Kings: Chaos Book 5.5

by Claire Farrell

  Kings (Chaos #5.5)

  By Claire Farrell

  Set between books five and six in the Chaos series, Kings is a brief look into the lives of Drake and Brendan.

  After sealing the rift, Drake hears word of his wife’s sickness only to find that the cause is exactly what unites his enemies against him.

  Brendan’s journey across unexplored waters is only beginning, and if he finds what he’s looking for, he’ll owe a determined woman a throne by his side. But can he do it?

  Whatever course of action is taken next, they will change their world.

  Copyright © Claire Farrell

  Claire_farrell@live.ie

  Cover by Yocla Designs

  Licence Notes:

  All rights reserved. This eBook may not be re-sold.

  Chapter One

  Brendan

  The thrill of adventure combined with the beauty of an unfamiliar open sea was only marred by the sounds of Bran’s violent retching over the side of the boat.

  “Get it all up,” Brendan said soothingly, trying his best not to sound amused.

  “This is…” Bran gasped and looked up at his king. “This is hell. That madwoman has brought us straight to hell.”

  “Look on the bright side. Your face is so green you could be a mascot for our court.”

  Bran responded with a heave that turned even Brendan’s stomach.

  “I’ll leave you to it.” He patted Bran’s back. “Try not to fall in.”

  Brendan strolled across the deck, the thrum of the sword of victory by his side. Whoever wielded the sword couldn’t fail—as long as he were worthy of the honour. His human friend and Darksider queen had given it to him, even before she knew he would leave for unknown lands. She thought he was worthy. He couldn’t let her down. Not on this journey.

  The fae never crossed the sea, and what lay beyond was a land they only knew from horror stories. Some terrible unnamed menace lived across the massive expanse of water, but it was also the possible location of the First Tree, the one object that might actually cleanse the realm before the blight swallowed them up completely. The land was dying, and a trip into unknown terrors was worth the risk to save the faery realm.

  The wooden deck creaked underfoot as he walked, but the well-kept vessel appeared sturdy. Brendan found his way to the captain and navigator who had no problem steering the ship. In fact, none of the crew came across as anything but familiar with the boat. The only ones who looked uncomfortable were the group of soldiers from his own Green Court who had volunteered to accompany their king. Four young soldiers, plus Bran, were all he had taken with him. He was beginning to feel outnumbered.

  “You look concerned,” Yvette said, approaching him with her favourite woman before he could query the captain. Her bracelets jingled as she moved, yet she had managed to sneak up on him. Again. “You’re not scared of a little water, are you?”

  “On the contrary.” He forced a smile to his lips. “I was thinking how safe I feel with your crew. You wouldn’t know this was their first journey on water.”

  “Oh, we’ve used the ship as a fishing boat. We often transport supplies along our coastline. They’re used to working together.” She gestured around her. “This is just the next logical step, really.”

  “I wish my own men were as comfortable on water.”

  Her tinkling laugh set him on edge. “They have been poorly, haven’t they? They’ll recover as soon as we land.”

  “And then what will we find, I wonder?”

  She sighed heavily. “I imagine we’ll find a land full of people trying to survive, people fearful of what’s on our side of the water.”

  “The daoine sídhe were run out of that land. If even giants ran scared, I doubt we have anything back home scary enough for their concern.”

  “We do have a human queen,” she murmured.

  She gazed up at him from beneath long lavender eyelashes, ignoring his sharp, warning glance. Her thigh-length wavy hair matched, and her eyes were bluer than the ocean. Her voluptuous body was covered in tattoos designed to draw eyes to all the right places. And if he didn’t marry her, then her family, her army, and her fortune would align themselves with his rival. Or maybe even his enemy.

  She was exactly what his kingdom needed. But she wasn’t what he wanted. It didn’t matter now. He had a duty to his kingdom. He had let his subjects down the first time he was king. They were still suffering for his mistakes. He couldn’t be selfish a second time.

  “You must allow me a touch of jealousy.” Her smirk couldn’t hide a certain darkness behind her eyes as she reached out to touch his arm. Her long pointed fingernails were painted prettily, but they still reminded him of claws.

  “You don’t look like a woman who needs to be jealous of anything,” he commented lightly and moved out of her reach.

  She followed him to the rails. “We’re going to be married, Brendan. We need one another. But we barely know each other, and you have such a close relationship with another woman. I’m afraid that people will talk after we’re married if you spend so much time with the Darksider queen.”

  “Cara isn’t a threat.” He gripped the rails. What was it about women pushing the point when he clearly wanted to avoid the subject? “We will always be friends.”

  She gave a surprised laugh. “How naive you sound. Once we save the realm, the other courts will work against us. The Silver King and Chaos Queen share a child, you know.”

  He knew. And such a child—even her smile was capable of making the fae fawn over her. He had long sensed she was full to the brim with growing power that might one day be used against him. Despite that, he had fallen for the little girl. Scarlet had made him long to be a father, and that had been a shock. He had always imagined fatherhood to be a duty rather than a need. He just wasn’t sure if it was the child or the mother who had changed his point of view. But it was far too late to ponder such things.

