Dark Crown: A Fae Shifter Romance (Guardians of the Fae Realms Book 8)

by JL Madore

  A long, dark chuckle rumbles from my chest. “And here I thought it was because you hate me. My mistake.”

  “Oh, there is no mistake. I do hate you. I’ve known from the night I killed your father that we’d end up here. You’ve never given me the respect I deserve.”

  “Respect is earned, not deserved.”

  A biting stream of cold water hits my shoulder and knocks me tumbling over the grit of stone. How he thinks hosing me while I’m rolling in the dirt will get me cleaner for his big event is just another example of his dim wit.

  When the water stops, I roll onto my ass, sputtering and laughing. “So, how do I look now. All clean?”

  “Get him off the ground,” Shadowcaster snaps. “I’m bored of this. Get him to the stocks and lock him in.”

  I’m yanked to my feet. When the meathead on my right hits one of the daggers still sticking into my side my legs give away and I almost black out.

  “On your feet, traitor,” a graveled voice says.

  “Oh, hey, Narkor. How are things? Hey, since I’m going to die and all, tell your sister she is by far the greatest lay of all the dragon females in this brood. She’ll appreciate knowing that.”

  I’m ready for the gut-punch but it was worth it.

  Narkor is such a sanctimonious prick.

  “You can’t bait me, traitor. There’s no way out of this for you.”

  “Who wants out of it? Bring it on, asshole. Let’s getter done.”

  Someone unlocks my shackles and grips me by the elbows. “As you wish, Silverwing. Your audience awaits.”

  My feet hang heavy with each step I take, the pace a pitifully slow death march. The pads of my feet become more scored and torn on the jagged rock with every step, and I’m not entirely sure I won’t black out again.

  Damn, I’ve been on the receiving end of dragon beatdowns before but those were just bully hazings for shits and giggles.

  Today my brethren have their A-game focus on.

  “A little sore, are you, Silverwing?” Narkor asks.

  Every piece of landscape I own hurts but there’s no way I’m going out showing weakness. I’ll make it to the stocks by stubborn will and a sense of pride, because who are we kidding… that’s all I’ve got left.

  I’ve never given much thought to the fae ability to heal. Vikarus and I have done the dance of bruised and broken so long—first as hated members of the brood and then as soldiers—that I stopped feeling the pain. But this torture stuff is next-level agony.

  It’s humbling—not to mention, it sucks.

  I sense when we exit the crevice and venture out into the open space of the courtyard. The temperature of the air drops and being naked and dripping wet is suddenly even less fun. I fight the urge to buck against the arms securing me, but honestly, where would I go?

  I can’t see. I can’t fly. And by the strength of the whispered murmurs all around me, the entire brood has gathered.

  Right. Shadowcaster said he sent out invitations.

  With my limited sliver of sight, I scan the attendees to find Vikarus or my mother. If they’re here, I want to look them in their eyes.

  I don’t see them.

  My dragon surges inside me with enough force to affect my footing. I stumble and the grips on me tighten. I feel the heat of gazes on me, everyone coming out to enjoy the show.

  Slecking assholes.

  Fine. If they want a show, I’ll give them one. “Yes, I mated King Creed of Dornte. Yes, you’re about to assassinate a member of Dornte royalty. And yes, I’m quite sure he and my other mates and the Phoenix Quint will come here and retaliate.”

  “We’re not afraid of them,” someone shouts off to my right.

  “Then you’re either arrogant or an idiot. Vikarus and I got our asses handed to us by Calli alone. Then, she held off a horde of you at Laryssa’s compound. She had no trouble putting a dozen of you in your place. Imagine what will happen when she’s pissed.”

  “There are twenty-seven of us,” Shadowcaster says. “I’ll take those odds.”

  I chuckle. “You’ll be bugs swatted out of the sky, but yeah, keep telling yourself that dragons are the top of the hierarchy. That will make it easier for Calli to avenge my murder.”

  Our entourage arrives in the center of the courtyard and I force my working eye open. So, it all comes down to this. Drawing a deep breath, I accept my fate.

