The merchant narrowed his eyes at me, but the fae woman took his hand. “Come on,” she said softly.
“I’ll tell them about the two of you if you don’t do as promised.” The merchant gave Nathan and me a good once over, committing to memory our features. While my wings were covered and this time, so were Nathan’s, our faces and the way the merchant had picked us up would arouse suspicion.
Not taking the earth fae for a patient person, I wanted to get my part of the deal over quickly, but Nathan stopped me.
“Do you mind if I explore while you help them?” Concern shone in Nathan’s gaze. “I need to know where the dungeon is.”
I gave him a confident smile. “Go. I’ll be fine.” The less time we spent in the Winter Court, the better. I had a feeling that if any of the Winter fae caught us, they’d fire first and ask questions later. If at all. Just because Onyx wanted peace didn’t mean that the people who had served her father wanted it too.
Nathan hurried off in the opposite direction, weaving past carriages to another door, and I prayed he was careful and wouldn’t be caught. Separating was bad, but we had limited time. Nathan was one of the most stubborn men I’d ever met and sometimes the bane of my existence. Yet the thought alone that he might be hurt made my chest contract with agony. Despite my intention to remain polite and distant, I had come to care for the High Commander of the Summer Court.
A whistling sounded, and the elemental fae motioned for me to follow him as he and the woman pulled the goods out. I got off the cart but stayed within the darkness of the barn. From my new position, I could see more than just the courtyard, which stood some distance from the icy palace I’d seen through the portal before. Night was falling, but lanterns hung everywhere. Smoke from cooking meat rose to the cloudy, darkening sky. At least a dozen merchant tents had been set up, but our merchants didn’t have one. They started putting up their furs in the open air, on a simple table. Even from here I could tell that all they’d done after capturing the animals was skin them. Whoever would buy those furs would have to commission a designer to make them into coats.
Winter fae in thick coats walked past my hiding place, stopping occasionally at one of the tents to examine the wares. Guards milled around with spears and bows, decked out in black and cobalt blue uniforms. White, blue, and black wings surrounded me. A few Winter children ran between tents. Despite that, the Winter’s courtyard was much less busy than the Summer Court’s. Tiny snowflakes fell. While the guards wore scarfs and gloves and the ladies had coats with fur trimming, none of the citizens seemed cold or uncomfortable. I, on the other hand, despite Pierre’s creation, wouldn’t have minded to wrap myself in a few blankets and plop in front of a fire.
Behind the courtyard, the spiky, sparkling Winter palace rose high into the sky. Shimmering and a brilliant white, its towers formed spikes and a frozen waterfall cut through the center of the palace, falling between us and the market. Two bridges made of dark brick connected the outer courtyard to the entrances on the palace, boxing in the frozen waterfall.
Unlike the Summer castle, it didn’t require wings to be reached. However, from the incline I’d felt when I had been back in the carriage, I guessed that we were high up on a mountain.
I stopped ogling the castle when a middle-aged fae stopped in front of the furs. “These furs would look great on you,” the earth fae said.
She snorted and ran her hand down her fox coat. “I already have several winter coats.”
From what I could see, they were much nicer than what the merchant had on offer. Still, she’d stopped, which meant she was interested. She eyed the biggest piece. For the house, I realized.
The earth fae stared back at me, waiting for me to open my mouth and convince the potential customer.
They would make great rugs and covers for chairs. Buy them all and get a great price, I whispered into her mind.
The noble fae looked down her nose at the merchant. “How much for all of them?”
His jaw dropped, but he quickly regained his composure. He steepled his fingers and tapped them against each other, then named a sum I didn’t hear. They haggled as I continued to feed the noble fae thoughts of how great the rugs would look in her home. Finally, after a few minutes, she bought all the rugs. The merchant and his helper wrapped them all up, accepted the bag of coins, and hurried back toward the carriage, as if they were afraid that their customer would change her mind.
Since I’d fulfilled my end of the bargain, I turned around and walked into the direction Nathan had gone. Where was he? I didn’t want him to worry in case he returned to find me gone, but I was also tired of hiding behind the other carriages. Thus, I pulled up the hood on my cape and stepped into the courtyard, desperate to get a better glimpse at the magnificent castle and hoping, even though it was stupid, to somehow run into Onyx. If only I could warn her and explain how the Summer Court worked. But was she even here? She might be back on earth with Thorsten or already in the wastelands.
A hand grabbed me from behind, and I reached automatically for my dagger. My attacker twirled me with one deft move so that I faced him and pressed the blade against his neck.
