Reign of Darkness: Iron Crown Faerie Tales Book 4 Read online

  Reign Of Darkness

  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

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Ivy's lungs were burning.

  She took another deep breath, relishing the pain, as her feet pounded against the sidewalk. The early morning jogs were a welcome diversion to the prison of her own mind. At first, she had struggled, despite her Fae heritage. Over the weeks, though, she had grown stronger and faster, driven by the need to keep moving, to stay busy. Anything to keep from thinking about all she'd lost.

  Her mother.

  The Winter Court.

  Bear.

  She pushed herself harder, her pulse quickening with the effort. She focused ahead. A thin sliver of brilliant orange was visible above the tree line beyond Kingston Academy's isolated campus. Most of her classmates were still in bed at this hour after staying up half the night studying or texting, or, if you were as crafty as Chelsea Douglass, partying.

  But not Ivy.

  The distance she felt between herself and her classmates had been significant before, but now, she could barely even relate to her peers, whose enthusiastic chatter created an excitement in the air as the semester field trips approached, along with the palpable dread of looming midterms. Ivy attended her classes. She completed her assignments. She did everything she was expected to do, so as not to raise suspicions in the wake of the ridiculous federal investigation into her supposed kidnapping. If it weren't so irritating, it might actually have been funny. Obviously, Agent Grant had yet to capture the vicious woman who had held her captive in the woods for weeks—or so the story went. But none of the agents would ever find Alena. She was busy playing pretender on Queen Lyric's Winter throne.

  No, Ivy couldn't concern herself with human frivolities. She was worried about saving her mother, strengthening alliances, and destroying Alena...and Slaine. Ivy cringed, her feet faltering as she thought of Bear, of the look of horror he wore as he married someone he hated. Ivy might be stuck finishing high school in the mortal realm, but she was miles from caring about sporting events and dating drama.

  She focused on the darkened stairs of Wiley Hall, rising up on the hilltop like a Gothic castle. She could hear Lochlan's feet behind her. His steps were quieter, more skilled from decades of service as head of her mother's guards. Lochlan was allowed to stay on campus as her personal guard, conveniently hired by her human father, Dylan Hawthorne. At first, it had been something to gossip about. Now, the other students had gotten used to his looming presence. With the investigation into her disappearance still ongoing, no one even questioned it.

  "Faster," he barked behind her. "I know you can go faster."

  Fighting off an eyeroll, Ivy pushed her feet forward, her heart racing. She adjusted her breathing to compensate for the increase in pace. Two breaths in through the nose, two breaths out through the mouth. She could go faster. She just needed the proper motivation.

  Lyric crumpling to the ground. Faster.

  Her mother's body covered in ice, frozen. Faster.

  Alena shattering her mother's body into a thousand shards. Faster.

  Bear agreeing to marry Slaine to save Ivy's life. Faster. Faster. Faster.

  Before she realized how far she had gone, Ivy was hustling up the stairs of Wiley Hall, Lochlan now several paces behind. But she was leaking Winter magic.The air was cold around her, snowflakes drifting like goose down through the spring air.

  "You lost control again," Lochlan said once they had reached the top of the steps. "I know you have much on your mind right now, Your Highness, but you must maintain singular focus, even when under pressure. Alena preys upon the weaknesses of others. Your mother's compassion is what allowed Alena to grow so bold. So when it comes to your enemies, you will have to be merciless. If you ever want to reclaim the Winter Court, you cannot afford to allow your emotions to run wild." Then, his voice softened. "Tell me how I can help you."

  Ivy wheeled around, glaring at him. "You want to help? What would help is if you would tell me where my mother is hiding, so I can wake her up, break the Magi's spell, and go with her to wipe Alena from the face of the planet. I have her glass scepter. That means I have all of Winter's power at my fingertips. I could march on Winter right now. Only you won't allow it."

  Lochlan blew out a frustrated breath. "Your Highness..."

  "Please, stop calling me that. Here, I'm Ivy, and as of now, I've been stripped of my title."

  "Ivy, I know you are hurting right now." He gestured toward the stairs and sat down. Ivy settled next to him. "I'm hurting too. I know you must have heard the rumors. About Lyric and me."

  Ivy would be lying if she said she'd never noticed the Brownies whispering in the halls or how the Winter Fae cast knowing glances at each other whenever Lochlan appeared with her mother. Even Jules had mentioned the way they looked at each other. It was impossible not to notice. An exchanged glance. A knowing smile. A hand placed gently on a shoulder. Ivy would have to blind not to realize that her mother and Lochlan were in love. He had been serving her mother for centuries. He probably had more of a right to miss Lyric than Ivy had.

