by Dyan Chick
I extended my hand again catching more snowflakes and studying them. Tristan was right, the snowflakes were stunning. I knew he was also right about the way the others would react. They'd ride through, not stopping to relish the beauty of the slowly falling snow.
I looked up at Tristan again, confused by his back-and-forth behavior. One minute, he was doing something like this, being kind and sweet showing me there was a pleasant side to him. The next minute, he acted as if he didn't care about anyone. I still didn't trust him, but I had a feeling one side of him was an act. I just wasn't sure which side yet.
The others caught up to us, slowing down when they reached us. "Is something wrong?" Ethan asked. "Are you all right, Cassia?"
"I'm fine, thank you," I said.
"It's about to get very cold," Tristan said. "It's a good time to break out your cloaks before we reach the heart of the Winter Court."
No one responded to Tristan, but I watched them all reach into their saddlebags and pull out their cloaks.
"Here," Tristan said.
I turned to him to see an arm extended, with a thick gray cloak in hand. As if directed by my thoughts, my horse slowly moved closer to Tristan. I reached for the cloak, and wrapped it around myself clasping it at the neck. "Thank you." I pulled the hood over my head to keep my hair from getting soaked by the falling snow.
Tristan nodded and fastened his own cloak around himself. "Stay close. We can't afford to get lost out here." He pulled back on his reins and continued to the right this time, riding away from the rest of us.
Cormac looked at me. "You holding up all right?"
"Yes, thank you," I said.
He nodded them pulled up on his reins, following Tristan down the road.
"After you, love," Dane said extending his arm after Cormac. Ethan nodded. I knew the two of them would follow me, staying behind as they had on our previous rides together. I offered them a smile and then followed Cormac and Tristan down the road.
My cheeks burned as the cold wind whipped past us as we rode in the swirling snow. The small flakes grew larger the longer we rode, turning into fluffy clumps of flakes that stuck to my cloak and caught on my eyelashes.
First, the flakes flew off of my clothing, but the longer we rode the more of them stuck to me, melting into my clothes until the damp began to soak into my skin.
I shivered, pulling my arms closer to my sides and gripping the reins tighter. My fingers were aching, but I knew that meant I still had feeling in them. I'd learned about the dangers of the cold in the winters of the human realm, but I'd rarely experienced cold myself. On winter days when the snow came down, I was prohibited from going on rides. My minimal experience with cold only came from short walks to the stables and the time I spent caring for my horse before returning to my home to a roaring fire.
My teeth were chattering now and my ears hurt. I wondered how much longer we were going to ride in this and wondered if I should say something to the others. But I looked around and realized that even if I wanted to stop there was nowhere to go to get out of the cold.
Despite the fact that the road was well-maintained, we hadn't come across another village or set of homes. I hadn't even seen a farm since we left the small palace this morning. I wondered how long we'd been riding and searched for any sign of the sun. The white and gray snow clouds and swirling snow blocked any chances of me seeing it. I felt a little disoriented not knowing what time of day it was. With any luck, we'd be done riding soon and would be somewhere with a welcome fireplace.
A gust of wind blew the hood of my cloak off of my head and my hair blew in front of my eyes making it difficult to see. I slowed my pace, and pushed my hair away from my face before pulling my hood back over my head.
While the swirling snow certainly was beautiful, Tristan's prediction that I would enjoy the heart of the Winter Court was very wrong. There was nothing enjoyable about freezing in the middle of nowhere. Just as I was working on the willpower to ask the others to stop, I saw the hazy outline of something large in front of us.
I squinted into the distance, trying to make out the shape ahead. A few minutes longer and the outline of a massive wall came into view. I couldn't see anything beyond the wall. It was tall enough to block out whatever was behind it. I hoped it meant we were approaching a city and we'd find somewhere warm and dry to stop very soon.