“Virgie,” Nathan hissed, freezing as the cold metal touched his skin. His gaze went to the dagger. “Where did you get this from?”
I shrugged and put the blade away. “You shouldn’t sneak up on me.”
“You shouldn’t be standing in the courtyard where anyone can see you.” He pulled me into a shadowed alley, and for the first time, I realized there were other brick buildings nestled in the mountains. “You need to be careful with weapons.”
I tilted my head. “I’m not an idiot. I’m not going to cut myself.”
Nathan sighed. “I didn’t mean it like this.” He shook his head, then added, “I found the dungeons and the back exit. I need you to stand in front of it while I go in and get Cardinal.”
It turned out there were stone buildings, some houses, some businesses, on this plateau of the mountain. I gulped as I followed Nathan deeper through the dark alleys made of brick. The snow was falling heavier now, and the visibility was getting worse. The chill penetrated my white suit. Nathan stopped abruptly, and I nearly crashed into him. Then I realized why he’d stopped. We had reached a dead end.
“We need to fly the rest of the way,” he said.
“Are you sure it’s a good idea to use your wings?” I eyed his cape.
“We’ll blend in.” He was right. With our white getups and with the heavy snowfall, it was unlikely anyone would see us. Plus, it was dusk. The best time. The sun no longer illuminated the landscape, but besides the outer courtyard, most of the lanterns hadn’t flickered on yet.
Nathan wrapped his arms around my waist and removed his cape so that his golden wings spread out. I welcomed his touch and pressed into him as we rose through the falling snow, the ground vanishing below.
Now that my anger had cooled off, I realized how much I’d missed him this last week. I was catching feelings, and as much as I hated to admit it, Nathan’s dedication to his people was to blame. Growing up with a courtesan mother and grandmother, I’d been taught that men wanted one thing only. But Nathan was different. He wasn’t someone who lost himself in carnal pleasures, and while his workaholism could be annoying, it was mostly admirable. He truly wanted to positively impact his court. He wasn’t after riches or fame.
Much too soon, Nathan landed us in an alley and released me from his embrace. I groaned inwardly at my thoughts. I was not supposed to fall for him. It would only complicate everything. I couldn’t think of love when I might very well find myself in the midst of a war.
“Virgie?” Nathan pushed a strand of my dark hair out of my face, and I realized he must’ve said my name before. “Are you ready?”
I nodded. “What do I do?” Far down the alley, past many closed wooden doors, two men patrolled in front of a gate made of ice bars that covered a way into a low, dark cave with an entrance bordered with dark bricks. The space be
yond was black and clearly not welcoming. Only a few weak lanterns lit the way into the stone corridor.
The dungeons.
“Can you sense how many minds are inside?”
I strained my powers, trying to reach out to the dungeon. Nothing, nothing, and then at last, I sensed sparks of life. “Five inactive ones, and six active ones, similar to the two guards outside.”
Nathan nodded. “So, maybe five prisoners, and eight guards in total. That’s not too bad. Can you convince the guards at the front that I’m an interrogator and to let me in? Then you’ll need to do it with the other guards. I’ll use telepathy so that you know where I am and what I need you to mind speak.”
I stumbled backward. “But…what if I can’t? What’s the backup plan? Don’t you at least have a fake letter?” Nathan shook his head, making me realize with horror that I was plan A and there was no room for failure.
Nathan took my hands. “Don’t worry. If something goes wrong, I can take eight men. I’ve experienced worse in battles.”
I didn’t want Nathan to face eight men on his own. “Let me go with you.”
“It’s too risky. Think about it, it’s much more likely they’ll send a guy to question a prisoner and break his bones if necessary.”
I had to agree with that. My power persuaded others, but it had limits. “Please be careful.” And before my head could catch up with my body, I pressed my lips against his, then pulled away just as quickly. “I’m sorry.”
Now, it was Nathan’s turn to be speechless. Finally, he said, “That was unexpected.”
“You need to focus on the guards and so do I.” I bit my lip. “We’ll talk about this back at home.” Or not at all.
Nathan nodded and started toward the guards. It was showtime. Putting my crazy outburst out of my mind, I focused and imagined two invisible threads going from my mind to the guards’. Let him pass. He’s here to interrogate a high-level prisoner.
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He’s here to interrogate a high-level prisoner.
I sent the thought over and over to the two guards. Nathan strode to them with confidence and said some words I could not hear from my position behind the alcove.
They stepped aside. One pulled open the gate, and Nathan vanished into the darkness.
