by Nissa Leder
A Cursed Reign
Nissa Leder
Copyright © 2018 by Nissa Leder
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover design by Nissa Leder with illustrations by Anna Bazyl
Edited by Jessica West
www.NissaLeder.com
Created with Vellum
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Also by Nissa Leder
About the Author
Chapter One
Scarlett shifted in her seat.
“Stay still,” Ashleigh said from behind her.
Without the mortal luxuries of television marathons and M&Ms, the sisters had gotten creative in ways to spend their time together. Vida had taught them some common board games of the realm. They’d spent hours walking through the garden reminiscing, and now they were reliving the greatest game of their childhoods: dress up.
Most days, Ashleigh still wore human-like clothing she’d brought from the Unseelie Court, but today she wore a long-sleeved teal dress that hugged her waist and draped elegantly to the floor. After pulling her own hair into a braided bun, Ashleigh had gone to work on Scarlett’s.
But just like when she’d helped her get ready for school dances, Ashleigh scolded her for fidgeting now.
An itch attacked Scarlett’s shoulder blade. Her shoulder twitched. “Are you almost done?”
Ashleigh groaned. “You’re a freakin’ magical queen and you can’t keep still for five minutes?”
Scarlett inhaled. If she could think of something else, maybe she could take her mind from the itch. The memory of Kaelem’s hands on her body surfaced. His warm scent in the air. His lips on her skin. She pushed the thoughts away. She wasn’t ready to think about the repercussions of that night. And perhaps it wasn’t as big of a deal as she was making it. Maybe nothing had changed.
But maybe it had.
“Ow,” Scarlett said as Ashleigh tugged on her hair.
“I want the braid to be tight.”
Scarlett grumbled. She’d envisioned her reconciliation with her sister as less painful. But having her hair tugged was worth it if it meant having Ashleigh back in her life.
“There, all done.” Ashleigh walked in front of Scarlett and gestured to the standing mirror against the wall. “Have a look.”
Scarlett stood and stepped toward her reflection. Today’s plum dress contrasted against her fair skin. Any tan she’d gained by spending her mortal summers lounging with Natalie in the sunshine was long gone. The cinched waistline accentuated her natural curves and the long length of the dress elongated her frame.
When she walked closer to the mirror, she inspected her hair. The braid began by her right ear and moved along her forehead and around to the back of her head, creating a woven crown of dark hair.
“Here.” Ashleigh tossed Scarlett a jar of lip gloss. “You don’t need much makeup anymore, but a little shine never hurts.” She grinned.
Scarlett had missed her sister’s smile. Even when they weren’t getting along, she’d always admired Ashleigh’s happy nature. It was why seeing her so miserable at the Unseelie Court had hurt so much.
Scarlett twisted the gloss open and spread it across her lips.
“Perfect,” Ashleigh said.
As Scarlett tossed it back to her, someone knocked at the door. “Come in.”
Shock washed through Scarlett when Vida entered the room. Her fighting leathers were torn and red scratches covered her caramel skin. Dark strands of hair fell from her braid.
Scarlett rushed to her. “What happened?”
“We were ambushed by a group of bastard redcaps.” Annoyance coated Vida’s features.
“Redcaps?”
“The irritating creatures Ankou uses to guard the entrance to the Darkland.”
“Oh, those.” So that’s what they were called. Scarlett’s skin prickled when she remembered the countless bites they’d inflicted to subdue her magic when she’d been trapped. It had taken a few days, but the wounds finally healed. “Were you searching for another way in again?”
Vida rubbed the back of her hand over the scratches on her left arm and winced. “No. We were just doing a general patrol when we were attacked. Rowen is gathering the council. I told her I’d get you and we’d meet in the throne room.”
Scarlett glanced to Ashleigh. So much for a fun evening of dress-up. Ashleigh nodded.
“I’ll come back as soon as I can,” Scarlett promised.
Ashleigh moved to her and hugged her. “Don’t worry about me.”
Scarlett couldn’t be more thankful for the new understanding Ashleigh had gained when she saw Raith attack her in the Unseelie gardens. But sometimes she wished she could enjoy even a day with her without some royal duty popping up.
She didn’t see that happening any time soon.
Scarlett followed Vida to the throne room where the rest of the council waited. After she sat in her throne, everyone bowed, as was customary, then Vida explained what happened.
“Five of my tribe members and I were on one of the standard patrol routes in the jungle outside of the castle grounds when something howled in the distance. We hadn’t seen the edimmu near the castle since you released the power from the Life Tree. When we readied our weapons and headed toward the howling, we were ambushed from behind by redcaps.”
Edimmu were the creepy wolf-like creatures that also worked for Ankou. Scarlett was constantly learning more about the world, but it still seemed there was so much she didn’t know.