The longer we rode, the sharper the wall became and I could finally see what looked like the promise of an arched entryway. Riders passed us going away from the wall, followed by a few carts and carriages. The closer we got, the more traffic passed us. Many of the riders dipped their heads as they passed Tristan, possibly recognizing his house colors.
Finally, Tristan stopped in view of the grand arched entryway guarded by several Fae wearing black leather armor. I rode up next to him, my teeth still chattering. Tristan looked over at me and frowned. "You're freezing."
I glared at him as best I could, the ice crystals clinging to my eyelashes making him blurry.
"Come on," he said. "Through the gate. I'll get you warm."
I nodded and silently followed him toward the gate. As he approached, some of the guards who were slouching or leaning against the wall straightened and stood at attention. They lowered their heads in a bow as Tristan rode through the gate.
I followed behind him, the guards leaving their head lowered as I passed by, no doubt thinking I was part of his household due to the clothes he’d dressed me in. I wanted to look back and check to make sure the others were safely through the gate as well, but I was too cold at this point to make unnecessary movements. Once we were through the gates, Tristan stopped and dismounted handing his reins off to a few young Fae waiting in the corner. I wondered if they worked for him or if they were just part of the hospitality of wherever we were.
Tristan came alongside my horse and offered his hand to me. I was too cold to even consider if what I was doing was a good idea and I let him help me climb down from the horse. My legs buckled as soon as I hit solid ground and before I could fall, Tristan swept me up in his arms. He pulled me close to him, and I buried my head into his warm chest, surprised that he wasn't as frozen as me.
"Perhaps you're not a Winter Fae after all," Tristan whispered near my ear.
My teeth chattered as I burrowed my head farther into his warmth, unable to respond. If his warmth was typical of Winter Fae, I most certainly wasn't one. The cold of the heart of the Winter Court felt like it had penetrated my soul. I wondered if I'd ever feel warm again.
Tristan pulled me closer and continued walking. I wasn't sure where he was taking me, but at this point I had to hope his intentions were pure. A few heartbeats later, we were inside of a building and Tristan set me on a bench. My fingers tingled as the warmth began to thaw my icy limbs. "Where are we?" I managed through chattering teeth.
"Safe. This is another house my family owns." Tristan started removing the laces from my boots and pulled them off one by one. Then he removed the cloak and the vest. "Can you walk?"
My teeth were no longer chattering and the snow ice crystals had melted off of my eyelashes. I wiped the moisture from my face with the back of my hand and looked up at him. "I think so."
He extended a hand and I took it, rising on unsteady legs. This time, I was able to take cautious steps without falling.
"There's a warm bath waiting for you upstairs, it will help get the last of this cold out."
I nodded. "Thank you."
He opened the door to a room where there was indeed a bath waiting in the center of the carpet. Steam rose from the large tub and I could already imagine what it would feel like to step my ice cold toes into the warm water.
"Do you need help undressing?"
I looked at Tristan, ready to make a snap comment, but he didn't look like he was mocking me. He was being genuine. Once again, showing me the nice side of him.
"No, thank you. I can manage."
Tristan backed away from me, toward the door. Pausing insi
de the threshold, he inclined his head. "Let me know if you need anything."
"Can you let the others know I'm here? That I'm safe?" I asked.
A split second frown crossed his face but he nodded. "I'll let them know. They're likely already waiting for us downstairs." He closed the door behind him and I heard his footsteps fade as he walked away from the room. Alone, and still recovering from the cold, I slowly peeled my clothes off, finding it more difficult than I expected with my sore joints. Finally free of the wet clothing, I inched my way to the warm water.
I dipped a toe into the steaming water, then stepped in. The feeling of pins and needles breaking my skin claimed the submerged foot. Powering forward, I stepped in with the other foot and clenched my teeth against this stinging of the water against my frigid skin. A few deep breaths later, and the pain subsided.
Slowly, I eased myself in until I was submerged up to my chest.
