by K. M. Shea
Verdant finally let me go and took in a shivery breath. “T-thank you. I owe you a debt.” Her gaze was strong and resolute as she uttered perhaps the most dangerous lines for a fae.
No fae liked to be indebted to another. It was dangerously open-ended, and it gave another power over them.
Putting herself in debt to me out of all the monarchs—and willingly—made me question everything I’d thought about her.
The air was filled with ghostly howls, and as I watched with a detached sort of feeling, Queen Rime of the Winter Court entered the base camp. She wasn’t riding a sun stallion, but an enormous gray wolf that was almost as big as Twilight.
Skye bowed to the Winter Queen. “As you can see, Queen Rime is mounted on a winter wolf—the royal treasure and animal of her Court’s crest.”
Faintly, I remembered learning as a kid the seasonal Courts’ crests and matching animals.
I had no idea…
“Verdant,” I asked in a voice that was pleasant and calm above the clamor of Queen Rime’s howling wolves. “Do you willingly bring a spring stag to hunt every year?”
Verdant miserably shook her head. “No.” She hiccupped. “I’m less powerful than the previous Spring King. When I c-came to power King F-fell said I had to, to, to show my fealty to the stronger Courts.”
Chapter Seventeen
Leila
The last shred of control that was holding me together snapped.
“FELL!” I screamed.
I whirled around and stormed in the Autumn King’s direction.
“Filled with righteous indignation, are you?” Fell rolled his eyes as he dismounted his sun stallion. “Run along. I haven’t the patience to deal with you right now.”
“Do you force Spring to bring a stag for you to hunt every year?” I asked.
Fell scoffed. “Oh please, you’re going to fall for her sniveling about this? She could be manipulating you and playing her own game.”
“There’s one thing about fae—you always care about your appearance and about how others see you.” I glanced back at Verdant, which made me angry all over again.
The Spring Queen had red splotches on her face, her eyes were puffy, her clothes wrinkled—she looked miserable. Her grief was raw and open, and she’d willingly put herself into debt to me because I’d rescued one of her treasures.
This was no act.
This was a victim being crushed by a bully.
“Answer the question, Fell. Do you force Queen Verdant of the Spring Court to provide a spring stag for your stupid hunt every year?” I was almost on the Autumn King by now.
He laid his glowering eyes on me, his handsome looks twisting. “I do.” He stepped into my space once I stopped so we were practically touching. “What of it? The Autumn Court is the second most powerful Court in the Midwest. You cannot possibly call rank to stop me, and you’re too weak to do anything about it.”
He was vile and awful, and I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face. “If you want a war, I’ll happily answer. I will crush your Night Court. I don’t fear you—rather, Leila, it is you who needs to fall in line and fear me.” His hair stirred in the faint wind as he took a step closer to me.
This is how he does it, I realized. This is how he keeps everyone in line. He frightens them with war, and no one is strong enough to stand against him.
Fell smiled. “Now, if you apologize for your behavior, I shall endeavor to overlook your gross misconduct—”
I activated my prism—which was still shoved in my glove—and made a barrier in front of me. Right where Fell was standing, to be precise.
Fell ricocheted off the magical wall and was flung backwards. He slammed into the ground with enough force to stir up a cloud of dust, and he choked on his own air.
“Let’s make something clear,” I said. “There will be no hunt next year, or the year after, or the year after that. I’m permanently discontinuing it.”
The meadow we were in grew dark as something covered the sun, and I stalked toward Fell.
“You,” Fell cursed and coughed. “You wouldn’t risk yourself and your Court for someone else!” He struggled to sit upright, and I crouched down next to him.
“Oh, no. You’ve got me totally wrong, Fell.” I lazily scratched Kevin’s head and petted Muffin when the two moved to stand on either side of me. “I’d risk it all if it means stopping beasts like you from hurting people.”
“You could never stand against the Autumn Court in a war.” Fell tried to scramble backwards, but he smacked into Nebula’s legs.
