Shadow Hunter (Court of Life and Death Book 2)

by Melody Rose

  Shadow Hunter

  Courts of Life and Death book 2

  Melody Rose

  Contents

  1. Myrcedes

  2. Kalian

  3. Daath

  4. Myrcedes

  5. Myrcedes

  6. Syrion

  7. Myrcedes

  8. Myrcedes

  9. Myrcedes

  10. Daath

  11. Myrcedes

  12. Myrcedes

  13. Myrcedes

  14. Myrcedes

  15. Syrion

  16. Kalian

  17. Myrcedes

  18. Kalian

  19. Myrcedes

  20. Myrcedes

  21. Daath

  22. Myrcedes

  23. Myrcedes

  24. Kalian

  25. Daath

  26. Myrcedes

  27. Syrion

  28. Kalian

  29. Myrcedes

  30. Kalian

  31. Myrcedes

  32. Myrcedes

  A Note from the Author

  1

  Myrcedes

  The breath of the Kings warmed me as I laid in the blue velvet feather bed between them. For the first night in months, I experienced a true sense of peace. Since meeting and falling in love with these beings, there had been a threat against my life, polluting even the most serene moments. Once we’d eliminated that threat, I’d had to go without my lovers, my Kings. Now, all was well. We were safe. I was happy, protected, powerful, with nothing to bother my heart or mind.

  Maybe it was the unfamiliarity of this very peacefulness that made it impossible to sleep. I’d passed out after a beautiful reunion with my Kings, but after what felt like just minutes of sleep, I was awake again. I didn’t feel troubled. No, I felt energized, like I used to feel the night of Christmas Eve; tomorrow was the start of a new life that I could only imagine. Now that Minerva, the Unseelie Queen who’d been out to get me since the moment I was born, was nothing but a pile of ashes, I knew I was Queen of Earth, and with Daath, Syrion, and I reunited, everything felt well.

  The restlessness was almost charming at first, but I was bored out of my mind very quickly. In the darkness, I pulled myself from between Daath and Syrion. I felt a caring smile on my face as they stirred a bit. I reached for the soft cheek of Syrion and stroked it, repeating the gesture with Daath. These were the Kings of the Night, Rulers of the Universe, yet they looked so innocent lying in my bed with a space between them made just for me.

  The night air was just cold enough to persuade me to put on real clothes rather than pajamas. I slid on shoes and glanced around the room at the priceless paintings and statues and the wall made of windows, looking fondly at the shooting star-like lights in the sky. I recalled the first night I’d awoken here after slaying the reaper at the nightclub and officially meeting Daath and Syrion. That night, Daath had explained what he was, made me a reaper, and promised to protect me. That felt like it had been a lifetime ago, just as it felt like it had been ages since I’d seen the House of Stars.

  The House of Stars, this grand mansion nestled in a pocket of time and space on Earth precious few could access, seemed even more lovely than I remembered. I slid silently out of the room and wandered through the halls. They were as full of art as my room was. I could have sworn I recognized a few of the paintings from a book or a school project, but I could never place them. They were stunning to look at.

  I glanced down at my reflection in the floor. Man, I looked like a mess. I ran a hand through my faded purple hair and made a mental note to have Lindsay help me re-dye it soon. Normally I’d switch colors, but I’d grown fond of the purple.

  In the silence of the private estate, I closed my eyes. I remembered the sounds of the hustle and bustle in the Moonstone Castle and how it smelled in the morning as the kitchen finished breakfast. I missed Gloria’s loud and loving voice shouting orders to everyone in the room, with a base of patience but a tone demanding speed that only a grandmother could master. If I was right, breakfast preparations should just be starting…

  In the course of letting my mind wander, I suddenly found myself standing at the kitchen door in the Moonstone Castle in the Underworld.

  “Oh, good morning!” one of the cooks said, nearly running into me as I so suddenly appeared. Gloria looked up from peeling potatoes and gasped with excitement. The wraith made her way over to me and pulled me into a big hug, and I returned the gesture. She was wearing her World’s Best Grandma apron, and she’d wrapped up her gray-brown curls in a bandana.

  “Mercy me, it’s my Myrcy!” she cooed. “Oh, sugar, I wasn’t sure when I was going to see you again! Where’ve you been? You look like you haven’t had a half-decent meal since you left. I’ll show those two Kings of the Night a thing or two about feeding you-”

  “Gloria!” one of the younger confectioners squeaked.

  The head cook just laughed and waved her off. I’d seen the relationship Gloria had developed with Daath and Syrion. It was one of respect and gentle admonishment, and they’d come to expect it. “Now, what are you doing here so early, Myrcedes?”

  I laughed at the exchange between them and glanced around. I wasn’t quite sure. I hadn’t meant to world jump here, but my mind must have wandered so vividly. I felt disappointed in the lack of control that demonstrated, but at least it had happened without putting me in danger. Even so, I didn’t want to admit that I had been so reckless. “Well, I… guess I wanted to see if you needed any help with breakfast this morning.” That felt like a bit of a modest thing to offer now that I was a Queen, but it was a solid excuse and gave me a chance to spend time with someone I’d missed.

