Shadow Hunter (Court of Life and Death Book 2)

by Melody Rose

  The sword was flung from his hand and soared through the air, heading directly for the middle of the crowd behind him. My eyes darted to where Myrcedes was, only then she wasn’t. I watched the remnants of black clouds fade where she’d just stood. Had she world-jumped in the middle of all this?

  A scream in the middle of the crowd snapped my attention back to the sword in the air. I watched helplessly as it plunged into the crowd. I felt my breath leave my body as I imagined the worst possible scenario. There was no chance it had missed everyone. I ran from behind the podium toward the crowd which was so thick with everyone trying to get a look at what I could only imagine was a grisly sight.

  “Move!” I cried as I elbowed through the creatures. “Move, I can help! I have medical salves, I-”

  I froze when I made it through the crowd. There was a circle where everyone had moved away from, and in the center was a wooden chair, identical to the rest of those in the courtroom, with the army blade stuck in the center.

  I walked to the chair and pulled the blade out. I brushed past the feeling as I had more important things to worry about, but holding that sword, identical to the one I’d carried for centuries, stirred up a feeling of longing I’d been suppressing for weeks.

  Voices chattered around me as everyone discussed what had just happened. I pushed my way into the aisle and looked up to the front of the room. In front of the podium, before the crowd, stood Myrcedes, with her arms around an elf woman holding a baby in her arms. The elf was sobbing into the Queen’s shoulders, crying thanks while the baby in her arms wailed.

  I rushed down the aisle to the silver-eyed savior and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Myrcy, you dis… you jumped?”

  She looked up at me from over the elven woman’s shoulder. “Of course. I wasn’t going to let Bahz’s stupidity harm anyone else.”

  There was a ripple throughout the hall as everyone realized what had happened. The Lieutenant had tripped, dropped his sword, and the woman he’d just accused of trying to manipulate the fae had rushed to save a woman and her baby from his carelessness. Before the elf had composed herself or calmed her screaming infant, the hall burst into cheers and claps.

  Myrcedes looked up and around the room. The fae were hollering praises and admiration for her. I looked over at Bahz to see how he was reacting to the whole thing just as he took a step toward me, probably to take back his blade. I adjusted my grip and held the sword up with the point of it in his direction. He flinched to avoid running directly into it, and the room fell silent as they watched.

  “I’m less forgiving than she is,” I sneered at him, pushing the blade just close enough so that almost poked his neck. The soldier raised his head to avoid the blade, and he made an expression I knew very well: that of a warrior expecting death any second. When I didn’t plunge the metal straight through him, he lowered his eyes and stared at me with a cocktail of conflicting emotions on his face. It was easy enough to sense the hatred he had for me, but the fear, as well as the respect he once held, were plain on his expression and absolutely delicious. I smirked and drew the blade away from him slowly.

  I turned and walked behind Myrcedes, placing a hand on her back. The elven woman was wiping her tears as the new monarch held and tried to soothe the crying child. Serriah rushed over once all the weapons were down and took the hand of the mother before taking the baby from Myrcedes. Once she wasn’t immediately preoccupied with someone’s well being, she turned to fully face the room of people before her. The next voice that spoke came from behind us, and we turned back to the podium to see Tawney in the middle of the Kings, smiling at the room.

  “My dear ones, my friends, I hope you realize what we’ve just witnessed. The Queen of Spirit, your Queen, has just risked her life, not to save herself or even her friends. She put herself in danger to save one of us.”

  The room broke out into cheers once again. I looked down at the silver eyes before me and smiled. She looked almost overwhelmed with emotion. While some of it made sense, I could tell there was much more behind her expression than I was able to understand.

  She finally pulled her gaze away from me and turned to the room once again. They all quieted the second she opened her mouth to speak.

  “Everyone, I know what I’ve said here today has been a lot for you all to take in. All I want to promise is that as long as I’m alive, in this life and every other one I live, that I’ll try my best to keep your land healthy and safe. But I don’t think the best way to do that is for me to declare myself Queen and rule as Minerva did.”

