Well, I’d already almost died once this week. Might as well keep the fun going. The Fae magic crackled around me. I grinned at Fina, ignored Adora’s protests, and stepped into the dark room.
As soon as I crossed the threshold, the magic raced over my skin like a curious, sparking touch. It made my hair stand on end, and my wolf alert and attentive internally. Not fear, just—intensity.
Curiosity. Then, as I squinted into the inky darkness, torches lining the walls sparked to life.
Light flooded the room. I gasped, my eyes widening as I drank in the sight in front of me.
This wasn’t just a room. This was a vault.
It was a small room, low ceiling, with stone walls lined with shelves. Where there weren’t shelves, there were glass cases, lining the space like the books in the library. It was crowded, stuffed with items, and the whole room crackled with energy.
“Wow,” I murmured.
Fina and Adora stepped in behind me, both equally shocked. “What is all this?” Adora asked. “Fae artifacts,” Fina said. “A lot of them.” “These are all Fae?” I asked.
“I would assume so,” Fina said. “That’s why the energy is so strong. The magic has nowhere to go, it’s just bouncing between all these artifacts. I wonder where the owners are…”
“What do you mean, owners?” I asked. I walked to one of the cases near the back, which was full of fine jewelry.
“Well, my tutor used to tell me that each Fae had a special item they used to help channel their power from Faerie into our realm,” Fina said. She leaned so close to one of the wall shelves that her breath fogged the glass shielding an immense golden dagger. “If you separate a Fae from their channel, they’re a lot easier to kill.”
So why would all these items be here? If the Fae were gone, why were their artifacts beneath the Nightfall manor? And why did the magic still work? If the magic still worked… Did that mean the owner was still out there? Or was it just an echo? The questions rolled over in my mind.
“This is crazy,” Fina murmured. “I didn’t even know you could still find items like this. I wonder what the king plans to do with them.”
I peered at a small golden ring, resting on a white pillow under the glass case. It had a tiny gem inlaid in it, so small it was like a single drop of blood. My fingers itched with the desire to touch it. It was like the magic in the ring was calling to me, specifically. Briefly, crazily, I wondered if the glass case opened.
“What’s this?” Adora asked. She was leaning over a small table tucked against the opposite wall. This one was not shielded in glass. “A record?” I straightened up. “Like a ledger?”
“I think so,” Adora said. “It looks old, too.”
With some effort I pulled my attention away from the delicate ring and hurried over to join Adora. The book on the table had a dark leather cover, with no title or wording on it. The front cover was blank, too—no title, no author, no date. The other pages included careful illustrations of each item in the room. Enchanted dagger. Armored brace. Ring of unknown power. Some had names next to them, too. No dates.
At the back of the ledger, there were maps drawn—maps like the ones I’d seen in Blaylock’s book, and in the library. Maps that showed the Efra shrinking over time. Under one of the later maps, a section of forest that was once neighborhoods was circled in dark ink, with a question scrawled next to it. Why no evidence?
It seemed like whoever had last used this ledger had the same questions I did. But it offered no answers—nor even a hint to who had written the question.
“I haven’t seen a book bound in this style in a long time,” Adora said. “This is an old ledger.”
I nodded in agreement. “I wonder how old.”
Who brought these artifacts here? Was it Nightfall? Or—were these already here when Nightfall took power? I kept thumbing through the ledger as Fina peered at the artifacts. I was absorbed in the detailed drawings and maps as the questions folded over each other, leading only to more and more questions like ripples in a pond. I had no idea how much time had passed, until Adora finally cleared her throat.
“Um,” she said, “it’s been a little while now, and we do have an appointment with the tailor…” “Oh, right!” I snapped the ledger closed.
Fina looked just as startled. “Right—shouldn’t be late.”
Our eyes met, and I knew we were thinking the same thing: didn’t want someone to come looking for us and find us down here. We left the room just as we’d found it, an abyss of inky darkness with a big, mysterious lock.
