Throne of Secrets (Wicked Kingdoms Book 3)

by Graceley Knox

  Table of Contents

  Praise for Graceley Knox

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Title Page

  Glossary

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Excerpt from Kiss of Frost

  Also By Graceley Knox

  Author’s Note

  Acknowledgements

  About Graceley

  Praise for

  Graceley Knox

  “Graceley Knox debuts with a fantasy that will immerse the reader into her world, and make them never want to leave.”

  – Once Upon an Alpha

  “Graceley Knox turns adrenaline into words, then combines them with a true storyteller’s magic into a novel I couldn’t put down. Her alternative world is richly drawn but passionately explored, and occupied by characters now woven into my heart…”

  – USA Today Bestselling author Angel Payne

  “Graceley Knox has blown me away… This tale will take you on a magical journey that brings Fae and Goblins to life. Definitely the best Faery book that I have ever read.”

  – Tina at Bookalicious Babes Blog

  “Mark of Truth was absolutely spellbinding! It held me captive from the start. Ever and Dare have such a strong force of animal attraction and I cannot wait to see what happens next! So, I say, bring on more Elves, Goblins and Fae my friend!”

  – Mindy, Talkbooks

  Throne of Secrets Copyright © 2017 by Graceley Knox

  Kindle Edition

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the author is unlawful piracy and the theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  To RaSha, I have no idea what the hell I’d do without you guys. Our circle may be small, but it’s bullet proof. I love you both.

  Throne of Secrets

  A WICKED KINGDOMS NOVEL

  Graceley Knox

  Table of Contents

  Praise for Graceley Knox

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Title Page

  Glossary

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Excerpt from Kiss of Frost

  Also By Graceley Knox

  Author’s Note

  Acknowledgements

  About Graceley

  Glossary

  Álainn – Lovely or beautiful

  Elven/Elf – The Elven are a separate caste of the Fae and don’t fall under the Seelie or Unseelie rule. Instead they rule themselves. Unlike Goblin where they are all under one ruler, a smaller sect of Elves branched off to become known as the Dark Elves. This book focuses on the Light Elves. The Light Elves are very proper and tend to have high opinions of themselves.

  Fae/Faery/Fairy – The Fae are an ancient race of all things mythical and mystical, usually hailing from Celtic roots. Typically, they are ruled by two courts—the light and the dark, or the Seelie and Unseelie (See Seelie and Unseelie for further explanation of those courts).

  Goblin – The Goblin are a separate caste of the Fae that don’t fall under the rule of the Seelie or Unseelie. Instead they have their own King and Queen and stay out of the politics not regarding their own or those they have brought under their wing.

  Iontach – Magnificent.

  Leath Cine – Half breed

  Máistreás – Mistress.

  Máthair – Mother.

  Mac baile fáilte de Goblin – Welcome home, son of Goblin.

  Mac soith – Son of a bitch.

  MECA – Magical Enforcement and Containment Agency. MECA was created by the leath cine who were displaced after the Light Elven Declaration. They now train children that are half human half Elf or Goblin and give them a place in society after they have completed training.

  Mo ghrá – My love

  Seelie or Light Fae – The Seelie are more commonly known as the Light Court or the Light Fae. They typically don’t harm humans and are similar enough in appearance that they can blend in easily with humans. Known to be extremely snobby.

  Sift/Sifted – The ability to move between worlds, realms, and places in the blink of an eye. Most Fae have the ability once taught around adolescence.

  Soith atá suite – Lying bitch

  Soith dúr – stupid bitch

  Tine – Literally fire. As in my little fire.

  Tíre cothrom – Fair folk, fairy, or the Fae.

  Unseelie or Dark Fae – The Unseelie are more commonly known as the Dark Court and typically get up to mischief and cause trouble. They are home to the more grotesque creatures and are known for taking in anyone who is considered outcast, much like the Goblins. They are also the home of the Sluagh, which are equated to the hell hounds of the Fae.

  CHAPTER

  ONE

  King Caddox is going to name you his heir and the prophecy will begin.

  Arela’s words from three weeks ago repeat over and over in my head like a broken record. And just like the first time I heard them, my stomach drops to my feet and my emotions spin out of control. Doubt that I can be the person to unite two kingdoms. Shock that I’m even considering that I’ll be the one to do it. Happiness that someone will unite the two kingdoms, worry that Arela is having chats with the Goddess of Faerie. And finally, determination to sort through all of it and make sure that everyone I love comes out unscathed.

