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

by Rebecca L. Garcia

  “Ask yourself where you’d be if I wasn’t. Besides, you’re the one who shouldn’t have gone there, especially alone.” He gestured around his room. His redheaded companion smiled softly and placed a cup in front of me. “If not for our whole crew, they’d have fought back.”

  His relic, a blue ring, glimmered under the orange light.

  I sipped the honey tea. I needed it after the day I’d had. The warm liquid coated my throat, clearing the soreness from the noose. I couldn’t help but wonder if the noose breaking, and Aquarius finding me was because of the protection charm Licia had placed on me. I guessed I had no way of knowing.

  “It’s got mugroot in it,” the woman explained when I scrunched my nose up at the aftertaste of the tea. “It will help heal… that.” She looked at my neck, horrified. “They were just going to kill you.” She snapped her fingers. “Like that. No trial. Barbaric, they are.”

  Aquarius nodded in agreement. “We had come to obtain more mugroot. It grows nearby, where the snowy peaks are. You’re lucky we heard the commotion. Even us sailors know to stay away from faery villages. We saw you fighting. You gave it your best shot.”

  I rubbed my neck, then ran a fingertip along the red mark. My brush with death had debilitated me. “I didn’t know they’d try to execute me.”

  The redhead pressed her lips together. “I know, but I mean, it’s no worse than what you lunas do, except the executioner is paid.”

  “We don’t have public executions.”

  She shrugged her petite shoulders. “I’ve seen one or two in my lifetime.”

  I clenched my jaw. “You know what, it doesn’t even surprise me anymore. Apparently, I know nothing about the kingdom I was supposed to rule, or much of anything at all.” I looked at each of them in turn. “Don’t do that,” I said, taking in their pitiful stares.

  “At least you’re alive,” the redhead offered.

  “Be understanding, Bella,” Aquarius stated. “She’s had all her power stripped away.”

  I fumbled my fingers under the table. “How do you know? Oh… the newspapers.”

  “It was printed that you were suspected to be dead,” said Bella. “I see now the story was fabricated.”

  “Yes.” I half-smiled. “Unfortunately for him, I just keep coming back to life.”

  Aquarius grinned. “Fortunately for us. It’s unusual for us to see familiar faces on our travels. We don’t spend time with one crowd, so it’s good to see you.”

  I sipped my tea, then relaxed back into my chair. “Thanks for rescuing me,” I said into my cup. “Once again.”

  “Right place, right time,” Aquarius said. The lamp illuminated his sand-colored skin and bright eyes. “Cedric was asking after you when we returned to Berovia. He’s a friend, perhaps my only one. Want me to pass along a message?”

  A warm feeling swirled in my stomach. “That’s sweet. Wait, no.” I paused. “You’re leaving so soon?”

  Bella leaned over the table. “We have to. Deadlines to keep and all, after we drop you off in Magaelor.”

  “Life of a pirate,” I joked.

  “Sailor,” he said, correcting me.

  “Sorry.” I paused, edging on hesitation. “Perhaps I can come with you.”

  His gaze narrowed. “To enemy territory. Didn’t you scold us for doing that last time?”

  “I can’t go home,” I said. “My father is going to kill me. I need allies. Perhaps the solises will work with me.”

  “Careful,” Aquarius said in warning. “They won’t appreciate a luna being in their kingdom. They will lock you up and throw away the key, that or use you to lure King Amos. They’re angry with him, and rightly so!” He clenched his jaw.

  “Then what do I do?” I cried. “I don’t have anyone. Where do I go?”

  Bella’s eyes locked onto mine, fierce and round. “If someone means you dead, then I suggest you kill them first. Don’t go in all swords blazing. Move like a ghost through the towns. Hide from prying eyes until you get close enough. Then go in for the kill. Don’t hesitate. That’s how we operate.”

  I cast my eyes downward and looked at my legs. Maybe it could work. A battle would have protected me, but a sneak attack, alone, could work if I were careful.

  “I need to kill the king.” My voice was barely a whisper.

