by K. M. Shea
I recognized them in an instant—it was the same kind of spider that attacked me on my parents’ farm.
I slipped my prism out of my flowers—as much as people looked down on me for the small artifact, I was finding it was delightfully easy to hide in all sorts of unexpected places. I opened my mouth to shout a warning, but Chase beat me to it.
“Protect the queen!” Chase drew a hand axe from his belt and threw it at the closest spider.
The axe made a whooshing noise as it cut through the air, hitting its target with deadly precision. It sliced through the spider’s head like butter—a testament to Chase’s werewolf strength.
The spider dropped to the floor, its legs twitching as it proceeded to ooze green goo everywhere while it died.
The second spider bowled over the fae official, its many eyes fixed on me.
“Astrum!” I shouted, powering on my prism.
I heard footsteps as Chase’s people closed in on us, but I doubted it was possible for them to hit the spider without getting me since it had closed in on me.
I took a few steps backwards as I funneled magic through the artifact and created a purple ward on the ground.
Before I could finish the spell and make the ward grow into a barrier, the spider jumped the short distance between us.
It stretched out its front legs, attempting to wrap them around me so it could scoop me in toward its fangs. The wiry hairs on its legs barely brushed my arms, and then the spider jerked to a stop.
Silence pressed down from every corner as I slowly flicked my eyes to the side.
In the span of a heartbeat, Rigel had yanked out his hidden bracer daggers and stabbed them into the spider’s head, killing it instantly.
I stared, unable to believe what I was seeing—unable to fathom that Lord Rigel had saved me.
The spider collapsed, its legs giving out, and the glowing light of its eyes dimmed and went out.
Rigel stepped back to his place next to me, casually wiping his daggers off with a cloth he’d pulled out of his bracer. He stared at the ooze covered cloth and tossed it on top of the spider, then sheathed one of his daggers.
Unexpectedly, he turned toward me and slipped his freed hand down my back, stopping at my waist. His touch felt a little stiff and awkward—as if he was the uncomfortable one.
Maybe he’s not used to touching others?
He then looked over his shoulder at our Court as he lazily twirled his remaining dagger, rotating his wrist as he changed his hold on it. The action passed along a message I never thought he’d do for me.
A part of me was almost afraid to interpret what he meant. If it were anybody else and in any other case, I’d have said he was saying he’d protect me, and come after those who harmed me.
But that couldn’t be!
It seemed my Court didn’t share my reluctance.
Pandemonium broke out as my terrified nobles started screaming.
“It wasn’t us!”
“Who dared to betray our queen in this manner?”
“I and my family vow absolute loyalty to Queen Leila!”
I glanced at my parents. My mom had her hand over her heart, but Dad was patting her hand, and Lord Linus—seriously why?—was passing her a silver flask covered with elaborate etchings.
The Paragon was smirking at me, and when I met his gaze he raised his hands in a polite clap I couldn’t have possibly heard over all of the shouted vows. “Checkmate,” he mouthed.
I tilted my head, still very much aware of Rigel’s hand draped on my lower back. “What?”
“You won over your Court.” The Paragon knowingly tapped his nose, then sat back in the bench.
Aren’t they just afraid of Rigel? I glanced up at my fiancé/husband—I wasn’t quite sure which it was at this moment. He’d returned to looking bored, despite the frenzied fae.
“Quiet,” I said.
Instant silence fell over the room.
Every fae stared at me with absolute attention, and I realized the Paragon was right.
They feared Rigel, but they thought I held his reins. I had shocked them when I swept the top six spots of the Midsummer Derby, unsettled them when I revealed Myron’s actions and Chrysanthe’s innocence, and now they believed I had the Wraith under my control.
They really are my Court.
There was a pain in my heart as I saw the terror on their faces. I didn’t want them to be afraid of me.
I smiled a little, thinking of my pigeon-raccoon-griffin emblem. I think I can teach them to laugh. It will be a fight of a different kind, but it will be necessary to grind the power plays out of existence.
“Um, yes.” The fae official stood up and brushed himself off. “We shall conclude the ceremony…”
It passed by quickly—Rigel and I didn’t even pretend to kiss, we just stared at the official after he declared us married—and sooner than I thought any fae ceremony could go, I was plunked on the royal throne, and Skye was placing a gorgeous crown on my head.
The base was a silver circlet studded with opals and tiny intricate chains that ended in little diamonds threading from gem to gem. At the center of the crown, over my forehead, was a large, silver crescent moon that was reminiscent in shape and style to the original king’s staff, except it had a giant diamond at the tip.
It was heavier than I expected—I actually had to forcibly keep my chin up so my neck didn’t tilt awkwardly.
And as I looked out over my Court—which was applauding me—I realized I’d only gotten through the first round of this game.
I still had to face the other Courts and try to restore the Night Court’s reputation.
Really, I’d only just begun the fight.
