Crown of Shadows (Court of Midnight and Deception #1) - K. M. Shea Page 0,65

knew enough to avoid you.” Dion glanced over at me. “You really enjoy winding her up, don’t you?”

I laid a hand on my mount’s shoulder when it pawed the ground. “She has entertaining reactions.”

Dion turned his horse in a circle. “That’s all?”

I shrugged. “I am attempting to provoke her to see if I can uncover her thought pattern—it would help me ascertain the Night Court’s future.”

“And?”

I watched the giant night mare disappear back around the bend they had come from. “If she has a pattern, it’s not one I understand.”

“What do you think that means for the Court?”

I paused—as amusing as the new queen was, my main concern would always be how she would upset our precarious balance.

She hasn’t found her place yet, but when she allows herself to act freely, she’s like a night mare—fierce and overwhelming. A queen like that leading a Court where a whisper can change the whole power structure?

I nudged my horse forward. “Nothing good.”

Chapter Sixteen

Leila

“Okay.” I rolled my shoulders back and planted my feet. “Try now.”

Comet flicked her extra thick tail, smacking some of the yellow dapples brushed into her coat, then charged.

I whispered to my charm bracelet, “Flore.”

When it flared to life, I spun magic through it, creating an iridescent purple-ish-blue ward on the ground. Once I finished the last thread, a magic shield flared to life, encircling me in a protective shell just before Comet reached the threshold.

The whole process took about ten seconds—I was improving.

“Yes!” I pumped my fist in the air, then dropped my shield. “I may not be able to do anything at all offensive-focused. But a year of practice like this, and I will make shields like a boss! Thanks, Comet.”

I kissed Comet’s scratchy muzzle and petted her, grimacing because her neck was still bony even though Dusk and Dawn had put the night mares on a high fat grain that was supposed to help them gain weight.

Comet flicked her ears and accepted my love—lipping my shoulder a little to communicate her own feelings.

“You’re too sweet! Thank you—thanks to all of you for the help!” I addressed my little night mare herd, who were all watching and taking turns when I needed someone to play the role of attacker.

My six night mares were present, as were a few of the more wild stragglers.

Their presence was incredibly reassuring in the eerie quiet of the Night Realm.

I shivered a little and glanced at the sky—which was the only beautiful part of the crumbling castle grounds.

“What do you think, Indigo?” I let go of Comet and turned to the brownie—my only non-equine companion at the moment.

Indigo was perched on a crumbling stone bench, her legs dangling, and her arms braced on the bench. “I think they love you,” she said.

“Aww, that’s cute!” I grinned at her, then spun around in the soft light of the night sky.

At the moment, the moon was full, giving me a better look at the castle than I had when I first came with the Paragon.

It must have been gorgeous at some point. While it had the structure of a true castle, most of it had been constructed with glass walls, built to overlook the now ruined gardens, and the giant lake beyond it.

“Hey, Indigo. Did they build the mansion where they did because the landscape reminded everyone of this place?” I asked.

“Maybe a little, but I don’t think it was a high priority,” Indigo said.

“What? Even though the mansion and the Night Realm both have lakes?” I peered out at the dark expanse—streaked with moonlight at the moment—that marked out the enormous lake.

Indigo hunched her shoulders. “Most assuredly the lake didn’t matter. The lake here in the Night Realm has been heavily avoided due to the pesky urban legend that a large sea monster lives in it.”

I gaped at her. “For real?”

She shrugged. “Rumor has it. No one has been too keen to test it.”

“Ugh, knowing the Night Realm it’s totally possible.” I peered in the direction of the lake again and shivered.

And with my luck, it’ll be a monster that hates humans. Guess I won’t be taking a dip in there anytime soon!

I loved animals, but swimming in the Night Realm in a lake rumored to have a monster? Yeah, that would be the definition of stupidity.

I leaned into Comet for comfort as I saw one of the pigeon-raccoon-griffins nest in a dead bush.

I wouldn’t normally choose to spend free time here, but when I told Skye and Chase I wanted to practice magic,