A pulse pushed through me and I was back on the ship, the sun beating down in an unusually clear day. Morgana tilted her head, concern squinting her eyes. “What happened?”
“I think I had a vision.”
“What did you see?”
“It was more a feeling.” I gripped the edge of the ship, sucking in deep breaths. My chest heaved as I focused on the lapping waves. “It was awful. I was in more pain than I’ve ever felt, and that’s saying something.”
“Were you hurt?”
I shook my head. “It wasn’t physical.”
She turned away from me. “Your gift is coming in more. You will need to nurture it.”
I shuddered away the lingering feeling of heartache. “You’ll need to teach me. I feel sorry for you. I’m quite the stubborn student.”
She laughed. “Just a little.”
***
Penelope, my newest lady-in-waiting, hurried off the ship with Nissa and Mai. I’d tried talking to her after Morgana and I had talked. She was nothing but polite, but she wouldn’t talk about anything that could be deemed inappropriate. Finally, giving up, I’d spent the rest of the day playing cards with Aquarius and Bella, losing quite a few coins.
The cold air circled us, and Aquarius shivered. I wrapped my fur coat around me, nuzzling into its warmth. “Thanks again for bringing us here. I wanted to let you know, you, Bella, and your crew are always welcome in Magaelor. Come, attend the shadow markets,” I said with a smirk. “Just don’t tell me about them. They’re illegal, you know.”
“They are?” He feigned surprise, then grinned. “Take care, Winter. I’ll see you again.”
I loved how informal they were, especially when everyone else wasn’t. There were only so many times I could hear “Your Majesty.”
“Don’t spend all that gold at once,” I said.
He grinned. “I could swear you were losing on purpose.”
“I’m just terrible at cards.” I chuckled. “Be safe on those waters.”
“Always am.”
I walked across the plank and landed on the pier. Blaise’s ship had already disembarked. He was waiting by his royal carriage. Unlike mine, it was a deep blue with silver finishings. The stallions were blacker than a Magaelorean night, their eyes like the stars that swept the darkness into something beautiful.
Hurrying over the uneven wooden boards, I huddled my coat. Blaise tapped the side of his carriage. Morgana had gone with my ladies, leaving us alone.
“Hey you.” He tapped the tip of my nose. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” I buried my head in his shoulder. He was wearing a silvery-gray fur coat. “Let’s get to Lepidus.”
“I kind of missed your court.”
His lip tugged at the corner. “I know.”
He helped me in, then climbed in himself. He sat next to me, despite the other seat being free. The carriage pulled off, and I leaned against him. My eyes burned with the need of slumber. I wanted to stay awake long enough to see what Morgana would say to Licia when they saw each other again, but my tiredness came in waves. My eyelids were growing heavier by the minute, and the motion from the carriage moving along the icy roads cradled me into a light slumber.
I awoke when the carriage stopped. My head was in Blaise’s lap. His hand was on my shoulder, his thumb stroking me tenderly. He was staring ahead, pain in his features. The torture behind his prolonged stare broke me. I pulled myself upright and stroked his temple, landing a kiss against the corner of his lip. “Don’t,” I said when he tried to hide the pain.
His lips parted. I silenced his next words with a kiss. Climbing over him, onto his lap, I ran my hands around his neck and over his muscular shoulders. I bit his bottom lip, running my hand through his tousled hair until the crown paused me.
“We will have the Ring any day now.” I said, resting my forehead against his. My heart pounded in sync with his, and I splayed my fingers over his chest. “You’ll never know hurt again.”
He half smiled. “It should be me making you those promises.”
“You are my forever.” I kissed his neck slowly. Between kisses, I breathed words against his skin, and he moved his head back, his eyes rolling as he closed them. “It was always you. Always. I’m your queen, Blaise. Yours.”
He rocked his hips against me, gripping me against him tightly. His fingers tangled in my hair, and the crown tumbled to the ground. He fisted my hair as he bit down on his bottom lip. “Fuck. You drive me crazy.”
