The Unbound Queen Read online

  The Unbound Queen

  A Novel of The Four Arts

  M.J. Scott

  emscott enterprises

  Contents

  Praise for M.J. Scott

  Free Sneak Peek

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Also by M.J. Scott

  Excerpt from Shadow Kin

  Praise for M.J. Scott

  The Shattered Court

  Nominated for Best Paranormal Romance in the 2016 RITA® Awards.

  “Scott (the Half-Light City series) opens her Four Arts fantasy series with the portrait of a young woman who’s thrust into the center of dangerous political machinations… Romance fans will enjoy the growing relationship between Cameron and Sophie, but the story’s real strength lies in the web of intrigue Scott creates around her characters.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  * * *

  “Fans of high fantasy and court politics will enjoy The Shattered Court. Sophie is such a great heroine...”

  —RT Book Reviews

  * * *

  The Forbidden Heir

  "This story was packed with action, political intrigue, scheming, and high stakes."

  —Alyssa - Goodreads reviewer

  * * *

  "This is a marvelous book. The world building is unique and complex. The characters are well developed and likable and there is intrigue for days. If you've read the first book in the series it only gets better in this one."

  —Lissa - Goodreads reviewer

  * * *

  “’Forbidden Heir' is a great rarity: a sequel that I liked better than the original book."

  —Margaret - Amazon reviewer

  Fire Kin

  “Entertaining…Scott’s dramatic story will satisfy both fans and new readers.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “This is one urban fantasy series that I will continue to come back to…Fans of authors Christina Henry of the Madeline Black series and Keri Arthur of the Dark Angels series will love the Half-Light City series.”

  —Seeing Night Book Reviews

  Iron Kin

  “Strong and complex world building, emotionally layered relationships, and enough action to keep me up long past my bedtime. I want to know what’s going to happen next to the DuCaines and their chosen partners, and I want to know now.”

  —Vampire Book Club

  “Iron Kin was jam-packed with action, juicy politics, and a lot of loose ends left over for the next book to resolve that it’s still a good read for series fans.”

  —All Things Urban Fantasy

  * * *

  “Scott’s writing is rather superb.”

  —Bookworm Blues

  Blood Kin

  “Not only was this book just as entertaining and immensely readable as Shadow Kin—it sang in harmony with it and spun its own story all the while continuing the grander symphony that is slowly becoming the Half-Light City story. . . . Smart, funny, dangerous, addictive, and seductive in its languorous sexuality, I can think of no better book to recommend to anyone to read this summer. I loved every single page except the last one, and that’s only because it meant the story was done. For now, at least.”

  —seattlepi.com

  “Blood Kin was one of those books that I really didn’t want to put down, as it hit all of my buttons for an entertaining story. It had the intrigue and danger of a spy novel, intense action scenes, and a romance that evolved organically over the course of the story. . . . Whether this is your first visit to Half-Light City or you’re already a fan, Blood Kin expertly weaves the events from Shadow Kin throughout this sequel in a way that entices new readers without boring old ones. I am really looking forward to continuing this enthralling ride.”

  —All Things Urban Fantasy

  * * *

  “Blood Kin had everything I love about urban fantasies: kick-butt action, fantastic characters, romance that makes the heart beat fast, and a plot that was fast-paced all the way through. Even more so the villains are meaner, stronger, and downright fantastic—I never knew what they were going to do next. You don’t want to miss out on this series.”

  —Seeing Night Book Reviews

  * * *

  “An exciting thriller . . . fast-paced and well written.”

  —Genre Go Round Reviews

  Shadow Kin

  “M. J. Scott’s Shadow Kin is a steampunky romantic fantasy with vampires that doesn’t miss its mark.”

  —#1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs

  “Shadow Kin is an entertaining novel. Lily and Simon are sympathetic characters who feel the weight of past actions and secrets as they respond to their attraction for each other.”

  —New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop

  * * *

  “M. J. Scott weaves a fantastic tale of love, betrayal, hope, and sacrifice against a world broken by darkness and light, where the only chance for survival rests within the strength of a woman made of shadow and the faith of a man made of light.”

  —National bestselling author Devon Monk

  * * *

  “Had me hooked from the very first page.”

  —New York Times bestselling author Keri Arthur

  * * *

  “Exciting and rife with political intrigue and magic, Shadow Kin is hard to put down right from the start. Magic, faeries, vampires, werewolves, and Templar knights all come together to create an intriguing story with a unique take on all these fantasy tropes. . . . The lore and history of Scott’s world is well fleshed out and the action scenes are exhilarating and fast.”

