Page 1 of The Crown of the Last Fae Queen
1
ONE – KOLFINNA
Kolfinna was stuckin a windowless room. Her breath came in shallow gasps and she spread her hands over the slate-gray walls for the hundredth time. Her mana burned at her fingers, but the runes in the room were too powerful and too specific to keep her from escaping. Her teeth chattered, gaze skating between the cobwebs clinging in the corners to the dirtied grout lining the walls.
Damn it.
Her mana fizzled off her hands fruitlessly. The runes readingKolfinna cannot escape this room or use her magicremained untouched and just as shimmery as they had the first time she had been hauled into this prison three days ago.
“Please. Just work,” she whispered through tears of frustration. She poured more of her mana against the wall, but no matter how many times she tried to erase the runes, they persisted. Their glow seemed to taunt her.
At least Blár had escaped. She could only hope that the rest of everyone in Sijur’s unit had made it out alive after the battle. She had really thought they were on the cusp of victory–that was, at least, until the half-elf had made an appearance and defeatedBlár. She had no clue what the aftermath was like. Was everyone else still alive?
Kolfinna stared down at her wrist. The rune binding her to Sijur was gone, and had been since she first awoke after the battle. She should have been happy with that, but there was a bitter, ashy taste in her mouth. She didn’t know what to feel.
It had been three days since the battle. Three days since she had somehowmarriedBlár Vilulf. The same powerful, ice-wielding black rank who had tried to capture her once. The same handsome, charming, foul-mouthed man who had stolen her heart. And the man whose soul was now forever bound to hers.
It was strange to think of it like that—that he washers.
She had to keep reminding herself that they had only bound themselves to each other for their magic and to help him escape. Butstill. It didn’t stop her from replaying their kiss in her mind, or dreaming of the day where they could be together again.
She could still feel his cold, soft lips against hers. Could still see the desperation on his face when he told her he’d be back for her.
Kolfinna exhaled loudly and placed her hands against the wall once more. The more she thought of Blár, the more she realized how serious she needed to be in getting out of this place. If she wasn’t able to escape on her own, she was sure Blár would try to break in himself like he’d promised, and that would likely result in his death, or at least severely injured.
The ancient fae warriors ignored her mostly, even when giving her food, which usually consisted of stale crusty bread and hard cheeses. It was better than what she had been served when she was Hilda's prisoner–that was a memory she wanted to repress, but being stuck in this dark room reminded her too much of those ominous, hopeless days.
She shuddered again, and she wasn't sure if it was from the chill in the room or the thoughts of what was to come. Beingimprisoned by the half-elf was terrifying as it was, but the unknown was even more terrifying. Because no one was saying anything to her. She had no clue what to expect.
The doorknob rattled and Kolfinna pulled away from the wall instantly. She balled her clammy hands together, flexing them so she could attack if need be. She needed an opening–
The door swung open and Rakel swooped inside, her long, braided white hair whipping behind her like ropes. The firelight in the sconce beside the doorway cast an orange glow against her midnight skin.
Kolfinna lowered her fists. She couldn't win against Rakel. Especially since she was magicless in this room.
“I thought you forgot about me,” Kolfinna said, eyeing the silver staff in Rakel's hand.
She vaguely remembered Rakel using a staff similar to that one; she had summoned ravenous snakes and flesh-pecking ravens with it, and had used her elven light and shadow powers with it too. The memory alone made caused goosebumps to rise along Kolfinna’s arms.
Kolfinna rubbed her hands over her gray military pants. They were stiff with crusted blood, and her fingers trembled over the dirtied spots. “You’ve kept me here so long. I would have thought I'd meet him by now.”
Rakel cracked a smile and settled the base of her staff on the floor. Her teeth flashed white even in the dark room. “Oh, come now,PrincessKolfinna. Who could ever forget about you?” She prowled deeper into the room, her scaly black leather clothes hugging her lean frame. “You, who, despite being the blood of our blood, the heir to our throne, and the child of our ruthless commander, decide to side with our race's enemy. How could we ever forget you?”
“Then why have I been locked in here for so long? Seems to me like youhaveforgotten about me.” Kolfinna had wanted hervoice to come out as strong, indifferent, and harsh, like whatever Rakel would say wouldn’t bother her at all. But it cracked, and her nerves rattled off every word. She cleared her throat. “I would have thoughtthat manwould want to see me by now.”
Kolfinna didn’t actually want to meet him—the elf commander—but she needed to make progress. She needed to get out of this room if there was any hope to her escaping his clutches.
Rakel stared at her with half-lidded eyes, reminding Kolfinna of a snake waiting to strike. “I find it hard to believe that you are his daughter,” she murmured, her red eyes coming alive like a blaze; Kolfinna couldn’t tell if it was disappointment that shone so brightly, or animosity. “You might look like him, but you’re nothing like him, nor Her Majesty.”
“He’s not my father.”
“The man who raised you isn’t your father.”
“He’s the only one I need,” she snapped. She hadn’t known her parents for long—they had been killed by Hunters when she was too young to remember, but she didn’t want to come to terms with the fact that she wasn’t their daughter. Or that Katla wasn’t her blood sister.
Rakel continued to watch her like a hawk, the ever-present smirk on her face twitching as if she knew something Kolfinna didn’t. “For someone who supposedly hates our commander, why are you so eager to meet him?”
Kolfinna clamped her mouth shut. She didn’t want to meet her supposed father, but she also needed to know her enemy if she wanted to defeat him. The palms of her hands began to sweat and she pressed them over her thighs again. “Am I going to meet him or not?”
