Chapter 1
I knew something was wrong the moment I stepped onto Main Street.
Normally clogged with early-morning commuters, the streets are nearly empty this morning.
Even the shops lining the street, usually filled with humans, Fae, and hybrids alike, are barren.
Some shops are even closed, their interiors dark and ominous.
Thankfully, the bookstore comes into view, its emerald exterior a comforting sight.
I beeline for the front door, desperate to escape the eerie, empty streets.
I wince at my reflection in the bay window.
My messy bun is entirely too messy, not even centered between my ivory antlers. I sigh and enter anyway.
The wooden front door creaks open to reveal rows of overflowing bookshelves. The earthy smell of the custom oak shelves dances with the musk from the books, immediately wrapping around me like a warm hug.
A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth.
Bound is like my second home. Cally and I have poured so much love and work into this store that I would be surprised if our heartbeats weren’t tied to its very foundation.
When Cally first proposed quitting our jobs and opening a bookstore, I laughed and immediately dismissed the idea.
But then the idea kept coming up over bottles of wine and drunken conversations.
Then over coffee. Before long, it morphed into something more serious.
We began saving every spare coin we could—enough for a down payment on the storefront in the quaint downtown of Pinebend.
Mornings in the bookstore are my favorite time of the day.
The quiet inside offers a welcomed juxtaposition from the busy square just outside.
I’m usually here well before we open, shelving books or tidying up in preparation for our usual trickle of customers.
Truth be told, I can’t remember the last time I was late to open the store.
But last night was different. It was the first time I couldn’t maneuver my way out of Killan’s request for me to stay the night at his place.
And I woke up this morning regretting it.
Bumping into him all night and not being able to sprawl out were enough to make me never want to do it again.
By the time I finally got comfortable, the sun’s rays were already filtering through his curtains, meaning I was late.
While I wait for Cally to arrive, I sort through the unopened mail she threw on the desk yesterday.
One letter in particular snags my attention.
Its creamy envelope is closed with a forest-green seal, and the image of a stag is pressed into the hardened wax.
My name is scrawled in neat penmanship on the front.
Odd. Normally, the recipient listed is “Bound.” How did my personal mail get here? I shove the envelope into my bag and continue sorting through the rest.
Once the mail is sorted into neat piles of bills, customer requests, and junk, I set them aside on the front desk and head toward the back of the store.
It’s always dark back here, but it feels particularly ominous today with the empty streets.
As I turn the corner into my office, my heart stutters in my chest.
Someone stands at my desk, cloaked in darkness. A scream erupts from my throat as light spills from the palms of the figure’s hands, revealing…Cally. Her warm brown eyes are wide, and her curly chestnut hair tangles in the glow of the light.
“It’s me!” she shrieks, throwing her hands up. The light from her hands extinguishes, narrowly avoiding blinding me. I place my hand on my chest, feeling the rapid thump, thump, thump of my heart beating against my chest.
“What are you doing standing back here in the dark?” I ask, sagging with relief.
With a flick of her wrist, the antique lamp in the corner switches on. “Sorry!” she exclaims, a grimace on her face. “I thought I’d actually get here before you for once and surprise you.”
“Yeah, well. You did a great job,” I say drily. With the lights now on, I notice two mugs of coffee and a fresh copy of The Daily Deer Tribune sitting on the antique wooden desk.
I snatch one of the ceramic mugs from the desk. “You owe me that. You almost just literally scared me to death. I thought I was about to have a hea—”
“Have you heard?” she asks.
I eagerly take a sip and stifle a moan at the taste. “Heard what?”
She plops into my desk chair, grabbing her own cup of coffee, before motioning to the newspaper. “The entire royal family was found murdered this morning.”
That can’t be possible. Not only was the High Family beloved, but they were also powerful. Plus, the Woodland Kingdom has been at peace for centuries. Who would want them dead?
“What are you talking about? How do you even know?” I eye the newspaper skeptically. “You know this newspaper isn’t reliable.”
