Shadows of Discovery (The Shadow Realms Book 2) Read online

  Shadows of Discovery

  Brenda K. Davies

  Copyright © 2021 Brenda K. Davies

  All rights reserved.

  Distributed by Smashwords

  Cover art by Whendell Souza

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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  BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR

  Books written under the penname Brenda K. Davies

  The Alliance Series

  Eternally Bound (Book 1)

  Bound by Vengeance (Book 2)

  Bound by Darkness (Book 3)

  Bound by Passion (Book 4)

  Bound by Torment (Book 5)

  Bound by Danger (Book 6)

  Bound by Deception (Book 7) Coming 2021

  Hell on Earth Series

  Hell on Earth (Book 1)

  Into the Abyss (Book 2)

  Kiss of Death (Book 3)

  The Edge of the Darkness (Book 4)

  The Road to Hell Series

  Good Intentions (Book 1)

  Carved (Book 2)

  The Road (Book 3)

  Into Hell (Book 4)

  The Shadow Realms

  Shadows of Fire (Book 1)

  Shadows of Discovery (Book 2)

  Shadows of Betrayal (Book 3) Coming Winter 2021/2022

  Book 4 Coming 2022

  The Vampire Awakenings Series

  Awakened (Book 1)

  Destined (Book 2)

  Untamed (Book 3)

  Enraptured (Book 4)

  Undone (Book 5)

  Fractured (Book 6)

  Ravaged (Book 7)

  Consumed (Book 8)

  Unforeseen (Book 9)

  Forsaken (Book 10)

  Relentless (Book 11)

  Legacy (Book 12)

  Historical Romance

  A Stolen Heart

  Books written under the penname Erica Stevens

  The Captive Series

  Captured (Book 1)

  Renegade (Book 2)

  Refugee (Book 3)

  Salvation (Book 4)

  Redemption (Book 5)

  Broken (The Captive Series Prequel)

  Vengeance (Book 6)

  Unbound (Book 7)

  The Coven Series

  Nightmares (Book 1)

  The Maze (Book 2)

  Dream Walker (Book 3)

  The Fire & Ice Series

  Frost Burn (Book 1)

  Arctic Fire (Book 2)

  Scorched Ice (Book 3)

  The Kindred Series

  Kindred (Book 1)

  Ashes (Book 2)

  Kindled (Book 3)

  Inferno (Book 4)

  Phoenix Rising (Book 5)

  The Ravening Series

  Ravenous (Book 1)

  Taken Over (Book 2)

  Reclamation (Book 3)

  The Survivor Chronicles

  Book 1: The Upheaval

  Book 2: The Divide

  Book 3: The Forsaken

  Book 4: The Risen

  CONTENTS

  Other books by the Author

  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

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Shadows of Betrayal Excerpt

  Where to Find the Author

  About the Author

  CHAPTER 1

  Cole left bloody footprints behind as he stalked up the palace steps toward the open doorway. He stopped walking when an approaching shadow grew larger and spread out from the doorway a second before Brokk skidded to a stop in the entrance. His aqua blue eyes widened when he spotted Cole.

  “Cole? Holy shit! What happened to you?”

  Then his gaze went past Cole; his eyes roamed over the pathway leading to the gate and fence surrounding the dark fae palace. Cole knew his brother was searching for their father, but he wouldn’t find him.

  When Brokk’s eyes returned to him, sadness filled them as they ran over the blood covering Cole’s naked body. The stench of blood filled Cole’s nostrils, and though it was the normal, coppery scent, it smelled putrid to him.

  He wore the blood of their father mixed with that of a dragon’s.

  “What happened?” Brokk croaked out the words. “Where’s… where’s Father?”

  Then his gaze went past Cole again, and his jaw dropped. Cole didn’t have to look to know his brother had finally spotted the body of their ex-helot, Sindri, and the dragon head Cole staked to the fence.

  “Is that a dragon head? And Sindri?” Brokk’s eyes shot back to Cole. “What the fuck happened?”

  “The Lord ordered a dragon to kill Father.”

  Brokk blinked at him, and his attention returned to the bloody remains on the fence. “Why?”

  “Because he didn’t think he would do enough to hunt Orin and Varo. He thinks I will do more. He intends for me to rule after I survive the trials.”

  Cole did not say if he survived the trials. He didn’t care that numerous dark fae had tried and failed to make it through the trials. He. Would. Not. Fail. He would become the king of the dark fae and destroy the Lord of the Shadow Realms if it was the last thing he did.

