by Ivy Clyde
Intrigues of the
SOLAR FAE COURT
Lumina Fae Legends I
IVY CLYDE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2020 by Ivy Clyde. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be used or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted and reproduced in any manner or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or whatsoever without written permission of the author.
For information contact, Ivy Clyde
Table of Contents
Intrigues of the Solar Fae Court
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
Ready for the next part in Moira’s journey?
INTRIGUES OF THE SOLAR FAE COURT
A lonely, abused girl with an erased past. Three ruthless fae princes fighting for the throne.
An undeniable destiny bringing them together to face the deadly political games of the royal fae court.
Something deep inside me calls out to men, turning them into monsters that hunger for my flesh. Bullied and abused all my life, I am used to hiding myself but things take a horrible turn on the eve of my eighteenth birthday when I turn into a monster myself, killing those who come to hunt me.
Discovered by an agent of the local paranormal bureau, I am taken to Belenus Court, a training ground where young fae are taught to manifest and control their powers. Before I can adjust to the idea of not being human, an ancient mark is discovered on me, sealing my destiny to the heirs of the fae king.
Prince Rowan, Cade and Leon are as dazzling as they are cruel. They only care for power. Neither of them wants a mate who was banished to the human realm to grow up without an ounce of magic in her veins.
I am openly rejected by the three princes but that doesn’t keep the vicious power-hungry fae from trying to kill the girl who has come to steal the princes for herself.
They want to get rid of me. To see me destroyed.
They can try their best because I am done being a victim of my bullies. My magic is just awakening and it won’t be long before I destroy those who threaten my life.
The only thing I never expected was to come face-to-face with the darkness the royal court hides in its polished halls and the only people I can trust to get me out alive are my three tormentors.
Intrigues of the Solar Fae Court is the first book in an intrigue-filled whychoose paranormal romance that support’s our heroine’s right to choose more than one mate. Get ready for this captivating tale full of heart-pounding romance and edge-of-your-seat action.
Note: The Lumina Fae Chronicles is a reverse harem series meant for mature readers who enjoy their fantasy fiction with no restraint to language, violence and heated scenes.
1
Moira
The sound of activity from the floor down below alerted me. My gaze swung toward the digital clock on my desk. Eight-thirty…I am not late, I thought with relief. I continued getting ready for school, letting my fingers comb through the long strands of my lusterless blond hair and then wrapping it up in a bun and fixing it with a clutch.
“Why aren’t there any cinnamon pop-tarts?” my mom’s loud voice came from downstairs.
Panic gripped my chest immediately. Mom was usually away or asleep this early in the day. Why was she up and looking for breakfast? Did something happen with her latest boyfriend?
“Moira! Where the hell are you?” she bellowed.
“Coming!” My voice came out as a meek squeak. Picking up my backpack, I rushed downstairs.
Reaching the kitchen, I found Mom shuffling through the cupboards, looking for her box of cinnamon sugar pop-tarts. She was dressed in her usual burgundy nightgown which hung off her bony shoulders. A few silver streaks peeked out from the tangled mess of her auburn hair.
She turned around just as I entered through the kitchen.
“I sent you shopping yesterday,” she said, stomping toward me.
Seeing the furious snarl on her face, I took a step back. It made no difference as her hand shot forward and grabbed the front of my hoodie. Pulling me close, she glared at me.
“Why didn’t you buy any?” she hissed, clenching her tobacco-stained teeth.
“You didn’t write it on the list,” I said in a small voice. My hand felt in the pocket of my hoodie and brought out a crumpled piece of paper. “Here,” I said, giving it to her. “Check it.”
Mom grabbed the pitiful piece of paper and threw it on the floor. Pulling me closer, she slapped me hard across the face. “How can you be talking back to me when I feed your slutty ass?” she screamed. “How-can-you-not-do-anything- right-for- your-mama?” she shouted, slapping me with each word.
“Mom, I’m sorry,” I choked out. My arms were thrown over my head in a bid to protect myself. “I will get you the pop-tarts today.”
She threw me away from her. I stumbled back but steadied myself before falling to the floor. Mom’s thin chest rose and fell as she struggled to contain her rage.
“You don’t get any breakfast today,” she said. “Get to school.”
My face fell but Mom’s expression didn’t soften. By now, I knew not to push things with her. Even though my stomach felt hollow with hunger, I clutched the strap of my backpack and hurried out of the kitchen.
It’s no big deal, I told myself. You can eat during lunchtime. It did little to comfort my grumbling stomach as I walked down the street toward school. Still, an empty belly and an abusive mother were nothing compared to the problems I faced.
Lowering the hood over my face, I made sure not to make any eye contact with the people on the street. My feet hurried toward school so I could get out of the open where any stranger could attack me.
My eyes were glued to the textbook as Mr. Gallagher called out to the students.
