Crown of Poison (Crowns of the Fae #3)

Prologue

The queen was hiding something.

And I was determined to uncover her secret.

I crept down the corridor toward her chambers, wrapping my magic around myself like a cloak. Invisibility tingled over my skin, the cool whisper of power making me shudder.

Very few knew about my fae magic. In the Winter Court, fae and humans mingled together, but humans were considered the lesser, weaker species. So, as the half-human princess, I was the scum of the court and was often scorned for my “tainted” bloodline. Most people wanted nothing to do with me.

They didn’t bother to ask whether my fae blood meant I possessed any gifts.

I thought of my father, who had been the only one to truly see me. He had died a year ago. I always suspected Calista had something to do with it, but I never found proof.

I hoped I would find it tonight.

A pair of maids shuffled past me, their arms full of folded linens, as they giggled together. I flattened myself against the wall, holding perfectly still. My invisibility was useful, but it didn’t stop me from making sounds or running into people.

As the maids rounded the corner, their laughter echoing in the hall, I eased off the wall and continued my trek toward Queen Calista’s rooms. I knew they were empty because she was currently dining with Sir Quinton and his wife.

The two nobles had recently arrived in the Winter Court, and Sir Quinton was renowned for his fae gift of foresight.

No doubt Calista wanted to dig in her claws and utilize his power for her own gain.

Calista’s fae gift was terrifying. With a single drop of a person’s blood, she had the power to control them. I had seen it firsthand.

Which was one of the reasons why she kept me locked away. She didn’t want me exposing her manipulative powers to the public.

Not that anyone would believe me, the human princess who was so loathsome that the queen kept her hidden from the kingdom.

I thanked the gods that Calista didn’t know about my fae magic; otherwise, she would have drawn my blood years ago and tried to control me. But there were benefits to being perceived as useless. It kept her away from me.

Holding my breath, I inched closer to her bedchamber door and rattled the doorknob.

Locked, of course. But I was prepared.

“Sybelle?” I whispered. Though my voice was only a breath, it still seemed to ring around me like a beacon alerting the world to my presence. I flinched, cramming my eyes shut, then waited.

A moment passed. Then another.

At long last, my friend’s voice brushed against my ear. “I’m here.”

I jumped, my gaze darting around the corridor in search of her.

Squinting, I made out a faint, shadowy outline to my right.

If I hadn’t been searching for it, I wouldn’t have noticed it at all.

Sybelle stood next to me, her body camouflaged, allowing her to blend in completely with the stone wall behind her.

“Incredible,” I murmured, reaching out a hand to brush her arm. Everything from the color of her skin to the texture of her tunic resembled the wall.

She chuckled. “Not as incredible as your invisibility. I can’t see you at all.”

“Do you have the lock stone?” I asked.

The clinking of stones told me she was sifting through her pouch of gems. Sybelle, like me, was half fae and half human.

Her fae magic allowed her to wield all kinds of powers depending on which gemstone she was holding.

She recently told me she had discovered a black diamond that could open any lock.

“It’s here,” Sybelle said softly, then inched closer to Calista’s door. My heart thundered in my chest as she pressed the dark stone to the door handle. Metal shifted, and with a click, the lock released. Sybelle tugged on the handle, then eased the door open, revealing a dark chamber.

My breath shuddered as I peered inside. The curtains were drawn, shrouding the room in darkness. Not even a candle was lit.

Oh yes, this place was certainly full of secrets.

“Thank you,” I whispered to Sybelle. “You should leave now.”

“Eira—”

I turned to face her, dropping my invisibility for a moment so she could see my intent gaze.

“I mean it. My stepmother cannot catch you here. It’s dangerous enough with you helping me.

But if I’m caught, and the servants see you in your chambers, you’ll be absolved of any guilt.

I can’t bring trouble to your court, Sybelle. ”

She exhaled slowly. Though I couldn’t see her face, I knew her brows were drawn together in concern. She was the Queen of the Shadow Court. The only reason she was a welcome guest here at all was because her husband was one of the most powerful unseelie fae in the realm.

“I can handle trouble in my court,” she insisted.

But I shook my head. “This is my problem. Not yours. I don’t even know for sure if Calista is hiding anything. And even if she is, it could be something ridiculous like harboring a collection of dried-up fingernails.”

