A Court of Hidden Magic Preview

My feet dipped into the cold sand as I watched the starlit night above the ruins of my kingdom.

“How much longer till we see them?” Shea sat beside me, her wrinkled gaze narrowing. She wrapped herself tightly in her heavy cotton cloak against the chilling wind.

“Any moment now.” I looked at the empty skies. “They never fail to signal.”

“Hmm…” she muttered to herself, her voice full of doubt.

I ignored her. I focused on the sign I needed to see. The reason I was here every single night.

It will show up. They will come.

I looked toward the empty space in the east, where the mountain ridge opened, and the castle Kalan and I had lived in together used to stand.

My heart thumped as I waited.

“You miss it, don’t you? The Seelie kingdom,” Shea asked.

With every breath in me.

“It’s so hard to imagine it all from here now.”

“Is it really? I remember every bit.” Especially the part where I was crowned as its queen. Right before I lost my land forever.

My cold tone made her move uneasily. She raised her thin arm to her face and her bangles clinked against each other, signaling her status: she was one of the religious leaders of Paladan—the area with hidden caves where the refugees gathered. She didn’t wear jewelry when I first met her. Now, she never took her bracelets off. Or the golden claw-rings on her talons.

In the silvery light of the moon, her shadow looked like a gargoyle instead of a fae.

“Of course you do, Freya.” Her voice crackled.

I looked away from her, toward that special spot in the middle of the deadly silence of the night.

The full moon rose between the stars, casting its glow on the sands that stretched all the way to the hills around me.

But there was no other light. At least, not the one I was looking for.

“You know, it is risky for you to come out here to see it every night,” she said.

“The only risk I’m worried about is not seeing it. What if my people—”

“That’s not what I meant, dear.” She emphasized the word dear with artificial warmth. “I meant that you don’t have to risk coming out here for it.” Her voice had an undertone. A manipulative tint.

Luckily, I didn’t have to deal with whatever she planned to say next. Because the first light rose into the sky.

I stood up, heart pounding as I watched the tiny shimmer of a single glitter-globe.

It floated upward, like a star in the middle of a valley. My eyes traced it, waiting for more to follow.

But the skies remained clear.

My hands fisted. I kept my eyes fixed on the single shining dot, as it hung there alone.

Come on, please.

And then, another rose. I held my breath as I watched it join the first.

A third came. And then a fourth. One by one, they floated into the sky.

I breathed out, tears in my eyes.

The glitter-globes were lit by my people as an act of defiance against Slúagh—the fae who had conquered the land and taken over. They were calling for Kalan and me to return and defeat his tyranny. They would gather every night to light the glitter-globes where Kalan’s white castle, Reem, used to be.

For a brief moment, I recalled the first time I saw the five marble turrets, when Kalan brought me there.

I had never dreamed that I would find love in the arms of the enemy crown prince of Unseelie.

But then, Slúagh—the king’s assumed son, who had no royal blood, no claim to the throne—conquered the lands with mercenary troops, destroyed everything, and subjugated the people to his will.

The only reminder left of our home were the glitter-globes.

Last night, I flew up to get a better look at them. The shattered canals of our town mirrored the light of the globes between the rubble of bridges and fae homes. They shone brightly. Because the people wouldn’t let go.

And neither will I!

Behind me, Shea shuffled to her feet. “Well, I’m glad I got to see it. Thank you for inviting me.”

“I didn’t.”

She had invited herself. Announced in a large Paladan gathering that she would “witness with her own eyes the miracle that a goddesses-sent fae like me could produce in gaining support.”

I really didn’t need her here.

“I went with it because you have helped our people,” I said.

She had pushed against some of the tribes’ leaders who didn’t want to open Paladan to the refugees.

“Always good to remember that, isn’t it?” She grinned, her voice velvety. “I do hope you enjoy the view, Granddaughter.”

She had to remind me. Often.

It was more like great-great…granddaughter. But it was close enough for her to use as leverage when she wanted. All part of her game.

“Thanks,” I said dryly.

I looked behind her toward the cave opening she started to walk to. The one that hid the underground part of Paladan, where its sophisticated maze of tunnels had narrow turns, stone doors, low passes, and hidden entrapments—all mechanisms to stop invaders.

Magical mist protected us, too. Paladan was covered by a special spell that hid it from the outer world. Only fae who had an etheric element like me—a common trait here and rare in other places—and who lived in Paladan for a long time could see through it.

