by Megan Linski
“Don’t be so upset. You cheated,” Elijah taunted. “Don’t break the rules of the Contest and maybe you would’ve been able to keep your placing.”
Emma made a sarcastic noise. “Looks like being offended can even win you a throne these days,” Emma spat back.
“That’s enough of this,” Steward Soloman said firmly. “Miss Sosna, Prince Ethan, please remove yourselves and your court from the winner’s table.”
I was in such shock, I couldn’t believe this was happening. Emma and I had the throne in our grasp. And it’d been cruelly taken away.
“Remember our deal, Sosna,” Gabby purred as she strolled past, with a snarky glance at me. “Just because I’m going to be queen now doesn’t mean anything’s changed. Keep your wolf in line.”
Emma hurtled a hated look her way. Elijah took my seat, and Gabby sat beside him. Emma, myself, and our court were forcibly escorted out of the tent. The sounds of the party resumed, and they were a painful reminder of everything we’d lost. Every laugh and delighted noise ached at my core.
Our worst nightmare had come true. Elijah had control of the crown. He’d become king. And who knew where Malovia would be after that.
“What deal was Gabby talking about, Emma?” I whirled on her. My anger was so overwhelming— I could hardly see straight.
Emma gave me a steely look. “Gabby came into our tent while you were getting fixed up. She threatened me. She told me that if I didn’t do as she said while I was queen, she’d hurt you. I’m supposing she’s turning the deal around now, so that if we try to stop her in any way from being queen, she’ll take your life. And mine, possibly.”
Her tone was guarded, and she wouldn’t meet my eyes. Had her and Gabby made some sort of back-door deal? She was hiding something else… would these secrets ever end between us?
Hypocritical bastard, a bitter voice taunted, but I ignored it.
“I’m gonna kick that bitch’s ass,” Delmare snapped.
“What are you going to do, Irena?” Stefan had stepped in— he immediately sobered up as he rounded on her. “You can’t touch her now without getting hurt. She’s going to be queen. Once they crown her, it’s all over.”
“I’ll crown her, all right,” Delmare raged.
“Enough,” I growled, and all fell silent. “We need to talk about this someplace else.”
The others gathered my meaning. We left the tents— darkness enveloped us as the arena was left behind and lights faded. We drove further into the woods, until Emma had to light a spell so that we could see. Only when we were in a clearing devoid of the chance of being overheard did we stop to congregate in a circle.
Godsdammit! I punched a tree. My knuckles hurt, but I didn’t care. Close. We were so fucking close. We had everything, and then Gabby tore it away.
I’d been focusing on Elijah the entire time. My mistake. It was his mate that was the real threat.
“This isn’t right,” Emma whispered. “The hag told me you’d be king. She said—”
“She lied, Emma!” I all but roared. “When are you going to understand that monsters don’t tell the truth?”
Emma’s eyes watered with tears. I hated hurting her like this, but by the gods, how could she be so naive?
“What hag?” Delmare looked utterly confused. The others wore similarly confused looks.
“It doesn’t matter right now,” I replied viciously. “What matters is we lost. We fucking lost.”
There was silence for a moment, until Odette broke it. “Why would you do that, Emma?” Odette spoke weakly. “You shouldn’t have cheated.”
Emma’s head hung low. “I know I shouldn’t have.” Her voice trembled. She barely held back tears as she said, “You just don’t understand how hard it was to survive out there. What I would do to keep Ethan alive.”
My heart clenched at the admission. Emma had been the one who’d cheated, yes.
But I was the one who’d failed. She still didn’t know much about this world— I was her mate. It was my duty to lead and guide her, and I’d been utterly unsuccessful in doing so.
“I can’t even imagine,” Theo agreed. “But that doesn’t make what you did right.”
Emma’s eyes turned on me. I could barely look at her right now. Her choices had cost us everything. They’d cost us our future. My legacy. The safety of the country and all of Malovia’s people were now at risk, because of a dumb decision she’d made— and my inability to protect her from making that decision.
