The Gatekeeper's Trials: The Complete Trilogy

by Emma L. Adams

  Ilsa opened the book and sat down on a rock beside the pool. “I’ve never done this before, but I assume it won’t remove your Gatekeeper’s magic, too.”

  “Don’t tell me about the downsides.” I rested the staff on the ground, holding it with both hands. Shadowy magic coiled up my arms, and I tightened my grip to resist the impulse to lift it into the air. Nice try, but you won’t get me that easily. “Quickly—please.”

  “All right.” Ilsa took in a deep breath. Then she spoke.

  Words slammed into me one at a time, echoing around the clearing. Their meanings filtered through my mind, but didn’t stick, their magic too much for my human mind to handle. My hands shook, the earth trembled, and the talisman’s rage bubbled to the surface.

  Pain ripped through my body from head to toe, searing my skin from the inside out. Frayed shadows leaked from my hands, and a loud, furious roar sounded, vibrating through my bones and blood.

  My vision blurred, and the waters of the grove rose to catch me as I fell.

  “At least you had a soft landing,” Ilsa said later, when we were back in the living room.

  I wrapped the blanket around myself, sneezing. “I think I might have the dubious honour of being the first human in existence to have a talisman’s magic forcibly ripped out of me.”

  “Sorry,” Ilsa said. “I didn’t want to hurt you, but—”

  “I’d take the pain ten times over as long as I can walk around without killing everything I touch.” I fingered the edge of the blanket. “I don’t know how the Erlking stood it for hundreds of years.”

  “He must have found a way to deal with it,” said Ilsa. “Perhaps he left instructions behind.”

  “Along with his cryptic message?” I scowled. “I don’t see why he couldn’t just name the traitors.”

  “Perhaps he feared for your safety,” said Mum. “And he was right to worry.”

  “Lord Veren wanted me alive. So did the Seelie Queen.” I pushed a handful of damp hair out of my face. “She wants me to rule at her side. Personally, I think she’s afraid of the Gatekeeper’s vow backfiring on her… do you think that might be it?”

  Mum’s lips compressed. “Perhaps. Even the Gatekeepers don’t know everything about the vow.”

  “Which explains why Etaina got such wild ideas about Thomas Lynn.”

  “Speaking of which,” said Ilsa. “What does she want the talisman for, do you know?”

  “Supposedly to keep it safe.” I’d told her and Mum about Darrow’s Court after they’d carried me out of the grove. “It sounded like Etaina knew the Erlking before he even claimed the talisman.”

  Ilsa leaned forward. “So these… Aes Sidhe… they’re not part of Summer. They split before the Erlking became the king. No wonder they aren’t in our books, except in a historical sense. They’re thought to have died out.”

  “That’s worrying,” said Mum. “I have to confess, my knowledge of the Aes Sidhe isn’t extensive. They guard their secrets well. It sounds like this Darrow is the same.”

  “Yeah, if he hadn’t been unconscious, I might have had to fight him for it.” I grimaced. “That Etaina really doesn’t like the Gatekeepers.”

  Too bad I couldn’t go back and question her again without her calling in the favour I owed for the stone.

  The click of the gate opening came from outside. Mum was on her feet a moment later. “The Sidhe.”

  “Wonderful.” I pushed to my feet, my body protesting. “Have they come for the crown? That didn’t take long.”

  I reached the back door first, but it wasn’t the Sidhe. Instead, Coral hurried towards the house across the field.

  “She’s an ally,” I told the others. “Her brother betrayed the Sea Queen—which I think makes her the heir to the Sea Kingdom. I’ll have to help her deal with that.”

  “Later,” Ilsa said sternly. “You’re not responsible for dealing with everyone’s problems, do you hear me?”

  “I don’t know about that,” I said. “I’m on a roll at the moment. If you need me to come to the necromancer guild and yell at someone, just let me know.”

  I waved Coral over, and she wrapped me in a hug. I squeezed her back, relieved to be able to hug my friends without the talisman’s magic attacking them. “Hazel, I thought you were dead. When you didn’t come back…”

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I should have come to check up on you right away.”