  “Without my help, they will encroach,” Yvette continued. “It’s only natural they would want their child to inherit the entire realm. We can’t blame them. But we can’t allow them an inch.”

  “That child is my named heir,” he reminded her. “Scarlet is the one ensuring peace between the three of us.”

  She ducked under his arm and pressed her chest against his. His back stiffened at her touch. Yvette would be his duty. He couldn’t imagine anything on the contrary.

  “Perhaps our circumstances will have changed by the time we return,” she said softly. “But be prepared for a fight. There’s no knowing what Silver and Chaos will have gotten up to in our absence.”

  “Drake and Cara are my friends,” he said.

  “Of course they are. But they’re also rulers. You yourself understand that the realm comes first. And your court would never understand if you made the wrong choice.”

  “I haven’t—”

  “You’re used to being in charge, but have you ever managed to control the human? She’ll never submit to you, you know. Never allow you to swallow up her court. Even if you somehow managed to get the blessing of the Green Court and the Darkside, it would never work. You both wish to take the lead. That could only end in disaster.” She peeked over his arm and nodded at someone behind him. “Dinner is soon, my dear. You should join us. My girls are so bored that they’ve come up with a new dance to entertain you all with.”

  She walked away and left him there. She had picked at every fear and concern he had. Yes, he considered Drake and Cara his friends, and Scarlet, his heir. But how did they see him? Absence changed everything. Drake needed power to keep his court, and Cara… well, she was still a mystery to him. Every time he thought he had her figured out, she surprised him again. Yvette was right about one t
hing: Cara Kelly liked nothing better than having control over her own destiny. And there was no place for him in her life.

  While he was on a dangerous journey to find the First Tree, Cara and Drake were on an impossible one, finding the elusive stone of destiny, yet another legendary treasure like his sword. The stone could theoretically seal the rift and stop the spread of the blight. The tree could cure the land. Together, they could save the realm. Together, they could reunite their old affections. Cara acted as though she were over Drake, but given enough time alone with him? He wasn’t certain of the outcome.

  He headed down to the kitchen where someone was playing a fiddle. He found Bran in the corner, sweating still as he nursed a bowl of clear broth. He sat next to his bodyguard, and friend, relieved to find a face he trusted.

  “Still dying?” he remarked as someone set a bowl of stew in front of him. He tore a piece of bread from the plate in the centre of the table and dipped it into the gravy. At least Yvette had thought to take a decent cook along. Of course, it wouldn’t be long until they were eating more fish than anything else, but he would enjoy the fresh meat and fruit while it lasted.

  “Pretty much.” Bran nodded at the women dancing on the other end of the room. “They don’t seem affected at all.”

  “No, they look quite comfortable,” Brendan admitted.

  “I’ve never met fae like them,” Bran said slowly. “I’ve no interest in women, you know that, but even I prefer the ones back home. Cara is a breath of fresh air in comparison to this constant… attention seeking.”

  Brendan’s stomach curdled. His marriage would be entirely free of fresh air; that was almost certain. He frowned as he noticed his other soldiers, huddled in the corner, also looking green. The sea around Yvette’s castle had been surprisingly calm. How could her people be so used to the rocking of real waves on the open sea? He had been forced to put himself and his people into the hands of a woman he barely knew; could he trust her? Could he truly rely on anyone? He glanced at Bran. Their numbers might have been small, but there were those he trusted.

  “Bran, no matter what happens, you have to make sure one of the First Trees makes it home again.”

  “Are you expecting trouble?”

  “We’re crossing the sea that nobody crosses,” Brendan said with a laugh. “What better place to find trouble?” He looked up at his future wife and sighed. What better place indeed?

  ***

  He dreamed. He was on a raft in the middle of the ocean, playing chess with a man. His opponent’s chest was bare and heavily tanned. He almost looked human but for the larger black pupils in his sea-green eyes. His silver hair curled and met his elbows, and his muscles were tight and threaded with pulsing veins.

  “You have a good stomach,” the man said as he made a move. He was a stranger, but Brendan felt comfortable in his presence, almost as though he had known him once.

  “I think the sword must be helping me.” The familiarity of home surrounded him like a cloak. “I should be scared of all this water, but it’s too… soothing.”

  “It won’t stay that way.”

  A wave splashed over the side of the raft, wetting Brendan’s bare feet. His toes curled from the frigid water. “This doesn’t feel like a dream.”

  “Does it matter?”

  Brendan laughed. “Likely not.”

  “Where are you going with the sword of victory?”

  “To find something that will save the realm from the blight.” He glanced around him, saddened at the thought of what could be. “One day, this will all be black and poisoned if I don’t.”

  “Not all of it,” the man said. “We made sure of that. It’s a noble quest, all the same.”

  Brendan’s hand lingered over the queen piece on the board. “Yes. Noble.”

  “How bad is the blight this time?”

  “This time?”

  “History has a habit of repeating itself.”

  Brendan watched the man make his next move. “It’s not good. The Green Forest is dying. Landslides and sinkholes are showing up all over the place.”