  Gloria beamed at the offer to help and wasted no time handing me an apron of my own and assigning tasks. My experience with cooking had been almost entirely out of necessity, so I wouldn’t call myself any kind of expert, but the other spirits in the kitchen were happy to help. I’d asked Syrion once why all the beings who worked in the kitchen were spirits. Apparently, humans had the most enjoyable grasp on food out of any other creatures, so when a spirit found its way to this side of the Underworld where the Moonstone Castle was, they were always a welcome addition to the kitchen staff.

  I helped the larderer set up and prepare the food for the cooks on the island in the middle of the large kitchen while everyone else moved in a flurry of activity around us. It was exhilarating to be in the middle of so much confident movement while Gloria caught me up on everything that had been happening over the past week while I was in Seattle. I’d stayed in my apartment with my best friend ever since I learned that Daath and Syrion hid the fact that Daath and Minerva used to date from me. Was date the right term? Did immortal beings date? Either way, they had been involved, and after learning that she was trying to kill me, they didn’t feel like it was necessary information. It was a little obnoxious that it had taken them a week to apologize, but they’d more than made up for it last night.

  There wasn’t much that I had missed aside from the fact that the Kings had been spotty and in sour moods all week, regularly snapping at anyone that didn’t anticipate their complex needs, which was just about everyone. That wasn’t surprising, as no one knew them the way I did. This gave me a slightly smug smile. I’d forgiven the Kings for all the secrets they’d kept from me about Minerva, but knowing their week without me had been just as shitty as mine was satisfying.

  “But I think,” Gloria mused as she whipped a bowl of eggs, “that’s all going to change now.” A knowing smile graced her motherly face. “I think they missed you.” I smiled as my cheeks warmed up. I knew they’d missed me but began to blush, anyway. I was about to say s
omething when Gloria interjected one last time.

  “But not at much as I did,” the spirit winked.

  I giggled and leaned over to hug the wraith from the side, not interrupting her work. “I missed you too, Gloria.”

  The cooks, butlers, and everyone else filled me in on the gossip from the rest of the castle for the past week until it was time to start preparing the main hall for breakfast. Gloria had me help carry plates, and I tried to tell myself it wasn’t because I had almost cut myself slicing bacon, and now she was afraid of who or what I could hurt. The castle residents babbled when they saw me helping the staff set up breakfast, and I began to feel an annoying buzz in the back of my mind as they gossiped away. I’d always felt annoyed at the sense of superiority the Kings seemed to have regarding everyone around them, but as hypocritical as it felt, I believed I was developing one of my own. I began to wonder what everyone knew and how much they had been told about what had happened. Did any of them know who I was, or did they still think I was the Kings’ mistress?

  As I set the plates out around the large dining table, the hubbub of voices quieted quite suddenly. I turned to grab another plate and realized the sudden silence had come from the entrance of Daath and Syrion in all their royal splendor. No wonder the chattering creatures had all fallen silent. The Kings looked fiercely intimidating in their perfectly tailored suits and cloaks. Daath, the pale-skinned, onyx-eyed King of the Underworld with hair the color of midnight that fell just above his shoulders, walked into the room with an expression that could kill. Syrion, his brother, contrasted him in every way: his hair was snow white, his eyes liquid silver, and his skin the color of dark caramel. His face held an expression that was ice cold and unreadable. The two of them were each surrounded by a cloud of color. Daath emanated darkness of black tendrils while Syrion glowed with an Angelic white light. I beamed and ran over to them, throwing my arms around their necks, kissing each of their cheeks, my own purple cloud of hellfire enveloping theirs. Their expressions faded from sheer murderous aggression to mere worry and confusion.

  “Good morning, sourpusses,” I greeted. “What’s the matter?”

  “Little owl,” Daath brushed my hair and rested his palm on my cheek. I leaned into his soft skin and smiled. “We awoke, and you were nowhere to be found, not in the room, not even in the realm.” His black aura reached out to me, mixing with the purple air of my own. Though he was silent, Syrion’s did the same, and I knew the two of them must have felt terrified.

  “I’m sorry,” I sighed. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I just couldn’t sleep, and I… suppose I let my mind wander too much. I world jumped here, so I decided to help Gloria with breakfast. It won’t happen again.” I squeezed both of their hands. “I promise.”

  “As long as you’re alright,” Daath exhaled in relief.

  “While we’re here,” Syrion spoke with a ghost of a smile that only Daath and I could recognize, “there’s something we haven’t had the opportunity to do.”

  “What?” I cocked my head. The brothers shared a look as they examined the room. Daath gestured for me to follow them, and I felt a twinge of annoyance at them leaving me out of the loop on something so soon after we’d resolved that as a major issue. I crossed my arms as I followed them up the dais overlooking the table where a flurry of activity and hunger propelled the supernatural creatures like ants.

  Syrion raised a hand, and Daath cleared his throat, immediately silencing the room. Everyone stopped what they were doing to listen in earnest and ever so slight fear of the Kings, and I was just as confused as they were.

  “As many of you know, there was recently an incident involving the Unseelie Queen,” Daath began. “Before her death, she revealed something Syrion and I had begun to suspect.”

