Crown of Shadows (Court of Midnight and Deception #1) - K. M. Shea Page 0,71
artifact resonate with her.
I paced back and forth, peering anxiously around the room.
Maybe I need to go in deeper? So more of the artifacts feel me?
It sounded like an excuse, but I really, really didn’t want to be the first queen without an official royal artifact.
I desperately walked up and down the rows of treasures, my stomach sloshing with each step I took.
I stared at the door I was supposed to go out—it had an ornate moon carved into its wooden surface. “It’s fine,” I said. “Totally fine. I can work with this—I’ll have to. Besides, it makes sense—I am human.”
And then I felt it.
Faintly, magic brushed against me.
It wasn’t a pull—it wasn’t even a tug—it was just a barely-there feeling.
Desperate, I followed the feeling, which led me up to one of the baskets overflowing with jewels.
I picked up the first few on the top—a giant opal, then a ruby the size of a tennis ball. Neither reacted.
I worked my way down to the very bottom of the basket, pulling out precious gems of every color and size, until I reached what looked like a glass prism.
It was about the size of my thumb—just a little bigger—and had a pointed top, while the base was a little rough, as if it had been snapped off a bigger gem.
It was well polished, and when I held it up, it cast little rainbows across the room, and I felt the magic strengthen into a very slight tug.
It certainly didn’t feel strong enough to be called an unmistakable pull, but when I touched it, I did feel…something. It wasn’t like I felt the artifact itself, but more like I could better sense the wild magic that floated in the air through it.
It’s about what I expected. I curled my hand around the prism. I’m such an oddball here, of course I would end up with a small, unimpressive artifact.
I mean, I wasn’t thrilled—with all of this evidence stacking up I really had to wonder what on earth made the night mares think I could even be a decent queen—but a small artifact was better than no artifact.
I dutifully piled the gems back into the basket—since no one could come in after me, if I left it here it would stay a mess for my successor, which would be rude—but it wasn’t until I’d made my way over to the exit that I had a happy realization.
“Oh, but this means I’ll be able to fit it in my purse or pockets! Now that is some awesome convenience. Yep, it’s fine!”
Cheered, I pushed the door open. As soon as a slit of light from the outside entered the room, the globs of light winked out.
I slithered out of the opening—I got the feeling I wasn’t supposed to let anyone see the inside—and when the door clicked shut behind me, I felt magic thrum to life.
I’m pretty sure if anyone tried to go inside, the door wouldn’t open.
I smiled brilliantly for my Court, and tried not to look too gleeful.
It was going to be oodles of fun to show them my tiny artifact!
I was pretty sure Lady Demetria was going to throw a fit and then maybe pass out from the exertion of it if I got her wound up enough.
Was it likely they were going to redouble their efforts to have me offed once they saw this? Absolutely! But you have to take joy in the small things—like annoying one’s Court—or life won’t be worth living.
With all the pomp I could muster, I held out my glass prism. “I have found my artifact!”
The fae nobles—and a bunch of representatives from the common fae—had gathered together like a judgmental choir and were seated in comfortable chairs—which looked distinctly human-made, understandable since two of the magic lights in the room weren’t working and the rug laid over the stone ground was moth eaten.
As one, they looked at my artifact, and I was not disappointed with their reactions.
“This cannot be.” Lady Demetria stood up. “We cannot have such an inept, powerless queen that her artifact is a prism!”
“We’ll be the laughingstock of the other Courts!” Lady Chrysanthe—her dress color and hair tint today were a pretty purple—managed to create a tear or two, which she dabbed at with a handkerchief.
“There, there, Lady Chrysanthe,” Lord Myron murmured to her. “Your concern for the Night Court is touching—you work on its behalf.”
I was pretty impressed I kept a straight face after that one.