  "Your mother and I have been close for many years. As her guard—and as someone who loves her—I have had to learn that she is my queen first," he said. "The same is true for you. As a Winter Fae, Lyric is your queen first and your mother second. That means that your mother's explicit orders must be followed, even when, as her daughter, your heart is heavy with fear and worry. When the time is right, when the courts are allied, when Alena is at her weakest, then we will strike. But for now, your place is here."

  Lochlan was right, of course. He was always right. Still, Ivy looked around, scanning the historic campus, most of the buildings shadowed against the rising sun. She hadn't expected it to be this difficult to return to the mortal realm. She had only been in Faerie a few weeks, but she had changed so much during that time she felt like some sort of refugee, displaced and misunderstood.

  "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just feel so lost right now. I don't want to let go of the pain. It's all I have."

  Lochlan pulled into a one-armed hug. "No one expects you to let go of the pain. But you can take that pain and channel it into action. The challenge is for you to control the pain, rather than allowing it to control you."

  Ivy nodded and leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

  "Ivy, there is something
else I must tell you," he said, "and it may come as a bit of a shock..."

  Ivy straightened, pushing away from him. Lochlan's eyes were wide, his expression lined with worry. But just as he opened his mouth to speak, magic rippled through the air with an electric tingle, and Ardan faded in beside them. Ivy fought off a groan and swapped an irritated glance with Lochlan. The Unseelie Prince had the worst timing.

  Spraff was perched on his shoulder, and he was holding a scrap of parchment.

  "I have news from the Unseelie Court," he announced.

  He hopped down three of the steps to stand in front of them, pacing in his excitement.

  "My father has officially abdicated the throne and has agreed to quietly reside in the guest wing of the castle. The Unseelie Fae have accepted Padraic as heir, and he has been officially sworn in with a formal coronation ceremony."

  Ivy raised her brows. She knew all of this already. Rune, one of King Damarion's summer guards who had been ordered to guard the perimeter of Kingston Academy, told her as much last night.

  "Has the Council agreed to ally themselves with Ivy?" Lochlan asked.

  Ardan's triumphant expression darkened, highlighting the elfish slants of his ethereal face. His eyes, which had been glowing a feral gold with excitement, dimmed to their deep obsidian color.

  "Not yet, but Padraic hopes he will have their support by the end of the week. The entire Faerie World is mourning the loss of Queen Lyric."

  "Maybe they should have shown their support for her before my mother was taken out by her own sister."

  Ivy couldn't keep the bitterness from her voice. The Courts of the Seelie Realm had been squabbling and grasping for more power for centuries. Their failure to unite was biting them all in the ass now. Ivy would be glad of their support in taking down Alena, but she couldn't say that she appreciated the fact that they had failed to act before now.

  "So Padraic is king," Ivy said, changing the subject. "I guess that means you can go back to the Unseelie Realm now."

  Ardan hesitated. He stopped pacing and turned toward her. "My place is here with you."

  Ivy swallowed. Everything was so confused. She rubbed her face. "You don't need to stay here with me, Ardan. As you can see, I have plenty of babysitters."

  "And yet, I have no desire to babysit you," Ardan said.

  Ardan smiled, his dark, dark eyes appreciating her from head to toe before settling on her face, daring her to meet his eyes. Ivy's heart pounded wildly in her chest, just as it always did when he looked at her like that. And just as she always did, she fought for control. Technically, she was still engaged to Ardan, but considering he had cursed her best friend to spy on her, not to mention the time he embarrassed her in front of her entire court, she couldn't possibly love him, even though she couldn't deny she was attracted to him. Despite the weeks that passed, she still wasn't feeling very forgiving. And yet, the memory of their one shared kiss still burned...

  Lochlan rose to his feet beside her, clearly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation.

  "You need to get ready for classes," he said. "Come on, I'll walk you to your dorm."

  Just as Ivy rose to her feet, Ardan stepped in, stopping Lochlan. "Actually, I've been instructed to tell you to meet Rune at sunrise by the South gate. He has some important news from Summer."

  Ivy's heart gave a nervous thud. Lochlan stared into the distance as the sun peeked above the horizon. As he turned to go, Ivy grabbed his hand.

  "What was it you needed to tell me?" she asked.

  He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Another time, Your Highness. I trust Ardan will see you safely back to your room."

  That's what she was afraid of. When Lochlan faded from sight, Ardan offered Ivy his arm.

  "The pleasure would be mine."

  With a groan, Ivy took his arm, allowing Ardan to lead her down the steep steps from Wiley Hall.

  Chapter Two

  Bear sat at the end of an ancient table carved from Rowan wood. The length of it spanned the entire council room of the Seelie Court Castle.