  There was a ripple of confused expressions, starting with mine. She’d alluded to this, but whenever I’d asked her what her plan for the fae realm was, she’d either said she wasn’t sure, or she would tell me later. I hadn’t been able to fathom why she’d kept it from me, but even with my frustration at that, the sheer resolve on her face led me to feel as though I trusted her completely.

  “I think anyone I could name as a monarch to rule your realm would be in danger of abusing that power as the last Queen did,” she continued. “But no one else understands you, your world, and what you need as you do. I’ve decided the best option for the fae realm, a place with such diverse citizens who should have their voices heard, is to install a Parliament.”

  31

  Myrcedes

  I took a deep breath as the word rang through the air. I was sure as hell going to need a lot of time later to process everything that had happened in the past two hours, but for now, I still had something to do.

  I glanced at Kalian, who looked just as confused as everyone else. I should have told him sooner since he was such a big part of this, but I’d been so nervous to tell him. His aggression when I’d told him about the prophecy the first time made it obvious how opposed he was to the idea of anything changing. He’d come to accept it and even seemed to embrace it, but it left me wary of expressing this idea to him.

  Of course, the term parliament didn’t make sense to anyone here, and I don’t know why I thought it might. The fae, as well as every other non-human creature, lived in realms all ruled by monarchs. I’d had Lindsay send me some research on the parliamentary structure, and I tried to remember everything I’d learned in sixth-grade social studies as I prepared to design a government.

  “Parliament is a system some countries on Earth use. It’s a collection of people whose job it is to represent your interests and your needs. The council could never decide on anything because most of them only wanted what was best for themselves, but in a parliament, you would be responsible for choosing who you wanted to represent you based on their beliefs.”

  People began to buzz about that around the room. For people who’d never had a choice in who they had to listen to, it must have sounded like a very revolutionary idea. Of course, I couldn’t quite tell, but from where I stood, it all sounded generally positive.

  “Parliament would vote on issues to decide what’s best for the realm, but it’s still more effective if one voice speaks for them instead of as a group. That’s why there would be a Prime Minister, someone to lead the rest of the cabinet, direct them to issues that need to be addressed, and speak to the people. I think it’s imperative that the Prime Minister be someone who has the best interests of you all at heart. It’s for that reason that I would like to appoint to the role someone who sacrificed everything he had ever known and went against everything he’d ever been taught just to create a better future for the fae realm. Kalian?”

  I turned to him with a smile, but my heart was pounding. I hoped he would accept. He must have been feeling a range of emotions, but he hid them all well. To look at his face at that moment, you’d never know he was hearing this for the first time. After a moment of silence during which you could hear a pin drop, his thoughtful expression broke into a smile, and he bowed at the waist.

  “Your Highness, I would be honored to accept this position.”

  I sighed with relief and smiled as the audience before us cheered once agai
n. I glanced back at Daath and Syrion, who both looked at me with pleased expressions and nodded for me to keep going. I really hoped that public speaking on vital, life-changing matters would get easier.

  “Thank you,” I nodded at Kalian, who stood up straight. “I would also like to suggest that you resume your position as General to the army. There’s no one as qualified as you to lead them in the protection of your people.”

  At that, he couldn’t remain expressionless. His eyes shined as tears began to pool in his eyelids, and a smile I’d never seen on his face emerged. He nodded rapidly. “Th-thank you, your majesty. I hope I can do the job well.”

  I smiled brightly at him and nodded. “Finally, I’d like to appoint the first two members of the cabinet and name them as Executive Ministers once the rest of parliament is formed. Darce and Rainier,” I looked to the two remaining members of Minerva’s council, the only two who’d been truly unaware and innocent of her plot against me, and the only two who’d given me the slightest impression that they wanted the best for people in the realm of the fae. Darce was an Unseelie woman, and Rainier was a Seelie man, both were strong-minded, and both were prepared to start making real changes to improve the lives of people there.

