Masking the Fae King: Reverse Harem: Bramble's Edge Academy, #2

By Brenda Trim

I recently discovered I am the previously believed dead Fae King. But it isn't all coronations and revolution like I'd hoped.

Bramble's Edge Academy was established to train Fae how to control and wield their elemental power. And, I have only completed one of three years. I don't have the power I need.

I have more power than I bargained for and no idea how to utilize it. Let alone eliminate the ones responsible for my parent's death before they get to me, too.

Word gets out that the king is back, and my friends scramble to mask my identity. Those responsible for the destruction of Fae society turn up the heat on me leaving those that I love in the crossfire. Maurelle and Brokk end up getting burned.

Whether I like it or not, I must take huge risks if I am going to save those closest to me and have a shot at freeing the rest of the realm. The clock is ticking, and time has almost run out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: DWA Concepts, LLC
• Release date: Jan 8, 2024
• ISBN: 9798223743507

Book preview

Chapter 1

T his is just plain disgusting, Sol grumbled as he held up a plastic bag dripping with brown slime.

Ryker shuddered and bile rose in his throat making him sicker than he already was. The air around him suddenly became violent and instead of whisking the stench away, it kept it swirling beneath his nose.

Accessing his core elemental powers, he tried to focus the wind away from his body, but all he managed was to kick it up a notch. Now the winds tore at the bag in his hands and the waves increased in volume, threatening to drown them all. If he wasn’t careful, he’d cause an earthquake and fire, too.

Shaking his head, he took several deep breaths and nearly threw up for his efforts. Instead of trying to use his elements, he shut them all down. As powerful as he supposedly was, he still had no control over his abilities.

Focusing on the task at hand, he asked, Who the fuck would toss that in the ocean? I don’t even want to guess what it is.

Humans don’t care what they carelessly toss away. They don’t have a connection to the elements like we do, Brokk added with a growl.

He wasn’t wrong. Pollution of any kind made Fae sick and weakened their elemental powers. It was the reason he and his friends were scouring the tiny stretch of the beach Fae could visit. Several times a year as many Edge residents as could go trekked to the waterfront armed with bags and gloves.

It wasn’t exactly how Ryker imagined spending his break from the academy, but here he was, nonetheless. He found it difficult to remain quiet and not take action for his people. It’d only been a few weeks since he discovered his true identity.

And, he could barely comprehend the true meaning of the fact that he was the King of the Fae. He was the only living heir to the throne of Mag Mell because his parents convinced a servant to escape and hide him.

The female he believed his entire life was his mother was his real mother’s servant. That didn’t make her any less his mother in his eyes. He couldn’t love her more for the sacrifice she made for his family and their entire realm. If not for her, Mag Mell would truly be lost.

He’d spent the past several weeks trying to show her how much he loved her by helping her with her work. He’d practically been glued to her side ever since the end of the year break started. Turned out to be for the best on more than one occasion. She’d nearly been robbed, but Ryker was there to save her and her hard-earned money.

Refusing to think about the danger his mom was in daily, he focused back on the task and conversation at hand. If he obsessed on Galina anymore then he wouldn’t be able to return to Bramble’s Edge Academy in a couple days like he was supposed to.

He wasn’t about to end up a heap of broken wings for his second year. He might have killed their evil Headmistress at the end of last year, but he wasn’t stupid enough to believe that was the end of the manipulation and trouble.

The school’s intent to help Fae hone their control over the elements was perverted from its original purpose so they could create mindless slaves for humans. Ryker’s gut told him there was more to it than that, but he had no idea how much more. Regardless, the corruption stuck in his craw like a double-edged sword. Afterall, his great grandfather created the academy to avoid chaos and catastrophe when untrained Fae accidentally unleashed their elements.

And, the council allows it, Ryker interjected. We need to do something about this before we lose any more of our realm.