Someone was at the door, pulling the handle down.
A low growl escaped him. “Leave us,” he ordered. Snow crunched under their boots as they walked away. He lowered me against the seat and traced his fingers along my thigh, his lips against my neck. “Marry me, Winter.” There was a vulnerability to his voice that made my heart skip a beat. “I want every part of you, forever. Let me rule by your side. You can trust me.”
I paused, tilting his head upward with my thumb to look into his gaze. “I know.”
“You don’t need to play hard to get.” He smirked against my collarbone as his lips brushed my skin. “You already have me.”
I was shaking. Adrenaline coursed through me. I wanted him too. Every part of him. “Ask me once the curse is broken.”
“You can count on it, my love.”
THIRTY-ONE
Blaise told me to sit on the throne I didn’t yet belong on, the throne for the queen of Niferum. I hesitated as I sat against the cold stone, looking out over the magic of the throne room. White glistened everywhere, spelled to appear as ice on the walls.
“Kiros is almost here,” he said as one of his men whispered in his ear. We’d spent the day wrapped together, not wanting to go back to our duties, but the king of Berovia arriving wasn’t something either of us could ignore.
Bile bit up my throat, and I pulled a face. I willed it away, then tensed as I sat forward. Blaise toked his cigar, making little o’s in the air.
“I’m nervous,” I said.
In an instant, his hand was on mine, resting over the arm of the throne. “You have nothing to fear. If he makes even one move to hurt you, I’ll have his head cut from his shoulders.”
My breath hitched. I didn’t know how to explain that I wasn’t anxious because of what he might do to me. I was nervous because the last time I’d seen him, I’d broken his heart. Morgana kept telling me I had nothing to apologize for, that I had been held captive and forced to marry against my will. I had only done what I needed to, to survive, but there was a clawing need to make it right, still. Xenos had been responsible for my being held captive, and while Kiros was arrogant, he reminded me of, well, me in many ways. He wasn’t bad, not like his father, and he had tried to ease my pain. I was going to make things right with him because I wanted to. I didn’t care if it made me look weak.
A guard in clothes I recognized to be from the Berovian court walked in. The doors were closed behind us. He unrolled a parchment in a dramatic display and held his hand out. His blue ring glittered, and fire erupted in the shape of a crown, then fizzled and sparked to nothing. “King Kiros of Berovia.” He projected his voice, silencing all of us who’d gathered to meet him.
I held my breath when he entered the room, followed by Cedric, Neoma, and several others from their royal court.
Kiros’s glacier-blue eyes found mine, reminding me of when we first met. His strong jaw was clenched, and his arms bulked under his gold tunic. Two rings shimmered from his fingers, but not the marriage finger. One was the sovereign ring, I was sure; the other used to channel magic. My curiosity burned again when I saw it. I had lost the nerve to ask Bella, as it went against everything I had ever stood for, but now the desire to know what elemental magic was like to practice burned brightly.
Cedric’s golden eyes flicked from Blaise to me. Blaise squeezed my hand as they all stared at me. “Welcome,” Blaise announced, not letting me go. “We’re glad to have you as guests at our court.”
Panic widene
d my eyes. Anger wavered Kiros’s tight smile, and his gritted teeth stayed hidden behind his lips, but I could tell by the curve of his jaw.
Neoma looked at me with hooded eyes. Her thick, curly black hair hung around her shoulders. She wore fishnet stockings and a black knee-length dress with red roses embroidered on it. She ran her fingers along Cedric’s shoulder as I looked from her to him.
He noticed me watching and parted his lips, then sighed.
I swallowed thickly, pulling my hand out from under Blaise’s. Entwining my fingers together, I stood. I didn’t like the elevation and walked the three steps down to face Kiros. Morgana, who was standing nearby at a table, gave me a look telling me I’d done the right thing. His gaze searched mine, and a sting of pain flashed his eyes.