  They both looked shocked and emotional at the request. Darce stood, followed by Rainier, and the two approached me. They both bowed without saying a word until, finally, Rainier stood and nodded. “I believe I speak for us both when I say we couldn’t be more pleased to serve in those roles.”

  Darce stood and smiled at me like she wanted to hug me. I nodded at Kalian and muttered for him to lead the two of them behind the podium as I finished addressing the room. I turned back to the front and took another deep breath to steady myself and smiled. “I know this is a lot of change at one time. I know some of you might be skeptical or even scared. That’s okay. You’re welcome to ask those questions and voice your opinions. I know it won’t be easy or fast, but I hope one day to gain your trust.”

  The fae began clapping once again. I bit the inside of my lip to keep my eyes from tearing up. I had felt a massive relief after I’d saved the mother and her baby, and I thought it was just because no one got hurt, but I began to realize it was deeper. I couldn’t explain how I knew this, but I just had a feeling. That was the moment that things truly shifted. What I’d seen on the Floor of Dreams, the world where people were revolting and killing each other, was no longer a possibility. I’d still keep an eye on some areas of the realm to make sure the chance never emerged for it to become a reality once again, but I felt, for the first time since I’d seen that vision, as though I could truly rest.

  I dismissed the meeting, and in an instant, Daath and Syrion were by my side. Their smiles were subtle, but I could tell on both their faces that they were proud.

  “You did well, little owl,” Daath smiled. “Not quite what I would have done, but-”

  “You would have announced you were King and would kill anyone who tried to oppose that,” I laughed. He smirked and flexed an eyebrow.

  “Well, probably. But you didn’t. And I must admit, this was a positive outcome.”

  I nodded. “Thank you both for not interfering. I know it must have been hard.”

  Syrion sighed and shook his head. “Watching you run at someone with a weapon drawn knowing we could end his life without you having to lift a finger was by far the most distressing thing I think I’ve ever done.” He put his arm around my shoulders and drew me close, kissing my head. “But you really didn’t need us.”

  “You trained me well,” I shrugged, winking at the tall, silver-haired man.

  “Myrcedes?” I turned to see Kalian behind me. I smiled at him, but his expression was serious.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I do intend to thank you properly,” he nodded. “But for now, I thought it wise to ask what you want done with the Lieutenant.”

  I blinked. I’d completely forgotten Bahz was there after Kalian let him go. I glanced over the General’s shoulder and saw the soldier in question surrounded by fae who were shouting at him. Amidst all the voices in the hall, I hadn’t noticed. I had to admit, I was a little proud that people were already tearing him apart over his rejection of my title. I smiled and looked back at Kalian.

  “Well, as Prime Minister and General of the army, he’s one of your soldiers,” I nodded. “I believe it’s up to you entirely what should be done with him.”

  The corner of his mouth twitched up as he tried to hide a cocky, satisfied smile. He nodded and turned to break up the group of fae.

  “Excuse me,” he said in a commanding tone that seemed very well suited to an army General. The fae turned to look at who was interrupting their harassment of the man and quickly excused themselves, dispersing back into the rest of the crowd. Bahz glared daggers at Kalian.

  “What the fuck do you want?”

  “I want to know you’re going to be as loyal to your Queen as you were to your old one.”

  He scoffed and opened his mouth to speak, but Kalian cut him off.

  “I’m serious. I know how it feels to have your position stripped of you, Lieutenant.” Kalian took a threatening step towards Bahz. “Nothing else matters. Nothing else feels real. This has been your life since the moment you turned twenty, and you’re a hell of a lot older now, aren’t you?”

  The pale soldier averted his eyes and swallowed hard.

