Throne of Secrets (Wicked Kingdoms Book 3)

by Graceley Knox

“Prophecies tend to come true.” Dax shrugs and I point a finger at him.

  “No one asked you.” I scowl at him. I did ask a question, but it was rhetorical, damnit. “Well, you best find Dare and everyone else who’d like to join us on another trip into a foreign land.”

  “I’ll go do that.” Dax eyes me for a moment and I narrow my eyes at him, taking a step forward. “Right, I’m going.”

  Honestly, it’s like the universe knows something I don’t. Or it’s trying to tell me to suck it up and deal with the fact that I’m probably lying to myself about not being pregnant. Even if I wanted to keep this quiet and have a child in peace, it seems like all of Faerie will be waiting with bated breath to see what happens.

  *

  We land on the other side of the mound leading into the Seelie Kingdom without any tangled limbs, which is a miracle since we brought a small army with us. Dare said he isn’t taking any chances considering the Seelie King’s request, and at this point, I just want to speak with this guy and go back to my pacing.

  Unlike the barren landscape of the Unseelie realm, the Seelie realm is full of flowering trees, bright green grass, and singing birds. It’s even got a few benches near a small pond. I wander that way and plop down. Might as well be comfortable while I wait. We prepped as much as we could before agreeing to a time and a place for the meeting. I know that the Seelie King is supposedly a relentless flirt, and quite vain. I also learned that he tends to get his way due to his looks. Blond hair, blue eyes, toned physique, and a voice that makes women weep. I laughed at that last part until Dax told me he was serious.

  The wind shifts directions suddenly and I look to my left. Standing there in tight leather pants and a half-unbuttoned shirt is a blond-haired male, surrounded by guards. Oberon, King of the Seelie Kingdom. He’s attractive but much too pretty for my tastes.

  He walks toward us slowly, each step a practiced move geared toward seduction. Honestly, he just looks dramatic to me.

  Kirin leans down and whispers in my ear. “What a doofus.”

  I cover my mouth to hide my smile and try my hardest not to laugh out loud.

  Finally, he arrives across from us. He flops dramatically on the bench across from me and smiles.

  “King Oberon.” I nod.

  “And you must be Ever. Everyone has been talking about you.”

  “All good things, I hope.” I smile.

  “Of course, dear.” His smile is fake, his tone too high-pitched to be truthful.

  “So I understand that you would like to ally with us against the Order?” I cut right to the chase, ignoring his posturing and obvious attempts for attention.

  “Right to business then.” He sits up on the bench and looks me over. “I expected you’d be bigger.”

  “I get that a lot. Don’t let it fool you.” I wipe the smile from my face and meet his gaze.

  “I’d like for two of my sons to be guards to any of your children. That is my price for allegiance.”

  “And how does Queen Tatiana feel about this?” Their hatred for each other is legendary and it’s rumored that they both refuse to agree on anything.

  “She’s in agreement with me.”

  I raise a brow. “That’s good to hear. I’d hate to divide a kingdom.”

  “Despite our normal disagreements, we are aligned in this. Will you accept our offer?”

  “You understand that I don’t have any children. And there is no guarantee that I ever will. I won’t swear an oath only to break it due to nature.” I watch his reaction.

  “Yes, we know. Would ten years for a treaty be sufficient?”

  I think about how they could get around this and call me an oath breaker. If I don’t have children within ten years, our treaty would be over. And then what? They’d side with the Order? I pray to whatever gods are listening that this war doesn’t last that long, but I can’t predict the future.

  “And if I don’t have any children after ten years?”

  “Then we revisit the treaty.”

  “Just like that. What would you gain from guarding my children? You understand that if I were to agree to this, you, Tatiana, and your sons would need to swear a blood oath to me that you wouldn’t plot to harm my children or work with anyone who would like to harm them in any way?”

  “Very good, Ever. I heard you were clever.”

  “This isn’t my first oath, King Oberon. And it won’t be my last. You’re asking to be very close to any children I might have. I’m not going to risk their safety just to ally with you.”

