Kingdom of Future's Hope (Royals of Faery Book 4)

by Hayley Osborn

  As I turned to leave, she said, “It must matter. You never come visiting at this time of night.”

  I glanced at my best friend, wedged between her door and the door jamb, clearly hiding something. We could speak out here. There was no one around. I held up the black glass. “I think I just watched someone poison Fergus.”

  Her mouth dropped open.

  When she didn’t speak, I added, “I asked Everleigh if she could replay it so I could be sure, but she said it wasn’t possible. It all happened so fast; maybe I’m wrong. But what if I’m right? What should I do—?”

  The door of her room swung open, and standing beside her was Jax Sunfall. He wore the new uniform of the Unseelie royal family. His pants were a blue so deep they were almost black, and worn with a white linen shirt that pulled at the seams along his biceps. Normally, Fergus’ guards wore a cloak the same blue color of the pants, but he must have removed it when he entered Selina’s rooms. His hair today was grey-blue, setting off his dark skin. Somehow, he looked taller and broader than I recalled. Though it had been a long time since I’d stood so close to him.

  Seeing him tugged at my heart. We’d spent many hours together when I first came to Faery, but they were hours that were often spent with Fergus, and sometimes Willow, as well. Seeing him reminded me I was no longer part of that group, and never would be again. And if I couldn’t be with them, then I wanted no part of them. Or so I’d told myself.

  “Jax. What are you doing here?” The words were out before I could stop them. I bit down on my tongue. It was none of my business. Which was to say, Selina would tell me why Jax was in her rooms when she was ready. “Sorry. I just mean, it’s a surprise to see you. Here. This late in the day.”

  His eyes roamed over me, and I had the feeling I was getting a similar appraisal to the one I’d just given him. His lips were pinched, and worry clouded his eyes. “Did you say Fergus has been poisoned? Are you certain? How would you even know?” He walked away as he spoke, picking up his sword belt from where it leaned against the green couch next to the fireplace.

  I bit my lip. I’d expected to tell only Selina about this. No one else. “I’m not certain. But I am worried for him.”

  “What makes you think it happened?” he pressed, buckling his sword belt and picking up his cloak from the back of the couch to throw around his shoulders.

  I glanced at Selina for guidance.

  She shrugged.

  It was on the tip of my tongue to lie. To tell him it was nothing more than a feeling. Then I recalled the images I’d seen of Fergus, relaxed and smiling, and I couldn’t just walk away. I knew Jax well enough to know he’d take this seriously if I could give him reason to. I held up the piece of black glass.

  He gave a single nod then cleared his throat. “Did you see who did it?”

  I shook my head. “Only from behind.”

  “And what happened after?”

  I swallowed. I’d only seen that part in my imagination. My voice turned into a whisper as I spoke. “I don’t know. The glass went black, and I haven’t been able to get anything to return upon it since. Everleigh won’t help me, and I don’t know what to do.”

  His lips were pressed together. “Don’t worry about it.”

  I lifted my eyebrows. How did he think that would be possible when he looked about as worried as I felt? “Why not?”

  “It’s not your problem.” His voice was tight, and it might have been my imagination, but it seemed a hint of accusation had crept into his tone. That accusation was part of the reason I’d kept my distance from Jax all these months. He’d been here often enough, but I’d always let Selina deal with him.

  The last time we spoke was the night I left Unseelie, when Jax told me he understood my decision for leaving Fergus. But there was a part of me that was certain he’d never understand. Or that he’d blame me for leaving. Or any of a million other things that could make him upset enough not to speak to me in almost a year. Because it worked both ways. I hadn’t just stayed away from him. He’d stayed away from me, too.

  I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “Yes, well … I don’t want to see him hurt.”

  Jax nodded and turned to Selina. “Can we roast those marshmallows another night?”

  I glanced at the dancing fire to see there was a bowl of marshmallows set out on the floor in front of it. Along with two long roasting sticks.

