A Clash of Three Courts (An Heir Comes to Rise, #4)

by C.C. Peñaranda

“What if I said it’s not just now? What if I said I can’t stop thinking about you and that it drives me wild every damn day?”

clouded she was losing all sense of herself. “What if I said that watching your lips move as you spoke so compellingly just now finally made me break? That I’ve often wondered how they would feel if you allowed me to kiss you.”

“You needed to mend your broken heart before you could give it to me. I’m willing to wait as long as it takes.

“You became my light.”

“This dress looked beautiful on you,” he said in a deep, gravelly tone. Her sharp breath was swallowed by the tear of fabric when Nik effortlessly helped her out from the front instead. “Remind me I owe you a new one.”

Oh boy 🔥🔥

“I hope you know my father’s path of vengeance is not my own.

“It will take time for your presence to be known and accepted here. We have been over this.”

So who’s not accepting of her?? She’s literally a queen

He’d resorted to sending letters, yet none had been replied to so far, and he feared they were being intercepted,

Tarly? Or the king? Or maybe even the queen?

“What in the damn Nether have you been up to?” he hushed out, not meeting her eye but looking over her muddy state with disapproval.

Wtf is his deal?!

“In private, you may call me what you want. But in company, respect me by title, Princess.”

Ew

Don’t ask questions—they arouse suspicion. Make statements as if you hold the answers already.”

Lennox was from Fenstead.

the Spirits presented such gifts, none were supposed to manifest past a certain strength. There are those more powerful than others, yes, but there is always a limit. No one ability can be altered. Except I kept seeing it.

“Should you die without an heir…Zarrius will reign over High Farrow.”

Nooooo

“I have the utmost confidence they will. We have tested royal blood before. But with the marriage, we only need one of them to survive. If neither does, then they were both too weak to ever be fit for purpose.”

Are they gonna try and turn them into dark fae?!?!

The ceremony will be spectacular indeed.”

I know he’s talking to mordecai

One of perfect age to bend to the High Lord’s allegiance without the Transition.”

Is Kiera a dark fae??

He could have had you, but correct me if I’m wrong: he didn’t want you.”

Ouch dude

“Get smart, Tauria. Get smart fast, or it may turn out to be the grave rather than the altar at which we’ll finally meet.”

His thoughts scrambled because he already knew why. He’d felt the same mere minutes ago. In Tauria’s mind.

Omg!!! Is someone blocking his abilities

“You will make a gracious queen, Tauria Stagknight. One who will reclaim and restore what was taken.”

She couldn’t ignore the prickling of her skin. Couldn’t deny that she enjoyed it.

Ok is this gonna be a true love triangle? Because Nik is her mate sooooo like is Tarly her mate too is this an RH thing or what’s up

“You wouldn’t have to worry about that with me.” His tone drifted like a shadow, a distant echo. “My mate is dead.”

OMG WHAT WHAT IF IT WAS FARRAH WHO REYLAN LIKED!!!!

“Her name was Isabelle,”

Aw dang I was wrong

person isn’t ready, they may not feel it when it’s standing right in front of them.

I should have felt her die.

NO WAIT WHAT IF SHE FAKED HER DEATH AND SHES ACTUALLY NERIDA or even if not I think she faked her death maybe…

the Silver-Antlered Stag, would choose the first King of Fenstead.”

confirming it was after he’d married her mother but near fifty years before Tauria was born.

Him and the queen were mates?

Tauria’s eyes caught her shoulder blades…

DARK FAE!?

The female’s back…two hideously torn stumps at her shoulder blades.

Samara was playing her role well in convincing Zarrius of how things were progressing.

Why is she lying to zarrius though if she loves him? Seems sus

“You asked for something to bind the spell to. This is not my agreement, but you’re right. It’s better to be prepared.”

Is this about the phoenix feather? Or is this some other spell that we are not aware of yet?

that it wouldn’t inflict such pain to watch him walk away.

Well that was an entirely infuriating and unsatisfying conversation 🙄

The solar eclipse was underway, an event that would be marked in history.

Uh oh

dear friend. An impossible human. And she couldn’t be sure why she suddenly feared so deeply for Faythe.

Isn’t faythe literally dying during this night but hundreds of miles away

how did I live without a single symptom?”

Memories barreled into him, and he clamped his eyes shut. Flecks of gold. His parents. Faythe.

Wtf

“Saving the boy will require his life being bound to another.”

GASP OMG FAYTHE

but as his life depends on the safety of hers, his courage will rise to protect her at all costs.”

NO WAY!! SO IF SHE DIES HE DIES BUT SHES DYING RIGHT NOW WHAT WHAT WHAT

The woman leaned over him. His eyes squinted against the light, wondering if her golden irises were real or just a reflection of the sun.

Faythes mom??? But that doesn’t make sense

“You once said a change was coming.” He searched those ocean eyes. “It involves Faythe, doesn’t it?” Her answer was there in eyes so troubled the ocean in them seemed depthless. “It involves us all.”

“She is my mate.”

HE DID NOT

“I reject the soul-bond to Nikalias Silvergriff, King of High Farrow, first of his name. I release both you and me from that which binds us, so we may be free to choose our own fate of power and heart.”

No…effing….way R U KIDDING ME WTF WTF WTF WTF NO NO NO NO NO NO ABSOLUTELY NOT NO MAAM HUH

When his touch lingered over Tauria’s mating mark.

WHAT THE HELL I CANT DEAL WITH ALL THE EMOTIONS RN STOP PLAYING WITH ME

Every emotion and secret that had poured from them both, what they’d done together in the forgotten room she led him to. Then the life-changing sealing of that which now bound them eternally.

I will never forgive this author for not letting us see this moment… this is giving “so lorcan did” energy and I am not happy about it 😤😤😤 are you kidding me I’m so pissed

“You’re the war I’ve fought for over a century. One I can’t ever win.” “Why?” “I love you, Tauria.”

“I’m irrevocably in love with you. I have been for a very long time.”

“So badly that it often doesn’t feel like a want. You are a need, Tauria. Like air to breathe and a heart to bleed.

tonight. I want you to know that I would go to war for you. Because you are Fenstead, but you are also High Farrow. And no matter what you choose, I am yours. Even if you cannot be mine.”

“Marlowe has been practicing spell magick,”

Ahhhh it hides the bond