I was furious with her… yet angrier at myself for being so blind. Enraged that I hadn’t been able to defend my title, and my mate.
But being mad wasn’t going to change things. And rage wouldn’t stop what was coming. I could be as angry with Emma as I wanted, but what good would it do?
“What’s past is past,” I snapped. “We lost the throne. Now what are we going to do about it?”
The quiet reigned, and an owl hooted somewhere in the distance. Stefan spoke. “Is there anything we can do?”
“There must be.” Delmare’s voice was firm. “I personally don’t give a fuck that you guys cheated. I would’ve done the same thing to make sure Gabby and Elijah didn’t win. Your only mistake was getting caught.”
Theo shook his head. “I don’t agree with what Emma did. But she was backed into a corner. And who we have now for Malovia’s future is far, far worse.”
“Exactly,” I raged. “And it can’t be allowed to happen.”
“So we take care of them,” Emma said. “Get rid of them before they pass the final tests, and take the monarchy back.”
“We can’t kill them now. What would that look like?” I angrily kicked a rock, and it went scattering into the darkness beyond. “We’d be the first suspects.”
“We should’ve slain Elijah and Gabby in the arena,” Emma whispered.
“We aren’t murderers. It wouldn’t have been the right way,” I shot back at her.
“You think your father stayed on the throne without spilling a bit of blood?” Emma questioned. “Kings have to kill, Ethan. It’s part of the job.”
“I know that, Emma. But that doesn’t mean I want to start my rule that way.”
“Well, now that we didn’t, it’s not going to start at all.” Furious tears fell from Emma’s eyes. “We lost everything. Because of me.”
“No. Because of me.” My form shook. “If I hadn’t attacked Elijah, everything would’ve been fine. I should’ve controlled my temper. I made us look like fools.”
“He provoked you. He knew he could get to you through me,” Emma said weakly. “He was merely a distraction, so Gabby could steal the necklace from our tent.”
Stefan stepped in. “It’s no use blaming yourselves. What’s done is done.” The dragon smoldered, and his eyes narrowed before he said, “But I think we need to make a pact. Right here, right now. Elijah and Gabby are going down. No matter what.”
A bluster of wind shook the bare trees. “Stefan…” Theo said quietly. “You’re suggesting treason.”
“So what if I am?” Stefan said. “Do you want to live in a country where that bastard makes the rules?”
Theo fell silent. Stefan’s eyes burned as he surveyed our faces. “I know we have to stop this in whatever way we can. Murder might be out, but there are other ways to get rid of a king. Are any of you with me?”
Delmare was the first to come forward. “I’m in,” she said. “Whatever you guys are up to, I’ll help in any way I can.”
Odette hesitated. Then she took Theo’s hand. She looked up at him, and he nodded in response.
“Theo and I will lend a hand,” Odette said. “But guys… we need to be very careful.”
Emma drew her head up high. “I made a huge mistake, one I wish I had never considered. But I’m going to do whatever I can to rectify it. I promised Ethan when I became his mate that I’d protect the people of Malovia. And in the name of Milonna, that’s what I’m going to do.”
All eyes looked to me. I stepp
ed into the center of the circle. “I want to thank everyone for being there for Emma and I,” I began. “I don’t want to put anyone in any danger. Especially not my friends. But I think we can all agree that if we don’t risk our lives, and do something about this, the very fate of the country is at stake.”
I took a steadying breath. “No more games. No more contests. We fight from the shadows to bring Malovia into the light. We save our people, and our country. We do whatever it takes.”
Elijah and Gabby were going to shatter this nation into a million pieces unless we stopped them. Emma, myself, and our friends were going to make this country whole again. I had lost my chance to be king, but we’d find another king to take Elijah’s place— one who would bring the country into a rebirth, instead of torturing it with a slow death.
There was no time to waste. Our fight started now.
