The Fate of Crowns: The Complete Trilogy: A YA Epic Fantasy Boxset

by Rebecca L. Garcia

  I looked at Morgana, then around at her tightly packed bookshelves, her open briefcase filled with objects, and the newspapers stacked in the corner. Loose spiderwebs hung around the lamps on the wall. I closed my eyes and listened to the howling wind outside the window.

  I sighed deeply. “When?” I questioned.

  “Soon,” Morgana said as she circled me. She stared at me with shuttered eyes. “You will rule when frost has fallen.”

  “The frost has already fallen.” I pointed at the large arched window. “The frost is always on the ground.”

  Her glimpses into the future had become vaguer by the day. I knew it was treason to speak of these matters—because to ask when I would rule was to think of the king’s death—but the days dragged out, bleeding into another with no end in sight, and I was tired of being caged up. Dark evenings and gray afternoons made for a miserable life.

  “My father. Is he well?” I asked, finishing our conversation with the same question as always.

  She closed her eyes briefly, as she always did, then opened them. “He is well.”

  “Hmm,” I said, biting my bottom lip. Asking about his health did alleviate my guilt on asking about his death, even if it was an oxymoron. Although I hated him for so many things, a small, childish part of me still wanted his approval. I always had. The more he pushed me away, the harder I tried. It had been that way since I was a child. I hated that part of myself. Being away on Inferis helped. In some ways I had healed, in others, I had become so much worse.

  Morgana walked to the slanted shelves on the stone wall, which were crammed with jars filled with strange substances, a globe, and other artifacts that often caught my curiosity. I was always more interested in her bookshelf, which packed a variety of wonders that were not available to read in the castle library: books on dark magic, the bloodier side of our history, and all sorts of banned spells and rituals that my mother would have a fit over if she knew I had learned them. I didn’t plan on using any of it unless necessary. Still, knowledge was power, and filling my days learning everything I could about magic was better than dancing them away.

  “You should try making some friends.”

  I flapped my hand backward. “Right.”

  “You’re still a child, Winter.”

  “I’m sixteen.”

  “Exactly, a child.” She shook her head and looked at me. “Friendship is important. You don’t want to end up lonely.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” I mumbled, remembering how André had imparted the same advice to me before he died.

  I stared at Morgana. She was tall, six foot four, and thin, unlike her sister, who was short and wispy and the castle alchemist. Both were extremely talented and the best part about being stuck on Inferis. I was fortunate my father had allowed them to come with us. My mother always had been persuasive. I assumed it was part of their agreement.

  I tapped my finger against my chin.

  Morgana tentatively poked into my thoughts. “Questions do best when not left to linger.”

  I tensed at her probing. “The deaths.” I blew out a long breath. I hadn’t brought anything up for the longest time, afraid of the answer.

  She turned away. “Yes, well, I did not know—”

  “I’m not blaming you,” I said, interrupting her. “I haven’t told a soul.” I let the truth swim in my mind for her to feel. “All I was wondering was… well, you said you saw a crown… the only crown that matters, which is of course my father’s. Who was wearing it in your vision?”

  I wasn’t sure why I was looking for reassurance. It would surely be mine, but uncertainty tended to hover in my head until told absolutes.

  “No one. It’s undecided.”

  I arched an eyebrow. There was something she wasn’t telling me, but I had more chance of getting blood out of stone than a secret from Morgana.

  “Undecided?” My eyes bulged.

  “Yes.”

  “That makes no sense. I am the princess.”

  “Then why ask?”

  I scoffed, jolting back. “Well it’s a good thing I did, seeing as it is undecided. What even does that mean?”

  “I can only relay what destiny shows me. You know that better than anyone.”

  “I don’t have foresight,” I told her, for the hundredth time.

  “I know what I see. You have the gift.”

  I fumbled my fingers as I looked at the pile of books, she let me read under my mother’s nose. “Is there a spell that could bring back someone from the dead?”