  Brokk didn’t speak as he stared unblinkingly at the fence. Tears brimmed in his eyes, but he didn’t shed them.

  Cole knew Brokk’s tears would come with time; so would his, but right now, the horror of what happened to their father was still too fresh in his mind. And though there was grief, there was also a white-hot fury that burned away the sorrow and left ashes in its wake.
r />   “Where did the dragon head come from?” Brokk asked.

  “I destroyed the dragon that killed Father. I took its head to warn away all those who will try to stand in my way of claiming the throne.”

  If his brother’s eyes got any bigger, they would pop out of his head. “You killed a dragon by yourself?”

  “Yes.”

  “How did you manage that?”

  Cole could only think of one answer for how he succeeded in destroying the powerful creature. “Rage.”

  “And you killed Sindri because…?”

  “He was happy to see me wearing Father’s blood.”

  “Killing him makes sense then.”

  As Cole finished climbing the stairs, Brokk stepped back to let him enter the palace.

  “Where are you going?” Brokk demanded when Cole brushed past him.

  “To see Lexi.”

  “Who?” And then Brokk’s mind started working again as he blurted, “Del’s daughter?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re going to see her now?”

  “Yes.”

  “There are a thousand things we will have to take care of and do; why would you go see her now?”

  “Because I have to.”

  The door shut behind him, and then the padding sound of Brokk’s soft boots sounded against the stone as he hurried after him. Cole didn’t look back at his brother while he navigated the palace halls toward his rooms.

  He’d spent his entire life within these walls, and during that time, he’d passed these doors thousands of times. He’d learned which doors would never open to him, and he’d accepted that he would never satisfy his curiosity about those rooms. They belonged to someone else and would not open to anyone but their owners, even if those owners were dead.

  Will the palace seal off my father’s rooms now too? Is that how it works?

  A pang of sadness broke through his rage; it pierced his heart, but he swiftly buried it. This was not the time or place for it; he had far too much to do. First things first, he would see Lexi, then meet with the dark fae council and arrange to start the trials.

  When he finished the trials, they would plan his father’s memorial. He would prefer to do it before the trials, but the longer the Gloaming went without a king, the more likely turmoil and uprisings would begin to unfold. And the authority of the throne would help him crush any rebellions before they took root.

  Once he claimed the throne, he would use his power to help him sink his claws into the Lord and rip him to pieces. He would celebrate when that fucker’s blood covered him.

  CHAPTER 2

  “Cole.”

  Brokk reached for his arm but hesitated when he saw the bite mark from the dragon and the blood coating him so thickly. His brother lowered his hand without touching him.

  “The fae council is going to descend on this palace as soon as they learn of Father’s death,” Brokk said.

  “I know.”

  “They won’t want either of us to rule. We’re only half-breeds.”

  “They’re not going to have a choice.”

  “Great. Fantastic. Glad to hear you say that because I’d really like to kill the Lord, but if you’re not here when the council arrives, then what? I don’t plan to throw myself in the ring as a contender for the throne as I want nothing to do with ruling the Gloaming.”

  “I know.”

  “You never wanted to rule it either.”

  “I still don’t.”

  “Then—”

  “I don’t have a choice. I am going to rule, because if I don’t, the Lord is going to destroy us all,” Cole interrupted. “I will rule because I’m going to kill that prick if it’s the last thing I do. But I have to see Lexi first.”

  “Cole—”

  When Cole spun on him, Brokk stopped speaking and took a startled step back. “She’s my mate, Brokk, and I’m going to see her. I have to make sure she’s safe. If the council arrives before I return, then you’ll have to stall them. I don’t care how you do it. Just do it.”

  Brokk gawked at him, and this time when Cole walked away from him, it was a few seconds before his brother scrambled to catch up again.

  “Your mate as in your lycan mate?” Brokk demanded when he arrived at Cole’s side once more.

  “Yes.”

  “Why didn’t you say something? I could have checked on her.”

  “I wasn’t expecting to be gone for so long.” Or to come back soaked in his father’s blood. “I didn’t expect any of this.”

  He’d also never expected to watch his father die, to endure the trials, rule the Gloaming, or have the Lord breathing down his neck about his rebellious brothers. He certainly never thought he’d be leaving Lexi for nearly two weeks when he walked away from her manor.

