Fae of the South (Court of Crown and Compass Book 3) by E. Hall (libby ebook reader .txt) 📕

“I wonder if anyone found the golden disk.”

Lea shrugs.

I sit next to her on the ground. Before we could coexist in comfortable silence. Now I feel like she despises me.

Jurik announces the hammer toss. Instead of an actual hammer or axe, we have to throw a big metal ball. The running event reminded me of a Tough Mudder. This reminds me of something from the Highland games in Scotland.

We take our turns and again, land in the middle. Not the winners but not the worst either. Even though the Rjoklund Games are foreign to fae, there are vampires here who’ve done this many times—some even going as far back as the actual games in the Borea realm. I can hardly wrap my head around it.

“Are some of the vampires here who look like they’re in their teens actually hundreds of years old?” I ask Lea, forgetting she’s not talking to me.

She rubs her face. “I feel a hundred years old.”

I force myself not to jerk my head in her direction. She speaks. “Something on your mind? We can talk.”

She blinks a few times as though coming out of a fog. “It’s almost like an actual pull. Like I’m addicted to mayhem. Out of control.” She turns to me. “Like I can’t help myself when it comes to Emeric.”

I try to play it cool but at the mention of his name my jaw tightens. I give her space to go on.

“I wouldn’t cause that kind of destruction, would I? It’s getting hard to separate what’s real and what’s not.”

“Lea,” I say softly. “I don’t understand.”

Just then, Jurik announces the winner for the hammer throw as the clouds overhead threaten to split open with rain. “Now, you’ll seek the golden disk. Good luck.”

“Do we just look for it?” I ask.

Everyone else scatters as though they know what to do, leaving Lea and me standing in the middle of the field.

“Lea, you were saying before about Emeric?” I draw her away from the field so at least it’ll look like we’re participating in the games.

“Never mind,” she answers. Her gaze fixes on the middle distance like she, along with her thoughts, are somewhere else.

“If you want to talk, I’m always here. There’s something I want to talk to you about actually.” I tell her about the file, the demon attack, and how I think there’s something sinister going on.

This seems to bring her back to me. “You broke into Jurik’s office? Who’s the rule breaker now?”

We’re in the wooded area, working our backward along the trail, circling the obstacles, crawling over rocks, and scrambling up a hill. I barely look for the disk. My focus is on Lea.

The air is chill and portends rain as the sun sets. We’re behind the administration building. Written across the wall is the word death with a big X underneath. The windows are smashed.

Lea looks down at her hands. “I didn’t mean it.”

“Didn’t mean what?” I ask.

She points.

“You didn’t do that.”

She nods slowly and her dark eyes meet mine. “Last night.”

“We’ll figure out a way to get out of here,” I say. I’m willing to do anything to help her, protect her.

She shakes her head. “There’s no escaping that I’m fae. I’m bad, Tyrren. Even though I didn’t kill those two people, I belong here where my magic is suppressed.”

I take her hand, bringing us away from the building. “Lea, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I do know that expression. Whatever grim thoughts you’re having, no.” I lower my voice. “I’m not going to lose you again.” After the incident sophomore year, I fought to bring her back from the edge.

“But I’m not yours.” Her voice is strained. She tilts her head.

Down the sidewalk, Emeric appears holding a golden disk in his hand. “Look what I found.”

My nostrils flare. Tension grips my entire body. I see red.

Lea runs into Emeric’s arms.

Chapter 15

Leajka

I hear the call of my name as though on the wind. Leajka. The way Emeric says it, I can’t resist. I spare a glance back at Tyrren who stands on the sidewalk, looking crestfallen.

Emeric has told me how historically vampires hurt the fae—during the war, Bortimal created the demons to rend fae shadows. He says that eventually, Tyrren will want to hurt me—it’s in a vamp’s nature. Yet I can’t help but be vaguely aware that Tyrren said he would never turn his back on me...yet that’s what I’ve just done to him.

We return to the clearing where the Rjoklund Games began and Emeric claims his prize—a trophy and declaration that he’s the champion. There is a feast and revels. I imagine this is the first time a fae has won the challenge.

I’m starving and help myself to sweets. But lately, I’ve been thirsty. Not for blood like the vampires, but I have a craving for the drink from the goblet during the court dance. I can’t stop thinking about it.

After I eat, Emeric draws me away from the crowd and we venture toward the woods. He wants to show me where he found the golden disk. We sit side by side, facing each other. The leaves are damp on the ground.

He stares deeply into my eyes. I bask in the soft glow of light radiating from him. He’s rescued me from the lie I’d been living. He shows me the truth of who I am.

Emeric brushes a stray hair from my cheek and I lean into his hand as he whispers my name.

“Want to break some more rules, Leajka?” he asks. His words are euphoric, leaving me feeling blissed out, just as they always do.

“Anything,” I mumble. “I’ll do anything for you.”

“Let’s skip.”

My words feel jumbled, but I say, “I