Mark of Truth (Wicked Kingdoms Book 1)

by Graceley Knox

  “We need time to think about this. I’m assuming the weekend is the same here in Goblin as it is with the humans? No school during those days?”

  At his nod, my crew stands.

  “We’ll take Arela with us for the weekend and talk everything over with her. We’ll also talk to MECA and see what our options are, and we will get back to you on Monday. I’d request you let Arela continue with her schooling until a permanent solution can be reached.” I hope he’ll be able to see where we’re coming from. He has us between a rock and a hard place.

  Teag nods, and we shake hands. As we all head back to the main hall, he places a caveat on the deal.

  “If Arela’s with you, I would prefer it if Dare, Dax, and Dagan stay with you to ensure her safety away from the walls of the Goblin Kingdom.” Of course he would want that. I should have fucking known.

  “Do you doubt our ability to protect her?” I grit my teeth, my tone lethal.

  “I don’t doubt your ability, but I will feel better if you have more—let’s call it backup—at the ready.” He smiles jovially.

  Seeing no way out of this without our three new shadows joining us, I mutter a disgruntled, “Fine, whatever.” I storm away from the war room, or as I’m now calling it, the room of terrors. Gods, nothing good comes from that bloody room.

  Stopping at the entrance of the main hall, I turn to our newest roommates. “Go get whatever shit you need for the weekend. This won’t last longer than that, so don’t go nuts. We leave in twenty minutes when Arela is ready.”

  They stand there for a moment, and I just can’t stay calm any longer with my life being dictated by people who barely know me and whom I barely know.

  “Now!” I snarl, pointing toward the stairs up to the living quarters. I grumble under my breath. “Go ahead. Take your sweet time. I’ll leave you here.”

  Doyle smirks at me.

  “Don’t. Don’t you even think this is funny,” I growl. Taking deep calming breaths, I head toward Arela and take a seat across from her.

  She practically falls out of her seat when I tell her the news. I smile at her enthusiasm. Eryn meets up with her at the bottom of the stairs, nodding at me. Good. At least Arela will have everything she needs with Eryn helping her pack.

  Little chitters and clicks draw my attention to Anarchy and Chaos as they hang upside down from their hind legs on some sort of wrought iron metal fixture in the middle of the wooden table.

  “You two are going to be a handful aren’t you?” I put my chin on the surface of the table, getting down to their level.

  Anarchy has his tongue hanging out of his mouth on one side. Chaos just has his mouth open with his teeth showing.

  “You two are just adorable.” Something inside me calms at their silliness. I’m not quite sure why they’ve come into my life, but a gut instinct tells me that I’ll need them sooner rather than later.

  Doyle walks toward me and places his hands on my tense shoulders. He starts to massage my knotted shoulders and I sigh deeply.

  “What is it, Ev? You seem way too stressed out for something like this.”

  I open my mouth to tell him it’s nothing. Instead, the word vomit that spews from my mouth shocks me.

  “I slept with Dare!” I wail, throwing my arms up in the air dramatically. “And now I think I have feelings for him. Dare was supposed to just be a fling and then be done, but now I think he wants more. I can’t do that because he has a mate out there, and I’m not going to be a plaything. And now he’s going to be living with us, and I can’t deal with him all up in my space.” I wave my hands around wildly before taking a deep breath.

  Between his chortles, Doyle pats my shoulder before sitting down next to me and resting his head on his fist, elbow on the table.

  “Ev, what’s the issue? The real issue I mean.”

  “We will never work, Doyle. I’m a half blood, and he’s the son of the Goblin King.” I shrug. “I’m not good enough for him.”

  “That’s bullshit, Ev, and you know it.” Doyle scowls at me.

  “Never mind, Doyle.” I sigh again, this time in frustration.

  “No, don’t do that. Talk to me.”

  “I’ve got way too much shit going on right now. I need to know if I’m really half goblin, and what that means for me and my mother according to my uncle’s kingdom. And what that means for me regarding MECA.”

  “What about you and—” Doyle’s smile falls, and he scratches at his neck.

  I nod. “Yeah. No one thought of that part. If I’m full Fae instead of just half they’ll kick me out. Then what will I do?” I’ll be lost if I lose my crew. Completely wrecked.

  “We’ll become Royal Guards, Ev. We have options.” He shrugs.