END OF BOOK ONE.
Turn the page to read a special excerpt from Book Two: The Dragon Oath!
Hidden Legends
Read more from the Hidden Legends universe! Each Hidden Legends series takes place within the same world, but in separate and unique societies. Every series stands on its own, and they can be read in any order.
MAGICAL CREATURES AND ELEMENTALS
Academy of Magical Creatures by Megan Linski and Alicia Rades
WITCHES, DEMONS, AND REAPERS
College of Witchcraft by Alicia Rades
The Dragon Oath - Sneak Peek
Ethan
“You misunderstand. You think I’m a man with something to lose.”
My voice was low as it echoed around the dark chamber of the dungeon. The sound of water dripping onto stone rang throughout the chamber— or was it blood?
The cultist before me was tied to the chair. Red soaked his hands. The Black Claw robes he wore were stained with blood. The only light in the cavern was a single candle I’d placed on the table.
The cultist’s face was swollen with bruises. Both his eyes were black, and fresh cuts littered his skin. I’d caught this one sneaking around Dolinska’s streets at an hour known for dark magic. He’d been following a sorceress to her home and was obviously waiting to abduct her for some sinister purpose.
He wasn’t planning to run into the Phantom.
I had captured him and dragged him back to my hideout in the chasms of Arcanea University, where I’d tied him up and made good on my dirty work, trying to obtain information.
Prince Ethan would be appalled by such behavior. He’d find it abhorrent and beneath himself.
But the Phantom had no such reservations. There was a darkness in him that waited inside and swallowed him whole. The Phantom was a hidden specter that waited in the shadows, eager to be let out of his cage so he could take his rage out on the world.
And the only way I could do what I had to these days was if I separated the man from the monster.
Two different personas. A singular man. One a monster, the other a saint. It was enough to make one man go mad. Doctor Jekyll had it easy.
Yet this fellow wasn’t going to crack. I’d questioned him for the better part of an hour, and he hadn’t uttered a syllable on anything remotely interesting to my cause.
I hadn’t really hurt him. Not yet. Even though there was gore on my mask and cloak, I hadn’t even pursued the sick fantasies I wanted to do to this man. They thrilled the Phantom, yet scared me.
I didn’t know why I had such reservations. This man was probably a murderer. He’d plotted to hurt an innocent woman, and would’ve if I hadn’t gotten there first. He deserved this.
The cultist let out a wet laugh, and blood dribbled down his chin. “You think you’re so high and mighty. I’m certain you’re getting some pleasure out of this.”
“You’d be wrong.” He didn’t understand. I wasn’t proud of this. But a man could only be pushed so far. And I’d lost everything only a few weeks prior. I’d let my father down and lost the throne. There was nothing, nothing I wouldn’t do to prevent my cousin Elijah from taking the crown.
I was merely getting started.
“I can do this all night,” I told the cultist. “I’ll ask again. Where are you hiding?”
“I can’t give up the location of my brethren. You won’t find the Black Claw through me.” He spat a globule of blood at my feet, and my nose wrinkled.
I needed to find where the Black Claw was hiding. Only then would I be able to rip this disease out of my city for good. “I think you need more convincing. Shall we?”
The cultist’s eyes shone with fear as I raised my hand. As amethyst sparks flew from my fingers, the cultist began screaming. Bloodcurdling yells of agony lifted past his lips as I made him see visions.
An easy illusion. Nothing was happening to him physically, but in his head, he felt pain as if I was peeling off his skin layer by layer. I pushed the illusion further inward on his mind, to make the pain worse. As he begged me to stop, I tapered the magic away. He took labored breaths, and I crossed my arms.
“Like I said, I’m not fooling around,” I stated. “I will push you until I get what I want.”
“And then you’ll let me go free.” The cultist laughed sarcastically. “You must think I’m stupid. I know you’ll kill me the moment I tell you what I know.”