Daine, Brokk and Sol converged on him with scowls. The way they scanned their surroundings told Ryker they worried someone had heard what he said. Enforcers lined the area where the sand met the stone path leading to the Edge. Another group stood guard next to the brick wall that separated the beaches of Furness. The unsightly façade blocked Dornwich entirely. Seemed the humans didn’t want to be reminded who they’d stolen their land from.

Careful, brother, Brokk cautioned. Over the past year, Ryker had become so close with his dormmates that he considered them among the few he trusted. He planned on appointing them his King’s guard when he eventually took the crown. He had no doubt his friends would take the job seriously. You have no idea who might hear you out here.

How can you stand this bullshit? I am so tired of standing by when I can do something, Ryker countered in a low voice.

I know, but we have to. Remember what your mom and Shiloh said? Let’s go clean near the cliffs, Daine suggested. It’ll be safer over there.

Nodding, the foursome returned to collecting trash. Holding his breath, Ryker picked up remnants of what looked like it was once a pair of pants. They were shredded and stained. It was impossible to determine the source of the stains, but there was no doubt claws or blades had gone to town on the garment.

Stuffing it in the bag, he continued to pick up garbage all the while wondering how they could create so much refuse in a couple short months. The Fae never went long without cleaning the area. They couldn’t. It poisoned their entire being.

Lifting his head, he scanned the shore and watched children helping their parents. Even the elderly did their part. Anger consumed Ryker, making his limbs shake. Energy bubbled in his chest, telling him he’d activated the mantle of the king somehow.

When he probed the area there was still a bubble surrounding the energy, but it was pressing out against the barrier searching for a way to get free. No doubt it wanted to do something to help its people’s suffering.

It might be crazy, but Ryker saw the mantle as a separate entity. It was in the process of integrating with him, and with it came the certainty that its priority and purpose was the well-being of all Fae creatures.

What the fuck? Brokk blurted, making Ryker shift his gaze. Everyone collecting trash was heading toward their group.

Testing a theory, Ryker took several steps away from his friends. His jaw fell to his chest when the group switched directions and headed his way. His mind burst with a million thoughts at once.

Focusing on the most important, Ryker looked to the enforcers and noted their eyes were on him. Not the attention he needed at the moment. Without bothering to take off the dirty latex glove, he thrust his hand into his pocket and squeezed the talisman while forcing himself to think about Maurelle.

Within seconds those that were heading his way stopped and after looking around resumed their task. A sigh of relief left his lips and he withdrew his hand, leaving the amulet in his pocket.

As he headed toward the cliffs, Ryker allowed his mind to travel back to the sexy female that consumed his dreams and nearly all of his waking thoughts. Maurelle’s stormy grey eyes always darkened with her arousal. Thinking about her usually lifted his spirits and more.

Willing his cock to behave, Ryker allowed himself to think more about Maurelle’s pert ass and perfect breasts. It had been way too long since he’d kissed her, let alone done anything else. He missed her like crazy and she was the only thing he was looking forward to when he considered returning to the academy.

The strong thread connecting him and Maurelle throbbed almost as much as the mantle. It kept him sane and grounded. And, gave him a reason to continue hiding. He absolutely would not place a single pink hair on her head in danger of being harmed. He’d do anything to ensure she was safe.

A quick glance at his friends reminded him of the warning the Peridun had given him weeks ago. How could she ask him to incorporate these males into his relationship with Maurelle? It had taken two days for his rage to subside enough for him to think straight after hearing Shineah proclaim he needed to open their relationship to his friends.

He hated the idea of sharing Maurelle, but he was beginning to see the wisdom behind it. And if he was being honest, he was intrigued.

Shineah didn’t give him the reason he needed to expand their intimate circle, but he had a feeling it had to do with keeping her safe. It was unclear if he would be able to continue hiding who and what he was. To save Maurelle and his friends as much trouble as possible in the event his true identity was leaked, Ryker considered sharing her with the males currently surrounding him.

Fae were passionate beings that needed intimacy. No one in the Edge judged or degraded others for indulging in sex. That was left to the humans. They saw his kind as disgusting beings with no morals. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Intimacy was a natural indulgence of their physical needs.