My heart panged, and I licked my lips. “Kiros.” I said his name on a breath, closing my eyes for a moment. I felt terrible, and standing there reinforced it.
He just stared at me, unmoving.
“I’m sorry,” I said, not caring who heard.
His brows quivered, then furrowed. He parted his lips, but Blaise appeared at my side.
“How was your journey?” Blaise asked.
Kiros blinked twice, then turned his attention to Blaise. “Long and cold.”
I rolled my eyes to his frostbitten blond curls. “I’m glad you decided to come.” I looked over his shoulder at Cedric. “All of you.”
Cedric shook his head, giving me a hint of a smile when he looked up. He passed Kiros and pulled me into his arms. I held him tightly, not realizing until then how much I’d missed him.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he said.
I almost cried as I rested against him. “I’m glad you came.”
“I almost didn’t.”
“I know.” I pulled away and looked him up and down. “You look good.”
He glanced back. “I’m doing good.” He looked at Blaise, and his lips pressed into a hard line.
I jumped in before they could publicly tear each other down. “Perhaps we can catch up with a walk later.”
Neoma joined his side. “We would love to catch up.”
I smirked as I looked from her to Cedric. I always assumed it would hurt seeing my ex-boyfriend with someone else, but it didn’t. It was then I realized I cared for him, deeply, but it wasn’t necessarily romantic. “I’d love that.”
Cedric held his breath when someone else entered the room. He had golden hair like Cedric’s, but he was inches taller, with green eyes instead of gold, and had rougher features. He tensed when he saw me. It wasn’t until I spotted the crown hidden among his waves that I realized who I was looking at: Cedric’s brother, the light fae prince who’d killed my brother.
My heart skipped a beat. Blaise pulled me back as I instinctively moved toward him. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but anger propelled me.
“Get settled,” he said to his guests. He gripped my wrist, holding me in place. “We will meet for dinner and dancing this evening.”
Kiros looked at me, then Blaise and turned. Everyone else followed him. Cedric shot me a worried glance before leaving with his brother and Neoma. Tears trickled unwantedly as I thought of how those green eyes were probably the last thing André ever saw. Now he was stuck in the spirit realm, and I was queen. That man had altered history. He’d torn apart a family, and now he’d come for peace.
I hadn’t readied myself to meet him, but I was sure no amount of time would have prepared me to come face-to-face with André’s murderer. Blaise twirled me around and pulled me against him. “Not here, love. Let’s go to my room. You can punch and kick things there,” he said, leading me out as I wiped tears away.
***
Blaise hushed me as I watched Cedric and his brother enter the ballroom.
“I’ll kill him.”
“You promised you’d rein it in a little, love.”
I gritted my teeth. “I did, but seeing him brings it all back to the surface. He murdered André.”
He hesitated, and I placed my hand on my hip, facing him. “Say it, whatever it is you’re not saying.”
His shoulders slumped. “It was a casualty of war. I know for you it’s personal, but he was following orders.”
Tears brimmed my eyes. “Screw you, Blaise.” I turned on my heel and stomped to the entrance where two blue-suited guards stood by the arched door. Inside, snow had been magicked to fall from the ceiling but disappear before reaching the white-and-gray marbled floor. I buried my hands in the layered purple fabrics on the skirt of my dress. My beaded bodice was tight, revealing more cleavage than would be deemed appropriate at Ash Court. My eyes focused on the back of the taller brother, the murderer. He was laughing with one of the dark fae women. His wings were tucked in, but a hint of gold shimmered through.
Someone approached in my peripheral vision. Light hair, wearing a gold crown, in a suit only fit for a king in cream with gold fastenings… It was Kiros. I pulled my gaze from Cedric’s brother to the man whom I’d promised peace too. He looked me up and down and held his breath.
“Kiros.” My voice broke as his name rolled off my tongue.
