Antlered Crown Read online

  Morgana peeked in at that moment. “Ember, when you’ve settled in I need to have a word with you.”

  “Will it keep till tomorrow, or is it urgent?” I asked.

  “Tomorrow will do. Take your time. I’m going to talk to the head housekeeper. She’s an Elf and her name is Frida, by the way. You’ll be responsible for talking to her each week in your office. Your grand butler’s name is Tobias, and he’s one of the dark Fae. And your temporary lady’s maid will be in directly to prepare you for dinner.”

  “Do I have to change clothes to eat? I thought that was only for formal dinners,” I said.

  Morgana laughed. “Not in the privacy of your own quarters. It’s customary, but you and Herne will make your own traditions. However, if you have guests that are—I’m not going to say important, but who aren’t personal friends—you should dress and eat in the formal dining room of the castle. You’ll learn everything as you go. Elta will help you, and so will your other tutors. One thing I will caution you—your lady’s maid has been chosen with regards to loyalty, but I would still be cautious about what you say in front of her. No state secrets, so to speak.”

  “What’s the maid’s name?” While I had had a maid in Cernunnos’s palace, in the end she had decided to stay there. She was young and not suitable for the position of a true lady’s maid.

  “Trysken. She’s had experience in being a lady’s maid. In fact, she’s one of my devoted servants. So treat her well. She’ll stay with you until you can find your own.”

  Before I could say anything, Morgana winked at me, waved, and left the room, closing the door behind her. I rolled over on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

  “Honestly, Angel. This is so weird. I’m still trying to get used to it all.”

  Angel laughed at me. “You’ll learn to accept it. Hell, I feel guilty about having a personal maid and servants and everything else that goes along with living this new life. But we’re here, we made the choice, and we have to adapt. I’ll be facing the same things you are, when I decide whether to go through the Gadawnoin.” She paused, then said, “I’m still uncertain about it, mostly because of DJ. He’s my brother, and he won’t live forever.”

  “No, but he will live a lot longer than you since he has shifter blood.” I sat up and faced her square on. “Angel, there’s no guarantee people will stay in your life. But if you want to see DJ grow up, face facts. You’ll have to extend your life. That small percentage of magic-born blood you have in your veins won’t cut it.”

  I crossed my legs on the bed. “I can’t force you or order you to go through the Gadawnoin, and I can’t offer you the incentive that Herne offered me. But I hope you’ll choose to stick around. I’m facing an eternity. I’d like my best friend to be at my side for that. Call me selfish, but I can’t imagine life without you. We’ve been through so much in the short time we’ve lived. And in our prior lives, we went through so much together. You’re my twin soul, Angel. We are two sides of a whole.”

  Angel smiled. “I know. I feel it as strongly as you do. We were born from one spark. I don’t want to break the chain. Otherwise, next time, I’d be alone when I returned.”

  I reached out and took her hands, squeezing them tightly. “Don’t let that happen.”

  At that moment, a bell rang, startling both of us. I jumped up, looking around, trying to figure out what was going on. A servant knocked, peeking inside.

  “The dinner bell has rung, milady.” She looked nervous.

  “Thank you. We won’t be dressing for dinner tonight,” I said.

  Angel followed me as the maid led us into our private dining room.

  There, Herne sat at one end of the table. Talia, Viktor, Sheila, Yutani, and Morgana were there, all waiting. The maid led me to the other end of the table and a footman pulled out my chair. After I sat, he pulled out a chair for Angel.

  When she sat down, another gong rang and the maids began carrying around the platters of food. Herne glanced at me from across the table, but there was no chance for any private discussion. As the buzz of conversation grew louder, I focused on my plate, eating my lamb chops and mashed potatoes, caught up in my own private little world.

  We were through the main course and onto dessert when another footman entered the room and stood at attention by Herne’s chair.

  “Yes?” Herne asked.

  The footman gave a stiff bow, then said, “His lordship Kipa and Lady Raven are waiting in the hall. Should I show them in?”

