Crown of Shadows (Court of Midnight and Deception Book 1)

by K. M. Shea

  “My first event, and my Court nearly succeeded in offing me?” I shook my head. “I don’t know if it’s feasible to ever get a good relationship with my Court, but that kind of opener is going to make them think I’m easy prey. No—we have to act like it didn’t happen and see who is angry as a result.”

  Indigo and Skye exchanged looks.

  “As you wish, Queen Leila,” Skye said slowly.

  I nodded and tipped my head back—thankful to be able to breathe again.

  I thought I was taking this pretty seriously, but I guess not seriously enough. I can’t cower from them and let them walk all over me—or I’ll never survive long-term. But what can I do?

  I glanced down at my charm bracelet. Practicing magic would probably be my best option. I’m so-so at it, but if I want to survive I’ll need to get a lot better. Preferably good enough to make charms that don’t need words to activate, as it seems I’ll be needing those.

  Indigo stood up and brushed off her skirt.

  “One more thing,” I said.

  She bowed to me. “Yes, Queen Leila?”

  “I don’t want to hear another word about how upset my chef is,” I said. “I almost died because I took a risk. I’m not going to be shamed for being proactive when my life is on the line.”

  Indigo’s forehead wrinkled. “I’m sorry.”

  I waved my hand and stood up. “It’s fine.” I smiled, trying to appear at least a little friendly. “I just don’t want to hear about it again.”

  Indigo bowed, then hurried around the corner of the hedge, disappearing from sight.

  I sighed and brushed my gown off, looking for spots of dirt.

  I survived my second assassination attempt. Now I just have to get through this party without letting anyone find out.

  Chase proved that hiring him was possibly one of the best ideas ever.

  He handled everything like a pro and had the food quietly removed before instructing the waitstaff to restock the buffet. He also pulled all the security camera footage and packaged up my half-chewed cannoli and sent one of his people—a fae—off with it to see if the magic used could be traced. He also personally accompanied Skye, Indigo, and me, and did all of this without raising any suspicions from the partying fae.

  “You’re a gem, Chase.” I raised the water bottle—which he’d delivered to me unopened—to him in thanks.

  It had been about two hours since the party started. The near brush with death put a real dampener on my appetite, so the smells were actually making my stomach turn, but I was thankful for the water.

  Chase gave me a brief, professional smile. “I do my best, Queen Leila,” he said before he got back to surveying the area.

  We were seated off to the side, under the branches of a weeping willow that screened me off from the fae who’d been stopping by to get a view of their half human queen.

  Thankfully, they’d become disinterested with me and were now busy talking amongst themselves. Lord Linus was laughing with a set of slightly older male fae, while Skye was mingling with a few of the less hostile lords and ladies I might actually stand a chance befriending. I’d told Indigo she could go eat, so it was just Chase and me at the moment…until the Paragon swooped in.

  “Leila—there you are! How can you hide here when this party is all for you?” He pushed branches aside and peered at me. “Come, come. I have someone I want to introduce you to!”

  The Paragon held out his hand, and when I took it he tugged me out of my chair.

  “Who could be left to introduce me to?” I obediently followed him through the crowd. “I’ve met so many people, Skye felt safe leaving me alone.”

  “Ahh, yes, your steward is very diligent—I wanted to mention to you she was a good pick. Oh my, sorry, Aphrodite!” The Paragon, standing on his tip toes to see above all the guests, almost stumbled into a bush, barely avoiding it in time to save his cat from getting poked.

  He staggered around the bush, trying to regain his balance. “Ah-ha! There you are, Lord Dion—ew.” He stopped abruptly, having interrupted a conversation.

  I stepped around the Paragon, wondering what could have made him pause, and I was pretty sure my heart fell all the way down to my left foot.

  The Paragon had pushed his way to two fae lords who were standing by one of the decorative lanterns, sipping beverages from crystal chalices.

  One lord was classically handsome with crimson red hair which was cut short but partially covered by the black fedora he wore. His fashion style was more human—although his black tweed suit matched with the fedora had more of a vintage than modern feel to it. If all my name memorizing served me correctly, his name was Lord Dion.

