Winter of the Shadow Fae Read online

  Winter of the Shadow Fae

  LAND OF THE FAE: BOOK ONE

  L.P. DOVER

  Contents

  Fae Family Trees

  Land of the Fae Courts

  Different Types of Fae

  1. Kai

  2. Ella

  3. Ella

  4. Ella

  5. Kai

  6. Ella

  7. Ella

  8. Ella

  9. Ella

  10. Ella

  11. Ella

  12. Ella

  13. Kai

  14. Ella

  15. Kai

  16. Ella

  17. Kai

  18. Ella

  19. Ella

  20. Ella

  21. Kai

  22. Ella

  23. Ella

  24. Ella

  25. Kai

  26. Ella

  27. Kai

  28. Ella

  29. Kai

  30. Ella

  31. Kai

  32. Ella

  33. Ella

  34. Ella

  35. Kai

  36. Ella

  Land of the Fae Series

  Forever Fae Series

  About the Author

  Also by L.P. Dover

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written consent from the author.

  Winter of the Shadow Fae by L.P. Dover

  Copyright 2023 by L.P. Dover

  Editor: Yvette Rebello

  Cover Design by: Dark City Designs

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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  Fae Family Trees

  Land of the Fae Courts

  Different Types of Fae

  Winter fae – native to the Land of the Fae

  Spring fae - native to the Land of the Fae

  Summer fae - native to the Land of the Fae

  Fall fae - native to the Land of the Fae

  Shadow fae – offspring of Alasdair and various fae women. They were created to bring war to the Land of the Fae.

  Dark fae – those who were cast out of the Land of the Fae/ones who turned their magic dark. Can be from either Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall.

  Half fae – part fae/part mortal

  Chapter 1

  Kai

  When the time is right, you’ll know where to go.

  Those were the last words my father ever told me. It turned out he was right. It took about twenty-five years, but the time had finally come. My magic built within me, and the air shimmered across the room: a portal. It was as if a magnet was on the other side, pulling me, demanding that I step through.

  I knew what lay on the other side, and I was ready. I’d been prepared for a while. Fourteen years ago, when I turned twenty-one, my father’s lust for power became mine when the spell he put on me as a child was triggered. The magic that flowed through my veins was intoxicating.

  Getting to my feet, I grabbed the iron dagger off my table and stepped toward the portal. One minute, I was in the living room of my cabin in the mortal realm, and the next, I was in the Land of the Fae, in a home inside the Ice Court.

  The need to kill exploded within me, and I enjoyed the torment. The time had come for me to fulfill my father’s desires, to seek his vengeance for what the fae did to him. I was tasked with making the royals suffer and take everything they held dear from them. Blood and violence were all I knew, and I looked forward to seeing more.

  The pull grew stronger, and I followed it down the hallway with my iron dagger. Iron was toxic to the fae. A simple scrape across the skin could kill them within a few minutes.

  I came to a stop outside a closed bedroom door and slowly opened it. It was dark inside, but the candlelight illuminated the bed. I couldn’t see the woman underneath the frosty blue sheets, but I could feel her. Her power was unlike anything I’d ever come across.

  However, I thought my father’s magic would lead me to the Ice Court Queen so I could kill her and show the Land of the Fae they haven’t won. But that wasn’t who was in the room.

  Stepping closer, I had a feeling I knew who it was going to be. Only one other fae was more powerful than the Ice Court Queen—her daughter, Ella. I’d heard of her beauty, but I had yet to look at her. Killing her would be the ultimate revenge.

  Clenching the dagger’s hilt, I stepped closer to the bed. The princess shifted, and I got a glimpse of her long blonde hair and the shimmering white skin of her neck. A moan escaped her lips and she turned, revealing her face. The second I looked at her, a new desire rose within me. It wasn’t just the need to kill but a need to claim.

  I was going to fulfill both.

  I leaned in close, my lips right by her ear. “I’m coming back for you. And when I do . . .” I said, letting my thoughts trail off.

  My lips pulled back into a smile. There were many things I was going to do to her before I killed her.

  Chapter 2

  Ella

  TWO WEEKS LATER

  “Are you ever going to get tired of being here?” Merrick asked, skipping a smooth stone across the lake. It jumped six times and then sank to the bottom.

  The water was so clear it almost looked like glass. It would be perfectly still if we weren’t throwing rocks into its depths. I picked up a medium-sized pebble and skimmed it across the surface, earning me two extra jumps compared to Merrick.

  I grinned at him. “Nope. I enjoy the satisfaction of beating your ass every chance I get.”