I’d noticed the plants in the area seemed…different somehow. They were less brown and dry from the cold season, and more skeletal. I briefly glanced at the sky and noticed that somehow, the bright afternoon sun had transformed into a silver moon and hung in the haze of dusk, even though it wasn’t even three in the afternoon yet.
Something to ponder later.
“Who said anything about a war?” I asked.
“Indeed.” Rigel must have used his shadow magic, because he appeared at Fell’s side and pressed a dagger to the monarch’s throat. “We could kill you right now.”
“No one will stop us, either.” I glanced back at the other monarchs, who were all standing as still as stone. I leaned in to whisper to Fell. “That’s the funny thing about being a tyrant—it doesn’t win you friends.”
My purple magic twined around my fingers—active and ready. Rigel’s magic—a pale gray—skated around him, and his eyes seemed extra dark.
“So, tell us, Fell. Is there going to be an annual hunt next year?” I asked.
Fell’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “There will be no more hunt.” He grunted when Rigel’s blade pricked his skin. “It’s abolished.”
I patted Fell’s knee. “Smart choice.”
I stood up and started to turn away, but Fell gurgled, “I’ll pay you back for this, Leila. I’ll see to it—you’re going to crush yourself under your self-righteous behavior.”
“Autumn,” Rigel said in a voice of death. “Do not overstep yourself. I know where you rise and where you sleep. If I come to think of you as a threat to my queen, I will silence you forever.” He glanced up at me. “Perhaps we should just kill him.”
Based on the light of fury in Rigel’s eyes, I didn’t think he was trying to intimidate him.
With his knife balanced on the monarch’s throat, Rigel was asking me for real.
“Nah.” I offered him my hand. “I can’t stand the twerp, but we can’t kill him just for being annoying. If he tries to bully anyone again, though, we’ll need to revisit this talk.”
Rigel looked doubtfully down at Fell. “If you say so.” He leaned in to the Autumn King and whispered something that made Fell turn bone pale.
Then he stood and took my hand, and together we walked under the three o’clock afternoon-night-sky.
I rubbed at the spot on my forehead where the stag had pressed me with his muzzle—it still felt warm.
Rigel glanced at me. “What is it?”
“It’s—”
“Fine,” he finished with me.
I laughed and swung our joint hands, then scooted a little closer to him. “Thanks, Rigel.”
He shrugged.
“It’s not shrug-worthy. Even though I’m furious with Fell, the other Courts deserve it, too. Rime is more powerful than Fell, and she didn’t put him in his place. And if Solis had teamed up with Verdant, I’m pretty sure he could have gotten Fell to back off, too.” I shook my head in disappointment and disbelief. “How can they live with themselves?”
“They have their own Courts to worry about,” Rigel said.
“But why?” I asked. “Wouldn’t it be amazing if we were united together as fae? And if we didn’t invest so much time and effort into political sabotage and ruin?”
Rigel let go of my hand. I thought he was making a statement, but then he lowered his arm over my shoulders. He stopped about halfway through and glanced down at me.
I ste
pped into his half embrace—which might have been just for acting purposes because Rigel didn’t react at all.
“You should ask them sometime,” Rigel said.
“Who, the other monarchs?”
“Yes.”
“Icky—no thanks.”
“You may find it educational,” Rigel said.
“Or it will fill me with an even bigger desire to knock out Fell’s front teeth. Which, by the way—do you get that feeling around him? That you just need to punch him in the nose, or is that just me?”
“Fell has a very punchable face.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
By the end of our exchange, the meadow had returned to normal. The sky was still more of a dark, dusty blue than its typical bright shade at this time of day, and Skye was looking at it very ponderously, but as far as I was concerned, things had returned to normal.
That was my mistake.
About a week later, I was finishing my magic lesson with Lord Linus when Skye found us.
“Hey Skye.” I glanced at her just long enough to smile before I went back to focusing on my prism. “Is something up? I have just a few more minutes I want to practice—dang it!”
