Free Prince by Blood and Bone: A Fantasy Romance of the Black Court (Tales of the Black Court) by Jessica Aspen Page B

form?” Haddon asked. “Is he free? Has he managed to work any magic? Any magic at all besides that ridiculous fire spell you reported a few years ago?”
    Beezel stood, taking back the sheet of vellum in his quivering grasp. The quill snapped in his trembling grip, but the page boy had foreseen the dilemma and had brought more than one. Ah, the boy was smart, too. Haddon gave him an approving look, and the naive child smiled back.
    The gnome wrote out his answers and handed them over.
    “Tell me.” The queen’s eyes whirled and Haddon flinched.
    Despite his pleasure in her increasing insanity, despite the fact that his power increased with every fit she pitched and every courtier she killed, he still did not want to tell her this news. She would be out of control, and he didn’t have his power base ready yet for the take-over. If she lost it too badly, one of the other monarchs could come in and take over, and he would be back at the bottom of the heap again. He had no friends at the other courts, only enemies.
    “Tell me!” the queen demanded. Her long, black nails dug into the wood of the throne. The moon-white skulls swinging around her neck clattered together, their teeth chattering as they struck.
    He had no choice. He cleared his throat. “Your son has managed to obtain a witch. The gnome thinks she’ll be the one to undo the spell.”
    “How could that happen? Did he manage to leave Cairngloss?”
    “Gnome?”
    Beezel scratched some more words.
    “Kian used witches magic to breach your wards. They haven’t foiled the curse yet, but we should come up with a plan.”
    “Kill her. Kill the witch.” She panted. The mist that harbingered her changes began to rise, and Haddon rushed to find a solution. He’d kept the Crone, the queen’s worst and most dangerous aspect, from appearing for the last five years. He had to keep her from appearing now. The Crone was not insane, not crazy with emotion. The Crone was something worse. A true psychopath, without anger, without remorse. If she came out, she’d torture any and all, including him, until they gave up their secrets. And if the Crone found out what he’d done, all would be lost.
    “My queen,” he said, stroking her forearm, soothing the mist away. “Now that he knows this works, he’ll just obtain another one. It’s better if we think of something else. We need more eyes and ears on the prince than this sniveling creature.”
    She half-rose from her seat. “He’s going to win! I can’t have him win.”
    To any listening ears it would sound like the queen talked of her son, but Haddon heard the desperation under her words and knew she spoke of someone else.
    “I can take care of it.” He lowered his voice so that only she could hear. “You will have the prince’s power, and once you have it you will be able to take on the Gold King, but you must wait and let me take care of things in the meantime. Don’t I always take care of everything?”
    She nodded. She settled back, but her eyes still whirled, violet maelstroms that could suck him down forever. He pulled a jewelry box out from his pocket and opened it, pulling out a gold locket.
    “Give this to the witch. Make sure she takes it and wears it.” He’d been saving this particular item for something else, but this was a desperate moment. He would not lose everything now because of a spoiled prince.
    “How can I do that, My Lord? She doesn’t trust me,” the gnome whined.
    “You won’t have to do a thing. As soon as she sees it, it will draw her in. It has two spells on it. The first will lead her to her heart’s desire. That will take her away from the prince.” Until the queen was completely under his control, Prince Kian must stay locked up. “You keep the box. It will enable you to track the locket. That way you’ll be able to make sure she stays far from the Prince.”
    Beezel bowed.
    Haddon waved the stinking gnome away. He’d had enough of gnomes, in fact, he was ready to