Crown of Betrayal (Wicked Kingdoms Book 2)

by Graceley Knox

  “Nice try, asshole. You can run, but you can’t hide. Not from me.”

  Turning his head slowly, he grins, his mouth full of blood. He looks way too happy for someone who has just had his head smashed into the ground repeatedly. “You have no idea, tuiledach.” Following his statement, he sneers and spits a mouth full of blood on the ground next to my boots. Shaking my head at the antics of the delusional Fae we catch on the daily, I ease back up. Curbing the impulse to kick him for spitting at me, I wrap my arm around my chest.

  Doyle sees the movement. “You okay, Ev?”

  Nodding my head, I wave him off. “Yeah, I’m good. Let’s get them back to the compound so they can send someone to pick them up and transport them back to Goblin.”

  Turning around, I watch as Axel and Eryn pull up in our work van. Doyle must have called them while I was distracted.

  Reaching down to help haul up our prisoner still laying on the ground, I wince again as a sharp pain sears through me. I clench my teeth and breathe through it. I’ll do my part. Without Kirin on the other side of him, I wouldn’t have been able to drag him up. When he struggles in my grip, trying to wrench his arm out of my grasp, I let him. Stumbling forward, Kirin tugs him roughly to the back of the van. Yanking the doors open, both goblins are shoved inside and locked in the spelled and reinforced cage.

  Rounding the side of the van, I take a second to try and breathe through the waves of pain coursing through me. Squeezing my eyes shut for a moment, I put on a brave face and jump into the van. I’ll need a healer once we get back to the compound if I’m going to be of any use for our next capture.

  After dropping our two prisoners off and a quick visit to the healer, I’m right as rain. With only a few colorful bruises to show for my eventful morning, we continue on to our next mission and go about the rest of our day.

  A few hours later, walking up the steps to the back entrance into MECA, I hear someone say my name.

  Looking around with a frown on my face, I can’t pinpoint the source. Stepping further up the steps I hear it again, coming from right in front of me. Standing in front of me is Kian, Anghus’s brother, and a cousin to the three goblins currently living in my house. He’s also a Royal Guard. Shit.

  Jaw dropping open that someone I know was here to pick up a prisoner, I surreptitiously look around. Taking another step toward him, I plaster a smile on my face. Standing there with him are the two goblins we had captured earlier as well as the current Head Guard of MECA, Frederick Ridgewell.

  Fuck.

  Fuck.

  Fuckity.

  Fuck.

  Until now we’d been able to keep most of what happened from MECA’s knowledge, past the issue with Cashel. I should’ve known my luck would run out eventually. Mentally shaking my head at my shit-tastic luck, I step up and extend my hand.

  “Kian, what are you doing here?” Once the words leave my lips, I want to face palm myself. He’s here to pick up prisoners. Obviously. Oy. “I mean, obviously, you’re here for them.” I wave my hand at the goblins in cuffs behind him. “But I didn’t think bringing in rogues fell under your purview.”

  Shut up. Shut up right now Ever. At this point I have already given too much away.

  Glancing briefly at the Head Guard of MECA, his eyes are narrowed on me. His shrewd gaze taking in every bit of our interaction.

  Balls.

  “Today it does, beag gaiscíoch.” He smiles warmly as he holds out his hand for me to shake. I resist a snort at his nickname for me. Little warrior. I had acquired it while in Goblin after a few of the guards had seen me training with my crew.

  Seeing no harm in shaking his hand like a professional, I extend my own. Nodding my head, I pray that will be the end of our interaction. I can feel the tension rolling off my crew in waves as they stand behind me. None of them have said a word. With good reason. If anyone knew about my supposed heritage or bloodlines, I would be kicked out of MECA faster than I could blink. I’ll be damned if I lose the position I had worked toward for years. If it came to it, and I was full blooded Fae, I would leave on my own terms. Willingly. Until then, I’m not going to let a rumor and a paranoid MECA elders push me out.

  Stepping forward, the Head Guard, which is really an honorary title as he is no longer capturing any rogues, cocks his head.

  “How do the two of you know each other?” Frederick waves his hand between the both of us.

