Of The Grave: The Grave Court, #1

By Dagmar Avery and K. Margaret

The Grave Court is in a time of transition, waiting to welcome not only the first prince in decades, but their sigil, brought back to them by the High Queen herself.

Candiria is antsy, as patience has never been her strong suit, for both to become reality. And as she waits, she's been thinking back to her guard, and how they all came to her, creating the environment of love, snark and happiness that she is eager to bring both sigil and child into.

Join her and her guard as they traverse memories, and begin to bring their world full circle.

• Language: English
• Publisher: S.A. Price
• Release date: Nov 20, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393284949

Book preview

OF

THE

GRAVE

A Story of the Grave Court

K. MARGARET & DAGMAR AVERY

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

OF THE GRAVE: A Story of the Grave Court

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Copyright© 2019 Dagmar Avery and K. Margaret

Cover Artist: Stella Price

Interior text design: Stacee Sierra

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

One

Candiria Asterion was usually a very patient woman. Being a firm believer in everything happened for a reason and the best things come to those who wait, she usually went with the flow. But knowing she still had months to wait before getting to hold the future prince of the Grave Courts was driving her a bit mad. Of course, being slightly mad already, no one could probably tell the difference.

Blowing a raspberry in frustration, Ria walked across her bedroom and pushed open the double doors leading to the balcony. A strong gust of wind blew back the sheer white curtains and she took a deep breath of the cool night air. From her vantage point of the highest tower of the Grave Court Sithen, she could see over the grounds and a smile lit her face.

While most would find her home dreary and morbid, Ria loved every inch of it. Acres upon acres of dark forest surrounded the Sithen, but unlike the other forests of Faerie, Ria’s was full of barren trees, their bare branches reaching out toward each other to create a spider web-type canopy. Below, the graves of the members of the Grave Court rested, filled with more than just the Asterion line, but all of those of the Grave Court who wished to stay, even in death. Ria laid her hand over her belly.

One day, Kol, and I don’t care what anyone says, I’m calling you Kol, she said, scrunching her face. "One day, all of this will belong to you, too. Our people, our land, our dead. I so hope you get a cool power. Mine isn’t quite what it’s supposed to be, but you, you my sweet baby boy, will get something cool, I just know it. I mean considering what your dad can do, there are no limits.

Me, well, mine would have been really something if I allowed it to be, but I got something way better than being able to call on the other side with a mere thought. She looked down at where her hand rested and whispered, I got your daddies, and that’s way cooler. You’re one lucky little dude. You’re gonna have five amazing men to teach you. Geddy will teach you how to look past what people think is acceptable and look into the meat of them, to really know who they are. Ariton will teach you patience, and Carnex how to laugh and dance. Niko will teach you how to grumble and look too serious. She giggled.

Okay, he’ll also teach you how to be a warrior. A grumbling, serious warrior. Ria felt someone walk into the room and she didn’t need to turn to know who it was, her heart started to race and the most amazing sense of love and euphoria swept over her. And Barden. Barden will teach you how to love.

Arms wrapped around her from behind, hands covering her own on her slight belly, caressing. And how is my princess, and our little prince doing tonight? her mate said as he leaned down and kissed her temple. No sickness?

Right as rain, as always. Little Kol would never make his mommy sick, would you, baby boy? she said, looking down at her belly before turning her head to grin at Barden. I was just about to tell him all about his daddies. Her grin widened. Starting with the first time I met you. Turning in his arms, she leaned up and kissed his nose. You were an adorable little fox.

I still am. He grinned. Kol?

She nodded. Short for Kolby. I don’t care if Niko calls him something else, but I’m gonna call him Kol. She rubbed her nose against his. And now you’re the sexiest fox, but you’re still adorable, too.

I don’t think there’s a word in English for what Niko calls him in Russian, he murmured. But I like Kolby. The first Grave prince in a long time. He rubbed his nose against hers again. You know, I remember the first time we met...that day was seared into my heart.

I remember it, too. We were only five and I was having a tea party with Geddy and my dad...

Ria straightened her dress so it covered her knees, which were dirty from playing in the mud earlier that day, then poured three cups of imaginary tea. Her mother had made her come to High Court because Queen Poppy wanted to have some sort of afternoon tea with all the older princesses. Ria was hoping to have the same out in the sprawling lawns, but so far, none of the other little princesses had come to join her. That was okay with her, though. She had, by far, the two bestest beings in the world to hang out with.

Would you like some sugar, Daddy? she asked the man to her left and grinned when he smiled at her and nodded his head.

Of course, it can never be as sweet as my little Ria is, her dad said, making her giggle.

Nymea and Kendarla walked by then and Kendarla made a face at her before whispering to Nymea. The dark-haired girl just shrugged her shoulders as if whatever Kendarla said didn’t matter to her. It was probably something mean, Kendarla was always saying something mean.

Ria leaned over and whispered to Geddy, who was no more than a lump of sand. She was still working on making him real, but one day she would. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel like it’s wrong to be different, Geddy. Being different is awesome. She picked up her imaginary tea cup and looked around the lawn.

Gobeth, who was a couple years older than her, was sitting under a tree reading a book, her cousin Riven and his friend Quade standing watch not too far away. It must have been cool to have bodyguards. Prince Aziz was strolling across the grass toward his cousin, Nymea, and off in the woods, Ria could see a small fox and a boar playing.

Daddy, do you think the other kids think I’m weird?

You’re not weird, Princess, you’re... he paused, as if looking for the right word. You’re the most precious thing ever born and have the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever known. Never let anyone dampen your light. You’re perfect just the way you are.

Ria grinned and wished she could hug her daddy, but her mom told her she’d have to wait until she was older to be powerful enough to do that.

A small boy, with dirty-blond hair, and looking to be the same age as she was, walked