Cage of Deceit (Reign of Secrets Book 1)

by Jennifer Anne Davis

  “I was completely captured by this story. An outstanding and riveting read.”

  ~Cameo Renae, Bestselling Author of the Hidden Wings Series and After Light Saga

  “Twists and turns, danger and drama--this book has it all! Heart-dropping moments that literally had me holding my breath and an ending that demands book two be available NOW!”

  ~Melanie Newton from Nerd Girl Official

  “I thought Jennifer Anne Davis’s True Reign series was one to rave about, but Cage of Deceit has topped it, and has completely blown me away! I love this book! I cannot wait for the sequel! Davis will forever be on my MUST-READ list. A Good Choice for Reading!”

  ~Damaris Delgado from Good Choice Reading

  “Cage of Deceit is a wonderful blend of fairy tale and fast-paced, thrilling adventure. With a kick-ass heroine princess, this novel will not only get your heart racing, but leave you clamoring for book two.”

  ~Liza Wiemer, author of Hello?

  “An amazing fantasy that is a thrilling adventure from start to finish. I totally found myself loving the world that Jennifer Anne Davis has written in Cage of Deceit. This was a real gem to read.”

  ~Grace from Books of Love

  “This is an edge of your seat start to a great series and will keep you begging for more once you close the book. I am anxiously awaiting the follow-up. Ms. Davis’s writing has turned me into a forever fan!”

  ~ Angelle LeBlanc from Cajun Book Lover

  “Cage of Deceit is a masterfully woven tale of royal responsibilities mirrored with the desire for freedom and adventure. This confliction is personified with Alyssa, the teenaged daughter of Darmik and Rema. When she meets Jarvik, the infuriating squire for Prince Odar, the word play is as sharp as their swords. A thoroughly enjoyable read that satisfied both my inner romantic and adventurer!”

  ~Kelly Risser, Author of Never Forgotten

  “Jennifer Anne Davis knows how to weave a story that pulls at your heartstrings. She makes you want to take the sword and run it through the evil characters. Davis is an outstanding storyteller and on my must read right now list.”

  ~ Jan Farnworth from J.R.’s Book Reviews

  “We have flawed, judgmental characters who feel truly human. There’s political intrigue and deceit so thick you can disappear inside of it. And threats that gleam like a blade in the night. Welcome to the Cage of Deceit, where even a princess isn’t all she’s cracked up to be.”

  ~ Leah Alvord from Vitality Reviews

  “In this enchanting spin-off Jennifer Anne Davis brings the world she created in the True Reign series to a whole new level. There’s plot turns and twists, action and suspense. And a dash of romance, as expected from Jennifer Anne Davis’s previous books.”

  ~ Rebecca van Kaam from GotToReadThoseBooks

  THIS book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  NO part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  Cage of Deceit

  Copyright ©2015 Jennifer Anne Davis

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 978-1-63422-099-6

  Cover Design by: Marya Heiman

  Typography by: Courtney Nuckels

  Editing by: Cynthia Shepp

  For more information about our content disclosure,

  please utilize the QR code above with your smart phone or visit us at

  www.CleanTeenPublishing.com.

  For Allyssa

  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

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Running along the edge of the rooftop, Allyssa kept an eye on the man below. He was three blocks ahead of her as he sprinted down the street, clutching a bag of coins. Allyssa jumped the two-foot gap to the adjacent rooftop, not wanting to lose sight of the thief. He slowed and turned a corner into an alleyway. With any luck, he’d hide there and she could catch him by surprise.

  Allyssa couldn’t believe she was the one running on rooftops after him. Grevik had insisted only she could do such a thing because she was smaller, lighter, and more agile. She suspected her friend was just too much of a pansy to do it himself.

  There was one more building to go. Unfortunately, the next one was much further away. If she had to guess, it was a good eight to ten feet. Keeping her breathing steady, she steeled her resolve and ran a bit quicker. She pumped her legs faster and faster, the edge of the rooftop rapidly approaching. Twenty feet to go. Why did she agree to this? Focus, she scolded herself. Now was not the time to think about it. Ten feet to go. Here goes nothing.

  Her right boot hit the edge of the roof. Using all her strength, she pushed off, flying through the moonlit night. Her arms waved and her legs ran on air as she hurtled toward the adjacent rooftop landing with a jolt. Starting to fall forward, she tucked her head, rolled onto her back, and somersaulted. Crouching low, her heart beat frantically. Blimey. A smile burst on her face. That was fun. Not that she was about to do it again, though.

  Jumping to her feet, she glanced over the edge of the two-story building, searching for the thief. Sure enough, he was right below, hiding in the alley. Allyssa pulled out her dagger and slid onto her stomach. Peering over the side, she carefully aimed her weapon at him. As long as the thief stood still, striking him would be relatively simple. She counted to three and threw her knife, watching it zoom down thirty feet and whack the man dead center in his right shoulder. He screamed, dropping the bag of coins as he looked frantically about for his attacker. The hilt was facing straight up and hopefully wouldn’t give away her position.

