Black Crown (The Darkest Drae Book 3)

by Kelly St Clare

  Lani pursed her lips. “I couldn’t help it. The tree is mine now. It’s the ancestral tree.”

  The rich warmth in her voice had my heart expanding, and I understood the implication—it could’ve been my tree had I stayed. Maybe that’s why the leaves had shriveled after I left. “I’m so glad for you. And Queen Luna?”

  “You were right,” she answered. “My mother was a beautiful person. I hope to achieve half as much as she did in my time.”

  We stared up at the tree. No matter what my reservations regarding the Phaetyn had been, looking at the elm tree, I was certain that with Lani’s guidance, they would find their way. And whatever doubts she’d had about her capabilities, it appeared as though a trip down memory lane had refocused her determination.

  I grimaced, rubbing my stomach. No one should be allowed to eat that many strawberries dipped in chocolate or that many peaches. “I’m going to go lie down. I think veiling for so long made me sick.”

  Lani snorted. “I’m sure that’s what caused it. But no. There’ll be no lying down until I’m done with you. I’ve taught you to focus your energy and how to veil, but our time is limited, and I still have a few more things I need to show you.”

  “I thought the rest of the Phaetyn mojo was instinctual,” I countered. “I’ll just pick it up as I go.”

  “You don’t want to get a jump start on ancestral tricks it took me fifty years to figure out?”

  The Phaetyn queen could negotiate; I’d give her that, so I hedged. “What kind of tricks?”

  “How about I show you how to spear Druman with roots?”

  I promptly forgot my aching stomach and leaned toward Lani. “Where do I start?”

  I spent the rest of the afternoon with Lani. During my last trip to Phaetynville, I’d noticed a golden path, and apparently the path led to Queen Luna’s castle. Or so Lani was telling me after her mother-tree encounter—no, queen tree.

  I followed the lustrous path beside her, and we eventually stopped in front of Luna’s empty home. Home was an understatement. Different than the Rose Castle, Luna’s abode was ginormous, and the milky green stone slabs it was constructed from contrasted with beautiful gold inlays.

  Good thing Tyrrik had a hoard of treasure for me. Us . . . I meant us. “What kind of stone is that?” I asked as we approached the steps to go inside. “It looks smooth, almost buttery.”

  Three steps led to a raised courtyard of the milky green stone. Leaves were grouped on the ground in bunches, indicating someone had maintained the massive space. A knee-high wall of the same rock bordered the square, and on the other side of the raised patio was the entrance to the castle—massive dark wood doors, each at least six feet wide and fifteen feet tall. The double doors appeared to be the only entrance into the structure although there were dozens of windows facing the clearing. The castle was at least as big as Caltevyn’s in Verald.

  Lani snorted in response to my question. “If you chip off any of the jade, I’ll find a way to take your favorite gold trinket,” she said as she stepped off the path toward her mother’s house. “In fact, I’ll find a way to take away a dozen of them.”

  I don’t have a dozen. Yet. I narrowed my eyes at the Phaetyn queen. “You do realize threatening a Drae about their treasure is akin to . . .” threatening their first born. I couldn’t say that to her, not after how rough things had been for her growing up. I cleared my throat and said, “You shouldn’t do it. It’s really bad.”

  “And you shouldn’t steal from the Phaetyn queen.” Lani threw the words over her shoulder as she bounced up the steps, never taking her gaze from the castle.

  I rolled my eyes and hurried to catch up to her. “Don’t be so dramatic. And you’re not queen for another few hours.”

  The leaves crunched underfoot as we walked, and the air smelled of earth and mulch. With the sun filtering through the treetops, the creamy green stone was darkened in patches by the shadows of the trees, giving the walls a mottled appearance.

  Lani went straight to the door, stopping to grab the trunk of the topiary tree to the left. With both hands, she pulled the entire plant out of its pot and dropped it with a grunt.

  “What the—”

  She bent over the now empty pot and a moment later emerged brushing the dirt off a key. Two strands of green stone looped around each other, the loops constricting at intervals to form the right cuts for the door before tapering into the tip. I narrowed my eyes and asked, “Did your mom’s tree show you that key?”