But more than anything, Paladan survived due to the strength of its guards. With their sharp daggers and poisoned arrows that never missed. No unwelcome stranger ever returned from here. It was the most dangerous place in Unseelie and the most deadly in the fae lands, nicknamed the Death Marshes. And they had opened their doors to accept fae who escaped Slúagh, from both kingdoms.

This was Shea’s tiny realm. She had unparalleled influence due to the religious worship she was able to inspire. Sadly, she succeeded in making me part of it because of my special magic.

She stopped and looked back at me, and her long hair—black like mine—waved in the wind. My gaze fell on her wrinkles.

Most fae didn’t let the centuries show. Age wasn’t something visible; we had spells for that. Our magic thickened over the years, which was the only way to tell, especially if you knew someone and felt them change. Toward the end, some fae looked old. But Shea wore her lines as a status symbol of wisdom that few dared to defy.

Her eyes thinned. “What I meant before is that you can stay inside the safety of the caves, and see everything you want from there. All you have to do,” her voice turned into a hiss, “is put that necklace on.”

What?! “Never!”

She smiled. “Oh, you think you can avoid it, do you? For how long, Freya? That magical necklace is linked to you. It will draw you to it. Good night.”

And with that, she turned and left me to fume on my own.

When I have my kingdom back, I will make sure that religion and state are separated.

Yes. Once I got my kingdom back…

I turned to the shimmering lights, brightening up the skies against the millions of stars above.

Shea’s footsteps faded. And I focused on the people who were lighting the glitter-globes, fae who wanted me and Kalan back on the throne.

“How many?”

I turned at the sound of Kalan’s deep voice and smiled at one of the tallest fae I’d ever seen. Handsome like the day we met, his broad shoulders and firm chest muscles stretched the shirt under the cloak.

For a moment, I marveled at how, even in the simple cotton clothes worn in Paladan, he looked royal.

“Fifty so far.” I swallowed as I breathed in his scent: spikenard, ylang-ylang, and musk.

He reached me and circled me from behind with his wide arms. “Every night.”

I nodded. “They believe in us.”

“Not without reason!” He stifled a breath, but when I turned and looked up, I caught the red forming around his emerald irises as they met my black. And the resolve. His complete determination to lead our people to freedom.

Kalan opened his wings—larger than any fae I’d met—and closed them around me, giving me warmth.

“I can cast a heat spell, you know.”

He chuckled. “Don’t complain.”

I laughed and let myself get absorbed in his closeness. “Is Aurora awake?” I thought of our sweet child.

“She was asleep when I left her with your mother. Sucking her thumb like it’s the greatest treasure in the world.”

I laughed again. I rested my wings against his wide chest and returned my attention to the skies.

“I wish I could see the lights too.” Kalan leaned his chin against my head. His element was air. And an exceptionally strong one. “It’s almost tempting to fly above the mist.”

“Don’t you dare!”

He laughed. “Don’t worry, baby. I’m not leaving you.”

“Good.” I relaxed back into his embrace. “It’s dangerous enough as it is.”

I knew that he was strong. He had trained with the royal assassins of Unseelie and was known both for his ability in martial arts and for leading armies. He could best some of Paladan’s toughest warriors.

But he was the love of my life, and the father of my child. And Slúagh’s men were everywhere, waiting. His eye was fixed on Paladan, the final place that hadn’t surrendered. I couldn’t bear the thought of either of us leaving the mist just to have a look at the lights.

The glitter-globes kept rising in number and in height. There were more out today than usual. A sign that Slúagh’s guards weren’t there to suppress it.

“They remind me of the night you brought me back home after Slúagh had taken me away from you.”

“There were thousands then. My people love you.”

They did.

Sadly, he had yet to win over my people. Though most of those who suffered from Slúagh were impressed by Kalan’s resilience and his will to fight for them, there was still work in front of us. Many didn’t like that our marriage united the kingdoms. And others simply preferred Slúagh to me, and anything that came with me.

I kept watching. “They’re not stopping.”

“Unbelievable.” His arms tightened around me, and his heat engulfed me.

I turned and met his full lips. I brushed mine over them softly, as my hands rose to his shoulders.

He deepened the kiss, igniting my inner flame that always burned for him. It sang through my every cell, intensified by the magical bond that united us. My core tightened with longing as I melted into his touch.

My need for him took over—not just for his love but for his nearness and our partnership in these hard times.

A moan escaped me, and my breasts swelled against his chest.

Kalan laughed. “Impatient?” He breathed softly on my neck as he looked down.

“Maybe.” I laughed.

His hands gave my butt a squeeze, and I breathed hard. He released me and gently turned me back to the view. “So…are more rising?”

