Glamoured (Shadow Beast Shifters Book 6)

Outside, more fae had arrived. The crowds were gathering thick and fast, and I was surprised to see even the most reticent of royal houses had many members arriving around the front entrance.

Those from the Metallic Meadows usually never bothered to show up for meetings, even when the trumpets sounded. They were the scoundrels of our kind, the renegades who lived outside of the few very basic rules that governed Faerie and the magic here. It was rumored they were the ones to drive the Great Queen from Faerie.

Drive… or destroy. I’d heard both stories, and having met their “leader” I was going with the latter. King Fredrick had been a royal prince of another long-fallen line of Faerie, the last of his kind who’d rallied all those unhappy in their own royal houses to rebel and live free. Which would have been all well and good if they didn’t decide to take out the other royal families in this bid for freedom.

The war had been huge, resulting in possibly the greatest loss of fae in our history, and despite it having ended almost a thousand years ago, no one here had forgotten. Hence why those from Metallic Meadows were rarely welcomed at events. Fredrick might technically be a prince with a seat on the council, but that didn’t offer him acceptance.

“Len,” Fredrick said as he crossed nearby, his near seven-foot frame giving him a height advantage over almost everyone. He was a giant for the fae, and I’d long wondered if there was some ogre or another demi-fae in his lineage.

“Fredrick,” I returned. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

His slow smile had me palming the stones lining the sides of my jacket. My movement was subtle enough that he shouldn’t notice, but it would give me the split-second power advantage if I needed it.

“Wouldn’t have missed this particular meeting for anything in the multi-worlds,” he replied in his smooth tones. Bastard’s presence was fucking unsettling. I always felt like I needed a shower after standing near him.

“What do you know about this calling?” I pushed, since he clearly knew more than he was letting on.

That fucking smile grew. “Just that it will change everything.”

Before I could ask anything else, or punch his smug face, he waved to the rest of the Metallic Meadows council and they were off. None of them spoke or made eye contact as they hurried past. For a “free” royal house, there was very little evidence of it.

Fredrick had grown too accustomed to his power. If you couldn’t handle it, power in its absolute would corrupt absolutely.

Once the Metallic Meadows were inside, I focused on finding everyone from the Silver Lands. At this point they were scattered about, so I sent out a small pulse of power to call them over. As they crossed toward me, I scanned the area for dangers, but it appeared that almost everyone here was focused on finding their royal lines.

That, and discussing the reasons for the trumpets, which were finally dying off in the land of Faerie. Fredrick, piece of shit that he was, knew what this was about.

Unease settled in my chest, and not because I was afraid of him. In a one-on-one fight I’d destroy him, but he never played by the rules. Clearly, he had some grand plan if he’d initiated a worldwide call. I’d just have to remain on high alert; awareness was half the battle.

“Prince Len.”

The call distracted me as I turned to our third-in-command. General Terese was a statuesque female with shoulder-length blond hair, bright blue eyes, and a smartass mouth. She had a mind for battle, and often beat me at strategy games. My mother had long wanted a romantic match between the two of us, but there was nothing but respect and friendship there. Maybe after my last walk I’d feel differently.

“Terese,” I said with a smile, relaxing. Just a touch. The first time my brothers—Shadow, Reece, Alistair, Galleli, and Lucien—visited me in Faerie, they were shocked by the formal way I carried myself. It was why when I was off this world, I gave into my deeper nature to joke and relax. The duality of my personality felt almost natural now, as I effortlessly fell into whatever one worked for the situation. Both were my true self, and both were comfortable.

“Do we know why the trumpets sounded?” Terese asked as other members of our court gathered with us.

I shook my head. “No word yet, but there was a disturbing comment from Fredrick, so as always, let’s remain on high alert.” Turning my gaze across the three dozen silver members gathered, I raised my voice. “Are you all wearing the full range of gems?”

The council didn’t always fight, since we had an army as well, but Mother insisted everyone learn the basics of combat and using our gems as weapons. Training I completely agreed with.