  “Partly,” Lani said. She slid the key into the lock, and with a heavy groan, the door swung open. The smell of stale air exhaled through the now open orifice, and the Phaetyn glanced my way with a nervous smile. “Will you come in with me?”

  I shifted my weight, but there wasn’t really anything to consider. I was dying of curiosity. “Of course. I’ll totally protect you although I can’t imagine there’s anything in your mother’s home that could harm you.”

  She gave me a withering glare. “I’m not afraid of physical pain, Ryn.”

  Right. There were worse things than physical pain for sure. “If you want,” I said with a wink as I led us into the house, “I’ll hold your hand.”

  Filtered light illuminated the foyer. From the ceiling hung a glittering chandelier, the large drops of crystal sparkling and casting rainbows onto the surrounding stone walls. On the top of a large, gray wooden table sat a dried floral arrangement, bigger than me, as tall as it was wide. But the dry, brittle foliage was leached of color.

  Behind the dead flowers, a floating staircase led up to a landing from which hallways branched off into darkness.

  “What did the tree show you, Lani?” I whispered. The air was not only stagnant but weighted as if whatever happened within the walls was burdened with sorrow.

  The frown she wore echoed my own emotion. I’d never really thought about how Luna’s life might’ve been, but if this oppressive ache was any indication . . . her life had sucked. I wiped my finger over the gray wood table, revealing a glossy, rich brown the color of chocolate under the thick layer of dust. There was beauty here, hidden and waiting for someone to clean off the betrayals of the past so it could be appreciated once more.

  Lani cleared her throat, drawing my attention back to her. She stood at the foot of the staircase. “I need to go to her rooms. She has a special crown, and I need it for tonight.”

  We reached the landing, and I couldn’t help turning to take in the haunting allure of the castle. The walls here were carved with intricate scenes of the Phaetyn and their trees. A woman resembling Lani laughed as she danced under a leafy canopy, a sliver of moon carved into the sky. The obvious joy Luna had was displayed here. As I peered at the painting, I recognized echoes of my mother’s life and the easing pain of my own experiences. Weeeird.

  Lani shook her head. “I’d like to spend a few days here and explore the castle as it deserves. But we have a feast to get ready for.”

  I looked at the memories etched into stone, pieces of Luna’s life immortalized, and nodded. “I don’t blame you. This is awesome. Weird but awesome.”

  Lani led the way through the castle. Her sure step made it obvious she’d been here in her head. A few minutes later, she opened the doors to a sitting room three times the size of my house in Verald.

  She wound past the couches and cushioned chairs, past the table set for dinner, and into a bedroom. The canopied bed was draped in rich velvet and sheer organza, but Lani bypassed it and headed for a small paneled closet. Lani went straight to the wall covered with painted slats and, before I could ask, inserted the same looped key into a rivet in the wood undetectable to the naked eye.

  Holy Phaetyn sneakiness.

  Lani pulled the invisible door open, and I peered over her shoulder into the black space within.

  “What else is in there?” The space was way too big for just a crown, and obviously, whatever was there had to be super important. Or powerful. Or both.

  “It’s dark in t
here,” she said, stating the obvious.

  I chuckled and stepped around her. “But I can see in the dark,” I said, crouching to look her in the eyes. “Just tell me what I need to get.”

  She narrowed her eyes and studied me a moment before answering. “A wooden box about this big with rounded edges and a distinct grain”—she held her hands about two feet apart—“sealed with a golden lock.”

  I winked and turned toward what I could guess was Luna’s treasure trove. Or the Phaetyn semblance of one. I doubted it would be as good as mine once I put some serious time into my collection.

  I stepped into the space and blinked, letting my eyes shift and adjust.

  Whoa!

  I blinked again, and a slow grin spread across my face. Queen Luna was definitely my kind of Phaetyn. The closet was narrow and a dozen feet long, just wide enough for one person to maneuver through. Her obsession with shiny and sparkly rivaled a Drae; I was certain because it rivaled mine. Thin rods of gold were draped with necklaces and bracelets, and black velvet lined the shelves of brooches, rings, and earrings. There were crowns, plural, on more shelves, again lined in the rich black fabric. Contrary to what Lani had said earlier today, I could fight my instincts. I wouldn’t touch the gems and jewelry hanging in this closet even though they were practically begging for attention.