“You should know this by now,” he said in a cajoling, urging tone. “We’ve gone over this formula since the beginning of this year.”
The whole class stayed silent. I lowered my head further into my hood, determined to avoid Mr. Gallagher’s gaze.
“Miss Nelson, come up here. Try solving this problem for the whole class.”
My heart shrank. Why did he have to pick me from the crowd? People snickered and turned around in their seats to stare at the class freak who always occupied the corner in the back of the classroom.
“Come up here, Miss Nelson,” Mr. Gallagher said in a more decisive tone. My skin crawled with a cold, icy sensation, recognizing the hint of aggression in his voice. His lips were peeled back in a grin, making my gut swirl sickeningly with anxiety.
I stood up from my seat.
“Over here, Moira,” said Mr. Gallagher, his grin widening.
Swallowing the choke in my throat, I walked forward while the rest of the class jeered behind my back.
“Shut up, everyone
!” bellowed Mr. Gallagher. His usually bored gaze was full of rage as he glared at the class. His scowl disappeared as soon as he turned toward me. “Take that hood off, Moira. Why hide that pretty face?” Before I could say anything, he snatched the hood off my head.
Peals of raucous laughter erupted behind me. “Pretty?” someone shouted. “You need new glasses, Mr. Gallagher?” Others joined in with crueler comments.
I stayed quiet, unaffected by their bullying because I agreed with the taunting girls.
The long length of my dark blond hair fell past my shoulders in limp, greasy sheets. There was no makeup on my pale, pasty face. Even my clothes didn’t do me any justice. All my curves were hidden under a long, baggy navy sweatshirt. The faded jeans I wore came from a charity shop and fit horribly on my long, slender legs.
The touch of a heavy hand on my shoulder made me jump backward.
“Don’t listen to them, sweetheart,” said Mr. Gallagher. Anyone looking at us would think he was being kind to me but I recognized the dark glint in his eyes. He’d steadily shifted from calling me ‘Miss Nelson’ to ‘sweetheart’ in a matter of seconds. “Do your best.” He handed me the marker, brushing his fingers over mine longer than was necessary.
I swallowed the urge to just run out of the classroom. You’re not alone here, my mind assured me. Everyone else is watching. He can’t hurt you in front of them. Taking a deep breath, I stared at the problem on the whiteboard.
It was an easy one.
Raising my hand, I started solving the problem. With a sudden move, Mr. Gallagher grabbed my wrist.
“What’s with these scars, sweetheart?” he asked, tightening his hold.
I glanced at him. The lust glazing his dark eyes didn’t seem to decrease at the sight of the ugly white scars marring the pale skin of my wrist. I forcefully pulled my hand away and tugged at the sleeves of my hoodie to cover them up. Ignoring his frown, I quickly solved the problem. “Is this correct, Mr. Gallagher?” I asked.
“What? Oh, yes,” he said distractedly, glancing at the whiteboard.
“Mr. Gallagher, can I go to the bathroom, please?”
“Sure.”
Under the watchful eye of the whole class, I walked back to my seat, collected my stuff, and walked out of the room. Mr. Gallagher was still staring at me dazedly, happily giving in to my requests. I had to get out of his sight before he decided to take things further.
A commotion arose in the classroom just as I left it. Not caring about their complaints, I hurried down the deserted corridor to escape my math teacher.
I was able to breathe freely only after I’d shut myself in a bathroom stall. The smell of bleach and toilet cleaners felt more soothing than the clean, claustrophobic air of the classroom. My body sagged against the door. I was about to move away a stray strand from my face when my gaze fell on the scars on my wrist. The sight was ugly with the long, white slashes crisscrossing across my skin.
“Don’t think about it,” I whispered to myself.
My mind, however, recollected the memories I tried to suppress so hard all the time.
I’d been thirteen at the time. My mom was at her job at the mall one weekend when her boyfriend came to the house. Two other men accompanied him. They refused to leave even when I told them my mother wasn’t home. There was one single rule for all my mom’s boyfriends. They couldn’t come in when she wasn’t around.
The three men overpowered me, pushing the door wide open. One of them closed it while the other two grabbed me.
I screamed and begged them to let me go but they didn’t listen. They were determined to tear off my clothes to get to my naked flesh. Even though I cried and fought back, I knew it was useless. This wasn’t the first time someone we trusted came after me this way. Ever since I was a little girl, men gravitated toward me with one sole thing in their minds.
Sex.
Something inside me sang out to them, drowning their voice of reason. Even the best of people turned crazy because of me.
Fortunately, my mom came home that afternoon. That was the only reason I was able to escape those men. However, that was the only good outcome of that incident. Mom flipped a switch since that day, giving up on me and herself completely. She became an alcoholic and turned into an abusive parent, beating me every day.
