Chapter One

RETURNING TO the capital of Ardell always filled Jelverck with a bittersweet ache.

It was the site of some of his most horrific transgressions.

And it was the place where he’d finally been granted freedom from the blood magic that held him thrall to the Grey Enchantress, Velia. The place where he had been offered a second chance.

The place where he had taken his first steps on the road to redemption.

A road that still stretched unendingly out in front of him.

It was that quest for redemption that brought him back to the outskirts of Calmoore as the late afternoon sun slanted across the sky.

Spreading the grey-brown wings of his full dragon form, Jelverck glided to a soft landing on the festival field just outside the city walls.

The trek through the streets of the city gave him time to center himself before he had to face the harsh memories contained within the palace walls.

As he stood in the grand foyer waiting for his escort, Jelverck ignored the multitude of reminders of his past by focusing on the news he brought with him.

Despite their complicated and contentious history, Baird, the Prince Consort of Ardell, had offered Jelverck a job. One that gave him a chance to right past wrongs and prove his newfound loyalty to the royal family.

Unfortunately, the information Jelverck had obtained on his latest mission was less helpful and more worrisome. He still hadn’t figured out the best way to break the news when the butler finally arrived to greet him.

“Welcome, Lord Maddix.”

An uncomfortable shudder jolted down Jelverck’s spine and guilty discomfort settled in his stomach at being addressed by the title that had been lost to him for so long.

His hand slipped into his pocket and his thumb smoothed nervously over the carved sigil he kept hidden there, still unable to bring himself to wear it openly.

Once, he’d been Jaecyn, Viscount of Maddix. A man of honor and duty who’d earned the rank of Jelverck, a master huntsman, at sixteen.

He’d been little more than a child when his father had gambled away the family fortune and estate to the devious Duke of Torren. Jelverck barely remembered the home that had belonged to his family for generations. He barely remembered his father, who’d been too busy chasing one scheme after another to remember the child he’d left behind.

Instead, Jaecyn had grown up in the home of his stepmother’s uncle, where he’d learned the skills of a master huntsman alongside his stepbrother.

Still more boy than man when his father passed, Jaecyn had vowed to reclaim what his family had been cheated out of.

But his thirst for vengeance and the desperate need to restore his family’s standing had started him on a dark path. By the time he’d realized Velia’s true purpose, it had been too late. He’d already unwittingly committed treason and been tricked by the Enchantress into a blood magic ritual that turned him into her thrall.

When Velia had made it unflinchingly clear that her magic left him no choice but to serve her every whim, Jaecyn of Maddix had disappeared. And Jelverck, the cruel henchman of the merciless Grey Enchantress, had taken his place.

For years, his heart had remained frozen with hopelessness.

Until a desperate princess had freed him from the blood magic binding him and he’d joined the fight against his former tormentor.

Eventually, the ragtag band of fugitive royals, treasure-hunting wolf-shifters, and a rare white dragon had saved Ardell from Velia. For his part in stopping the Enchantress, Queen Riona had restored Jelverck’s title. And, with it, the stolen lands and fortune that had begun the quest for vengeance that had led to his downfall.

It had been months since the ceremony that returned his standing and rank among the nobility of Ardell, yet Jelverck still wasn’t acclimated to the polite address.

Maybe because he still didn’t feel he deserved it.

Nor did he feel he deserved to be welcomed into the heart of the kingdom he’d nearly helped destroy.

But Jelverck was here because he was trying to atone for those mistakes. So he buried his uneasiness with a stern reminder that the sooner he gave his report, the sooner he could escape the suffocating swell of regrets.

With renewed determination, Jelverck forced himself to nod politely at the butler and tried to dredge up the rusty social skills that had been drummed into as a boy.

“Would Prince Baird or Princess Evie be available to take…” Jelverck stumbled over his words at the last minute, remembering that the Prince Consort and the wife of the heir apparent were not officially tasked with spy work or taking reports from unofficial agents of the kingdom.

Jelverck coughed to cover his hesitation. “Are either available to receive guests?”

The nondescript butler smiled benignly at Jelverck’s slip. “As it happens, both are already receiving visitors this afternoon. I’m sure one more would be welcome.”

A web of uneasy tension pulled taut around Jelverck as he was led through the halls. Especially when they passed the open doors of the throne room.

Despite his best intentions, Jelverck couldn’t stop himself from glancing inside.

The elegance of sunlit marble and mahogany and the happy chatter of courtiers was overlaid with harsh, horrific memories that refused to be ignored.

Jelverck still remembered the feel of the knife in his hand as he held Princess Kynara hostage for Velia. He remembered the terrifying waves of magic that washed through the halls, leaving trails of blue glass in its wake. He remembered standing at attention, listening to the orders that condemned her own foster son to death.

Velia may have stolen Jack and pretended to be his mother.