  There were no drawers here, and on the bottom shelf, only one box sat tucked in the corner. I grabbed the small chest and fought a second urge to pilfer . . . a little token. My expression must’ve given away my longing because when I stepped out of the closet, Lani’s worried expression evaporated, and she laughed.

  “You really didn’t take anything?” she asked. “There’s a lot of—”

  I strode right past her and into the bedroom, setting the box on the bed. “I know. But I don’t want you to steal from me, so I didn’t, al’right?”

  “You could’ve taken something. My mother wouldn’t have cared. Those were just things she got from people in Gemond.” She giggled. “Trinkets to say thanks when she helped them.”

  “Ryn?” Kamini’s voice echoed from another area of the castle. “Lani?”

  Lani scooted the box off the bed.

  I grabbed a pillow and smacked her hard enough that she grunted. With a smile of satisfaction, I ran out of the room. I didn’t need another trinket. Tyrrik had me covered.

  “Kamini?” I called, racing down the stairs. It was gross how dusty everything was, not that there was anyone to blame. No one could’ve gotten into Luna’s castle without the key, and the sneaky Phaetyn queen hid it well.

  The Phaetyn princess emerged from a hallway as I leaped the last five steps and landed in a crouch.

  “Hey.” She smiled brightly. “Where’s Lani—”

  “Kamini!” Lani grinned at her sister. “You were right.”

  The pair started talking over the top of each other, laughing as they chattered about finding the key. I tuned out as their talk moved to ancestral powers and coronation.

  “We need to get ready. You too, Ryn,” Kamini said.

  I tuned back, quirking a brow at her wicked grin.

  “Kamoi is going to lose it when he sees you all dressed up again,” she said.

  I scrunched my nose and walked over to her, waiting while Lani locked the door. “I wish he wouldn’t,” I grumbled. “I’m perfectly happy with my mate.”

  Kamini blinked, and her smile softened. “Don’t tell Kamoi, but I’m glad to hear that. If you bonded with Kamoi, it wouldn’t be good for Kanahele o keola to have two with ancestral powers here. At least not until all of the Phaetyn are united.”

  I nodded at her wisdom, my mind replacing Phaetynville for the name of their city. It kind of sounded like can-a-he-lay oh something-something. I wasn’t going to be staying here any longer than I had to, and beyond my urge to make this empire safe for all races, I had no interest in Phaetynville . . . except for Lani and Kamini.

  While I didn’t belong here, I did want to know this side of my power, and I was certain there was more I could learn from Lani. I wouldn’t hesitate to visit my friends in the future if everything somehow worked out, so I needed to learn the right name. “Would you say that again? Kanahele . . .”

  Lani snickered and repeated the name.

  Can-a-he-lay oh key-oh-la. “Kanahele o keola. Right. Got it.”

  10

  The festive scene was reminiscent of the night Kamoi’s father tried to kill me. However, the feel in the courtyard clearing in front of the newly constructed Rose Castle was as different as night and day. I sat in the same seat, next to Kamoi again, but this time, on my other side, Lani sat in the middle with her sister.

  And everything felt . . . right. There was no division, no glaring, no secret plans for mass murder. The trees hummed in the forest, and a glorious chocolate fountain was waiting for me to dunk strawberries in its rich goodness. I smiled, filled with joy. The Phaetyn were healed at last. Of course, my joy could be due to the fact I now knew how to shoot roots from the ground to spear my enemies. So far, just the ones who remained stationary, but I’d work on the speed until I got it just right.

  I looked at Lani and Kamini, both dressed like me in a silver-and-green corset with a flowy skirt of panels shaped like leaves. Kamini still wore her plain crown of silver leaves, but next to her sat the box I’d pulled out of the Jade Castle, which held the golden crown Luna wore when she ruled Kanahele o keola. Yeah, I totally had that name memorized.

  “You look stunning,” Kamoi said, leaning toward me, offering a smile with his compliment.