  “I know you needed to see if your family were okay.” Her brow wrinkled. “Why are you all wet?”

  “Went for an unplanned swim,” I said. “Speaking of which… your brother?”

  “The Sidhe took him to their jail.” She bit her lip, her eyes glittering. “Since he committed crimes against the Summer Court, he’ll be tried and executed in Faerie, not at home.”

  “I’m sorry.” Not for him, but for her, and everyone his selfish pursuit of power had hurt.

  “He made his choice.” She blinked tears from her eyes. “I’ll never understand it. My mother will be devastated.”

  I gave her another hug. “I understand if you don’t want to stay here in Summer.”

  “I still have a job to do.” Steel entered her expression. “Keep you alive. I’m not going to let you die at the final hurdle.”

  I raised my brows. “I’m not sure I can be Gatekeeper after this. I disobeyed orders. Majorly.”

  “You also helped save the Court,” she said. “Lord Raivan and Lady Aiten are telling everyone you were the one who killed the traitors.”

  I shot Ilsa an accusing look. “Did you put River up to that before you left, by any chance?”

  “I may have said something to that effect,” she said. “It’s true, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, but I assumed they’d want a statement from me before they believed anything we said. Since Mum broke out of jail, I broke into the jail, and… I’ve lost track of all the other laws we broke, to be honest.”

  “Lady Aiten permitted me to defend the Court by any means necessary,” Mum put in. “You’re still Gatekeeper.”

  For now. With the talisman out of the enemy’s hands, all that remained was to crown a new monarch. Afterwards, I’d be free to consider my old promise to break the family curse and free future generations of Lynns from a lifetime of obligation to Faerie.

  The Sidhe gave us a week to recover. While it seemed generous of them, the time difference with Faerie might have been a factor. That, and Lady Aiten had needed time to fully heal from her wounds. She’d been lucky to survive.

  Mum and I were in the middle of a sparring match when the gates to the Summer Court opened and Lady Aiten walked out onto the lawn, at full power once again. Dark hair coiled down her back and vibrant magic the same shade of green as her cloak shone from her eyes.

  “You.” I kept my voice cold. “Thanks for telling me you knew my family was innocent all along.”

  “I hoped that I wouldn’t need to deceive you,” she said, “but events forced me to.”

  Was being stabbed by Lord Veren part of your plan? I held my tongue, somehow. “You came for the crown.”

  “I did.” She turned to Mum, who gave me a look telling me to keep her busy so that she wouldn’t see what else was in the grove.

  “Mum will handle it.” I laid down the practise sword. “Why did you decide not to trust me? You knew I wasn’t going to betray the Court.”

  “What happened to the rebels?” she asked.

  So much for an apology. “Dead. The talisman killed them.”

  “And the talisman itself?”

  “Lost in the Vale.” Mum and I had discussed our cover story over the last week and decided it was best to go with the Vale story. “I don’t think anyone will miss it.”

  Her green eyes bored into mine, but I held her stare. I’d never been gladder of my mortal ability to lie. “We have closed all the doors to the Vale, and all the rebels are accounted for. That leaves the crown.”

  “Here.” Mum approached us with the crown. Sharp silver
points glittered with studded gemstones, while green light wreathed its edges. “My vow is fulfilled.”

  Of course there’d been a vow involved. I should have guessed. “You’re not going to force us to find the heir on pain of death?”

  “The heir?” Lady Aiten. “No. I merely advised your mother to keep an updated record of the Erlking’s relations. We’re still searching for any clues behind left by the king himself.”

  Hmm. “Don’t look at me. He didn’t send me any notes except for the first one, and we caught all the conspirators. Is the Seelie Queen safe in her cell?”

  “She is,” she confirmed. “But I’ll be displeased if I find you’re keeping any more secrets from me, Hazel Lynn.”

  “Noted.” I gave her a smile. “Be careful with that crown, won’t you?”

