The Blood King, Fae Shifters 4

By Madilynn Dale

An ancient evil has surfaced. New life and bonds are forged. Will Liz fight or remain on the sidelines? Who will win and rule the realms?

Liz’s family and friends are at risk once again, but sacrifices must be made for their freedom. Can she bring new life into the world but stop an evil that has plagued the realms since the beginning of time? What will be her ultimate sacrifice to conquer The Blood King finally?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Madilynn Dale
• Release date: Apr 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005284848

Madilynn Dale

Madilynn Dale is an author based out of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. She writes fantasy, romance, and paranormal pieces primarily. She spends most of her day with her son, tending to her pets, and writing.Madilynn holds degrees in several areas. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Kinesiology from Southern Nazarene University, located in Oklahoma. She also has an Associates of Science degree in Physical Therapy Assistant Sciences from Oklahoma City Community College. She is licensed as a Physical Therapy Assistant in Oklahoma and works as a PRN therapist.​Madilynn has enjoyed reading various forms of fiction and the occasional non-fiction story since she began reading as a young girl. Writing seemed to be another piece of this addiction to books, and she embraced it after becoming a mother. Writing is now a piece of her soul to be bared to the world.​Madilynn's hobbies, when not writing, include reading, baking, crafting, hiking, and horseback riding. She loves to travel and explore. One day she hopes to expand her travels and see the world, but in the meantime, you will find her working on her next novel. She will most likely have coffee and some form of chocolate with her as she writes. She uses the title The Chapter Goddess to encompass all her work as an author, reader, and booklover in general.

Book preview

Prologue

Liz, 3 months after the fall of Lilliandra…

Life has returned to a new normal since the day of the battle. Tali has returned to working at the school and has since then proved that she isn’t the same immature girl she was before. We disclosed to the human populace that Dan was diagnosed with cancer that quickly took his life. It may be a lie, but it’s something they will believe. We also held a memorial for the human people to attend. Coming up with coverups for the rest of the lives lost was a bit difficult, but we managed. We found a way to make them believable.

Plans for a small wedding have been made for Tali and Agatha. They will be tying the knot later this year. The human populace’s story is that they met while Tali was visiting her cousins, and it was love at first sight. It’s close to the truth in some ways, but not.

Garret stepped up to take over as mayor. We have successfully combined our clans, making our territory much larger. It’s made it easier with the gate being open to integrate new arrivals. He is also very good with politics and handles most of that side of stuff for Tali and me.

Instead of working full time as I had initially planned when I moved here, I only work part time. I have to manage our people with Tali, but I have also been taking a crash course on how to lead the Fae courts. No others were willing to challenge Callum’s hold on the winter court, so we now lead them as well as the Fae Shifters court. Jax appointed me as Queen for that court as well. It’s been a strange mix of learning various traditions and whatnot, but I have slowly gotten the hang of it.

Tiff and Kara now lead the dragon court with their mates at their side. They are a vicious sort, but they make great allies. Tiff also works part time at the rehab center with me. We have to maintain appearances, after all. It also helps us keep an eye on things here in the human world.

Kara and Cain lead missions in the human world to round up any rogues we missed, while also maintaining an eye to see if the Blood King has managed to slip through. We started opening portals slowly after Christmas, which went by in the blink of an eye, and have met many new beings.

None have seemed hostile yet, but we remain vigilant and wary. To enter into the human realms, we make them follow strict stipulations since they don’t know magic exists. We must maintain that to survive. So far, the few who have agreed to come to the human realm have agreed to the terms.

So much has changed since that battle, but so much good has come from it. I smile at the lady’s maid, who follows me daily when I stay at the winter castle. Its gleaming white walls look like they are covered in pearls as I move past them toward the kitchen. I have been unusually hungry and queasy as of late, but the cook makes an amazing tea that seems to soothe my stomach.

He greets me with a smile as I push through the wooden doors and plop down on the stool.

Hello, my Queen, I take it you’re here for some of that tea? the dark-haired male asks as he leans over to stir a pot of stew on the stove.

Yes, I don’t know what’s going on with me, but it’s starting to get annoying. I can’t seem to get rid of the nausea. Oh, are those cookies? I point across the room at the small round objects cooling on a rack.

Yes, they are. You can have as many as you would like. Matilda, will you grab her a plate? he asks the lady’s maid with dark hair and brown eyes beside me.

Yes, sir, Haggard, I will do anything for my Queen. I roll my eyes at the formality between them. They have maintained them out of tradition despite my requests.

Thank you, dear, he says as Matilda crosses the room. I can’t help but wonder, and please don’t kill me for being so forward, my Queen, but is it possible that you could be carrying a child? He hands me the warm cup of tea.

I blanch but sip on the tea, which instantly quells the nausea. I d-don’t k-know, I stammer out.

Well, my lady, it has been some time since you had a menstrual cycle, Matilda says as she sets the plate of cookies in front of me. She smiles at me warmly as she shrugs. I try to keep up with them. It’s what my predecessor did before me.

I think about her words as I pick up one of the cookies and nibble on it. She’s right. Holy shit, I think I might be!

Well, congratulations, my Queen, do your mates know? Normally with their heightened senses they should have been able to pick up on the change in your scent. Not all can pick up on it though, Haggard says.

