Amidst Secrets and Shadows

Amidst Secrets and Shadows A COURT OF GILT AND SHADOW STACY JONES HARPER WYLDE Contents Blurb Glossary Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Authors’ Note Coming Soon from Harper Wylde Sci-Fi Romance from Stacy Jones More by Stacy Jones More by Harper Wylde Copyright 2023 © Stacy Jones and Harper Wylde. All Rights Reserved. AMIDST SECRETS AND SHADOWS (A Court of Gilt and Shadow Series Book Three) by Stacy Jones and Harper Wylde Edited by 34 Editing Cover Design by Trif Cover Designs Formatted by Harper Wylde Artwork by Anna Sassi This book is protected under Copyright Laws. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, please contact the author. This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this story are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual events, business establishments, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Blurb Survival. Secrets. Shadows. Faery is more beautiful and otherworldly than Arawyn ever imagined, but there’s a growing darkness in this land of magic and monsters… After years of suffering under the cruel reign of brutal usurpers, what’s left of this realm is dark and twisted. Arawyn’s people and her land are hurting, but everything in her tells her she can save them if only she can tame her wild magic. Taking refuge in the ruins of her father’s Kingdom, she trains under the intense instruction of Dommik, her crazed ex-assassin. As her power blossoms, so do her feelings for the darkly psychotic man. Every time he looks at her, his eyes burn with heat, igniting an answering fire within her. But when Rathe is summoned to face the King along with Fear and Viper, she’s thrust into the wicked world of the Fae to face her enemies before she’s ready. Hidden in plain sight as Rathe’s slave, she’s left to traverse the intricacies of a Court she doesn’t understand. One misstep will endanger not just herself, but her men. Can she keep her identity a secret, or will the threats surrounding them force her to expose her power, spelling the end for them all? From bestselling authors, Stacy Jones and Harper Wylde, comes the third book in the darkly seductive new series, A Court of Gilt and Shadow, blending romance, danger, and the supernatural into an unforgettable read. Glossary Terminology: Banálch- pure gold Light Court currency Bind- term for irrevocably tethering the soul of a being to another by conjured magic; considered taboo by the majority of Fae Changeling- term for a Fae child born sickly or with broken magic who has been taken to the human realm to replace a human child; the human child is then taken back to Faery. This was done under the false hope that bringing in new blood, and preventing those with broken magic from breeding, would fix the magical imbalance in Faery following the deaths of High King Aodhan and High Queen Saoirse. Clans- term for nations ruled by both a female and a male Fae. Can be a mated pair or two individuals chosen to rule together by their subjects Crestalio- Fae liquor similar to bourbon crafted only in Drakinmére, a small island in the Dravian Sea in the Night Court Dakaryian steel- a type of steel from Faery, mined exclusively from the Floating Mountains Drakinmére- a small island in the Dravian Sea in the Night Court Druiach Nihr- term for a person capable of crafting weapons or items and imbuing them with power. A rare ability that can be passed down through bloodlines. Faery- the dimension from which Fae hail Firláh- translates to the feminine version of ‘Fated.’ The term used among Fae for the other half of one’s soul Fhirlin- translates to the masculine version of ‘Fated.’ The term used among Fae for the other half of one’s soul Glimmerstone- semi precious gems mined from the Twilight Mountains; hardness rating roughly three times that of diamonds In Between- the realm where Fae go upon their deaths to await reincarnation Kingdoms- term for nations of Fae ruled exclusively by males, generally found in Light Court beings Light Court- one of two classifications/denominations of Fae. Primarily consists of Spring and Summer regions. Home to the many Light Fae species. Following The War, the majority of Light Fae are now ruled by High King Ehrendil Lilium Meadows- a region in the Light Court which Pixies inhabit Móirlhev- Light Court desert Night Court- one of two classifications/denominations of Fae. Primarily consists of Autumn and Winter regions. Home to the many Night Fae species. Following The War, the majority of Night Fae are now under the rule of the Regent of the Night Court, Malgath. Old Gods- deities worshiped before Manon manipulated the denizens of Faery into casting them out upon the belief that the Gods were trying to control them. These deities are credited with the creation of Faery and were once entrusted with bestowing the titles of High King and High Queen to the two individuals they deemed worthy Old Ways- the way of life in Faery before Manon manipulated the Fae people into no longer worshiping the Old Gods, believing in a caste system, and abandoning the practice of Fated matings Pixie Dust- magical dust that gives Pixies