by Dyan Chick
I lowered my hand and looked up at Cormac. "What can I do to help?"
"First, don't tell anyone about this," he said. "Second, keep letting Tristan think he has a chance with you."
"What?" I stepped away from Cormac, furious. "You want me to, what, flirt with him? Throw myself at him?"
Cormac's face turned as red as a beet and his eyes widened. "No, that's not what I want at all."
Crossing my arms over my chest again, I stared back at the Autumn Prince. "What then?"
"You turned down his offer to share his bedchamber, so he knows he's not getting into your bed," Cormac said.
"Of course he's not," I said.
"I want him to think he has your support. That you'll stand up for him as part of the party on our visit to the Queen."
My brow furrowed. "That's it?"
Cormac nodded.
I dropped my arms to my side. "I can do that. Now, show me how to do this cycling thing so we can get out of here. The faster we leave this freezing wasteland, the better."
"I agree completely." Cormac walked to the center of the open space, then turned to face me. "Time for you to find the pinnacle of your power. If we can at least get you to isolate that today, we'll be in a position to work on cycling."
"Alright," I said, following him to the middle of the empty stockyard. I stopped and shook out my hands, trying to force myself to relax. Cormac's reasons for taking the scenic route to the Queen's Palace made sense and I wanted to show him that I was taking the threat seriously. Him opening up to me made me feel a surge of loyalty and could see why Dane and Ethan followed him so blindly. He might not always explain his reasons, but if he had a track record of making the right choices, it made sense that they wouldn't argue with him. Neither of the other males seemed to want the position of authority and preferred to follow. I wasn't keen on that but I'd help support an important cause.
Taking a deep breath in, I closed my eyes, settling in the most relaxed position I could get into while standing here in the cold. Ignoring the shivers, I kept my arms by my side, fingers spread wide.
"Clear your mind, try to let go of all your other thoughts. Focus on your magic," Cormac said.
I clenched my jaw, wanting to yell at him that I didn't exactly know what my magic felt like. But before I could say anything, I realized I did know. I'd been feeling it for a while. The clawing sensation inside me that threatened to rip me in two if I didn't let it free had to be my magic. It usually only showed up when I was in danger.
"It might take a while to find it, but it's there," Cormac said.
I opened my eyes and raised my eyebrows. "It's difficult to clear my mind with you talking."
"Right," he said, a slight pink flush rising on his neck.
I smirked, wanting to say something about the blush, but I knew it was time to work. Closing my eyes, again, I felt a smile tugging at my lips as I recalled Cormac's brief embarrassment. I was sure he wouldn't appreciate being told how adorable it made him look.
Internally, I chided myself for letting my mind wander to Cormac when I was supposed to be thinking of nothing. The problem was, when you needed to shut off your thoughts, everything else went into overdrive. A hundred things seemed to buzz inside my head: A Sodalis chasing me on my wedding day, standing nearly naked in front of Ethan on the road, tumbling in between the sheets with Dane, and Cormac standing in a river with water dripping down his sculpted chest. I bit down on the inside of my cheek, trying to send the thoughts away, especially the vision of Cormac that had never happened. I was either fantasizing or seeing the future again. Neither would surprise me considering the fact that I was standing alone with the male, breathing in the faint scent of citrus and cedar.
Pushing the thoughts of the princes and monsters from my mind, I took another deep breath and focused on how I was feeling. My shoulders were tight and a little sore. My hips hurt from all the time spent on horseback or from all the time spent in bed. My thighs were a little sore from use, but it was a good feeling. As I went through an internal inventory of my body, I noticed a flicker in my gut that didn't feel right. Focusing on the feeling, I realized it resembled a less intense version of the clawing I'd grown to associate with my magic. Mentally, I tugged on the feeling, pulling at it to see where it would take me. A moment later, a flash of light that I could see through my closed eyes appeared and I was knocked to the ground.
Slowly, I opened my eyes and pushed myself up to sitting.
Cormac was bent over laughing. Through gasps of air, he said, "Looks like you found it."