  His mother, Queen Endellion, sat at its head, her back straight, her chin lifted, and her face blank as council members argued back and forth, their expressions twisted with anger at the current situation. Bear watched indifferently, wishing he were in the mortal realm but thankful he wasn't in Winter with his new blushing bride.

  Slaine.

  The very thought of her made him sick.

  "And what are we to do now? We are allied to this new Winter Queen through marriage!" One of the members shouted.

  "Yes, and this marriage contract was not approved by the council and should, therefore, not be recognized," another said.

  Bear couldn't recall all their names. The first one was Fenton or Finnegan or something that began with Finn. The second one was Queen Endellion's Royal Advisor, Isla. Her long dark hair swung violently as she argued.

  "We cannot allow this marriage to stand," she was saying. Bear didn't disagree with her line of thinking, but he also knew that it was impossible to undo, at least for now, without some sort of legal loophole or other such miracle. "We are now bound to an unjust ruler who will destroy our entire realm. Queen Endellion, you must see the danger of this agreement. Whatever could have led you to make such a deal for your own son?"

  Ouch. That one had to hurt.

  Endellion actually flinched, as if she had been slapped, but quickly regained her composure.

  "Isla, I appreciate your fervor to protect the interests of the Seelie Court, but you are out of line."

  "My apologies, Your Majesty," Isla said with a quick bow.

  "I realize this is all a surprise," Endellion continued. "You all remember how treacherous my husband, Torin, could be. He was never able to give me an heir, so I took matters into my own hands. Which is why I had to hide Barrett away until the time was right. I had planned to announce his return early next year, but Alena forced my hand by threatening his life. I agreed to the marriage because she claimed the debt I owed her for the protection of my son. You all know how I feel about Alena and her daughters. I have spent weeks trying to find a way to legally annul this marriage. However, it cannot be undone without bloodshed. The best course of action for our court—and for our new prince—is to allow the Tribunal to see through its investigation."

  "And what if the Tribunal rules in Alena's favor?" Isla asked. "What then?"

  "We will address that issue when and if we must."

  Endellion exchanged a glance with Bear. Though she kept her expression clear of emotion for the most part, there was a slight narrowing of her eyes that gave away her worry. It was something he had picked up on over the last few weeks in the Seelie Court, which was a strange land with strange customs. It was neutral ground in the Seelie Realm, so the weather was not Summer or Winter, but neither was it Autumn or Spring. It was endless daylight with agreeable temperatures and a landscape painted with colors that belonged to none of the courts. Leaves of dark pink and deep purples colored the mountainsides with black pools for swimming splitting the earth in valleys nestled beneath an orange sky, as if they lived in a perpetual dawn. It was the opposite of the Unseelie Realm, filled with constant night, endless shadows and darkness.

  "And what does our prince think?" Isla asked. "Or did you ask him how he felt before you sold him off?"

  Bear sat up in his chair and leaned forward, folding his hands. He could feel magic sparking from blue eyes that matched his mother's. "I hold no love for my new wife," he said. "But I gave my word before my mother ever arrived. And I would marry Slain a thousand times if it means keeping Princess Ivy, the true heir of Winter, safe in the mortal realm. If Queen Lyric is alive, as so many have whispered throughout the realm, then we must bide our time until her return."

  The council members broke out into exasperated cries and frantic whispers, all of them tinged with the hope that Queen Lyric would return to reclaim Winter. Bear met Endellion's eyes from across the table. She gave him an apprecia
tive nod and a slight smile. It disappeared when Isla rose once more and the room fell silent.

  "I believe you are right, Prince Barrett," she said. "Which brings us to our next matter of business. Since you are married to a Winter Princess, regardless of how temporary her title may prove to be, then your place is in Winter with her. And your job should be to report pertinent information back to our court."

  "You would send my son, your own prince, into a court as a spy?" Endellion's voice was sharp, her expression lethal. But Isla didn't back down. "That offense is punishable by death in every court in our realm. If he were to be caught, there would be nothing we could do to stop it. Then, Seelie would be without an heir."

  "Without a bit of risk, there is no reward," Isla argued. "This proposal will be put to a vote."

  Finn or whatever his name was raised two fingers. "I second that."

  Queen Endellion closed her mouth and locked her jaw, her eyes meeting Bear's. He shrugged. Honestly, he didn't want to be within a mile of Winter, but if it meant helping the Realm take Alena down, then he would be a willing party. Not that he would have a choice anyway. He sat back in his chair, awaiting his orders, as each member of the council raised hands in support of the motion. Only Endellion voiced opposition. So he would go back to Winter. And there, he would play the role of silent, dutiful husband, whose main job was to do Slaine's bidding. He fought off a chill as he recalled all that had passed between them, all that would pass once he returned. She had inherited her mother's appetite for chaos, and, if the Seelie Court rumors were true, her father's capacity for evil.