Sybelle snorted.

“Don’t risk yourself for my curiosity,” I went on. “Please.”

Sybelle sighed, her frame drooping slightly. “Fine. But if you run into trouble, Azure is just outside. She can help.”

I smiled at the thought of Sybelle’s mighty blue dragon. “Thank you.”

“I’m here for you, Eira. No matter what.”

I squeezed her arm, and she squeezed back. She whispered a quick, “Be careful,” before she disappeared down the hall. I stared after her, listening to her soft footsteps fade away.

Now I was well and truly alone.

Unease rippled over me like an icy chill, but I swallowed my fear.

With a deep breath, I inched inside the room, my shuffling steps echoing in the vast space.

Squinting, I struggled to make out any details within the chamber.

With my half-human senses, my eyesight wasn’t nearly as keen as Calista’s.

My steps were clumsy as I fumbled my way to the bedside table, then lit a lantern with trembling fingers. Warm amber light illuminated the chamber, and I stifled a gasp.

A wall of shelves stood before me, stocked with rows and rows of vials. Each one contained a dark liquid—some crimson, others black like ink.

I knew exactly what this was: her stores of blood. This was where she kept the blood of those she wanted to control. There was the red blood of the seelie fae, and the black blood of the unseelie.

My stomach twisted as I glanced over each glass.

They were labeled. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know who she had control over. I knew for sure my blood wasn’t there.

It probably wouldn’t hurt to check, just in case. Perhaps I could even smash a few vials to free as many people as I could from Calista’s magic.

I strode forward, but footsteps in the hall made me freeze. I held my breath, ensuring my magic was draped over me, then held perfectly still.

The footsteps came and went, fading as whoever it was continued down the hall.

Biting my lip, I shook my head. I didn’t have time for distractions. I needed to find proof of Calista’s treachery and then get out before she caught me.

The most important thing was finding evidence of her hand in Father’s death.

But if I couldn’t find that, I would settle on anything else incriminating: details of her court schemes, a list of nobles whose blood she was after…

anything to condemn her so I could free this court from her greedy clutches.

I had remained hidden in the shadows for far too long.

My eyes fell on the large vanity on the opposite side of the room.

I moved toward it and eased open drawers.

As I sifted through papers, I found old maps, a list of potion breweries in the province, and a parchment with several cities written on it.

Squinting, I glanced over the list, unable to make sense of what these cities had in common.

With a curse, I ensured everything was back in place before shutting the drawer. Something within made a thunk when it closed.

I froze. There hadn’t been anything particularly heavy in the drawer. So what had made the noise?

I opened it again, inserting my hand to the very back of the drawer. Still nothing but papers. I pressed my fingertips along the bottom of the drawer until the wood gave way, revealing a false bottom.

My heart lurched as I inspected the secret chamber. It only held two things: an ornate silver hand mirror and a crumpled piece of parchment.

Carefully, I lifted the parchment, which had small crimson splotches on it. Was that… blood?

My stomach dropped. It was in my father’s handwriting, and it was addressed to his guard captain.

Victor,

I have seen her. I have seen my wife’s true nature, and it is horrifying. You must alert the court at once before it’s too late.

I think she suspects me. I have been trying to get closer to find evidence so I can expose her true nature. In case something happens to me, please tell everyone you can that she is not who she appears to be. And if I cannot expose her true nature, then I pray to the gods that someone else can.

Judas

My blood chilled as I read over the letter a second time. Then my eyes snagged on the date scrawled at the top.

The day before my father’s death.

My hands shook, and my fingers started to tingle. I stared in horror at the red splotches on the parchment. Blood and ice, was this my father’s blood?

Bile crept up my throat. No, no, no…

I was going to be sick.

My heart felt like it was about to burst out of my chest. For a moment, I thought I might faint.

I gave my head a firm shake and gritted my teeth. This is why you’re here, Eira. This is the evidence you were looking for.

Blinking back tears, I kept the letter clutched in one hand and eased the hand mirror out of its hiding spot with the other.

What was so special about a hand mirror? Why did she have it hidden? It was unsettling, to look into a mirror and see nothing but a darkened room reflected back at me. My invisibility was still cloaking me, concealing me even from the mirror.