He reached out, but then dropped his hand. “Please, be careful about what you say at court.” His magic wavered. I had gotten so used to it that it had faded to background noise until now. An image of a boy running toward his mother and father flashed through my mind. I blinked. Where had that come from? Nathan’s eyes were glassy like he was lost in memory. Had he let his walls down and allowed me to read his mind? Or was my ability to do telepathy developing?
“Where are your parents?” I blurted.
Nathan faced one of the fountains. “They died a long time ago.”
I stepped next to him. “How?” but even as I said it, I already knew the answer.
“War is brutal. Nerissa and I are lucky the royal family took us in and trained us from a young age.”
My chest ached for Nathan and Nerissa. How old had they been when they had lost their parents in the war? “I’m so sorry, Nathan. Was it the Winter fae?”
“Yes.” Nathan fell silent.
The safe path would be to drop the topic, but I couldn’t. I needed to understand how Nathan’s mind worked, and I needed him to understand that not all Winter fae were alike. “I bet a lot of fae in both courts never wanted a war,” I said gently. “Even vampires who are known for their bloodlust have a few good ones. I met a vampire once who helped free some fae.”
Nathan faced me, eyes wide. “He did?”
“Yes.” I would not offer details and inadvertently out Onyx or Thorsten. “War is awful. We don’t need to lose any more people. What if the Summer Court and the Winter Court could come to a treaty? Isn’t it best if we avoided another war that would cost more lives?”
Nathan’s jaw tightened as his mask went back up. “It’s not that easy. War strategy is complex.” And just like that he once again dismissed me.
But before I could give him a piece of my mind, a terrified scream rang out from the main courtyard.
13
Nathan pulled out a glinting, long, crystal sword from his bejeweled scabbard. I stared at the weapon for a few beats as other fae around me drew their daggers and bows, while others had vines spring from fingers. Drinks clanked to the ground, and glass shattered. It was a brutal awakening. I had done my best to ignore the danger until now. I’d lost myself in a fantasy, hoping the media and fitting in could be the worst of my worries.
But as Nathan broke into a run, Caleb joining him, I could no longer keep my head under the sand. I took off after the High Commander, Peony by my side. A rushing river of people headed to the main courtyard and even if I wanted to turn back, there was no pushing against the throng.
“What happened?” I wheezed, not slowing my tempo.
“I have no idea,” Peony panted.
We reached the main courtyard to find that King Peter had finally made an appearance. The crowd had parted around him, forming a ring, and stilled. In front of him, two fae kneeled, their bodies bound by thick, green vines that had risen from between the cobblestones. Those weren’t just any fae, but Winter fae, evident by their crushed blue wings and black-and-cobalt uniforms.
“How dare you teleport right in front of my castle?” King Peter boomed as the vines around their bodies tightened and the golden leaves on his crown curled.
“Your Majesty,” a female fae with jet black hair and a muscular build began, ignoring the vines digging into her wrists and torso. “I am Sela Snow, and I have come with a truce offering from the Winter Court.”
The Summer Court collectively let out a gasp and then broke out into whispers, but one glare from King Peter silenced them all.
Nathan sheathed his weapon, but kept his posture tense. He was ready to spring into action should King Peter order him. His silver eyes had turned to steel, and he was once again the High Commander.
“Is that so?” King Peter stepped forward as did Caleb and Nathan, who flanked him, while six more guards hovered nearby. It all seemed over the top given that the two Winter fae were in vine chains, but I supposed that since they’d been able to enter the Summer castle through a portal, so could more Winter warriors.
King Peter opened his mouth, slowly turning to face us all and flashing a terrifying smile. “The Winter Court is offering a truce after my son disappeared mysteriously, and the Winter king himself banished my daughter to the wastelands!”
Sela nodded, steely even though one motion from the Summer king would send her head rolling. “With King Olwen vanishing into the wastelands, his daughter, Princess Onyx Vinter has taken over. She hopes we could work out a truce and is asking for permission to enter the Summer Court with her guards.”