  “Raven!” I jumped up. “Raven and Kipa are here? Bring them in! And bring chairs for them and food.”

  “Very good, milady.” But before he went, the footman gave me another look, waiting just long enough for me to notice, which was a big mistake.

  Herne noticed the hesitation, too. “Her Highness has given you instructions. You will follow them promptly or be relieved of your post.”

  His bark threw a scare onto the footman, who promptly murmured a flustered “Yes, your lordship,” and rushed off toward the door again.

  I wasn’t sure whether I was pleased that Herne had called him out for ignoring my command, or embarrassed by the fact that the footman had ignored me. Either way, my cheeks flared and I reached for my water goblet. As I held it up I noticed the mark on the stem of the glass. Waterford, another nod to Earth.

  At that point, the door opened and the footman reappeared with Raven and Kipa in tow. We were all on our feet within seconds, welcoming them in. Raven looked positively radiant, dressed in a black fur coat over her corset and chiffon skirt. Her boots were thigh-high, and her hair was even more vibrant than it seemed to have been before. One of the Ante-Fae, she was definitely one of a kind. All the Ante-Fae were, each one differing from the rest in their powers and scope. They were the predecessors to the Dark and Light Fae courts, and while they weren’t as powerful as the gods, they were far tougher than most mortals—be they Fae or human. The Ante-Fae often lived to be over five thousand years. At around a hundred, Raven might as well be in her late teens.

  But as they entered the room, I saw a woman behind them I didn’t recognize. There was something about her that felt familiar, though.

  She was tall—over six feet—and sturdily built. Her hair flowed down to her thighs, a brilliant green that swirled around her as though it had a life of its own. Her forearms were tattooed with serpentine green dragons.

  She, too, was wearing thigh-high boots, which ended inches below her shorts. Both her shorts and her tunic were made out of leather marred with scars, as though it had seen battle. Garters ran from her shorts to the top of her boots, and at her side hung a sheath, the gleaming silver hilt of the sword protruding from it.

  “Raven, we didn’t expect you until later! And who is this?” I hurried over to give Raven a hug, and then turned to the woman standing by her. She was so sturdy and tall that I wondered if she might be half-ogre like Viktor.

  Raven kissed me on the cheek. “Ember—I’m sorry, Lady Ember, I want you to meet someone we met in Pohjola when we were there. I’d like you to meet Storm. She’s a hedge dragon.”

  Chapter Four

  Everybody swiveled to stare at Storm, including me.

  She didn’t flinch, just stood there, waiting. I gazed up into her eyes, trying to suss out her energy. I had met dragons—both good and nasty ones—yet Storm didn’t have the same energy to her. While she did feel serpentine, much like most dragons and snakes, there was something different about her.

  I sensed in her the same magic that I sensed from storm clouds, and a tingle ran through my arms that made me think of the times I reached out to call down the lightning. In fact, as I gazed into her eyes, I could see small forks of light dancing across the pupils.

  Her eyes were a deep emerald green, not quite as dark as my own. They were the color of leaves in the forest as sunlight splashed through the trees, and they danced with flecks of gold. Along with the bemused look on her face, I sensed a wariness, and I realized right then she didn’t trust
any of us.

  “Welcome to Caer Briar Shore, Storm,” I said, holding out my hand.

  She stared at my fingers for a moment, then reached out cautiously. As my hand closed around hers the hair on my arms stood at attention, as though I had scuffed my feet across the carpet and built up a charge of static electricity.

  “Thank you,” she said, her voice rich and deep. Her skin was alabaster, with the faintest hint of green running through it. When I looked closer, it was almost as though I could see scales racing up and down her arms, as though rippling beneath the flesh. I had never seen anything quite like it.

  Herne couldn’t take his eyes off of her, although I felt it was more curiosity than anything else. After a moment, he said, “I’ve heard of hedge dragons, but I’ve never met one. Pardon me for staring, but…you aren’t in any form the same as your other Dragonkin—are you?”