  Selina pulled on a piece of her hair. “Any time. Just make sure Fergus is okay.” She touched his hand with her fingertips.

  He nodded, not even attempting to return her smile. “Not much I can do from here if he’s not.” By the time Jax returned to Unseelie, if no one had found Fergus, it would be too late to help him. My heart was in my mouth. I didn’t want Fergus to die.

  Jax started down the hallway.

  “Jax,” I called.

  He turned without speaking.

  “Ride fast.”

  The corner of his mouth kicked up. “I intend to.” He turned away again, then stopped, this time not looking at me to speak. “It was good to see you, Bria.”

  I couldn’t sleep.

  In the end, I sat at my window seat and stared out across the lake. When the sky lightened, I ran back down to Selina’s rooms. As I lifted my hand to knock, her door opened, and she stood, staring back at me, dressed in the same loose pants and shirt she’d worn last night—though they were now wrinkled like she hadn’t taken them off.

  I frowned. “Did you know I was out here?”

  She shook her head, a smile creasing her face. “No. I suspected you’d be awake early this morning—if you even slept. I was coming to find you.”

  Selina had always understood me better than almost anyone. “Did you hear from Jax?”

  “My maid slipped a message under my door a few minutes ago. Fergus is fine. Showing no affects.” There was a note in her voice I couldn’t decipher.

  I let out a breath. I’d been more worried for him than I let myself admit. “Does he know who did it?”

  Selina’s brow furrowed. “There’s nothing to know. Didn’t you hear me? There’s no evidence to suggest Fergus took any sort of poison last night.” Ah, so that was what I’d heard. She didn’t believe what I’d seen.

  “You mean they’re not checking anyone?” They had all those unknown women staying at the castle, and they would not check their rooms or ask questions?

  She shook her head. “Bria. You’ve been working hard lately. Do you think perhaps you just need a few days to yourself? I’ve checked with Jax, and he said Fergus would let you spend time alone at Lanwick Island—”

  “No!” I folded my arms across my chest, surprised by the force of my answer. “I don’t need to rest. And I’m not going to an island belonging to the future Unseelie King.” An island that Fergus’ mother had left him so we could spend time there in peace—were our bond still alive.

  Selina stared at me, lips pursed. She was debating whether or not to argue. I could see it in the stubborn set of her chin. In the end, she probably decided I looked too ready for a fight. “That is your choice.” She glanced across her room and through the window. The sun hadn’t yet risen, though it wasn’t far off. “Shall we take a walk in the courtyard before we start today’s work?” I opened my mouth to tell her I didn’t have the time, that I had to ride out to check the boundaries surrounding the Spring Court as I’d promised, but she was quicker. “You have plenty of time. The day hasn’t even begun yet. Besides, I’m sure you have … questions.” She gave a shy smile.

  It had the desired effect. I had plenty of questions about Jax Sunfall. “Fine. A short walk will do us both good.” I was silent until we reached the private courtyard on the sunny side of the castle. It was overgrown and unloved when I arrived, but some talented and dedicated gardeners had nursed it back to health. I imagined they’d used a fair bit of magic, too, because it was stunning now. A calm oasis in the middle of a busy world. Surrounded by ash trees
and oaks, it offered shade during the hottest part of the day, or sun, if that was the preference. Raised garden beds were filled with roses and lilies, dahlias and azaleas, and their sweet scent wafted across the courtyard. A narrow creek ran down one side before disappearing beside the castle wall to meet up with the moat.

  My plan, when the space was first finished, was to come here every morning to reconnect with myself. That had lasted about three days before someone needed something desperately, just as I was making my way down here, and I’d barely made it back since. I needed to make it a priority, because the courtyard always brought a smile to my face.

  I turned to Selina. “So, you and Jax, huh?”

  Her cheeks reddened. “It’s not like that.”

  I watched as she looked at the ground. “But there is something?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think so. We’re friends. And then there’s the princess.” Willow. Fergus’ sister.

