by Dyan Chick
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 picked 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."
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 th
e 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 inside 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.