  “We will all give you our blood oath that we will not plot or harm your children in any way.” He claps his hands together. “Children are a gift, and despite my reputation, I would never harm one.”

  I have no idea what he’s talking about but something is still off about him. He’s too eager to strike a deal. “You understand that you will also be unable to strike against any of our other allies no matter your current squabbles and disagreements?” Dare lays a hand on my shoulder and I know that I’ve asked the right question.

  “And if I can’t swear to that?” King Oberon asks.

  “Then the deal is off. I won’t allow you or yours into Goblin at all, let alone to protect children, if they’re only there to dig up information about your enemies and feed it back to you. This isn’t for your own opportunity to win some small skirmish. It’s about an Order trying to systematically destroy anyone who isn’t full-blooded of one species.” I pause as he rubs a finger along his jaw. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but you aren’t full Seelie. You’re half-pixie, isn’t that right?”

  Oberon sits back on the bench and eyes me closely. “Not many know that.”

  “I’m not one of the many, Oberon. Seeing as how you didn’t deny it, let me give you a reality check. They’ll come after you too. You’re not ‘pure’ in their eyes. Neither are any of your children and half of your court. Do you understand what I’m saying? They’re in every court and kingdom, and they’re not backing down. Their numbers are growing, and unfortunately, they’ve got the drop on us right now. I’m working to fix that and change the outcome of their plans, but I need help to do it. If you can’t commit, thanks for coming. If you can, put your money where your mouth is.” I pull out a dagger from my belt and slice my palm once more. I flip it and hold it out to him hilt first.

  Oberon leans forward and plucks the dagger from my grip. He slices his hand before standing and crossing the space between us. I stand as well and wait for him to hold out his hand. A few seconds pass and I tense to walk away, but he holds his hand out, blood dripping from his palm into the grass beneath our feet.

  “A deal is struck.” He mutters the words and I clap my hand in his, repeating the words.

  “A deal is struck.” I pull back, taking my dagger from him and stepping into Dare’s solid presence. “We’ll be in touch. Give my regards to Queen Tatiana.”

  “And my sons?” Oberon asks.

  “Send them along. We’ll be waiting.”

  I turn and walk back toward the mound that will take me to the Goblin Kingdom. Back home to safety. We all file through and begin the walk back into the castle. The boys are buzzing at the thought of new training partners or, as they’re calling them, punching bags. I shake my head at their glee and hang back as they all rush ahead.

  “Are you all right, little tine?” Dare wraps a strong arm around my waist and walks forward with me, matching his much longer stride to my shorter one.

  “Yeah. I’m okay. We’ve got two of the biggest kingdoms with us. But I think it’s going to come down to the smaller courts that will make the difference. Most of them are big on bloodlines and tend to stick with their own. That’s where my worry is.”

  “We’ll figure it all out. We always do.” Dare squeezes me into his side and his presence calms some of the racing thoughts in my head.

  “I know.” I look up at the sky to check the position of the sun. Still a few hours until we’ll have results. “I think I need to go
read a book or something. I can’t focus on anything other than worrying or pacing while I wait.”

  “Do you want some company?” Dare offers.

  “That’s okay. I know you’d probably rather do something else.” I smile at him and poke his side. “Go do something. I’ll see you later.”

  He picks me up quickly, crushing his mouth to mine in a quick but passionate kiss before placing me back down on the ground. “Stay with your guards.” He points a finger at me as he walks backward toward the castle.

  “Yeah, yeah, just go.” I roll my eyes and head toward the fountain where I’d first met Arela. I sit and kick out my feet, letting the warmth of the sun on my face lull me into a calm. For now, I’ll try to keep my mind blank. And later, I’ll worry about the rest of it.

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-TWO

  After a few hours, I slowly walk around, petting the hounds and speaking with anyone and everyone. Just keeping my mind off of the waiting. Anarchy and Chaos woke up and are practicing their flying when an alarm I’ve never heard sounds. I catch Chaos just before he falls to the ground in surprise, shoving them both into the safety of the pouch at my belt.