“I wish you’d never been born,” she would say. “You’re a whore and a fucking slut. I should have aborted you the moment you came inside me!” The pain of her rejection was worse than the hits from her cooking pans.
At one point, I’d truly wanted to die. Sneaking a razor blade with me, I went out of the house to do the deed. After all, I couldn’t bring any more trouble to my poor mom.
Choosing a secluded spot beside a dumpster, I sat down and slashed at my wrists. The sight of the bright crimson blood welling against my pale skin was mesmerizing. In a daze, I made more slashes, watching the blood brimming out from the cuts.
The pain didn’t bother me much.
I liked the feel of the warm gushing fluid flowing down my arms. My heartbeat roared in my ears, drowning every noise as I slowly succumbed to the blackness gathering at the edges of my vision.
“Hey, kid! What are you doing over there?” the sound of a strange female voice gave me a start. Looking up, I saw a familiar face hovering over me. She was one of the neighbors on our street but I had no idea what she was called.
That night, she saved me from myself. Not only did she take me to the ER, she told me something that would change my life. “There are monsters everywhere and even those closest to you will misunderstand you. The only thing you can do is make yourself stronger than them so you can fight back every time they come near you.”
Later, I found out her name. She was Jennifer Hawk, a retired cop who lived with five cats in her two-bedroom house down the street from us. She took me under her wing and taught me how to fight and to cope with everything that happened to me.
She probably sensed something off about me too but she never hated me or felt disgusted by me. She kept reminding me to stay strong and fight.
“Stay strong and fight,” my own voice brought me back to the present.
It didn’t matter who came after me again. Whoever it was, I’d fight them.
Ever since that day, I stopped cowering despite the fear that choked me every time a man came near me. By now, I’d even understood it was something inside me that called them out. No matter how ugly I made myself look, they would still come after me with lust-glazed eyes, ready to tear me apart.
2
Moira
A low hum came from inside my bag. Opening it, I took out my cell phone and read the text flashing on the screen.
Will be home late- Mom.
A sigh escaped me. This kind of text usually meant she won’t be home until early next morning. I relaxed because it meant I could escape from her tonight but part of me also worried about her. She didn’t bring men to the house anymore, so I had no idea who she hung out with.
Guilt swirled around my gut. I was the reason she was reduced to drinking into a stupor and spending her nights with strangers. There was no one to blame but me.
Don’t go there, my mind warned. Thoughts had the power to make you spiral into a dark, never-ending abyss. Instead, I let myself be distracted by how I could celebrate the small freedom I’d earned. I would be turning eighteen tonight and wanted to do something special for myself.
Loud voices suddenly erupted inside the quiet space, alerting me to the girls who’d entered the bathroom. I heard them chatter and enter into the stalls around me. Staying quiet, I waited for them to leave.
A glance at my wristwatch told me it was close to four already. I quickly decided to go to the library to practice on some test papers and then walk back home. On the way, I could buy some discounted stuff at the supermarket. If luck was on my side, I could end up with a cake close to its expiration date.
When silence returned to the bathroom, I steeled my back and stepped out of the sta
ll. Without bothering to look up in the mirror, I washed my hands and walked out of the bathroom.
Students were already loitering in the corridors. Keeping my head down, I made my way toward the library. It was the only place in the whole school where I could relax. Other than exam time, the place was rarely crowded, giving me the perfect place to study and hide.
Reaching the cool, dark building on the far side of the school grounds, I walked inside to find my favorite spot. A smile rose on my lips when I found my nook to be completely empty. Hurrying forward, I placed my bag on one of the desks and went to look for the practice test booklets.
I came back to my spot with a handful of books and settled down. Late afternoon sunshine filtered through the glass windows, illuminating the pages before me.
The next two hours passed by quietly.
I wasn’t aware of anything suspicious until the silence around me was punctuated by whispers. At first, I didn’t pay much mind to it since it was common for people to be whispering in the library aisles but as the number of voices grew around me, I peeked from under my hood to see what was going on.
The vast space before me was empty. Turning toward the sound of voices, I found a group of young men huddled behind a shelf of books. They were all staring at me. My skin crawled with a familiar sensation as I recognized the lust-glazed look in the eyes of the nearest guy.
Fuck! I should have paid more attention to what was going on around me.
Gathering my things quickly, I got to my feet. The library was completely empty except for me and the half a dozen young men who were steadily following me.
Pushing through the main doors, I came out onto the dark grounds outside. My body shivered as a cold breeze swept past me. Glancing back, I found the boys closing in on me. My fingers tightened over the strap of my bag as I prepared to run. Jennifer Hawk’s voice in my head told me to stay there and fight the monsters after me but there were way too many for me to handle. I could deal with two of them at a time but how could I fight all six of them?
My feet broke into a run, striving to reach the main school building.
