Crown of Betrayal (Wicked Kingdoms Book 2)

by Graceley Knox

  What I need is answers. I need someone to give it to me straight and not tack on their own political agenda. The chances of that happening are slim to none. I’m too close to all the parties involved for them to be unbiased. I need someone who doesn’t have anything invested in the outcome of my appearance in the Light Elven Kingdom. MECA could probably care less, but then again, I recently learned they aren’t as uninvolved as they tell everyone they are. The Goblin Kingdom has given me shelter and taken care of those I hold dearest, but they hold might above all else. Allying with the Light Elven Kingdom would only make them more fearsome. Last but not least, my mother is a royal in the Light Elven Kingdom and my uncle is the current king. My mother is still missing, which adds to my worry, and my uncle is trying to make history. I’m sick of being a pawn in a deadly game of political chess. I pull at a loose string on the blanket and grumble under my breath.

  “If I only could see snippets of the future. A glimpse is all I’m asking for.”

  I look up into the fading darkness and pray that my wishes are heard by anyone who can help. Minutes go by and my glimmer of hope flicks out and helplessness fills my chest. Why me? Why would anyone involved in the grand scheme of things want me to help them? I’m angry most of the time and full of inappropriate sarcastic comments. I try to protect everyone around me but it seems like I mostly fail. I fail all the time and each time I do, it’s like another piece of my soul crumbles into a pile of ash. I can barely make sense of my own emotions let alone help everyone else with theirs. There’s got to be a reason as to why I’m tangled up in all of this. Unfortunately, no one has any gods damned answers for me, so here I am. Sitting on the ramparts and tossing wishes into the universe like a child tosses a coin into a well.

  “Perhaps I can help you with your glimpse, Ever.”

  I spin around so fast that I almost fall off of my perch on the gates. My hand flies to my chest and my heart flutters like a demented butterfly in my chest. “Gods! Who is that?” I squint into the shadows where the stranger stands. “Are you trying to kill me?”

  The fog surrounding the person dissipates and Queen Nicnivin of the Unseelie Court appears. She wears her crown of dark feathers and glimmering crystals again, but this time her midnight hair is down and frames her petite body as it billows behind her. The corners of her mouth are tilted up and her hands are clasped in front of her. Her dress is dramatic and the inky feathers come up to just under her chin, encircling her neck. Since our last meeting, I’d done some digging and Nicnivin is known for using ravens as her messenger of choice. Birds most commonly known for being harbingers of darkness and death.

  I slowly climb down from my spot so I don’t fall off while I talk with her. The last time we spoke, she showed me the possibility of what could happen if I appear in my uncle’s kingdom. I was attacked and taken by men wearing blue cloaks with the symbol of the Order of Íonachta on them. A crescent moon with the tips pointed skyward with tangled branches beneath it. I’ve since found out that their order stands for purity. They wish to purify the Fae races and intend to kill off any and all Fae that are half-blooded human to do so. They have sects in almost every kingdom and court, including one in MECA, which is supposed to be the safe place for all of the leath cine. Not just the leath cine that are half-goblin or elf and half whatever else. The thought knots my stomach and I refocus my attentions to the queen of darkness in front of me.

  “Good morning, Queen Nicnivin.” I dip my head to her in a bow. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “You spoke into the darkness and I heard your request. I’m here to help.”

  I raise a brow. “You’re here to help me?” Most Fae don’t offer help for free and the price is usually steep. “May I ask what it will cost me to receive your help?”

  Nicnivin chuckles darkly. “So cynical, Ever. My help will cost you nothing. As I told you before, I’m hedging my bets.”

  “Can I ask what you know that makes you want to put your faith in me? Because from where I’m standing, I’m not exactly taking the house.”

  “I disagree, Ever. From where I stand, you’ve got the figurative house in the palm of your hand. You only have to know when to call and when to fold.”

