The Hollow Crown (Kingfountain #4)

She sensed Fountain magic coming up the stairs of the poisoner’s tower. With a thought and a wave of her hand, the book vanished. It was still there, but it was invisible and insubstantial. She rose from the chair and walked to the window, gazing down at the autumn-shrouded grounds of Kingfountain from its lofty spire. It was the highest tower in the palace. If she willed it, she could cause storms to rage down on the inhabitants. The thought made her feel smug, but she silenced it. She was not invulnerable yet. Another threat loomed. Another person she had to destroy.

The door of the tower was locked, of course, but no lock was a match for Dragan.

The thief carefully opened it and stepped inside, then shut it quietly behind himself. The illusion of invisibility sloughed off him like hunks of snow. He stood at the doorway, eyeing her with satisfaction.

“Do you have the ring?” Morwenna asked, turning around and facing him.

“I do indeed, my lady,” Dragan said slyly. “It wez worth fifty thousand before, but I’m sure it is worth more now. Interest, sez I.”

“You know I despise your disguise as an illiterate,” Morwenna said. “You play the role so often I think you’ve forgotten who you truly are. Or where you come from.”

Dragan shrugged noncommittally. “How much is it worth to you, my dear?”

“A king’s ransom, certainly,” Morwenna said with a hint of mockery. “Let me see it.”

“I knew you’d be anxious, my love,” Dragan said. He made a wave of his hand, a parlor trick really, and a gold ring seemed to appear from behind his earlobe. “This is the wedding band,” he said with a growl of disgust. “On the left hand.”

“Useless, of course,” Morwenna said, waiting in anticipation.

“Aye, and then here is the other,” he continued with a flourish, producing another ring with his other hand. “This one I couldn’t see until I tugged it off. This be the one you’re truly wanting.”

Morwenna gazed hungrily at it. “Oh yes, that’s the one. You left the decoy back in the grove?”

“I did. A hand with it as . . . a treat.”

“That’s macabre.”

“If it pleases my lady to think so,” he said with a bow. Then he wrinkled his brow with a little show of ferocity. “I thought Kiskaddon’s treasure was going to come. His daughter. I had hoped to murder her in front of him. I still owe him that pleasure.”

“I thought she would as well,” Morwenna said and then shrugged. “We often want things that do not happen. I had intended to be betrothed to Gahalatine by this point. Now I must wait a year because of foolish honor.” She was still burning with anger because of it. “You’ll get your chance, Dragan. As will I.”

“So shall I hold on to this ring, then?” Dragan said with a mocking smile. “For a year? I be thinking you’ll want it now regardless.”

“Oh, I want it,” Morwenna said with a dark smile. “And you will get what you were promised now or later. The ransom. The position. The honor.”

Dragan’s eyes narrowed with a look of cruelty and desire. “No laws. No rules.”

“None at all. The kingdom you wish for already exists. You will be one of its lords. A mighty one.”

Dragan’s grin was horrifying. “I’ll wait for it a bit longer,” he said. “And I’ll be keeping this until I get it.” He waggled the ring at her. “I put the cursed ring on the hand instead. Who do you think will wear it?”

Morwenna shrugged. “I don’t really care. I know you’ll keep that safe until I come asking for it.”

“Where did you hide Kiskaddon, my love?” Dragan grinned.

Morwenna raised her eyebrows mockingly. “You mean you don’t remember?”

The thief blinked at her, startled. “Remember?”

In her mind’s eye, she saw the oak tree thick with leaves and mistletoe with water trickling from its roots by the plinth and silver bowl. The original story was in her ancient copy of The Hidden Vulgate. She had learned of it in her first month at the poisoner school. She had learned so much after finding that vellum tome. Sometimes she fancied the book was alive.

Morwenna gave him a cunning look as she flexed her hand, feeling once again the invisible ring that was already around her finger.





AUTHOR’S NOTE

When I wrote in my note at the end of The King’s Traitor, I mentioned that I thought the children of these main characters needed a turn on stage. I saw more light farther down the tunnel. I’ve really enjoyed respinning obscure Arthurian legends into this new world. The famous Round Table of Camelot is the inspiration behind the prominent Ring Table in this book. But the idea that really ignited my imagination had to do with the character of Sir Lancelot du Lac. He was the most famous and often mysterious of the knights of the Round Table. And the thought that struck me was, What if Lancelot were a girl?

Once you tip an idea over on its head, all sorts of offshoot ideas come into play. I needed a heroine, someone who was Owen and Sinia’s daughter. She needed a weakness. She needed someone to love who couldn’t or shouldn’t love her back. The name of her character came to me as I was listening to Kate Rudd’s narration of The Queen’s Poisoner and it struck me how likely it was Owen would want to name his child after the woman who had saved his life. It all worked.

But Trynne’s character is not based on a legend. She is based on a young woman whom my wife and I have known for many years. A young woman who, through a freak accident, developed Bell’s palsy as a child. Her resiliency and courage through this trial has been a source of inspiration for me and many others. She is currently serving as a Spanish-speaking missionary for my church in Washington, DC, and won’t read this note until after she returns home again.

The world has many people who are examples and inspirations to me. And so I dedicated this book to one of them.





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My editor, Jason Kirk, always encourages me to raise the stakes. After sending him the pitch for this new series, he wrote me some very encouraging words and helped champion this idea to get it to you. There are many others who play a role in my process. I’d like to thank my sister Emily, who nearly had panic attacks each week waiting for the next installment to arrive. I’d also like to thank my wife, Gina, for helping me perfect the final scene between Trynne and Fallon. Her suggestions definitely improved it. Also, thanks to my wonderful early readers: Robin, Shannon, Karen, Travis, and Sunil. And to the amazing team at Amazon Publishing and my editors for their support: Jason Kirk, Courtney Miller, Britt Rodgers, Angela Polidoro, and Wanda Zimba. Thank you all!