House of Curses Read online

  House of Curses

  Royal Houses

  Book 3

  K.A. Linde

  Contents

  Also By K.A. Linde

  Pronunciation Guide

  Tribes

  1. The Wedding

  2. The Nomination

  3. The Season

  4. The Introduction

  5. The Artifact

  6. The Father

  7. The Chase

  8. The Offer

  9. The Sister

  10. The Plan

  11. The Spirit

  12. The Dreamwalking

  13. The Dress

  14. The History

  15. The Letter

  16. The Falcon

  17. The Offer

  18. The House of Cruse

  19. The Sacred Lands

  20. The Drowning

  21. The Visions

  22. The Name Day

  23. The Announcement

  24. The Argument

  25. The Casting

  26. The Necklace

  27. The Journey

  28. The Mountain Folk

  29. The Snow

  30. The Faerie Tale

  31. The Witch

  32. The Only Bed

  33. The Ambush

  34. The Madness

  35. The Return

  36. The Illusions

  37. The Training

  38. The Nominees

  39. The King

  40. The Reunion

  41. The Decision

  42. The Snitch

  43. The Spy

  44. The Collector

  45. The Demonstration

  46. The Trap

  47. The Plan

  48. The Meeting

  49. The Election

  50. The Father

  51. The Amulet

  52. The Rising

  53. The Thirteen

  54. The Truth

  55. The Victory

  Also By K.A. Linde

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  House of Curses

  Copyright © 2022 by K.A. Linde

  All rights reserved.

  * * *

  Visit my website at

  www.kalinde.com

  * * *

  Formatting and Map Design: Devin McCain, www.studio5twentyfive.com

  Cover Designer: Okay Creations., www.okaycreations.com

  Editor: Unforeseen Editing, www.unforeseenediting.com

  Proofreading: Virginia Carey

  * * *

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  * * *

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  * * *

  ISBN-13: 978-1948427586

  A L S O B Y K. A. L I N D E

  ROYAL HOUSES

  House of Dragons

  House of Shadows

  House of Curses

  House of Gods

  * * *

  ASCENSION

  The Affiliate

  The Bound

  The Consort

  The Society

  The Domina

  * * *

  THE OAK AND HOLLY CYCLE

  The Wren in the Holly Library

  Pronunciation Guide

  CHARACTERS

  Alura—Uh-lure-uh

  Amond—Uh-mond

  Arbor—Ar-bur

  Ashby March—Ash-bee March

  Audria Ather—Aud-ree-uh Ath-er

  Basem Nix—Bay-sum Nix

  Master Bastian—Bast-yun

  Bayton—Bay-ton

  Benton—Ben-ton

  Cleora—Klee-or-uh

  Clover—Clove-er

  Darby—Dar-bee

  Dozan Rook—Doe-zen Rook

  Prince Fordham Ollivier—Ford-um Ah-liv-ee-aye

  Hadrian—Hay-dree-en

  Mistress Hellina “Helly”—Hell-ee-nuh

  Irena—Ih-reen-uh

  Isa—Ee-suh

  Keres—Kerr-is

  Kerrigan Argon—Care-ih-gen Arh-gone

  Lord Kivrin Argon—Kiv-rin Arh-gone

  Master Lorian—Lor-ee-uhn

  Lyam—Lee-um

  Mistress Movanna—Moh-Vahn-uh

  Noda—No-duh

  Parris—Pear-is

  Prescott—Press-cot

  Roake—Roke

  Lady Sonali—Suh-nahl-ee

  Thea—Thee-uh

  Titania—Tai-tay-nee-uh

  Valia—Val-ee-uh

  Wynter—Win-ter

  Mistress Zahina “Zina”—Zuh-heen-uh “Zeen-uh”

  DRAGONS

  Evien—Ev-ee-en

  Ferrinix—Fair-ih-nix

  Gelryn—Gehl-rin

  Netta—Net-uh

  Tavry—Tahv-ree

  Tieran—Teer-en

  Tribes

  The twelve tribes of Alandria were split into four groups based on how they perceived the use of magic: Woodloch to the wooded west, Viland to the hills of the east, Tosin to the mountains of the north, and Moran to the rocky south. Though the twelve tribes are autonomous, the Society rules over all.

  * * *

  WOODLOCH

  Magic should be used for might.

  (warriors, weapons, armor)

  * * *

  Galanthea

  Herasi

  Venatrix

  * * *

  VILAND

  Magic should be used for good.