  “Good.” Aquarius slammed his fist against the table, making all the pots of jam and teacups jump. “After what he did in Berovia.”

  I ran cold. “What did he do?”

  “I’m shocked you don’t know. They attacked the elves in the forest.”

  I snapped my eyes shut. I was too late. “Did any die?”

  “Probably.”

  I sucked in a painful breath. My heart skipped a beat, turning me numb. Birch would have fought back.

  “It happened near to where we picked you up,” he told me, but I knew exactly where it was. I’d been the one to lead them there. I ran my hands along my face, digging my nails into the skin under my eyes. I didn’t want to feel anything. After a few moments, I licked my lips, opening my eyes to focus on them. “You need to be careful. My father will come after you if he finds you.”

  “Why us?” Bella asked.

  “I told him, nicely,” I said, justifying my admission, “how you saved my life, and all he could think about was how you were trading illegally from Magaelor… You should leave here and don’t come back, not until he’s gone.” I scratched the side of my head. “I’m sorry. You must hate me.”

  “We don’t hate you.” He laughed. “You think we’re afraid of him? We’ve run from much worse.”

  He and Bella exchanged dark looks before turning back toward me.

  I stood, rubbing the sheen of sweat on my palms against my skirt, then looked at Aquarius. “Take me to the port by the castle. If you have a change of clothes and a cloak I can use, I would greatly appreciate it.” My eyes shifted down to my belt, where my staff used to be. “I don’t suppose you found my staff while you and your crew ran the fae from the gallows?” Even though it had been broken, I wanted to keep the pieces. I knew it was a long shot.

  “Afraid not. It took all the power we had to get them away from you. Bella used her relic.”

  I stared at her amulet. I had always hated elemental magic, but it had saved me.

  I nodded in her direction. “Thank you.”

  My staff was gone, and this time for good. The knowledge left a hole in my chest. Dark magic darted into my mind, luring me back to the power it held, but the memory of cold, white eyes watching me from the trees at Lepidus Court kept those wants at bay. Whatever he was, he had said I belonged to him, and the dark magic reacted.

  You don’t need a staff, the little voice in the back of my head told me. Make a sacrifice. Give into the strong powers.

  Aquarius’s unsure stare broke my connection to the dark desires in my head. I blinked twice, then snapped out of it. I couldn’t use dark magic. It was bad enough that I’d used it once.

  Bella sat on top of a chest filled with mugroot, I presumed from the earthy smell. She crossed one leg over the other, throwing her silky hair over her shoulder.

  I needed to have another staff made for me, and Ash Forest ran down the entire kingdom from the tip of the south to the top north. If I could find a staff maker, I could have one made for me.

  Being away from the castle had taught me a lesson that being a princess had shielded me from; I didn’t know enough about the kingdom—where to get things, the people, or the culture—and that would change. I was out in the open now, more aware of everything, like shadow markets, secret executions, and archaic ways forced upon Magaelor’s subjects, even if I hadn’t seen the Magaelorean shadow markets or executions myself.

  Aquarius touched the wood panels and looked up at the door at the top of the wooden steps. “We are almost there.”

  I tilted my head to the side. “How do you do it? Not fear for your life every single day? I’d be terrified,” I admitted, remembering the mer attack. />
  “It’s a faith, you know. I trust in my ship and have faith in my crew. I believe we will get to our destinations safely. At times we have lost good men, but none of us go into this work unaware of the dangers. I can’t be so afraid of death that I forget to live.”

  I followed them up the creaking steps and emerged onto the sea-sprayed deck. Briny air hit my nostrils. I gazed upward. The sky was an everchanging canvas of art. Horizons of blue sank into orange, then red. Clouds dissolved, revealing a bruised skyline. I shifted my eyes down to the pebbled beaches that came into view as the thick layer of fog subsided. Lights from buildings flickered in the distance. The castle rose over the end of a tall bridge, reaching high over treacherous waters, like a shadow looming against the darkening sky. Birch’s face hovered in my memory. I had to know if she was one of the ones who was killed because of my need for approval. I’d led them there, marked the X on the map, and signed their death sentences.

