Fever--A Dark Kings Novel

by Donna Grant

  Usaeil made sure that she rarely lost a fight. The few times she’d gone into battle without knowing every detail of her opponent, she’d lost. She couldn’t afford another such mistake.

  If you’re going to defeat whatever this is, then you need to know what it is.

  The voice in her head wasn’t wrong, but the urge to flee pressed her. She fought against giving in, fought against the primal need to protect herself.

  “I’m a queen,” she said. “Soon, I’ll be queen of this realm, and then the entire universe. My days of fleeing should be over.”

  Then don’t run away.

  It was easier said than done. For each second she remained, that odd feeling doubled. It was tenacious, pressing in on all sides of her as if closing in.

  “Uuuusaeilllllll.”

  The eerie voice saying her name made her take a step back. “Who are you?”

  There was no answer. Usaeil turned her head one way and then the other as she cast magic out to force whatever was hiding to show itself. Nothing appeared. And the voice didn’t return.

  Yet Usaeil knew without a doubt that she wasn’t alone.

  “Who are you?” she demanded in a firmer tone.

  Only silence met her, which made chills race along her skin. It seemed more sinister that there hadn’t been an answer to her question.

  Perhaps you should run.

  Usaeil wanted to hit the voice in her head. Instead, she teleported away.

  * * *

  Rhi stood at the door, staring at it with narrowed eyes. She didn’t know what had brought her to this house in Glasgow. She’d dreamed about it last night, and it had plagued her mind since then.

  For the past few hours, she’d walked the streets of the city, trying to find it. Now that she had, she was more confused than ever as to why she was there.

  She was about to turn away when she thought she heard a voice. She couldn’t make out what had been said, however. Rhi walked around the small building, glancing in the windows.

  It didn’t appear as if anyone were home. Rhi put her hand on the outside wall and felt for magic. No spells protected the place. She frowned and shook her head. The more she tried to figure out why she was there, the more baffled she became.

  With just a thought, she teleported inside the house. A quick look inside the bedroom confirmed that a woman lived there. Yet there was nothing that would cause Rhi to dream about such a place.

  Then her attention landed on the papers in disarray. She slid her gaze to the desk and saw the pen with the three drops of blood. Instantly, she put up some protection around her.

  Rhi cast out another spell to make anyone reveal themselves if they were hidden. Unfortunately, no one appeared. But the pen and blood confirmed that magic had been done. The question was, who had worked the magic and why?

  She walked closer to the desk and squatted down so her gaze was level with the pen. Her mind went through the various reasons a pen had been used. Then Rhi glanced around her to find another pen or pencil, but there wasn’t one in sight.

  Her head swung back to the instrument. That meant it wasn’t the woman who lived here who had done the spell. The pen could belong to someone else, but Rhi would bet her best Jimmy Choos that the pen was the homeowner’s.

  It was the blood that disturbed her. The Fae didn’t use blood in their enchantments. There was no need since their magic could do just about anything.

  Except locate someone.

  Rhi slowly got to her feet. A Druid could do a locating spell, though they rarely worked because the Druids didn’t possess enough power. Someone like Eilish could probably do it without the use of blood.

  Blood tied the person doing the spell to the one they were putting the spell on. It meant that severing such an enchantment would take an exorbitant amount of magic.

  This could be a Dark Fae. It could be a Light. It could also be a Druid. Or Usaeil. The fact that Rhi wasn’t able to distinguish who had done the magic made her angry. And with that rage came the tantalizing voice of the darkness within her.

  It begged her to give in to it. It told her that once she did, she would be able to do all the things she wished she could. Like finding Usaeil and locating Constantine.

  Rhi closed her eyes. Each time the darkness called to her, it became harder and harder for her to turn away. She was being beaten down, and she wasn’t sure she had the courage or the will to continue for much longer.

  No! she bellowed in her mind.

  The darkness didn’t care. It kept talking. “You’ve suffered enough. It’s Usaeil’s turn. She took away the love of your life. She betrayed your best friend, turning Balladyn over to the Dark. She lied to you. She banished you. She deserves everything that’s coming to her.”