  —Romantic Times

  Wicked Games

  "Extremely engrossing book with great world building, captivating characters and a sizzling romance to top it all off. The chemistry between the protagonists is very steamy as well. I NEED the next one!."

  —Cherylyn - Amazon reviewer

  * * *

  "A little bit different to the norm in this genre. MJ Scott has written a rattling good yarn that keeps you engrossed from start to finish.."

  —Andew - Amazon reviewer

  * * *

  “’This book is a bit like Ready Player One with witches. The premise is really unique and fascinating and I fell in love with the characters. I really want the next book in the series right now…”

  —Lissa - Goodreads reviewer

  Free Sneak Peek

  Sign up to my newsletter and I’ll send you an exclusive deleted scene and bonus content from Shadow Kin, the first book in my award-nominated Half-Light City fantasy series.

  Click here to sign up.

  Copyright © 2020 by M.J. Scott

  Excerpt from Shadow Kin © 2020 by M.J. Scott

  All rights reserved.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to real people, alive or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book revi
ew.

  Published by emscott enterprises.

  Cover design by Katie Anderson.

  Created with Vellum

  For the Aussie firefighters who are awesome and brave and unflinching and all the things true heroes and heroines should be.

  And Vivienne who is also a very good egg for supporting them via the Authors for Fireys auction!

  Acknowledgments

  There were times when I thought this book was going to defeat me. But thanks to all those who kept asking me about it and those who kept telling me I could do it—you got me to the end. Big smooches to my lovely Mum and to my tireless crit gals and writer pals. And the non-writer pals for rolling with weird writer friend. Extra big smooches to Sarah Mayberry for helping me unstick the start with her brilliance.

  Once again, I have to thank Katie Anderson for her beautiful covers for this series. She is a talented talented gal!

  The last few years have been crazy and we seem to be stuck with that rollercoaster for a bit longer. Thank you also to all the writers and creators bringing some escape to our lives and I hope this book brings some escape to some of you too.

  Onwards we go…

  Deep the earth

  Its harvest life

  Bright the blood

  Sharpest in strife

  Swift the air

  To hide and fool

  False the water

  The deadly pool

  Chapter 1

  There was most likely a correct and tactful answer to give when faced with an emperor offering you a crown, but Sophie Mackenzie couldn't, at that particular moment, think of one.

  "Your Imperial Highness, you cannot expect me to answer that," she blurted, knowing, even as the words tumbled from her mouth, that it was precisely the wrong thing to say.

  The implacable expression on the face of Aristides Delmar de Lucien, Emperor of Illvya, indicated that he very much did expect her to answer the question. What's more, that he expected her to say "yes." Possibly while groveling in gratitude.

  She wanted to flee, not grovel.

  Fleeing wasn't an option. Groveling, she couldn't stomach. She focused instead on trying not to let the horror she felt show on her face as she watched Aristides to see what he might say next.

  Perhaps to him, his offer wasn't so outrageous. After all, he was an emperor. Descended from a family of conquerors and overseeing an empire that stretched across a continent. It was entirely possible that he'd grown blasé about changing the course of a life with a simple word.

  But no matter how powerful the emperor, there was one key difference here. The Anglion crown he dangled in front of Sophie was hardly his to offer.

  And it definitely wasn't Sophie's to take.

  No. Anglion had a queen—the queen Sophie had served as lady-in-waiting—and to suggest any course of action that would deny that the throne belonged by right to Eloisa was the very definition of madness. Madness Sophie had no desire to take any part in.

  The silence in the throne room stretched thin and thoughts of fleeing once again flashed through her head like lights glinting on a broken mirror. But the guards—not to mention the Imperial mages present—would stop her before she'd taken more than a few steps if she tried to run.

  Besides, she and her husband, Cameron, needed Aristides's continued friendship. They'd survived another assassination attempt tonight. The emperor had made it clear he wouldn't brook another such attempt. But if he withdrew that protection, then they would be fair game for anyone who viewed her as dangerous to try again to kill her.

  So far, it had only been Anglions who had threatened her. But she had no doubt that some of those assembled in this throne room disliked her as much as whoever it was orchestrating the Anglion attacks did. Some of them would probably be far happier if she was now down in one of the emperor's dungeons like Sevan Allowood.