  “You’ve all become aware of the presence of Myrcedes Kardia, a new reaper, and someone we have begun spending much time with.” I gazed in wonder at the twins as they spoke. What were they doing? “For as long as the Underworld has existed, we have ruled it as two.”

  “Now,” Daath continued. “We are here to announce that we are no longer a pair of rulers… we are a trio.”

  A smile spread across my face as I realized what they were doing… announcing me as their Queen.

  “We only waited to announce this until she was present. From here throughout the rest of time,” Syrion actually grinned, a recognizable grin that no one could mistake and shocked everyone to see, “Myrcedes is your Queen. As Daath is Death, Myrcedes is Spirit, and will rule alongside us.”

  The hall broke out into a sea of applause from everyone, accompanied by hollers and cheers from several of the creatures, the loudest being Maluc and Hestus, the gargoyle brothers who guarded the entrance to the Moonstone Castle. Siena, ever the playful succubus, gave an unmistakable wolf whistle, and I tried to hold back a laugh as I took a small bow.

  Daath put his hand on the small of my back and leaned in to whisper in my ear. “We have something for you.”

  I felt my purple flames flare as a tingle traveled up my spine, and he snapped behind my back. I turned around to see a throne, sitting between the pure white Moonstone and midnight black Onyx ones, made of the same purple moonstone that adorned my reaper scythe. On the seat sat a crown, similar to their own made of stars. My hand rose to my mouth, and I struggled to maintain an air of composure as excitement and emotion welled within me.

  “I…” I didn’t know what to say. “Thank you.” My face felt hot with excitement.

  “All the Underworld,” Syrion’s voice pulled my attention from the beautiful new addition to the room, “and any other creatures that exist within this universe shall now refer to you as Queen, as Spirit.”

  A grateful smile graced my face as I nodded to the Kings. Spirit. It felt right. Just as Daath was Death, my place was over Earth, and I could use my position and my abilities to help it.

  After the announcement, I found my bearings, descended to the floor, and began making myself a plate. The Kings still had their food prepared and presented to them, but I figured it would be a while before I was comfortable with that. As I piled a plate, I finally saw Siena, Hestus, and Maluc. I had been so focused on how badly I missed Daath and Syrion that I hadn’t realized how much I missed them too. I’d just seen Siena the night before when she visited Lindsay and me in our apartment in Seattle, but I hadn’t seen the gargoyle brothers since we returned to the Castle after I killed Minerva. I recalled how relieved I was that they were safe and that they helped protect my loves, along with…

  “Hey, what happened to Kalian?”

  2

  Kalian

  “Here,” a gravelly voice mumbled, setting a plate of food on the floor before shutting the cell door again.

  I sat against the wall, my eyes drifting from the chip in the ceiling I stared at to keep myself sane to the plate of dry meat and nearly raw potatoes. I couldn’t help but scoff to myself and wonder if the food was this bad because I was a prisoner, or because the cook was a witch tricked into serving Minerva. Surely the minute Minerva died, half the staff in her palace fled from their posts. This food may have been the best anyone was getting anymore.

  I sighed and got up to grab the plate and sit on the bed, a half-stuffed straw mattress on a steel frame. If I ever got out of here, I didn’t think my back would ever recover.

  Once I’d decided to betray Minerva and help the Lords of the Night, I knew I wouldn’t exactly be anyone’s favorite around the fae realm or the Jewel Palace, the royal castle in the world of the fae. I’d watched Minerva go too far for too long to let her carry on, however. I’d followed her as her army General in war, helped guide her in political matters, even sworn myself to secrecy regarding some of her commands that I could be executed for being a part of. I had more loyalty to the balance of power in the universe than I did to one woman, however, no matter how strong she was. Minerva had wanted to destroy the balance entirely so that she could rule without opposition or distraction.

  It
had been hard to wrap my head around the fact that I needed to abandon the Queen I had served for thousands of years and give her up to her enemies, but even so, I was too late. If I had arrived at the Moonstone Castle sooner, I could have warned the Kings not to trust her. I had to admit, at least in the privacy of my own mind, that part of me blamed them for being so foolish. Minerva confided in me that she believed they knew she was behind the recent chaos in the worlds, and if that was the case, why would they ever have agreed to meet her? She had asked them to meet her in the fae realm, one of the few places in the universe where bloodwood grew. Bloodwood was the only thing that could truly trap the Lords of the Night, and yet knowing this, they ventured into her castle as though they were meeting an old friend for tea. They should have known better. If they’d only used their senses, things could have been different. I wouldn’t have been too late, I wouldn’t have met Myrcedes, and I wouldn’t be here…

  And yet I was, through no real fault of anyone but my own, although I hadn’t yet decided if my true crime was pledging service to a vile dictator or betraying her. When I went to the Moonstone Castle and the Kings weren’t there, fear had set in that I was really too late, that Minerva had won. I knew her end goal was not only to trap the Kings but to kill the girl. She refused to tell me why, or maybe she had told me and then suppressed the memories. Either way, I didn’t quite care. I’d killed enough people for the Unseelie Queen without worrying who deserved it and who didn’t; that wasn’t my job.