Crown of Moonlight (Court of Midnight and Deception #2) - K.M. Shea Page 0,68

Birch and Fell usually opt to kill the stag, Verdant and Solis release it.”

He was giving me an out—a reason to participate in an event I already despised.

I wanted to scream. I hate that the fae are like this. I hate that they have this never quenched desire for power that makes them do despicable things.

“Fine.” I gritted my teeth. “Then I’ll just catch the stag myself and let him go.”

“Don’t be stupid, Queen Leila,” King Birch said. “Hunting a stag is a once a year opportunity. If you bag him yourself, the magic of ending its life will grant you a wish.”

The magic of—do they even hear themselves talk?

“I’d never want a wish born of spilled blood,” I snapped.

King Fell darkly laughed. “It won’t matter. Do you really think you could release the stag when you’re hunting with your hideous, bloodthirsty animals? Not a chance! They have a killing instinct even our hounds don’t have.”

“I don’t even care what you think of me and my actions, King Fell. Get that through your pretty head.” I turned around and stalked off to the edge of the meadow where four of my night mares were nibbling on grass.

I tucked two fingers in my mouth and whistled, getting their attention and calling the shades to my side. “Listen up, my lovelies,” I said. “We’ve got a change in plans. And, Eclipse, can you head back to the mansion? I left a few things behind that I’m going to need…”

The hounds bayed as we raced after the stag.

The servant had released it ahead of us, and it had managed to keep its lead, so we’d only seen a glimmer of silver through the trees or at the far end of the open fields we rode across.

Comet snorted, the muscles of her neck bulging, making her pale yellow dapples stand out on her coal dark coat. “Just hold it for a little while longer,” I coaxed as we cantered along.

King Birch—riding just a tiny bit ahead of me—peered over his shoulder at me.

I ignored him, my eyes fixed on the dirt trail we galloped down.

He, Verdant, and Fell all rode sun stallions. The horses flickered like flames as they streaked along the trail.

We had to go with stretches of trotting and cantering or we’d outpace the hounds. That gave me plenty of time to glare at the back of King Fell’s head. He led us, with Verdant right behind him.

The hounds surged around us, barking like crazy. My seven shades were strategically placed among them, occasionally howling—which always made the other dogs whimper and whine.

Solis was behind me, and Rigel brought up the rear on Twilight.

Since the gelding had let Lord Linus of all people ride him, I thought he’d be willing to carry my consort. He didn’t seem upset by it, even if Rigel was a little tall for him, as he easily kept pace and gave me his high-pitched nicker whenever he noticed I was looking back at him.

Queen Rime wasn’t with us. She wasn’t even mounted when we left.

I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. No one had ever said if she enjoyed killing the stag like Birch and Fell obviously did.

Once we had our next trot break—this one in a forest that closed in claustrophobically on the trail—I hung back to ask Solis.

“Queen Rime didn’t ride with us,” I said. “Will she catch up? Or does she lay traps or something?”

Solis shook his head. “Queen Rime doesn’t outright refuse to participate. Instead she rides at her leisure. Since she became the top Court in our region, I’ve never seen her actively ride in a hunt.”

Well, at least that’s something.

“I see it!” Birch said excitedly.

Dang it!

I heeled Comet, who shot forward. We streaked in front of Birch just before the woods opened up into another field, blocking his way.

The hounds—my shades included—kept running, but Birch had to stop his horse to keep from colliding with me.

“Watch it!” he shouted.

Up ahead of us, Verdant urged her horse into a canter. Unfortunately, Fell was the better rider of the two. He urged his horse faster, and even jumped a fallen tree trunk with expert ease as he pulled out in front of her, blocking her.

At a muffled command his horse briefly slowed. He nocked an arrow in his bow and shot it at the stag, which had just reached the tree line on the other side.

The stag dodged it, and it dug into a tree instead. But I could