Door in the Garden of Shadows (Destruction of Magic Book 3)

by April Canavan

  Tyler had to acknowledge that Jessica was a fierce warrior. He would have been honored to fight at her side in the ancient battles. She could handle a blade better than most of the men he had known in his life.

  “Mykah, the little sister, she hasn’t been home since?” This time it was Zander that spoke up, questioning what he should have known.

  “No, I think it had something to do with the curse and the blood magic. She didn’t want to stay on fae land when it took effect from what the fae said. Jessica wouldn’t talk about it, but I think that she’s paying a debt for the loss of their father. So Mykah coming home can only be to officially pledge fealty to her sister. The fae courts are one messed up jumble of blah.” Sarah wrinkled her nose, undoubtedly forgetting that her ex–husband had tried to take the throne of the Blood Court multiple times, even going so far as to use their son to do it.

  “Whatever you say, love. Let’s go to bed.” Zander picked up his queen and tossed her over his shoulder. Sarah waved at Tyler and Anna on their way out. Zander just grunted and slammed the door behind them.

  “Do you think they’ll ever grow out of this phase?” Tyler really wanted to know. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay here if they keep at it.”

  “Oh, I’d say you’re in for at least another thousand years of torture. I know for a fact that old dogs can learn new tricks.” With a wink, Anna got up off the ground and started stretching. She really was adorable, in the way that Tyler thought a little sister should look.

  “Come on,” he argued. “You’re married to a child.”

  “A child with the body of a man, maybe. He’s a lot more mature than you give him credit for. It was his idea to keep separate wings of the keep available for different dignitaries. Your people are safe thanks to his quick thinking.”

  Anna was referring to their own uprising, which had occurred right after Sarah killed Alex. Other vampires thought to destroy the Blood Court while it was in turmoil. Rather than attack the Blood King or the Blood Queen themselves, these rogue vampires thought they’d eliminate the power of the court by killing off their subjects. Thousands had died before anyone realized what was happening. Jackson had the great idea of asking their home to expand and to welcome their entire court to stay. It had ensured that their subjects were safe, and Jackson was deemed a hero by many of them.

  “Well, he’s still a pup. I have more important things to discuss with you. What do you know? Something happened, when they were here. Something you don’t want to tell.”

  “Look, I think you need to take a break in thinking about the girl. There wasn’t anything special about her.” She looked directly into his eyes, daring him to challenge her, so he did.

  “You’re the one who said that the court chose her. You noticed something about her that made her special when I wrote her off and thought we should just kill her. You’re going to tell me, Anna, or I’m going to make your life a living hell.” He mustered every ounce of strength he could and grabbed her by the throat. Lifting her into the air, he could feel his anger fading as her eyes took on a hard glint. “No, tell me. Anna, this is important.”

  “Put me down. Now.” Power infused her voice, and even his will to stand disappeared. He crumbled to the floor in front of the tiny little shifter and the feeling that he wanted to cry invaded his body. Something he hadn’t done in a millennium since he was turned into a vampire.

  He couldn’t help the plea that escaped his lips. “Just please, tell me.” There was something going on, and she wanted to protect him from it. Her bond went both ways, sending her emotions into his body as she took his feelings and strength away.

  Instead of answering, she left him on the ground. Turning away from him, Anna walked to the doorway. When she reached it, she turned and looked into his eyes. She sat there for a minute, but as he felt the desire to move come back to him, she was gone.

  “Damnit!” How the hell was he supposed to take that? The girl who called him a marshmallow didn’t even mean anything to the shifter. Why wouldn’t Anna just tell him what she saw? Why did everyone in this goddamn place feel the need to hold back their knowledge? Now, he also had to go with them to the fae court, which was something he never wanted to do. He should never have gone to save the goddamn human from Dante. He should never have touched her. Now he couldn’t get her out of his mind. As he absently rubbed the tattoo on his wrist, he was reminded of the pain that his last great love had brought into his life. Determined not to let it happen again, he walked out of the throne room.