I looked at the skies again. The glitter-globes were beginning to descend. “No, but I’m guessing we got about one hundred and fifty. Best night so far.”

“It will be millions soon. I promise you that.” There was hope in his eyes. But there was something else too: vengeance. For everything his people had lost in this war.

The border still ran between us, despite the rings on our fingers. It would only fade once we ruled together.

“We should go in,” I said.

“As you wish, my queen.” His wings unfolded and tucked behind him. He took my hand, and we started toward the nearest cave entrance.

Just before we entered, I looked back.

I could almost see my land in my mind’s eye, as it used to be: The sunrises over the mountains. The food. The home I once had. And the Tower of Seelie with its vibrant light, standing tall against the horizon, lit by hundreds of glitter-globes, a landmark visible from anywhere in the two kingdoms. It was home to the most powerful women fae in the two kingdoms. All fae had used it for navigation.

From here, it would have been a high-rise against the moon’s sphere, bright and beautiful. But the moon was whole now. I looked away, feeling the loss.

My eyes fell on the dark shadows that marked the village she’d raised me in. Right there, between the hills. There wasn’t much left of it now, except in my memory.

“Come.” Kalan’s warm voice reached me, and I turned, sighing.

We walked to the caves, and a group of guards stopped before us. Their leader saluted Kalan. “You found her, my king?” She smiled as she bowed her head to me.

“Yes, thanks to your help,” Kalan replied.

She must have been the one who took him through the deep mist and showed him where I stood. Fae were always eager to do it if he wanted to join me. I gave her a grateful smile.

“And you saw the lights, my queen?”

It could have been a redundant comment. Almost meaningless, as if she were trying to be polite.

But I caught her tone. And the gaze in her eyes. It was a look that I often got here: a look of a believer, a combination of reverence and awe.

Because my great-great-grandmother was telling these people all sorts of crazy things about me. Many of them were truly convinced that I was some sort of savior sent by the goddesses.

What the guard meant was that it was unique that I could see through the mist without having lived here for long.

“I saw the lights, same as you would, if you go at the right time of night. You should try it. They’re beautiful,” I replied with lightness in my tone. My way of dealing with Shea’s brainwashing was to show people that I was like them: just another etheric fae.

It didn’t work. Her gaze remained the same.

I looked at the other guards in her group. They were signaling something to one another in a warrior hand language, but stopped when they met my eyes. They immediately averted their gaze, as if I were someone holy.

I cursed inwardly. But then, an idea came to mind. “You know, I find it hard to believe it’s night outside.” I smiled at them all, even those who didn’t look at me directly, but dared a peek. “I’m always so tired from the difference in times between here and the outside world.” The caves had their own time: their magic light worked in twenty-hour cycles, instead of twenty-four. “How do you deal with it? I mean, I thought motherhood would cause me jet lag!”

One of the other women laughed, but got elbowed. The others—men and women—either looked at me silently, or still gazed away from me. A few of them exchanged hand signals.

Kalan’s eyes fell on those, alarmed, and his hand stiffened in mine. I got his hint.

It was worth a shot, at least.

“Right. Well, if you think of something, let me know.”

They bowed, and I heard them mutter to themselves as we walked away.

“What were they saying?” I asked once we put some distance between us and them.

“The usual. The kind of things Shea says. It gets worse every day,” Kalan whispered.

“It’s a coincidence. We bumped into a group that is more indoctrinated than the rest.” I tried to soothe him, but he was right. And it didn’t seem to matter what I told them. They believed what they wanted to believe. Or rather: what Shea wanted them to believe.

“You’re saying that because Shea is family,” Kalan hissed. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not ungrateful. I couldn’t have saved you and brought you and Aurora here without her help. But she’s dangerous. She’s got a hold on a warrior people that nobody challenges.”

“I know.”

Too bad I was such a great fit for her stories through my visions, my strong magical elements…especially ether—that even got me nicknamed Storm Bearer—and my name, which was similar to their goddess Freja, whose magic would “one day return.” But the worst of it was my connection with the necklace Shea had mentioned—Brisingamen—that amplified my power. Freja had worn it too. They all loved that.

Nobody cared what happened when I put it on: how it drained me until I had nothing left. Last time, my daughter’s magic brought me back to life; I lay unconscious when Slúagh’s men came, and woke up after over a month—just a few days ago. Woke up to a devastated kingdom!

“King. Queen.” A few fae passed us and bowed their heads.

We nodded to them and kept going deeper into the caves.