  “Yeah, but I don’t know if I can go from living my life as I please to being ruled by someone. MECA lets us get away with shit because we are the best of the best. Going against the orders of the King however could end with heads rolling. Literally.”

  “We’ll figure it all out, Ev.” He wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me in for a hug. “We’ve got time. We can try to find your mother first, and they can look for a witch, like they said.”

  “Druid,” I correct, laughing as he scratches the side of his head before he realizes what I was correcting.

  Peals of laughter coming from the staircase force me to put a smile on my face for now. If Arela’s excited to be coming with us, I’m not going to rain on her parade.

  I stand and brace myself for her hug as she runs toward me with her arms thrown open. Seeing her happy is such a change from the melancholy child I first saw at that fountain. It warms my heart. Yeah, I have one, despite my losing attempts to make it not feel anything.

  “Ready?” I ask her, grinning as she bounces around hugging everyone ecstatically.

  “Ready! Let’s go!”

  I look around to make sure we have everyone.

  The three goblins are missing so I shrug, a bit of mischief turning my grin smug.

  “Let’s go.” I wave my team out the doors.

  “But what about—”

  “They’ll catch up.” I snicker, not giving a fuck if I make it difficult for them.

  Force yourself on me, and I’ll make you as miserable as possible. I practically skip out of the castle. I come to a dead stop a few feet from where I started upon seeing the three goblins I’m trying to ditch standing there, each with a duffle bag at their feet.

  “Son of a bitch,” I mutter under my breath, my fun ruined.

  Dax’s lips twitch, and I refrain from picking up the rocks at my feet and throwing them at them like a child.

  “Oh good, you’re ready.” I bare my teeth. “Let’s go.”

  I look back. Eryn has a hold of Arela, and I sift out, knowing my crew will follow closely behind. Secretly I hope the goblins got lost in the woods, but I can’t be so lucky. Walking in the front door, I head straight for the kitchen and grab a hard cider from the fridge.

  I’m going to become a lush if we continue keeping company with the goblins and elves.

  Taking a seat out on the deck, I prop my feet up on the railing, rocking back and forth on the back legs of the chair. The acidic taste of apples and alcohol hits my taste buds, and I swallow with bliss. I let it wash away my frustration, the warm feeling entering my blood from the alcohol flowing over me.

  All three goblins appearing in front of me at once doesn’t shock or startle me in the slightest. Instead I tip my beer at them. “Biggest room goes to Arela. We’re going to make sure she feels at home here, starting with painting and decorating and all that frilly shit. So pick your rooms from there. Let Axel know if you need any extra beds. I think we have more mattresses in the basement.” If I can tough it out for a few more hours, I’ll be able to disappear into my room and sort through all of the overwhelming feelings and decisions. I just need a clear head.

  Dax’s excited tones wash over my ears as they walk into the house. He’s just as excited as Arela is. Rol
ling my eyes at his antics, I focus on breathing in all the good shit and letting go of all the bullshit. The feeling I get every time Dare is near me lingers, and I pop one eye open to find him leaning back against the post of the railing closest to where my feet rest.

  “What?” I snap, keeping one eye on him as I continue to rock myself. I sip my cider slowly and relish the crisp taste of apples as it warms my throat on the way down.

  “Still convinced we can’t be together, little álainn?” He wears a satisfied smirk on his face.

  Oh, man, I can’t wait to wipe that smug look off that handsome face of his.

  “I’m more than convinced.” I chuckle darkly. “In fact, I think this will be a good way to show you how awful we would be together. So buckle up, Dare. You’re in for one hell of a ride.”

  He tilts his head.

  “I’m going to make your lives living hell until you are begging Teag to send you back to Goblin and give me everything I want.” I smile like a wine-drunk pixie and tip my bottle back, finishing it off.

  His response does nothing but make me want another beer. His knowing grin only infuriates me further.

  “Give it your best shot, little tine. Let the games begin.”

  Son of a bitch. The next few months are going to be hell on earth and hell on my nerves.

  THE END… FOR NOW.

  THE

  WICKED KINGDOMS SERIES

  CONTINUES IN

  CROWN OF

  BETRAYAL

  COMING SOON

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you so much for taking the time to read Mark of Truth. This book has been a long time coming for me, and I hope you enjoyed reading about Ever and her crew as much as I enjoyed penning their story.