  “Already,” the man muttered as though to himself. “I thought for sure there would be more time.” He met Brendan’s curious gaze. “’Ware the shaking of the earth. That’s when he starts to wake for good.”

  “Shaking of the earth? What do you—?”

  “You entered my waters without permission, but you may pass.”

  Brendan woke with a start and ran his hands through his hair. Damp. He licked his lips and found they tasted of salt. He rolled over on a cot that was too small for him, but he couldn’t fall back asleep, despite the gentle rocking of the boat.

  He headed up to the top deck instead for some air. The boards were damp, the wind almost completely still. Yvette stood by the rails, mournfully gazing out at the water.

  He joined her. She didn’t seem surprised.

  He inhaled deeply, the scent of brine filling his nostrils. “Are you up late or awake early?”

  She shrugged, her face wan and peaky. “Up early. I had a dream about… well, a foretelling of my death.”

  “And was it a good death?”

  She let her hair fall forward, covering her expression. “I was told I would die by the blade of my brother. I heard it once before, a long time ago. I didn’t think I would hear it again.”

  “Well, then. If it hasn’t come true by now, you must be safe.”

  “I made sure of that,” she said so softly, he wasn’t entirely sure she had spoken.

  He gazed up at the sky. Dawn had yet to hit, and the sky was grey and lilac. He wished Cara could see it.

  “Why are you awake?” Yvette asked. “Did you dream, too?”

  “I think I dreamt of the god Manannán,” he said.

  She inhaled sharply. “Did you? And did he give you permission to pass?”

  “Yes, actually.” He looked down at her. “How did you know?”

  “Manannán judges the travellers,” she whispered. “He chooses if the way will be easy or difficult.”

  “The travellers? Because so many fae cross the sea?”

  She faced front again. “I… read it in the book. Perhaps more fae crossed than we know.”

  “A book from your library,” he said. “Cara seems to think there is a lot missing from your library.”

  “And yet I’m the only one in the realm capable of finding a book with images of the First Tree within. The library has been standing a long time. Of course things get lost. Cara seems to think that anyone who doesn’t fall at her feet is your enemy.” She glanced at him. “She’s dangerous. I know you don’t want to hear it, but she’s a danger to our alliance.”

  “There’s no danger,” he said gruffly. That was a lie, and they both knew it. What would he do if Cara begged him not to marry Yvette?

  “You know as well as I do that there will always be a danger there. If not your heart, then consider your life, Brendan. She’s out of control. We all saw that at her ceremony; she lost herself to the magic completely, and everyone suffered. I’ve heard stories of her actions at court. She uses her emotions as a punishment. We can’t fight against that. If her own actions don’t kill her, then your affection will. I’ll not be disrespected by either of you.”

  He glanced down at her, surprised by her fierceness. “Was it you then? At the ceremony. Did you do something to Cara that night?”

  “I found out how dangerous she is,” she said in a low voice. “And it’s worse than I ever thought. You cry out against chaos, but what is more chaotic than that human?” She hesitated. “Haven’t you ever considered the possibility that Chaos wants her around? Sadler went after her for a reason. His god was never as strong until she showed up.”

  His fingers clenched into fists. “You will not repeat this, Yvette.”

  “Does she know how fearful you are on her behalf, I wonder?” She turned and laid her hand on his arm. “I have no quarrel with her as long as she doesn’t interfere with us, but remember th
is, Brendan, you’re the one with the power to make her my enemy. If you are weak, she will be the one who suffers for it.”

  He moved out of her reach, but it was too late. The cold was inside of him now, reliving the old fears. He had always been the most dangerous person in the realm when it came to Cara’s life. And he had already been too reckless. As a youth, he had learned too late to respect the lives and hearts of humans. He had been paying for his mistakes ever since, and the last thing he could bear was Cara paying the punishment in his stead.

  He couldn’t face being alone with his thoughts, so he stood there in silence alongside a woman who could easily destroy every part of him. Dawn soon broke, the sky shedding its grey shroud in favour of pink and purple.

  “We’ll soon move into open sea,” Yvette said.

  He decided not to ask her how she knew that. He stared at the remains of land in the distance. They had been having a strange few days, partly why his soldiers were ill. One moment the way was calm and clear, the next, it grew stormy. And so it went. Interspersed with the weather, sections of land came and went, some he recognised, and some he didn’t.

  “That lighthouse,” he said slowly. “Where is that?”

  “It’s the human realm,” she said. “This is an intersection. Can’t you feel how close the worlds are here?”

  “We’ve been travelling in and out of realms?” he asked in wonder. He hadn’t considered that possibility. “Without a portal?”

  “The portal will come soon. Everything was connected, once.”

  “Until the gods interfered,” Brendan said bitterly.

  She glanced at him. “It wasn’t just the human realm that was taken from you. Your… our realm was disconnected from everything. These intersections are the only remaining links beside the portals. Make the most of the view. This is the last time we’ll see land for a long time.”

  “How do you know all of this?”

  “I studied hard,” she said sharply before leaving him there.