  My eyebrows lifted. “You haven’t talked to him about her?”

  She shook her head. “It feels … intrusive to do so. But I enjoy spending time with him. It’s easy.”

  As far as I knew, whatever had once been between Willow and Jax was long over. At least, it had been last time Jax and I talked. It surprised me he hadn’t mentioned it to Selina. “He rides all the way here after a long day of work to cook marshmallows over your fire, and you can’t ask him about the princess? Come on, Selina. He’s not that scary.”

  “Not to you, maybe. To me, he looks strong and powerful, and very important in the Unseelie Court.”

  I eyed her sideways as we strolled. “Just as you are extremely important to the Seelie Court.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t want to rush anything. Now, tell me, why are you suddenly so concerned about Fergus? I thought all feelings between you two were gone.”

  “So did I.” I shook my head glumly. “I don’t know, but I certainly don’t want him to die.”

  “Or to be happy with someone else?”

  A stab of pain went through my heart. Could that be what I was really worried about? “I never said that.” Or anything like it.

  “You didn’t have to. You’ve been in a mood since you found out about the Declaration, and it’s grown worse these past weeks. Why do you think Everleigh brought your dress up last night?”

  I shrugged. I honestly hadn’t given it any consideration. “Because she was passing the dressmakers’ rooms?”

  “Because your attendants are too scared to go near you.”

  I bit down on a retort. I had been wound a little tightly of late. But it wasn’t because of Fergus. “You know I’ve been busy. Sometimes, I just need time to clear my head and I rarely get it.”

  “You sure? Because if you ever want to talk about him, I’m here. What you two had was epic and it must be—”

  I shook my head. She couldn’t be more wrong. “It’s not Fergus.” There was a bite in my voice. Why couldn’t she understand I was over him?

  She held up her hands, indicating the conversation was over.

  Good. I didn’t need to talk about him. I only wanted to be certain he wouldn’t die because I didn’t tell someone what I’d seen. I pulled the glass from my pocket. It hadn’t lit up since last night, but the moment my eyes landed upon it, the inky glass cleared to show Fergus. Again. He was sitting outside—the dawn sky lightening in the background—reading through a pile of papers and using a ball of his magic for light. I stared at him, then showed Selina the image. “Does his magic appear … lighter to you?”

  She shook her head. “I can’t see it, Bria.”

  Of course. She didn’t see magic the way I did.

  I stared at him again. No. I must be dreaming. His magic was the same as it ever was. He flicked his fingers and his deep blue magic flared, revealing a glass of orange juice on the table beside him. He didn’t look up from his papers before reaching out and picking it up to take a sip.

  “Everleigh can see magic.” Selina’s voice was soft.

  Everleigh had said so the night Mother’s magic hit her through this very glass.

  “Perhaps she’ll tell you there’s nothing to worry about.” A deep frown creased Selina’s forehead.

  I met her eyes. “You think I’m wrong?”

  She shook her head. “I hope you’re wrong.”

  The image remained on the glass while we made our way to Everleigh’s rooms. She was already up, painting the mountains she could see in the far distance from her window, and she seemed unsurprised to see us. And somewhat resigned when her eyes fell on the glass in my hand.

  She shook her head. “I knew you wouldn’t leave this alone. Whatever is happening in Unseelie is no longer any of your business.”

  “I’m aware.” She didn’t need to remind me. Or perhaps she did. Perhaps I was being ridiculous.

  “But you still want to stick your nose in.”

  I nodded. Leave it to Everleigh to be so blunt. “I just want to make sure no one is hurting him. I think his magic looks weaker. Can you just look at the glass and tell me what you see?”

  She held out one hand, and I handed her the glass. Fergus was still reading. She narrowed her eyes. “Perhaps. It’s hard to tell when he’s using so little of it as a light.”

  “I’m sure he’ll use it again soon. Maybe to get his breakfast.”

