by C. A. McHugh
Table of Contents
Title Page
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Letter to Readers
The King’s Imposter
The Raven Bringer Saga, Book 2
By C. A. McHugh
Chapter 1
Alchemy required precision. A steady hand. Nerves of steel. Meticulous attention to detail. Just the slightest miscalculation could turn a healing potion into a plague. A master alchemist couldn’t afford distractions when in the middle of distilling elixirs or desiccating powders. Everything needed to be perfect down to the last drop.
Which was why the loud banging at the door turned what would’ve been a rapid-growth potion into a smoke-filled explosion.
Seroney Meritis stared at the flaming remains of her notes and curled her hands into fists.
“Count to ten,” the black cat hiding under the table reminded her.
She only made to it to three, despite the efforts of her familiar, Bhasha.
A string of curses, both in Elvish and human, flowed off her tongue like a river swollen from a spring deluge, as she stomped out the last of the flames. She threw the door to her lab open and shouted into the empty hallway, “What part of I’m working did you not understand?”
Another series of loud knocks from the front door answered, amplified by magic until the paintings rattled on the walls.
One of her father’s servants peered around the corner, her hands shaking. “There’s someone at the door, milady.”
“And you’re not helping to ease her fear,” Bhasha added.
The scent of singed hair surrounded Seroney, and she didn’t need a mirror to confirm she was probably covered with ashes and soot, never mind the scorch marks on her dress. Definitely not the appearance a proper lady should have when receiving guests. At least the leather apron had kept her from becoming a complete mess. She tossed it over her head and dashed down the stairs with the cat on her heels, growing more irritated with each insistent bang from the front hall. “And why didn’t someone answer it?”
The maid pointed out the window, where a horse with distinctive golden armor could be seen in the courtyard. “Because it’s one of them.”
Seroney bit back the next stream of curses that sat poised on her tongue. Her father was one of the leaders of Oudesta, a member of the ruling council for years, just like his forebears. Their home had hosted the elite of society, from master mages to even a fairy queen, and their servants knew the proper protocols on how to receive such guests with silent ease. But only one group of creatures could incite such a mixture of reverence and fear in a servant.
The Temple Guard.
“Let father deal with it,” she muttered before turning back to her lab, only to be blocked by the poor little maid who’d been sent to fetch her.
“I would, milady, but he’s still in seclusion with your mother, and—” She cut off with a yelp as the next series of knocks showered them with plaster from the ceiling. “Please, receive him before he brings down the entire castle.”
Seroney groaned and turned to her cat. “Go back to the lab. And stay there.”
The less people who knew about her familiar, the better, especially since summoning one without the proper permits was illegal. And it wouldn’t take a member of the Temple Guard very long to realize Bhasha was more than just a simple house cat. Of course, she still couldn’t get over the irony that her familiar was a black cat. The gods had a wicked sense of humor at times.
She plodded down the next flight of stairs from her tower to the main entryway, giving herself enough time to rub the smudges off her cheeks and shake the ashy residue from her clothing. Her parents had locked themselves behind a protective ward this morning to discuss an urgent matter they refused to tell her about. The magical spells her father cast not only kept people from eavesdropping, but they also protected her parents from interruptions like this.
But when the Temple Guard made a call, they wouldn’t leave until they’d finished what they’d been sent to do. By the time she reached the front door, she’d narrowed down her list of potential members to the one person who would be a big enough jerk to use an amplification spell. She fixed a fake smile on her face and opened the door without even bothering to look at the person standing on the other side. “Good afternoon, Rexus.”
If there was ever an embodiment of arrogance, it would be Rexus of the Temple Guard. Not only was he a member of the dwindling population of High Elves, who considered themselves to be demi-gods thanks to their supposedly divine bloodlines, but he was also one of the fifty members of the most elite group in all of Oudesta. Members of the Temple Guard were hand chosen by the gods and goddesses themselves and charged with defending the order of the land. They were master mages, skilled warriors, and all around assholes.
“Seroney,” Rexus replied with a hefty dose of pretension before pushing past her. He paused in the center of the great hall, allowing his pristine green satin cloak to swirl around him in an overly dramatic fashion, and sniffed the air. “Is that brimstone?”
She bristled at the accusation that she would dare to have any dealings with demons. “No, that would be what’s left of my lab, where I was so rudely interrupted by some self-absorbed prick who didn’t have the humility to knock at the door like a normal person.”
He gave her a smirk and pinched a smoldering strand of her hair between his fingers. “Still tinkering around with your silly alchemy?”
Her anger doubled from his dismissal of her skills. They were of the same age—forty summers, which by Elvish standards was just on the brink of adulthood—and had studied magic together at the Scala. Seroney had always excelled in her studies, especially in alchemy, but Rexus had been her closet rival. They’d both passed their trials and earned the dark blue cloaks that signified they were master mages before their paths had diverged. She’d gone home to her parents while he’d been called to the Temple Guard. “My experiments serve a better purpose than unnecessarily scaring the wits out of my servants to feed an inflated ego.”
