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“Do you think it’s a coincidence that the Dark Fae begin to move just as thewinvrabegins to fail? For all we know, they are leeching the magic from the soil themselves,” the king said, his fist shaking.Winvrawas one of the few magical plants that still grew in Elverath. Most recognized it by its crimson vines and black leaves, but its true magic was held in its berries. Berries the color of night that could create all kinds of healing concoctions and bloodred fruit that could poison an entire table with a single drop of its juice.Winvraneeded magic to grow, magic the Mortal realms across the sea did not have. But magic in Elverath had been fading for millennia and seemed to be fading even more quickly now.

The king leaned forward in his throne. His eyes were green slits staring at his son. “The entire kingdom would fall if Lord Curringham aligned himself with the Dark Fae. Explaining such politics to you at twenty was admissible, but you’re coming to your thirdcentury. Maybe you should spend less time hosting parties and more time at your studies. Take a page from your brother’s book,” the king added. Damien’s cheeks flushed and his lips pulled tightly against his teeth. Damien had little love for his brother Killian. It was why the younger prince was so rarely at home.

“Yes, Father,” Damien said through clenched teeth.

“Good. This Shadow is becoming a nuisance, but we must address the larger threat. Ensure Lord Curringham’s loyalty before another disaster strikes. Once the magic fades from his lands, we’ll have nothing left to harvest. The Lord of Flowers could very well turn you into a prince of paupers, boy,” the king finished.

Damien’s fingers gripped his thigh so hard I thought the fabric might rip. His father’s disappointment raised a shield of defiance in the prince that turned his eyes hard. The only thing he loathed more was being compared to his brother.

Damien bowed his head in penance. “Of course, Father.”

The king shook his head before turning toward me. “I expect you to leave quickly, my Blade.” I straightened and nodded. “I don’t want to give those Fae any more time to work their evil over Curringham,” the king said. “You leave on the morrow.”

“I will be gone by dawn,” I answered immediately. There was nothing for me in the capital apart from a hot bath and warm bed.

“Do you require the help of the Shades?” the king asked.

“No, Your Majesty. I prefer—”

“To work alone,” the king finished for me. “So be it... But work quickly. First the Shadow and now the Fae. If anything else begins slipping through the cracks, I may have to find another Blade.”

My breath stopped as an icy chill ran down my spine.

“And what of the lord?” I asked before making my exit.

“I would prefer if he remained alive. At least for now,” the king said. A glint of red light from the setting suns sparkled in his eyes. “Knowing his allegiance is cracking could prove useful. If you find any proof of treason, you may kill as many Dark Fae as you like.”

I nodded. “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

IPULLED MY HOOD BACKover my face as soon as I’d left the throne room. Only a few people in the palace had truly seen my face. A good assassin knew how useful anonymity could be. Though the title of king’s Blade was enough to strike fear in most and give pause to the stupidly fearless.

I marched in the direction of my chambers, hoping my bags had made it there by now. The scent of horse shit and stale ale clung to my clothes. I was in desperate need of a bath.

“Empty-handed again, Keera?” I would know that superior tone anywhere. There was only one person who made a point of using my name over my title.

“Lovely day,Gerarda,” I said, emphasizing her full name only because I knew she despised it.

A petite halfling stood behind me, twirling her favorite throwing blade between her fingers. Her hood was pulled back slightly on her head, enough that I could see her face. A smug smile grew on her lips. Sun had tanned the high points of her cheeks and flat nose, leaving a tawny hue to her skin. A mark of her Elvish lineage.

Gerarda Vallaqar was also a spy and assassin for the king. We had trained together at the Order before she passed her Trials and became a Shade. By the time I graduated, she had already been promoted to the king’s Dagger. It was the second highest position in the king’s Arsenal.

The day I was promoted to the king’s Blade, only three years after leaving the Order, had been glorious fun. Gerarda, expecting the nomination for herself after the death of my predecessor, had loudly gasped when the king called me forward. Dressed in the plain black garb and hood of the rest of the Shades, I had accepted my cloak, fastened at the neck by a silver sword. The cloak a symbol of the king’s Arsenal, the fastener a symbol of my title within it.

Gerarda had left the throne room, her short black hair brushing against her shoulders as she raced away from the ceremony. If I hadn’t been so nervous, I would’ve laughed. Gerarda was often inconsolably angry for such a tiny creature.

“The king might have to reconsider the order of his Arsenal if his Blade keeps failing him.” The sweetness of her voice covered the poison of her meaning.

“That is for the king to decide. I am at his disposal,” I said carefully. Trapping me to speak against the king would be the easiest way for the Dagger to become the Blade.

“Of course, this Shadow may dispose of you,” she chided. I ignored her and started walking again. I did not have the patience for her quips, at least not without hard liquor.

“He does seem obsessed with us, doesn’t he?” she called out after me.

I stopped. “What do you mean?”

“He struts around in a black cloak, keeps his face concealed underneath a hood. Maybe he didn’t pick his name, but from what I’ve heard he certainly encourages it. The Shadow. The Shades. He’s making a mockery of the Order.” Her eyes widened, the thick line of ink along her lashes created the illusion of a crease. Gerarda always tried to blend in with the Mortals at court.

A cold wave of understanding crashed against my skin. In all the months of chasing down pieces of information on the Shadow, I had never taken a moment to think about what he was trying tosay.