“T here you are,” Amity said as I stepped back into my quarters. “I was about to send Rue out looking for you. Your escort has been asking about you, and he’s quite insistent.”
Rue shifted back into her human form, looking slightly disappointed to have lost the tracking mission. I clapped a hand over my mouth as guilt rushed through me. Barion! Of course, he’d heard about what had happened with Rona—surely he was worried about me. I’d been so wrapped up in the political repercussions I hadn’t checked in with him.
“Terribly sorry,” I said, “I was with the other ladies and lost track of time.”
Amity raised her eyebrows, but only nodded. “Well, there’s lunch if you want it, milady, and the designer is currently meeting with the council, and should be here shortly. Would you like Rue to fetch your escort?”
“Please,” I said.
Rue hurried out of the room, and a few minutes later, Barion burst in with his eyes wide. I had barely stood up from the table before he crossed the room in a hurry, then tugged me into a hard embrace.
“Reyna,” he said gruffly. “I heard what happened. You’re all right?”“I’m all right,” I said, muffled into his chest. “Seriously, I’m okay.”He pulled back and gripped my upper arms, examining me as if checking for wounds. “You’re sure? You were attacked by a wolf, Reyna, that’s no small event.”“I’m aware of that,” I said. I sat back down at the table and scarfed down some of the sliced meats and cheeses the girls had prepared for me. “Things were a little complicated because of the weapon I used.”“I’m glad you had it on you,” Barion said. “I knew I taught you to be prepared.”“Well, I would’ve appreciated it if you’d told me everything about that blade,” I hissed, low. “I’d only intended to subdue her.”Barion pressed his lips together in a thin line. “With a wolf like Rona, one of you would’ve ended up dead. I’m simply grateful it was her and not you.”I sighed. I knew he was right—if I had injured Rona, she would’ve kept attacking me. Even though the king had intervened, she woul
In Daybreak, I was a lady—and the Ice Princess.At the ball, I would be representing my pack as a woman I never could be in Daybreak itself.“What do you think, milady?” Rue asked as she fastened the ribbon on the back of the corset. It tied at mid-back, so when I removed my cape, I could reveal an expanse of my pale back if I so desired.“I love it.” I stepped out from behind the dressing screen and back in front of Aerika’s discerning gaze.She hummed thoughtfully, then instructed me to twirl. I did so, lifting up on the ball of one foot to spin in a smooth circle; the skirt swept out around me in a rush of pale tulle and white like sea foam. Aerika tutted to herself, then held her hand up for me to stop. Then she made some minor adjustments on the dress, pinning the skirt here and there and adjusting the corset.“Good,” she said, “just minor fitting adjustments.”Amity and Rue ushered me back behind the screen to carefully peel me out of the dress without disturbing Aerika’s carefu
Briefly, all eyes in the room turned to me. And there were a lot of eyes. This was a far bigger ball than the prior gala. There was no dining room table, just tall consoles for hors d’oeuvres; the lush curtains were pulled closed against the windows and the room was lit in warm candlelight. In the corner, the band played a slow, delicate song as the guests milled about.At the back of the room, the king, the duchess, and the council were all seated at a long table atop a dais. The king was in the center, and his dark eyes found me immediately. He was dressed in a dark shirt and pants with an equally dark cloak, and for the first time, I saw him wearing the simple, delicate gold band around his forehead that was the king’s crown.It was striking. It suited him. Internally, my wolf perked up, easily ignoring the presence of all the other shifters to focus on the king.Maybe she was interested in him, but all I could think about was how easily he’d wrapped his hand around Lord Cazzell’s