  “Yeah. I thought so. Your Queen has every right to call for your public execution, but she’s been merciful. In honor of that, despite attacking her today and nearly killing a civilian and her child, I’m going to give you a choice. You can vow to serve the army, the Queen, and the people with everything you have, or I can charge you with attempted murder, negligence, and treason. How does that sound?”

  Bahz kept his eyes down for a minute before finally looking back up at Kalian and nodding. I could see how tense his jaw was from across the room. “Very well, General. I wish to serve.”

  Kalian smiled, though there was a hint of mischief in it. For the first time since meeting him, I saw that tricky quality on his face that Seelie and Unseelie were so well-known for.

  “Good. Starting tomorrow, you’ll return to training.” As he said that, Bahz’s face dropped as if he’d just seen a ghost. “If you follow orders and convince me that I can still trust you, you’ll be Lieutenant again in no time, maybe as little as seventy years,” he shrugged. “Alright, Private?”

  Bahz regained his composure, and his face hardened. I couldn’t comprehend agreeing to something so humiliating, but then again, I couldn’t even begin to imagine doing something for thousands of years only to have it taken away from you. Perhaps the threat of that was far worse than the embarrassment.

  “Yes, General.”

  I smiled, and then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Tawney. The tall woman towered over me in her yellow gown, and she smiled at me with the softest look.

  “Even though we never met, I always liked to think I knew Alless. I made up stories about her in my head. And what I pictured might have been nothing like the real Alless, but the one I pretended to know… well, she would be proud of you.”

  I felt my lip quiver and bowed slightly to her. “Thank you for your help, Tawney. I can’t tell you how much of a difference it made. I hope I get to see you again soon.”

  “Oh, you will,” she laughed. “I told you I saw myself dying. I’ve got at least another century before that happens. You’ll have a hard time getting rid of me until then.”

  “I hope that’s a promise,” I grinned. The old Seer abandoned all sense of composure and wrapped me in a tight hug. I wasn’t a fan of those types of things with people I wasn’t close to, but I could tell how much it meant to her. Before she left, I promised her that I’d make time to teach her the ancient fae.

  “You’re quite popular around here,” Daath whispered in my ear once she’d gone. I turned to face him and smiled, exhaustion hitting me like a truck. I picked up my scythe from whe
re I’d set it in front of the podium when I went to save Marielle, the elven mother.

  “Can we go home?” I took a deep breath to hold back a yawn.

  “Yes,” Syrion nodded. “Let’s go.”

  32

  Myrcedes

  “What is this for?” I frowned as Lindsay had me hold on to a bedpost.

  “I told you I want to go to a party!” She giggled as she pulled hard on the strings of the corset. I still couldn’t remember how I’d let her talk me into that. I was sure it was only because it looked so cool. The top was a long-sleeved, high-necked, black shirt, but the left shoulder and sleeve were dark purple lace with a leaf and snake pattern that looked so badass. The whole thing had a built-in corset. She promised it would look even more awesome being laced up, but as I struggled to breathe, I doubted that, so I told her as much.

  “Well, that’s my problem!” she shrieked. “You’re not supposed to be breathing! Hold your breath!”

  I rolled my eyes and groaned, but I did as I was told. The faster we got this on, the faster I could loosen it when she wasn’t looking. Once it was finally firmly in place, she showed me the full body mirror she’d made Daath and Syrion put in my room in the House of Stars. She’d wanted to get ready for the party here since it was more luxurious than our crappy apartment. She wasn’t wrong, but I was just as happy being bossed around by her in our cramped two-bedroom as I was anywhere else.

  She had a point. The whole thing looked good. The pants were jet black as well but had the same lace snake pattern going from the waist, down the hip, and to the ankle. I tried to talk her into letting me wear boots, but she had never in her life been so insistent that I wear heels. She said anything under three inches would “assassinate the look,” whatever that meant. Oh, well. I’d at least gotten her to agree to let me wear a thicker, open-toed heel with straps instead of those stilettos I always felt like I’d step out of or fall down in.