As I sat there, the warm water eased the chill that had seeped into my bones. I took a deep breath and sank all the way under the water feeling my nose and cheeks and ears stinging in protest at the contrast of hot and cold.
I came up for air and wiped the water away from my eyes and immediately screamed. A figure clad head to toe in black had one leg over the open window across from me and was pulling itself into the room.
I covered my chest with my arms and screamed again, backing into the edge of the tub. The figure charged me and panic surged through me. Before I could decide how to react, someone else came storming into my room through the door and charged my would-be assailant.
I heard running and the sound of fists making contact with bodies and watched the tangle of the two figures fighting on the floor. It took me a moment to realize my rescuer was Dane, who now had the upper hand. He knocked a weapon from my attacker before landing a blow across the assailant's jaw.
Someone draped something across my shoulders and I turned to see Ethan.
"Come on, let's get you out of here," he said as he gently lifted me out of the water. He dragged me away from the fight, wrapping a robe around me.
I couldn't tear my eyes away from Dane who was still fighting the mysterious stranger. "We have to help him."
I wasn't sure if I was even saying the words out loud as I struggled against Ethan.
"It's okay," he said. "You're safe, I've got you."
"Dane," I said. "We have to help him."
"Dane can take care of himself," Ethan said.
Just then, Cormac and Tristan ran into the room, the two of them pulling the black clad figure away from Dane. Cormac lifted my attacker and slammed him against the wall. "Who sent you?"
Tristan ripped the mask off of the figure's face and I gasped as I stared at a female who was glaring down at the princes with nothing but malice in her gaze.
"Who sent you?" Cormac repeated.
Something silver glinted in the light, catching my eye. She pulled a knife from somewhere on her person and was turning it in her hand toward Cormac. "Cormac! Look out!" I shouted.
She jabbed a knife at Cormac but Tristan wrestled it out of her grip before she made contact with anyone.
In a movement so fast I hardly saw it happen, Tristan sliced the woman's throat and tossed the knife aside. The dying Fae gripped her neck as blood surged through her fingers and ran down the dark clothing.
My knees gave way and Ethan eased me to the ground. I turned to him, not wanting to look at the gruesome scene anymore. Ethan cradled me in his arms, whispering words that should've brought me comfort.
Only right then all I could think of was blood everywhere and the dead, empty eyes of a female who had broken into the room I was alone taking a bath in. I'd had no weapon and I was completely unguarded.
My fear gave way to anger as I considered the events leading up to the attack. I'd followed Tristan in here blindly and he led me to this room and told me to take a bath. I'd been separated from my princes, cut off from my protectors and left alone and vulnerable. To top it all off, Cormac suspected that Tristan might try something.
I pushed away from Ethan and stood, wrapping the robe tighter around me. The bottom of the robe was soaking wet from the water of the tub, but the top was dry enough to at least give me some warmth.
Tristan and Cormac were in the corner standing over the body. Cormac leaned down and seemed to be checking the dead Fae for any identifying markers. Tristan straightened and turned toward me as I approached. "Did she hurt you, Cassia?"
Jaw tense, I marched over to him and slapped him across the face.
He touched his hand to his cheek and stared down at me in disbelief. "What was that for?"
"Was that you're doing?" I pointed to the dead Fae covered in her own blood. "Did you set me up? Is there some reason you want me dead?"
Color drained from Tristan's face and he shook his head slowly. "How could you think that of me? Everything I've done has been to help you." He turned and glared at Cormac. "This is your doing, isn't it? I try to help, and you poison her against me."
"How did she know that Cassia would be in here alone?" Cormac asked.
"Don't you think that if I wanted Cassia dead I would've done it myself on the first night while she slept in my palace?" Tristan asked. "You know me well enough to know that I handle my own dirty work. I don't pawn it off on others."
His words sent a shiver of guilt through me followed by shame for the accusation. He was right, he could've killed me easily many times.