I picked up a loose pile of dirt off the ground and tossed it at him. "Thanks for the warning."
He stood, shoulders still shaking as he chuckled. "To be fair, not everyone has that kind of reaction."
I stood and brushed the dirt off my trousers then put my hands on my hips. "Why does it feel like you thought I would?"
No longer laughing, but still wearing a smile, Cormac walked over to me. "It tends to have a stronger reaction for those with stronger magic. So it would make sense for it to happen to you." He brushed some dirt off of my back, his chest right up against my shoulder.
A different kind of flutter filled my chest and I pulled away from him, startled. Last time I felt like we'd connected, we'd been interrupted seconds later by Tristan.
Cormac lowered his hand and for a moment, a look of hurt flashed in his eyes, but it was gone nearly as fast as it appeared. He cleared his throat. "Well, that was successful. You've found your magic and now you know how it reacts to you reaching for it. We can do a few more exercises tonight when we stop to rest."
"That's it?" I asked.
"What else are you looking for?" he asked.
My heart thumped against my ribcage and I wanted to scream at him. What else was I looking for? I wanted him and he knew it. But he'd never make a move on me. He was going to make me work for it. I frowned, not in the mood to share my feelings first. "Nothing."
"Well, then, we better get going," he said, already walking away from me. "We've got a long ride ahead of us."
Chapter Eight
When we returned to the small palace, Kai was waiting for us in the entryway. "His Grace has provided riding clothes for all of you and if you wish, a warm bath can be sent to your room."
I straightened in response to the offer of a bath.
"No time for baths," Cormac said.
I frowned. "We're going to see a Queen, shouldn't we be clean?"
"Yes, you should," Cormac said. "But you'll just find yourself covered in dust by day's end so it's a waste of time and water right now." He turned to Kai. "Please ask your master to ready the horses."
Kai inclined his head slightly, his jaw tense. "As you wish.”
I could tell Kai wasn't thrilled to be get getting orders from Cormac, but it seemed that Cormac's status followed him to the Winter Court.
I was ready to leave the Winter Court behind, but I wasn't happy about skipping the offered bath. Baths were glorious. Especially the last one I had with Ethan.
As if he could tell what I was thinking, Cormac shook his head and walked away from me. "Dress, we leave as soon as the horses are ready."
Cormac stormed off. Things were back to normal between us. I sighed and turned to Kai. "I don't exactly have a room."
"Aren't you with your mate, Dane?" he asked.
"Um." I wasn't sure how to answer that and a rush of guilt washed over me. I'd mostly shared Dane's room to avoid being so close to Tristan last night. I didn't regret a single second I'd spent with him, but I realized now that I hadn't made the decision rationally. I'd made the decision to go to him out of anger and the yearning of my loins. My cheeks heated. "He's not my mate."
"I see," Kai said. "Tristan will be pleased to hear that."
"It's not really any of his business," I said.
Kai shrugged. "Perhaps."
"Dane's room?" I asked again by way of ending the conversation.
Kai nodded.
&nb
sp; I didn't stick around to see if he had anything else to say. Pausing in front of Dane's door, I knocked quietly before entering.
"Come in," Dane called.
I stepped into the room to a half-naked Dane and instantly turned away from him.
"It's not like you haven't seen it before, love," he said.
Dane was next to me now, his large hands on my upper arms. He kissed my cheek. "Those human habits you have are adorable."
He let go of me and I heard him walk away. I spun around, feeling foolish. Why had I turned away from him? Just a few hours ago, we'd been naked together. He likely knew every inch of my skin. Probably better than I did myself.
I glanced at the bed we'd shared and saw a pile of neatly folded clothes. All white and gray again as had become typical of everything Tristan offered.
Dane was wearing dark gray trousers and was pulling a lighter gray tunic over his head.
"I'm guessing these are Tristan's house colors." My mother growing up had been obsessed with our house colors. Her entire wardrobe reflected them. She'd grown up poor and throughout her marriage to my father, she'd gained wealth for the first time in her life. I don't even think her family had bothered to identify house colors when she was growing up. I always thought it was rather silly, but the simple act of wearing navy and ivory made her so happy I never argued it. "How do you feel about wearing them?"
