Keeper of Storms (The Fallen Fae #3) - Jenna Wolfhart Page 0,2

quickly behind. Truly, she could not fault the Sea Court for their plans. They sought vengeance for the death of Imogen, their sister, their cousin, their aunt. They wanted to retake the city from a pretender and put Thane back on his rightful seat. She understood that far too well.

But there was someone far worse than Aengus vying for power. Someone twisted by the power of Unseelie. Someone who feasted on blood and bone. And he needed to be stopped before he took control of the Shadow Court and killed every last fae inside of Findius.

Thane led Reyna into the Great Hall where the Leaghan family sat clustered around a long oak table, spooning a feast of fresh grilled fish, buttered samphire, and goat’s cheese onto their crystal plates. The dying sunset flashed through the wall-to-wall windows on the western end of the hall, and silk banners hung on the wall opposite, finely embroidered with the sigil of the Sea Court—twin waves cresting like wings.

The royal family glanced up at the sound of footsteps. There were only a handful in total.

“Princess Reyna!” A slim sea fae with flowing blue hair sprung up from her seat, her golden gown rustling. With an angular face and glittering sapphire eyes, she was the spitting image of Imogen Selkirk, so much so that Reyna had to steady herself, even though she’d already conversed with the princess several times before. Reyna had never gotten along with Thane’s mother. They’d clashed from the very moment they’d met. Even as allies, they’d been enemies. Right up until the very end, Reyna thought sadly. Imogen had asked her to leave Tairngire in order to track down her son.

And then Aengus had killed her for it.

Princess Iona beamed as she motioned to an open spot on the bench beside her. “Come. You must join us for our feast this night. Our journey to the Air Court will begin quite early tomorrow, and you must eat heartily while you can.”

Reyna frowned but perched on the edge of the bench, more of a show of manners than anything else. She’d learned how to play these games. As Thane settled in beside her, she took stock of the players. There was Iona, of course. She was the princess and second in line for the throne, but Reyna had noticed that she seemed to run the court far more than her father did. Her husband, Dougal, sat on her other side, along with her two toddler boys, both with ruddy cheeks and short-cropped teal hair.

Then, there was Prince Calder, Thane’s uncle. He sat stoically at the far end of the table, his fork poised above his crystal plate. A quiet determination flashed in his sapphire eyes. He’d said little about the impending battle against Aengus, but his intent was clear from the stern set of his jaw. His quest for vengeance need not be spoken aloud.

High King Murdock leaned back in his chair at the head of the table, running his fingers through a beard that looked like clouds. He wore an intricate tunic spun from hoarfrost silk, the collar embroidered in shades of sky blue, deep sapphire blue, and gold. A gift from her father, no doubt.

Unease twisted in Reyna’s gut. As glad as she was for this newfound alliance, something about it did not quite feel right.

With a steadying breath, Reyna turned to Princess Iona with a faux-smile plastered on her face. “I was hoping I could speak with you about your quest to retake Tairngire from the Grand Alderman.”

Princess Iona sniffed as she dug her knife into the fish, cutting each bite into a perfect, tiny square. “That creature does not deserve that title. He is Aengus and nothing more. Did you know that no one in the realm even knows his surname? Who is his family? Where did he come from?”

The mystery of Aengus was odd, but Reyna scarcely cared where the bastard had been born. His surname was not important. “He’s clearly not to be trusted, and there’s no doubt he’s hiding quite a lot. However, I’ve spent some time in his presence. He is not as clever as he thinks he is, and he is not the type to be able to hold on to power regardless of how he got it. He will be easily defeated. In fact, he’s not even worth all this trouble.”

Princess Iona’s fingers tightened on her fork. “I know what you plan to say to me, Princess Reyna. And while I appreciate