  Rhi couldn’t disagree with that. Usaeil had done all those things to her, but the queen had done so much more to so many others.

  “She’s part of the Others,” the darkness said. “How much longer will Usaeil go before she tells Balladyn and the Dragon Kings that your father was also part of that group? What do you think your friends will do?”

  “This isn’t about my father,” Rhi said.

  The darkness laughed. “This is about you, Rhi. It’s always been about you. The only way you can win against Usaeil is by accepting what I have to offer.”

  “I won’t turn into a Dark. I won’t.”

  “Then you will die. That hope in your heart? The one you try to deny regarding getting back with your Dragon King? That will be gone forever. If you let Usaeil win, then she will conquer the Fae.”

  Rhi shook her head. “No, she won’t. Death won’t let her.”

  “This isn’t Death’s battle. It’s yours. Even Death said so.”

  “Usaeil will never win against the Dragon Kings or Death. She’ll lose whatever way you look at it.”

  “Are you sure of that? Really, really sure?”

  Rhi wanted to say that she was, but she couldn’t. There was doubt there. Usaeil’s power had increased with the use of the Druid magic mixed with hers. No doubt there were things she could do that Rhi didn’t even know about.

  “Face her now. Alone,” the darkness urged. “If you wait for the others, they will die. Some might live, but a great many will be killed. Think of your friends.”

  “I’m not waiting for them.” And she didn’t like that the darkness said otherwise.

  There was a beat of silence. “Then why haven’t you gone after her?”

  Rhi had no answer.

  “I can ensure you’ll win. You’ll be a Dark Fae, yes, but there are worse things.”

  “I’ll lose my Dragon King.”

  “There’s Balladyn. He loves you more than anything. You know it.”

  “I do. But he’s not my Dragon King.”

  “Was your King ever really yours? If he was, he never would’ve let you go.”

  The words pierced Rhi’s heart like a blade. “No!” Rhi bellowed.

  She looked down and found herself glowing. By trying to fight the darkness, she had given a little more of herself to it. Maybe she was a fool to fight it. Perhaps she should give in to it.

  But not yet. There was still more to do.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Keltan had surprised himself when he offered to cook for Bernadette. He wasn’t sure why he’d done it. Maybe it was because he wanted her to relax more. She’d been tense since first running into him in the parking lot. Not that he could blame her.

  Some of the anxiety had left her while he was telling his story, and he liked it. Food had always been something that made him relax. Whether he was cooking a meal or partaking in one, the setting held a kind of ease that he thought they needed.

  To his delight, Bernadette had readily taken him up on his offer. Every Dragon King had expertise in something. For some, those skills were put to use to further the success of Dreagan Industries. For others, like him, it was a much more personal talent. Because Keltan could cook. Anything.

  All he had to do wa
s look at some ingredients, and the entire meal formed in his head. He was able to put together any type of dish and have it come out perfect.

  “What are you hungry for?” he asked Bernadette when they entered the kitchen.

  She looked around the grand room while turning in a slow circle. “Umm,” she said without glancing at him. “Whatever you want to cook, I suppose.”

  Keltan chuckled. “Anything you doona like? Anything you’re allergic to?”

  “Nothing.” She finally looked at him. “I don’t particularly like peas. Or cauliflower. Oh, and I can’t stand beets. Nothing I’m allergic to, however.”

  “Vegetarian?”

  Her smile spread over her face. “I tried it once. I realized within two days that I loved meat too much to ever give it up.”

  “Sit back and get comfortable then.”

  “Anything I can do to help? I don’t want to feel like a bump on a log.”

  Keltan usually did all the cooking, but he quite liked the idea of sharing some of the task with Bernadette. “Want to mince some garlic and chop an onion?”

  “I’d be happy to.”

  Within minutes, he had her set up at the table with a cutting board, a knife, bowls, an onion, and some garlic. He liked how she began without any hesitation, proving that she knew her way around a kitchen.

  “You liked Usaeil when you first met her, didn’t you?” he asked as he pulled one of the freshly caught salmon fillets from the fridge.