  Fergus continued to sit there, reading over his papers for most of the morning, his magic locked tightly within his veins. Once the sun was fully up, Selina excused herself, coming back a few minutes later to drop off a pile of paperwork for me to read and sign that was thicker than the width of my wrist. She promised to make apologies for the two of us for as long as she could.

  I intended to stay only a few minutes more, yet somehow, I was still signing papers and watching Fergus hours later.

  With a sigh, I pushed to my feet. I’d wasted enough time on this today, at the expense of almost everything else I needed to do within my own kingdom. “This is stupid. You’re right. I’m going to let it go.” I turned toward the door to leave. “You keep the glass.” At least that way, I wouldn’t be tempted to use it again.

  Everleigh raised one hand. “Wait.” Her eyes were focused on the scene in the glass.

  I moved closer, looking over her shoulder. “What’s happening?” Fergus had pushed his reading material aside just as a large plate of hotcakes appeared on the table in front of him.

  Everleigh moved the piece of glass closer to her eyes and squinted at it. “I think you’re right. His magic isn’t as deep in color as it usually is.”

  “Could it be related to what I saw last night?”

  She twisted in her seat, looking at me with a frown. “It’s possible that whatever he took weakened his magic. It’s also possible that he’s just not using it all. He’s done that before.”

  He had. To make his family—and the kingdom—believe he didn’t have enough magic to rule. Back when he didn’t want to be king. “There’s no reason for him to do that now. In fact, I’d argue doing so would be stupid. It might make others within his kingdom believe they can challenge both his power and his rule.”

  Everleigh nodded, looking at the glass again. “I agree. Hiding his magic seems an unlikely thing for him to do. The question is, what to do about this?”

  I paced the length of her room, stepping over used paint pots and discarded bits of canvas. Since I’d never expected her to agree with me, I had thought no further ahead than trying to convince her that Fergus’ magic seemed weaker. “We could tell Jax. Ask him to get his people to monitor Fergus’ magic.”

  She was still watching Fergus as he tucked into his plate of food. “We could.”

  “Or Willow. She won’t let anything happen to her brother.” Like Jax and Fergus, I hadn’t spoken to Willow since leaving Unseelie. Still, I was certain she’d do anything to keep Fergus safe.

  Another nod from Everleigh. “Both could work, but neither of those actions wi
ll find who is responsible.”

  I narrowed my eyes. I wanted to find whoever had done this as much as I wanted to warn Fergus. I just didn’t expect anyone else to agree with me. “I thought you said Unseelie wasn’t my problem.”

  “It’s not. But from a purely cynical point of view, we don’t want someone in our kingdom to get ideas about what they could do to a leader. I believe it would be a show of strength if you were to assist with stamping this out. Not to mention, it is best no one else in Faery finds out about this, which is what would happen should we send anyone else.”

  I tilted my head. That was unexpected, and I wasn’t sure I had the time. But Everleigh’s logic made sense. “Okay. And how do you suggest I assist them?”

  She placed the piece of glass on the arm of her chair. “By finding the person who did this, of course.”

  “Sounds simple,” I mumbled. Though my mind was working overtime. I walked past her, turned and walked back. “Aren’t they hosting a ball tonight to introduce the girls of the Declaration?” They were. I knew it for certain. I just didn’t want it to seem like I’d been following what was happening in the Unseelie Court, because Everleigh might think it meant something it didn’t. “If you could glamour me, I could check out all the girls. I’m sure I’ll know her when I see her.” I hadn’t mastered the art of placing a glamour on myself yet. The spell was difficult, and I’d been too busy running the kingdom to put in the hours required to learn such a thing.

  Everleigh nodded. “A stellar plan. Except for one minor detail.”

  I lifted my eyebrows. “And that is?”

  “I can’t glamour you. I could help you dress, do your hair so it looks different. But if you can’t hold a glamour upon yourself, I can’t put one upon you, either. Also, as soon as Jax Sunfall sees you, glamoured or not, he’ll know who you are.”