It talked about the king before my father. How he fell in love with the fae king’s sister and tried to connect the two worlds, tired of the bloodshed and animosity, wanting his future wife to be happy in their kingdom. He changed the laws and welcomed all who traveled to Onisea. Later that year, he married her and they had some of the most prosperous years for the people. Then tragedy struck, and the Queen died in childbirth but gave birth to a healthy baby girl. The King raised her and loved her with all his heart, making her the successor of the kingdom. One day, a usurper came and killed the whole family under the guise of trying to protect them.
I looked up at Mason, pointing to the passage I just read, “Is this true?” He nodded with sorrow filled eyes. King Oberan was a good man and only wanted to make peace with the fae, but some of the nobility didn’t like that, knowing that if the fae were welcome and accepted that they would take over in trade and flood our markets with magical items, making it easier for ordinary people to feel like they were at the same level as the nobility. I slumped back into my chair, upset that the last ditch effort to end my father’s tyranny in peace was going down the river.
“How do I get him off the throne?” I accidentally questioned out loud, thinking about trying to corral the nobility.
“Well, you know, sire, there is a rumor that the princess had a secret child.” I swiveled around to face him, begging him with my eyes to continue. “It’s just a rumor,” my shoulders hunched forward, “BUT there’s a way to confirm the rumor.”
I almost jumped out of my seat as I implored him, “Out with it then!”
He laughed as he went to the wall that had a bunch of different maps, pulling one down and bringing it over to the table. “There is a book called The Book of Lineage. It’s said to be magically spelled by the gods to record a description and name for each of the beings that are born within the original royalty lineage. Both fae and Human. If the daughter had a child, then the name and description would be in that book.”
My heart filled with hope as I was getting excited by this small shred of hope. “Okay, where do I find this book?”
He smiled grimly as he pointed to the farthest cliff on the other side of the country, on the shoreline inside of the badlands area. “Here is the last sight of The Librarian who’s in charge of keeping this book safe. They say he lives on a cliff overlooking the sea, in a fortified lighthouse, surrounded by magical force fields. If you want to see the book, you will need to travel to his keep and prove your worth. Once he finds you worthy, he will show you what you need to be shown.”
I looked down at the map, realizing that meant we would need to travel through the outskirts of Onisea, follow the border between the Human and fae lands to get to the Shrieking Mountains that surround Invitis. Then climb over these impossible shrieking mountains to fight off scavengers and ruffians while traveling all the way over to the cliff side, to then prove to this librarian that we are worthy and to answer our questions. It’s a lot, I know, but it’s also the only sliver of hope that I have to avoid bloodshed and get my father off the kingship.
If we found out there was a rightful heir to the throne, it would remove my claim, but I was ok with that as long as my father isn’t on the throne. Maybe I could meet this person and we could hit it off. Maybe I could be an advisor or a teacher at the University they would build. I was ok with doing this as long as it was what was best for the people here.
“Can I take this map with me?” I asked, not wanting to be rude and assume I could have whatever I wanted from the secret magic room.
“You can take whatever you want, Sire.” Mason clapped his hands as he put away the book. I rolled up the map and hurried Mason out of the room, more determined than ever to tell Mika the good news. Now all we had to find was a wayward prince or princess. Piece of cake, right?
Chapter 3
EveryoneleftafterVance,except for Ruby. She stuck around to make sure I was okay. I confessed I was more than a little embarrassed that I got so mad. That it was unprofessional of me to let my emotions run high like that.
She bent over and laughed in my face. The slaps on her knee echoed in the small room and caused my eye to twitch. This was the loudest this apartment has ever been.
After I gave her more than enough time for her to calm herself, and she was still laughing, I cleared my throat, reminding her I was still here. She gazed up at me with wide eyes as she calmed down, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.
I lifted an eyebrow at her in question. She winced with a small smile, “It’s not like you’re some average girl that just blew up at her exes, it was more like a fierce beast reminding all the other beasties that she was the top tier, and not to fuck with her.” When I still looked at her with skeptical eyes, she threw her hands up. “No Mika, I don’t think you should be embarrassed. They needed to understand the stakes and how far you are willing to go. You freaking imprisoned them to force them to work with you, you would think they would get the memo.”
She shrugged her shoulders as she continued, “Do I think that threatening their lives after they are on the ropes to help you did you any favors? No, but I think Vance helped with that afterwards. I assume you heard us.” I sheepishly nodded. She knows me so well.
“Good. I think this will work best if we're all honest with each other. Even if you basically called Ajax a bitch for his dad.” She snickered beneath her hand and I fought the smile that was trying to break from my face.
“Ya. He was being a dick, so I felt like knocking him down a few pegs.” My blood still got heated thinking about what he said about me and what he insinuated about Vance. What the fuck was that guy’s problem?
Ruby nodded and sighed, “Ya but you had mind blowing sex with him, threw him in a dungeon and coerced him into being your lap boy for a year soooo, I would be shocked if he wasn’t a little surly. Ajax’s pride is hurt.”
I slumped in my chair, feeling bad, just a little, for being a dick back to him. As I crossed my arms, I huffed a bit. “I never said it wasmind blowingsex.”
She pulled out the chair across from me, sat down and smiled as she put her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands. “Yes, well, I take liberties with your stories because they are vastly lacking in descriptions. Also, come on. Look at him. He has to have had mind blowing sex for him to be this pissed off.”
I looked up, giving her a crooked smile because it was really passionate sex. Some of the hottest I’ve had in a long time. Also sating that need for blood and pain in the most delicious of ways. If he wasn’t being so difficult about everything, I would’ve already asked him to meet up at the cave for round two, but alas, that’s not in the cards for me.
I shrugged. “It’s a moot point now. I need them to help us get Vance on the throne. I will deal with the rest later.”
Ruby’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “If by therestyou mean telling them you are the Mika, they all fell in love with all those years ago and that you have never stopped loving them. Thatrest?”
I rolled my eyes at her. She was always the hopeless romantic and usually I liked that about her… just not when it’s pointed at me. “No, Ruby. I already told you when I followed them and heard what they thought of me. They hate me. Hated that I ruined the friendship they had since childhood. They couldn’t give a flying fuck about me. That’s why I need to keep up with this Emerald name… which you and Vance are having an extra hard time with by the way.” I knew I was deflecting the topic, but they both almost slipped up twice.
She had the decency to look a little guilty as her hands broke apart and one went to the tea she was sipping on earlier. She mumbled before she took a drink, “It’s hard to remember. Sorry.”
“It’s ok, for now, but eventually they’ll catch on if you guys keep doing it.” I warned her. I don’t want them to find out and then deal with all of that fall out. I knew they wouldn't want to work with me if that happened, kingdom and prison be damned.
“Ok ok. I'll try harder.” She set her cup down, staring at the empty bottom for a second before she lifted and smiled her devious smile. The one that usually meant she knows what she was going to ask or say next was going to piss me off, but she didn’t care. Whenever I saw that face, it made me happy because she felt comfortable enough with me to act like that… but it also pissed me off because I hated that she didn’t fear me enough to not bug me with this shit.