He was right. I couldn’t have him running off to his little friends. He’d tell them the Phantom had discovered their hideout. Though sparing his life was something Prince Ethan demanded, the Phantom wasn’t so merciful.
I’d figure out what to do with him when the time came. “Last chance. Either tell me now, or I won’t lift the illusion.”
“I’ll die for the Black Claw. The descendants of the Unseelie fae deserve to be in power,” the cultist hissed. “Do your worst.”
“This is a final warning.” Already, I was losing patience.
“My brothers will avenge me! They know where to find you! They know the man behind the mask,” he snapped.
I nearly reeled back in shock at his admission. Had the Black Claw figured out who I was? Did they know my secret identity? And if they did… why hadn’t they acted to reveal me yet?
He had to be bluffing. If the Black Claw knew who I was, they’d have already told the Arcanea Alliance, and I’d be imprisoned by now. No other explanation made sense. I was their biggest threat and hindrance, especially since the King’s Contest ended. I’d been patrolling these streets every night since, causing trouble for the cult. If there was a way for them to get rid of me, there’d be no reason not to take it.
“I’m sick of your lies. Last chance.”
The cultist coughed up more blood. “What would your pretty little mate say if she knew what you were doing to me? She’d be terrified of you.”
Panic— and possession— streamed through my blood. I forced my voice to be steady as I replied, “I have no mate.”
The cultist snorted. “Every shifter does. She’s out there. And when we get our hands on her—”
At the mention of the Black Cult harming Emma, I lost my temper. My illusion magic erupted from my hands, sending a purple shockwave through the room. The cultist pleaded for me to stop, but I ignored him, and more sparks flew from my fingers again as I cast the illusion. The cultist cried out in suffering. This time, I gave the illusion of hot irons pressing into his skin, and though he begged, I didn’t pull back.
This was what I’d become now. A monster.
The sound of a heavy door scraping open caught my attention, and I whirled around. Loud footsteps sounded on the stairs, and my illusion ended. The man in the chair slung against his binds in relief.
My heart pounded against my ribcage. Who in their right mind was at the university at this hour, on winter break, and how had they possibly discovered my hideout?
My breath quickened as my gaze landed upon none other than Lord Lucien. The old wolven wore a heavy winter cloak, and there were bags around his eyes, as if he was tired in a way words couldn’t express. His mouth thinned as he caught sight of the bl
oody cultist tied to the chair.
Of course he was here. Lord Lucien didn’t have family to visit over the holidays. He stayed at the university all year. It was another careless mistake of mine to think that the school would be empty and no one would hear the man screaming.
I’d been making far too many mistakes lately.
My mentor’s gaze was cold as he stated, “Going a bit far, aren’t we, Phantom?”
There was a lump in my throat. I swallowed past it and said, “He deserves it.”
The illusion I’d cast on my voice for disguising purposes had blended me well. No recognition ran across Lucien’s face. He didn’t know who I was. Good. I couldn’t face him if he did. The shame would be too great. This wasn’t what he’d taught me.
“Are you one of the Seven Gods, to pass judgment like this?” Lucien barked cruelly. “Who are you to decide who deserves suffering?”
“He chose his fate when he decided to join the Black Claw.” My resolve was heavy. Guilt fought against my insides, but I turned it away. If this was the only way to protect my people— so be it.
“Don’t allow the hero to become the villain.” Lord Lucien reached for the sword hanging from his waist. “Let him go.”
I couldn’t let Lucien unleash my captive. Lucien drew his sword. I drew my own. He swung harshly downward, and I dove out of the way. He parried away my returning blow, and our swords danced harshly against the night as our two weapons crashed over and over. I attempted to find an advantage, but Lucien was too clever… I might have strength on my side, but he was fast, and hard to combat.
A bead of sweat broke out along Lucien’s brow. This fight couldn’t go on. Lucien knew my fighting style. He’d been the one who trained me. If I kept dueling with him like this, he’d figure it out.