‘Aye,” they all called.

I wasn’t surprised. I’d trained with most of them and would trust them at my back in battle.

We made our way to join the lines entering Parliament House, and once inside, we wasted no time moving straight to the courtroom. It was no longer empty, with many of the ten royal lines having filled their seats.

The Golden Greats, under King Nathaniel, were all seated. King Fredrick was on stage now too, while the rest of his house sat without expression in their section for Metallic Meadows. Beside the Metallic Meadows were the members of Copper Straits, also formed in the eastern lands of Faerie where minerals and crystals were prevalent. Their queen, Gemma, was seated next to Mother, the pair in a lively discussion. They were old friends and allies.

Next to Copper Straits sat the Mist Dwellers, who existed on vast cloud-like structures that ferried them about. Their queen was Hatina, and she was dressed in her usual white attire, with her red hair the only pop of color. She was in conversation with King Julien of the Ranges, a series of weather-beaten territories to the west.

The last four territories were: Zone of Darkness, with King Fernando, a land of very little light and inhabitants with cat-like appearance and senses; the Coral Cove, with beaches that rivaled the most amazing ones created by Angel in the Honor Meadows, led by Queen Wenda; the Great Wilds, which was the area most of my garden florae had been procured from, with Queen Sabatha, who was another of Mother’s best friends; and finally Ochre Sands, with a Desert Lands’ vibe, led by the eccentric King Petre. He was not on the stage yet, but I could see him conversing with members of his council.

As the last of the fae entered and the courtroom doors were sealed, the final bellow of the trumpets faded and it was time to get to business. Unease settled in my chest, deepening from what Fredrick had initiated earlier. Faerie had been going through some turmoil lately, small squabbles between royal lines, and it felt like a simmering of energy was coating all of us.

A simmering filled with negative intentions, which to my best knowledge, always preceded a larger scale battle. Maybe even a war.

When I took my seat in the front row, Mother pulled her attention from Gemma and Sabatha long enough to give me an approving nod. After losing my father at such a young age, I appreciated the relationship I had with her—she was one of the few beings in this world that I would die for in an instant. Even if such a concept pissed her off to no end.

Parents should never bury their children, Len, she’d tell me on the regular, and while I agreed, it wouldn’t change my actions should my time come to make that sacrifice.

A blanket of power coated the room as the energy of the courtroom settled. The ten royals stood in a curved line around the circular stage, and those of us in the seats shifted forward on high alert. Only the ones who initiated the trumpets knew what this meeting was about, so there was a sense of anticipation in the air as we all waited for the announcement.

A deep rumble of magic preceded the blast across the room. King Petre of the Ochre Sands calls for an abolishment of the Great Queen’s line, and a new supreme ruler to be chosen from among the ten royal houses.

There was a moment of silence as this announcement sank in, and then one by one all the kings and queen sat, except Petre and Fredrick.

“I stand as the second to his decree,” Fredrick said with his trademark fucking smirk. I’d bet my left nut that he was the one who’d set this shit in motion, but knowing how little he was respected, had opted to act as a “second.”

“It has been over a thousand years since the last sighting of the Great Line,” Petre added, more somber than Fredrick as he turned to address all ten houses. “We’re weakening without someone to enter the Deep and touch the origin of Faerie energy. If we don’t act now, we’ll cease to exist in the next few thousand years.”

Part of what he said was true, but the consequences of severing the Great Line was completely unknown. Logic said that maybe it was only this remaining connection to the Great Queen that kept Faerie functioning at all, and that by destroying what remained, we too would be destroyed.

“We will cast a vote to decide if the Great Leader is to be replaced,” Fredrick boomed again. “And if so, we propose a leadership trial to determine which line will step up and receive the ultimate power.”

As if it were that easy.

One didn’t just win a trial and turn into the sort of fae able to enter the Deep.

These two assholes were proposing to mess with magic that none of us understood, and I had to hope that reason would prevail among the other houses, or we’d all be doomed.