Cormac leaned down and touched one of the buttons on the assassin's jacket, then he stood. "You're right, Tristan. I apologize."
Two soldiers walked into the room, then raced past me when they saw the body on the floor. They stopped in front of Tristan and bowed. One of them pointed his drawn sword toward the fallen figure. "How did she get in? We have guard station on every entrance!"
"She came in through the window," I said, pointing toward the curtains blowing in the icy winter breeze.
"That's impossible, all the windows are sealed," the soldier said.
"Then we have a traitor," Tristan said. "I need to meet with the captain of the guard. The rest of the house needs to be in lock down. Nobody move that body. Nobody in or out of this room, you got that?"
The two guards nodded. "Yes, Your Grace."
Tristan took a couple of steps toward me and paused to look me up and down. "You hurt?"
Shook my head, too embarrassed to speak.
"Good." Tristan walked away from me, followed by Cormac and Dane.
The look of betrayal in his expression made my heart feel like part of it had just shattered.
Deep down, I knew Tristan didn't want to hurt me. And all the questions I had about which side of his personality was authentic, seem to be growing into sharper focus. I wondered how much the cocky playboy was a mask to prevent him from being hurt again. Much in the same way that Cormac didn't let anyone get close, Tristan didn't want anyone to know deep down, he was brave, caring, and loyal. My lower lip trembled and I fought back against the tears. I made a mistake and I wasn't sure I'd be able to fix it.
Chapter Ten
"Cormac and Dane are going to keep a very close eye on Tristan," Ethan said. "I'll stay with you."
I was glad for his company, but it didn't help to ease the guilty feeling about Tristan. "This wasn't Tristan's doing, was it?"
Ethan hesitated and I turned to look at him, curious about his expression. His lips were pursed and he looked like he was considering his words carefully. "I'm not sure. But I tend to give the benefit of the doubt and in the past, it's gotten me in trouble."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"When you look for the good in others, you'll find it. When you look for the bad, you'll find it. We're all a mixture of both. It's simply a matter of how you choose to act on your impulses."
"Are you saying you look for the good and ignore the bad?" I asked.
He shrugged. "I have on occasion."
"Whereas Cormac seems to look for the bad,
" I said. There was something sad about that, always looking at others as if they were going to let you down. Constantly waiting for them to betray you. I had trouble trusting, but not to that extreme. On the other hand, Ethan seemed to exist in a too perfect world, ignoring the fact that there were too many who could turn on you in favor of their own agendas.
"He didn't used to," Ethan said. "Cormac has a talent for reading creatures: animals and Fae alike. He used to be more even in his assessments. As time passes, he seems to err on the side of the bad rather than give someone a second chance."
"Because of what Tristan did?" I asked.
He shook his head. "He'd probably have forgiven Tristan if it weren't for Angela."
I sighed, knowing I wasn't going to get any more of that story. I'd been told before that it was Cormac's to tell and there was no way he was going to share that with me.
A gust of wind blew in through the still open window and I shivered. Pulling the robe tighter around me I realized I never thanked Ethan for being so thoughtful. If it had been up to Dane or Cormac or even Tristan to pull me out of the tub, I knew I'd still be naked. "Thank you," I tugged on the robe, "for pulling me out of the water and then keeping me warm."
"You're not warm anymore," Ethan said. "Come on, I'm sure we can find you something dry to wear in this place."
I tugged the robe tighter around me as I followed Ethan out of the room. Once in the hallway outside, I stopped walking and looked back at the still open window. "Should we close that?"
Ethan crossed in front of me and walked back into the room, passing the body of the fallen Fae, to the window. After he closed the glass pane, I heard a snap as a latch must have slid into place but I wasn't watching him. I was fixated on the dead Fae. "Why did they leave her there? Shouldn't they do something?"
"Tristan likely called his lead guard who will want to see the scene untouched," Ethan said. "I imagine they'll be here any minute."