The King's Shadow: Magiford Supernatural City (Gate of Myth and Power Book 2)

The King’s Shadow Gate of Myth and Power Book 2 K. M. Shea THE KING’S SHADOW Copyright © 2023 by K. M. Shea Magiford Supernatural City is a registered trademark of K. M. Shea LLC. Cover Art by Trif Book Design Edited by Deborah Grace White All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any number whatsoever without written permission of the author, except in the case of quotations embodied in articles and reviews. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or historic events is entirely coincidental. www.kmshea.com 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 Epilogue Afterword Chloe’s adventure continues in… Other books by K. M. Shea About the Author Chapter One Chloe There were only a few times in my life when things felt so out of control, none of it seemed real. Previously, I would have said the time the Curia Cloisters told me I was on my own in terms of protection from other supernaturals was undoubtedly the worst memory I had. However, I was pretty sure Noctus—the King of the Mors elves—informing me I was something called a shadow, which was the only natural enemy of elves, just shattered that experience. I tried to form words—thoughts, even. But my brain had chosen to take a holiday in an attempt to reject the vital information I had just learned. “I…what?” I tried to say more, but my tongue was thick and numb, and I couldn’t move my mouth. Noctus ignored my reaction and pushed open the door we’d stopped in front of. “This will be your room.” I couldn’t even turn to look at it, I was too stunned. I’d been lying to Noctus, leading him to believe I was a mere cat. That alone was a big enough sin to inspire an elf to kill me, but to add to my iniquities it turned out I was basically his nemesis? The world had it out for me. That was the only reasonable explanation. This is beyond worst-case scenario. This is catastrophic. Noctus watched me, tilting his head slightly so the flickering lights from the hanging lanterns caught the glints of gold in his hair. “Wait, I’m sorry. I apologize. Please. I think there’s been a mistake.” I clasped my hands in front of me as I tried to kick my brain into high gear—I couldn’t afford to further insult him. “I’m not…I can’t be what you think I am.” “There’s no mistaking it,” Noctus said. “The shadows are the only supernaturals who have the powers you possess.” I shook my head. “Except the Curia Cloisters don’t even know what I am. If I was a shadow, they’d know.” “Not necessarily,” Noctus said. A door creaked open, and Aristide swaggered into the hallway. “Noctus,” he called. “Who are you talking to? And where’s Ama? I have a tuna treat one of your people gave me for her last night, and it’s stinking my room up.” He seemingly gazed past us, his eyes unseeing as he tried to size me up—he was probably listening to my heartbeat. Vampires didn’t have as good of hearing as werewolves, but they had a special affinity for heartbeats, given what they were. “Aristide,” Noctus said. “This is Chloe.” “Ah—the Book Nookery clerk?” “Yes. And Ama.” “What?” A candle in one of the lanterns hanging over our heads flickered, casting shadows across Aristide’s slackened jaw. Another door farther down the hallway opened. “Hey, what’s all the yelling about? I thought we were done for the night.” Ker yawned widely as she poked her head into the hallway, then retreated a step when she saw me. “What—who?” I nervously peered up at Noctus—I was going to follow him on all of this. I didn’t have a hope of escaping this place, and there wasn’t a point as long as I wore my collar that let Noctus track my location. Unfortunately, that collar could only be removed by Noctus, and I had a feeling he wasn’t going to do that anytime soon. Noctus shut the bedroom door. “We’ll meet you two in the library.” “The library? Not your study?” I hurried after Noctus, following him back down the spiral staircase. He silently led me to a different part of the house—one I had never ventured to because I didn’t want to see any skeletons in his closets. Unfortunately, it seems like I’m one of those skeletons. When Noctus opened a set of double doors, I obediently followed him, then froze when the sensation of magic surrounded me, inspiring me to finally look up. Noctus’s library was immense. It was easily the size of three or four Book Nookeries put together—complete with a second floor that stretched high over my head. The ceiling was mostly glass, which showed the night sky outside the villa, and the edge of the mountain the building was nestled against, but every inch of the walls was either decorated with a fresco painting, mosaic, or stone carving—most of which were statue-like carvings of winged, rearing horses or burning phoenixes. At the center of the room a glass globe that was as large as I was tall spun in the air. I could feel magic radiating off it, and something swirled in its depths. A flowering tree surrounded by a moat of aqua water grew at the far end of the library, and enormous lanterns that twinkled with soft light gave the room a warm feeling. On the second story, walkways with wood railings led from platform to platform, and as I watched, the