  “Lock him down,” Shadowcaster says. “Let us end this and get to the celebration.”

  I watch my footing as I climb the wooden steps of the platform and lean forward to rest my neck and arms into the dips of the stocks. When I’m settled in place, the top plank is brought down and secured. The metal lock scrapes the loop of the coupling ring as it’s laced through and then it snaps shut.

  I am well and truly secured.

  Straightening as much as possible, and with all eyes upon me, I clear my throat. “I, Rhylan Silverwing, former heir to the Silverwing legacy admit to falling in love and protecting my honor despite orders to the contrary. I sided with the fae universe over a hateful queen and I’m glad Dornte is free of the Blood Witch.”

  Shadowcaster laughs beside me. “Please. You can’t honestly be so stupid to believe you have an ounce of honor. You are the exiled son of a traitor.”

  “And the Blood Witch isn’t finished with Dornte,” a female voice says just out of my line of sight. “Creed and his supporters may think they’ve won, but they have yet to feel the wrath of a scorned witch.”

  I fight to see who is speaking. It can’t be the witch. Never has there ever been a non-dragon within the protected sanctum of the dragon lair.

  “Who’s there? There’s no need to hide. I’m about to die a horrible death anyway, so show yourself.”

  Snap.

  I close my eyes and stiffen as the flesh on my back ignites into a fierce burning. Barbed leather straps wrap around my ribs and cut into my skin. My vision fails me as the world goes black and I fight to stay conscious.

  Shadowcaster has always liked a good flaying.

  I lock my knees to hold my weight and swallow to clear my throat. “Have your fun, asshole. When I die, you better believe I’ll come back to haunt all of you.”

  Snap.

  Shadowcaster laughs behind me as another round of barbs tears at my flesh. “You never did know when to shut your mouth, Rhylan.”

  Snap.

  I press my lips together and pant through my nose to keep from crying out. I won’t give him the satisfaction. When the sharpness of the pain ebbs, I call out. “Tell me, female. How do you see the witch taking her revenge out on Creed when he’s the most powerful leader Dornte has seen in years?”

  Snap.

  “Come on, bitch. What can it hurt to tell me? I’m dead anyway, right?”

  I swivel my view to catch sight of the woman who spoke before, but between the swelling of my eyes, the blood matting my hair down to my face, and my vision fritzing in and out from being flogged with a cat o’ nine tails whip, I’ve got nothing.

  Snap.

  My dragon growls as a river of heat runs down my hips and thighs. I’m not going to survive this. Slecking hell. “Are my mother and twin here watching this? I hope you’re enjoying the show. As my mates would say, fuck you.”

  Snap.

  Broken-hearted, I let my head fall forward and prepare myself for my untimely end. There are so many things I regret or wish I’d taken the time to enjoy.

  I’ve always wanted to learn to play the guitar well. And Keyla… I should’ve accepted her affection. I have a feeling that feeding from her while the two of us were joined and making love would’ve been magnificent. Oh well. Maybe in my next life.

  I think I was afraid to let her become more than Creed’s mate to me. If I accepted her, I had to live up to what a female like her deserves. With everything going wrong with my life, I didn’t think I could do that.

  Snap.

  I grunt as the pain sears me to the bone. Case in point. Things haven�
��t worked out well for me in the past decade.

  A booming crash sounds in the distance and absently, I wonder what could make such a thundering noise. Then there’s a steady thunky-clunk-thunk of stone raining to the ground and I try to remember the last time we had a rock slide within the lair.

  Lost as I am from pain and waxing philosophical, it takes a moment for the scrambling and screeching around me to register.

  My hair whips around in my face as a rhythmic chuff-chuff-chuff drowns out the screaming.

  Then, a heavy whoosh whoosh of leathered wings joins the chaos.

  Wings are nothing to cause panic in the lair of dragons, so what has them all…

  Streams of hot, flame wash over the crowd.

  In the back of my mind, it seems odd that the fire is gold and orange instead of the icy blue of dragon fire.