  If only Grevik would hurry and catch up. Shortly after they had started pursuing the thief, a rowdy crowd of about twenty men spilled out from a tavern, blocking the street as a fight broke out. Since Allyssa and Grevik didn’t want to lose the thief, he told her to climb the building so she could follow him. She hoped Grevik had made it through the crowd without incident.

  Standing, she scanned the adjacent streets, not finding her friend anywhere in sight. The thief still stood in the alleyway, not making an attempt to run. It was up to her then. She climbed down the ladder attached to the side of the building. Taking a deep breath, she stalked around the corner.

  The man stood in the middle of the dark alley, clutching his shoulder. “Stay back or I’ll gut you!” he screamed.

  “Funny coming from an injured lowlife who steals,” she answered, trying to use a deep voice.

  The man laughed. “Go back home where you belong, little girl,” he said, shaking his head.

  “That’s no way to speak to someone who’s about to wallop you.” She plucked her knives free and held them low. �
�Now give me the bag of coins you stole from the baker and maybe, just maybe, I won’t kill you.”

  The man yanked the dagger out of his shoulder, stifling a scream. When his head tilted up, his eyes gleamed with malice. Based upon the way he held his body, prepared to fight, he had to have some skill. Nothing she couldn’t handle, though. Not wanting to risk the weapon cutting her, she threw her knife at the dagger he held, hitting it hard enough that he dropped it, the metal clanging on the stone street.

  “What are you waiting for? Scared?” the man taunted.

  Allyssa meandered toward him as she tossed her cape behind her shoulders, freeing her arms and legs. “Yes,” she whispered when she was only three feet away. “I am scared. Scared I’ll kill you when you really deserve to be rotting in a jail cell.” And with that, she spun and kicked his head, sending him to the ground. Much faster than she expected, he sprang to his feet and swung his fist at her. She stepped out of the way and was about to hit him when he punched her cheek. Stars exploded across her vision. Blasted. That would leave a mark.

  “You did not just hit me,” Allyssa said, seething with rage.

  The man had the audacity to laugh at her. She flung her last knife into his thigh. He screamed. Wimp. Using a front kick, she struck his chest and he went flying to the ground. Just for good measure, and because he’d hit her face of all places, she went over and kicked his groin. He had the decency to curl into a ball and surrender.

  A man ran into the alley behind her. She spun around and came face to face with her friend, Grevik. “It’s about time you showed up.” She smiled sweetly at him. “You missed all the fun.”

  He went over to the man lying on the ground, making sure he was knocked out cold. “While you were jumping over rooftops like a gazelle, I was stuck in that brawl outside the Snakeskin Tavern.” He stood and turned to face her. “I can’t believe you took this man on without me, Lilly.”

  The first time she met Grevik all those years ago, she’d told him her name was Lilly so he wouldn’t suspect her true identity.

  “I couldn’t wait for you,” she said with a shrug. Now that she could see Grevik in the moonlight, she noticed his knuckles were cut and bleeding. “Are you all right?” she asked, pointing to his hands, hoping he hadn’t broken a bone.

  He nodded. “It was easier to punch a few of the drunks to make my way through the brawl.” Grevik scanned the rooftop. “I guess we can add jumping buildings to your ever-growing list of skills.”

  “It was bloody fun,” she said, unable to suppress her smile.

  Grevik shook his head. “You’re unbelievable. Only you would think leaping through the air thirty feet off the ground over alleys is fun.”

  “You told me to do it so we wouldn’t lose the thief.” She picked up her daggers and sheathed them.

  “Blame it on me,” he teased, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, tugging her closer to him. Allyssa stiffened before forcing herself to relax. This was the sort of thing friends did. “Come on,” he said. “We need to drop this bloke off to my contact in the City Guard so I can go home. It’s later than usual, and I don’t want Mum to wake up and find me gone.”

  “I need to go home, too,” Allyssa said. If she didn’t arrive before daylight, she would be in severe trouble.

  ***

  “Wake up,” Mayra hissed. “Your mother is on her way. She’ll be here any minute.”

  Allyssa groaned and snuggled further under the warm blankets. It was too early. She wasn’t ready to wake up and face the day. Her body ached from running on the rooftops and fighting a grown man last night. Just a few more hours—that was all she needed. Mayra yanked the blankets off her. “You are cruel!” Allyssa chided her friend. Grabbing her pillow, she smothered it over her face, shielding out the bright light.

  “Didn’t you hear me?” Mayra tried again. “Your mother will be here in less than five minutes. It is already mid-morning. If she arrives and finds you in bed, you know what will happen.”

  Mayra was right. Allyssa needed to climb out of bed and dress before her mother arrived. Otherwise, she’d never hear the end of it. She threw the pillow off her face and stretched.

  Mayra’s eyes widened at the sight of her, and she gasped. “What happened?”

  “I’m tired is all.” Allyssa yawned and sat up. “I want an easy dress to put on without a lot of frills.”

  Mayra shook her head, her eyes wide with horror.