  I meant the question innocently enough, but her horrified expression made me wish I hadn’t said anything. Now I wasn’t crippled with grief an anguish, my brain had started ticking again. Wondering. Questioning.

  “People are meant to stay dead!” she warned.

  The corner of my lip twitched. “So there is one?”

  “No.” She gasped. “There is not, and I suggest you don’t go looking into those types of magic.”

  “What other types?”

  She chewed the inside of her cheek. “Sacrificial and ritualistic. They are unnatural and dangerous, governed by a darkness that plagues this world. Would you betray your ancestors?”

  I rolled my eyes upward. My beliefs were everything. My link with the spirit realm gave me my power. “No.”

  “Then let us forget this conversation.”

  I nodded, but the curiosity still burned brightly. She proceeded to do another reading, pulling me away from my dark thoughts.

  She turned over one of the cards on the table between us. “The wanderer.”

  “As always,” I groaned, impatience lacing my tone. “I know, I know.” I waved my hand dismissively, stopping her explanation. “It signifies an important journey. I hope it’s back to Magaelor. I hate it here.” I looked at the window. I missed Imperia, the beautiful city surrounding Ash Court. Now I was in a better place to enjoy it again, I yearned for the familiarity of the castle; the music at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the library that spanned the length of four of the rooms in this small castle. If you could call it that.

  She turned the second card. Glistening in gold was a woman with a mask, which appeared to be a fox. “The foe.”

  “Pretty self-explanatory, except I don’t have any enemies.”

  “You are heir to the throne. You will inherit all your father’s when it comes time. I suggest you execute caution.”

  I stared at the back of the third card. “What’s this one?”

  A woman’s body knotting up into a heart was revealed when Morgana flipped it over. I’d never gotten that one before. “The heart.”

  “Ah, well this is interesting with the upcoming wedding.”

  My smile fell into a frown. “I can assure you; I will never fall in love with Blaise Lazarus.”

  She smirked. “It means love… or heartbreak, but I have faith it’s the first.”

  I scrunched up my nose. “Well, thanks for nothing.”

  “Winter!” She scowled when I stood, screeching my chair backward.

  “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I know you’re doing your best and you always help me.” I said quickly, regretting my tone. “Thank you.”

  “That’s better.”

  I walked over to the shelves, running my finger over the ancient spines. “Has father spoken with Blaise since we went do you think? Or King Azrael?”

  “Probably by letter.”

  “It’s a little odd we didn’t meet King Azrael when we went. It almost felt as if he had been hidden away.” I joked, but she nodded in agreement.

  “It was unusual.”

  “I suppose I need to get used to the idea that I’ll be married soon. Even if I don’t like it.”

  She smiled, her eyes kind. “You will be uniting two kingdoms which have never had peace. Your father and King Azrael have long despised each other, and it was even worse with your grandfather. You will be a strong hope to everyone. You may not like your destiny, but it is yours to mold. You do
n’t have to succumb to it. Try to make it yours. Embrace the role.”

  I nodded. “I like the idea of uniting the kingdoms. Even if the fae are lazy.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “They have been known to be, but be careful. Those are your father’s words.”

  “Perhaps.” I played with a stray piece of lavender from one of the shelves. “The uniter of the kingdoms.” I played with the words, liking the more by the minute. “It may not be what I expected, but it could be so much more.”

  “That’s the spirit.”

  “I’m going to go read and avoid the dinner. Everyone’s always talking politics. It’s nice to get away from it sometimes.” I admitted. Most of the time, everyone in the small banquet hall talked at the same time, making my head spin. It was different than being in Magaelor and at Ash Court. There, everyone had something to talk about. The people that lived here were bored, with plenty of time on their hands, living in close quarters that it felt a little too much at times.

  I gathered a few books before leaving. I was going to go sit by the cliff’s edge and read. We weren’t allowed out after dark, so wandering was frowned upon, but allowed. Watching the ships sail over the sea, and having that time alone, was one of the few things keeping me from the grip of depression. Besides, I always made it back before the sun set.

