Door in the Garden of Shadows (Destruction of Magic Book 3)

by April Canavan

  All of the families, realms, or courts as they sometimes they called themselves were part of the same magic. They all had questions, problems, and concerns when they were created. Conflicts were prevalent in the early years. Although it had been long before her time, Mykah still remembered stories of when the two fae courts were one. So many died just because they couldn’t agree to disagree on certain things. Shades would drain them all if given a chance. Werewolves were unable to live among humans because of their blood hunger. Goblins thought it was fun to drag other magical beings into the Shadowlands and leave them there to go mad for centuries. There was no order to the families, no constant rule.

  The mother of all, as the fae called her, decreed that there would be a singular ruler for every realm. That leader was responsible for keeping their subjects in line. They were called kings and queens. The realms were embroiled in one civil war after another for thousands of years to decide who would rule in their respective kingdoms. Kings and Queens died, to be replaced by their children and grandchildren. The fae battle had never ended, and when it became clear that there was never going to be a singular ruler, the Mother created a separate realm court, in the same realm, for the two families to co–exist. They referred to each other as cousins–the two courts. Those of the dark court called themselves members of the Malice Court, and those claiming allegiance to the light court called themselves the Concord Court.

  There used to be another race of fae. Fading out of existence before written history. They were stronger than both the light and dark fae, crossing the line to humanity on more than one occasion. They walked hand in hand with the other families, while still allowing themselves to live and die like humans. It was painful to watch, for the others. These fae also acquired human sickness, in their desire to live as humans. Their entire race was wiped out before they could be saved. Magic itself is no cure for humanity, and they were gone before anyone could find a way to help. They disappeared without a trace, leaving no mention of their name in the texts, no description of their abilities, and no hint as to what had walked among their people, leaving no survivors. They were gone, and the rest of the magical families were still here left to mourn and move on.

  Altogether, there were fourteen families left. Fourteen courts would be in residence under an agreement that there would be one month of peace while the woman who would be the fae queen officially was allowed to celebrate her victory. Since the center of all magic had created the council of rulers, there had been no significant war. A warlock would not rule in the court of the vampires. A shade would not take the fae throne. There was no need for fighting between the classes, but the human realm–that was a different story. All fourteen families wanted to have their part of the human realm, wanted to make their kingdom stronger. Honestly, though, some of them still liked wreaking havoc in the lives of humans just for fun.

  Goblins loved taking humans on Halloween and leaving them in other parts of the world, and their king was known to watch it happen and do nothing to stop it. Shades frequented places like New Orleans and Paris to steal humans in the darkness and devour their essence, with no one to stop them. Their queen had been absent for years and hadn’t cared when she was around anyway. Vampires had been tame recently due to their new Blood Queen having some unprecedented belief in the value of life. Shifters, while an unruly bunch–owed their allegiance to the fae kingdom to guarantee the protection of the animals they sought to copy and while their queen was frequently off on one adventure or another–her daughter had done well to keep the peace. Anna was an excellent shifter, regardless of the problems she and Jessica apparently had over her marital choices. Werewolves, they were a mess almost all of the time. Every faction had different beliefs when it came to their lives in the human realm. One thing they all had in common was that they knew how to fight, and were continually selling their skills as mercenaries.

  Mykah was stalling, and she knew it. Roaming the halls when she should be in her rooms, getting ready for supper. Resigning herself to the fact that she was going to have to suffer through at least one feast, she headed to the wing that housed both her and Jessica’s rooms. The granite in these halls was so thoroughly covered in vines that there was no sign of the stone at all. It was as though she was walking through a forest, and Mykah loved it that way. When she had the use of her magic, she would feel these plants daily and encourage their growth. Now, she felt like a failure. If only she could figure out the puzzle, she could go back to loving the things about her home.

  Her space was large but bare. There were two sets of doors against the far wall, one leading to her closet and the other to her library. She crossed the drab room shrouded in shades of gray and stood in front of them. Hesitating for a second, wanting to open the door that would lead to the answer of her salvation, she turned the knob and stepped through. Immediately, she regretted it.

  All of the clothes were meant for a fae, and she had never looked the part. Always shorter than the rest of her kind, bigger in size, and without the natural fae qualities; some had doubted her legitimacy as a princess. Until her father had killed the first open doubter, no one else stepped forward after that. Once that happened, the others stopped mentioning how short she was, how different she was from her sister and the other fae royals. She didn’t need them to tell her that she was different, she always knew it. What it had done for her was make it easy for her once the curse had been placed.

  She looked down and saw her trunk, filled with the clothes she had acquired while working in the human world. She should just skip the dinner, but she really enjoyed wearing cute clothes, and she had learned how to dress for her body type while living with the humans. Although she did have extra weight, she now knew how to use it to her advantage. Mykah pulled black leggings out of her trunk, added an emerald green tunic to it with a gold belt that looked remarkably like Tyler’s eyes. Coincidence, she told herself. Rather than use any of the shoes she acquired while in the human realm, she chose a pair of simple flats. She decided to let her auburn hair remain loose, and thanked whatever power there was that she had gotten some hair products while she lived in her apartment. There was no way she was able to do her own hair without magic or electricity.