“Winter.” He took my hand in his and kissed it. At least he was doing something other than stare at me like earlier. I wasn’t sure what had lessened the anger he’d had, but I wasn’t going to linger on it.
“Thank you for coming and making the journey.”
His eyes flicked down toward my chest, then back at my eyes. A flash of embarrassment pinked his cheeks. “I’m delighted to enter a new relationship with Magaelor.” His tone was drier than I remembered.
“We should talk first.” The corners of my eyes crinkled. Around us, music played, notes swirling from the violinists at the edges of the room who had burst into melody. The harpist by the door took a break and got up—to refill his drink, by the looks of things. Everyone had such colorful hair in Lepidus… greens and reds, blues and whites. It was unlike anything in either Magaelor or Berovia, and it appeared Kiros was as enchanted by the place as I was.
“No need.” He cleared his throat, taking a step back. “This is strictly political. There’s no need for sentiment or apologies.”
I shook my head slowly. “You should tell your mood that. Earlier, it looked like you wanted to take that sword”—I glanced down at the ruby-encrusted hilt—“and run it through me.”
His eyes widened, his lips parting enough to see his teeth. “I would never think such a thing of another monarch.”
“You were visibly angry at me when you saw me earlier. Let’s not pretend this is purely political. We can’t move forward with a peace treaty until you move past your hatred for me.” My fingers entwined over my skirt. “I understand you were hurt that I broke your heart.”
He winced. It was subtle but there.
“Understand, Kiros, I had no choice. I was forced to marry you. I’m sorry I led you to believe I…” I hesitated, my stomach knotting. “That I loved you, but I was trying to survive. I was a prisoner.”
He exhaled shakily. “You stood me up in front of the entire kingdom.”
I gave him an apologetic look, but he had to understand the position I had been in. “I’m sorry I hurt you. The situation I was in called for it, but I did feel guilt for doing that to you. I want you to know that.”
He cast his eyes downward, averting his gaze to his shoes or probably anywhere that wasn’t my eyes. “You were placed in an unfair situation. I wanted to protect you. My father would have killed you. I wasn’t your capturer.”
“I know,” I whispered, recalling how it had been Kiros who had brokered the marriage alliance that let me live. If he hadn’t, I’d have died in that cage. “You’re not a bad person, Kiros. I know that, and I knew it then, but you could have helped me escape.”
Unease flashed his expression. “I never thought of that.”
“I want us to move on from it. It was unfortunate it all happened the way it did, but we can try to be friends.”
He gave me a
look. “I am king, and you are a queen. We are allies, not friends.”
“You sound like the old me.” I smiled softly, and his expression changed. “I would love for us to be allies, Kiros, but friends too.”
He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword as he tapped his foot. His hair shone under the white light, and his icy-blue eyes watched me carefully. “It seems, after taking everything into account, we are even.”
“I’ll agree to that.”
“Then…” He extended his arm, still not looking at me. “Will you accompany me for a dance?”
I linked my arm with his and breathed a sigh of relief as I walked with him onto the dance floor. I still saw heartbreak in his eyes when he placed his hand an inch from mine. Our bodies barely touched, stepping around each other’s in perfect sync. “You should know, I am in love with Blaise. I always was.”
He nodded slowly. “I saw you together when I arrived and guessed as much.”
“Can you believe this court?” I switched topics, and his expression lifted a little. “It’s magical, right?”
“It’s definitely something else.”
I marveled at the high ceiling, colored in paint of blue and silver. “I must ask, why the sudden change in heart?”
“Things have not been easy back home since my father died.”
So my suspicions were correct. “You couldn’t afford a war with Magaelor.”
“Your numbers are diminished since your messy battle with your cousin anyway, so I wasn’t too concerned.”
Ouch.
“I actually need something else from you.”
“We’re starting negotiations early?”
“One of your lords has powerful connections with the firedrake wielders. I need him to convince them to call off their attacks on the castle.”
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