The smirk waned into a thin-lipped smile. “Everything I do is necessary.”
“I beg to differ.” She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. Unlike the servants, she didn’t fear him. She was a Meritis, after all. “To what do we owe the occasion of your visit?”
“I have a message from the Oracle.”
Her annoyance evaporated into heart-pounding interest. The Oracle was a creature shrouded in mystery, an ancient being whose sightless eyes saw things beyond the mortal realm. No one saw her face. In truth, there was some speculation that the Oracle wasn’t even a woman, but it didn’t matter. When she had a message, everyone paid attention, no matter what their station was.
Seroney took a moment to regain her composure. “Then give it to me.”
She could’ve sworn he laughed at her. “The message isn’t for you.”
“Then why are you here?”
His gaze traveled from her head to her feet and back again. He added a haughty pause before replying, “Where is your father?”
“In seclusion with my mother, so if you have something to say to him, you’ll have
to say it to me.”
Rexus stiffened, then gave her a placating sigh. “Little Seroney, one day you’ll discover that the world doesn’t revolve around you simply because you’re a Meritis.”
Anger boiled in her stomach. There was a reason why the Meritis family had been part of the ruling council of Oudesta since its inception. Ancient magic flowed through her veins, derived from something most mortals had rarely seen. And even though the magic had been diluted over the generations, what remained was still powerful enough to instill respect. She let it flash in her eyes as a reminder that being a Meritis was more than just a family name.
An almost unperceivable flicker of fear blanched Rexus’s already pale face, but he quickly shielded it behind a mask of contempt. He arched a disdainful brow. “Do you really think your theatrics will work on someone like me?”
“I believe they already did.” She pulled back the ancient magic and allowed her features to resume their normal appearance. “As I was saying, deliver the message to me, and I’ll pass it on to my father once he emerges.”
Rexus closed the space between them until only a few inches remained. Steely determination laced his voice as he said, “I don’t think you understand the urgency of my orders. I have a direct message from the Oracle for your father. I cannot leave until I deliver it, so either bring me to him or get out of my way.”
When she didn’t answer, he pushed past her, magic already swirling around his fingers. A detection spell whizzed through the air in the direction of the room where her parents had sealed themselves this morning. He followed the spell across the great hall without another word.
She chased after him. “Excuse me, but last I checked, this was my home. I didn’t give you permission to go wherever you please.”
“I’m a member of the Temple Guard. I can go anywhere I please when I’m following orders, and your continued interference could be grounds for yet another arrest.”
Magic throbbed through her veins at his insinuation. “Don’t give me that Temple Guard bullshit. And I’ve never officially been charged with any crime, so if you don’t mind...” She launched a spell past him, locking the set of doors down the corridor.
Rexus broke through the spell with a wave of his hand. The heavy wooden doors flew off their hinges and shattered into splinters. Yet despite the screeches of fear that rose from the servants, he calmly and unapologetically turned to her. “I’ve received my calling, Seroney. I know my purpose for being here and how I can protect our realm. Do you know yours?”
His question struck her like a blow to the chest. She had no idea what her calling was. When her fellow classmates passed their trials, they were all given tasks to perform in the realm. Some became teachers. Some enlisted in various troops of battle mages, while others became healers or entered a divine order. And then, there was Rexus, who was chosen to join the Temple Guard.
She’d been the only one not tasked with some mission, some job to do. And even though she’d received highest honors in all her classes, she’d returned home to her parents with nothing to guide the course of her life. She would’ve welcomed a mission in the realm, even taking on an apprentice or teaching at the Scala. Instead, she was left with an endless string of generalized misunderstandings that always seemed to blow up in her face.
Much like her alchemy experiment this afternoon.
He gave her an I-thought-as-much snort and resumed his path toward her parents.
Seroney lingered for a moment until the overwhelming sense of uselessness abated. She’d show him. She’d show them all that she wasn’t some spoiled little girl clinging to a family name. She’d find her calling and use it to prove to all of Oudesta she was worthy of their respect.
Fueled by a new determination, she trailed after Rexus, curious to see how he planned on breaking through her father’s wards.
A glimmer of green magic outlined the locked door separating her parents from them. Rexus cast a series of spells to break past it, each one stronger than the next, but they all bounced off the ward with a weak fizzle.
Seroney leaned against the wall, her lips twitching in amusement at his growing frustration. “I told you they were in seclusion. You’re welcome to stand there until they come out, but I wouldn’t hold your breath. The wards keep them from being disturbed by anything on this side of the door.”
“We’ll see about that.” He drew his brows together and held his arm stiffly out in front of him, his palm raised at the door. A few seconds ticked by in silence. Then Rexus proved why the Temple Guard was both feared and revered.