  She laughed, her voice rippling in a melodic wave. “Lord of the Hunt, Lady Ember, thank you for your hospitality. And no, we hedge dragons do not follow the same paths of our older Dragonkin. If you were to ask them about us, they would say we were no better than abominations. We have no love for our forebears.”

  I straightened, identifying with the emotion behind her words. “Why would they say that?”

  She stared at me for a moment, then said, “Pardon me, milady, but among your people, aren’t you also considered an abomination? At least, before you ascended to goddesshood?” Once again, her eyes flickered, her look bordering on amusement.

  I nodded, considering. “True. I was considered a tralaeth, and—as such—an abomination who shouldn’t exist. So, what can we do for you?” I had so many questions, but it didn’t feel right to bombard her with them all at once. I glanced over at Raven, who gave me a subtle nod.

  “If you could manage a bed for a few nights… We found her in Pohjola when we were up there during a training session.” Raven looked at the footman, who had returned with three chairs. He placed them at the table, holding Raven’s chair for her, as she sat down.

  As the footman moved around to help Storm with her chair, she sat down before he could get to her.

  Kipa settled himself at the table, next to Raven. “We ran into Storm out in the wilderness. And trust me, when I say ‘wilderness,’ you’ve never seen a forest so dense as the one in Pohjola. The snows there are already five feet deep, up in the mountains, and they will only get worse. Storm was fighting one of Loviatar’s ice spiders, and those suckers are a good six feet wide, minus the leg span.”

  Raven and I fought several massive spiders in the past, but I never heard of an ice spider. “That sounds horrible,” I said, turning to Storm. “Are they made of ice?”

  Storm laughed again, and I realized I liked her laughter, which rang rich and trilling, and for some reason reminded me of a cat. “I wish. Then I could have shattered them. No, their venom paralyzes and freezes you at the same time. They don’t have to wrap you up in webbing because you’re frozen, and before long, hypothermia claims your life. They’re fast, and hard to see because they camouflage into the snow.”

  I grimaced.

  Kipa picked up the conversation. “That’s true. You know how the argiope spiders back on Earth can be striped and spotted? Think of something similar, only with a body that’s six feet wide. They’re black and white, so they camouflage among the birch trees. We sometimes find them down in Kalevala, but they are truly northern creatures.” He paused, then turned to Storm. “So you don’t have them up in the Forgotten Kingdom?”

  She shook her head, her hair rippling along her arms. I found myself fascinated with everything about her. She felt so different, yet looked almost human. In a way she reminded me of the Amazons. Yet, there was a subtle sense of sensuality that seemed to flow through her curves and face. Both harsh and soft at the same time, she was a living juxtaposition.

  “I don’t think we do, though I can’t tell for sure. My life in the Forgotten Kingdom was spent mostly in hiding. The hedge dragons try to avoid notice, for obvious reasons.”

  “Why were you in Pohjola?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “I got lost on my way out of the Forgotten Kingdom. I’m looking for my sister. She was kidnapped and sold into slavery. I’m trying to find her so I can rescue her.”

  All talk at the table suddenly stopped, and I blushed, feeling intrusive. I wanted to ask what happened, but Raven beat me to it.

  “Storm’s sister is only one of many hedge dragons who have been sold into slavery since the Forgotten Kingdom opened up. As much as we like the Mountain Dreamers and Celestial Wanderers, the truth is that they’re as willing to sell the hedge dragons into slavery as the Luminous Warriors are. The children of Typhon and Echidna consider themselves the only true Dragonkin. They aren’t so fond of their cousins.”

  “Pardon me if I’m being too forward,” Angel said, “but what are hedge dragons?”

  “Our mothers are true dragons, but our fathers are the elemental storm lords. My father was a lord of lightning. There are other types of hedge dragons connecting with other elements, but none of us are 100 percent dragon blood, and we aren’t immortal like our mothers.”

  “But I thought the elementals were immortal as well,” I said.

