Grave Destiny (Alex Craft, #6) - Kalayna Price Page 0,70
have recognized her name.
As if summoned by my thoughts, the shadow court emerged from the hawthorns. The king was a dark and deadly figure in oiled black armor as he stalked toward the dais, not even leaving tracks in the snow as he passed over it. Dugan was an equally dangerous-looking figure two steps behind him. They both wore long cloaks that whipped behind them unnaturally, spreading shadows. The longest night might have belonged to winter and her solstice, but the darkness of the night liked the shadow court. I could feel that in the magic buzzing in the air.
I was so busy watching the king and prince that at first I didn’t notice the rest of the court. Or really, notice how little of a rest of a court there was. Perhaps many members of the court had decided not to attend the revelry, but I was reminded of what Stiofan had said about fae leaving the shadow court. Less than two hundred shadow courtiers made up the procession, and only one aside from the king and prince was Sleagh Maith. She had hair as dark as Dugan’s, and narrowed dark eyes that scanned over the clearing. She, I noted, hadn’t been required to hide her weapons. Multiple daggers as well as a sword were strapped to her, and judging by the stiffness of her dark gown, I suspected it was some sort of oiled leather armor. Like her royals, she wore the blood on her hands unobscured.
The rest of the court were largely what I often heard the nobles refer to as the more monstrous fae. Goblins, harpies, and lamias were the more humanoid of the fae I could name. Many more I had no single word to describe. The Shadow King had once ruled the realm of dreams, and many of his people looked like they might have been born among nightmares. But while many weren’t particularly humanoid, many of his people were hauntingly fascinating. A sphinx looked around regally as she walked up the path, and a creature who seemed to be made of nothing but shadow and glowing moonlight floated along as if carried by an unfelt breeze. Near the end of the procession, a giant wyrm emerged from the hawthorns, though only magic could explain how the enormous creature had fit under the overhanging branches. Its gleaming red scales looked like each carried a small flame inside, and perhaps they did as the snow melted all around it as it slithered after the Shadow King.
As the king and prince approached the dais, Dugan met my eyes. He placed one clenched fist over his heart and inclined his head ever so slightly toward me. It was a subtle show of affection, or perhaps simply an acknowledgment of the betrothal I had not agreed to. Either way, it was unwelcome, and I frowned at him. Behind me, I could feel a glare searing into my back. I glanced over my shoulder, expecting to see that Falin had seen the exchange.
It was the queen. The air around me dropped several degrees, and I cringed.
“Hail, queen of the long slumber,” the Shadow King said, his deep voice booming through the clearing.
The queen regarded him a long moment, looking out over his procession, which, while small in number, still took up a considerable space because of the larger fae attending. The moment dragged on, and tension rippled through the clearing. Dancers slowed, musicians played more quietly, and revelers of all kinds turned to watch a greeting that should have just been a formality.
Shadow and light were not seasonal courts. They did not contend for spots on the wheel of the year or have ritual sayings about the oak. Typically both were welcomed without preamble.
“Hail, King of Shadows and Secrets,” the queen finally said. “And if you bring goodwill to my court, be welcomed to our celebration of this longest night and shortest day. But if you bring ill will, begone and do not darken our doorstep.”
The clearing fell silent.
No fae moved as all eyes turned to the Winter Queen and Shadow King. This was not a ritualistic greeting. It was not part of the ceremony to start the solstice.
Several of the shadow fae bristled, taking the queen’s words as insult. The wyrm’s large eyes narrowed, its serpentine head swinging around to examine the much smaller humanoid fae in the clearing. I hoped it didn’t eat fae.
The king seemed too stunned to speak for a moment, but he recovered quickly.