There was nothing wrong with giving and taking pleasure with willing participants. There was no such thing as rape or forced intercourse with Fae. Again, forcing another only happened with humans. When you didn’t deny and repress your needs they didn’t take over and corrupt your behavior. Nor, could they be twisted into something unnatural and cruel.

Ryker didn’t necessarily like the idea of sharing Maurelle, but when the idea popped into his head it felt right somehow. No one would suspect the king would willingly share his female with others. Doing so would not only deflect attention from him being a royal, but it would protect those he cared about.

Ryker’s blood heated and his shaft stiffened at the thought of Maurelle’s mouth moving over Brokk’s shaft or Sol’s lips. No, he didn’t hate the idea of the six of them together at all. It rocked him to his soul. He’d been so possessive toward her from the moment he laid eyes on her. What had changed now?

It was the bond he shared with her, he suddenly realized. He couldn’t even consider it before when he’d fought any and all attraction to her. There was a silent battle between wanting to get close to her and keeping her at a distance that consumed all of his attention. When he finally gave in, he spent so much time trying to make up for treating her poorly.

You can’t do shit like that, Ryk, Sol said through clenched teeth.

Shaking his head to clear the thoughts and calm his body, Ryker stuffed a half-eaten carcass into his bag. It wasn’t intentional. I don’t even know what happened.

Is the thing Shineah gave you to hide your royalty failing? Brokk asked. Ryker tilted his head to the side. Brokk wasn’t the most eloquent of males, but he was as loyal as they came. Ryker trusted him with his life, and subsequently the life of all Fae.

Truth was none of them understood much about what was happening. They didn’t bother trying most days. It took all their energy to protect and hide Ryker’s true identity while acting as if nothing was amiss.

No. I can feel it surrounding my power like a bubble, but when I get pissed it pushes those boundaries, Ryker admitted.

Daine’s laughter was strained. Shineah needs to give you some herbs to keep your shit calm.

Fuck you, Ryker retorted with a smile before he bent down and picked up more trash.

Noise startled their group and had their heads snapping around. They all scanned the cliffs while Ryker whispered, Do you see anything?

No, Sol muttered under his breath.

Are there any caves out this way? Brokk asked, his voice louder than the others.

Ryker never spent too much time at the beach and when he was there, he spent his time in the water. Connecting with his earth element, he sent a trickle of power as he tried to detect any openings.

He’d never tried to do this before and wasn’t even sure if it was possible. This was the type of task Fae his age needed the academy to teach them about. This year would teach him more about the abilities and limitations of his elements. It was another reason he was going back. He desperately needed this knowledge to become an effective King, but it wasn’t his main reasoning. Being close to Maurelle was.

When the sensation of solid rock was returned after he threw power at the rock face, Ryker was relieved. Continuing to toss out his elemental power, he stopped when he hit an area that was hollow.

There, Ryker said as he pointed to an area a few feet away.

The group headed over to investigate. At first Ryker thought he was wrong about it being a cave, until they got right up on the section. There was an opening in between two layers of rock that were angled so it was hidden.

Cold slithered down Ryker’s spine as he approached the cave. Maybe we shouldn’t go in there, Daine cautioned when Ryker headed inside.

Looking over his shoulder, he shrugged. If there is anything inside it’s not humans or enforcers. How dangerous can they be? Perhaps they’re part of the resistance in hiding.

One of his friends huffed out a breath as Ryker entered the dark, dank cave. A musty smell met his nose, but it was nothing as bad as the refuse they’d been picking up all morning.

A quick glance around told him the space wasn’t very deep and it was empty. Whatever the noise was, it didn’t come from here. Did you detect anything else? Sol asked.

Ryker turned to him and stumbled when something hard hit him from behind. It felt like a board of some kind. A shout left his throat and before he caught himself on the wall, he heard shouting and flesh striking flesh.