  Bella placed her hand on my shoulder, making me jump. “Lost in thought, I see.”

  “Something like that.” My chest heaved up and down. “Everything is going to change.” My fingers went numb, and the color left my face.

  “It’s not always a bad thing.”

  My lips parted. I breathed in the cold air and exhaled slowly. “That’s what I keep telling myself.”

  “Let’s get you a cloak and into some fresh clothes. You’ll need to blend in if you’re going to make it to the castle.”

  I watched as Aquarius barked orders to the crew, then I turned toward Bella. “Thank you.”

  I tucked my black pants into my lace-up boots, then removed some twigs that had stuck to the soles. Bella wrapped a red traveling cloak around me and tied it around my neck. I cupped my throat as the fabric curled over my skin. I could, at times, still feel the noose around my neck, even though it was long gone.

  “I won’t hurt you,” she said softly.

  My breath hitched. “I know.”

  “You’ve been through a lot.” Her lips pressed together tightly. “I will pray for you.”

  “Thank you.”

  I tied my hair up into a high ponytail, then washed my face. She handed me a dagger to fit into my belt. The handle was emerald green, and the blade was fatally sharp.

  “We’re rooting for you, Winter Mortis.”

  THIRTY-TWO

  I moved like a ghost through the bustling streets, taking cover under the shadows of the dusky sky.

  Two guards chatted next to a newspaper stand, their hands ready on the hilts of their swords. A man pushed past me, holding his nose as blood poured from it—a spell gone wrong. Flecks of the crimson liquid splashed onto my worn boots. I darted out of the way, then pressed my back up against a wall, keeping my head down and the hood of my cloak pulled over my face.

  Edgar’s brown eyes peered out from the front page of a newspaper. His long hair had been cut short, highlighting his angular features and chiseled jaw. He wore an unsure smile, and the crown looked too heavy on his head.

  Amos had wasted no time in appointing my cousin as the crown prince. I swallowed hard and pinched my lips shut. It didn’t matter now. I was coming back. Amos couldn’t be allowed to rule any longer. I’d done bad things, but I was going to do better, be better. He was outright cruel. His death would be justified, his blood on my hands. “You’ve got this,” I whispered to myself and pushed on ahead.

  I knew the tunnels at the castle better than anyone. All I needed was to get close enough to the grounds to reach the one that led out to the stables. I had a better chance at nighttime.

  Once I was in, the hard part would begin, getting past hundreds of guards and people who knew my face better than any.

  I trudged forward, kicking aside a different newspaper that had been discarded on the ground with a sketch of my father and Edgar together. I spat on it, for good measure, before hurrying along the cobbled paths toward the castle grounds.

  Stores closed their doors, and the inns opened theirs. Crowded tables of cheering men filled the bar as I rushed past. A woman looked at me, but I averted my eyes, turning my head away. I pulled my hood down farther over my face, shielding my cheeks from the bitter winds. My fingers were like ice, but the weather here was nothing compared to Niferum’s. I was grateful for the gloves Bella had given me. When I would be queen, I’d be sure to repay them and all the crew for everything they had done for me and, to an extension, Magaelor.

  I almost tripped on a dirty blanket. The smell of urine and smoke pinched my nostrils. I wrinkled my nose and looked at the steps by a brightly lit eatery. The poor begged for scraps from the tavern, who closed their doors to crippled fingers and dirty palms. One of the workers tried to shoo the two men and woman with tangled blond hair, off the premises. The exchange turned vulgar, fast. The homeless shouted at the worker, and another walked out, threatening them with their magic. I noticed the homeless did not have staffs. Had they lost theirs at some point like I had, or were theirs stolen?

  I wanted to help. I still had gold. After all, they looked too skinny, close to death even, but two guards rushed around the corner. Not wanting to draw attention, I backed away. The guards forced the homeless away, kicking one to the curb. His head smacked against the stone, and I gasped. Blood splattered the cobbles, calling the homeless man’s soul to a place much more peaceful than here.

