Game of Shadows: Iron Crown Faerie Tales Book 3 Read online

  Game Of Shadows

  Bekah Harris

  Copyright © 2019 by Bekah Harris

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Ivy concentrated on the whispering sound of the breeze, trying to connect with the magic that hummed inside her. The surrounding trees creaked, their naked branches clattering together in the cold winter air. Small animals scurried across the leaf-covered ground, and birds roosted from high in their perches. Above her, she could hear Spraff, her favorite of Queen Lyric's messenger owls, hooting softly from a low-hanging branch.

  Ivy squeezed her eyes and took a deep breath, controlling the exhale. Finally, she felt it, like tiny electric currents buzzing in her veins. She imagined her ears as they had looked only months ago, rounded and perfectly human. Her palms tingled, the sensation traveling up her arms. But her ears? Nothing. She didn’t feel magic past her shoulders.

  "Anything?" Ivy asked.

  "Nope, still pointy," Jules said.

  When Ivy opened her eyes, her best friend was leaning against a massive maple tree a few feet from the portal that had just transported them from the Winter Court to the mortal world. Jules folded her arms and shrugged.

  "Sorry, but you still look like an extra from Lord of the Rings."

  Ivy groaned and slapped Jules with a glare. "I don't get it! This usually doesn't take any effort at all, and now it's like I just can't make it happen."

  "Well, can't you just pull your hair over your ears or something? It's really not all that noticeable."

  "You just compared me to a Tolkien elf!" Ivy snapped.

  Jules opened her mouth, hesitated, and then closed it again with a shrug.

  “Maybe you’re overthinking it,” Jules suggested. “Can you relax and just kind of...I don’t know...let it happen?”

  “I’ve been at this for almost an hour,” Ivy said. “Just forget it. I have more important things to worry about.”

  With a sigh, Ivy pulled the bands from her braid and shook out her hair, fluffing it to cover the points of her ears. She had been trying to cast a glamour to make them round in case they ran into any humans, but her magic wasn't cooperating. For Ivy, who was still learning how to control the powerful Winter magic inside her, things tended to be a little “hit and miss,” as Nan would say. She had just traveled through a portal that connected the human and Faerie realms, yet she couldn’t conjure up a simple glamour. It was beyond ridiculous.

  "Better?" Ivy asked. "Are they hidden?"

  Jules nodded and pushed up from the tree as Ivy set off through the familiar woods. Spraff flitted from the tree and perched on Ivy's shoulder, his talons unable to penetrate the battle gear she wore. She was going to have to figure out the glamour sooner or later before any humans caught sight of their Fae fighting leathers. They both looked like rejects from a fantasy video game, but Ivy didn't dare face down Alena, Slaine, or Teagan without the extra protection.

  "When did he get here?" Jules asked, pointing at Spraff. "Guess the Queen Mother knows what we're up to."

  "Only if he shows her," Ivy said. She shrugged. "She may have sent him after she discovered we were gone, you know, to watch out for us."

  Spraff had surprised Ivy as she had sat against a tree, wide awake in the cold early morning air. Jules had fallen asleep beside her, recovering from her journey between realms. Using the portals didn't even faze Ivy anymore, but walking between worlds was draining to mortals, and Jules had needed the rest. Now that Jules was recovered, they needed to move on.

  Ivy’s evil Auntie Alena had held Bear hostage to escape from the Summer Court and was keeping him in the human realm. Ivy had received word late in the night that her psycho aunt had also tracked Nan, the only human relative who had ever cared about her. Needless to say, Ivy was about to reclaim the people she loved.

  They were right outside the campus of Kingston Academy, the private boarding school in the North Carolina mountains Ivy and Jules had attended since childhood. It felt strange to be back, as if Ivy had already lived in Faerie for hundreds of years rather than just over a month. She had never expected to feel like a stranger in the world where she had been raised, but now the mortal realm felt distant, foreign.

  "So...when's Princess Sugar Plum coming to meet us?" Jules asked.

  Ivy gave her a look. "Violet is meeting us in front of the gates in about an hour. From there, we'll head to Burnsville and send Spraff to Nan's to check things out before we go in. Then, we'll make a plan. We have to rescue Bear, but we have to make sure nothing happens to Nan in the effort."

  "Agreed," Jules said. "God, poor Bear and Nan. I can't imagine being cooped up with Alena and her daughters. Not that I really know them, but from what I've gathered, they make the Dahmer family seem normal."

  Ivy didn’t really know her cousins, either, but from the rumors that circulated among the Brownies that served the Winter Court, Slaine and Teagan were treacherous and cruel. As infantile as the expression sounded, they were the ultimate “mean girls” of the Faerie Realm. She could only imagine what they were doing to make Nan and Bear miserable.

  Ivy started walking again, finally certain her ears were covered. In the distance, the iron gate that surrounded Kingston Academy rose up like cathedral spires. An onslaught of memories assaulted her, unwelcome and unexpected. The musty smell of the library. The soft, wet sensation of snowflakes kissing her nose on the walk to class. The sound of Jules' laughter. Bear escorting her like some valiant knight as they crossed campus. She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting off the images, but it was already too late. Her lungs felt too large, her breaths too sharp and tight. Her eyes stung in the cold air.