  Two men on the platform burst into flame right in front of me. I chuckle as Narkor burns and I start to put it together. “I told you they’d be pissed off. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you my mates, the Phoenix of the Human Realm, and her Guardians.”

  Laughter bubbles up my throat and I honestly don’t care if I die. Watching my brood burning and losing their shit is worth the price of admission.

  Life is good.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Keyla

  Hawk’s twin-engine Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin hovers in the air above the massive hole Lukas and Doc just blew in the side of a mountain. It took four military-grade RPG rockets to crack us a hole big enough to get inside but once the stone gives way and we see inside, I know my beacon led me to the right place.

  “Nicely done boys,” I say, shifting out of my seat and clicking onto the rappel line. “Now, let’s get our dragon.”

  We had enough tactical training with Lukas during Calli’s quest of opening the portal rift that we’re all confident in a quick descent for battle. I lower myself out of the helicopter and wrap my fingers around the grip. “Little Wolf away.”

  Dropping for the open courtyard below, I go over my training in my head. I start the braking process when I’m halfway to the ground. Releasing the tension on the rope, I move my brake hand out at a 45-degree angle to regulate the rate of descent.

  When my boots hit the ground, I clear the rappel rope through the ring until the rope is free and I step off.

  I call my shift and my wolf is more than ready to respond. She digs in and we bolt through the scramble of people who set up lawn chairs to watch the public torture of my mate.

  Calli’s phoenix lets off a shriek and I hear the disgust in her voice. She blows out a steady stream of fire, igniting two men on the stage next to the bleeding male I can only assume is Rhylan.

  Sweet Powers, look what they’ve done to him.

  Violent roars from angry bears rumble on my left. I smile over at Doc and Brant doing their thing. Jaxx and Kotah are on my right, pushing back the women and children so they don’t get involved in this battle. Hawk and Lukas are propped at the door of the helicopter their MP5s raised and firing in short bursts to provide cover fire from incoming forces.

  Not that there are a lot of incoming forces. Calli has the men fairly well pinned. Still, they’re dragons, so we’re ready for them on the ground and in the air.

  When I arrive at the platform I recognize Rhylan’s scent before I recognize the man. He’s naked and bleeding badly, the flesh on his back, shoulders, ass, and thighs covered in blood.

  I shift back so I can use my hands to break him free.

  “Rhylan, you’re safe now. We’re here. Today is not your day to die.” I’m scrambling to find something to break the lock. The only thing around us are rocks. I grab a large one and start beating on the metal. “And me here without a lockpick.”

  Rhylan’s mumbling something but his words are indistinguishable.

  I try a few more times to smash the lock but get nowhere. Growling, I check my surroundings and see nothing that can help.

  “It’s okay, Rhy. I’m not giving up. I’ll get you out of here and—”

  “Here.” A blonde woman rushes forward and holds out a metal pry bar. “Use this.”

  I take the tool from the woman and make short work of the brackets holding Rhylan hostage. When the brackets are open and I fling back the top section of the stocks, I ease Rhylan back to help him sit.

  He’s agitated, shaking his head and mumbling something I can’t quite catch.

  Brushing his hair out of his face, I fight back the tears pushing at me. “Shhh… you’re safe now. I’ve got you. Just breathe.”

  Creed

  It’s past dusk when I race through a maze of rocky caverns in the Travon Traverse and I pray to the gods I’m not too late.

  Satune is with me and he’s brought a Travon military troop with orders to help me recover my kidnapped mate. If I’m right, and my beacon led us to where we need to be, these are the secret tunnels of the dragon clans.

  It can’t be much farther.

  My heart is racing triple time as my muscles burn with the exertion of climbing the three-hundred feet up to the entrance. If I had my fucking wings, I could’ve flown, but without them, I was left with little choice.

  Even thinking of them makes my back ache.

  But honestly, when doesn’t my back ache?

  My boots crunch against the rubble and debris, but I don’t slow. Rhylan’s sentencing of death was at sundown. I can’t fail him.