  “Do you think he should know?” Zander was speaking to someone. Tyler paused, hearing his friend’s voice. Instead of walking down the hallway, he slid behind the door–thankful that he had left it open.

  “No, Zan. I think he needs to not know. I don’t think he could handle the pain of losing another one.” Winter’s voice was like caramel, and it instantly froze Tyler. He would never confront the witch.

  “But he doesn’t love her, he doesn’t even know her. None of us do.”

  “None of us will, not really.” Tyler could hear the hesitation in the words Winter spoke. “She’s gone, and we don’t know if she’s going to be there, anyway. The best thing we could do we’ve done. He’ll be there with us, just in case there’s a possibility that she is.” There was sadness and uncertainty in her voice like she was unsure of whether or not the decision she made was the best one.

  “But the Court claimed her. I don’t understand.” Zander’s confusion spread to Tyler, and he had hope for a moment that his friend and king hadn’t abandoned him in his time of need.

  Their home wouldn’t claim someone who did not belong there, it never had and it never would. To be claimed by the Blood Court was a fantastic feat. It meant the very fabric of magic recognized a person’s importance and wanted to ensure their safety. They couldn’t be harmed in the realm in which they were claimed. The source of the magic that kept vampires alive would occasionally claim a supernatural being, enhancing their power to sustain itself.

  “All I know is that Anna and Sarah and I all agree. Who she is exactly is more important than what she is. I think you’ll see. We need to prepare though, we leave for the fae court soon.” Winter’s voice was approaching the hallway, and Tyler needed to slip away, but he couldn’t. The Court was holding him in place making him listen to their conversation.

  “I don’t know what he will do, Winter. Did you see the look on his face when he walked in with her in his arms? I thought he would kill Dante just for making her bleed.”

  “Don’t let him trick you into thinking he did it for any other reason than to claim her, and Dante was in the way. He killed Dante to claim her as his own. Even if he doesn’t realize it, yet.” He refused to believe that she could be right. “But she won’t fall easily, that girl. I don’t think Tyler stands a chance when it comes to her, she didn’t even have to try, and she had him wound around her finger. He’s been vocal in his anger about us letting her go, even if he tries to hide it.”

  “So you agree with him, she’s supernatural.” Zander came out the doors before Winter, and Tyler prayed he wouldn’t be seen, but when he looked down, he realized that he was gone. The wall had absorbed him so that he wouldn’t be found out. At that moment he loved the Court for its loyalty.

  “I don’t think. I know. I also don’t have time to talk about it anymore. I need to get my library in order. The fae queen is requesting to borrow everything I have on magic to pay my fealty to her reign.”

  “I don’t know what Jessica thinks, acting like she is the center of the universe.” Zander’s blonde head bobbed around the corner, and the last thing Tyler heard was his disgruntled snort at whatever Winter’s response had been.

  After they were no longer in eyesight, the walls spit him back out. “Thank you, my friend.” Tyler had always felt that their home was a living thing, manipulating things as it saw fit. He touched his hand to the wall, but the returning zap drained him of his energy. He saw stars in his vision, a
nd then he blacked out.

  She was there. The human he had carried in his arms. Worse was that she was crying, sitting in a field of roses, surrounded by the bodies of hundreds of children. Something had destroyed them, taken their souls far too soon. They looked like little dolls, waiting to be played with. He knew better than that, they were the product of war. A significant loss, so many children. His little woman knew that. Tears poured down her face as she reached out trying to touch them, and bleeding from every part of her body. She was cut in hundreds of places, blood seeping slowly from every one of her wounds. The blood spilled onto the bodies of the children she was closest to, and it seemed to have a mind of its own, flowing not only onto the ground but also touching every child that was collapsed on the ground. She kept her vigil, silently pleading for the children to live, to not feel the pain that they had. He saw the prayers on her face, plain as day. She did not care for herself, nor for the fact that she was dying. She cared that so many had been lost. He tore his eyes away from her face and looked at the children, who were beautiful, even in death. They were shining with so must lost potential.