That’s okay. I got farther than anyone thought I would. I glanced at Rigel, and then Skye. And now I’m not fighting alone. We can do this. We’ll change this region—because I’ll never, ever give up.
And as my Court—which had once hated me—cheered and shouted for me, I stood and took my first few steps as the crowned Queen of the Night Court.
Epilogue
Rigel
About three days after we were married, I found myself in the unlikely position of standing in the shadows of Leila’s office, watching her bury herself in a veritable blanket of papers and documents as she splayed out over her couch.
“Hey, Rigel,” she casually said.
My lips twitched—how had she known I was there? I had slipped in without her steward or companion noticing, and they’d left roughly two minutes ago.
She looked right at me and grinned. “Whiskers and Steve saw you.” She petted the large gloom—which was draped over the back of the couch she was lying on—then fondly rubbed the ears of the shade curled up between the couch and a coffee table.
I stepped out of the shadows and reluctantly approached her.
“Did you finally realize I wasn’t going to try to ravish you or something just because we’re married?” Her grin morphed into a smirk as she flipped to a new sheet of paper.
“I did not disappear because I fear you,” I said.
“Oh? What horrible thing pulled you away, then? It couldn’t have been Lord Dion. He visited every day hoping to see you.”
Leila glanced at me when I didn’t reply, but let it go. “Chase gave me Myron’s official confession, and the report of the spider attack during our wedding.”
“What did he find?”
“The spider was the same kind that attacked me when Eclipse first found me. It’s a predatory arachnid that is found in multiple fae realms, but it is not native to the Night Realm. Chase picked up its scent and confirmed it wasn’t from the Night Court or the human realm.”
“Which means it’s unlikely a fae from the Night Court sent it,” I said.
“Yeah—mostly because the first spider found me when no one in the Night Court knew where Eclipse had disappeared to. The Paragon helped Chase try to track what realm it came from. He said he’d stake Aphrodite’s favorite bed that it w
as sent by another monarch—as a sort of warning.”
“He found out what Court it came from, then?”
“He wasn’t certain, but he thought Autumn.”
Autumn—the second most powerful Court in the region, just behind Winter.
But while Queen Rime ignored the other Courts and typically only deigned to spend time with her siblings—the other Winter Kings and Queens of North America—King Fell delighted in throwing his weight around.
Leila frowned as she stroked her gloom’s head. “I find it worrying that the first attack on me was from another Court. That means the biggest threat to my life is still out there.”
“And Myron?” I prompted.
“My hunch was right—he did everything to set up Chrysanthe. His whole family was in it—they were attempting to overthrow them and get them kicked out of the Night Court. Apparently they’d been longtime rivals, and they thought I was stupid enough that they’d be able to get me to do their dirty work for them.”
I was silent.
She glanced at me again. Her eyes—a swirling mix of purple and blue that was uncomfortably enthralling—were bright with curiosity. “You knew?”
I blinked. “He did a shoddy job of covering it up and was overconfident because Lady Chrysanthe eagerly accepted his false attention. He thought you’d be just as easy to fool.”
Leila grunted. “Yeah, that was one advantage I had that I won’t have anymore—at least not within my own Court. Oh well!” She flipped to a new packet. “Chase hasn’t been able to figure out what that weird shadow-creature-thing from the derby was. Myron won’t talk about it.” She paused. “Actually, Chase thinks he can’t talk about it.”
“He’s likely under a geas.”
She peered at me with more interest than she’d shown since she called me out. “A what?”
“A geas—a binding line in a contract. Likely, Myron agreed to a geas that would keep him from speaking.”
“Hmm. Did you ever have to have a geas when you were…um…working?”
I had, actually, on the contract I’d taken to try to kill her.
While the contract was canceled, the geas was still in place, which meant I could never speak a word or indicate who had hired me for the job.
I stared at her, unable to say anything.
She narrowed her eyes. “I’m going to take that as a yes.” Without a moment’s hesitation, she returned her attention to her papers.
I lingered awkwardly behind one of her couches.
“You know,” she abruptly said. “If my raw charm scares you that much, you can use the lock installed on the door between our rooms to lock me out.”
It occurred to me then I had married a feminine version of Dion in a far more attractive variety.
“Your sense of humor is not as witty as you think it is,” I flatly said.
“I’m not the one who disappeared for three days after we got married,” she laughed. Her eyes darted in my direction and she added, almost reluctantly, “I’m glad you’re back.”
I sighed and finally sat down in a chair. “Because you have the official ball that will recognize you as Queen of the Night Court in front of the other monarchs?”
“And I don’t want to host it alone—yeees.” She shuddered, then tossed her papers aside. “The Day King should be fun, but I’d rather go to the dentist and get some teeth pulled than invite the other monarchs to the party. The King of the Autumn Court I would especially love to avoid—though that does remind me, I have some thank you notes I need you to sign.”