  I shiver and wrap the blanket I’d grabbed tightly around me. Dawn is approaching and the dark blues of the sky are slowly being replaced with streaks of orange and yellow. I’m sitting on the top of the front gate of the Goblin castle. The cool stone seeps through the blanket I’m huddled in, but I don’t mind it. I’ve come here every morning for the past week so I can sit in silence and think. Everyone around me is making plans and guessing at outcomes and I just need a few minutes to myself to process. Just a few moments to take a deep breath and clear my head. The
darkness of the night matches the murkiness of my thoughts and my mood perfectly.

  What I need is answers. I need someone to give it to me straight and not tack on their own political agenda. The chances of that happening are slim to none. I’m too close to all the parties involved for them to be unbiased. I need someone who doesn’t have anything invested in the outcome of my appearance in the Light Elven Kingdom. MECA could probably not care less, but then again, I recently learned they aren’t as uninvolved as they tell everyone they are. The Goblin Kingdom has given me shelter and taken care of those I hold dearest, but they hold might above all else. Allying with the Light Elven Kingdom would only make them more fearsome. Last but not least, my mother is a royal in the Light Elven Kingdom and my uncle is the current king. My mother is still missing, which adds to my worry, and my uncle is trying to make history. I’m sick of being a pawn in a deadly game of political chess. I pull at a loose string on the blanket and grumble under my breath.

  “If only I could see snippets of the future. A glimpse is all I’m asking for.”

  I look up into the fading darkness and pray that my wishes are heard by anyone who can help. Minutes go by and my glimmer of hope flicks out and helplessness fills my chest. Why me? Why would anyone involved in the grand scheme of things want me to help them? I’m angry most of the time and full of inappropriate sarcastic comments. I try to protect everyone around me but it seems like I mostly fail. I fail all the time and each time I do it’s like another piece of my soul crumbles into a pile of ash. I can barely make sense of my own emotions let alone help everyone else with theirs. There’s got to be a reason as to why I’m tangled up in all of this. Unfortunately, no one has any gods damned answers for me, so here I am. Sitting on the ramparts and tossing wishes into the universe like a child tosses a coin into a well.

  “Perhaps I can help you with your glimpse, Ever.”

  I spin around so fast that I almost fall off of my perch on the gates. My hand flies to my chest and my heart flutters like a demented butterfly in my chest. “Gods! Who is that?” I squint into the shadows where the stranger stands. “Are you trying to kill me?”

  The fog surrounding the person dissipates and Queen Nicnivin of the Unseelie Court appears. She wears her crown of dark feathers and glimmering crystals again but this time her midnight hair is down and frames her petite figure as it billows behind her. The corners of her mouth are tilted up and her hands are clasped in front of her. Her dress is dramatic and the inky feathers come up to just under her chin, encircling her neck. Since our last meeting I’ve done some digging and Nicnivin is known for using ravens as her messenger of choice. Birds most commonly known for being harbingers of darkness and death.

  I slowly climb down from my spot so I don’t fall off while I talk with her. The last time we spoke, she showed me the possibility of what could happen if I appeared in my uncle’s kingdom. I’d been attacked and taken by men wearing blue cloaks with the symbol of the Order of Íonachta on them. A crescent moon with the tips pointed skyward with tangled branches beneath it. I’ve since found out that their order stands for purity. They wish to purify the Fae races and intend to kill off any and all Fae who are halfblooded human to do so. They have sects in almost every kingdom and court including one in MECA, which is supposed to be the safe place for all of the leath cine. Not just the leath cine that are half-goblin or -elf and half-whatever-else. The thought knots my stomach and I refocus my attentions to the queen of darkness in front of me.

  “Good morning, Queen Nicnivin.” I dip my head to her in a bow. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “You spoke into the darkness and I heard your request. I’m here to help.”

  I raise a brow. “You’re here to help me?” Most Fae don’t offer help for free and the price is usually steep. “May I ask what it will cost me to receive your help?”

  Nicnivin chuckles darkly. “So cynical, Ever. My help will cost you nothing. As I told you before, I’m hedging my bets.”

  “Can I ask what you know that makes you want to put your faith in me? Because from where I’m standing, I’m not exactly taking the house.”

  “I disagree, Ever. From where I stand, you’ve got the figurative house in the palm of your hand. You only have to know when to call and when to fold.”

  My temple throbs with her euphemism and I push it out of my head to think about later. “Bets aside, what glimpse can you give me this time?”

  “One that I think you’ll find most helpful.” She holds out her tiny hand in front of her and I step forward.

  Before I grasp her hand in mine, I ask a final question. “Is this another warning? Another possibility? Or is it a certainty?”

  Nicnivin shakes her head. “This isn’t a glimpse of the future but of something that has already taken place.”

  “And how do I know you aren’t manipulating these glimpses to ply me to your will?”