  He blinked, and they weren’t on the ground anymore. They were up, walking and playing with laughter in their voices. They were alive, but she was gone. Not even her body remained. She had been taken from him once again, and he wanted to rage.

  “Stop this.” An ancient voice with no physical body spoke directly into his mind. “You can save her. Solve the puzzle before too much time comes to pass, and she will live.”

  There was nothing but darkness. No light, or sky, or walls surrounding Tyler. He was floating on air, unable to breathe and yet not dying. He stayed that way for an eternity, unable to move, and all he could do was pray that he would wake up soon.

  When he regained consciousness, he was on the ground in his rooms. He knew they were his because his collection of weapons littered the floor. Tyler had no idea how much time had passed, or if anyone had known that he was missing. He sat up and pushed the sword that had been pressing into his back away and across the floor. Quickly, he packed a chest with a large assortment of weapons and a few items of clothing. Jeans and black t–shirts would be sufficient. Groaning, he threw a suit into the trunk at the last minute, knowing that there was a significant possibility he would be expected to attend at least one formal dinner while he was there. They were dealing with the fae, after all.

  When he made his way back to the throne room, dragging his trunk along behind him, everyone else was already there. He hadn’t really been paying attention to time as it passed and didn’t know how long he was asleep for. Everyone had waited for him, so he knew he hadn’t taken too long. They would have just left him if he had. Carefully schooling his thoughts so that he didn’t give anyone any hint that he knew what had happened, he mentally prepared for the trip.

  Anna was there, acting as an emissary of the shifters. Jackson went as her husband and as the only known empath, something all the supernatural beings coveted. They were dressed plainly, matching jeans and blue shirts with shoes. They looked like two teenagers about to go to a concert, and Tyler knew that their ability to blend into a situation was one of their greatest assets.

  Jonathon and Winter were dressed in all black, he wore a suit while she had a dress. Seemed fitting, although they looked more somber than usual. Her hair was still pitch black and lacked any of its natural purple hues, with her eyes sparkling the same jeweled tones as the jewelry around her neck. Both Zander and Sarah were dressed in red, apparently a throwback to their titles as Blood King and Queen. She was wearing a red tunic dress with black leggings and flats, having done nothing with her hair. Deep brown, it hung to her hips and fell in waves.

  If she weren’t his best friend’s wife, Tyler would find her attractive. He had to admit that she was just as crazy as the other women in their party, and he wanted nothing to do with that amount of craziness. Zander wore a simple red button down shirt and a pair of black slacks. Of course, he wore black shoes, Tyler was terrible with brands, so he had no idea what it was. They all looked well put together, naturally in a show of respect. He looked down and realized he was wearing the same punk band t–shirt he had put on this morning and a pair of loose–fitting jeans with some black loafers. Figured. Everyone else was ready for this but him.

  “Well let’s get this party started. Everyone ready?” Zander slapped his hands together. Without even looking around, Tyler knew that everyone was ready for their king to start the transport.

  When he opened his eyes, they were standing in the middle of the great hall in the Malice Court. In front of him was Jessica, the fae queen. There were no other people in the room with her, and she was reading a book while sitting on her throne. There they were, the seven of them, standing in front of her and she didn’t even look up from her book.

  “Excuse me but get your face out of your book.” He couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Something about her made Tyler’s blood boil, and he just couldn’t control himself.

  “Shut up, he’s about to propose to her.” Jessica still didn’t look up but held up a hand. A few minutes passed while she continued reading.

  Tyler looked at his queen, who smiled in understanding. There had been plenty of times Sarah had refused to engage with someone because she had her face stuck in a book. Zander just stared at his wife, bemused. Jonathon and Winter were nose to nose, whispering about something only the two of them would ever know. He didn’t even have to look at Jackson and Anna to know that she was in his arms and they were horsing around.

  “Oh come on, get a room,” he said without even turning around. His irritation was at its peak.