  Opening his mouth to respond with the goddess only knows what, I beat Kian to the punch.

  “He was one of the Guards we met while I was running from Cashel a few months back,” a nervous chuckle slips past my lips. It sounds forced even to my own ears. Flashing a quick smile, I hope he’ll leave it at that. Tilting his head at my short and rushed statement, Kian purses his lips as his eyebrows fly to his hairline. I ignore him in the hopes that he’ll keep his big mouth shut and keep most of my focus on the Head Guard.

  “I see,” he nods his head, pursing his own lips.

  I know what that means. He isn’t satisfied with my answer.

  Son of a bitch.

  Not willing to open my mouth to give him more information, I nod back and smile my best innocent smile. Deciding that the best course of action would be to high tail it out of there ASAP, I change the subject.

  “You all set getting them to your SUV for transport?” I direct my question at Kian, my face a mask of professionalism.

  “Aye, I should be all set.”

  Nodding a bit frantically, I move up on the stairs leading into the locker rooms in MECA. “See you around!” I wave a hand over my shoulder as I beat feet up the remaining steps and snatch the heavy metal door open. Letting Eryn in before me, I chance a look back down into the courtyard. Frederick is standing closer to Kian and talking with him. Pleading to any entity that is listening to not let Kian say something that could royally fuck me, I propel myself inside and head toward the locker rooms.

  “Meet back in five, guys?” I say it loud enough that everyone hears me, even Kirin who is a few feet inside the corridor leading to the men’s locker rooms. A chorus of yesses meet my ears and I hustle to get in, change my clothes, and gather my shit together.

  Literally and figuratively.

  CHAPTER

  THREE

  More than five minutes later, I peel out of the locker room, my hands still shaking. Not paying attention to where I’m going, I run right smack into Head Guard Frederick.

  His hands clasp my elbows, keeping me upright. “Whoa there, Ev. Where’s the fire?”

  Laughing hysterically, I can’t formulate a response. Raising my head, I meet his gaze and my laughter dies in my throat. “Um, no fire.” I shrug, my shoulders going past my ears.

  “Oh good. So you have a moment then?” It was phrased as a question, but his tone and the raise of his regal brow made it a statement.

  “Sure. Yeah. What’s up, Frederick?” His brow rises again and I amend the last part of my statement with a grimace. “Uh, I mean, Head Guard Frederick?”

  “So, that fellow out there. You know him, yes?”

  I nod my head. I don’t bother with a response, knowing he’ll continue.

  “He seems overly friendly with you. I just want to make sure that your time in Goblin didn’t change your alliances.” Stopping for a moment, his cold eyes pierce through me. “They haven’t changed your alliances, have they, Ever?”

  I shake my head so fast I probably just gave myself whiplash. “Nope. Not at all, sir.” Throwing my shoulders back and standing with my hands clasped behind my back, I meet his shrewd gaze. “If anything, they cemented my alliances further, sir.”

  Holding my stare for another few seconds that seem like an eternity, he nods slowly. “Good to hear.”

  Waving a hand in my direction, he dismisses me and I have to remind myself to stay composed. He’s like a predator. If he smells my fear, he’ll attack and go for my belly. Waving over my shoulder one last time, I approach my SUV. Once inside I blow out a breath and grip
the cold leather of the steering wheel. My knuckles are white and my chest feels constricted. Hands shaking, I start up the SUV and back out.

  I drive as if on autopilot. I have no idea where I am, or where I’m going. Coming to a stop in the middle of a field next to two trees, I blink. I’m at the entrance to Goblin. I put the car in park and sit back.

  Each of the trees look as though they are leaning toward each other. Branches intertwine at the center to form an archway of sorts. Colorful flowers dot the trunks of the trees. Their petals sway in the wind, seemingly of their own volition. Looking at the leaves of the trees, they aren’t rustled by the wind. Finding that odd, I roll down my window and stick a hand out, waiting for the caress of the wind on my skin. Nothing. I shrug at the oddities that often make themselves at home anywhere close to a Faerie mound or portal into one. For now, I’ll just enjoy the sight.