  (healing, medicine, art)

  * * *

  Bryonica

  Concha

  Ibarra

  * * *

  TOSIN

  Magic should be used for efficiency.

  (everyday tasks, mining, travel)

  * * *

  Erewa

  Sayair

  Zavala

  * * *

  MORAN

  Magic should be used for nothing.

  (magical artifacts)

  * * *

  Aude

  Elsiande

  Genoa

  1

  The Wedding

  The mirror revealed a distorted reflection.

  “You look lovely,” Audria said from her left.

  Darby nodded eagerly. “Stunning. You will be the prettiest bride of the entire Season.”

  Bride.

  That word hadn’t sunk in yet.

  Even though Kerrigan was standing in a lush white gown—the most stunning her designer, Parris, had ever created for her—it didn’t feel real. None of this felt real. And how could it after everything she had gone through to get here?

  “You don’t have to do this,” Darby whispered, glancing nervously at Audria.

  “Yes, she does,” Audria said with a sigh. “There is no way that March will let her out of this.”

  She was right.

  Audria was always right. She had been Kerrigan’s closest friend as a child before she disappeared into the House of Dragons—a feeder program for wayward youth to join a tribe. And while Darby might be Bryonican now, she had been Kerrigan’s roommate when they both were Dragon Blessed nobodies.

  “We can get her out of here,” Darby argued.

  “To what end?” Audria asked. She plucked at her navy-blue sleeve—the color of the Bryonican tribe. “If she doesn’t show, the House of Medallion will crush the House of Cruse.”

  Kerrigan winced. The House of Cruse were her people. She might have been thrown out like the trash, but the people had always hoped for her return. They were innocent in this.

  Two weeks ago, she’d been kicked out of the Society, lost her dragon, and incited a riot against the same organization. Then, war broke out. She was called to the battlefield to fight the recently released House of Shadows. They’d succeeded in stopping their advance, and she had been given her much coveted spot as a dragon rider, but she had to release her affiliation to the traitorous court, only to regain the mantle she had shed at five years old—a Bryonican princess. Felicity Kerrigan Argon, First of the House of Cruse of Bryonica.

  Now, to save her people, she was set to marry her enemy. No pretty dress could make marrying Ashby March any better. If she didn’t marry him, he would destroy her house. He wanted to be king too much to not follow through on his threat. He might have changed his tune after the battle when he deigned to see her as an equal, but love wouldn’t stay his hand.

  “But …” Darby argued.

  “Stop,” Kerrigan said with a sigh. “I’ve already made my choice. I was betrothed to March at birth. The documents were signed long ago. Legally, I could snub him and walk away from this marriage before the king and queen. The consequences though …”

  Her friends looked up at her in dismay. They all knew there was no other choice.

  A knock sounded at the door. Mistress Hellina—First of the House of Stoirm, her mentor and surrogate mother—peeked her head inside. “Are you ready?”

  “Helly,” Kerrigan whispered.

  She took Kerrigan’s hands. “Chin up, my dear. You can get through this.”

  Helly had her back. She would still live in the mountain after this. She would still be a Society member. March would get his throne, but he would nev
er have her heart. Never.

  “I’m ready.”

  Audria and Darby took up the long train of her dress as Helly led the way to the palace throne room. Belcourt Palace was at the heart of the Bryonican capital, Rosemont. The venue was a true honor bestowed upon them by the crown. It helped that March’s great-aunt was the queen. That their union would likely mean they would ascend to the coveted royal position. Fae were long-lived, but after one to two thousand years, their will to continue faded, and thus, they moved on. Many believed the king would enter the abyss as soon as a replacement was clear.

  “Breathe,” Helly reminded her.

  Then, she disappeared to her seat inside.

  Littlings scattered the golden sunflower petals that bloomed all over Rosemont during the summer. A string quartet played the opening notes to the famous wedding tune. The double doors opened to reveal Kerrigan in all of her splendor, and the crowd rose to their feet, facing her with awe on their faces.

  The awe was warranted. Her dress was a delight. Layer upon layer of white fabric gave her an impressive empire waist with a full skirt to the floor and a train that cascaded behind her. The bodice fit her like a glove with careful boning to hold it up, a V in the front and back, and a bow wrapping tight around her waist. The sleeves fell off her shoulders, revealing her pronounced décolleté. But the mesmerizing thing about the entire ensemble was the magic threaded through the dress. It had no ornament. No diamonds or rubies or sapphires to make it glow. The dress shimmered from top to bottom, as if pixie lights danced under the surface. Parris had imbued it with so much of his magic that it dazzled. Every person in attendance was going to want a gown from his commission. All those years of not paying for dresses and calling it advertising was finally paying off.