I sighed and stood up when I hit the proverbial wall, and the rate I was channeling my magic through my prism slowed to a crawl. “What is up with this thing?” I shook the prism for emphasis.
Lord Linus narrowed his eyes and scratched his chin. “The prism is definitely the problem,” he said. “You were fine on the dozen other artifacts we tried.”
“I’m not resonating with it like I need to—even though it was the only one that responded when I was supposed to choose my artifact,” I gloomily said.
“Nonsense!” Lord Linus scowled. “My amazing daughter, not resonate? You resonate with the whole world! No, the problem is the prism. It’s defective. We ought to throw it out.”
“It’s a royal artifact, you can’t just junk it!” I groaned. “But I’m going to officially switch to a different artifact. I might have been able to better power the barrier if I had an artifact that worked with me. We can’t risk losing another huge chunk of land. Next time I have to be ready,” I said.
Skye frowned. “You’re having problems with your royal artifact?”
“Yeah. When I channel magic through it, it eventually slows down. Just my luck, huh?”
“No matter. I’ll find a worthwhile secondary artifact for you,” Lord Linus said. “I shall consult with Indigo on the matter.”
“Indigo?” I frowned. “Why? You’re not going to buy it off Amazon or something, are you?”
“No!” Lord Linus scoffed. “If you want cheap artifacts, eBay would be the way to go—most people have no idea what they’re posting, and you can get it for a real bargain.”
“Lord Linus, we are not buying rando artifacts off eBay!” I said.
He rolled his eyes. “Obviously! When I said I needed to consult with Indigo I meant I needed to discuss your wardrobe with her! I need to find an artifact that will best fit your general style. It’s all about the aesthetic.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “I’m more concerned about getting an artifact that actually works.”
“Believe me, I know,” Lord Linus said. “It’s why I’m the concerned party on your behalf—I will make sure your image is not tarnished!”
I pinched my prism between my fingers. “Are we done, then?”
“Yes, yes. I’ll be off so you two youngsters can go exchange secrets and chat.” He winked, as if he was an eighty-year-old grandpa rather than the barely mid-thirties-looking fae that he was.
I bit back my sarcasm. “Thank you for the lesson, Lord Linus,” I genuinely said. “You’ve been a big help.”
“Anything for my darling daughter!” Lord Linus called over his shoulder, too far away for me to correct him.
“I can never seem to really commit to either liking him or hating him,” I said to Skye.
“You used to despise him,” she pointed out.
“Yeah, he’s worn me down a bit. What’s the problem?” I turned to my steward and slapped the dust off my jeans.
“I wanted to speak to you about the annual hunt,” Skye said.
“Gonna warn me about Fell and that he’s likely planning revenge of some sort?” I asked. “Don’t worry, I know. That’s what I’ve been discussing with Chase in all our extra security meetings this week. When the slimeball makes his move, we’ll be ready!”
“That actually wasn’t what I wanted to discuss, but I’m very glad you are aware of such a possibility.” Skye paused, then gestured to one of the few stone benches that could still seat two people on the cobblestone patio. “May we sit?”
“Sure.” I plopped down—facing the castle—and patted the spot next to me.
She sat down and carefully straightened her slacks. “I wanted to confirm that you were aware of the surroundings when you confronted Fell.”
“I’m not sure I know what you mean,” I said.
“Your surroundings, in particular the weather, perhaps? Or the surrounding flora…” she paused, then blurted out, “The sky. I mean the way the afternoon sun disappeared and it became night.”
“Oh, yeah, I checked the headlines, and no one complained about the sun disappearing in the middle of the day. I reckon it was just an illusion,” I said.
“It was not just an illusion,” Skye said. “But neither was it a wide spread phenomenon. It was the Night Realm.”
I nodded slowly. “I’m really struggling to follow you right now.”
