by Leder, Nissa
A Dark Eternity
Nissa Leder
Copyright © 2018 by Nissa Leder
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover design by Nissa Leder
Edited by Jessica West
www.NissaLeder.com
Created with Vellum
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Contents
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
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Also by Nissa Leder
About the Author
Chapter One
The scent of paper filled the dark library. With a mere thought, Scarlett lit three candlesticks placed on the back desk and closed the door behind her. Soon, the sun would rise and her duties as queen would begin, but, for now, she enjoyed some time to herself.
On the other side of the desk, on the bottom shelf of the tall bookcase, Scarlett pulled out four books and set them on the ground. They weren’t the books she wanted. Behind them, she’d hidden the one she needed. She carefully lifted it onto the desk. It was a large book made of black leather. Intricate gold stars of different shapes and sizes were etched into the cover and surrounded the quarter moon carved into the center.
Scarlett hovered her hand—now tattooed in white ink with a sun-like flower in its center connected to a vine pattern that circled her wrist like a bracelet—over the book’s top. She closed her eyes and felt it. A coolness swam through her veins as she inhaled.
She flipped it open and traced her fingers over the spells inside. Magic radiated from the crisp paper like heat from a fire. Some of the other books in the library possessed small sparks of magic, but this was the only book she’d found that felt powerful. The rest were filled with the realm’s history, children’s fairy tales, poems of love and loss, stories of adventure, and any other kind of book one might find in a mortal library. But none of them fascinated Scarlett like this one.
Every morning, she started her day before morning light at the desk reading the book. Like every book in the library, a different language filled the pages. Before she’d absorbed the tree’s power, it would have seemed foreign. But now, she read it with ease as if it was written her native tongue.
She’d spent countless hours entranced by the magical book over the past two weeks since learning she was the queen of this unknown realm. Something told her others might not approve of whatever the book was. Whenever anyone found her, she claimed to be studying. She needed to know more about the realm if she wanted to be a good queen to its people. It wasn’t a complete lie. But the truth was she didn’t want to be queen. Two weeks ago, she was the weakest of her group, not allowed to do anything more than hold a stupid compass.
Now, she was somehow supposed to be a ruler?
Instead of worrying, she let the book consume her. As she flipped through its crisp pages, any uneasiness in her new position or fear of the enemies she’d gained since discovering the fae world flew far away, replaced with a trance as she focused on the words in front of her. Today, she read a spell about stealing someone’s breath. Morbid, but the more morbid something was the more likely she was to need it these days.
A knock startled her. How long had she been in the library? The warm glow of sunrise shined into the room. She’d been there a while.
Scarlett hurriedly slid the book back into its hiding spot and returned to her seat at the desk. “Come in.”
Rowen, dressed in black fighting leathers, entered. Her dark hair was pulled into a bun. The solemn expression on her face reminded Scarlett of the events that occurred after she’d absorbed the power from the Life Tree—when Raith had sacrificed himself to save his mother’s life. Rowen wore her guilt in the dark circles underneath her eyes.
Scarlett had offered to share the assortment of dresses she’d found in Dana’s closet, but Rowen politely declined. Truthfully, Scarlett would have refused them too if she could have, but Vida suggested the people would be more comfortable with Scarlett as queen if she resembled their former ruler, who apparently was Scarlett’s long-lost grandmother.
She hadn’t admitted it to anyone, but the thought of ruling others brought nausea to her stomach. She might have some new, great power in her, but she didn’t know how to use it. She barely knew how to take care of herself. All she ever did was let people down. Although she wasn’t the same weak mortal so easily lured into Faerie, sometimes she felt just as worthless as she had standing upon the hill too afraid to visit her mother’s grave.
There was one benefit to her new authority. At least no one would tell her what she could or couldn’t do now. A refreshing change.
“Vida and the other council members have gathered in the throne room.” Rowen glanced to the empty table. “Is everything okay?”
Rowen’s blue eyes reminded Scarlett of Raith, sending a pang of sorrow to her chest. She stood and smoothed out her long ivory dress. “I enjoy the feel of the library.” She grinned as nonchalantly as she could. “I’m still adjusting to everything.”
“Of course you are.” Rowen’s gaze dropped. “I’m sure this is all incredibly overwhelming.”
“Just a bit. But it is what it is.” Scarlett shrugged. Probably not a very queen-like gesture, but oh well. “Better not make them wait too long.”
Though she hadn’t mastered it yet, after receiving the Life Tree’s power, Scarlett had gained the ability to evanesce. She’d always hated the queasy feeling it gave her, but she had to admit it was an efficient way to travel. So far, she’d only been able to evanesce from one room to an adjacent one.
