Creatures of Midnight

CONTENTS Also by Shari L. TapscottFactionsPrologueChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Chapter 21Chapter 22Chapter 23Message from ShariBonus CollectionAlso by Shari L. TapscottAbout the Author ALSO BY SHARI L. TAPSCOTT Obsidian Queen Guild of Secrets Princess of Shadows Knights of Obsidian Creatures of Midnight Queen of Aparia Traitor of the Entitled: An Obsidian Queen Novella Crown and Crest Knight from the Ashes Forged in Cursed Flames Fall of the Ember Throne Rise of the Phoenix King Royal Fae of Rose Briar Woods The Masked Fae The Gilded Fae The Disgraced Fae The Riven Kingdoms Forest of Firelight Sea of Starlight Dawn of Darkness Age of Auroras Silver & Orchids Moss Forest Orchid Greybrow Serpent Wildwood Larkwing Lily of the Desert Fire & Feathers: Novelette Prequel to Moss Forest Orchid Eldentimber Series Pippa of Lauramore Anwen of Primewood Seirsha of Errinton Rosie of Triblue Audette of Brookraven Elodie of the Sea Genevieve of Dragon Ridge Grace of Vernow: An Eldentimber Novelette Fairy Tale Kingdoms The Marquise and Her Cat: A Puss in Boots Retelling The Queen of Gold and Straw: A Rumpelstiltskin Retelling The Sorceress in Training: A Retelling of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Creatures of Midnight Obsidian Queen, Book Four Copyright © 2023 by Shari L. Tapscott All rights reserved This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Editing by Z.A. Sunday Cover Design by MoorBooks Design FACTIONS Urocyon The Foxes Masters of Stealth and Manipulation Lupus The Wolves Leaders Gryphus The Griffons Masters of Magical Intuition & Insight Lepus The Rabbits Animal Whisperers Draconem The Dragons Masters of the Elements Cervidae The Deer Healers Passeridae The Sparrows Jack of all Trades, Master of None Taurus The Bulls Gifted with Great Strength Canis The Hounds Trackers Cristatus The Peacocks Gifted with Beauty and Grace Sciuridae The Squirrels Tinkers and Craftsmen Rhopalocera The Butterflies Masters of Light and Illusion Chamaeleonidae The Chameleons Shifters Strigiformes The Owls Alchemists Struthio The Ostriches Ungifted Equus The War Horses Metalsmiths and Enchanters Cathartes The Vultures Thieves of Magic PROLOGUE APARIA 128 Years Ago It was the first truly hot day of summer, the kind of day that proclaimed the occasional chill of spring was gone. Even the slight wind was warm. It carried the scents of life on it—new grass, earth, and blooming lilacs. The flowering bushes grew in profusion in the gardens beyond the castle lawns. They were Carine’s mother’s favorite, and she had asked the gardeners to plant dozens when she married King Connor and became the queen of Aparia. Teagan closed his eyes as he sprawled out on the blanket on the grass, letting the sun dry him as the others swam in the warm, secluded spring just beyond the castle grounds. He smiled to himself as Gabriel and Edmund tried to convince Carine there was a snake in the crystalline water. The princess was far too gullible. He didn’t mean to count their remaining days in his head, didn’t want to think about it at all. The quartet had spent every summer together as far back as he could remember. When they were young, they would run wild through the castle grounds, playing pirates and going on make-believe adventures. And when they were older, summers were spent in the warm water of the hot spring they discovered in the woods one day while riding. When they weren’t swimming, they were playing the human game of badminton which Gabriel’s uncle gave him on his sixteenth birthday, reading on blankets in the grass, and eating picnics prepared by the castle cooks. Teagan wasn’t even sure how or when they became friends. They just were. It was always the four of them, schooled by the same royal tutors during the autumn, winter, and spring and then running free during the summer. Beloved Carine, King Connor’s second-born child. She would inherit the crown at his passing thanks to her Obsidian magic. Wildly competitive and impulsive Edmund, Teagan’s cousin and Carine’s Obsidian knight. Charming Gabriel, the only son of Duke Isah of Fenri, the territory on the southern tip of the Aparian Empire. Much to his family’s delight, he was born with Griffon magic and raised at court. And finally, Teagan, the quiet Vulture everyone feared, even when he was a child. Everyone except his three friends. Ninety-seven days—that’s how long they had before everything came to an end. Ninety-seven days before Carine married Byron of Ballantyne. But things were already changing, responsibilities encroaching on their final summer of freedom. This would likely be the last time they would escape to their spring, not just this year, but ever. Teagan cracked one eye open when water dripped onto his bare chest, smiling when Carine settled onto the blanket next to him. The princess sighed as she turned her face to the sun. She was beautiful—dark hair, dark eyes, quick smile, and long limbs. She wore a black bathing dress with a short skirt and thigh-length breeches sewn into it. It was fine when she was a child, but it was scandalous now. She had to wear it under her gown when they left for their ride and ensure her hair was dry before they returned. If her father found out they were still swimming at their age… “You’re distracting,” Teagan said. “Cover up.” The princess laughed, believing it was idle teasing. But it wasn’t. Teagan saw how Edmund looked at Carine when he thought no one was paying attention. It was innocent enough, but when Edmund’s heartsick glances were focused on Carine, they were dangerous. She