  How had I ever thought he was good looking? So strange. Last-month-Ryn must’ve been running hard because when Today-Ryn compared Tyrrik with Kamoi, there was no contest. Like, zero.

  “Will you dance with me tonight?” he pressed, resting his hand on mine.

  I was trying to be nice, but he wasn’t making it easy. “No,” I replied with a tight smile. When his face fell, I added, “I’m just barely feeling better after shielding here from Gemond, and I have to fly back tomorrow.”

  I glanced at the prince and saw his gaze heat as it dropped to my torso.

  “I’m up here,” I said, calling him out. “This is your last warning to stop gaping at me like I’m a piece of ripe fruit.”

  He swallowed and met my eyes with a blush and low chuckle. “I apologize.” He laughed again and added, “For the thousandth time. I understand how you feel, and I can respect your boundaries. Your mate is a lucky . . . man.”

  Whatever, I’d heard him apologize so many times the words were meaningless from his lips. “Listen, I’m sure you’ll have your pick from the Phaetyn. I wish you a happy life. But that’s not with me. I love Tyrrik.”

  “I understand, and I’ll do my best to make sure I stop making you uncomfortable.” He scooted his chair back and stood. “Excuse me one moment.”

  “Of course.” This time my smile was mostly sincere. I glanced down at my now-empty plate smeared with chocolate and fruit juice and wondered who had eaten all my food. I turned to Lani to ask if she’d sneaked some, but she had three empty plates in front of her. I’d really eaten everything already?

  I glanced over the other Phaetyn and saw Kamoi at the chocolate fountain. He had two plates laden with berries and cake and was pouring chocolate into a bowl. I could make nice, and I was hungry. I leaned over to Lani and asked, “How much longer?”

  She said something else to Kamini before facing me. “A few minutes,” Lani replied, glancing at the sky. “The sun is about to set, and I think we’ll all feel more comfortable if the barrier is in place before darkness falls.”

  The barrier should’ve gone up as soon as we got here, in my humble opinion.

  “I’m going to grab a little more—”

  Kamoi returned with his food and surprised me by setting one plate in front of Lani and one in front of me. “A peace offering. I’ve been an idiot today.”

  I was already facing Lani and Kamini which was the only reason I saw the y
ounger sister’s face fall. I stood and smiled at Kamoi. “Thanks, but I think Kamini should have this one.” I pushed the plate at her, and when she opened her mouth to protest, I added, “That’s a Phaetyn-size portion. I need a Drae-size portion.”

  Kamini and Lani laughed, Kamoi joining in a fraction of a second later. I excused myself, grabbing an empty platter from the middle to fill so I wouldn’t have to get up again.

  While I was busy loading up the plate with all the delectables to eat, I noticed Kamoi filling three tall glasses of lavender lemonade. “Hey Kamoi,” I hollered. “Will you please get me a glass?”

  He grinned boyishly. “Already got you covered.”

  Mistress Moons, this was going way better than I had anticipated. My lingering juju was clearly unfounded.

  I returned to the table and fell into conversation with the royal Phaetyn. The four of us ate and laughed, and I sipped at the lemonade, but the beverage was excessively sweet for my taste. I placed the drink to the side, lifting my glass of water to my lips to take a few sips.

  The sun kissed the top of the treeline, and I nudged Lani. “Isn’t it time for you to work your Phaetyn mojo?”

  She laughed, and the shrill sound grated on my ears. I reached over and scooted her lemonade just out of reach and said, “I don’t know what’s in that stuff, but I think you’ve had enough.”

  Lani, Kamini, and Kamoi all snickered, and it took me only a moment to realize how stuffy I sounded. “Fine. Fine. I'll relax, but you said yourself you wanted the barrier up before nightfall. And don’t get drunk. On lemonade.” I had no idea if they put something stronger in drinks at celebrations.

  The Phaetyn in the crowd were also acting strange, like they’d had too much honey ale, and I wondered if there was a separate table of it. Not that I wanted to be drunk, but maybe a cup would help me not feel like such a stick in the mud.

  “What’s the matter, Ryn? Don’t tell me you’re having regrets about not being Queen?” Kamoi asked.