  But Lord Dion’s fashion sense only caught my attention for a moment. Because the second fae lord was none other than Lord Rigel, the Wraith.

  The Paragon made the noise of a balloon leaking air.

  Can I duck out? I’m pretty sure Skye’s manners books wouldn’t approve, but chatting with a confirmed assassin who tried to kill me doesn’t sound good for my health. Maybe he was the one who bespelled the food?

  The red-haired lord stood straighter when he saw the Paragon. “Paragon.” He smiled—a disarmingly mischievous grin with a glimmer that brightened his eyes. “I see you have returned.”

  “Yes, and I probably wouldn’t have if I knew you intended to chat with someone else,” the Paragon said. “Queen Leila, please allow me to introduce you to Lord Dion.” He put his body between me and Rigel, but he was shorter and skinnier than the lean fae lord, so he didn’t block much of my view.

  “Queen Leila, it is a pleasure to meet you.” Lord Dion smiled gallantly. He took my hand and—like a prince from a storybook—kissed my fingers.

  Sounds romantic, right? I can’t say I liked it considering I’d almost gotten offed like a fairy tale princess just a few hours earlier. I’d be happy to leave prince charming and poisoned apples/cannoli in the books, please, kthx.

  “Good evening, Lord Dion.” I spoke extra slow to buy myself some time to remember what Skye had told me about him.

  I didn’t need to bother because the Paragon took it upon himself to rattle off his personal history. “Lord Dion is the pride of the Night Court!” he said. “He runs a law practice in Magiford that serves both supernaturals and humans, he attended a human university, and he is the head of his family since his father passed away some years ago.”

  Why does the Paragon sound like he’s a proud parent?

  “You’re a lawyer?” I asked.

  Lord Dion laughed—an infectious sound. “Indeed, I am. You’ll have to excuse my pride, but I dare say I’m skilled at it since I inherited a fae’s way with words.”

  “I can imagine.”

  “Oh, please let me introduce you to my close friend, Lord Rigel.” Lord Dion glanced at the Wraith with a rueful smile.

  Today Lord Rigel was still wearing black boots, but to jazz it up for the occasion he’d switched to gray breeches and a black long-sleeved shirt.

  Yeah, the color variety in his wardrobe was stunning.

  My smile probably showed more teeth than necessary. “Ahh, yes, Lord Rigel, is it? Such a pleasure to officially meet you.”

  “Queen Leila.” Lord Rigel sipped from his fancy chalice. “It is remarkable to finally be introduced to you.”

  “Oh, I’m sure. Our first meeting was such a surprise.” I smiled at the man who tried to kill me and was tempted to tell him it was not as exclusive of a club as he might think, but I wasn’t tipping my hand about anything. Especially to him!

  “For all parties involved.” Lord Rigel stared at me over the edge of his cup, his black eyes still as soulless as they had been in our previous meetings.

  “And are you friends with Lord Dion?” I asked.

  Lord Rigel shrugged, but Lord Dion threw an arm over his shoulders. “Of course we are! We’ve been friends since we were kids.” He winked at me. “These socials are wretchedly boring if you don’t have anyone to drink with
. But with you as our queen, I expect that will change.”

  Lord Rigel swirled his cup. “Most likely in more ways than one.”

  “You know, Lord Rigel, your positive, can-do outlook is downright inspiring!” I bubbled, sounding excited and cheerful just because I knew it would irritate the assassin.

  Hey, if I was stuck talking to him and making the clock tick down on my lifespan, I was at least going to have fun doing it!

  “And you seem to have a remarkably changed opinion of me since our first meeting.”

  “As I told you last time we chatted, you’re no longer the scariest thing I have to deal with.”

  The Paragon had sucked his neck into his shoulders as he watched us go back and forth, but he apparently had worked up the gumption to interrupt, because he jumped forward. “I told Lord Dion about your fondness for the night mares, Leila.”

  “Your devotion to them is admirable.” Lord Dion’s smile and pleasant voice were a stark contrast to his deadly friend. “I’ve heard you are selling all but one sun stallion?”