  My temple throbs with her euphemism and I push it out of my head to think about later. “Bets aside, what glimpse can you give me this time?”

  “One that I think you’ll find most helpful.” She holds out her tiny hand in front of her and I step forward.

  Before I grasp her hand in mine, I ask a final question. “Is this another warning? Another possibility? Or is it a certainty?”

  Nicnivin shakes her head. “This isn’t a glimpse of the future but of something that has already taken place.”

  “And how do I know you aren’t manipulating these glimpses to ply me to your will?”

  “Would you have my blood oath?” She pulls her hand back and I almost leap for it.

  “No. Just your willingness to offer it proves you’re telling the truth. I think you more than anyone know about the horrors the Sluagh can inflict if an oath is broken.”

  “That I do. Shall we begin?” She presents her dainty hand to me once more and I step forward and clasp it between my own. With a gasp, I’m thrown into the glimpse I asked for.

  I’m in a sparsely decorated cave. The walls around me are a light brown with streaks of darker colors as water drips down the sides of the openings. Voices sound and I step toward them. The voices are hushed and hurried. Unsure if they can see me, I peek around the rocks creating a door and take them in. Both wear deep blue cloaks with their hoods obscuring their faces in shadows, and one gestures angrily as he speaks with the other.

  “We should never have brought him here. He is a risk to us all!”

  “We had no choice. It was either leave him with the girl to be captured and killed or take him with us.”

  “You should have let him be killed.”

  “He’s more useful to us alive. We can control him, and he thinks that he is in charge of all of this.”

  “Cashel is a lunatic. He tortured that little girl and wants to marry his cousin.”

  “The girl he tortured was a dirty-blooded mongrel who shouldn’t even be allowed to live. And so long as Ever bears an heir, the prophecy will come to pass. I don’t care who she lets impregnate her dirty body, so long as she has the child so we may take it and bend it to our will.” The man stops walking and faces the other man. “Are you going soft? Nothing else matters. Nothing.”

  “I’m not going soft.” The man huffs in affront. “I’m only saying that there may be a smarter way to get what we want.”

  “And that would be?”

  “Let her continue her relationship with the goblin. Her child will still be pure-blooded Fae if he impregnates her. It will just be more goblin than elf. Perhaps at that point she would no longer want the babe and we could convince her to let us have it.”

  “I will give you two months to see if this plan works. If not, we go back to our original plan. Speak with Frederick and see what he has to say about it. He’s been helpful thus far.”

  The second man nods and walks off in the opposite direction of the first.

  The scene shimmers around the edges and I blink my eyes open. My mind is racing and my hands are shaking from what I’ve just seen. So I react in the only way I know how. With sarcasm so I can avoid the topic at hand until I can fully process it. “Is there any way I could convince you to be my own personal crystal ball? I mean no offense, but with this ability, it’s a wonder you haven’t taken over all of Faerie.”

  Nicnivin ducks her head demurely. “There is a balance amongst the universe. Even if I wanted to, I am unable to see much in regards to my own wants and desires. Only those of others.”

  “Ah. An Achilles’ heel as it were.”

  “Yes.” Her tone goes from light to threatening and she takes a step forward. “There are not many alive who know about this disadvantage. I would keep in mind that it’s like
that for a reason.”

  I step back and gulp down a ball of trepidation. “Yup. I…um…I hear you loud and clear. Lips are sealed.” I pretend to zip my lips shut and throw away the key. “Secret’s safe with me.”

  “Good. I must go. Someone is coming. I’d suggest that you don’t tell anyone of how you know this information. For now, it might be best to see who you can trust completely and who is out for their own gain. I bid you good luck, Ever.”