The air behind him blew across his neck, making Ryker duck before he made another move. Something smashed into the rock above him. From the sounds of the collision, it seemed as if whoever attacked him slammed the board into the wall. Shards of shale rained down around him as he threw his arms up to cover the back of his head and neck.

Jumping to his feet, Ryker came face to face with a pissed off Centaur. The half-horse half-man snarled at him and lifted a battered piece of wood above his head. Lowering into a fighting stance, Ryker charged the beast. His shoulder hit the centaur in the lower chest. It reared up on its hind legs and kicked out his front limbs.

A hoof connected with Ryker’s chest and something cracked. Breathing instantly became nearly impossible. Wheezing, he danced out of the way of another blow and picked up the board the centaur dropped.

Pulling it back caused agony to spiral through his chest. Ignoring the discomfort, Ryker swung the makeshift weapon and struck the centaur’s front leg. A loud snap echoed in the cave before bone broke through the thick hide.

Blood spurted and the beast fell in a heap. Before Ryker could finish the job, large greenish-grey hands landed on his shoulders and in the next second he was flying through the air. He beat his wings to try and stop his momentum, but it was hopeless. He was moving too fast.

In the blur of movement, he caught sight of the troll barreling toward him. When Ryker hit the ground, he thought he’d prepared himself for the pain in his chest, but there was no way he could have prepared for the agony.

Rolling to his feet, Ryker wrapped one arm around his chest. And lifted the wood with the other. Lunging toward the troll, he used his wings to keep his balance. The wood connected with a thigh the size of a tree trunk and rattled his entire body.

What the fuck do you want? he shouted at the Fae attacking them. Brokk fought a vampire while Daine fought a barghest, and Sol faced off with another centaur.

Were these beings from the tunnels beneath the Edge? Last year the students were sent down the tunnels for one of their trials. Maurelle nearly died in the sewers. Ryker was certain the council used the students as a way to control the population down there, so it didn’t get out of hand.

You summoned us, Fae King, the troll said in a voice that sounded like gravel.

Ryker reared back and his arm with the weapon lowered. What in the name of the Gods are you talking about? I’m not the King. He and his heir were killed decades ago.

The fighting had stopped with his questions. The troll looked at the others with his face scrunched up in clear confusion. The vampire sank his fangs into Brokk’s neck and jerked back.

Brokk screamed the instant he was bitten and managed to grab hold of the vampire’s head before his throat was ripped out. With a vicious twist, he snapped the vampire’s neck. That wouldn’t kill the creature, but it did incapacitate him for the time being.

The action shocked Ryker into moving and he jumped at the troll. He lifted his hand in the air and aimed it for the troll’s face. The impact stopped his movement. Both he and the troll fell in a heap to the ground. His chest was on fire as one of the troll’s large arms landed on his body.

Footsteps sounded loudly in the dirt, telling Ryker someone was heading his way. Shoving with all his might, he managed to move the dead limb enough to roll out from beneath the troll. The weapon stuck out of an eye socket.

Needing it to defend against the injured centaur that was limping his way to Ryker, he climbed on the troll’s chest and grabbed hold of the weapon. Urgency had him pouring more force into the action and the wood came free so suddenly that Ryker’s arms flew back over his head.

Rather than coming back down, the weapon struck another target with a wet squishing sound. He didn’t have to know he’d hit the centaur. That was the only creature left in the cave not engaged with his friends. The half-horse half-man fell to the ground and Ryker stumbled from the dead troll’s chest.

Brokk had a hand clamped over his throat to staunch the bleeding. Sol and Daine fought the barghest and centaur. Ryker moved to join Daine when his friend did a move that had him flipping through the air and landing on the creature’s back. Without hesitation Daine grabbed hold of the sides of his head and twisted.

Daine rode the centaur’s back as it collapsed to the ground and snatched a boulder from the dirt at the same time he summersaulted away from the unconscious beast. Daine lifted the rock and smashed through the centaur’s neck, separating his head from his body.

Adrenaline had Ryker bouncing on the balls of his