His blue eyes turned a dazzling shade of green that matched the spell dancing around his fingers. Then his gaze began to glow with the divine presence of the goddess Elios. The light grew brighter and brighter until it blinded her with its magnitude. Cold dread raced under her skin with every frantic beat of her heart, followed by the warm glow of awe.
Only members of the Temple Guard could summon the powers of the divine, and Rexus appeared to have no hesitation using them when needed. Once the emerald hue faded, the room returned to its normal appearance but with one notable exception.
The door was no longer warded.
And therefore, nothing remained to prevent her father from throwing it open with a feral growl that would’ve made most mortals run. “What is the meaning of this?”
At first glance, Ethon Meritis appeared to be an ordinary human with only the slightest bit of silver adorning his otherwise pale brown hair. His build was solid, but not overly muscular, and his features lacked the delicacy of some of his Elvish ancestors. It was his eyes—keen and golden and remarkably inhuman—that made him stand out from other mortals and marked him as a member of the Meritis family.
But when he spotted Rexus standing before him in all his Temple Guard regalia, his fury morphed in a mixture of suspicion and unease. “Yes?”
Rexus gave him an efficient bow of the head. “Councilman Meritis, I bring a message from the Oracle.”
Her father’s Adam’s apple bobbed several times, but he said nothing. It wasn’t the first time the Oracle had offered a declaration to the Meritis family over the centuries. When she did, it was usually significant.
Seroney’s mother appeared from the room. Unlike her husband, Daisha Meritis was the embodiment of Elvish grace and beauty. Her dark hair rippled past her waist, and her ancient blue eyes held centuries of wisdom. She placed a hand on Ethon’s arm and spoke in a tone so soothing it almost cast a calming spell on those in the room. “Let’s hear it.”
Seroney waited for Rexus to insist on everyone leaving the room before delivering his message, but he squared his shoulders and puffed out his chest. “ ‘Do as the old man suggests.’ ”
Seroney only grew more confused when the cryptic message made her mother’s lips part in a gasp.
Her father’s ire returned with the fury of a dragon. “What is the meaning of this?” he shouted.
The haughty smirk returned to Rexus’s face. “I don’t pretend to decipher the Oracle’s message. That is for you to determine. I merely came to deliver it.” He gave Ethon another curt bow before exiting the way he came.
Her father released another growl, this time sounding more frustrated than enraged, and stomped back into the room where he’d been confined for most of the day. “I won’t do it.”
Daisha followed him in her usual serene manner. “But the Oracle—”
“How can I be certain the message came from the Oracle?” he countered. “What if this is some sick, twisted manipulation—”
“You and I both know the Temple Guard wouldn’t stoop to deception, especially someone like Rexus.” Seroney stepped into the room before they could dismiss her. She refused to leave until she got at least a hint of what had turned her father into a raving madman. “So, what’s going on?”
Her parents exchanged matching glances of worry, which only added to the unnerving sense that whatever they’d been discussing earlier was far more important than what kind of
tapestries to commission or when to hold the next dinner party.
“You should tell her, Ethon.”
Her father crossed his arms over his chest and stood in front of the nearest window, keeping his back to them. “She’s still a child.”
“No, I’m not.” Seroney curled her hands into fists to fight off the rant welling up inside her. Everyone treated her like a child, despite her accomplishments. “I have a master’s cloak to prove it.”
“But you’re my child.” Her father whirled around, his expression desperate. “My only child, and I won’t give you over to them.”
She looked to her mother for a clue but got only the same expression of acceptance her mother had worn since the Oracle’s message had been delivered. “You’re not thinking about marrying me off to an ogre or something, are you?”
After all, she’d proven to be useless to the realm so far, if one were to believe Rexus’s accusations.
A hint of a smile played on her mother’s lips. “Hardly.”
“I don’t see how you can make light of something like this, Daisha.” Ethon paced from one side of the room to the other, following the path that had been worn into the carpet from probably hours of the same action.
“I’m not. I’m merely answering her question.”
“I won’t agree to it.”
“You have no choice in the matter.” Her mother moved in front of him, halting his progress. “Even the Oracle has weighed in on it.”
“But—” He cast another glance at Seroney, and her stomach began to churn with the same uncertainty that lined his face. “You know what they’ve done to our kind. No, it’s too risky.”
Despite the fear prickling her skin, Seroney managed to keep her voice level. “Maybe you should let me decide that. After all, I am capable of making my own decisions.”
Daisha took her husband’s hand and led him to a chair before kneeling beside him. “She has a right to know.”
He wiped his hand over his face in a weary gesture of defeat. “Very well. I’ll tell her and let her decide.”
“From the sound of things, the Oracle has already made the decision for us.” She sat in the chair across from him and tucked her soot-covered skirt around her legs to conceal how her knees wobbled from the gravity of the forthcoming conversation. Whatever they were about to tell her, it sounded dangerous. Maybe even deadly. “But humor me.”