  Because of his dark fae nature, she probably believed he’d abandoned her; she had every right to think that, but he would make sure she learned the truth soon. And he had to see her before he started the trials.

  He had no idea how much time the trials would take, and he would never get through them if he were concerned about her. There was also no way he would let her keep thinking he’d used and abandoned her.

  “Why didn’t you tell me she was your mate?” Brokk demanded.

  “I wasn’t ready.”

  Brokk didn’t speak again as Cole continued toward his rooms. He hated the silence that descended because it allowed the memories to bubble forth. His father had taken great pride in walking these halls and ruling over this land.

  With every corner Cole turned, he expected to find his father gliding toward him. A smile would brighten his face the second he saw Cole; then his arms would open for a quick embrace.

  Tove, king of the dark fae, was a ruler who did not tolerate disobedience. To his sons, he was a man who loved them deeply, and they loved him in return.

  Cole fingered the wedding rings his father gave him before everything went to shit. The rings once belonged to his father and mother, and he hoped one day, Lexi would wear his mother’s.

  But that was an obstacle for a later time. Now, Cole had to make sure she was safe before returning here to endure the trials and take control of the Gloaming.

  He sneered at the reminder.

  He’d never believed anything could happen to his father. His dad ruled these lands for over seven hundred years. He was the longest-reigning dark fae king, and in a moment… one lightning-fast moment, he was dead.

  Cole shuddered as some of his grief crept back in, but he shoved it aside. He had no time to mourn.

  He had trials to survive, a throne to ascend, and hell to unleash.

  CHAPTER 3

  Lexi finished hanging the last feed tub over the horse’s door and turned. When she saw the man standing behind her, she gasped and stumbled back until she crashed into the stall door. She never heard him enter the barn or realized he was standing a foot away from her.

  How long had he been watching her?

  She opened her mouth to demand answers, but he wouldn’t give them. Instead, she clamped it shut and lifted her chin. Her eyes narrowed when he leaned against the wall far too close to her.

  Anger and revulsion warred inside her as she glowered at him. There were few people in this world she disliked, and this arrogant prick was one of them.

  When he smiled at her, his smug attitude set her teeth on edge. How dare he waltz in here as if he belonged in her life and on her property?

  Normally the familiar, much-loved scents of hay and horse made her worst days better. The soothing sounds of the horses eating their breakfast was typically a balm to her soul, but nothing could calm her now.

  To make matters worse, with as quiet as he’d been, he could have caught her entering or leaving the tunnels below. And if he learned of the refugees, they would all die.

  Then she realized she’d never heard him enter the barn because he’d teleported in. She could never enter the tunnels from the barn again.

  Entering them through the h
ouse meant Sahira had a better chance of catching her, but she’d take her chances with her aunt over Malakai. She would not risk the lives of the refugees.

  “Hello, Elexiandra,” he practically purred.

  Though outwardly she remained unmoving, everything inside her recoiled when his brown eyes leisurely perused her. He’d never seen her naked, and he never would, but she felt like those eyes stripped her bare.

  She resisted the impulse to cover herself with her hands, but she would not give him the satisfaction of knowing he unnerved her. Instead, she stared disdainfully back at him as his eyes met hers again.

  “Malakai,” she said.

  Her crisp tone didn’t faze him as his smile revealed his straight, white teeth and fangs. As a half vampire, she had a set of fangs too. However, his were elongated like he was about to feed.

  And she would never be the thing he fed on.

  “How are you doing?” he asked. “I feel like we haven’t seen each other in a while.”

  Not long enough.

  It had been almost two weeks since they last saw each other. At the time, Cole chased him off, but Cole was gone, and she was all alone with him.

  But she didn’t need anyone to chase him off again. Her father was gone, Cole was gone, and she would somehow get him to leave her alone.

  How? She didn’t know, but she would find a way to get him out of her life.

  Her shoulders went back. “I’ve been good, and you?”

  “Unfortunately, I haven’t been so good. Would you like to know why?”

  “No.”

  Her surprise over the unexpected, blunt response was only exceeded by his. The smile slid from his face as his eyes glinted with malice.

  “I’m sorry, Malakai, but I don’t have the time for this. If you’ll excuse me.”

  She’d prefer not to go anywhere near him, but the way she always exited the barn was behind him. She could walk out through the paddock and climb the fence to get out, but she refused to back down from this man, or anyone else, anymore.

  Keeping her shoulders back, she started toward the open door behind him. The sunlight streaming through it caught the specks of dust dancing through the air.