  A hush fell over the crowd. Her father, Kivrin, stood in the front row. It was customary for him to walk her down the aisle, and though he had offered, she had declined. She wouldn’t bring him into this sham.

  She stepped forward in the heeled slipper and tried to forget that she was entering an arranged marriage. That she hated her future husband. That there was nothing she could do to stop this.

  That … there was only one person who could do anything about this.

  And he’d left.

  Her heart panged as her thoughts veered to Ford. Today was the last day she should think of him. Not as Prince Fordham Ollivier of the House of Shadows, but as her Ford. The male she had fallen in love with. The male who had flown off into the distance to break the curse that kept them apart. He wasn’t going to barge in today and demand her to be released from this bargain.

  Still, her heart hoped. The traitorous thing.

  She stopped before the dais, and finally, she lifted her gaze to March.

  He was no longer the cherub-faced youth who had skinned squirrels alive to see what they looked like on the inside or the dangerous person he’d been who knew how to give her bruises where no one would see them. She’d hoped he would be ugly, but of course, full-blooded Fae were rarely unattractive. And he was devastatingly attractive. All sharp angles, hard jawline, dark features, and imperious blue eyes. He was tall and arrogant and charming. The bachelor of the season. And her worst nightmare.

  His smile was as deadly as his anger. He thought he had fallen for her, that he understood love. But all he knew was that she was like him. She had been successful on the battlefield, a sight to behold atop her dragon, Tieran, and he had seen himself in that and suddenly wanted her.

  “My lady,” March said, offering her his hand.

  She glanced over her shoulder. Just one time with hope that Fordham would save her from this, but the doors were barred. No one would be getting through them. Though Fordham had his shadow magic and could jump inside this room anytime he wanted, he hadn’t made his appearance. She knew what that meant. She’d always known.

  Love meant despair and defeat and death to Prince Fordham.

  Love would never be enough.

  “Kerrigan,” March said. His voice a note sharper. As if he knew precisely what she was thinking.

  She turned her gaze back to him. Let him see the fury in her emerald eyes. Fury at him for forcing this upon her. For thinking that taming her unruly red curls into a delicate crown, hiding her softly pointed ears that revealed her half-Fae heritage, and draping her in frippery would change who she was or how she felt about him. She held that gaze for a beat and watched the shock appear on his face.

  He had thought she had come around. That she could ever want this or him. She had let him think that while she planned a way out. Now that there was no way out, she could let him see precisely who he was marrying.

  His face hardened, and he took her hand in a crushing grip. “Shall we?”

  She stepped up onto the dais before the entire Bryonican court.

  “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today for the marriage of Lord Ashby Hallinger March, First of the House of Medallion, to Lady Felicity Kerrigan Argon, First of the House of Cruse.”

  The rest of the words disappeared in a haze. She was committed now. There was no turning back. Nothing could stop this. No cloud of black smoke to tilt her world back onto its axis. This was a nightmare that she couldn’t escape.

  “You may now kiss the bride.”

  And at the first touch of March’s hard lips against her own, she started screaming.

  Kerrigan rocketed upright. Her screams tapered off as her gaze shifted around the dimly lit classroom inside Draco Mountain. The other two newest Society members, Audria and Roake, stared at her in horror. The current government instructor, Master Hayes, shot her a steely look.

  “Is my instruction that horrifying, Mistress Kerrigan?”

  She opened her mouth and then promptly closed it. It had been a dream. A literal nightmare. She wasn’t marrying March … yet. She still had months before that day came. Months before she had to walk down the aisle at Belcourt Palace. She didn’t even have a dress yet. They hadn’t even officially announced their intent to marry. That wouldn’t be happening until tomorrow at the final Season event of the year.

  “My apologies, Master Hayes,” she croaked out.

  She had been burning the candle at both ends ever since her return from the battlefield. Most nights were spent in nightmares that woke her, crying into her pillow. Her days were filled with catching up on studies, her new apprenticeship, and the current influx of half-Fae and human refugees from the House of Shadows. Now, apparently, her mind had taken her anxiety about seeing March again and forced their literal wedding into her nightmares.

  Scales.

  “Well, with that rousing excitement,” Hayes said, barely containing his eye roll, “we’ll call it for the day. You have your assignments. I expect better work from you. Just because you’re full members doesn’t mean you don’t have to pass your exam with me.”

  They all nodded, dumping parchment into bags, and hastened out of the room.