  My thoughts are a jumbled mess that I’m hopeless to untangle. Like my curly hair is a scary sight to behold in the morning, my mind is a scary place to be right now. Closing my eyes, I try to block it all out. I try to imagine a wall of white. Breathing deeply, the white remains, and I begin to calm. All the stress of the day slowly seeps out of me.

  After a while, dark inky lines start winding their way across my blank wall. Eyes still closed, I frown.

  With a muttered, “What-the-hell,” I open my eyes.

  What greets me shouldn’t have shocked me. Staring back at me through the windshield was a pair of sunset orange and red eyes. Instead of his usual frown of displeasure, his sharp features are soft as he watches me. Looking away first, I blink fast as I exit the car. I try to come up with an explanation for what I’m doing here, but come up blank. Shrugging, I meet his gaze head on as the door to my SUV shuts with a thud.

  Waving me over, I reluctantly walk toward him. The past few months have been absolute hell with him in my house. And he knows it, too. He’s determined to show me that we can be together. After our encounter in the kitchen, I had walked away from the possibility of us. Instead of taking my walking away as a sign that we shouldn’t be together, it only seemed to motivate him further.

  Little touches in the kitchen as we all made dinner. His hand skimming my back. The feel of his breath on the back of my neck as he leaned over me to look at something. His actions are driving me insane. It’s a miracle I haven’t broken my battery-operated boyfriend at this point.

  As I reach him next to the trees, he reaches to put his hand at the small of my back and I snap.

  “No! You do not get to touch me and drive me crazy right now.” I drive my statement home with my pointer finger jammed into his chiseled chest.

  Stepping away with both hands raised in defense, he angles his head as he takes in my appearance.

  I’d changed into another outfit of a black long sleeve t-shirt and jeans, my new normal after our blood oath had made me light up like the night sky during the Fourth of July. Doyle, Axel, and Kirin are able to see the markings that appear on my forearms sometimes, but sometimes they can’t. Eryn can’t see them as far as we are aware, but when I light up everyone can see that. Because of that, I’m not willing to take the chance that another Guard at MECA will see my markings and report me or ask questions I’m not willing or able to fully answer yet.

  “Aren’t you warm in that?” he asks.

  Rolling my eyes, I plant my hands on my hips. “Why yes. I am. And it’s all your fault too.”

  Opening his mouth to respond, he’s interrupted by Anghus popping his head around the side of one of the twisted tree trunks.

  “Oy. You two goin’ to be arguin’ all the day? Or are ye going to come inside?” His bright smile is infectious and I find myself smiling back at him.

  Shaking my head to snap myself out of it, I turn my frown on him. “Oh we’re coming in. And where is your brother? He and I need to have a chat. And where is the King?” The rush of words causes me to suck in a breath. I turn and start toward Anghus.

  As I get closer, Anghus steps back and a frown mars his beautiful lips. “Which one? I’ve over forty of the fuckers. Ye will have to be a bit more specific than that, beag gaiscíoch.”

  “Kian. I need to talk to Kian.”

  “Oh. He just got back from picking up a pair of rogues–”

  “Yeah, I know. I brought them in this morning. And he mentioned he knew me in front of the Head Guard on the steps of MECA, not more than two hours ago.” I finish with an angry twist of my lips. My expression letting him know I am less than pleased with his brother’s actions.

  At my statement, his eyes go wide and he turns his gaze to Dare’s as I watch. Dare is still slightly behind me, and close enough that I can feel his body heat. Getting lost in his earthy scent for only a moment, I sway back toward him involuntarily. Shaking my head once, I step away from him to distance myself from the distraction I can’t afford right now. My actions don’t go unnoticed. Frowning at me, but not following my movements, he turns his attention back to Anghus. Shrugging once he meets his cousin’s stare. They both turn to look at me at the same time.

  “Lead the way, little tine. Let us get this over with so we can go home.” Dare finishes his statement with a grand sweep of his arm.