I was so confused, my forehead actually wrinkled. “Thank you notes?”
“Yes. For all the wedding gifts we received?”
“You are the Queen of the Night Court. I’m your consort. We don’t have to thank anyone.”
“Yes, we do. It’s good manners. And I don’t want anyone holding a wedding gift over our heads.”
I stared at her, dumbstruck. Does she really not understand that she holds the ultimate power over everyone in our Court? Given that her marriage to me lacks any kind of political connection and that everyone has sworn themselves to her, they are at her mercy, not the other way around.
Leila misunderstood my silence. “Don’t worry—I have most of them written. The only one I’m going to make you write is for the Paragon—I think my insincerity would show through in that note. He got us a fancy tea maker, and I’m bitter because the chef has it put in a place of honor in the kitchen but still won’t let me get a coffee maker!”
As I observed my very unlikely wife, it occurred to me that I was lucky she easily accepted what she referred to as my brooding silence. If not, Leila would have pushed and insisted on hearing why I had abandoned her, and I wasn’t quite ready to tell her.
I’d spent the past three days trying to sort out what I felt about her as a queen.
I’d agreed to become her consort because I really wondered if she’d try to destroy the Court.
But in my absence, she hadn’t acted like a tyrant or started beheading nobles. Rather, she’d carried on—business as usual.
Based on what I’d heard, the most tyrannical thing she had done was inform the Court she was cutting the number of social events in half to make up for a budget shortage.
No one dared to nay say her.
She won’t willfully destroy the Night Court…but her idea of ending the struggles for power is madness. She’s a threat to the Court still, because she’s going to change the game one way or another.
If I were a more idealistic fae, I’d dare to hope that she could save us all. But it’s too late for that.
“Rigel—are you listening?”
“You want me to thank the Paragon for the tea maker.”
“Precisely!”
I watched her organize her papers with a bunch of fuss, and something in me prickled. Before I thought twice about it, I said, “You don’t want me to kill anyone for bad wedding gifts?”
“No!” She gave me a reproachful look. “You are a bloodthirsty lion, aren’t you? You should drink some tea. I hear it’s calming.”
“Perhaps you ought to try it, then.”
“I would rather die!”
My lips shivered in an almost smile.
Yes, I married her to stop her if necessary. I never wanted it—neither did she, apparently—but at least she’ll be an amusing person to tease from now until it’s over.
The End
To be continued in Crown of Moonlight: Court of Midnight and Deception Book 2
For free short stories and more information about the Court of Midnight and Deception Series, visit kmshea.com!
Afterword
Thank you for reading Crown of Shadows, I hope you enjoyed Leila’s story! If you want to read more of my work, sign up for my newsletter to receive my free K. M. Shea Starter Pack ebook.
It contains:
A Hall of Blood and Mercy short story
A King Arthur and Her Knights prequel short story
A Red Rope of Fate prequel short story
An original fairy tale, Princess Snow and Queen Ruby
A fairy tale retelling, The Princess Who Chased Sheep
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Thank you for your support and encouragement. I am proud to say I have the best readers. Therefore, it is my dearest wish that Leila and her friends made you laugh and warmed your heart. Thank you.
Leila’s adventure continues in…
Crown of Moonlight
Available on Amazon!
My citizens despise my half-human blood, but it sure comes in handy! My ability to lie was key in forcing my Court to bow to my authority as their Queen. Okay, it also helped that I’m married to the most feared fae assassin in the supernatural community.
But once I meet the monarchs of the rest of the fae Courts in the region I realize the good times are only just begin
ning! They hate my guts and don’t even bother using their fae tricks to hide their disgust of me and my background.
At least I know where I stand with them, which is more than I can say for Rigel.
My relationship with Rigel is … complicated. When he first became my consort I thought it would be enough if he let me use his deadly reputation and refrained from killing me. But as he has saved me from countless attempts on my life and joked with me through boring Court socials, my thoughts about him have veered into uncomfortable territory.
Not that I have time to think about all of this.
Those attempts on my life I mentioned earlier? Yeah, they’re getting bolder and more difficult to survive. I’m confident one of the other monarchs is behind it, but I don’t have the power to make them stop the same way I did my own court.
So far, my lying tongue and Rigel’s blades have gotten us through, but if something BIG gets dropped on us, will we survive?
Other books by K. M. Shea
The Snow Queen Series:
A completed Epic Fantasy series of two books and an anthology of short stories
Timeless Fairy Tales:
Beauty and the Beast
The Wild Swans
Cinderella and the Colonel
Rumpelstiltskin
The Little Selkie
Puss in Boots
Swan Lake
Sleeping Beauty
Frog Prince
12 Dancing Princesses
Snow White
Three pack (Beauty and the Beast, The Wild Swans, Cinderella and the Colonel)
The Fairy Tale Enchantress:
Apprentice of Magic
Curse of Magic
Reign of Magic