She considered trying to make it to the throne room but reconsidered. Walking was slower, and she was in no hurry to sit in front of anyone and pretend she knew how to protect them from the Fates.
She hadn’t even been able to save Raith.
Rowen remained silent as she kept a few steps behind Scarlett. From the moment Raith had sacrificed himself, a constant wave of shame surrounded her. After doing so much to save him, he’d been the one to save her. His mother had put her energy into helping Scarlett in any way she could, which Scarlett appreciated. She felt most comfortable around Rowen, who treated her half normal. Everyone else treated her like royalty. Despite the fact that she was, it still freaked her out.
The hallway was wide—nearly as wide as Scarlett’s bedroom growing up. Windows, mostly rectangular save for their rounded tops, lined the walls allowing light to shine in, quite the change from the dark library Scarlett spent her morning in.
As the sunshine soaked into her skin, it warmed her. And not only in the normal way she’d felt when she and Natalie would spend their summers bathing in the rays, desperate for a tan, but, in a way, that made her feel powerful. The thought of Natalie tightened h
er chest. What was her best friend doing? Did she worry about Scarlett? Or did she have a new best friend to go shopping with or stay up late with, giggling over the silliest things?
She approached a tall, wooden door shaped like the hallway windows. Floral and geometrical designs like those on her arms were carved into the white wood. The same pattern was carved into the stone border surrounding the door. Every detail of the castle was perfect. From the stone floor to the high ceilings, Scarlett had yet to see a blemish or place where attention to detail had been spared.
And it was her castle. Would she ever get used to it? She remembered the awe that struck her when she first entered Faerie with Cade. Despite the overwhelming grief she carried, the grandeur of the world made her feel like a princess—whenever she wasn’t too numb to feel anything, that was. He’d needed her emotion, and she quickly learned she was no Cinderella to him, but now the magic and castle belonged to her
The previous queen, Dana, had sacrificed her magic and become mortal to postpone a vision she’d seen. The Otherworld had mostly belonged to Dana but the darkest part of the realm, called the Darkland, belong to Ankou, father to the Fates who had stolen Raith.
Scarlett hesitated outside the door. Maybe she should evanesce back to the library and walk back. It would be good practice. She sighed. Putting it off wouldn’t change the result. She had to meet with the council. Might as well get it over with.
She inhaled before entering the throne room.
Two rows of people created a path to the rose gold throne at the front of the room. Scarlett held her breath as she walked past everyone, finally exhaling when she made it to the throne.
When she turned and faced the crowd, they bowed then shifted to stand in front of her. Scarlett resisted the urge to cross her arms, a nervous habit she’d always had. She kept them pinned to her sides, allowing herself to run her thumbs over the tips of her fingers.
“My queen,” Vida spoke from the front of the group.
“Hello, Vida.” Scarlett smiled as she sat. She wasn’t sure if queens were supposed to smile at their subjects in this realm, but she felt awkward so, smiling it was.
“We’ve come with information regarding the Fates. A few of my tribe members snuck to the barrier entrance between our side of the realm and Ankou’s. As we suspected, it’s well guarded with his creatures.”
So, they’d found nothing? What good was meeting to tell her they’d failed. Anger rose in Scarlett’s throat. She clenched her fists.
What was wrong with her? They’d tried. What did she expect them to do? Die needlessly?
Scarlett inhaled and exhaled slowly, releasing the wrath inside of her.
“Any news of my friend?” She nervously bit her lip.
Scarlett could sense the anxiousness exuding from Rowen in the back of the room. With her heightened powers, sensing emotion had become second nature to her. Her gaze met Rowen’s and she saw the fear she felt reflected in Rowen’s eyes.
“None, yet. But I know them. They didn’t take him to kill him or they would have done it in front of you.”
How reassuring.
Scarlett tapped her fingertips on the cold metal of the throne. She was hopeful Raith was still alive, but that didn’t mean he was safe. They could be torturing him for information as she sat here doing nothing.
“What do you suggest we do? Sit here and wait for them to attack us?” Scarlett’s tone was harsher than she intended. “I don’t like feeling helpless.”
“We’ll try again.”
Param—the half goat, half human man, which Scarlett learned was called a satyr, who’d quizzed Scarlett and Kaelem before allowing them to go to the tree—stepped forward, his hooves clicking against the tiles. His large horns that curved backward from his head made him seem taller and regal. He served on the council as head of the guard. “The protections we have in place to keep the Fates away are still holding strong. We will continue to maintain them and research other methods to keep you safe at all times.”
“Thank you, Param.”
