. But this isn’t the time or place. You just told the entire fae realm that you killed their Queen. Your next step shouldn’t be publicly executing the entire court.

  I can’t let them get away with-

  They will not, Syrion cooed in a soothing tone. They’ll pay the price, and we will make sure of it, and soon. But you have no evidence and no names. We told you we trust you, and we do, and we will follow your lead. But you must also know that we’ve been doing this for millennia and trust our advice when necessary. Diplomacy is vital unless you want to start a war with the realm of the fae.

  I took a deep breath.
No. You’re right.

  Besides, Daath pointed out. You have a different focus right now.

  Kalian. I nodded and took another, less aggressive step toward the council.

  “Minerva was a threat to the balance of the Universe and all within it, including this realm. General Kalian sacrificed his safety to save it. Without his help, she may have succeeded in my assassination and continued to torture the Kings.”

  “You have your own justice system here,” Syrion stepped forward. “We respect that. But we came to make sure there was no oversight and that the General’s side of the story was heard.”

  The fae that spoke first, an Unseelie man with pale porcelain skin, light brown hair, and dark lips that nearly quivered with fear, was once again the first to respond. This time his address was very intentional, including me.

  “Your Majesties, we thank you for your presence. It has… provided much clarity on the subject. Perhaps he did not murder the late Queen, but he still faces the charges of treason and desertion.”

  “Then perhaps it is time to hear his side of the story,” Syrion offered, his voice the same cold tone he always used, one that was impossible to argue with or resist.

  The Unseelie hesitated before nodding. “Very well… General Kalian. Please respond to the charges against you.”

  I watched as Kalian took a step forward. They had bound his wrists in chains. I got the feeling that was unnecessary; he would respect this court, its proceedings, and his punishment, no matter what. That was the level of resolve that sat upon his face as he began to address the court of Seelie, Unseelie, brownies, elves, and other residents of the realm.

  Kalian described to the room his years of service under Queen Minerva and his utter respect for the position, and how proud he was the day they promoted him to General. Truly to hear him describe it, even knowing the fae army had been on the wrong side in many of the battles, it sounded honorable and noble. He described a time when the Queen’s actions became more secretive and self-serving. She began to send him on missions meant to tip the balance in the Universe directly, such as sabotaging peace efforts and agitating other realms. Most of the fae in the room at that point were in agreement with him. The balance was respected, and most everyone knew that knocking it out of place wouldn’t favor anyone for long. Even the Unseelie, who existed to cause trouble, usually never went that far. The Queen was an exception.

  “With the Kings captive, I knew no one could stop her.” Kalian’s voice was soft and humble as he spoke. It was charming and persuasive and reminded me to ask him why he’d been such a dick to me when we first met. “The fae realm was at risk, just as every other realm was. I sought to warn the Kings of her plan to capture them, but I was too late. The… Queen Myrcedes, two gargoyles, and I made a plan to free them. I used alchemy to remove the glamour that disguised our realm, and another mixture to knock out the guards we needed to get by. I made sure they were safe and unharmed as long as we were quick enough.”

  “The plan was to distract Queen Minerva long enough for Queen Myrcedes and the gargoyles to free the Kings and return them to the Underworld,” he continued. “I would accept punishment from Minerva, and I knew that likely meant death. It could have led to retaliation by the imprisoned Kings, but as the plan stood, there would be no harm to Minerva. What Myrcedes did… while I don’t believe it was unwarranted, I was not responsible for it.”

  A short silence hung in the air as everyone digested his words. I tried to pry into the minds of the court. Maybe if they weren’t planning on being merciful, I could give them the idea. One mind was unguarded, a female Seelie.

  If the Kings and this new woman hadn’t shown up, it would be easy enough to deem him guilty and execute him. But…

  The man who had interrupted me spoke once again. “Well, if what everyone has said today is to be believed… Kalian is innocent of killing the Queen. However, no matter your intentions, you divulged confidential information confided in you by the Queen, and led an ambush on your own men.”

  Kalian looked dumbfounded. “I only did-”

  “You did what you thought was best, and your actions saved the Kings and… the Queen.” Damn. I hoped people could eventually say that without sounding like they were in physical pain. “And for that reason, we will release you. Because of the charge of treason, however, you cannot serve under the Royal Army.”

  “What?” I watched his golden eyes grow wide in a sudden burst of fear, unlike any emotion I’d seen him show before. “I can’t-”

  “You are hereby stripped of your position as General and will no longer serve the Army in any capacity,” the Seelie continued. “This court is adjourned. Thank you all for your attendance.”