  No one shuddered at the sight.

  All for scraps of food.

  My toes curled inside my boots, and my shoulders slumped forward. My fingers flexed as I watched on helplessly. Why weren’t the guards helping the hungry?

  They looked around, I presumed for witnesses, and I slunk around the corner, then hurried away. My heart was racing, and my throat was tight. I’d seen too much death in my time, but that was so callously done. Pointless even.

  The voices got fainter the closer I got to the castle. I ran over the wide bridge that separated the houses from Ash Court. Fog crept over the cut grass. The cold air was clogged by smoke from the fires lit on the grounds.

  My stomach dipped when I reached the drawbridge. Four times as many guards as usual stood at the doors. Security had been amped up. I should have seen it coming. If he’d attacked in Berovia and was no longer at peace with the fae, he was preparing for the inevitable attack.

  “Psst.”

  I whipped my head around. A dark figure stood behind an old cart. I narrowed my eyes, peering into the blackness.

  “Winter,” the voice whispered. “It’s Morgana.”

  I sighed in relief. “You should have said!” I ran to where she was standing. Nothing had changed about her. She even wore the same brown, loose dress with crisscrosses on the fabric. She placed her hands on my shoulders, her eyes filled with concern.

  “Destiny showed me you’d be here tonight. I’m so glad you’re alive.” Her eyes glossed under the pale light of the moon. “I was worried about you. My cards and runes showed me nothing, but last night, foresight finally came to me in a dream and showed you here, by the drawbridge.”

  She flinched when I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tightly. Sobs muffled through my tight lips as I rested my head against her shoulder. I was grateful for the familiarity. A haven. “You have to help me,” I said. “It’s been awful. Blaise betrayed me.”

  She stroked my hair. “That’s why I’m here. To help you.”

  I felt her staff digging into my hip, reminding me of the absence of mine. “I need another staff. Mine was taken by the fae. Broken. It’s a long story.”

  “One you can tell me later.” She hushed me and pulled away from my embrace. “You cannot be here. Your father will have you killed.” She looked down at her nails. They were stained with blood. “Things have changed since you left.”

  I grabbed her wrist, looking at her wide-eyed. “What did he do?”

  She closed her eyes, falling into a place I could not see. A memory. “He beats me when I do not show him the future he desires. He does not understand that foresight cannot gi
ve him the future. Only show him what destiny wishes him to see, but he doesn’t need that now.”

  “Why?”

  “He found one. A forest nymph. He knows you’re coming for him, and he knows you told Blaise everything. You do not have the element of surprise.”

  I fumbled my fingers. “What do we do then?”

  “The nymph will only show him the near future, but nothing is set in stone. Timelines can change, Winter. He’s too ignorant to believe it, but you’re not. Every path can be changed. It is why we have free will. He may be able to anticipate our moves, but—”

  “Ours?”

  “He will know soon enough that I have come to aid you. The nymph will show him.”

  A sharp pang of guilt shot through me. “I’m sorry you’ve been dragged into this.”

  “It is my destiny too,” she stated.

  I nodded, curling my lips between my teeth. I looked over at the looming stone walls. “Can you hide us from his visions?”

  “With dark magic, yes.”

  “Then we must use it. Do you know one?”

  She shook her head slowly. “Winter, using such spells are banned for a reason. They require sacrifice.”

  “I didn’t need to sacrifice anything for mine. I let the magic choose one, and it didn’t affect me.”

  She clenched her jaw. “What did you do?”

  I rubbed the back of my neck. “I did a binding spell.”

  “To whom?” She looked manic. She grabbed my shoulders and shook me. “Who did you bind yourself to?”

  I stepped backward. “I broke the spell. It was to Blaise, but we are no longer bonded by magic.”

  She scratched her forehead and paced around in a circle. “There is always a price.”

  “I could have died, I know.”

  She stopped pacing. “No. You don’t know. It’s more than that. Spells like that aren’t easily broken. You could have died and you absolutely allowed something in, something dark which won’t want to leave.”