  In a short time, her hair was styled, her face scrubbed clean. Not only did she not wear makeup, she honestly didn’t need it. She had never had acne, one of the saving graces of being fae perhaps. Or just good genes and the fact that she washed her face every morning and night. To protect her identity, she would also be wearing a half–mask, like the other women. She would most likely meld into the crowd with one of the other magical families. Looking in the mirror, Mykah knew she was beautiful, not in the same way that her sister was. Beautiful in a very human way.

  Mykah always thought that there were two types of beauty. There were women like her sister that would turn heads in a crowd and that men wrote sonnets about. They were the ones who were graced with height, slim figures, and faces like angels. Then there was a beauty like hers. Subtle, shining from the inside. It was the kind of beauty that made the imperfections stand out positively, making someone unique and unforgettable after a conversation. Mykah knew she would never turn heads like her sister, but there was nothing wrong with the way she looked.

  She double checked her appearance and knew it wasn’t going to get any better. It had taken her long enough. Dinner was going to be served soon. She had no idea what to expect. She knew that the castle had prepared for all of the other families to be in attendance, and if she was honest with herself she knew that she wanted to see the people she had grown up with. In fact, she forced herself to not even think about the giant warrior who refused to believe that he was a marshmallow.

  Mykah took one last look at the door that would lead to her library and knew it wouldn’t happen tonight. Tomorrow would be soon enough to bury herself in finding a way to solve the puzzle and hopefully break the curse. She closed the door to her room and turned to face the music–quite literally. The vines
seemed to offer her strength, knowing that she did not like large crowds and yet was about to walk into a mess of people. The walk should only have taken a few minutes, but since she was procrastinating, it took her far longer to reach the dining hall. It was generally large enough to host a regular dinner party, but undoubtedly the magic that infused their court would make it large enough to fit a thousand guests if need be.

  As the doors opened before her, the scene was remarkable. All tiers of fae were mingling together, regardless of class. They wore beautiful garb and masks covering varying parts of their faces. More members of the Blood Court had arrived and were seen mixed into the crowd. Shades had taken on corporeal form and were beautiful, the souls of humans making them appear as those they fed on. Mykah could see the royal families, separate from the rest preparing to offer their congratulations and well wishes to her sister. She made her way through the crowd, nodding to the fae that recognized her, and trying to not appear too human. A few shades stepped into her path about fifty feet from her sister’s company.

  “Sweet human, how did you manage to get in?” He sounded like a human male, but she knew better than to be tricked by his looks. To engage in a conversation with it would only result in more trouble than she wanted. She tried to get around him but was blocked by another.

  “Looking for fun, lovely one?” The second shade also appeared to be a male, but shades were so temperamental that Mykah knew she would have to handle it very carefully.

  “Boys, boys. Do you think if I were human I would be in this place? Around all of you? Why what would Irina say if she knew that two of her boys were attempting to take home…” she looked around and motioned for them to move closer. They eagerly did so. “A fae princess belonging to the Malice Court.”

  “You jest. The Princess of Malice is dead, exiled to die for her crimes.” The first shade looked shocked that she would make such a claim, and his voice rose higher than she wanted it to.

  “Oh but it’s true. I am the Princess of the Malice Court but test it if you want. The last to tempt my temper ended up dead. Blood magic is very messy. Even if you are a shade. I can feel it humming in my bones.” She let every bit of cruelty that she possessed leak into her voice, daring them to question her further.

  The second shade must have been the more intelligent of the two, for he grabbed his friend and muttered something into his ear. They sauntered off into the crowd, and Mykah could have laughed. Except for the fact that she had gathered quite a group with her conversation. More of the partygoers looked in her direction every second, and she could feel the warmth crawling up her neck. If she weren’t wearing a mask, they would all know who she was, and she had a distinct impression that it wouldn’t be a completely warm scene. The shades had thought she was dead for her crimes, and they had seemed gleeful about it. While her offense against magic had been severe, it wasn’t her fault that she could use her blood for magic.

  “Well then, little goddess. Perhaps you’d care to join us.” Her sister appeared in front of her. No doubt in an attempt to draw attention away from her. “Calm down. Many fear you still, and your temper is going to be trifled with a lot tonight. Most of the families are curious to see your magic in use. To gauge your willingness to break the accords and use it against them. I’m pretty sure that Lachlan is horrified you’re going to try and take the Shadowlands from him. Ha, like you’d want to be the Goblin Queen. I couldn’t imagine you sitting in that darkness for the rest of time.”

  “I won’t be sitting anywhere if I can’t get an answer to the puzzle.”

  “You still have to share with me the extent of that puzzle, maybe two minds can work it out.”

  “I can’t share it with you. I can’t put that burden on anyone willingly, but you’re right, I would never try to take the Shadowlands. There are far too many goblins there for my liking. Besides, I have no inclination to rule. I’ll leave that to you, sweet spirit.” Mykah couldn’t help batting her eyelashes at her sister, making sure to tell her that she knew the secret she was hiding.