  I glanced one last time at the cards, pausing slightly longer on the heart card. If it truly meant my future, then it did not mean Blaise. He was the boy who couldn’t fall in love. Everyone knew that. It probably meant the love of the people of Magaelor, who would one day be my subjects.

  FIVE

  Enraptured by dreams of crowns and wedding gowns, I slowly peeled my eyelids back to reveal a bruised skyline. I must have fallen asleep. My eyes focused in time to watch the last of the orange rays kiss the horizon. It was so beautiful to look at, I had forgotten myself. I shouldn’t be out after dark; no one should.

  I sat upright and looked at the tree line of the woods. Tall trees were pressed together like uniformed soldiers, quickly covering everything inside with blackness. It was a perfect home to the more dangerous creatures of the land. Gusts of wind danced through the smaller twigs, disturbing the feathery combs of moss. Leaves broke off delicately from the interlocking branches above and fluttered down onto the leaf-carpeted ground of ember red.

  I shuddered as the temperature dropped. The early-winter chill arrived with frosted flakes and bitter gales. I longed for summer. The small island was set under semi-permanent dark skies.

  A howl erupted into the night, jolting me. My heart pounded furiously against my chest. I jumped to my feet, poised to fight as I whipped my head from left to right, checking my surroundings. Tears hazed my vision. Regret seeped into the corners of my mind as I looked above the wood, desperately up at the looming, obsidian towers from the castle. The warm glow of orange light coming from inside the windows had always been what kept the gloom and shadows at bay.

  A sea of trees stretched out between me and my home, housing ferocious creatures that would strip my flesh from my bones and spit out my crown after. My name would not save me here.

  I was too far from the safety of the castle to call for help. I knew the rules. Anyone out after dusk was fair game, and I had been stupid enough to fall asleep under the hoary sky.

  The lullaby that was sang to me as a child floated around my head. The words were a warning…

  Hush, hush, don’t cry but smile, else those who bite will come before dawn.

  Hush, child, hush, child, else your soul, we shall mourn.

  The anumi that stalked the woods at night had excellent hearing, so any slight sound would alert them to my presence. I looked around. Behind me were white cliffs. Slices of damp grass ran around stretches of mud toward the edge, leading to the sea. I had walked through the trees earlier, staying on the beaten track while nocturnal creatures slept, but I wouldn’t make it through alive without the sun.

  If I stayed where I was for long enough, I could maybe survive the night. I wanted to count on the guards to come looking for me, but even they were afraid of the woods at night, and who could blame them? Venturing into the tree line was a death sentence, but so was defying my father, who ruled with an iron fist. He would be furious if he found out no one came to save his heir to his throne.

  I saw the beast before it saw me. An anumi wandered out through the trees. Its thick fur coat was as black as night. One would mistake it for a wolf, were it not for its piercing red eyes and larger size. Its paws clawed into the earth. Their eyesight was terrible, allowing me protection in the shadows. I did my best to slow my breathing, going against the want of my racing heart.

  The beast’s breath rattled while it sniffed around the area. I stepped back as it neared. A twig snapped under the heel of my boot. I froze to the spot, holding my breath. It sniffed the air, licking its long tongue around its razor-sharp teeth and short snout. It let out a growl, then broke into a run. I made a beeline for the edge of the cliff. The creature’s short-winded gasps followed me as my muscles screamed for me to slow down. The cold ached my lungs with each breath.

  I could smell the salt from the sea when I reached the edge. Sharp rocks at the bottom, surrounded by white currents, pointed up as a warning. I was in mer territory, and they were nocturnal creatures, equally as dangerous as the anumi.

  Die now or die later, I decided.

  I glanced back for a quick second. In my fear, I had left behind the one thing that could have saved me, my staff. It lay as a silhouette against the grass. It was too late to get it now, and my heart ached.