I struggled to keep my expression neutral and my jaw from falling. Onyx was planning to enter the dragon’s den. Was she insane? Didn’t she realize that King Peter would put her through the most torturous death once he discovered that she had killed Preston?
Around me, the Summer fae exploded into loud whispers.
“Outrageous!”
“How dare she?”
“I wouldn’t mind taking a look at this Winter princess.”
“Silence,” King Peter growled. He stepped toward Sela, ignoring the male guard next to her completely, then lifted her chin, his grip digging into her flesh. “I am King Peter Kallan. I do not negotiate with princesses.”
My throat dried. King Peter wanted a war, that much was clear. He ached to decimate the Winter Court.
Sela smiled. How she could do so was beyond me. “Then, it’s a good thing that Princess Onyx will soon be crowned queen.”
King Peter narrowed his eyes. “Do not tell lies, foolish Winter warrior! You want me to believe that the Winter Court is putting a clueless teenager on the throne in King Olwen’s absence?”
“I cannot lie.”
King Peter balked and worked his jaw, unable to come up with a retort because there wasn’t one. Finally, he said, “You must be mistaken. Your court will never allow a half-fae from Earth to be crowned.”
The King had heard of Onyx, then. Did he suspect the role she played in Preston’s death and in Petra’s banishment? I winced and cleared my mind. While Nathan had said that telepathy didn’t equal mind-reading, I was afraid I had practically shouted my worries for everyone to hear. I had to be more careful.
“I have the letter with me to prove how serious we are about crowning Princess Onyx queen. It is signed by all six generals,” Sela said with dignity, and I filed this information away. It seemed like the Winter Court was a bit more progressive. From what I understood, King Peter only used his generals to boss them around.
King Peter snorted, but stepped back, then jerked his head into Caleb’s direction.
“Get me this letter.” He spoke to Caleb as if he were a dog ordered to fetch. No wonder Percival had no respect for his older half-brother.
I cringed as Caleb stepped forward and asked Sela, “Where is it?”
“In my breast pocket.” Sela stared straight ahead as Caleb gingerly pulled out the letter, managing somehow not to touch her chest.
King Peter’s face grew darker at the sight of the letter. “Read it!”
Caleb unfolded it. “The Winter Court would like to hereby notify the Summer Court that in the absence of King Olwen Vinter, Princess Onyx Vinter will be crowned Queen of the Winter Court. The ceremony will take place in two moon cycles.” Tension rolled off Caleb, as if he expected his father to tear off his head for being the messenger, which given King Peter’s temper wouldn’t surprise me. “The letter is signed by all six High Generals of the Winter Court.”
My head spun. In two months. They sure were moving fast. From Blythe’s history lessons, I had learned that preparations for a coronation ceremony normally took a minimum of six. The Winter Court must be desperate and for good reasons. Rumors had it that Onyx was the last of her line, and while it would be difficult to kill her as the crown princess, she would be much better protected as queen. The crown on her head would pull power from her kingdom, making her much stronger, another tidbit I had picked up from Blythe’s lessons
. How Onyx would get her father’s crown was a mystery to me. Certainly, he couldn’t have given it to her before being pulled into the wastelands. The Winter smiths must be forging her a new one.
“Guards!” King Peter barked and jerked me back into the present. Six warriors with bronze wings brandished their swords, and I swallowed hard, preparing for them to decapitate the Winter messengers.
But instead of sentencing the intruders to death, King Peter said, “Bring the messengers into my throne room. I want to talk to them privately.” King Peter turned on his heels, and Caleb and Nathan followed him into the depths of the castle. I tried to go as well, but a hand grasped my wrist. A warrior shook his head at me. I swallowed down my frustration. I needed to influence Nathan as he would be part of any big decisions.
Yet surrounded by all these Summer Court warriors and with King Peter’s magic bubbling like angry lava, ready to spill over and destroy anything in its path, I could do nothing but watch.