But it had been Jelverck who’d raised him.

Who’d helped him take his first steps. Who’d bandaged his skinned knee. Who’d taught him to hunt and fish and live off the land.

It had been Jelverck who’d been sent to hunt him down when he’d escaped Velia’s grasp the first time.

Forcing his eyes to focus on the floor in front of him, Jelverck reminded himself that he’d been able to circumvent the Enchantress more than once to protect Jack.

Reminded himself that Velia was gone, and Jack was safe and happy and had finally found his real family.

A soft sigh of relief slipped from Jelverck’s lips when the butler ushered him into a receiving room further down the hall. One that held no particularly painful memories.

“Jelverck!”

Evie’s bright shout gave him a bare moment to brace himself before the blond princess engulfed him in an all-encompassing hug. After years of isolation, Jelverck was still getting used to open affection. But the warmth and the joy of it was addictive, and he awkwardly embraced her in return.

“Good timing,” Evie added when she released him. “It seems like everyone has something to discuss today.”

“I can see that,” Jelverck agreed, taking note of the group gathered in the room.

Beckett, the tall, thick-muscled wolf-shifter who’d recently received the title of Marquis in the kingdom of Obelarr. And coincidentally gotten engaged to the king’s only daughter shortly after.

Prince Asher, Baird’s youngest son who’d married Evie’s sister Beatrice, the Heir to the Glicien throne.

Then there was Lady Everly, a minor noblewoman who’d acted as Bea’s companion since they were both little more than children.

At first glance, it looked like nothing more than an eclectic gathering of idle, indolent aristocrats whose only interest came from their proximity to the true power in their kingdoms.

However, initial impressions could be deceiving. Because, like Baird and Evie, they each took an active, if clandestine, hand in protecting their kingdoms. Moving in unseen circles, they dealt in confidential information and surreptitious rumors.

As soon as Evie stepped aside, Beckett moved in, offering his hand and pulling Jelverck into a crushing, one-armed hug. “Almost like old times, huh?”

Jelverck laughed and cast an exaggerated glance around the large, luxuriously appointed sitting room. “Almost. Just a little more spacious than Evie’s cramped cottage.”

“Or a tent in the sod fields of Glicien,” Ash added from where he leaned against a side table. “I’d hug you too, but you look like you could use a drink more. Whiskey or wine?”

As raw as his nerves felt, Jelverck declined the offer with a shake of his head. “Neither, for now. Maybe after we all get the bad news out of the way.”

“Optimistic as always, I see.”

Everly’s wry humor drew Jelverck’s attention like a magnet.

Settled on the settee near Ash, her copper curls glowed in the brilliant shafts of sunlight, and her sharp green eyes took in everything with shrewd awareness. Thankfully, there was none of the vapid, giggling naivete she often wore like a mask.

Personally, Jelverck thought she used the pose as a weapon, keenly manipulating people into her web.

Real or fake, there was something about the way Everly seemed to see straight through him that always left Jelverck feeling wrong-footed and on edge. Partially because she seemed more intrigued than put off by what she saw and he had no idea why he liked the idea of that so much.

Uncomfortable or not, Jelverck was trying hard to remember what it meant to be a gentleman. So he inclined his head and greeted her with a polite acknowledgment. “Lady Everly.”

That left only one more person in the room to address.

Baird. Prince Consort of the Ardell. Husband of Queen Riona.

The woman Jelverck himself had very, very, briefly been betrothed to, once upon a time.

He was also a dragon shifter from the Sea Clan.

A clan that still considered Jelverck a wanted criminal for violating their Hoard and stealing a magic relic.

Yet Baird had offered Jelverck a job and a chance to begin making amends for the darkness in his past.

Jelverck could never quite be sure where he stood with the Prince Consort.

“I’m glad to see you made it back safely.” Baird’s politely distant smile didn’t make it any easier to figure out. Especially when he immediately turned his focus on the room at large. “Why don’t we all get comfortable and share the information we’ve managed to gather.”

Once they’d settled into seats, Baird leaned forward in his armchair to address everyone.

“Since we’re on my home turf, I’ll start. Jelverck has been tracking some unsettling rumors that have sprung up in Ardell and beyond. An unidentified drake claiming to be an ally of both Velia and the Keres has begun making the rounds of less savory trade markets.” Angry mutters rumbled through the room, but Baird spoke over them. “It gets worse. It very much seems like he’s trying to tie together Velia’s scattered mercenaries and the broken network of dark magic users and suppliers the Keres had fostered in order to start his own collections.”

Everly leaned forward, a slight crease between her eyes with thoughtful frustration. “What dragon shifter had dealings with both Velia and the Keres that we don’t already have in custody?”

“Most of Velia’s mercenaries were drakes, and half of them escaped in the chaotic aftermath of her defeat,” Baird admitted grimly. “Including the captain that took over for Jelverck after Kynara freed him from Velia’s magic.”