  “There’s something about the crossbreeding that strips away our chance at immortality. We live far longer than most mortals, but we can be killed. Because of that, the Dragonkin consider us weak. They take pleasure in exploiting our weakness, although the Luminous Warriors are by far the worst. They hunt us for sport, and sell us into slavery. Some keep us as slaves in their own homes. We do what we can to evade them. My sister accidentally crossed paths with one of the white dragons and he sold her to someone who lives in Wildemoone. A rakshasa.”

  I had a bad taste in my mouth. While I liked a couple of the dragons I met, and they were trying to help us, the fact was that I had grown up a pariah and I understood exactly what Storm was talking about. I glanced over at Herne and he had the same look on his face.

  “Do you know where he took her?” Herne asked.

  Storm nodded. “I believe so. I think he took her to Owlanvine, a trading city in the desert where slavers often take their captives to auction. What frightens me most is that he may sell her to someone who is looking for dragon skin. Since dragons are impossible to kill, if someone wants armor made from dragon skin, they now turn to the hedge dragons. When we’re in our natural form, our skin makes wonderful leather—strong and diamond hard. We’re prized for our skins, and for our teeth. And unlike our cousins, we can be killed.” She stared at her plate as the footman brought a tray of food around to her. Silently, she served herself some meat and vegetables.

  Raven cleared her throat. “Do you see why we decided to bring her with us? We can help her get to Wildemoone from here easier than we could from Pohjola.”

  I wanted to help her. “We’ll get you on your way as soon as possible. We may be able to help in other ways. Rakshasas are deadlier than most people think they are.”

  Storm stared at her food, her expression impossible to read. “Thank you. I appreciate your hospitality. A gracious welcome is seldom extended to any of my kind.”

  “Well, you’re safe here.” I motioned to everyone. “Eat hearty, there’s plenty of food, and dessert as well. We’ll discuss your journey later, but for now, everyone relax. It’s our first night in our new home.”

  As the conversation drifted, Storm began to engage more, and soon she was chatting away with Talia. I wasn’t sure what they were saying, but I was grateful to see her open up. Something about the woman made her seem both incredibly intimidating and yet, she had an odd vulnerability about her that made me want to wrap her up in bubble wrap and hide her in the closet where she wouldn’t ever be in danger again.

  Chapter Five

  While Kipa and Herne led everyone into the living room, Angel, Raven, and I headed toward my bedroom. I wanted to ask Raven more about Storm in private, and so we slipped away before anybody noticed
us.

  “It’s so good to see you,” I said, hugging Raven the moment we shut the bedroom door.

  She hugged me back, then Angel. “I can’t believe how many months it’s been. Too many, to be honest. As much as I love where we’re living, I wish we could pop over to each other’s houses the way we used to. I suppose this is what life is—growing and changing, and watching things and people move through your life.”

  “How’s Raj?” Angel asked.

  “As goofy as ever, still pining over his TV shows. But he’s made friends with some of the forest sprites and gives them rides on his back.” Raven shook her head. “Goofy gargoyle. He’s really opened up since we’ve moved, though.”

  “I want to hear all about what’s going on with you and Väinämöinen. But first, tell us more about Storm. Do you know if she’s telling you the truth?” I had to ask, even though I was pretty sure that Kipa and Raven could weed out an imposter.

  “Oh, she’s telling the truth. Kipa checked, and he has ways of finding out. I’d never heard of hedge dragons before, but Kipa says that as a child, he heard legends trickle down from before the dragons were locked into the Forgotten Kingdom. Hedge dragons have been around far longer than most people think. They originated before the Forgotten Kingdom was cordoned off, but there weren’t many then. I gather their numbers have grown, although they constantly have to keep on the move because of the other dragons. It’s hard to imagine Ashera selling off someone like Storm, and I kind of want to know if she’s ever done that.”

  “Don’t forget, I went through that with the Dark and Light Fae courts. Come to think of it, Névé and Saílle have moved their courts to Wildemoone because of the dragons.” I wondered if I could reach out to Saílle and ask her to help Storm, though I wasn’t at all sure the Queen of the Dark Court would do so.