  Merrick shook his head and smiled as he sat down on the soft, green grass. The wind blew all around me, and the sun shone brightly above; it was warm against my Winter skin. Everything was always perfect in the Hereafter; it was where fae went when they died, a heaven of sorts. Everyone was happy. There was no pain, no heartache . . . just peace. I was only allowed in the Hereafter because I was chosen to be a Keeper—a fae’s version of a guardian angel.

  When someone of my kind was on the brink of death, I would guide them to the Hereafter. They could still travel back and forth from here to the Land of the Fae, but only Keepers could see them.

  Merrick and I had a close bond for many reasons. He was a good friend to my family, and I was his only link to speak to them, especially with my aunt Calista. There was a time when he was her Guardian – the fae’s version of a bodyguard – and in love with her.

  Having a Guardian was one of the strongest bonds a fae could have with another. It used to be mandatory for a princess to have one, but things have changed over the years; it was no longer required if the princess didn’t choose it.

  Merrick’s death still haunts my aunt Calista to this day. I didn’t want to be bonded to someone and risk them getting taken away from me. That was a pain I didn’t want to endure. Besides, I didn’t need a Guardian. I’d inherited my mother’s ability to shapeshift and control the wind. And from my father, I acquired his ability to control fire. So, all in all, I’d say I could take care of myself.

  A few decades ago, it was unheard of for females to fight, but now in all the courts, there were women warriors. The Land of the Fae had changed; because of that, we were stronger.

  Merrick bumped me with his shoulder. “Want to do some training today? Your brother has completely tainted your fighting skills. It’s well-known that the Summer army is better than the Winter one.”

  My laugh was so loud it echoed across the lake. “Keep telling yourself that, smart-ass.” There was so much on my mind that I couldn’t think straight. “But no,” I said, “I’m not in the mood for training.”

  Merrick blew out a sigh. “What’s wrong, Ella? I can see the trouble in your eyes. Is Iston pushing you for the marriage bond?”

  Iston is the eldest prince of the elvish kingdom. We grew up together and had a lot of history between us. We've been intimate for the past two years, enjoying our time together without all the obligations. We have passion and I love how he touches me and makes me feel, but there’s something missing. Everyone expects us to join our kingdoms. Unfortunately, my time was slowly running out before I had to make a choice. It was hard to do that with the visions plaguing my every thought.

  However, it wasn’t just Iston pushing for the marriage, but the whole realm. Everyone was dying to see our union come to fruition. But that wasn’t the only trouble I was facing. Turning to face Merrick, I looked into his concerned brown gaze and ruffled his blond hair; it’d grown out a bit and curled around his ears. His skin was still golden like all the Summer fae.

  “Don’t worry about me, Merrick.”

  His smile faded. “It’s hard not to, Ella. I’ve been by your side ever since you were born. I know you have a lot going on.”

  If he only knew. For the past two weeks, I’ve not only dealt with Iston and tried to figure out what to do with him, but I’ve also had visions. They weren’t about things that had already happened; it was as if they were a premonition, about what was going to happen. Only I d
idn’t know what any of it meant.

  On the night they started, I could’ve sworn someone was in my room. I’d sought out my elder Keeper to tell her everything this morning, but she had been called away to the mortal realm. There was no one else who would know what was going on.

  Closing my eyes, I laid my head on Merrick’s shoulder. “I’ll be fine, I promise. Iston’s not going to push me into anything. I got this.”

  “That’s for damn sure,” he said, his body shaking with laughter. “You are definitely your mother’s daughter. She used to give your dad hell.”

  I snorted and opened my eyes. “He deserved it. I’ve heard plenty of stories on how he was an ass before they got together.”

  The Winter fae weren’t exactly known for their warm hearts, but I’d seen my dad's love for my mom and her love for him.

  “So, what’s going on?” Merrick prodded again.

  Before I could reply, there was a shift in the air, and I felt a warm presence behind me. Merrick jumped to his feet and turned around, bowing at the woman who appeared. I already knew who it was going to be.

  “Lailah,” Merrick called out, lifting his head.

  He held out a hand to help me up so I could face the elder Keeper. She had the same whitish-blonde hair as me, but her eyes were amber, whereas mine were dark brown. We looked about the same age, but she had centuries on me. Growing up, I spent a lot of time with her while she mentored me in my Keeper duties; she was like a second mother.

  Lailah smiled warmly at Merrick before focusing on me, her voice soft and smooth, almost angelic. She was the wisest of all the fae I knew. “I’m sorry we couldn’t speak this morning, Ella. I’m here now if you still want to talk.”

  “I do,” I replied. I squeezed Merrick’s hand and met his brown gaze. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

  Merrick smirked. “Yes, you will.”