  “I did,” Bernadette said. “She was so nice. We instantly clicked. Things like that don’t happen too often. At least, not to me.”

  Keltan put the salmon on a tray and began seasoning it. He glanced at Bernadette and shot her a wry grin. “I wish I could tell you it was genuine.”

  “Is everything Usaeil does a lie?”

  “We used to believe we could take her at her word. That she was a friend. It hasna been too long since we discovered the truth.”

  Bernadette paused in her chopping. “She’s a movie star. I was awestruck for a moment. I can’t believe she has time to do everything. Being in movies and being a queen.”

  “She’s no’ been a queen in a long time,” he stated. “A verra long time. The Light are floundering, and Usaeil doesna care.”

  “She’s powerful, though. Isn’t she?”

  Keltan met Bernadette’s jade gaze and nodded. “Verra. More now than before.”

  “How is that possible?”

  He shrugged and finished with the salmon. He readied the oven before turning to get out some cheese and crackers for them to snack on. “We learned about the Fae when they came here. When Usaeil brought her Light Army to us and helped us fight the Dark, we believed we had an ally. That was one of the main reasons we didna force the Fae to leave. In hindsight, it’s exactly what we should’ve done.”

  “You would’ve thought you’d learn your lesson after the humans.” Bernadette winced, wrinkling her nose. “Sorry. That was harsh.”

  “Aye, but the truth. We could’ve forced the Dark to leave, but Con knew then that they would return if we allowed the Light to stay. We didna need the Light to win against the Dark, but it helped to bring the war to a close sooner. Looking back now, I think Usaeil timed it all perfectly. But we didna see that back then.”

  Bernadette grunted. “You’re too trusting.”

  “I’d like to think we’re fair, but you’re right. Again. Because we only made the Fae sign a treaty promising they would remain in Ireland and no’ kill humans. We didna make them leave. We did try to get all the humans out of Ireland, but no’ all would listen to us. Usaeil promised to help keep the Dark in check. We kept a strict eye on both the Light and Dark for decades, and it all went according to plan. Until it didna.

  “The Dark hated us, as you can imagine. During the Fae Wars, they trapped a couple of Kings and drove them mad. We lost both of those Kings, so there is definitely strife between us and the Dark.”

  Keltan set the plate of cheese and crackers before her. Bernadette grabbed one of each and popped them into her mouth as she nodded.

  He leaned his hands on the back of a chair as he watched her. “The Dark began killing in such a way that we didna see it immediately. And when we did, Usaeil swooped in and stopped it. Once more, she proved we could take her at her word. The ties between the Light and Kings tightened.”

  “I’m surprised none of you fell in love with a Light, or even Usaeil, for that matter.”

  “One of us did fall in love.” Keltan looked out through the kitchen window. “Her name is Rhiannon, but everyone calls her Rhi. She’s got a wicked sense of humor. She’s fearless, dedicated, and loyal to a fault. She’s also one of the strongest Light there is.”

  “Who fell in love with her?”

  Keltan shot Bernadette a smile and shook his head. “You should’ve seen them. Their love was … there are no words, really. It was true love. The kind that spans time and space. It awed all of us.”

  Bernadette smiled wistfully. “It sounds beautiful. So, they’re still together?”

  “Nay.”

  Her eyes widened as the smile faded. “What? Why? Tell me she didn’t die.”

  “Rhi is verra much alive, and she still comes to Dreagan. She is an ally, and someone we’ve counted on multiple times to help us.”

  Bernadette drew in a deep breath and released it. “Did the Dragon King die?”

  Keltan shook his head.

  A frown marred Bernadette’s forehead. “I’m confused then. If they’re both still alive and they had a love that most everyone hopes to find, why aren’t they together?”

  “That is something we all still ask. The Dragon King called it off. He wouldna tell us his reasons then—or now.”

  Bernadette’s face crinkled with disgust. “Rhi is a better woman than I am. I never would have returned here.”