  Currently I have quite a few books planned for Ever and her merry band of misfits. If you’d like to stay up to date on all of my upcoming books, please sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/cdrntX. Or make sure you follow me on Facebook @GraceleyKnox!

  If you’re a fan or you’d like to stay in touch, please join my street team, Knox’s Vixens. Giveaways, hot men, and awesome book recommendations are the norm over there!

  If you enjoyed Mark of Truth, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads. I love any and all feedback and every review counts!

  Stay Wicked,

  Graceley

  Acknowledgements

  First and foremost, I have to thank my Ma again. You’ve been my number one fan through life. No matter what I’ve wanted to do you’ve bent over backwards to help me. I wouldn’t be half the person I am today if it wasn’t for your advice and constant words of encouragement. One day I will be able to give you as much as you have given me, and when I do we’re taking a long vacation, and your retiring.

  To my Dad, you not only gave me the savvy and smarts I needed to make it on my own, but you encouraged me to always reach for the stars. Don’t worry old man, I’ll take care of you when you’re old and wrinkled.

  THE Meredith Wild. I picked up the phone and made a call one day and my life was forever changed. I wake up every day thankful that I not only work with you but consider you one of my dearest friends. Your constant encouragement and guidance has taught me so much. Working with you isn’t even work, it’s like a dream come true. I hope I can only show you how much I truly appreciate everything you’ve ever done for me one day. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart.

  Helen Hardt – you took this ridiculous first draft, tore it to bits, and made it the book it is today. Thank you for your unending patience as I learned all the things from you. Your insight, your teaching, and your candor will always be my favorite. I can’t thank you enough for the time you took with me. Seriously.

  The Fereshetians. Jesus how many of us are there now? Too many to count and I love it that way! There are too many of you to name and I think my eyes would cross trying to make sure that I covered everyone, but I have to give a special thanks to my cousin Katelyn. Not only is she one of my best friends, she doesn’t take my shit. She gives it right back and then we die laughing about it. Your enthusiasm is catching and I love you for it. Told you I’d put you in here, you better love me, asshole .

  The Sullivans. There are a ton of us as well, and quite a few serious readers among us. To my cousins who are more like siblings. I’m proud of each and every one of you. You inspire me. Lyndsey and Maria, guess what, your names are now in a book! Thank you for your encouragement and excitement about me writing a book. I can’t wait to see what you guys think. Auntie Gail, I hope we continue to swap new books to read forever!

  Annie King, girl you know all my stories and all my dirty secrets and I wouldn’t have it any other way. You were one of the first people who knew I was writing a book. A sexy one at that and you didn’t bat an eyelash. Instead you told me you had better be one of the first to read it. I don’t know what the hell I would do without you as my best friend. You and me are going to be sipping mimosas on the beach one day, that’s a promise.

  Aerin Denny, Patty Mason, Tabitha Meyer, and Vicki Stamp. My Barnes and Noble girls. Holy shit the laughs and the memories. Watch out ladies, you inspired some of these characters and future characters, so thank you for that.

  To my beta’s, Tina Jaworski and Stephanie Cutler. Your feedback not only made me smile but challenged me. Your excitement and demands for more kept me willing to write and not just say, “fuck it, I suck” and give up. Here’s to a long lasting friendship with the both of you. A special shout out to Angel Payne and Shannon Hunt for taking time out of their busy schedules to read this book and give me honest and incredible feedback. It means the world. Love you girls to bits!

  Because I’m a crazy cat lady and anyone who knows me knows that. The inspiration for Anarchy and Chaos are my two Bengal cats Anarchy and Khaos. Girls you keep me on my toes daily, and correcting your typos when you deign to walk across my laptop. If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t laugh as much. Or have to fix as much shit.

  To anyone who took the time to read this book. Thank you! Readers make the book world go round! If you have any feedback or would like to chat with me, please look me up on social media. I love to chat with readers!

  About Graceley

  Graceley Knox is an up and coming paranormal and fantasy romance author with a serious caffeine and book addiction. She prefers to listen to music while she writes and is a former New Englander living on the Gulf Coast of Florida. By day she works in the publishing industry, and by night, she plots out the many ideas cluttering her mind. She has two Bengal kitties who can usually be found lounging within distance of her desk, adding their opinions on her current projects. When she’s not reading, writing, or hanging out with her large extended family you can find her on her various social media accounts.

  Visit her here:

  www.facebook.com/GraceleyKnox