“In an expression of your power at the moment, the Night Realm temporarily fused with the human realm. The Night Realm was responding to you—which was a huge display of power, and one of the reasons why King Fell backed down.” She paused. “That, and Rigel holding a dagger to his throat.”
“Okay, so the Night Realm is…bonding with me, right? That should be a good thing,” I said.
“It is—and everyone would interpret the situation as a positive one because it indicates you are extremely powerful,” Skye said.
“That I don’t buy,” I said. “I’m having problems with my magic, and I can’t keep the barrier up. I’m not powerful.”
“I expected you’d feel that way, which is why I wanted to discuss it,” Skye said. “And after hearing what Lord Linus has to say, I think it’s more important than ever to talk about it.”
“Why? Because my half fae half human blood is making it difficult to resonate with my royal artifact? Presumably, anyway. We don’t really have proof what is making it such a poor magical conductor.”
“What Skye will eventually get around to saying,” said a recognizable, proper, and feminine voice, “is that because you brought the Night Realm forward, you are obviously very powerful, but due to your obvious struggles with your artifact, there is something blocking your full powers.”
Skye and I stared at each other, then turned around and peered over the crumbling stone bannister.
Sitting on a half-destroyed wooden bench placed at the bottom of the patio overlook was Lady Chrysanthe.
She was wearing a knee-length skirt patterned with black and yellow flowers, black ankle-high boots, and a perfectly fitting black sweater while she was sipping from a porcelain teacup, her hair arranged in flawless curls.
She rested her teacup in its saucer, then glanced up at Skye and me. “Don’t mind me. I just happen to be sitting here.”
“Happen to be?” I asked.
Lady Chrysanthe slightly pursed her lips. “Yes.”
I wonder if the stress of Lord Myron targeting her made her lose it. She’s been acting weird for weeks.
I shook my head.
“She is correct,” Skye confirmed. “Although I am loyal to you, and I believe you are the best monarch the Night Court could hope for, I always imagined your powers lay in your charisma and your cleverness. I was shocked by the display of power that was the hunt.”
“I’d say ouch, but I agree with you,” I said. �
�As a half fae, my mom enrolled me in magic classes for years. I was okay at it, but I never showed a real affinity for it.”
Down below, Lady Chrysanthe sniffed. “This is why children should be taught by those from their Court. They’d better recognize the signs.”
“I don’t suppose you could happen to go away?” I called down to Lady Chrysanthe.
“I was here first,” Lady Chrysanthe said.
“No you weren’t! Linus and I have been practicing magic since seven in the morning here!”
“Precisely! I arrived at six!”
“She’s crazy,” I muttered. I shook my head and made myself refocus. “Can there really be that big a difference in power anyway? I mean, all fae have to use artifacts to use magic—isn’t it more dependent on the artifact you use?”
“You are correct to an extent. Fae do not have individual metrics of power like the wizards do. But it can still be said that there are levels or degrees of power. Some fae can only manage low grade magic like glamours and illusions. Those who are particularly skilled can do things like brew potions. Those with more skill can use higher grade artifacts—like the nobles.”
“That’s fine and dandy, but why—then—am I having problems with my royal artifact?” I asked.
Skye hesitated. “I’m not certain.”
“Here’s the thing.” Lady Chrysanthe topped the last step on the patio staircase, still carrying her teacup. “I think you’ve actually resonated to something bigger, but that was the only thing in that room capable of reaching you.”
“How do you know all of this? What are you even doing here?” I asked.
Lady Chrysanthe shrugged elegantly. “I’ve just happened to cross paths with you occasionally and see and hear things.”
“Our security is not tight enough if you’re able to keep wiggling through,” I grumbled.
Lady Chrysanthe ignored me and primly drank from her teacup while pointedly not looking at me or Skye.
She is unbelievably awkward. She obviously wants me to ask her about her theory.
I sighed. At least she isn’t trying to kill me anymore.
“Okay, I’ll bite. What else could I resonate with, Lady Chrysanthe?” I asked. “My night mares? Maybe the shades or glooms?”