  “She didna for years, but she has many friends at Dreagan. She and Rhys are extremely close. I doona know how she does it, though. I asked her once, and she said that she was able to compartmentalize things. It was the only way she could go on with her life. So, when she’s here, she doesna let the past invade. She focuses on why she’s here and what she’s needed for.”

  “That’s … pretty damn amazing. I don’t think I could do that.”

  “Me, either. But back to Usaeil. You’re right. It seems like more Kings should’ve begun interacting with the Light, but it didna happen. What we learned from Usaeil was that all her family died or disappeared, so she was left with the throne. The fact that she had ruled the Light longer than any other king or queen seemed good to us. There was nothing out of the ordinary that made us question anything.”

  Bernadette raised her brows. “Obviously, that changed. When?”

  “Nothing happened until a year or so ago. She went out of her way to help Kiril, who had fallen in love with a Dark Fae.”

  “A Dark?”

  Keltan shook his head. “Shara was raised as a Dark, but she didna want to be one. It was Usaeil who helped Shara become a Light.”

  Bernadette stopped chopping again. “They can go from one to the other?”

  “All Fae are born Light. They make the choice to kill to become Dark. But, aye, apparently, a Dark can change to a Light.”

  “Wow,” Bernadette murmured.

  Keltan smiled in agreement. “A few things began. Mostly, it was between Rhi and Usaeil. They were no’ only close friends, but Rhi was also the only female in the Queen’s Guard. Yet Usaeil began acting out against Rhi. There were lies, and Rhi uncovered one. It seems that Usaeil is the one who tore Rhi and her King apart.”

  Bernadette gasped. “How?”

  “We doona know the details. It devastated Rhi, though.”

  “I bet,” Bernadette agreed with a nod. “To discover that your friend and queen did something so despicable.”

  “Centuries ago.”

  Bernadette went back to chopping. “Damn.”

  “Rhi left the Queen’s Guard. During that time,
Con became lovers with Usaeil.”

  “Yikes. Not sure that was a good move,” Bernadette said.

  Keltan happened to agree. “Con isna perfect. He’s made a few bad choices, but for the most part, he’s never led us astray. We all thought he’d lost his mind, and he told us it was because he couldna bed just anyone. That was part of it, but Con also had a plan—one he didna share with anyone.”

  “Did it work?”

  “Usaeil was obsessed with Rhi. The queen blamed her for everything bad that happened. When Con tried to call off his affair with Usaeil, she blamed that on Rhi, as well.”

  “Did Rhi have anything to do with it?” Bernadette asked.

  Keltan shook his head. “Con had his own reasons for ending it. But it wasna long before Usaeil banished Rhi from the Light as her way of revenge. Then Rhi discovered that the queen had begun making movies with the humans.”

  “I don’t understand why Usaeil would do any of that. She’s not only beautiful, wealthy, and has magic, but she’s also a queen.”

  “There are those who never have enough. They always want more. Usaeil could get Con, but eventually, she’d want something else. Nothing will ever fulfill her.”

  Bernadette shrugged. “I suppose not.”

  “During our battle against Ulrik’s uncle, we discovered a new enemy. Actually, a group of them. They consist of Light and Dark Fae, as well as mie and drough Druids. Mies are the good Druids.”

  “And droughs the evil ones?” Bernadette finished.

  Keltan nodded. “None of them on their own or even paired up could come close to our magic. But the four groups together is enough to match, and in some cases, exceed our power.”

  Bernadette slowly lowered the knife. “Do you know why this group wants to hurt you?”

  “We’re working on that. They call themselves the Others, and Usaeil is part of them.” Keltan paused when he saw Bernadette’s face pale. He wanted to reassure her, but it would be hollow. Instead, he sighed and turned back to put the salmon into the oven. “Rhi, along with Con and the rest of us, were getting ready to attack Usaeil, but she went into hiding. None of our magic was able to locate her. We even went to some friends, the Warriors.” He paused and looked at her. “Sorry. The Warriors are humans who agreed to allow primeval gods from Hell into their bodies in order to fight Rome when they invaded. The Warriors who survived are here, in Scotland, living with their Druid wives. One of the Warriors can find anyone, anywhere, but no’ even he could locate Usaeil.”