  Racing around a bend, I stop short and glare at Vikarus blocking my path. “Get out of my way, Vik. I don’t want to take you down but if I have to choose between you and your brother, there’s no question.”

  Vikarus rolls his eyes. “Don’t be stupid. Why do you think I gave you the invitation? Why do you think I volunteered to take sentry duty? I’ve done everything I can to pave your way here to help him.”

  “Other than telling me where we needed to come. Do you know how much time I wasted trying to find this place?”

  “It would forfeit my life if I told you. You’re here now. Are you willing to waste more time by arguing the point?”

  Good point. Pushing past him, I stare at a tunnel with three branches. “Where am I going?”

  “Two lefts and then straight until you come to the courtyard. You’ll find him there. It’s already started.”

  I don’t look back. If it’s already started, I don’t have the time to waste on Rhy’s asshole brother.

  I race along the passageway and take the first left. As much as I detest the thought of people gathering around to enjoy the flaying of my mate, it works in our favor. Other than the one sentry at the entrance of the lair and Vik, we haven’t seen or heard one other dragon.

  A booming crash erupts up ahead and I look back at Satune. “Tell me these mountains aren’t on a fault line or a volcano or anything.”

  Satune shakes his head. “Nothing that I know of.”

  A second boom hits and I shift to the wall of the cavern and chunks of stone break loose from far above. They rain down around us, forcing us to press tight against the sharp, stone walls.

  “What do you think that was?” he asks.

  “I don’t know but if the mountain is about to collapse on top of us, I’d like to get my mate and be gone before it does.”

  “Agreed. I’m far too precious to be crushed by rocks like some unlucky miner.”

  “You are far too something.” I get back to navigating the tunnels and have to remind myself. Do I have another left or am I supposed to go straight through on this one? “Fucking hell.”

  “Left,” calls a voice from the shadows behind us.

  I can’t think about Vik right now.

  He’s caused more damage than he’s worth by meddling in mine and Rhylan’s life.

  Up ahead, screams break out and I scramble to make sense of what’s happening. Then I hear the rhythmic chuff-chuff-chuff of rotor blades.

  I’ve only heard that sound once before.

  “What the slecking hell is that noise?” S
atune shouts over the growing din.

  “It’s called a helicopter. Keyla’s family uses it to travel through the air in the Human Realm.”

  “How’d it get here?”

  I grin, my heart bursting with pride. “I would bet my life that my queen has something to do with it.”

  “Queen’s polish their nails and host political balls. They don’t lead insurgencies into dragon lairs.”

  I chuckle and race forward, more eager than ever to get to the courtyard ahead. “My queen does.”

  Doc

  Brant and I battle shoulder-to-shoulder and I can’t help but enjoy myself. Dragons are strong and tough to back down but they’re also over-confident and caught off guard with us attacking them within their lair.

  Calli lets off a shriek above and I turn to check on her. Three dragons have taken flight and are challenging her position between them and us.

  As they get close, the hiss of another rocket being launched lets loose.

  The missile erupts from the helicopter and explodes on impact, knocking a black dragon hurtling toward the jagged shards on the ground.

  I bark a grumbled laugh and go back to fighting. Hawk has an entire crate of rockets in the helicopter. He can defend his woman all night and have fun doing it.

  We are almost finished with our opponents when Creed’s spicy scent tickles my nose. I lift my head and follow the air currents back to an opening in the stone.

  Hello mate.

  After checking that Brant has things under control, I book it across the courtyard to escort him. Running on all fours is liberating and nothing gets the blood pumping like a true battle with a worthy enemy.

  Dragons are stupid enough to think themselves untouchable. Wrong.

  I close the distance to Creed and his group, giving it hard. I put on the breaks at the last moment and grin at the looks of terror filling the eyes of his men.

  Creed sinks his fingers into the ruff of my neck and chuckles. “You’re lucky I told them not to fire at anything other than dragons, Bear. You’re quite a sight bearing down in a full run.”