  Jessica’s eyes flashed. She didn’t think Mykah knew, and she was afraid. Her eyes always did speak volumes to Mykah. “Don’t worry, sister. You are safe with me, eternally.” Gratitude replaced the fear. If anyone in the court suspected that her success through the trials was due to her ability to manipulate spirit, she would never keep the throne. After her coronation, those that opposed her would not be able to question her authority. The fae had very strict laws regarding the absolute power of their rulers. It is how they were the noblest of the magical families.

  She looked around, her sister had the majority of the attention now, as usual. Mykah was happy to fade into the background as they walked back to the center of the room. Her sister wasn’t wearing a mask, there was no reason for her to cover her face. Her yellow hair was free, a tradition for the queen. Her ears were covered, but there was something different about her skin. No longer was it tan, but had instead taken on a greenish tint. The color of their family, upon their control of the elements in the fae realm. It appeared that the land had already accepted Jessica as the rightful queen.

  They had arrived back in the center of the room, but soon supper was announced. It was an endless procession, waiting for everyone to find their place. The Royals were the last to be seated, as was customary. The fae royal families believed differently than the other families. Their children, or subjects, needed to be fed before their royals. By the time they were seated, the food would be cold if not magical. The royal families sat at one table, kings and queens alike. Mykah knew the rulers, having grown up with the majority of them. There were only representatives from eleven of the fourteen courts in attendance tonight, and not all of them were the monarchs of their respective realms. The others would be making their appearances in the next few days, conflicts arising in their worlds. The only present set that wasn’t as immediately recognizable as royalty were Zander and Sarah, but only because Mykah had never spent any significant time with them. Winter, now that she was in her own element was unmistakable. Jonathon, the former Blood King, sat at her side.

  Jessica sat at the opposite end of the table. Christopher, the ruler of the Concord Court and king of the light fae, sat to her left. Next to him was Irina’s emissary, some random shade meant to keep their ruler’s place. Next to the shade was the Lachlan the Goblin King, who was flirting with Peyton, the emissary of the werewolves. Maddox, or Dox as Mykah called him sometimes, was on Peyton’s other side, chosen by the warlocks and witches to represent their court in case Winter did not come. Anaid, the only living water elemental was sitting between Maddox and Benedict, the oldest son of the Dragon King. Ben was sitting right next to Mykah, and he kept looking at her, but when she’d look at him, he would turn away. Poor boy, probably thought that if he looked directly into her eyes, she would kill him.

  On Mykah’s other side was the ruler of the Forsaken, Aubrey. Such a lovely name and face to the eternally damned. They really had the worst end of things, condemned to help the dead cross over into peace but never finding it themselves. Mykah loved playing with her as a child. Even though she was a nervous wreck, thinking of everything that could possibly go wrong, she tried to keep up a conversation during supper. Aubrey was very understanding in nature, always giving people the benefit of the doubt. She was just happy to be out of her dark realm for the time being. Her brother was undoubtedly playing somewhere in the vicinity. Twins, they were content in sharing the throne for eternity so that not one person had the burden. They sacrificed themselves for the other; their story was famous among the magical families. Mykah was glad that they had offered their magical history as well because in their pages might be an answer to the curse.

  Next to Aubrey was Anna, then Jackson, Winter, Jonathon, Zander, and Sarah–who sat on Jessica’s right–hand side. A place of honor for the Blood Queen, to show that they were in good standing even though there had been some sort of romantic relationship between Jessica and Zander before he met Sara
h. Jessica had talked to Mykah about it before, but they had never been anything more than sex. There was an empty seat between Jonathon and Zander, undoubtedly a place meant to be for Tyler. He didn’t show.

  Throughout all of dinner, she ignored the conversations of the other royals. She was too preoccupied as to where the warrior had gone. When the plates had been removed, and the courtiers had cleared the room to begin the festivities, the royals each took a turn to thank Jessica for her hospitality and be formally welcomed to the Malice Court for the month. The vampires were the first to do so, and Winter quickly ushered them out before they could start a conversation with Mykah. She was thankful to the witch and nodded her approval as they passed.

  By the time the rest had gone through the doors, Mykah was ready for bed and just wanted to leave. “Not so fast, little sister. The fun hasn’t even started yet.” Jessica touched her on the arm, preventing her from moving.

  “But I’m tired. I just want to sleep.” She even yawned for good measure.

  “Stuff it. We’re going to dance. You can sleep when you’re dead. Oops, sorry. You know what I meant.” Her sister didn’t even look the tiniest bit sorry.

  They walked through the doors together, and she immediately ran into a brick wall.

  “Oomph. What the hell?” She fell backward and looked up. Of course, it was her marshmallow.

  CHAPTER SIX

  He was late, not because he had any good reason but because he really didn’t want to be in this damn realm. Because he was late, he ran into the damned queen and another woman. Both of them, literally. In front of a ballroom full of people. He was just trying to sneak out to get some food. It wasn’t his fault that they were both so small that he couldn’t see them because he was looking straight ahead and was sidetracked by thoughts of a tiny human pressed in his arms.