The Unseelie Crown (Maze of Shadows, #2)

by Kathryn Ann Kingsley

“You are of the Spring and Summer, of growth, and fruit, and trees, and grass—you are the deer, the sparrow, the rabbit, and vole.”

And she could feel the birds in its branches that were sleeping during the moonlight hours. Half the world around her. She knew what the other half was. Death. Valroy.

“I know it is impossible. You have said it yourself—no one in their right mind would love me. And I agree. But I wished to have a queen who, even briefly, might look at me in something other than disgust and greed. I chose a mortal whose eyes glittered in fascination and terror, instead. She would come to hate me in time, despise me like all the others, but at least…for a time, I thought perhaps I might win her.”

“Then listen, girl.” Beatrice’s face contorted in anger for a moment. “I did not come all this way to have you tell me what you think you are.”

One and the same, but separate. Of one mind and two. “You are Unseelie. Your sister is Seelie. You are one, in that all fae are,”

“The Morrigan made a creature of pure death—pure wrath—pure hunger. He threatens to upend the balance and kill us all. So, what must be made to counteract him, hm? What must be done to even the scales? What must be made to offset the perfect pinnacle of a predator who chomps his teeth at the end of his leash?”

Death was why he was made. Death was who he was.

She ran—she ran as far and as fast as she could. But she could not help but delight in the knowledge that some great and shadowy creature wanted to sink his teeth into her. Wanted to have her. Wanted her.

Titania chuckled. “You have never known a man whose love has been denied. For never is there a more tragic, nor dangerous soul than that. Heed my words.”

“Fae. You are all utterly debauched.”

Where she summoned the gall, she did not know. Swallowing, wishing she had one of Titania’s bottles of wine, she spoke. “I am here to see a man about a boar.”

Oh, Abigail. Do you know that I love you? Can you see it in me? Or are you still too frightened to understand?

He nuzzled his head into her hair, basking in the scent of her. She smelled like Summer, like sunshine and fresh grass. Like the trees, and the warm wind. Her scent was all that he was not, and he wanted it never to leave him.