  "Hey." Jules stopped abruptly and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

  Ivy nodded, swallowing back the emotions. "It's just strange to be here now. It already seems like a lifetime ago."

  In the distance, she spotted the stone tower of the chapel, remembering the last time she had seen Nan. Their day had begun in the gathering on Family Day and ended with an argument about Ivy's mother--or, now she knew, the woman she had believed was her mother. Her heart gave a twist as the chapel bells tolled the hour: 6 a.m. Right about now, Ivy would be stumbling from bed to get ready for breakfast and first period--if she were normal. She wasn't.

  But Jules was.

  "You could go back, you know. You could stay." Ivy was selfish. She didn't want Jules to leave her, but she didn't want Jules to be in danger, either. "I'm sure people are worried about you."

  "And mi
ss the opportunity to see Auntie Alena and her horrible daughters grovel for mercy at your royal feet?" Jules huffed. "Not likely."

  Ivy laughed but her heart wasn't really in it. "I just don't want to put you in any more danger. I mean, I tried to keep you safe in the human realm and you wound up in Faerie with my fiancé and marked with a curse. God knows what will happen if I actually involve you in this mess."

  "Which is exactly why there's no way I'm leaving you now," Jules said. "Besides, what will I do back at school? Everything will just be totally anti-climactic now. The guys are hotter in Faerie anyway."

  "And a lot more dangerous," Ivy pointed out.

  Jules flashed a smile. "Well, you know I'm a sucker for dark and dangerous."

  And Jules had her eye on one of the darkest Fae of all--Padraic, the Unseelie heir. From what Ivy could tell, the feeling was totally mutual on Padraic’s part. Not that the fact was surprising. Jules had pierced just about every part of her body that could hold a ring, and once she turned eighteen, she would start on the ink--but Jules was beautiful and fierce--everything Ivy had always wished she had the courage to be. Padraic would be lucky to have a force of nature like Jules by his side. But Jules was human. Padraic wasn’t. Which made things complicated.

  A shuffling noise to the left sent Ivy on high alert. She turned to Jules and held her finger over her lips. Who else would be in these woods so early in the morning? Violet had promised to meet them at the front gate once she had passed through the Elder Tree portal in Summer. It didn't make sense for her to be on this side of campus.

  Ivy crept forward, trying to make her steps as soundless as possible against the leaves and underbrush beneath her feet. A giggle floated up and drifted through the quiet morning. Ivy froze. She heard it again--faint, yet somehow familiar laughter. She looked back at Jules, who shrugged in response.

  Had a couple of students actually found a way to sneak outside the iron gates of Kingston Academy? The place was like a fort, and Ivy had always dreamed of escaping its confines, but until she had met Bear, she'd never found a way. No one went in or out without the security office knowing about it. Shuffling closer, Ivy peeked through the branches of a thick rhododendron. Still unable to see, she stepped through, ready to blast out her magic if necessary.

  A couple leaned against the trunk of a poplar, fully engaged in a heavy make-out session. In the darkness of the dawning sun, Ivy could make out only a single feature.

  Bright red hair.

  "Oh my..."

  "God!" Jules finished for her.

  The couple sprang apart like frightened deer, revealing Chelsea Douglass staring wide-eyed and half dressed. Chelsea Douglass--the source of so many of Ivy’s high school heartaches.

  "Ivy?" she hissed.

  They stared in disbelief at each other for a fraction of a second before Ivy did a double take at Chelsea's partner in crime.

  "Callum?" Ivy blurted the name before she could control her shock.

  His eyes widened in recognition before he dropped to his knee, lowering his head.

  "Your Highness," he said. "A thousand apologies."

  Lochlan's lieutenant stared at the ground, his back moving up and down with rapid breaths. Clearly, he didn’t expect to see the heir of the Winter Court in the human realm.

  "What on earth are you doing here?" Ivy demanded. Her eyes slid back to Chelsea and she immediately regretted her question. "Never mind. I don't want to know."

  "Forgive me, Your Highness," Callum said, "I am not on duty. Chelsea has done nothing wrong. I take full responsibility for my actions."

  "That still doesn't explain why you are in the mortal realm. You know we aren't supposed to interfere with humans."

  "Wait a minute," Chelsea said, finally finding her voice. "What do you mean, 'Your Highness'?"

  Callum stood, then, and took Chelsea's hand. "Chelsea Douglass, may I present Her Royal Highness Princess Ivy of the Winter Court?"

  "Princess?" Chelsea's face twisted in disbelief and then horror.

  "If I die right now, I will leave this world completely satisfied," Jules said.

  She was beaming, her eyes focused on Chelsea's stunned expression. Jules had despised Chelsea for as long as Ivy could recall, a prejudice that was well-deserved. Chelsea had been Jules’ most brutal critic, a bully, really, since their elementary years.