  In a blink she’s gone, a lone jet-black feather floating on the wind the only indication that she was here and I didn’t just imagine the entire encounter. I turn back to the view from the gates of the Goblin Kingdom and relish my final few moments of silence. The Order of Íonachta wants me to have a baby so they can steal it and raise it to be their mouthpiece in a war against so-called impurity. I’ve never considered having children. In fact, I’ve avoid thinking about it. What if I end up like my mother? Absent, cold, and completely clueless as to how to raise a child. I wouldn’t wish the hurt and feelings of inadequacy I grew up with on my worst enemy. I’m raising Arela, but she makes it easy. She’s already a teenager and can do things on her own. I don’t know that I’ll be able to care for a child who’s completely dependent on me. I also don’t know that I want to bring a child into a world that’s about to be torn into pieces by a coming war.

  I sigh and watch the puff of warm air take shape in front of my nose. If only my problems could disappear as quickly as a warm breath of air on a cool morning. The door behind me clicks open and I turn my head to look over my shoulder. It’s Dare. I smile softly at him and watch as he approaches. He’s wearing a thick, long-sleeved white shirt with a heavy vest over it. No jackets for him. He says they restrict his movement. I don’t mind the view of his muscular arms rippling in the fabric of the long-sleeved shirts, so I’m not going to remind him that even goblins can catch a cold. He looks me over as he approaches and his eyes narrow. I hate that I’m the one to cause him so much worry. It eats me up inside to know that, on top of everything else happening between us, I’m only adding to his stress every day instead of lessening it.

  He steps up beside me and kisses the top of my head. His warm breath on my cool skin sends a shiver through me. I lean against him and accept his quiet strength when he wraps his arm securely around me.

  “Hey.” I look up at him and try to smile so he’ll smile back at me.

  “Good morning, little álainn.” His voice is rough in the morning when he first wakes up. It scratches against my nerve endings and sparks desire through my body. “I woke up and you were gone. I do not like not waking up to you in my arms.” He frowns grumpily and I try to stop my lips from twitching in amusement.

  “I like waking up in your arms too, goblin.” I press myself into his embrace further. “I just needed a few minutes of silence to myself this morning.”

  “Again?” He looks down at me, his expression serious. “Are you avoiding me, little álainn? Tell me what I can do to help, and I will do so. I can’t do anything with silence.”

  Instead of snapping at him that, yeah, I need silence again, gods damnit, I think on my answer. “Yes, again. All day every day, I’ve got people talking to me about what I should and shouldn’t do. And I don’t want to worry you any more than I need to. You’re already at your limits just figuring out security semantics for everyone. The last thing I want to do is add to it all. I don’t want you to resent me and everything I have going on. When you’re with me, I want it to be happy and light and sexy and none of the bad.” My voice cracks a little at the end and I push him back so I can squeeze between him and the stone wall.

  He rubs a hand over the lines marring his forehead before he drops it to my hip. “Ever.” He sighs and squeezes me gently. “We are never going to be only light and happy. All of this between us is heavy and dark and full of every emotion possible. I don’t want just the fun and worry-free stuff. I want to help you see through the darkness, and I want to help carry all of your troubles. I won’t deny that I crave any and all of our intimate moments, but I also want to learn about you. What makes you tick. What scares you. What delights you and what you want in life. That is what a relationship is. It’s all of that. All of the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful moments rolled into one package that we unwrap together.”

  I lean forward and rest my forehead in the middle of his chest. My eyes sting and tears fall. All I’ve done for the past few days is flip between sadness and crying and rage and fleeting moments of happiness. Dare’s wormed his way inside my heart until I can’t pretend that I can push him out any longer. Even if I wanted to, it would shatter me. I tried to avoid it for months but he wouldn’t let me. I told him that he’d end up breaking my heart and I was right. But what I didn’t know was that he’d be the one to help me piece it back together and help me protect it.

