A Deception of Courts

A Deception of Courts A REALM OF FEY SERIES BEN ALDERSON Copyright © 2022 by Ben Alderson All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real people, alive or dead, is purely coincidental. Font and Cover Format Design by Christian Bentulan Editing by Full Proof Editing Merlin, thank you for keeping this series alive in your heart, and mine. T.W - Please be aware this novel contains scenes or themes of toxic relationships, murder, loss of family members, death, abuse, manipulation, anger, grief/grieving, depression, profanity, adult scenes, adult themes and blood/gore. As much as I work with multiple editors, mistakes and typos happen. Please forgive any that have slipped through the net. If you have any concerns please do contact me on b e n a l d e r s o n a u t h o r @ g m a i l . c o m Contents 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 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Also by Ben Alderson 1 The rancid stench of shit, ale and coal-infested smoke burned away at my nose as I navigated the slums of Lockinge city. Flies buzzed around me, but I had grown far too familiar with their presence, I hardly bothered to swat them away. With my head bowed low and hood pulled over my brow, not one of the human patrons — cursed to dwell within the city’s slums — cared to notice me. To them, me and the equally concealed figure beside me, were not out of place. The Cage, as the slums had been aptly named, was rife with strangers harbouring secrets and dangerous desires. No one looked long enough for fear of being bottled by a drunk or captured by a vagrant, only to be sold on one of the many back-alley markets. Although the dirtied streets and shoddy residences were full of humans at the best of times, The Cage turned out to be the best place for fey, a mutated human, and a nest of assassins to hide out in. Which, in our case, had been exactly what our band of unlikely allies had been doing in the weeks following the events with Aldrick and his demonic apparition of Duwar. If Althea had gotten her way, we would have been back in Wychwood by now. Elinor Oakstorm, mother to the deceased Tarron and Lovis and widowed Queen to Doran Oakstorm, had returned to the fey realm safely, as her letter four days prior had confirmed. Accompanied by Cedarfall guards, the Queen of Oakstorm was required back in her court. A court that had believed her dead, killed by Hunters, many years ago. Information my brief stay in Lockinge Castle’s underground prison had uncovered was not the case at all. Elinor’s return to her home had many benefits. Mainly to rally aid. The aid we required back in the human capital city of Lockinge. Which, to Althea’s great disdain, was where we had been hiding after we had escaped Aldrick’s clutches. I slept better, knowing Elinor was far from Aldrick. Her innate power of healing was crucial to Aldrick’s ability to mutate humans into powered beings. Without her blood, Aldrick could not kill then reanimate any more foolish humans like he had with Duncan. Duncan. The thought of his name alone conjured the feeling of his calloused hands rubbing up my back and his full, wet lips tracing secrets into the skin of my neck. Every day which passed only added to the ever-growing panic in my chest. I expected him to break. If it was not for the iron band Seraphine, our gracious host who happened to be one of the lead assassins in the infamous Child of the Asp guild, had gifted him. It kept his power buried. But I could see, deep in his verdant eyes, it lurked. Waiting, like a snake, to strike. Deep in the belly of the human city, this was not the place for explosions of lightning, which seemed to control Duncan more than he had control of it. There would be a time to understand what had happened to him, and until our plan was complete, it would not be now. A shrill cry of a bird tore me from my mind, back to the moment at hand. I didn’t need to look up to recognise the call. Lucari, Kayne’s hawk, sliced through the night sky. A smudge of grey and white against the backdrop of obsidian. The creature moved with such speed the drunk men who sang from the steps of derelict taverns would have blinked and missed it. Its two sharp calls gave an obvious message. It was almost time. “It is not too late. If you tell me you have changed your mind, I will stand by you and come up with another solution.” I peered to my side, catching the glint of hazel eyes beneath the faded burgundy cloak. Even within the shadows, Althea’s presence burned as