She scoffs. “All of the newspapers are reporting the same thing. You know I have a weak spot for the Tribune’s gossip columns, though, so I grabbed this one. Read it for yourself.”
She hands me the newspaper and my jaw drops at the jarring title.
HIGH FAMILY FOUND SLAIN IN THEIR PRIVATE RESIDENCE
I still. Well, the empty streets and closed shops certainly make sense. Cally slurps a sip of her hot coffee and watches me skim through the article. “The entire family, including Princess Etta. The throne is empty. Nobody knows what’s about to happen.”
“Are there no other heirs?” I ask, still skimming the article.
She rolls her eyes at me and says, “No, Mae. You should know this stuff. Etta was the only heir.”
I slowly set the newspaper back on the desk as if to treat the article with a bit more respect, given the grave nature of its contents. There wasn’t any information that Cally hadn’t already told me other than some background information on the High Family.
“So, who’s going to rule?” I ask.
She leans back in the chair and puts her boots on the desk, the desk that I bought secondhand and spent hours scrubbing, staining, and painting. A piece of grass dangles precariously from her worn leather boot. I glare at her, and she hastily plops her feet back on the hardwood floors.
“That’s the thing. Nobody knows. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some bastard prince out there ready to pounce on the throne,” she says with a mischievous smile on her face.
I ignore her. Cally’s always been on the dramatic side. But entertaining that side of her doesn’t exactly feel appropriate right now. I take another sip of my coffee. “That explains why there’s nobody out right now.”
She nods slowly. “I think most places are closed out of respect and to allow people to mourn. But it’s making me wonder if they’re scared about who or what killed them.”
That’s not something I had considered. “Why do you say that?”
“Well, you know how powerful King Silas was. Whoever or whatever killed him would have had to be even more powerful. Not to mention, they also would have had to overpower Etta and Adelaide. I heard a rumor on the streets that only someone using black magic would have been able to overpower all three of them.”
“Do people even use black magic anymore?” I ask.
She raises an eyebrow at me and says, “No. It was outlawed decades ago.” Although she doesn’t say it, I know she’s holding back a reprimand about how I should know that.
I blush. “You know Willa did her best homeschooling me.”
She stands up and places a hand on my forearm over the desk.
“I know,” she says warmly. She grabs her bag of books from the floor and hefts it over her shoulder.
“Anyways, I gotta go. I have a meeting with that book dealer about a special edition I’ve been trying to track down.
” She takes one last sip of coffee before setting it down and heading to the door.
Before she opens it, she turns back to face me.
“Wait, I never asked you why you were late this morning. What happened? Did you end up spending the night with Killan?”
I laugh. “Yeah, I spent all night with him. But a lady doesn’t kiss and tell unless you’re providing wine…and if that’s the case, I’ll make an exception and tell you all the sordid details.”
She throws her head back in laughter. “Wine at your place tonight?”
“It’s a date.”
Cally knocks on my door just as the sun is beginning to set.
“Come in!” I yell, setting a bottle of wine and two glasses on the wooden dining table. Cally steps onto the back porch, holding up a bottle of red.
“I brought wine,” she says triumphantly.
I shrug. “You can never have too much.”
She pulls out a chair and uncorks her bottle with an ease that I’ve never been able to master. She pours it into two glasses and floats one of the glasses to my side of the table before plopping into her seat.
“Show off,” I mutter.
She shoots me a wink. “Anyways, spill the details. How did last night go?”
Cally has always been invested in my dating life. Her only boyfriend, an Ursine male that she’s known since she was a cub, recently ended things with her in an unexpected breakup. Because Cally’s only ever been with him, she’s always lived vicariously through me.
“Last night was fine, but I think I might have given him the wrong idea by staying over,” I admit.
“What do you mean?”
“He told me he’d clear out a drawer for me before I left,” I say with a grimace. It was never meant to go on this long with Killan.
“So? Why not just see how it goes?”