He shrugged. "Doesn't matter. All clothes pretty much look the same once they're covered in dirt or blood."
I wrinkled my nose, not wanting to think about any of us covered in blood again. There had been too much of that on our travels prior to our arrival. "Do you think we have to worry about that again?" My voice wavered, showing my fear.
Dane's brow furrowed and he crossed the room to me, pulling me into an embrace. "No, love." He stroked my head. "No monsters this time."
I pulled slightly away from him so I could look up in his clear blue eyes. "How do you know? Cormac says my magic attracts them. I almost lost Ethan. I can't bear to think of what might happen if more of those creatures break through. I can't lose any of you."
"You won't," Dane said. "We've all dealt with worse than the Sodalis and we're all still here."
I buried my face into his chest, savoring the warmth and comfort of his embrace. When I was with any of the males, I felt safe and comfortable. I felt like I was home even in the middle of the Winter Court. I breathed in Dane's scent one more time before pulling away from the hug. "We should get ready to go."
Dane let go, but I could tell there was reluctance to do so. Could it be that the connection I felt toward him was mutual? I figured anything with Dane was going to be short lived based on his reputation. While I wasn't sure he'd ever settle down with anyone, including me, it was surprising to think that maybe he had real feelings for me beyond sex.
With that confusing thought in mind, I walked over to the bed and changed into the new clothes. They were thicker than what I was currently wearing. My trousers were dark gray and lined with something soft and thick. The tunic was white and thick like wool, trimmed in silver thread. A gray vest, lined with fur was left to go over the long sleeved tunic. I pulled the vest over the tunic, then sat on the edge of the bed to tug my boots back on.
The door swung open and Tristan stood in the door frame, his hand over his eyes. "You two decent?"
I grabbed a pillow off the bed and threw it at him.
He laughed and dropped his hand, then threw the pillow back at me.
I caught it. "We're just changing."
"Well, you might want to make your way to the stables. Cormac is getting restless," he said.
"And he sent you to fetch us?" Dane asked, eyebrow raised.
"Oh no, I sent myself. Thought I might be able to interrupt." Tristan smiled wide, showing his sharp canines.
I closed my eyes and let out a slow breath. Two more days. Tristan had a good side, I'd seen it, but it seemed after my rejection, he was back to being a cocky ass. I was looking forward to saying goodbye to him after we reached the Queen's Palace. That was, if nothing else happened along the way. My stomach twisted into knots and I recalled the conversation with Cormac. If Tristan was attempting something, he hadn't let on so far. But I trusted Cormac and if he believed his informant, I knew I had to be careful around Tristan. He couldn't be trusted.
Dane offered his hand and I took it and stood. Without a word, the two of us walked out of the door, Tristan still holding it open for us.
I kept close to Dane as we walked out of the small palace toward the stables. Tristan walked alongside me, opposite of Dane, who was still holding my hand.
"You're going to see the heart of the Winter Court today, Cassia," Tristan said. "You might even find that you enjoy it."
"I doubt it," I said. "So far, the Winter Court has been cold, and inhospitable."
Tristan smirked, as if he knew I was talking about him more than the landscape. "You might be Winter Fae, you know. This could be your home," he said.
"It doesn't feel like home," I said.
"We'll see how you feel after today." He picked up the pace and walked ahead of us toward the stables.
Cormac was already there, holding the reins of two horses. As I approached, he held out the reins of one of the horses for me. "Do you need help?"
As much as I didn't want to ask for help, the horses of the Winter Court were too large for me to climb onto easily. I nodded.
I yelped as Cormac grabbed hold of my waist and lifted me with ease. That wasn't what I expected, but it was efficient. Quickly, he mounted his own horse. "Try to keep up," he called behind him. Then he looked over at me. "Ready?"
I smiled. He knew I could keep up. "Ready."