  “Nah, I think we’ll stay here and torture you.” Anna stuck her tongue out at him and then began kissing her husband.

  “Okay then, all done with that chapter.” Jessica stood up and tossed the book back onto her seat.

  “Finally. I hope it was a good place to stop.” When the fae queen nodded, Sarah continued. “Where is everyone?” They had become friendly over the past five years, and she stepped forward to hug the other queen. “I thought you were having a party for your coronation.”

  “Oh, we are. You got here early, as usual.” With a wave of her hand, all of their belongings disappeared. “I put you and Zander in the same rooms as before. Try not to break the bed this time.” She laughed, and it was melodic.

  “Thank you, for the embarrassment. Thanks for that.” Zander grabbed his wife’s hand and pulled her toward the exit. “We’ll see you at supper.” There didn’t seem to be any sign of embarrassment as they made their way through the doorway and Sarah waved goodbye.

  “I packed the library in a chest. I’m sure you put it in my wing here.” Tyler forgot that Winter was allocated an entire wing in every court so that she could come and go as she pleased whenever they had need of her. All the magical families had to pay her homage at some point, and it was nothing for her to have her own space when she was needed. “Just make sure you don’t leave any fae magic on the pages. How long should I expect you to have them?” Jonathon was standing behind his wife, staring at her ass. Tyler stifled a laugh at the scene.

  “It shouldn’t be too long, I’d say just a few weeks. How long are you planning on joining the festivities?” Ever the queen, Jessica rose to her full height, and Tyler was forced to really look at her for the first time since arriving.

  She was dressed in the same dark gray colors that covered her walls, accentuated with dark green tones. Although she was extremely waiflike, it matched her height. Her pale yellow hair was pulled away from her face, showing the small points to her ears. Her eyes had always been pale, but Tyler thought he saw flashes of silver in them now. After he blinked, they were gone though. She wasn’t even wearing shoes, but she was still a lot taller than the Blood Queen. Winter, however, stood at the same height and had the same frame. The two women could be sisters. In fact, they were, both sisters of magic. With the same natural magic flowing through their veins, they would
have been twins in another time.

  He hadn’t been paying attention, because he was jarred out of his thoughts when Anna said, “Well, you guys get lost already. We have important things to discuss.” Apparently done horsing around with her husband, she was physically pushing him out the door. She was motioning to Jonathon and Tyler as well. “I’m serious, get out of here.” When Tyler hesitated, he felt the magic from Jessica push him out the door.

  “I’m sure you’ll find your way to your rooms. You’re staying in Winter’s wing. I figured she’d enjoy keeping her family close. I’m sure it will keep the lot of them in line too.” With a wave of her hand, the men were dismissed.

  As they walked together through the corridors of the fae court, the men were properly disturbed.

  “What the hell. I thought she was going to bed with me. Why do I get rejected for the fae queen?” Jackson, ever the pouting child, couldn’t help but bemoan the loss of time with his wife.

  “You? What about me? I don’t like spending any time away from Winter.” Jonathon couldn’t help but add his two cents in, pouting like a child.

  “You two just stop. You sound like women. Be men. Get over it.” Tyler was perpetually annoyed with the men around him. Why were they such lovesick fools?

  “You’re just jealous that you’re stuck here and can’t go hunt down your woman.” Jackson was turning into the rooms that he would share with Anna while they were in residence at the Malice Court. Having stayed there before he knew exactly where he was going.

  Jonathon would know precisely where he was going as well, since not only was he with Winter before his death but because he had plenty of reason to attend functions at the fae courts while he was Blood King. In fact, Tyler would be staying in the same wing as the two of them since he had spent much of his life as a vampire serving at Jonathon’s right hand. They walked together, Tyler brooding with the last thing that Jackson had spouted off with. Jonathon generally knew when to keep quiet around Tyler, they had fought together for so long that it was second nature. The silence was comfortable, and Tyler needed time to process the visions that he had been given by the Court.