  "Is that where you've been?" Chelsea asked, ignoring Jules. "Oh, my God, campus has been swarming with detectives. They're questioning everyone. They think Bear took you hostage and murdered you or something. Or that someone took both of you. And now, with Jules gone..."

  "Well, obviously, we are fine now, and none of this is any of your concern," Ivy said.

  She refocused her attention on Callum.

  "Is Lochlan aware that you've been using the portals to...meet...a human girl?"

  He shook his head. "No, Your Highness. I have been doing this without his knowledge or consent." He pulled his dagger from the sheath at his waist and presented it to Ivy. "Please. Do what you must."

  He dropped to his knees and bowed his head, giving her access to the back of his neck. The fact that he actually believed she would kill him almost made her laugh. She had much bigger problems to worry about at the moment than one of her guards frolicking in the forest with Chelsea Douglass.

  Ivy took the dagger, knowing Callum's life was in her hands. While it wasn't illegal in Faerie to sleep with humans or even take them as slaves, it was an unwritten law in the Winter Court that Fae did not interfere with humans unless it was unavoidable. And, as one of her mother's guards, Callum's actions were punishable by death if she chose it. As if she’d ever have the stomach to take another life.

  Besides, Ivy had other ideas. She glanced at Chelsea, who looked torn between anger and fear, and then turned back to Callum.

  "Since neither of us is where we are supposed to be, I have an alternative that may benefit us both. How would you feel about joining us in a rescue mission?"

  He looked up at her, his bright green eyes shining catlike in the darkness. "A rescue mission, Milady?"

  "Alena and her daughters have my grandmother," Ivy said, "and they have Bear. And I have to get them back. I’ll die myself before I allow any harm to come to the people I love. If you're willing to help me on this quest, then I will forget everything I've just seen here this morning."

  "As you command, Your Highness," he said with a bow. "Just allow me to return Chelsea to her dormitory, and I will join you right away."

  Jules stepped forward, placing a hand on Ivy's shoulder. "Do you really want Chelsea going back to campus telling everyone she saw us?"

  Ivy turned toward Jules, considering. It was a problem. Even in Winter, Ivy wasn't great at wiping memories yet, and if she tried now, there was a chance she could scramble Chelsea's brain like an egg. On the other hand, if she allowed Chelsea to go back to campus, she'd be the center of attention if she made claims about seeing two missing girls in the middle of the forest. If she took Chelsea with them, she'd be dead weight. Ivy didn’t want another person, even Chelsea Douglass, on her conscience if she came face to face with Alena…

  But what choice did she have?

  Seeing no other alternative, Ivy raised her brows at Jules, who returned her look with a crooked smile.

  "Remember my motto: What would Chelsea Douglass do?"

  Ivy smiled. Perhaps Chelsea's unique expertise as campus mean girl could actually come in handy. They would all have to make an extra effort to keep her out of danger. After they recovered Bear and Nan, Chelsea could go back to school and tell whoever she wanted about her encounter with them in the forest.

  Ivy raised her chin and turned back to Callum.

  "Change of plan," she said. "We're all going."

  "Milady?" Callum asked.

  "If you're unaware of Chelsea's superhuman powers of darkness, then perhaps you should get to know her better. We're all going. I can’t risk Chelsea telling anyone she saw us until after Bear and Nan
are safe."

  Chelsea huffed and rolled her eyes. “Your faith in me is overwhelming.”

  Callum held out his arm for her to take. “I’m afraid I cannot disobey an order from the princess,” he said. “You’ll have to accompany us.”

  Chelsea stood in place for several moments, as if trying to decide how big a risk she would really be taking. Then, her expression became thoughtful, her brows wrinkling as if curiosity had won out in the end.

  “Fine,” she said. “I’ve never been one to miss out on a good girl fight.”

  She took Callum’s arm and waited.

  Ivy extended her finger and held it out for Spraff, who hopped from his perch on her shoulder to rest in front of her. "Find Bear and Nan, scan the area, and meet us back at the gate."

  Spraff hooted and nudged Ivy's forehead with his own. Then, he leapt into the sky and disappeared.

  "We're meeting Violet by the gate," Ivy said. "Then, we're going to make Alena, Slaine, and Teagan regret the day they betrayed my mother."

  Chapter Two

  Bear had lost track of the hours.

  Had he been in the human realm for days? A week?

  He hadn't eaten, though his stomach rumbled with hunger. The tray of fruit was still settled untouched on the bedside table. He hadn't spoken, not to his captors, not even to Nan. Anything he said would only be used to hurt the Winter Court or the people he loved. So he had kept his mouth shut and did what was necessary to protect Lucinda Hawthorne from harm, to keep Slaine and Teagan’s cruel appetites and dark magic focused on himself.

  Though he had considered shifting into a bear or some other deadly animal, his magic was weakened in the human realm, and fighting back would have only resulted in anger that could have been directed at Nan. Now that he was inside Lucinda Hawthorne's mountain cottage, Bear’s magic was practically non-existent. Alena must have drained his power when she brought him from the Summer Court.