  Home. He had called my house his home. Warmth spreads through my chest at his words, and I smile softly. In a slightly calmer mood, I enter through the gates of Goblin, ready to go head to head with King Teag. One way or the other, I’ll walk out of here satisfied, or our little truce is finished. I no longer have the energy to play the word games with the Fae, and while the goblins are honest, they still like to play on words.

  I have better things to do with my time than solve riddles.

  CHAPTER

  FOUR

  The three of us travel through the gates and make quick time getting into the castle. Today I’m on a mission and no one is going to stand in my way.

  Dare walks beside me, our arms brushing against each other every so often. Each contact sends a little zing of pleasure through my middle, but I ignore it. Just like I’ve been ignoring his onslaught of questions the entire time we’ve been walking toward our normal meeting place with King Teag.

  “Is this why you are cross, little tine? Because he said hello to you?” Dare asks.

  His tone implies that I’m having a diva moment, or that my reaction is hormonal. And just like that, my blood is boiling. I resist the urge to stomp my foot in frustration. I bring my hand up to the bridge of my nose and apply pressure before answering.

  “No. I’m not mad that he said hello. I’m mad that he used a nickname. In front of the Head Guard of MECA. Who is my boss. And who is already extremely suspicious that I drank the Kool-Aide while I was in Goblin hiding from Cashel. He probably thinks I’m a spy hidden amongst their ranks.”

  Anghus nods his head as I speak, his frown disappearing. “Ah. I see now.”

  I breathe a sigh of relief. Finally. Someone who understands the need to be careful. The need to keep any associations with the goblins on a need to know basis. I smile at his words. Just as quickly my smile fades from my lips and I grind my teeth in frustration when he continues.

  “So ye don’t want us to acknowledge that we know you at all?” Puffing out his chest, he leans toward me. “Goblins are a powerful ally to have, ye know.”

  “I know. But I’m a MECA Guard, and a leath cine. While I know that you guys are open to having us here, and forming an alliance, MECA doesn’t know that. And they’re still unwilling to entertain a truce with Goblin after you turned your backs on them when they needed your open doors the most.” I want to punch Anghus right in the face for his comments. Of course I know they are powerful allies. Stupid male posturing and their caveman ways. Next time I’ll just pound their chests for them. With a sledgehammer. The thought cheers my mood up and I try again.

  “Where is the King? And your brother? Let’s all sit down so we can address this. I don’t want to repeat myself a thousand times. I’ve had a long day.”

 
Stepping toward the locked corridor to the war room as I call it, Dare’s hand comes to rest just above the swell of my ass. Before I can object he mutters the chant before I can get it out. The heavy doors swing open and I walk forward. Not waiting for Dare and Anghus to step through after me, I start down the long hall. I’m not leaving here until the King agrees to put a gag order on his guards if they’re at MECA. I won’t let his politics and maneuvering cost me my job. My job and my crew are the only things I have. I know my crew will follow me if they need to, but I don’t want to be the reason they’re cut off from the rest of the leath cine community.

  At the bottom of the stairs leading up to the war room, I meet a shocked Kian and utter a follow me as I brush past him. King Teag is sitting at the main table in the main hall when I round the corner. His advisor, Tore, who’s also the man who claims to be my father, sits next to him. Stopping in front of them, I wait for Teag to stop speaking before I dive right in.

  “We need to talk. Now.”

  Tore’s smile dies on his face as he takes me in. Hands fisted, leaning aggressively over the table, I’m not my normal easy going picture of calm. Not even blinking at my harsh tone, or my command of the King of the Goblin Kingdom, Teag waves me forward and indicates for me to take a seat.

  “Well hello, Ever. It is so lovely to see you, and I hope you are doing well.” Teag’s tone suggests that I tread lightly. If I hadn’t dealt with a slew of crap thrown my way today, I might have winced at the warning. But I had, and I’m tired of this bullshit. I want answers, I want to continue doing what I do best, and be left the fuck alone.

  Ignoring his comments all together, I don’t bother replying but cut right to the chase. “I need you to tell any of your Guards who know who I am not to acknowledge that they know me if they see me on the grounds of MECA.” I watch his face closely for a reaction but he gives nothing away as he listens to me.