Ailani stepped forward. “Is everyone else okay?” On Scarlett’s request, she’d started wearing a shirt. In the scheme of things, a naked chest shouldn’t even hit the radar, but Scarlett had felt awkward trying so hard to not accidentally stare, she had a difficult time looking in her direction at all.
Vida’s gaze dropped. “Lexa was wounded worst. A redcap took a bite out of her neck, and, with its magic blocking properties, she isn’t healing as quickly as we’d hoped.”
Scarlett had never seen Vida so worried. Her usual assured expression had faded into one of hopelessness.
“It’s my fault,” Scarlett said. “I angered Ankou when I snuck into the Darkland then escaped. If I’d have been smarter—”
“This isn’t your fault,” Vida interjected. “They’re testing us for any weakness and sending us a message—standing against them will cost us. It would have come to this regardless. You took a chance to protect your kingdom. No one blames you for that.”
They didn’t have to; Scarlett blamed herself. After her stupid decision to try to be a hero, Ankou had gotten exactly what he needed: her blood. She still wasn’t sure what his goal was. Raith—under the control of the Fates—had told her that by drinking her blood, Ankou would free himself from the tether that held him to the Darkland. Whatever
his reasoning, she knew it wasn’t good.
She and Raith had escaped the Darkland, but only because Raith had regained his memories. At the time, Scarlett didn’t know what had caused them to return, but later she learned from Kaelem that he’d torn the vial holding them from one of the Fate’s necks and it shattered, releasing him. Raith’s sudden change in loyalty had surprised Ankou, giving them a chance at escape.
Another shock to Ankou was the darkness Scarlett held inside. She was queen of the light, but unlike the queen before her, her magic wasn’t pure. This also brought her shame. Living in the footsteps of Dana was intimidating enough before she learned of the darkness she harbored.
“We’ll check all of the wards again.” Param dipped his chin to Scarlett, his horns pointed toward her. “Your protection is our ultimate concern.”
“Thank you.” Scarlett appreciated everyone’s extreme loyalty to her, but she hadn’t done anything to deserve it. Not yet, at least. She was determined to earn the respect they all already gave her.
Vida spoke directly to Scarlett. “We won’t let one small victory force any weight on our determination to defeat Ankou. Dana believed a time would come when we could return to our peaceful ways, and I refuse to think anything differently. We will double the members on each patrol and not be caught unprepared again.”
“I appreciate all you do, Vida. He will pay for everything he’s done.” Scarlett clenched her fists. “Will you take me to see Lexa? I’m not sure if my magic can heal her, but it’s worth a try.”
Scarlett dismissed everyone and followed Vida to the healing chambers.
“We only have one healer right now,” Vida said as they headed to the east wing. “After so many years of peace, the healers went into retirement. I will send a message asking for volunteers to become royal healers. Today is only the beginning of what’s to come.”
Scarlett frowned. Vida was right. Things were sure to get worse before they got better. But they would get better. They had to.
They entered the healing chamber. It was a large room with four rows of beds. Large, rectangular windows lined the walls, brightening the room. Scarlett hadn’t visited this part of the castle yet and had expected a much darker, drearier space.
A petite, curvy woman with dark skin and hair approached them. She wore a simple tan dress that accentuated the shape of her hips. When she recognized Scarlett, she dipped into a curtsy. “My queen.”
Scarlett curtsied back.
“This is Galena, head of the royal healing department.” Vida gestured to Galena.
“There isn’t much of a department to be head of at the moment.” As Galena grinned, her eyes scrunched. “I have a feeling it won’t last much longer.”
“Likely not.” Scarlett scanned the room and saw Lexa in a bed on the end.
Galena followed Scarlett’s gaze. “I’ve done what I could, but I’m afraid it might not be enough.”
Scarlett could feel the fear and pain radiating from Lexa. She crossed the room and, now closer, saw her wounds. Her neck had been torn, the skin split open, exposing her muscle. Blood was smeared across her throat and had seeped into her clothing. Its metallic stench permeated the air.
Lexa peered up at Scarlett. A small grin curved onto her lips. “If you think I look bad, you should see the redcap who did this to me.” The pale color of her skin made her look ghostly. Not a good omen.
Scarlett hovered her hand over the wound. She closed her eyes and sent out her magic. Unlike other times she’d healed someone, the light inside her had no effect. She sighed. The life inside Lexa was fading. Scarlett could feel it. If the wound couldn’t be healed, she would die.
Some use Scarlett was.
Another idea struck her. She hovered her hand above the wound again, but instead of pouring out light, she found darkness and pushed it outward to the injury.
Slowly, the separated skin closed completely, though the wound was still swollen.
Blackness flickered in Scarlett’s vision as she stepped away from the bed. Lightheadedness followed. With an inhale, she steadied herself. She couldn’t risk healing it anymore.