Next, Ailani—the satyr who’d protected the entrance to the Life Tree the others had gone through—stepped forward. She was the head of communications with the Sidhe people. “The people are excited to once again have a queen. They’ve been dropping off gifts, which we’ve stored in the castle’s ballroom. They are eager to meet you and shower you in their appreciation in person, my queen.”
“Thank you, Ailani. I’m grateful for their kindness.”
And she was, it was just too much for her to think about right then. How could she look into their eyes with no idea how to be the queen they deserved? She didn’t want to lie to them by making promises she couldn’t keep.
Once Scarlett had been updated by the other council members, she excused everyone.
“Vida,” Scarlett said. “Would you stay for a few more minutes?”
“Of course, my queen.”
“You can just call me Scarlett,” she said as everyone else left the room.
“You are the queen now,” Vida said. “Allow us to treat you as such.”
Scarlett dipped her chin. Maybe someday being called queen wouldn’t seem so strange.
“I want to know more about the Fates.”
Vida pressed her lips shut as she stared at Scarlett. Reluctance filled her aura, but she asked, “What would you like to know?
“Were they always out for power?” The question had been bothering Scarlett for a while. If they already had magic, why go to such lengths for more? Was it greed or was there more to it?
“Dana and their father, Ankou, were the first Sidhe. Legend says they were born of darkness and light to create balance, with magic to have and share. Dana never had children, but Ankou fell in love and had triplet girls. His lover died in childbirth and Ankou vowed never to love again. The girls were raised by his servants, hidden in the Darkland, the Otherworld’s land of death. When they grew into adults, they left their father and joined the outside Otherworld and lived peacefully for many years.”
“Were they… normal?” The Fates that Scarlett knew sent a tingle across her skin. They'd always creeped her out with their ominous words and black eyes. She couldn't picture them any less creepy.
“Yes. I'm not sure how they became what they are now.”
“So, Dana was the Queen of the Otherworld but not the Darkland?”
“Correct. Although the Darkland is part of the realm known as the Otherworld, it belongs to Ankou. Dana represented life. She could not rule a land of death.”
Scarlett wanted to know more, but she excused Vida. It was so much to take in that she didn’t want to overwhelm herself. She’d sensed Vida’s apprehension to disclose too much. Did Vida not trust Scarlett or did she sense her worry and not want to add more to it?
Scarlett returned to the library. She wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for a decade, but since that wouldn’t solve anything, she resisted the temptation. Instead, she allowed herself some time to her thoughts.
What were the Fates after? What could have turned them into creatures that would steal someone's heart as they had Raith’s? There was so much she didn’t know.
Whatever the reason, Scarlett was determined to get him back.
She saw the spark in everyone’s eyes when they talked about Dana.
Dana was the perfect queen. Kind, smart, beautiful. She sacrificed her own immortality to protect her people for as long as possible.
How was Scarlett supposed to live up to her?
Chapter Two
It had been a month since Kaelem returned to the Unseelie Court, where time moved faster than it did in the Otherworld. He was glad to be home, but everything felt a bit different than before.
He stood outside Aria’s door, listening to the giggling inside her room. Lurking like that was a little creepy, yes, but he had missed hearing his sister’s laugh. The image of her rotting away in the Winter prison was burned into his brain. He could only hope someday it would vanish.
&
nbsp; Kaelem knocked.
“Come in,” Aria said.
When he entered, he saw Aria and Ashleigh sitting on the couch, watching the TV that hung above the fireplace.
Aria smiled at him. Ashleigh looked the other way.
Ugh. Why is he here? Ashleigh’s thoughts were an open book.
Kaelem couldn't blame her for her distaste of him. And he didn't have the energy to change her mind, nor did he care to. There were more pressing issues. The mortal would be wise to realize the world did not, in fact, revolve around her or her desires.
“I need to steal you away for a few minutes,” he said to Aria.
“I’ll be back,” she said to Ashleigh. “Pause the show?”
“Of course.” Ashleigh grabbed the remote and clicked the pause button.
Aria followed Kaelem to his TV room. He shut the door behind them and reached his mind out to make sure no one else remained within hearing distance.
“What’s with the look of defeat, brother?” Aria asked. “You aren’t one to be so…dismal.”
It was true. Normally, instead of being stressed about something, he’d find his way to one of the hottest clubs downtown. A few drinks and a few women tended to do a good job of distracting him, but that was when his problems weren’t so damn big. Losing his sister had been the worst, but a looming war made even that seem small-scale.
Kaelem tilted his head. “You missed my last ‘dismal’ phase.”
“Oh, right.” Aria plopped onto the leather couch. “I suppose me being locked in a Winter prison might have upset you.”