  “Yes. Fax is staying—the night mares are incredibly fond of him,” I confirmed.

  “Lord Dion loves all types of animals!” the Paragon bragged. “He’s very thoughtful toward creatures.”

  I took a sip from my water bottle as I watched the Paragon. “I see.”

  He sounds like a neighborhood matchmaker—wait…is that what this is? Does he want me to choose Dion as my husband?

  “In case you’re not keeping track, he’s a fae lord, a lawyer with a successful practice, he loves animals, he’s single, and he’s handsome to boot! What a catch, right?” The Paragon winked at me.

  Wow. He’s certainly not trying to be subtle about it.

  I took another swig of my water so I didn’t have to answer.

  Lord Dion laughed. “You can’t talk about me like that, Paragon, or she’ll have such great expectations for me I’ll never be able to meet them.” He flashed that smile of his. “And I would never want to disappoint Queen Leila.”

  Ahhh, he’s in on this.

  I glanced at Lord Rigel and was surprised to see that his eyes could hold something besides death: boredom.

  His eyes were still a fathomless black, but the soulless look had faded due to the obvious boredom flickering across his face.

  That’s something to tuck away and remember later.

  “You sound like a very inspiring person, Lord Dion.” I finished my water because I’d been using it as a delay tactic for talking, so I looked around for a recycling container.

  “Not at all, Queen Leila.” Lord Dion gently took my bottle from me, his smile devastating. “I merely love my Court and wish for what’s best for it.”

  And that’s why he’s willing to get saddled with a half human. I tried to smile back, but some of my bitterness might have leaked through. I guess I can’t complain. He’s actually been decent, and I don’t think the Paragon would recommend him like this if he didn’t have a track record of it. I’d been hoping I’d be able to avoid thinking about the required marriage part of this job for at least a few more weeks, though.

  I opened my mouth, intending to say something, when someone crashed into me.

  “Paragon,” Lord Linus drawled. “I told you—no dragging my daughter off to secret meetings without me! Who knows what sort of stuff you’d get her involved in?” The dark haired fae peered at Lord Dion and Lord Rigel with suspicion. “Aha!” He pointed at Lord Rigel. “See?”

  It’s 100% confirmed. Lord Linus is a blockhead.

  “I’ve told you clearly, Lord Linus, that you are not to refer to me as your daughter.” I don’t think Lord Dion and Lord Rigel could hear my teeth cracking as I gnashed them together, but the Paragon must have from the wide-eyed look he gave me.

  “Oh, posh. Yes, Saul is your dad, but you’re still my daughter—or we wouldn’t be standing here!” Lord Linus said.

  “His name is Paul.”

  “Yes, my apologies—Paul. Got it! I’ll remember next time.” He grinned at me, not at all chastised, then turned to Lord Dion. “Since everyone here is a dead bore, what say you, Lord Dion, to a game of cards? Perhaps a little wager, to make things interesting?”

  I’m going to kill him.

  I hefted my clutch and considered bludgeoning him or whipping out my can of bear mace. “Lord Linus.”

  The fae lord glanced guiltily at me. “Whoops. Sorry, daughter. I’ll behave.” He slightly shook his head, making the ponytail he kept his dark hair tied back in sweep over his shoulder. “So. What are we talking about?”

  My throat ached dully as I made myself smile at Lord Dion. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Lord Dion. But it seems Lord Linus and I need to find my steward.”

  “Of course, Queen Leila.” Lord Dion bowed slightly. “I look forward to meeting you again.”

  I glanced at Lord Rigel. “Next time you decide to visit the mansion, Lord Rigel, I would appreciate it if you wore a bell or something.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  I grabbed Lord Linus by the arm and dragged him away from the duo.

  “Why are we going to find Skye?” Lord Linus asked. “She is a likable girl, but she strikes me as being a bit too proper for a good party. Makes things boring.”

  “We are going to find her because you need a babysitter,” I growled.

  “You know,” the Paragon said, surprising me because I hadn’t realized he followed us. “The day you were made queen, Killian told me you had guts, but I feel better now. You’ve got the fae spirit all right!”