  “Dare.” I sniffle unattractively and wipe the tears away. “I’m so scared of everything. I’m afraid that I’m going to mess this up, and I’m petrified that I won’t be able to protect everyone I love. I’m terrified that I’m going to make a bad decision, and when I do, I won’t be the only one who’s affected.” I look up at him. “If I were the only one in the crosshairs, I wouldn’t be frozen and unable to make a decision. But it’s not just me. It’s you and my crew and Arela, and according to prophecies and Goddesses, it’s the future of two kingdoms. That is a lot of pressure on anyone’s shoulders. I’m not meant to rule anything. I’m meant to take orders and get shit done.”

  “Ever—”

  I barely hear him say my name. My own thoughts are deafening as I speak them aloud. “And don’t even get me started on the baby situation. I’m supposed to have a child who will unite kingdoms? Talk about even more pressure. What if I don’t want my child to rule kingdoms? I don’t even know if I can handle a child. What if I’m a horrible mother? What if something happens to that child? I’d lose my mind. I don’t know that I can take the heartache if something else happens to another loved one. When did my life become so complicated?” I stop talking and just stare into his sunset-orange and deep autumn-red eyes like they’ve got all the answers.

  “Are you finished?” He rubs a hand up my back and I take a shaky breath.

  “Yeah, I think I’m finished. Sorry.”

  “I could shake you right now.” He growls the words and I frown at him. “Where is the spitfire who told me to go to hell multiple times? Where is the fearless little warrior who ignores orders and takes matters into her own hands? You’re scared. I understand that. We’re all scared, but taking action and making the wrong decision is better than not taking any action at all.”

  I mull his words over and try to fight through the tangled mess of thoughts in my head. My heart beats fast as I try make a decision. Just one decision and I’ll be able to make the rest, right? I expel a deep breath and squeeze my eyes shut.

  “Okay. One thing at a time, right?”

  Dare nods and smiles reassuringly.

  “First, I need to speak with the Druids. I have a few vital questions for them. Then I need to sit down with my crew and go over what we have for information on MECA. From there we can come up with a plan of attack. After that, I need to check in on Arela and see how she’s doing.” The pressure in my chest lessens marginally now that I’ve planned out the first few things on my agenda for the day. “After all of that’s finished, I’ll figure out the rest.” I nod once, matter-of-factly.

  Dare steps back and holds out his hand to me. I place my cold hand in his warm one and squeeze.

  “Thank you.”

  Dare shakes his head. “Don’t thank me, Ever. The world is at your feet. I’m only along for the ride.”

  If I had a map, maybe I wouldn’t be so lost.

  Continue Reading in Throne of Secrets

  Also By

  Graceley Knox

  The Wicked Kingdoms Series:

  1. Mark of Truth

  2. Crown of Betrayal

  3. Throne of Secrets
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  Dear Reader,

  Thank you so much for taking the time to read Crown of Betrayal. I hope you enjoyed reading about Ever and her crew as much as I enjoyed penning their story.

  Currently I have quite a few books planned for Ever and her merry band of misfits. If you’d like to stay up to date on all of my upcoming books, please sign up for my newsletter here: http://bit.ly/GKNewsletter. Or make sure you follow me on Facebook @GraceleyKnox!

  If you’re a fan or you’d like to stay in touch, please join my street team, Knox’s Vixens. Giveaways, Advance Reader Copies, hot men, and awesome book recommendations are the norm over there!

  If you enjoyed Crown of Betrayal, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads. I love any and all feedback and every review counts!

  Stay Wicked,

  Graceley

  Acknowledgements

  Oh, Ma. What on earth would I do without you? Run out of space in my office, forget to grocery shop, or even function outside of work and writing. It’s because of you that I can chase this crazy dream of mine. And I hope you know that every effort you make, every tiny detail, is noticed and more than appreciated. Thank you for laughing with me, crying with me, and for loving me no matter what.

  Dear ol’ Dad. You’ve always been there for me. When I needed to crash land, take some time away from life, or even just kick your ass in Yahtzee. There aren’t words that say how grateful and lucky I truly am to have you as my father. I’ll see you soon so I can steal my dog back. A re-match is definitely in order.