  Sevan, who had tried to kill her, who'd called her a traitor. She still didn't entirely want to believe that she had become a person that others wished dead, but it was true.

  So no, she couldn't afford to offend the emperor.

  Instead she had to stand there and try to behave as though Aristides had said something perfectly reasonable while she frantically tried to work out how to avoid giving the response he clearly expected. Acid gnawed at her stomach, making it difficult to think.

  The emperor's face changed from implacable to displeased, but he didn't speak. The weight of his gaze was as heavy as the silence that had descended over the room, and Sophie had the odd sensation that she and Aristides were the only ones present who were actually breathing.

  Certainly the sound of her breath and the rise and fall of air through her lungs were almost the only things convincing her she wasn't actually dreaming this whole disastrous audience.

  "What I mean, Your Imperial Highness," she said, aiming for a tone that was polite but firm. The way that Domina Skey or Queen Eloisa or even Madame Simsa would deliver the words. None of them were women who uttered the word "no" with anything other than complete certainty that those listening would respect their wishes. "Is that I do not want the crown of Anglion." She'd never had any desire for power. She had spent most of her life so far down the line of succession—thirty-second in fact—that there had been no reason to ever contemplate such a possibility. Now that she stood dangerously high in the ranks of Anglion heirs, she still didn't want it.

  Aristides shifted his weight, straightening on his throne. "Lady Sophia, we do not always get what we wish in life."

  A ridiculous statement from a man who did get nearly everything he wanted. Should Aristides decide that a change of rule in Anglion would best benefit Illvya and the empire, then he clearly expected that she would be happy to comply.

  She doubted many people had ever won a battle of wills with Aristides, but in this situation, she had no alternative but to try. For one thing, declaring a desire for the Anglion throne could only increase the number of people who might wish her dead. She'd survived an assassination attempt in Anglion and another here in Illvya. Not to mention being left with no choice but to bond with a sanctii—a creature she had been raised to believe was a bloodthirsty demon—to protect herself.

  She'd been lucky to survive thus far. Why, in the name of the goddess, Aristides thought she would want to paint an even bigger target on her back was beyond her.

  She wanted nothing more than to be left in peace. To find a way to build a life with Cameron that didn't involve such things as assassins and political plotting. Yes, she would like to return to Anglion if she could do such a thing safely, but she had begun to accept that going home might never be possible. Exile was preferable to possible death.

  "Forgive my bluntness, Eleivé," she murmured. "You took me by surprise." If he took offense to her refusal, Aristides might well become the most immediate threat to her wellbeing.

  "Does that mean you agree?" Aristides asked.

  "It means that I need time to consider. Surely you can grant me that? There is no urgency in this matter, is there?" Granted, the messages sent from Queen Eloisa had been less than friendly, and the Anglion delegation who had carried them here had included Sevan, but that didn't equate to an immediate need for the emperor to act. At least, she fervently hoped not.

  The emperor didn't answer immediately. Her heart pounded, the beats filling each passing second in greater and greater numbers.

  [Come?] The voice in her head was rough and deep, and, for a moment, Sophie wasn't sure what she was hearing. But the faint chill that ran through her in the wake of the word made her realize it was Elarus. The only thing she could think of right now that might make this situation worse was the appearance of an overly protective sanctii.

  [No!] She hoped Elarus would hear her. The bond they'd forged was brand new, and formed in haste, and Sophie really had no idea about how to use the knowledge of water magic the sanctii had gifted her with. It was still mostly a swirling mass of words and ideas in her mind that she couldn't make head nor tail of
. She had no idea at all if she could control Elarus. Who was another reason that Aristides's proposal was nonsensical.

  In Anglion, the familiaris sanctii were feared and reviled as demons, the water magic required to bond with them strictly taboo. Anglion accepting a water mage for their queen was less likely than Sophie suddenly sprouting wings and flying back to the island nation that was her home. And Cameron's. She glanced sidelong at her husband, standing rock still, barely breathing; so fierce was the strength of his attention on the emperor.

  Years as a blood mage and a member of the Red Guard—the Anglion monarch's personal guard—had honed his instinct to protect. To fight when needed. But he couldn't fight now. She squeezed his arm and waited for the emperor to speak. Around her, the members of Aristides's court who had witnessed his offer and the attack that came before it waited also, staying silent though Aristides had proposed an action that was tantamount to war.