  We’d never be friends, but between us, we’d caught the killer, quelled a rebellion, and returned the crown to the right hands. Or the only hands for the job, in any case. And I wasn’t bound to a murderous talisman, which was always a bonus. With the talisman gone, the Sidhe would be free to elect a new heir without fear of the outcasts obliterating their new monarch before they’d even taken the throne.

  I’d had a taste of its power, and despite my best intentions, I’d wanted more. Like faerie magic, it called to a dark, primal part of me who craved to walk down the same path my ancestor had. A path that would lead to me the same fate as those poor suckers in the Vale.

  No thanks. I’d leave the power-hungry avarice to the Sidhe.

  The following day brought another knock at the front door, when Ilsa and I were in the middle of sorting some of Mum’s notes on the Erlking’s family tree.

  “Expecting someone?” asked Ilsa.

  “Not that I’m aware of.” I got to my feet and walked into the hall, peering through the spy hole behind the front door. Well, well.

  “Darrow,” I said, opening the door. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “I’m here to remove the binding mark,” he said. “You passed your Trials.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “You’re implying my battle with the outcasts was supposed to be a test?”

  “Not a planned one,” he said. “But you demonstrated all the skills necessary to be Gatekeeper of the Summer Court. Now, all there is to do is arrange the ceremony.”

  Uh-huh. I knew better than to believe that was why he was here. “I assume Etaina sent you here to check up on me. Not the Summer Court.”

  “The Sidhe are occupied at the moment. I heard they got their crown back. Did they get the staff, too?”

  Aha. I’d guessed right. “There is no wielder,” I told him, truthfully. “The Summer Court will elect a new heir, and then they’ll decide how to proceed.”

  “And do you trust them with this decision?”

  No. “It’s not up to me. It’s up to the Erlking, or his successor.”

  “I heard some odd rumours,” he said. “About the way you returned to the Court after the events in the Vale. No Sidhe accompanied you, yet only Sidhe can open doorways into the Court.”

  “Not quite,” Ilsa put in from behind me. “You’re Darrow, aren’t you? I’m Ilsa Lynn.”

  “Hazel’s sister.” His gaze slid between us, as though taking note of our similarities and differences. Ilsa scowled. She hated when people did that. “You mean to say you know where the talisman is?”

  “No, but I know where mine is.” She gave a smile. “Want a demonstration?”

  “Ilsa.” As much as I wanted to get rid of Darrow’s curiosity, opening the gates of Death on the doorstep was a step too far. “She doesn’t mean that. But yes, my sister’s talisman can enable inter-realm travel. It can also summon the dead, so I wouldn’t tell Etaina about it unless you want an unexpected visit from a troop of zombies.”

  His brows climbed into his hairline. “Etaina isn’t concerned with all talismans, just the Erlking’s. Besides, I came here to see you.”

  “Uh-huh.” I heard Ilsa retreat, her part done, and irritation prickled at me. “Get to the bloody point, Darrow. I prefer it when people are upfront with me, and I like it even better when they don’t pretend to have been sent here by the Summer Court when they’re actually here to gather intelligence.”

  I wasn’t a complete fool. Whatever had happened between us didn’t change the fact that we belonged to different Courts. My duty was to Summer, and once my Trials officially came to an end, there’d be nothing keeping him here.

  “I did come to remove the mark,” he said. “You can’t blame me for being curious about how you found a safe place to store the talisman, assuming you still have it.”

  I’d never been more relieved I hadn’t been able to take him to the grove to be healed after he’d nearly died. Even if my visit to the Aes Sidhe had brought Etaina’s presence into my life. “Trust me when I say it’s safe, and better off out of anyone’s hands. You know if anyone had that talisman, they’d never get a moment’s peace.”

  “I agree.” He tilted his head. “Etaina does as well. We would be more than happy to take the talisman under our watch. We would see to it that it doesn’t fall it into the wrong hands. If you don’t mind telling me where it is.”

  “No, I don’t think I will. Give Etaina my regards.” I held out the stone. “She can also have this back, if she promises not to use it as leverage.”