  I run through the courtyard toward the stairs leading up to the main doors. They’re thrown open and inside pandemonium greets my eyes. Blue-cloaked Order members are fighting with guards and with my crew. My heart skips a beat before I grab the longer daggers at my back and step forward, swinging them in front of me.

  “D, to your right!” I shout out the warning just in time to allow him to stop the downward arc of an axe at his back.

  One by one, members of each side fall, injured and dead. The fighting continues, bloody and gruesome, and the sick feeling at the pit of my stomach threatens to cripple me. I fight through it, keeping an eye on each of my crew as I work my way closer and closer to them.

  “Keep as many alive as you can!” I shout the command as loudly as I can amid the ringing of metal against metal.

  Battle cries sound along with curses and howls of pain. They all mingle in a sick harmony that grates on my ears. I hack my way through our enemies, not watching them fall but ensuring they won’t get back up to stab me in the back. I finally stand next to Doyle when a familiar voice sounds.

  “My love, I’ve come for you. It’s time for us to be together!”

  I turn toward Cashel’s voice and a sick feeling of horror washes over me, drowning me in its wake. In the vision the Unseelie Queen gave me, they were going to keep him away from me or get rid of him. I’d never thought that he was still alive, or even if he was, that he could get to me. Not here. Not now.

  I watch him as he stands in the middle of the chaos, a small group of the Order members surrounding him, keeping our guards at bay.

  “Ever, come to me so we can leave this place.” His whiny voice sounds again and I grit my teeth. The time has come for me to end his life, once and for all.

  I step forward only to be pulled back by a hand on my shirt. I look over my shoulder and Doyle shakes his head at me.

  “He’s not worth it. Focus on eliminating the threat. He’s only bait.”

  He’s right. And I know he is, but walking away from an opportunity to eliminate the threat to myself and any of my possible children and to get revenge for Arela is a tantalizing thought. Heart beating fast, I push back the rage, not letting it consume me, and turn away from Cashel, jumping back into the fight.

  I hear him screech like a petulant child but ignore the sound, injuring as many Order members as I can and watching as our guards jump in to drag them away so we can question them later. I turn and stab a guard in the thigh, barely missing his artery, but close enough to count. He goes down, gripping his leg, and that part of me that enjoys the bloodshed smiles.

  “Ever, look out!”

  The warning rings through the air and I turn just in time to miss the dagger aimed for my chest. I smile and look behind me to see who it hit instead. Doyle clutches his chest, blood coating his hands as he wraps his hands around the knife.

  “Kirin, Axel, get him to Amren, now! Pull back. Everyone pull back.” I scream the order as I turn to see who threw the knife. My heartbeat stutters in my chest, slowing down as the next few moments play out as though time has stopped.

  Cashel smirks, his hand still outstretched. “If I can’t have you, no one can.”

  That rage bubbles over and explodes inside me like a volcano, and without a second thought, I pull a dagger from a sheath on my upper arm and throw it. One second. Two seconds. I blink, and my knife is buried between Cashel’s eyes. His mouth forms a perfect O of surprise before he crumbles to the floor. Dead. The moment he hits the ground, the Order pulls back, disappearing one by one.

  I ignore them, trusting everyone else to work on the cleanup and getting any information out of the survivors we captured. Doyle needs help. He needs Amren to clean him up. A chest wound isn’t something to play with.

  I wipe blood from my hands and run toward the main table, where Amren hovers over Doyle.

  “Hey, D. How’s it going?” I try not to let my voice shake, but I can’t help it. He’s my best friend, and I can’t lose him. Not now. Not ever.

  “Been better, Ev.” He smiles and blood coats his teeth.

  “He’s going to be okay, right, Amren? You can fix this?” He has to be able to fix this.

  “I will do my best, lass. Keep him quiet.” Amren barks a few orders at Brodie, who takes off running.

  He passes Dare, who stops and takes in the wreckage. His sweeping gaze stops at me and he visibly relaxes. He strides over to me before pulling me into his arms and then pushing me back, checking me over. “Are you hurt? Is any of this blood yours?”