The two of us rode out onto the road, not waiting for the others to follow. I didn't care if he knew where he was going. I didn't care where we were going. The wind in my hair, the freedom of riding sent joy surging through me. Cormac glanced over at me and he looked just as happy as I felt. This was something the two of us shared: Our love of riding. Out here, on the open road, I felt like Cormac and I had an understanding, a connection that I didn't have with the others. This was how he communicated with me and for the first time, I truly felt like Cormac cared about me. I felt warm all the way to my core. How had I gone from unwanted bride-to-be to having the affection of three Fae princes? Even with the risk of monster attacks, I wouldn't change this for all the gold in the world.
Chapter Nine
The wind whipped through my hair as we continued down the well cared for pink and gray cobblestone road. All the roads I'd been on in the Winter Court so far, had the same flat stones on them rather than the depressed dirt roads of the Autumn Court. They seemed more luxurious covered in stones and I wondered if someone like Cormac would see it as a waste. He didn't seem the type to slow down and appreciate beauty.
The sky was a steely gray, and in the distance, I saw the outline of a watery sun. I wondered if it was like this all the time in the Winter Court or if they had days where they got real sunshine. One of these days, I might be able to start asking all of the questions that came to mind.
The farther we rode, the colder it seemed to get. Up until today, I hadn't felt this kind of temperature drop. My cheeks stung as the wind continued to whip around me and my fingers were starting to feel cold through the gloves. Cold seeped into my arms and legs, but thankfully, my chest was warm enough thanks to the extra layer of the fur-lined vest.
Cormac slowed his horse as we neared a fork in the road and I slowed mine to match his pace. As had become our habit while riding, Cormac and I took the lead while the others followed behind us.
"We'll need to wait for Tristan," Cormac said. It's been so long since I've been in the Winter Court, I'm afraid my directions are rusty."
Tristan seemed to know why we slowed down, and a moment later, he appeared next to me, slowing enough to wink at me as he passed by. He didn't stop to wait for instruction or engage in conversation. Instead, Tristan pick
ed up the pace, surprisingly leaving both Cormac and I in the dust as he took the left fork in the road.
Tristan's increased pace felt like a challenge. I straightened in the saddle, and followed him to the left. As I rode, Tristan gained more distance on me. If I wanted to catch him, I'd need to go faster. I leaned down, and clicked my tongue, urging my horse to catch the Winter Prince ahead of us.
I heard Cormac call something after me as I pushed forward to catch up to Tristan. I glanced behind me, surprised to see that Cormac hadn't increased his pace to keep up with me. Suddenly, nervous flutters filled my stomach as the space between Cormac and I widened. At the rate I was going, I'd be alone again with the Winter Prince.
I shook my head, and refocused on the road ahead of me. Tristan hadn't done anything to harm me and Cormac wasn't that far behind. Besides, the thrill of riding this fast won over anything else. Cormac knew that better than anyone. I pressed on, ignoring the stinging of my cheeks as the wind rushed past me, enjoying the sense of freedom and the taste of the fresh air as I made my way down the road.
Ahead, Tristan had stopped at another fork in the road. How he’d gotten so far ahead of me, I wasn't sure, but I intended to catch up to him. As I approached, I slowed my horse, stopping next to him. Breathing heavy, I looked around and was just about to ask Tristan what he was doing when I noticed snowflakes gently falling from the sky.
Small, perfectly shaped white flakes landed on my shoulders and in my hair and on my nose. I leaned my head back to look into the steely sky, watching the flakes as they fell. I extended a hand and let tiny snowflakes cover my black riding glove. I could see the details of each one, different and delicate and cut like little stars that sparkled in the faded light of the winter sun.
"I thought you might like this," Tristan said.
I looked over at him and dropped my hand. "The snow?"
Tristan nodded. "I told you, we're going to the heart of the Winter Court today. The closer we get, the more of winter you'll see. This is the point where the snow begins to fall and I knew the others would race right through it without stopping to look at its beauty. I had a feeling you would appreciate it."