“I don’t know, Cal. He’s kind of manipulative,” I admit.
She sits forward in her chair and hits the table with her hand. “See, this is exactly why I’ve been telling you to date someone from Ursidae! Every Ursine male is kind and loyal,” she says passionately. “Serpent males are…well, kind of gross. Gorgeous but gross.”
I sigh. “I know, I know. You’re right.”
“You don’t say that enough,” she says with a wink. “Even someone from Canis would be better for you. You’re a great female, and you need someone loyal—someone who will commit to you and match your greatness.”
“I do like Killan, though,” I say with a groan.
Cally shrugs. “You seem to have a great time with him. You guys were all over each other when we went to the pub last week.”
“Yeah. We have fun,” I admit. “I just don’t know if he’s someone I want to be with. There’s just…there’s something missing.”
It’s something I’ve been grappling with since I first met him. We have great chemistry, but the emotional connection still hasn’t developed after months of dating.
“You don’t have to marry him. Just see how it goes. You’ve never dated someone for this long before. Why not just give it a chance?”
“What about your relationships, hmm? Want to talk about that?” I retort, instantly regretting it.
She glares at me from across the table before getting up and going inside, mumbling something about getting food. When she comes back out, she has strawberries in one hand and an envelope in the other. She stands in the doorway for a few seconds, her gaze flitting between me and the envelope.
“Um. This was just propped up in the middle of your dining room table,” she says, handing me the envelope and setting the strawberries down.
I take the envelope from her. It’s the same one from the store earlier. “I had some mail in my bag earlier and tossed my bag on the table. It must have fallen out.” I toss the envelope on the table and reach for a strawberry.
“Are you joking? Do you know who that’s from?” she asks, staring at me like I’ve grown a third antler.
“No,” I say, brow furrowed. “Do you?”
She rolls her eyes and huffs a deep breath. “Are you serious? Look at the crest on the wax seal!”
I pick the envelope back up and flip it over to look at the forest-green seal once more.
“What does it mean?” I ask.
She gives me an exasperated sigh before saying, “Were you raised in a barn by a human? It’s the High Court’s crest.”
What could the High Court possibly want with me?
I look up from the letter. “No. What? Why would they send me a letter?”
“I have no idea! Maybe it’s not really from them? I don’t know. Open it before I lose my mind!” she squeals.
Hesitantly, I slide my finger under the seam, breaking the wax seal and pulling the letter out of the envelope.
Mae,
You have been summoned to appear in the presence of the High Court tomorrow morning. I will accompany you to the castle and will arrive at your house tomorrow promptly at first light. Please be ready at that time.
Regards,
Ivan Lockewood
Chief Advisor
Fumbling, I hand the letter to Cally to read.
“Did I do something wrong?” I ask, fear creeping into my voice as I watch her read the letter. When she finishes, she seems just as confused as I was.
After several seconds of silence, she says, “I don’t know…I’m sure it’s nothing.” She glances at the darkening sky and says, “It’s late. This is not something you can miss. Don’t you dare think about ignoring this.”
My stomach drops at the thought of having to close the store tomorrow. This has already been a slow month for us, and we can’t afford to lose any more revenue. “But what about the store?”
“I’ll open tomorrow, don’t worry. You have to go to this,” she says somberly, which is enough to unfurl a ball of anxiety that’s slowly been building in my gut.
The High Court. The Woodland Kingdom’s governing body. I inhale and say, “Okay. I’ll go.”
She helps me clean up before hugging me tightly goodbye. I stumble into bed, but sleep doesn’t come easy for me. My thoughts race as I lay there, wondering what the High Court could possibly want with me.
Everything I’ve ever done wrong in my life passes through my mind: telling Briar Moore that her hair was ugly when I was five, stealing a croissant from a baker’s stall when I was eight, stealing Willa’s wine when I was twelve.
Finally, I drift off to sleep after tossing and turning for what feels like forever.
Tomorrow, I’ll go visit the High Court for the first time.