  “What is it?” Allyssa asked as she slid off the bed and moved to the tall mirror in the corner of her room. She expected to see a tired face looking back at her. Capturing thieves was no easy task. Staring at herself in the mirror, she hissed. “That son of a harlot!” she cursed. The entire side of her face was a deep, raging purple, the color of eggplant. She growled. She’d forgotten the thief had hit her last night.

  “I’ll get the dusting powder,” Mayra said, running to the dresser. “Madelin,” she called over her shoulder. “Find something purple for Allyssa to wear.”

  There was no way they were going to be able to hide this before her mother arrived. Blimey. Rushing into her dressing closet, she ran her hands over her long, brown hair, trying to tame it. She could feign an illness, but then she’d have to stay in bed all day with people fussing about her. The mere thought made her want to vomit.

  Madelin plucked lavender fabric off a hanger and shoved it at her. Allyssa grabbed the material and yanked it over her head, shimmying into the outfit. Mayra rushed in, carrying the tray of powder. As Madelin cinched up the back of the dress, Mayra dusted Allyssa’s face, trying to hide the nasty bruise.

  Mayra shook her head. “If you had come to me right when this happened, I could have made a paste of herbs to lessen the swelling.” She dabbed her brush into more powder and applied a thick second coat.

  A knock resounded through her bedchamber. Her mother was there. Allyssa’s hair wasn’t even done.

  “Keep your head slightly forward,” Mayra instructed. “Try to hide the side of your face with your hair.”

  Allyssa nodded, looking at herself in the mirror. Even with the powder on, her face had a hint of purple to it. The sleeves and skirt of her lavender dress were adorned with thousands of small beads. With the color of the fabric and the shiny beading, it merely seemed as if the dress were reflecting on her face. Brilliant. She hugged Mayra and Madelin. “Thank you.”

  “No need to fuss,” Madelin said, hugging her back.

  “Now hurry,” Mayra added, giving her a small shove. “It’s not wise to keep your mother waiting.”

  Allyssa exited the dressing closet and entered the sitting area of her bedchamber. “Hello, Mother,” she said, trying to keep her head angled so her hair covered her bruise.

  Mayra and Madelin came up behind her. “Your Majesty,” they said in unison, bowing before the empress.

  Empress Rema quickly dismissed the royal guards and Allyssa’s ladies-in-waiting. Once the door closed and they were alone, Rema’s eyes narrowed. “Did you just awaken?” she asked, a hint of disbelief coloring her voice.

  “No,” Allyssa lied. “Why do you ask?” She prayed her mother didn’t notice the bruise.

  “I haven’t seen you today. And you seem a bit … thrown together. Are you feeling all right?” Rema came over, gently clutching her daughter’s arms as her eyes roamed over her body, inspecting her for some sign of distress or illness.

  Allyssa stood there, knowing her mother was only concerned for her wellbeing. Since her twin brother died shortly after birth, and Rema hadn’t been able to conceive another child, Allyssa was all she had. If her mother wanted to fuss, the least she could do was let her. She smiled, trying to reassure her, but had to stifle a yelp since her face was sore from being punched. “Yes, Mother. I’m all right,” she forced herself to say, trying not to wince from the pain.

  There was no way Allyssa could tell Rema that she snuck out of the castle at night to aid the City Guards in tracking down criminals. The empress would never understand
or allow it, especially since Allyssa was the crown princess and the only heir to Emperion.

  “Very well,” Rema said, releasing her daughter. “I’ve come to tell you that a small ball will be thrown in honor of Prince Zek of Fia tonight.” She moved to the window, gazing outside.

  Allyssa wondered if the boring prince from the tiny kingdom of Fia was ever going home. He’d already been there a fortnight, and she’d been forced to sit alongside him at dinner on more than one occasion. She couldn’t take much more of his idle chatter.

  “He’s requested an audience with us tomorrow,” her mother continued. “You will be there when he speaks.”

  Allyssa stood in front of the hearth, allowing the fire to warm her. She suspected Prince Zek would ask for her hand in marriage at the meeting. Although her parents had insisted she be present when such declarations were made, they hadn’t pushed her into marrying. Yet.

  So far, all the princes or high-ranking nobles who had come hadn’t interested her. Rema and Darmik told the gentlemen that their daughter was simply too young and in no hurry to marry. But she could only put off the inevitable for so long. She dreaded the day when she would have to choose who would live in this cage with her, who would rule by her side, and who would be her companion for life. Granted, it had worked out for her parents, but their story was far from usual. They were the lucky ones. Rema and Darmik had managed to choose each other and weren’t forced into an awkward arranged marriage.

  “Care to join me in the Throne Room for the weekly proceedings?” Rema gently asked as she turned to face her daughter with sympathy in her eyes.

  Allyssa most certainly did not want to join her mother in that stifling place. However, she knew it really wasn’t a question. “Of course.”

  Rema smiled and came over to her, linking their arms together as they exited the room. “Want to go riding with me later today?” she asked, kissing the top of Allyssa’s head.