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

Lea turns on me. “You knew he was having a sword forged for me? What else did you know?”

I shake my head. “Huxley had me make all kinds of unique and unusual items. I didn’t ask questions and I didn’t know it was meant for you.”

“It’s the same sword we had the night we slayed those demons.” Lea addresses Ivan, “The night I didn’t kill any nats.”

“I know.” Ivan’s eyes soften.

“And for everyone’s information, the sword has a name,” I blurt.

Everyone plasters their eyes on me.

“It’s called Fire Eater.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, any self-respecting sword must have a name. It’s part of sword lore. Everyone knows that.” I feel less vampire and more nerd right now but had to diffuse the tension.

“For my part, around the time when you were born, Emeric became the false king of the Southlands. Emeric the Brute. I despised him. We were rivals. But as it was, your mother put you in my care and I knew the Nefral Palace and Rjoklund would no longer be safe for you, Lea. But I also knew he’d seek you when you turned eighteen...or, as it turned out, before then.”

“You knew he was the one who attacked me sophomore year?” Lea asks.

Ivan nods. “And I chained him up in a cave full of night howls.”

Callen shifts uncomfortably.

“He must’ve escaped,” Ivan says.

“Why me?” Lea presses.

“You’re tied into the prophecy.” Ivan’s eyes narrow and he pauses as though considering what to say next. “Emeric knew you’d eventually come for him. When I learned he’d returned, I had to think fast. The safest place was RIP with its wards and protections that I couldn’t provide. Leave me to pulverize a wayward vampire, but keeping you from a brutal mage? I thought it was the right choice.”

“Why was I brought into this?” I ask.

“Emeric was clever and masterminded a plan to cover his tracks. Pit the fae and vampires against each other and the nats against both. He used you to make it look like I was behind setting loose the demons. He intended to use Lea to be the face of destruction for the X-Crew. The police came down on me hard.” Ivan eyes Heather. “I should’ve realized something was wrong. I should’ve gotten you both out. Brought you to Borea.”

“But then we wouldn’t have found her,” Kiki says. “Strange that I’d already known her.” The fae’s eyes land warmly on Lea. She now has the family that she never had and always wanted.

“That’s not all though. Emeric was using a rune of passage to get on and off-campus, bypassing the wards. At first, he and the headmistress were in cahoots.”

“We had a sting operation but were too late. Jurik was recruiting the strongest fae for the false king in the Southlands...Emeric,” Heather says. “Kiki and the others came to me for help when they got to Terra. When I saw your necklace, Lea, I knew. But could only keep you safe for two weeks. We had to figure out a way to get you out and safe. In the meantime, Glandias took Jurik’s place using mage magic when she learned we were looking for you.”

“We located an abandoned hospital upstate where Jurik and Emeric were housing the shadow fae.”

“We successfully rescued them...and you,” Kiki says.

“That was a happy accident,” Soren says.

“Did Glandias survive?” Lea asks.

“I think so,” Val says.

“So what’s the sword—Fire Eater—for?” Lea asks, glancing at me. “Slaying demons?”

“No, it’s for destroying a vampire,” Ivan says. “Cold steel to the heart.”

I flinch. “Ironic that I made the item that will destroy me.”

“Not you, Tyrren,” Ivan says.

“And I thought only fae were repelled by steel,” Kiki says. “This whole thing is unsettling.”

“We’re all confronting some uncomfortable truths, sis,” Val says.

The two fae sisters smile. Lea doesn’t, but I think it’s because it’s lost in her shadow.

“So who’s name is on this sword?” Lea asks.

Ivan parts his lips like he wants to say more but can’t, won’t.

Chapter 25

Leajka

“What do we do?” I ask. I’ve never been one to ruminate over options. I don’t wait for trouble to come to me. I make sure to find it.

“You need a little more background,” Kiki says.

Between her, Val, Soren, and Callen, they go on to tell us about Leith, the false king and demon from the Northlands and his ink curse. I learn about the raven kingdom and the people’s suffering. Then we jump over the sea to the Westlands and the glamoured queen, her ensorcelled sister, and Rikurd the Dread who’d forced Callen to be a night howl. Even I shiver at the sight of his otherworldly copper eyes. Tyrren gives him a dude-nod of respect like he understands the insatiable hunger.

Then we hear about Gerda, Callen’s aunt who was actually his mother, Timolian his father, and how neither of the guys knew their true parents. I shoot a glare at Ivan. There will be time later to deal with his deception. Right now, I need action.

“Oh, I know that look.” Val waggles her eyebrows at me.

“It’s the same one you have,” Kiki says with concern.

“Yeah. She means business. Unseelie business,” Val says, tilting her head in my direction and wearing a wicked grin.

“An unseelie shadow fae seems especially dangerous.” Soren lets out a long exhale.

“We need to find the stone before Glandias does.” Kiki paces as though movement will lead her to it.

“I have a feeling we’re going to need to slay some demons in the process,” Callen says.

“But the demons are posing as humans,” Heather says. “It’s hard to tell who’s who.”

“Not hard to smell them,” Val mutters.

“Do you think Emeric brought the stone here?” Tyrren asks Ivan.

He shrugs. “I’m guessing the crown is in Borea at the Nefral