Lexa gently reached for her wound. “It’s closed!” Relief filled her aura.
Vida and Galena approached, awe covering their expressions.
“Amazing,” Galena said. “Even Dana couldn’t heal redcap magic.”
Guilt filled Scarlett. She wasn’t as pure as Dana had been. She’d succumbed to the darkness, yet again. But if she hadn’t, Lexa would have died. How could she allow that to happen if there was a way to stop it?
Carefully, Lexa sat up. “It still hurts, but I feel much better. My life is in your debt, my queen.” She pushed herself up and bowed.
“I’m happy to have helped.” Nausea rose in Scarlett’s stomach. Something wasn’t right. “I’ll let you get some rest.” She turned to Vida and Galena, fighting the queasiness. “We need to be prepared for more attacks. Vida, if you’d gather all the council tomorrow morning, we can discuss our next steps. Galena, I’d like you to join the council as well and begin the search for more healers.”
“Of course. It would be my honor.” Galena curtsied again.
Vida nodded and bowed.
Scarlett excused herself and, after exiting the healing chambers, turned the corner and leaned against the wall. The hallway disappeared as a flood of darkness washed over her.
A vision surfaced.
Ankou yanked a Sidhe woman with copper-colored hair and fair skin into his throne room. The fire pit in the center of the room burst into flames.
“Now, now,” he said. “Your death will not be in vain.”
The woman’s eyes widened. “Please, I don’t want to die.”
He tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear. “Someone needs to and, unfortunately for you, I saw you first.”
The woman tried to pry herself from his grip, but he held her too tightly.
A blade appeared in Ankou’s hand. He spun the woman so she faced away from him. Then, without hesitation, he slit her throat. Blood gushed from the cut and dripped down her blue dress into a pool on the ground.
Ankou dropped her. Her body slumped onto the ground, face upward with empty eyes. Without even a drop of her blood on him, he walked to his throne and sat down.
Scarlett gasped for air as the hallway reappeared around her.
What had the vision been? Had it happened in the past or had he just killed an innocent woman?
The now-black tattoos covering Scarlett’s body tingled.
What was happening to her?
Chapter Two
Kaelem walked down the city street, past the flickering signs and Unseelie fae out and about. The sky above was dark as it always was in the Dancing Banshee, but it was nearly midnight, prime time for the nightlife crowd.
Most people were too busy to pay him much attention, but every once in a while someone would recognize him and bow. He used to spend a lot of time roaming the city, going to shows, drinking and dancing in clubs. Not lately. It seemed his duties as king grew more every day, and with war on the horizon, getting drunk and partying was far from priority.
Tonight, he was on business.
After the events at the Seelie Court, Kaelem was more worried than ever for the future of not only his own court, but the entire fae world. He’d tried to warn Genevieve, but his concern hadn’t been enough to make her see the danger they were in. She was the oldest fae ruler and had been easily killed. It had been three versus one, which to some might have seemed poor odds, but under normal circumstances, victory would have been nothing for the Seelie Queen. But a battle against the Fates—who for centuries seemed like harmless crazy women who spewed prophecies now and again—wasn’t normal and it had cost the Seelie Queen her life.
Kaelem wouldn’t pretend to be sad over her death. He didn’t like Genevieve. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t worried at the repercussions her death might have. He was, however, both surprised and relieved at learning that Laik was
her son and the successor to the Seelie throne.
As he approached the club’s entrance, he pushed away his thoughts of recent events. He could worry about the past later. For now, he needed to focus on the future and how not to share Genevieve’s fate.
Shock flashed in the bouncer’s eyes as he recognized Kaelem. He bowed. “My King, it’s been a while since we’ve had the pleasure of seeing you.”
Kaelem dipped his head. “I’ve missed my more frequent visits.”
The bouncer removed the purple rope from the entrance. “Enjoy your night.”
The club was slower than Kaelem remembered. What day of the week was it? The Unseelie Court was usually buzzing every night, but the weekends tended to be the busiest. Maybe it was Monday?
Inside the tall building, he entered a dimly lit hallway. The bright gray walls contrasted against the dark hardwood below his feet. A pleasant lavender smell drifted through the air.
A red-haired waitress walked toward Kaelem, and when she recognized him, she grinned. “If it isn’t our long, lost king.”
“Sylvia.” Kaelem smiled.
She’d waited on him during his first visit to the Dancing Banshee, back when he was a prince. It was the night his mother had been executed by the Seelie Queen. When he’d come back to the Unseelie Court, he couldn’t bring himself to go home so he wandered the city streets until he found himself drowning his sorrow in mixed drinks and half-naked women. Under different circumstances, it would have been a great night.
Sylvia never asked him what was wrong, but she’d kept an eye on him the whole time. A drunk, emotional Unseelie Prince could be taken advantage of, but he’d made it through the night as unscathed as could be expected.