Page 5 of Claimed By Shadow and Blood (Of Fae and Wolf Trilogy #2)

Now my goals were to find whoever was behind this and avenge my father, and to rule with Briar by my side for all eternity.

To do that, I had to locate people who had information on this conspiracy and torture, if not murder them.

The only thing holding me together was that I would get Briar back one way or the other.

She needed me to free her from whatever horrific prison they’d taken her to and to avenge her for whatever cruelties they’d set upon her, and I craved her body and presence.

No one would ever keep us apart again…not even Fate herself.

“Your Highness, are you well?” Finbar asked, bringing me back to the present.

I lifted my chin. “Yes, why?”

“I sent for Sekondel the hexwright to examine the guest hall and all the guards, to ensure that this does not happen again, unless you have someone else you would like to have serve in that role?"

Sekondel was a decent woman. Faithful in her duties and skilled in magic of all sorts. I had perhaps missed more of what he had said. "Is there a reason she would be seen as unfit for such a task?"

"No, Your Highness."

I drew in a steadying breath. "Then she will do. If anything, send for a second hexwright to offer another perspective. Perhaps Haude or Sterenn." I raised my hand before anyone could ask me anything else. “Give me a moment to pay my last respects to my father before his burial.”

Everyone nodded, and even the council members stepped back. Only Thalen remained at my side, motionless.

I strode on weak legs to the lifeless husk that was my father and knelt beside him.

The cold marble bit into my knees, and the congealing blood soaked into the fabric.

That smell of fading life, metallic blood, and sweet lilies swirled around me, tethering me here when I wanted to vanish and track down Briar.

Thalen knelt beside me, his head down. His shaggy, silver-white hair hung over his face.

I reached out and closed my father’s eyes. Already, his flesh was cooler than it should be, all traces of heat fleeing as life already had. I prayed there was some measure of mercy that allowed him to now be with my mother. He'd never stopped loving her.

Apparently, he hadn't stopped loving me either.

Not that that would have kept him from criticizing me now. I could hear his voice in my mind. Why are you wasting time over my corpse? It's for the worms now. Head up. Shoulders back. Spine straight. Now. Handle this. Don’t shame me.

I lifted my head, and the world spun to the point I wasn’t sure I could get to my feet. But staying here and shaming my father’s legacy wasn’t an option.

I had to rise to convey strength, authority, and calm, despite what had happened. But my legs still felt like jelly.

Panic sank its claws into my chest. My beloved had been taken from me. My father had been murdered. How long before they moved against Elara and my friends? Or me? If I did not make the right choices, my kingdom would collapse, and our magic would fail. I couldn’t act rashly.

Spiraling would accomplish nothing. I had to focus on getting Briar back first and foremost. That would eliminate all the other problems, and it was what my heart wanted most. Hold fast, my love. Hold fast, and know I'm coming for you.

A sour taste filled my mouth. I had to play this game.

But when I set my hand against the stone to help myself rise, I noticed something odd.

The button on the inside of my father’s surcoat was missing.

Strange. Especially since Father had always ensured he was immaculate in his royal clothing.

This particular button was intended to keep his surcoat aligned, but its placement meant it wouldn’t be easily torn off during a struggle.

And there was hardly any evidence of a struggle here.

No rips or tears marred his garments except at the point of the dagger blow.

There wasn’t even a shredded thread or cut embroidery along the hem and lapels.

I climbed to my feet and turned, then stilled.

Five death attendants had arrived. They stood a few feet away, waiting for me to finish paying my respects.

I hadn't heard them, but that was to be expected—they moved like shadows.

They wore long dark-gray robes with blue lining and soft hoods that shrouded the upper halves of their faces.

A shadow beast medallion hung around their necks, the beast himself shown with his head down and his crimson eyes closed in mourning for the fallen.

The four behind the leader each held an unlit golden thurible strung with two long gold chains and an onyx handle. If they had followed tradition, each one had already been filled with incense, and they would light them as soon as the king’s death was confirmed.

My heart clenched. I remembered the scents of black myrrh and white copal, thick and smoky with earth and wood.

My mother's face flashed into my mind, along with the scent of her floral perfume. Her soft, dark-gray eyes had always been so gentle, and even when she’d scolded me, she'd never lost that tenderness.

The incense had masked all other scents so well that I hadn’t smelled anything else during the grieving rituals for my mother, and now it would do the same for my father.

In some respects, it was a blessing to no longer smell death and blood, but there had been something haunting in the once familiar scent of my mother being erased, just as my father’s would be as well.

The leader stepped forward, hands clasped, the long flowing sleeves covering all but his fingertips.

“As one song ends, another begins. Their memory endures within us and beyond as one shadow merges with the other and the new legacy begins. His name will forever be commemorated in the Hallowed Hall. May Fate guide his spirit to eternal peace with his beloved. We stand at the service of the new ruler of the Shadow Kingdom.” He bowed his head and lifted his hands.