My eyes slowly adjusted to the special bluish glow that guided us through the tunnels. Paladan’s unique beauty. This strange light reflected from the walls and grew stronger as we proceeded. It was ever-changing, brighter at certain hours and darker in others, and never the same as the sky outside.

We crossed a burbling spring between caverns, its shimmering water in shades of azure and purple. And then, I let my fingers play on the walls, marveling at this wonder. They called it Orus, after the stone that was magically broken long ago to create those sapphire-looking caves.

Finally, the tunnels opened wide and a massive cavern with thousands of fae homes—larger than either of our capital cities—stretched in front of us.

The blue glow covered its walls and ceiling like inner skies, only darker in shade. A huge open balcony overlooked the city below, and two long staircases led down to it.

I stopped to take in the view, as Kalan leaned on the balcony’s edge, his hand still warm in mine.

Since the first time I saw it, I admired this hidden world of Daikuyu—one of Paladan’s largest districts. It was busier now, with all the added fae. Like a bustling beehive. Many shop owners, teachers, hairdressers, and service providers were locking doors and walking down streets on the way home or to night entertainment, like the theater.

Some were from Seelie. Some from Unseelie. In Paladan, they finally united. They set aside their differences, the lies that they had been told about one another, and the scars of the ongoing violence between their countries.

Not once in the past few weeks was there a single cultural quarrel in Paladan. Not once.

When I turned to Kalan, I saw an expression of fierceness pass rapidly over his eyes as he evaluated the fae.

“What?”

“I’ll tell you when we get home.” He leaned and whispered, “I think my men are ready.”

“Ready…” For striking back? A chill passed through me.

His eyes met mine. “I’m sorry. I know it’s not what you wanted.”

“I’m sorry too.” And terrified. Slúagh didn’t just take away our kingdoms. He also crushed our dream of peace that our marriage could create, and any resistance. We might both die for this!

My hand clenched his, and a silent message passed between us: I didn’t want him to fight. I couldn’t lose him. But I could never say it, because it hurt too much. This was what we had to do.

I shut my eyes and thought of the glitter-globes outside.

We will win. We have to. I trust that.

We descended the steps and walked through the town until we reached our small house by the gardens at the end of the city. It had belonged to my grandmother before she left to marry a Seelie duke. Times were different then. And they will be again!

Kalan stopped in front of the door and the three guards. “For those of us who wanted to be here,” I heard his whisper.

It was an Unseelie custom of those who grieved, to say that before entering a home. Kalan was grieving his mother: Queen Isobel.

We didn’t talk about her either. She had ruled Unseelie for centuries, but died in battle, nearly taking down Slúagh. I saw the sorrow in his eyes, as he pulled himself together day after day, to be the king our people needed.

I missed her too. She and I had been close.

I repeated the words, empathizing with Kalan’s pain. “For those of us who wanted to be here.”

And suddenly, there was a stillness. Time paused. Everything around me froze, and I could feel the traces of the mist that fae brought in with them from the sands above. The feeling engulfed me. There was a whisper in it, from the depth of the magic.

“Lass.”

I gasped, recognizing the voice.

“Bryce?” My magic whispered back into that mist.

“Aye. Who else? Don’t be daft.” His sarcastic tone was barely a whisper. Like a shade of ivory on white.

“Bryce! It is you.”

Could it really be? But…we’d lost him. He had stayed behind to fight off Slúagh’s men when Kalan took me to safety. He never returned.

“Don’t get all excited on me, lass. I have come to warn you: someone’s life is in your hands. Don’t get me wrong: ain’t the prettiest hands, I mean…what’s with the need to color your nails?”

I laughed, just like I did when he used to be with me. Old, funny, with a heart of gold, Bryce was my friend and one of Kalan’s two bodyguards. A man whom Slúagh’s finest men had feared.

But then, I went serious at his words of warning. “Whose life?”

Everything was quiet.

But time didn’t move back to normal. Was this some weird sort of vision…or something else? Was he still there?

“Bryce?”

Nothing.

“Bryce!”

He said something, but it was muffled. I couldn’t understand it.

“Bryce, are you real? Are you alive?”

“Lass…lass, he’s coming! He’s coming to finish what he started. You must guard the—”

Time rushed back into rhythm.

The door flung open. My mother walked out, her face in a fury, sweat dripping down her pixie-cut blonde hair. Aurora was in a sling around her and a blood-stained knife was in her hands.

“A Kardaukar was outside the window.”

Kardaukar? From Slúagh’s elite unit?

“Trying to get in and kill Aurora!”