  “You didn’t swear a vow to her, so it should be fine.” He took the stone, but before I could withdraw my hand, he caught my wrist.

  My heart jerked against my ribcage. “If you’re planning to use force, then prepare for a world of pain.”

  He pulled me against him, his lips brushing my ear. “Oh, I’m not. I have other ways to convince you.”

  I caught my balance, startled by his sudden closeness. What in hell is he doing?

  Magic sparked up my wrist, and the binding unravelled with a sudden jolt that jerked me forward off the doorstep and into his arms. Currents of magic buzzed between us, setting my heart racing.

  “You did that on purpose.” I took a firm step back. “Also, I’m not convinced yet. Sorry to disappoint you.”

  With a voice filled with promises, he said, “Until next time, then.”

  Then he turned and walked away.

  “Hazel?” Ilsa stepped up behind me. “Are you okay?”

  “I think,” I said, “I may be in trouble.”

  Hidden Court

  Hidden Court

  Hazel's tenure as Gatekeeper between the Summer Court and the human realm has barely begun and she's already stopped one attempted coup. But with no monarch in control of the Summer Court of Faerie, full-blown anarchy threatens to break out. Everyone wants a piece of the Gatekeeper -- in a literal sense, if they find out the explosive secret the Erlking left her with after his death.

  Worse, a notorious fae criminal has escaped jail, and in the process, kidnapped the only person who knows who the Erlking chose to be the next ruler of Summer. Hazel's first task as Gatekeeper is to find both of them, and save the heir of Summer before the Courts fall into chaos. She has help in the form of her old mentor, Darrow, except he's here on a mission from his own Queen that puts Hazel in even more danger.

  As she closes in on the enemy, it becomes harder and harder for Hazel to keep her loved ones safe. Torn between promises old and new, Hazel is going to have to betray someone… and her decision might well lead to the ruin of everything she's ever known.

  Preface

  It was mirk, mirk night, there was no starlight;

  They waded through red blood to the knee,

  For all the blood that’s shed on earth

  Runs through the springs of that country.

  Thomas the Rhymer

  1

  If there was one activity faeries loved more than they loved waging war, it was revelry, especially with free elf wine by the barrel.

  Half the Court had turned out for my official crowning as the Summer Gatekeeper, and from the number of noble Sidhe gathered under the roses crow
ning the ceiling of the main hall in the ambassadors’ palace, you wouldn’t think they thought humans were less worthy of regard than pond scum. Even the Sidhe were capable of pretending to show me a little respect if they got a free party out of it.

  I stood on a raised platform flanked with midnight-blue curtains, wearing a dress of deep green edged with gold that billowed around my ankles. My eyes blazed with green Summer magic, the sun had tinted my hair with blond highlights, and the silver circlet moulded to my scalp. The Gatekeeper’s mark, a swirling symbol on my forehead, shone with arresting light, the closest I’d ever come to having the mesmerising ability to enchant the senses the Sidhe took for granted.

  Lord Raivan, a Sidhe noble wearing a long green cloak and a hat decorated with bright red-and-orange leaves, called the room to attention. “The Sidhe council recognises Hazel Lynn as the official Gatekeeper of the Summer Court. Do you accept your position, Hazel?”

  It’s not like I’m going to say no at this point.

  My voice rang through the hall. “I accept.”

  Magic streamed outward from the circlet, bathing the stage in green and gold light. To the watching nobles, I looked like I belonged among their finery, but everyone knew it was as much a lie as the glamour they wore to make their perfect features even more stunning. The instant the Gatekeeper’s mark had appeared on my forehead when I was twelve and the magic of Summer had roared to life in my veins, I’d been bound to the Court by a curse so powerful the Sidhe would rather pretend I belonged here than kick me out and risk said curse backfiring on them.

  “That is all,” said Lady Aiten, a Sidhe with olive skin, a waterfall of dark hair, and long, flowing green robes. “Let the celebrations commence.”