The vines around the Winter fae fell away and they slowly rose to their feet, probably to show they wouldn’t attack as they were escorted away by the Summer warriors.
I faced Peony. “What happens now?”
Her greenish-white wings fluttered. “The king will probably grill them more and then decide what message he wants to send to the Winter Court.”
I bit my lip. “It’s nice that she wants a truce, but sending two of her warriors into the Summer Castle seems very bold.”
“What other choice did she have?” Peony lowered her voice to a whisper. “I doubt this was her first attempt to establish a line of communication. I’m sure she tried writing to King Peter only for her letters to end up in the trash. Caleb says that King Peter absolutely hates Onyx since she had been with King Olwen when he banished Petra. He also suspects her of having something to do with Preston’s death since she was the only Winter fae at Nocturnal when he taught.” Peony stopped talking, eyes darting to the surrounding crowd.
I motioned her to the edge of the courtyard and into a quiet corner. The fact that the crowd had exploded into nervous chatter made it easy. Some tried to gawk at the departing Winter fae, despite the guards blocking the way into the corridor that must lead to the throne room.
“So King Peter knows that Preston is dead?”
Peony didn’t meet my gaze. “I cannot lie. He asked me if I thought Preston was dead, and I said yes. He also asked if I thought Onyx killed Preston.”
“And you said yes.” Horror overcame me.
Peony shook her head. “I said I had no proof that she did, but that I never liked her because she was always causing trouble. I did my best to divert his attention, and eventually, he got bored.”
I exhaled slowly. It wasn’t great that Peony had painted Onyx as a rebel, but at least she didn’t know that Onyx had killed Preston and thus couldn’t betray her secret. I, on the other hand….I needed to work on my persuasion skills, so that King Peter wouldn’t even think to ask me about Onyx’s involvement in Preston’s death.
Peony twirled a hair strand nervously. “Even if King Peter won’t get information out of us, there are other sources. When I worked in the plant museum, my master told me that there were rumors that Onyx had killed Preston, which was good for the vampires, as it meant no retaliation from the Summer Court.”
I sighed. “So how on earth does Onyx expect King Peter to enter a treaty with her after all of this?”
Peony exhaled slowly. “I don’t know, but that’s probably why she sent her warriors in the middle of the Harvest Ball. The king would’ve never heard out the warriors if he was asked privately. But with his whole court watching, he must at least pretend that he wants peace.”
I played with my teardrop earring and watched the Summer Court, which had gone back to gossiping while drinking more of the mind-altering drinks and eating chocolate pralines. Despite the weapons, most weren’t exactly warriors, at least among the upper class. Fighting was for the lowly. These fae wanted fancy parties. I could see how King Peter needed to give them a reason to go from cold war to active war. I just hoped he wouldn’t find one.
Finally, the Summer warriors returned with the Winter Court fae in tow, who I discovered with relief didn’t look worse for wear. King Peter entered last, still flanked by Caleb and Nathan, whose faces gave nothing away. As they emerged back in the courtyard, everyone fell silent.
“I have graciously decided to give Princess Onyx a formal audience at the Summer Palace.” The Summer fae glanced at each other, mouths agape. “I want only the best for my people, and thus, I’ll hear what the Winter Court has to say despite their outrageous crimes,” King Peter continued, and the hope that had built within me drained out.
Onyx would have to work very hard to get him to agree to a treaty. Worse, this could be a trap.
“Please continue the festivities. Princess Onyx will arrive at sunset tomorrow.” With that, King Peter left as the Summer fae applauded, though it was clear from their long faces that they had mixed emotions about an enemy princess coming to their lands.
The Summer warriors released the two Winter messengers. As soon as they did, a bluish light erupted behind Sela and the male fae. Summer guards raised spears as if expecting something to come through it. A few people screamed. Still others in suits surged forward, hungry for information. The media. I had to hold back a snort.