  Both Lord Linus and I frowned at the eccentric fae.

  “You’ll do quite fine,” he predicted. “Just consider Lord Dion as your marriage partner—he’s one of the few unspoiled and good ones. Toodles!” He waved to us and disappeared in the crush of the crowd.

  My head started to hurt in addition to my throat. Weak, I gave in. “Chase?”

  “Yes, Queen Leila?” The werewolf stepped out of the shadows, his yellow eyes gleaming in the dim light.

  “Where is Skye?”

  “Right this way, Queen Leila.”

  “Thanks.” I followed after my director of security, names and information tumbling through my brain with every fae I passed.

  That settles it. Someone tried to kill me tonight, I’m being set up for an arranged marriage, and Lord Linus is annoying!

  Tomorrow, no matter what, I’m going to get myself some coffee!

  “I’m glad it went well, sweetie!”

  I juggled my phone to my other hand as I peered into the stall Twilight had taken over. He was hiding in the back, but when he saw me he perked his ears and walked through a skylight sunbeam to reach me. “Yeah, me too. I thought for sure there’d be a brawl—I was kind of hoping Lord Linus would get himself punched out. But the worst anybody did was sneer at each other.”

  I patted Twilight on the neck and ignored the prickle of my conscience.

  I had decided not to tell Mom or Dad about the attempt on my life. It would only worry them, and for all of his sleuthing, Chase and his people hadn’t been able to figure out for certain who had bespelled the food. Apparently the buffet lay just out of range of the restaurant’s cameras, and they hadn’t been able to pin down the magic—although they did confirm the spell was customized just for me. It wasn’t dangerous for anyone else to eat.

  Whoopie! Right?

  “One second, honey. What?” Mom shouted directly into the phone. “Oh! Yes! Paul says you looked beautiful, and thanks for texting us the picture of you in your dress.”

  “Of course!” I moved down the stable, pausing to pet Fax since he had his head draped over his stall door. “I should probably go, though. Love you, Mom.”

  “Love you too, honey! Goodbye!”

  The call disconnected, and I slipped my phone into a back pocket of my jeans, then stopped in front of Comet’s stall to kiss the mare on her scratchy muzzle. “Okay, I’m out. I just wanted to check on you lovelies to make sure ever
yone is doing good.”

  I did a quick visual sweep of the stables—all of the sun stallions were gone now, except for Fax, obviously. My six night mares had claimed stalls as soon as they opened up, but mine weren’t the only night mares, because over the past few days new night mares had appeared. Now, we were up to twelve.

  I made my way back up the stable aisle, pausing when Eclipse bobbed her head invitingly at me. “Chase?” I called to my director of security—he was speaking in a lowered tone with Dawn, but when I called out he swiveled to face me with very precise and crisp movements.

  “Yes, Queen Leila?”

  “Can we head out yet?”

  To celebrate the victory of surviving my first social—and because Skye and Indigo had the day off—I was busting out of this joint to pursue the worthiest of goals: coffee.

  Specifically, coffee at my favorite café in Magiford, which was human owned and human run, so I’d be safe ordering there. That’s why part two of my plan was to buy my weight’s worth in breakfast sandwiches.

  I was sick of eating jerky, protein bars, and raw fruits and veggies. It got old after the second week of it.

  But I couldn’t go out alone anymore, so I asked Chase to come with. I’d been hoping he was a coffee fan—no dice, I was still the sole coffee lover in my mansion—but he agreed to come with me anyway.

  Chase bowed slightly. “I will notify Azure to pull the car up around the front—”

  Eclipse screamed and banged on her door, making the hinges creak ominously.

  “Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” I soothingly stroked her neck as she pushed her head into my chest.

  Since she seemed fine, I started to walk away.

  This time Eclipse and Solstice screamed—their calls loud and piercing and very not-at-all-horse-like.

  Chase thoughtfully studied them, slightly tilting his head in a very wolf-like manner.

  Dawn rubbed her hands together, then asked in a voice loaded with tension, “Do you think they want to come with you?”

  “Nah!” I laughed. “Why would the night mares want to go with me to get coffee?”

  Chapter Thirteen