  Most fae enjoyed the Hereafter and chose to spend their time in pure bliss, but not Merrick. Yes, we were in the Hereafter now, but I knew he’d rather be in the Land of the Fae watching over my aunt Calista. Which was what he’d do when he wasn’t annoying me.

  Lailah held out her hand and a bright light engulfed us the second I touched her. One minute we were in the Hereafter, and the next, we were in my Ice Court home, overlooking the frozen meadow. Every time I stepped foot in the Land of the Fae, the land’s call to me grew stronger. It wanted me to claim what was mine . . . the Frost Court. At least, that’s what I called it; it felt right. My parents had their Ice Court, and my father’s parents had reign over their Winter Court, but my kingdom was going to be different. Instead of snow like the Winter Court and ice like the Ice Court, I wanted frost. It was going to be a unique addition to the Winter Court. And if I completed the marriage bond with Iston, our kingdom would intertwine with the elves. It would make the Land of the Fae an even stronger realm.

  Lailah peered out the floor-to-ceiling window to the icy landscape beyond. She was a Summer fae, but she never acted as if the cold bothered her.

  “Tell me about your visions, Ella,” she said, keeping her back to me. “I know you started having them, and I can sense they’re troubling you.”

  Lailah was the most powerful Keeper in all the land. If anyone could decipher my visions, it’d be her. I stood next to her, wanting her to meet my eyes, but she kept her gaze on the window. I had a feeling she already knew what I’d been seeing.

  “You know what my visions mean, don’t you?” I asked.

  Lailah blew out a sigh. “Yes, but I want to hear what you think. Who do you think the man is?”

  In my visions, I saw a guy with dark hair and gray eyes. He was dangerous. Lethal. And very powerful. I wanted to be wrong about who he was, but every time I saw him in my mind, I knew that my assumptions were correct. There were more of him, but he was the one who needed to be feared; he was the one with all the power.

  “He’s a Shadow fae,” I answered. “Son of Alasdair, the dark sorcerer who tried to take over the Land of the Fae.”

  My mother had killed Alasdair and sacrificed her life in the process. At the time, she didn’t know she was pregnant with me. I was the one who kept life in her body so Lailah could bring her back from the Hereafter. Using magic to restore life was not something that could be done for just anyone. My mother was brought back because of my destiny to become a Keeper.

  Lailah nodded and looked into my eyes. “Sadly, your brother didn’t kill all of Alasdair’s offspring during the last battle.”

  After Alasdair was defeated, my people detected some of his magic in the mortal realm. That was when it was discovered he’d been procreating, building an army of his own blood. It sickened me to think of all the women he’d violated to achieve that. I was told he was a brutal man.

  My brother, Beck, had tracked down Alasdair’s eldest son about a year ago and killed many of the Shadow fae. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t the end; my visions only proved it. The Shadow fae weren’t going to stop coming after us until we completely wiped them out.

  “He wants vengeance,” I said to her. “I can feel it in my visions; it’s as if his emotions are mine. He wants to . . .”

  Lailah placed a hand on my shoulder. “I know. He wants to kill you for what your mother did to his father. It’s his revenge.”

  She was right, but there was still something in my gut, a warning. “But he won’t stop there, will he? He wants to do as much damage as he can.” Which meant he’d probably go after others in my family.

  Lailah sighed. “I don’t know, child. The Shadow fae are different from us.”

  I’d never felt so much anger and hate in my soul, but something overpowered those emotions—my need to protect. No one was going to come into my land and hurt my family. My mother had defeated the evil once before, and now it was my turn.

  Clenching my hands into tight fists, I could feel my magic vibrating through every inch of my body.

  “He’s coming soon,” I hissed. “I don’t know how I know, but I just do.”

  It was like I had a time clock within me, counting the hours and minutes before I came face to face with him.

  “And will you be ready?” Lailah asked.

  I averted my gaze to the white horizon. “Yes,” I answered. “I know what I have to do.”

  Chapter 3

  Ella

  I spent most of the night thinking about the visions. I couldn’t get the Shadow fae’s gray eyes out of my mind. A part of me knew this would happen long before I had the gift of foresight. Evil doesn’t just get defeated and end for good; there will always be remnants, lingering here and there, waiting. And here I was . . . determined to meet it head-on. While some people might be afraid to know someone wanted to kill them, I was the opposite. I welcomed the fight and craved it to the point of obsession. I’d never felt like that before. All I knew was that it wasn’t normal.

  A knock sounded on my door, and I heard it open. Soft footsteps pattered on the floor, drawing closer. I fastened my black vambraces onto my forearms and strapped on my belt, sheathing my dagger on one side and my sword on the other. The dagger was the same one my mother used to kill the dark sorcerer. She’d passed it on to me when I turned eighteen.