The light widened, turning to an oval window. The screams turned to gasps, though the guards remained in a ring around the portal.
Snowy mountains stretched out on the other side, along with buildings made of packed ice. An aurora of greenish light danced over a vast palace made of ice spikes that sat atop a mountain with tall pine trees. Under the starlight, snow sparkled, reflecting the green and red light cast by the celestial curtains. I stared in awe at the haunting beauty of the Winter lands as cold air rushed from the portal opening.
The media snapped photos frantically while the Summer fae whispered, their jaws dropping. But as soon as the portal grew to its full size, Onyx’s warriors backed into it and snapped it shut with a burst of blue light. I blinked, an afterimage dancing on my eyelids.
Caleb and Nathan joined Peony and I, their faces still expressionless. Loud chatter spread through the courtyard.
“How did you convince him not to kill the messengers?” Peony asked before I could.
“He had no other choice with such a public peace offering,” Caleb said slowly.
So we had been right about that. Otherwise, King Peter would have beheaded the messengers or hung them with those vines.
Nathan’s lips pressed into a firm line. Once again, he was all business, and now his silver eyes showed no trace of softness. Not after encountering Winter fae. “We’ll have to be very careful. It might be a trap.”
Was he kidding? “Onyx is coming here with what, a handful of warriors, and you’re seriously worried when you have your whole army? She should be the one concerned.” I stopped myself, realizing that my tone had just revealed how close we had once been.
Nathan gave me a grim look. “Onyx has no reason for distrust. King Peter gave his word that he wouldn’t harm her or her guards on her visit. Her guards promised the same. Pureblood fae contracts are binding and cannot be broken. They even had a second letter with them in lieu of an in-person oath.”
“Well, that’s good, isn’t it?” I willed Nathan to be more optimistic, but my positive thoughts slammed against his mental shield. “It’s a start.” The words came out weak.
Nathan crossed his arms. “The Winter Princess might not plan to attack us now, but it doesn’t mean she won’t in the future. This is not the first or even tenth peace treaty in our kingdom’s history, so I wouldn’t get my hopes up. Fae contracts may be binding, yet the rules of war are always changing.”
14
A knock on my bedroom door roused me the next morning, shooting terror down my spine. With my magic, I’d be part of the peace negotiation meeting between Onyx and King Peter, and I dreaded discov
ering what the king would expect of me.
After dressing in a simple lilac dress and crossing the apartment, I found not Amanda or Pierre at the door, but Nathan himself. My heart leapt into my throat at his serious expression.
“May I come in?”
Unable to decline, I simply stood aside. Nathan did not look at me as he entered. He took a seat on the wicker chair next to the bookshelf and indicated for me to sit opposite him. Even in my apartment, he wanted to be in charge. All the progress we’d made had gone backwards since last night.
“This is my apartment,” I reminded him, throat dry.
“I am sorry.” He stood, but I motioned for him to sit back down and leaned against the wall, waiting for him to speak.
“Blythe worked with you on your ability to influence, didn’t she?”
“Yes.” I forced the work out. So my suspicions were correct.
Nathan nodded. “Good. I was thinking about how we’re going to deal with the Winter Court. King Peter would value your services, as Onyx and the Winter Court likely do not know of your abilities.”
Even though I had feared something like this, I still couldn’t agree without putting up a fight first. “Why would he need me? Didn’t you say that King Peter can use telepathy with all of his Summer Court subjects?” The thought of being forced to manipulate Onyx turned my stomach. How could I do such a thing after she stood up for me at the Wild Hunt?
“The king can communicate his commands via his mind to us, but he cannot receive communication back from us. We don’t have any mind readers at the court, but the Kallans have always hired the Everstons for support in negotiations.”
“I see,” I said. So the mighty king was not as powerful as I had believed.
“We discussed Onyx’s half-fae status last night.” Nathan let his words hang, and I wondered if one of the Kallan siblings or a vampire had given that information to King Peter. “It complicates everything as it allows her to lie.”
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