A Shadow Crown


 Contents
 
 Cover
 Title Page
 Copyright
 Dedication
 Map of Elverath
 Content Warning
 Contents
 Chapter One
 Chapter Two
 Chapter Three
 Chapter Four
 Chapter Five
 Chapter Six
 Chapter Seven
 Chapter Eight
 Chapter Nine
 Chapter Ten
 Chapter Eleven
 Chapter Twelve
 Chapter Thirteen
 Chapter Fourteen
 Chapter Fifteen
 Chapter Sixteen
 Chapter Seventeen
 Chapter Eighteen
 Chapter Nineteen
 Chapter Twenty
 Chapter Twenty-One
 Chapter Twenty-Two
 Chapter Twenty-Three
 Chapter Twenty-Four
 Chapter Twenty-Five
 Chapter Twenty-Six
 Chapter Twenty-Seven
 Chapter Twenty-Eight
 Chapter Twenty-Nine
 Chapter Thirty
 Chapter Thirty-One
 Chapter Thirty-Two
 Chapter Thirty-Three
 Chapter Thirty-Four
 Chapter Thirty-Five
 Chapter Thirty-Six
 Chapter Thirty-Seven
 Chapter Thirty-Eight
 Chapter Thirty-Nine
 Chapter Forty
 Chapter Forty-One
 Chapter Forty-Two
 Chapter Forty-Three
 Chapter Forty-Four
 Chapter Forty-Five
 Chapter Forty-Six
 Chapter Forty-Seven
 Chapter Forty-Eight
 Chapter Forty-Nine
 Chapter Forty-Fifty
 Chapter Fifty-One
 Acknowledgments
 About the Author
 
 
 
 
 Cover
 Title Page
 Copyright
 
 
 UNION SQUARE & CO. and the distinctive Union Square & Co. logo are trademarks of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Union Square & Co., LLC, is a subsidiary of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Text © 2023 Melissa Blair Map © 2021 Melissa Blair Cover art © 2023 Kim Dingwall All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission from the publisher. ISBN 978-1-4549-4789-9 (paperback) ISBN 978-1-4549-4790-5 (e-book) Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Blair, Melissa, 1995- author. Title: A shadow crown / by Melissa Blair. Description: New York : Union Square & Co., 2023. | Series: The halfling saga; book 2 | Summary: “Keera navigates political scheming, backstabbing, and her own grief as she moves against the cruel king that holds her kingdom hostage”—Provided by publisher. Identifiers: LCCN 2022059436 (print) | LCCN 2022059437 (ebook) | ISBN 9781454947899 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9781454947905 (epub) Subjects: BISAC: FICTION / Fantasy / Romance | FICTION / Romance / LGBTQ+ / General | LCGFT: Fantasy fiction. | Romance fiction. | Novels. Classification: LCC PR9199.4.B557 S53 2023 (print) | LCC PR9199.4.B557 (ebook) | DDC 813/.6—dc23/eng/20221213 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022059436 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022059437 For information about custom editions, special sales, and premium purchases, please contact [email protected]. unionsquareandco.com Cover art and design by Kim Dingwall Cover art direction by Gina Bonanno Map art by Karin Wittig Interior design by Colleen Sheehan and Jordan Wannemacher Contents Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication Map of Elverath Content Warning Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Chapter Thirty-Eight Chapter Thirty-Nine Chapter Forty Chapter Forty-One Chapter Forty-Two Chapter Forty-Three Chapter Forty-Four Chapter Forty-Five Chapter Forty-Six Chapter Forty-Seven Chapter Forty-Eight Chapter Forty-Nine Chapter Forty-Fifty Chapter Fifty-One Acknowledgments About the Author For anyone who has ever helped another achieve their dream.But especially for Scooby Gang. CONTENT WARNING This book is a fantasy romance that explores themes of alcoholism, addiction, colonialism, depression, and systemic vio­lence. While it is not the focus of this book or depicted graphically on the page, some content may be triggering for readers who have experienced self-­harm, assault, domestic vio­lence, depression, war, or suicidal ideation. It also contains some consensual sexual content. Please read with care. My mind is haunted by shadow, Memories and regret, But those shadows don’t scare me now I punched the prince in the face. The blow was hard enough that Killian’s gold circlet fell off his head and landed on the ground with a loud clunk. I’d always thought of his brother Damien when I imagined punching a royal, but Killian was a satisfying substitute. Shock reverberated through the room. None of the spectators moved. Killian had ensured he had an audience for the big reveal. A moment perfectly curated for me to find out the truth: that I had allied with an enemy—the king’s enemy—to destroy the Crown once and for all, only to learn that the Shadow answered to the king’s youngest son. Killian had forced my hand like a fool. I needed to remind him that I was dangerous even if I agreed to play into his scheme. He spat a mouthful of blood onto the wood-planked floor. I didn’t try to cover my grin. His movement, however, had reignited the tension in the room. Suddenly, every one of Killian’s most trusted Elverin were staring at me: The calculating violet gaze of the two Fae who stood along the wall, deciding whether or not to use whatever magic they had left. The cautious eyes of the Elves whose immortality had stolen the last of their ability to be shocked. But what made my heart stagger inside my chest was the violent stare of the Halflings in the room. Part Elf, part Mortal, they outnumbered the rest of the Elverin tenfold. They were my kin. But they didn’t see an ally when they looked at me. All they saw was the Blade who had just laid a hand on their prince. Maybe the punch could have waited until I wasn’t surrounded by a hundred rebels who wanted me dead. Killian wiped his mouth with his wrist, a blond curl falling in front of his face as his skin was stained red. Collin moved first. He swung at me without unsheathing the short blade at his belt, cheeks burning with clumsy rage. I shifted to the side, dodging his blow. He threw out his other fist and I ducked under that too. By the third, I figured I should put him out of his misery. I caught his wrist and used his momentum to spin him around, pinning his arm against his back. He let out a satisfying yelp. “Had enough yet?” I whispered in his ear. I