  “Would you have my blood oath?” She pulls her hand back and I almost leap for it.

  “No. Just your willingness to offer it proves you’re telling the truth. I think you more than anyone know about the horrors the Sluagh can inflict if an oath is broken.”

  “That I do. Shall we begin?” She presents her dainty hand to me once more and I step forward and clasp it between my own. I gasp as I’m thrown into the glimpse I asked the darkness for.

  I’m in a sparsely decorated cave. The walls around me are a light brown with streaks of darker colors as water drips down the sides of the openings. Voices sound and I step toward them. The voices are hushed and hurried. Unsure if they can see me, I peek around the rocks creating a door and take them in. Both wear deep blue cloaks with their hoods obscuring their faces in shadows, and one gestures angrily as he speaks with the other.

  “We should never have brought him here. He is a risk to us all!”

  “We had no choice. It was either leave him with the girl to be captured and killed or take him with us.”

  “You should have let him be killed.”

  “He’s more useful to us alive. We can control him, and he thinks that he is in charge of all of this.”

  “Cashel is a lunatic. He tortured that little girl and wants to marry his cousin.”

  “The girl he tortured was a dirty-blooded mongrel who shouldn’t even be allowed to live. And so long as Ever bears an heir, the prophecy will come to pass. I don’t care who she lets impregnate her dirty body, so long as she has the child so we may take it and bend it to our will.” The man stops walking and faces the other man. “Are you going soft? Nothing else matters. Nothing.”

  “I’m not going soft.” The man huffs in affront. “I’m only saying that there may be a smarter way to get what we want.”

  “And that would be?”

  “Let her continue her relationship with the goblin. Her child will still be pure-blooded Fae if he impregnates her. It will just be more goblin than elf. Perhaps at that point she would no longer want the babe and we could convince her to let us have it.”

  “I will give you two months to see if this plan works. If not, we go back to our original plan. Speak with Frederick and see what he has to say about it. He’s been helpful thus far.”

  The second man nods and walks off in the opposite direction of the first.

  The scene shimmers around the edges and I blink my eyes open. My mind is racing and my hands are shaking. So I react in the only way I know how. With sarcasm so I can avoid the topic at hand until I can fully process it. “Is there any way I could convince you to be my personal crystal ball? I mean, no offense, but with this ability, it’s a wonder you haven’t taken over all of Faerie.”

  Nicnivin ducks her head demurely. “There is a balance amongst the universe. Even if I wanted to, I am unable to see much in regard to my own wants and desires. Only those of others.”

  “Ah. An Achilles heel as it were.”

  “Yes.” Her tone goes from light to threatening and she takes a step forward. “There are not many alive who kn
ow about this disadvantage. I would keep in mind that it’s like that for a reason.”

  I step back and gulp down a ball of trepidation. “Yup. I…um…I hear you loud and clear. Lips are sealed.” I pretend to zip my lips shut and throw away the key. “Secret’s safe with me.”

  “Good. I must go. Someone is coming. I’d suggest that you don’t tell anyone how you know this information. For now, it might be best to see who you can trust completely and who is out for their own gain. I bid you good luck, Ever.”

  In a blink she’s gone, a lone jet-black feather floating on the wind the only indication that she was here and I didn’t just imagine the entire encounter. I turn back to the view from the gates of the Goblin Kingdom and relish my final few moments of silence. The Order of Íonachta wants me to have a baby so they can steal it and raise it to be their mouthpiece in a war against so-called impurity. I’ve never considered having children. In fact, I’ve avoided thinking about it. What if I end up like my mother? Absent, cold, and completely clueless as to how to raise a child. I wouldn’t wish the hurt and feelings of inadequacy I grew up with on my worst enemy. I’m raising Arela, but she makes it easy. She’s already a teenager and can do things on her own. I don’t know that I’ll be able to care for a child who’s completely dependent on me. I also don’t know that I want to bring a child into a world that’s about to be torn into pieces by the coming war.

  I sigh and watch the puff of warm air take shape in front of my nose. If only my problems could disappear as quickly as a warm breath of air on a cool morning. The door behind me clicks open and I turn my head to look over my shoulder. It’s Dare. I smile softly at him and watch as he approaches. He’s wearing a thick, long-sleeved white shirt with a heavy vest over it. No jackets for him. He says they restrict his movement. I don’t mind the view of his muscular arms rippling in the fabric of the long-sleeve shirts, so I’m not going to remind him that even goblins can catch a cold. He looks me over as he approaches and his eyes narrow. I hate that I’m the one to cause him so much worry. It eats me up inside to know that, on top of everything else happening between us, I’m only adding to his stress every day instead of lessening it.