  “No, it’s not mine. I’m okay.” I look back to Doyle, lying so still and so pale on the table as Amren works over him, and I turn back to Dare with blurry eyes. “Doyle got hit. Cashel was aiming for me, but I turned and it hit Doyle.” It’s my fault. The blade was meant for me. I should have taken it instead of Doyle.

  “Amren’s working on him. He’ll be okay.” Someone asks Dare a question and he turns to answer them, keeping me firmly in his grasp. I tune him out as I watch Amren work, his hands covered in Doyle’s blood.

  Eryn is crying and Axel and Kirin both have their arms crossed over their chests as they alternate looking out at the hall and back down at Doyle.

  “He’s going to be okay, guys. He’s been hurt worse than this.” He can’t not be okay.

  All three of them nod, but none of them meet my eyes. Flashes of growing up with Doyle hit me and I steady myself on the back of a chair. Our first sparring match. Our first party. That one time we borrowed a truck from one of the units and took it joy riding. So many memories with him. He’s my brother. And I can’t do anything to help him.

  “Ev.” Doyle coughs and blood spatters his lips.

  “Shh. We’re all right here. Don’t talk, okay? Amren’s fixing you up.”

  “Show me something pretty, Ev. Don’t let me die looking up at this ugly stone ceiling.” He tries to smile but it ends in a pained grimace.

  “You’re not going to die. Don’t talk like that, D.” But I do as he asks. I tap into my abilities and show him his favorite spot outside of our house in the human realm. Birds chirp, branches sway in the breeze and water trickles down a creek in the distance. If anything, I’ll give him this peace for now.

  Arela and Brodie rush into the hall, both of them with armfuls of gods only know what. I step back as they circle around Doyle, and watch as they grind herbs, add liquids, and prep a needle and thread. Amren dips his hand into the bowl of paste and spreads it around the knife in Doyle’s chest. Doyle hisses out a sound of pain and I step forward.

  “What is that? Why is it hurting him?” My voice is high with panic.

  Brodie pushes me back from the table, and before I can take a swing at him, Arela steps in front of me.

  “It’s going to help him heal, Ever, but you have to let them work.” She rubs her h
and up and down my arm as she speaks and I come down from murderous back to panicky.

  “Just tell me what it is.” I taste salt when I lick my lips and wipe at my face to clear it of any tears. He’s not going to die. He can’t.

  “It’s a mixture of betony, mugwort, wormwood, and a few other herbs. It’s meant to draw out any poisons and help repair the damage to his flesh.”

  I blow out a breath and step back from the table. I watch them work for what seems like hours but is more like minutes. My crew and I huddle together, watching and waiting. Doyle’s eyes close at one point, and before I can run forward to threaten that I’ll haunt him if he dies, they blink back open.

  “Don’t you close your eyes like that again, Doyle, or I’ll kick your ass.” I try to say the words lightly, but they’re tinged in sadness.

  “There’s something here that is stopping the spread of the healing herbs. What is it, Dad?” Brodie asks.

  I still, every muscle in my body frozen in place.

  “I’m not sure. But if the poison spreads…” Amren trails off and I step forward.

  “What’s going on? What do you need?”

  “I need to know what the poison on the blade was. It’s something I haven’t seen before.” Amren adds more of the salve to the wound and leans in closely. “Doyle’s lost a lot of blood. If he loses much more, I won’t be able to help him.”

  “I’ll give you whatever blood you need to give him,” I offer, grasping at straws.

  “I’m afraid that would have no effect. I need to know the poison.” Amren pushes the sleeves on his shirt up, leaving bloody handprints on the light fabric. “Our only other option is to put him in a deep sleep while we wait and hope that he wakes up once we find the correct mixture to counteract the poison.”

  I look back to Axel, Kirin, and Eryn. They’re all looking at me, waiting for me to make a call. To make the decision.

  I crouch next to Doyle and take his hand in mine. “What do you want me to do, D? I can let you go, no matter how much it will kill me, or we can put you under and search for a cure.” I rest my head against the blood-soaked wood of the table. “Please don’t make me decide this on my own.”