On his wrists were black tattoos of crossed daggers.

My throat tightened, and unshed tears burned my eyes. I dipped my head forward. “So shall it be, and may there be peace.” There would be no peace for me… at least, not yet.

The attendants behind him spoke one after the other in solemn voices. “So shall it be, and may you find peace in his memory.”

I exchanged a few more words with Finbar about what was to be done and left him to give orders.

More and more people had gathered. Servants and stewards asked for guidance.

I answered them but kept my gaze fixed on the death attendants.

They knelt beside my father and examined him with great care, adjusting his garments and taking his pulse.

The leader lifted his hands and cupped them together as the other four presented the thuribles, holding them by their tapered bases rather than the onyx handles.

A dark-blue flame appeared between the leader’s palms, and he lowered them to the mouth of each thurible in turn.

One by one, the incense within smoldered.

Dark fragrant smoke rose. It cut through the sickly sweetness almost at once, and all bowed their heads.

I had to make plans. I needed to be the one to inform my sister, and I didn’t want her to see him like this.

Thank Fate, she must not have heard anything.

But was it safe to leave my father’s body here?

What if there was evidence we had missed?

The death attendants would put my father’s body in a safe and secure place, which should preserve any additional evidence. But could they be trusted?

Thalen moved closer to me and glanced around before nudging my elbow. “I call the one with the dagger tattoos Broodfather Bladeface.”

I lifted an eyebrow, but my shoulders slackened a bit with relief—he knew we needed to be subtle about our suspicions.

He lifted his shoulder and then said even softer, “ My Chaos would like him. He’s very perceptive. I’d trust him to throw blades at my face any day. I actually did, twice.”

His Chaos? He’d damn well better not be talking about Briar.

My shoulders tightened, but I ignored the anger. I couldn’t lose focus, and this was Thalen’s way of informing me that we could trust Cahmin, Head of the Death Attendants.

Though I didn’t appreciate him using Briar that way, at least I knew we could go find Elara and a place where we could speak plainly with each other.

Thalen canted his head and looked me dead in the eye. "Nothing like knowing you can trust a man not to stab you in the face." He gave me that small, sly smile that he used when telling me a secret.

The smoke from the golden thuribles soon reached us and…Broodfather Bladeface—I truly wished I could remember his real name—strode toward us, smoke swirling behind him.

He inclined his head toward me and folded his hands. “We would ask that all depart so that we may prepare the king’s body for internment and the mourning rituals. Your Highness, do you have any requests?”

“Preserve everything. Let no one near the body without my permission.” The words sounded so cold leaving my lips. But that was who I had to be now, even though it felt as if my realm were vanishing from under my feet.

While having another consultation with Finbar, my attendants arrived as Finbar assured me that the new guards had been sent to the guest hall to protect the other contestants and the hexwrights would ensure all enchantments had been removed except those permitted for our safety.

I then sent one of my attendants to personally inform Vyraetos of the Shadow Council of what had happened.

We had to ensure that the magic of the Shadow Kingdom vested in me properly before the disruptions in the magic spread to the entire kingdom.

The murky pink fountain water was a warning sign.

Usually, magic would be transferred from one ruler to the next at the coronation, but there had to be a contingency for situations involving assassinations and accidents.

Thalen and I left the garden, Thalen’s wings tucked snug against his back and his gaze guarded.

Desolate weeping and soft cries from servants punctuated the air as we passed from the main hall and made our way to the royal family quarters.

As we walked past the competitors' hallway, I noted that all the doors were closed and guards stood outside them.

Passing through the great double doors into our private area was like entering a world entirely separate from the chaos of the rest of the palace.

The air was still and calm, smelling of my spiced cologne, Elara’s soft floral perfume, and Father’s juniper soap.

My insides clenched, and my vision blurred again with unshed tears.

Father’s scent would fade, just as the peace in this place would soon be shattered.

After a few more steps inside, when we were away from everyone, Thalen cut his eyes at me and raked a hand through his hair. “I assume we both know there’s no fecking way Briar is in any way responsible for your father’s death?”

“Of course not. Don’t be an imbecile. Someone framed her.” I turned and crossed my arms.

He twitched a shoulder, and his silver-white wings loosened. “Of course. Though it’s obvious who. My Copper Chaos wouldn’t kill anyone who didn’t deserve it, and?—”

I saw red. We were alone and safe, and all my anger and pain channeled toward him. “She isn’t yours !” I snapped and lunged at him.

His eyes lost their spark, and he stumbled back a few feet. He needed to learn, along with everyone else, that Briar was mine, and mine alone.

“Don’t ever call her your Copper Chaos or Chaos again.” My shadows hesitated half a breath, then exploded out of my back and along my wings.