“Landry Torren was her biggest supporter during her attempt to usurp Ardell, but he disappeared before he could be charged with treason,” Ash mused. “He wasn’t her only supporter on the Council, just the only one we could prove knew who she really was. Lady Overell, Lord Sharm, and Lord Baxter were all suspected and removed from the Council, though no charges were ever brought. Any of them could have connected with the Keres.”

“As far as the Keres, we know they had associations within the Obelarr court. It seems likely that they would have reached out to Ardell’s aristocrats as well. So far though, we haven’t been able to make any direct connections, but we’re looking more closely at those who sided with Velia during her last coup attempt.

“Both the Keres and Velia had large networks that we’ve never completely unraveled.” Evie sighed with grim resignation. Then she turned to Jelverck. “Did you find anything useful in the search?”

Wishing he had better news, Jelverck took a deep breath. “I’m not sure how useful it is. I can confirm that someone is connecting the dots between known associates of Velia and the Keres. But, whoever it is, they’re careful not to reveal their face or give away any unnecessary information. So far, I’ve only gathered speculation and gossip. Nothing concrete.”

“Do you have any suspicions of who is behind this? Or what they hope to gain?” Beckett asked, voice tight with anger. Not that Jelverck could blame him. The wolf-shifters had been on the front lines of the war with Velia. And Beckett’s fiancée had been kidnapped, cursed, and abandoned in the forest in the furtherance of the Keres’ schemes.

In his shoes, Jelverck would want answers, as well. Still, he hesitated to answer. His purpose was to gather information, not to indulge in guesswork.

Experience and instinct gave him a strong hunch, however. And if he was correct, the people in the room with him needed to prepare for it.

“It’s just conjecture at this point,” Jelverck began hesitantly. “But from the trail of inquiries I followed, it seems this mystery drake might be searching for Cantari’s journal. Or, at least, any possible information he can find on Siphons.”

Baird snarled, his composure slipping for the first time, and guilt tugged painfully at Jelverck’s soul.

A Siphon was a nearly mythic artifact able to steal the inherent magic of a shifter while binding them in their human form.

It was only nearly mythic, because Velia had managed to use Cantari’s journal to create two such Siphons.

One of which she used to bind Riona when she was still a baby, though that hadn’t been discovered until it was almost too late. With Jelverck’s unwitting help, and the power stolen from her niece, Velia had nearly succeeded in usurping Ardell’s throne on her first attempt.

Thankfully, Riona had realized what had been done to her before Velia succeeded in stealing the throne and that Siphon had been destroyed when she’d faced off against her evil aunt.

The surviving Siphon had been discovered as part of a small stash of artifacts Velia had left behind in her chambers when she fled. It remained hidden deep within the vault of Ardell’s royal family.

Unfortunately, the journal itself had not been found either among the items in her room or in the larger Hoard of magic she’d kept in a secret room in the rose garden.

While Velia had tied the Siphon to Riona long before Jelverck ever met the Gray Enchantress, sharp knives of shame stabbed at his conscience whenever one of her misdeeds was mentioned. Because, if it weren’t for his mistakes, Velia likely would have been brought to justice the first time she’d tried to take control of Ardell.

Resting a soothing hand on Baird’s arm, Evie attempted to move the conversation along. “Any idea why? Or any rumors as to who might be involved?”

Jelverck bit the inside of his cheek, aware that his answers were only going to increase the tension in the room. But they needed to hear it all if they wanted any hope of doing anything about it.

He met Evie’s eyes unflinchingly.

“Several members of the underworld are convinced this drake wants to steal the extraordinary power you and your sisters are rumored to possess.”

The Triplets of Glicien had inherited unfathomable magic from their mother, a full-blooded fey who’d permanently crossed the veil between worlds for love.

When the queen had died, there’d been no way to hide the magic that settled on the three princesses. Unprepared and overwhelmed by it, it had nearly raged out of control until they’d had to be separated for the safety of everyone.

Thankfully, the battle with Velia had led them to discover a way to blend their power. That control allowed the sisters to finally reside under the same roof without bringing it down around them. Unfortunately, it had also restarted the rumors about their mother’s origin and the nature of their magic.

Evie received the revelation with grim acceptance. It wasn’t the first time someone wanted to steal her magic. And it probably wouldn’t be the last.

Jelverck really wished he could leave it at that. But there was one more bit of speculation he needed to divulge.

Turning his attention to the couch where Everly and Ash had settled, he didn’t bother to try to hide the distaste and discomfort he felt as he spoke.

“Many of those underworld contacts believe there’s only one likely candidate for this mysterious drake.”

Jelverck stopped, not wanting to share the ugly rumors he knew too instinctively to be untrue. But in order to figure out what was going on, they needed to know everything he’d learned.

“They think Ash has the most to gain.”