“Wine, milady?” a passing servant asked. He had a single glass of fine, pale liquid on a carrying tray, unlike the other servants passing by with full ones. I took it gratefully and the servant swept away.I could try to forget, but my wolf couldn’t. Mate.The king couldn’t really overrule the council, could he? Certainly they’d want Adora. There was no way whatever strange tension was between the king and me would outweigh the real, tangible power the Starcrest coffers and resources would bring to Nightfall.Fina cleared her throat.I blinked back into the present.“Milady?” an unfamiliar man asked, with a tone that suggested he had already said this once or twice before. He was taller than me, with dark hair and a stern, barely lined face, in a dark military dress uniform that had a heavy cape. “Pardon me for interrupting.”“Ah.” I took a sip of my wine. “Beg your pardon.”Fina and Adora delicately took their leave, leaving me alone with the stranger. It was the proper thing to do,
I closed my eyes tightly, trying to will away the spins. The nausea worsened even when I was sitting down. How had this happened? I’d only had one glass of wine! Sure, I’d drunk it a bit quickly, but it was still just a single glass!But, I realized through the haze, it had been the only glass on the servant’s platter. Had he tampered with it in some way? Given me something to make me dizzy? But why would he do that?Why would a servant have stakes in this Choice? Someone else must’ve given it to him.“Lady Reyna?” a cold voice asked.That was not Cyran. I took a breath and looked up.Lady Glennis glared down at me impassively, looking as terrifying as ever in her dark dress gown. “Lady Reyna? Your initial trial will now begin.” “Initial?” I asked.Her expression only soured further. “Are you drunk?”“No!” I staggered to my feet, and Lady Glennis had to steady me with a hand on my upper arm. She did not look pleased about it. “I’m fine. I’m ready to begin.”She did not look convinced
My head pounded, my heart raced, sweat beaded on my forehead. My senses began to heighten:smell first, as the smell of booze and sweat began to permeate my senses. Not just sweat—the king’s sweat. The way he’d smelled in the arena. I could smell it now, and my nostrils flared.The duchess looked at the king, and he nodded once. Curt and quick. Under the careful gazes of the council, I felt like I was about to be walked to the gallows.“Majority wins,” Lady Marin said in a cold voice. “Lady Reyna progresses to the final round.” The final round—the last two contestants in the Choice.The king’s eyes gleamed gold as he watched me. Like there wasn’t anyone else in the room.That’s when it happened.My wolf surged to the surface. I was weakened from whatever had happened, exhausted from the trial, and desperate to know what in the gods’ names the council was talking about. I couldn’t hold her back anymore. I clapped my hands over my mouth as my canines elongated, and my vision sharpened;
Not with the king, of course, but in a colder climate. Somewhere like Efra.I crashed out of the tree line and into a small clearing. A few paths led to different parts of the woods, and I inhaled deeply, trying to catch a scent that wasn’t the king’s. I had no idea how far I’d run. I didn’t want to leave the king’s territory and trespass into another pack’s land.I was about to head down one of the paths, to keep the chase going, but I’d underestimated the king’s speed.He crashed into me hard, knocking me onto my side; I yelped as I hit the dirt and all the breath was knocked from my lungs. He pinned me with his weight, and before I could snap my jaws at him, his sharp teeth set at my throat and bit down. Not hard enough to break the skin, but hard enough that I could feel their presence like a promise. His breath rushed hot over my pelt. I was tense beneath him, desperate to thrash and fight, but not with those teeth so close to my jugular.Then he withdrew his jaws, but kept me pi
He lay down next to me, then nosed at my neck, and at the fur behind my ear. His exhale washed over me, and having his scent so close soothed me, made my pulse slow down as exhaustion washed over. He pressed close, his warm bulk surrounding mine. Distantly, I knew this wasn’t appropriate, but the protest was faint, like a mosquito buzzing. Easy to wave away and ignore. Especially when I was so tired. And the king smelled so good. And he was so warm. And the den was so safe. I huffed an exhale and nuzzled closer.Sleep, his voice rumbled. I’ll protect us.Sleep fell over me like a heavy blanket, comfortable and warm.When I woke up, enough time had passed that the early morning light was beginning to filter intothe opening of the cave. I hummed, blinking slowly into wakefulness. My whole body was deliciously sore, like the day after a particularly good sparring session, and my usually circling thoughts were finally quieted. I nuzzled closer to the warm body beneath me. The broad, musc