  5

  Myrcedes

  A guard walked over and removed the chains from Kalian, who looked suddenly pale. Kalian searched the guard’s face, a pale blonde man who looked like he would kill Kalian himself if he could. The guard refused to meet the ex-General’s eyes and walked away in silence. I sensed Daath and Syrion were ready to go, but I couldn’t leave him like that.

  “Kalian,” I said, coming to his side. “Are you alright?”

  He took a small step away from me. I couldn’t tell if it was out of surprise or contempt. “I’m fine… thank you for your words, Your Highness.” He bowed slightly, his mind clearly in other places.

  I bit my lip as I tried to think of something positive to say. “I… I’m so sorry this happened to you. You made a huge sacrifice for us. If it weren’t for you-”

  “I did what needed to be done. Now I’ll deal with the consequences.” He sounded hoarse as he spoke. “I expected death. This should be a relief.”

  He seemed so deadpan. I couldn’t imagine what it must feel like to have something like that stripped from you for doing the right thing. I didn’t know what I could do to fix this, but he was in so much pain that I had to think of something.

  “Is there someone who can overrule their decision?”

  “There’s no higher power without a monarch in place,” Syrion said as he and Daath approached us.

  “Oh…” I hadn’t considered this part. If Minerva was expected to live for years to come, if not forever, there must not have been a contingency plan for someone to take her place. “How do they decide who’ll rule next? When will they have a new King or Queen?”

  Daath looked at the podium where the council members seemed to all be in disagreement and general upset over something. “The council will elect a new ruler, I suppose, but I’m not sure when. It could be soon, but I wouldn’t place any bets. Those are the only fae old enough with the magic qualified to be a ruler, and they can’t appoint someone without a unanimous vote.”

  “They were the Queen’s personal advisors,” Kalian said with a touch of sharpness. “They’re the highest authority in the fae realm, and they can handle things.”

  Daath scoffed. “That creature didn’t have advisors. She’d never listen to anyone. She had yes men and conspirators. They all gave her what she wanted because she gave them power in return. They won’t come to a decision soon.”

  “So, what will the fae do in the meantime?” I frowned. I had noticed that to these people who lived for thousands of years, there wasn’t much of a sense of urgency to certain things.

  “They’ve been going mad so far,” Kalian sighed. “Everyone is afraid. They don’t have anyone to look to, and… the council really isn’t that helpful.” He ran a hand through his curls to push them out of his eyes, and I could see raw bruises on his wrists from the chains. “I’m worried the imbalance Minerva caused is going to take its toll on the fae realm now…”

  As he said that, I felt a pit in my stomach. I didn’t know what I needed to do, but I had to find some way to help. I needed to help not just him, but everyone who was affected by the evil Unseelie Queen.

  “Kalian, you should come to the Moonstone Castle with us.”

  “What?” the three men spoke in unison.

  I kept fro
m flinching. “You sacrificed everything to save us. This is your home, and they…” My eyes trailed to the bruises on his wrists. “You’ll need somewhere to stay and heal, and it’s the least we could do.”

  Kalian looked from me to Daath to Syrion for what felt like ten minutes. Finally, he turned and looked back at the council members and the guard who had removed his chains, but they didn’t acknowledge him. He looked down and nodded slowly. “I would truly appreciate that. Thank you, your Highness.”

  “Please, don’t be so formal,” I smiled. “Just call me Myrcedes.”

  He looked up, and his gold eyes met my silver ones. His demeanor was still cautious and cold, but there was a touch of vulnerability, of surrender, that hadn’t been there before. “Thank you, Myrcedes.”

  Before I could respond, I felt a hand on my back and turned to see Syrion at my side.

  “We should return,” the silver-haired King nodded.

  Daath took a step toward the podium. “You three go. I’d like to meet with some council members. Perhaps offer some assistance with their current predicament.”

  I cocked my head curiously, but Daath merely smirked before sauntering over to the podium, which immediately gave him all their attention. I turned to nod at Syrion. He put his hand on Kalian’s shoulder, and the three of us fell into darkness.

  6

  Syrion

  There was no hesitation for Myrcedes once we arrived home to the castle.

  “Kalian, are you alright? I can call a medic and the cook, and we’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”

  “I’m fine,” he shook his head. “Thank you. I don’t intend to be a burden.”

  I examined the Seelie standing before us. It hadn’t been much of a concern for me last time we met; I’d had bigger problems. Now, however, I looked him over with precision.