  The anumi pounced at me, leaping through the air. I kicked my feet off the edge of the cliff, pushing out as far as I could, missing the fatal bite by mere inches as it snapped its teeth against the air.

  Over the sound of crashing waves, I could make out the distant shouting of my name being called; the castle guards had come looking for me after all, but it was too late. My scream was silenced by the deep waters. The icy cold of the water sliced through me, freezing the air in my lungs and shocking me into stillness. My head felt as if it would explode. I squeezed my eyes shut to block out the chilled darkness.

  The sea was unforgiving; when I surfaced, the waves pulled me back under. My heart pounded vigorously. I fought against the freezing temperatures and pushed myself toward the sky again. I gasped half a breath before I was pulled away by a strong current. My bones cracked, but I couldn’t feel a thing. I was numb all over. My head pounded as I grasped around at the empty blackness around me. Pain seared through my body, something grabbed me, another hand tugged me in the opposite direction, and as I resurfaced, everything faded away.

  ***

  Lost in a daydream of a world where I could have ruled, I floated in silent suffering. My body would never be found in the sea, my bones swallowed by the demons of the deep.

  “Hand me the mugroot,” a voice instructed from above me.

  I was alive. I had to be. People didn’t talk in the spirit realm. Without warning, I was aware of the flesh and bones that housed my soul. I howled. Pain ripped through me with each breath, any slight movement crippled me in agony. It felt like my skin was being ripped off me in pieces.

  My body swayed from side to side. I was lying on something hard. I could hear a mast creaking and sails flapping in the wind. Sprays from the ocean hit my wounds.

  “She’s in shock,” another voice said.

  Acid rose from my stomach and up to my mouth. I choked and my throat burned, then I snapped my eyes open as I gasped for air. I waited to adjust to the darkness as small white spots filled my vision like stars. Hands crossed my line of sight. A searing pain pinched through my forehead. I squeezed my eyes shut again in response.

  A strong scent of rum, damp wood, and fish filled my nostrils. One of the men pushed something rough and hard into a wound on my leg. I yelped loudly, and my body convulsed.

  “Hold her down,” the man barked.

  Strong hands held my arms and
legs down as they continued to push it in further.

  “Please,” I begged, my hoarse voice sounding unlike my own. “Stop.”

  “Keep her still,” the man demanded, ignoring my pleas. “She’s losing too much blood.”

  “The venom!” a woman shouted. “It’s too late. We can’t help her.”

  “She’ll be fine, Bella!” the man barked. “Mercreatures! I’d kill them all if I could.”

  The logical side of my brain kicked in. Of course a mercreature had bitten me. Venom from their bites was known to paralyze their victims, which would explain why I couldn’t move much. My thoughts weaved together, muddling into scenes that didn’t make sense. Boots thudded atop the wooden deck. More people closed in around me; I could smell their musky odor.

  “You’ll be all right, maid. Stay still for us.” He made an effort to sound reassuring as he squeezed a liquid into a cut on my arm. It burned, made worse by a salty spray from the sea that hit the deck. Hot flushes amid cold shivers ran through me as I fought to fight the venom.

  Desperate for any distraction to pull me from their torture, I thought back to home and the faces of my family. Our broken kingdom, Magaelor, long hidden under darkness and separation from the fae, was closer than ever to being brought together by my betrothal to prince Blaise. The wedding was supposed to happen in the fall, and only that had brought any comfort to my mother. She mistakenly believed my marriage would bring her and Father back together. Since I had accepted my fate and understood my charge, I realized the importance of uniting the kingdoms. What had once been my father’s ambition has become mine too, even if it meant an alliance with a Lazarus prince. It was my destiny, all mine, as Morgana had pointed out, and it was all I had left.

  I yelped again when it all became too much. Squeezing my eyes shut tightly, I begged for relief. I clenched my teeth so hard, I was surprised they didn’t shatter. It was all too easy to give in to the looming darkness, to let it pull me from the suffering.