No, they have been gone for the past few weeks on a scouting mission. I will tell them as soon as they return. I smile and sip on my tea. I’m pregnant. Wow. Haggard and Matilda give me space as I drink tea and nibble at the cookies. I’m thankful because this is a lot to process.

I need to tell the guys, Tali and Jax, oh and so many others! I need to get a move on and tell everyone. As I prepare to stand, a portal opens across the room, and both Tiff and Kara stride through. They thankfully have continued to wear jeans and typical human attire as I have, but their expressions make my thoughts pause.

They both look grim, and worry seems to radiate off them as I ask, What is it?

Tiff sniffs the air and then glares at me. Why do you smell different? Did I miss something? She frowns, scanning my body. Oh, yes, I think we found him.

I gape at her. The Blood King?

Kara frowns at me, scanning me as well. Yes, now I’m going to repeat Tiff’s question. Why do you smell different?

1 Liz

I stare at Tiff and Kara in a daze as the portal closes behind them, and I plop back into my seat. The room seems to spin as it closes, and Tiff repeats what she said again, We found him. Did you hear me?

I gape at her as I recall Lander’s retreat from the massive battle of the realms. Yes, I heard you. How? Where?

Tiff and Kara move toward me to grab stools next to me. Tiff continues to eye me funny and looks at the cup in my hands.

Kara speaks, throwing me suspicious glances as well, A group of rogue Fae attacked a small village at the edge of the dark realm, and several carcasses left behind were drained of blood. Cain and Emmett are scouting, trying to find more of a lead or possibly a trail. We wanted to fill you in as soon as possible, though. It may take all of us to capture him and finally put an end to him.

I look at Kara and nod, and then my gaze meets Tiff’s curious blue-eyed one. I blush as she assesses me and then sniffs the air again. Kara slaps her arm and glares at her as if to tell her to stop without using words.

Tiff glares back and turns to me, Seriously, why do you smell different? Something is going on here, and I think you need to tell me, Liz. What kind of tea is that? Her attention turns to my lady’s maid and the cook, who remain silent. Haggard and Matilda are keeping a good poker face.

It’s only tea. Do you two want some cookies? Haggard made a fresh batch. I point to the cooling rack behind them, and they both look. Kara hops off to grab a handful of cookies for herself, smirking at Tiff as she does, but Tiff turns her gaze back to me.

Are we going to play this game, Liz? I know you’re hiding something. What do you not want to tell us? Tiff smirks mischievously at me like she always does when I try to keep secrets from her, and we are face-to-face. When there is distance and a phone between us, it’s much easier. I have a terrible poker face.

Fine, if you insist, but this doesn’t leave the room. It’s my secret to share. I cut my eyes at both her and Kara, and Tiff crosses her heart like a child. I may be pregnant.

Tiff blinks in confusion momentarily before a massive grin transforms her face. It’s like it sucks all the darkness out of the room and Kara’s smile is just as bright.

Seriously? How far along are you? Do Cam and Callum know? Whose is it? Do you know? Holy hell, I’m going to be an aunt! Squealing, Tiff bounces off her stool to begin dancing around me. Kara joins her, and their twinning is adorable as they hop around in a circle laughing and cheering.

Okay, okay. Can you two chill for a second? I only discovered it a few minutes ago. Haggard and Matilda did all the discerning and pointed it out to me. I haven’t done anything to confirm if I am pregnant or not yet, I state with a glare. I need them to stop dancing like children for a moment so I can try to wrap my head around this new information. It’s life changing.

Kara seems to take the hint and stops abruptly, causing Tiff to crash into her. They land in a heap on the floor and burst into laughter, again. I continue to glare at them as they laugh for several minutes before pulling themselves up off the floor. They fix their rumpled shirts for a few minutes before offering a sheepish smile to Haggard and Matilda. They smile and shake their heads at Tiff and Kara’s silliness before returning to their focus on a pot of something boiling on the stove.

You wouldn’t think these two were dragon shifters by the way they act. As soon as you make them mad, though, you can see the fire burning in their eyes. It’s quite intimidating.

So, we should probably get something to confirm that your pregnant then, right? Kara asks with a playful smile.

Yes, you should absolutely confirm that we are going to be aunts, Liz. Let’s get you a pregnancy test. Then all you have to do is pee on the stick, and boom, confirmation! Tiff says with a laugh.

I roll my eyes. So you’re saying we should poof a pregnancy test out of nowhere for me to use?

Well, no. We need to go to a store, Tiff responds.

How exactly do you plan for us to go to a store? We are in the Fae realm, I say.

We portal, of course! Kara exclaims.

Is that even good for me to do? I mean, I have never gone through a portal before. Also, we can’t just pop into a store via a portal. We can’t let humans know we exist. That’s a huge no-no. Too many coverups have already been done to hide the war. Also, my wallet is at the cabin. I tilt my head to the side as I think through everything. Anxiety fills me like water spilling from a pitcher into a crystal glass. It builds the more I think of going through the portal.

Is it like going through the gates? I haven’t ever had issues with those.

Well, okay. We portal to the cabin, grab what we need, and then take a vehicle to the store the old-fashioned way. The human way, if you will. We can even turn it into a girls’ day to celebrate the news! Tiff says, bouncing on her toes.

Oh, I like that idea! Kara exclaims.

I frown and look at them both for a second before asking, What about the Blood King? That’s important too, and I’m nervous about using a portal.

"Yes, you’re right, he is important, but it’s going to take time for our mates to get back. We want all of them to be present when we share