I held my breath, extending my focus past these guards and into the dungeons themselves. The space wasn’t large, judging from how far apart the minds were. He’s here to interrogate the vampire prisoner. Splitting my awareness between six guards caused a mild headache to bloom on each of my temples, but I ignored it and maintained my focus.
A minute later, Nathan stepped out of the dungeon, empty-handed. In my shock, I almost lost mental influence on the two guards standing outside. One nudged the other and pointed to Nathan, clearly confused, but before I could extend out more mental tendrils to them, Nathan upped his pace and reached me.
“Cardinal has been moved. We need to fly to the palace.” Once again, he removed his cape and wrapped his arms around me. We rose as confused shouts broke out below.
“When you came out so soon, I lost focus,” I blurted, heart pounding.
Nathan didn’t miss a beat. “It’s okay. I should’ve known that we would not find any vampires in the normal dungeon.”
Flakes spun around us as the wind picked up. We were above all the buildings on the mountain. “Are you sure?”
“If this Onyx did in fact capture such a high-profile prisoner, then it makes sense to keep a very close eye on her,” Nathan shouted against the wind. I shivered, feeling cold everywhere, except where his chest and legs pressed into mine.
I could see nothing but indistinct shapes around us. Edges of pines. Maybe the flat tops of buildings. How did Nathan know where we were going? His grasp remained strong despite the whistling wind, and at last, a solid wall of white marble and ice appeared from the swirling dark, illuminated by scores of hanging lanterns.
The Winter palace.
Nathan put us down on a narrow outcrop that reminded me of the landscape around Nocturnal Academy. The world plunged into a steep drop just a few feet away, and I grasped the wall to steady myself, which immediately sucked the warmth from my hand and made my fingers burn.
“We need to be careful,” Nathan said. “I scouted the palace earlier, and there are many entrances that guards use. Follow me. There is one here.”
As my shoes crunched fresh snow, I tried not to eye the abyss. My fingers closed around the scroll in my pocket, itching to open it to see the king’s new terms for Onyx. But even though my curiosity egged me on, I wouldn’t dare to break the seal. I couldn’t do anything to jeopardize my chance to get closer to King Peter and loosen the shackles he had on Nathan.
I followed Nathan to a small wooden door set into hard, packed ice, which appeared to be locked on the inside. Nathan motioned for me to step closer. “I need your help.”
“Okay.” Despite having no idea how I could make a guard believe there was a legitimate reason to let us in this side door, I extended my awareness into the palace and quickly found a patrol inside whose mind sparked with life. Someone had just started a guard shift or had drank a potion to stay awake. I seized that mind, forming a strong connection. You heard something outside this door. Check it out. Then I thought of a good explanation. It’s a secret shipment. A secret potion shipment. If you stay quiet, you might get something for free.
Eager footsteps approached on the other side of the door, and Nathan’s shoulders hiked up, his hand going for his sword. I shook my head. The guard didn’t deserve to be thrown off the cliff, and if he could fly, he’d alert the other guards.
When he opened the door, Nathan seized him and twisted the young guard’s hands behind his back. “You will not speak of us,” he said.
The guard’s eyes popped wide open with terror and shock. We stepped into the palace and out of the wind. “What—” The guard started as I spied a narrow white hallway going deeper into the palace.
“We won’t hurt you,” I said, leaning close to the young man. I transmitted calm to him. Hope. His expression relaxed. “We need the vampire. That’s all. And I need you to give this to Onyx.” I handed him the scroll.
The guard took it and nodded. “I’ll tell you where to go. Do you need to speak to Lady Cardinal?”
“Yes, where is she?” I pushed more calmness into his mind.
“On the lower floor, in a secure cell,” the guard whispered. “That’s all I know. I’ve never been allowed near her. I’m not high enough in the ranks.”
Nathan gave a curt nod. “I’ll go.” He lifted a hand to the guard’s neck, and with a quick motion, the guard’s eyes rolled into his head, and he slumped in Nathan’s grasp.
“We promised not to hurt him,” I hissed.
“He is merely knocked out and not in pain.” Nathan lowered the guard to the floor. “I can’t have you focused on him, in case other guards come.” He glanced down the corridor. “Can you sense any now?”
I shook my head. “No. No guards.”
“Then I’ll return with Cardinal shortly.”
“Good luck. I’ll be with you.” Since I’d have to help Nathan with any other guards he’d encounter from here, I sent my full awareness down a floor. Three guards were almost directly under where I was standing. Nathan vanished around the corner of the marble corridor and his quiet footsteps told me he was descending a flight of stairs toward them.
I strained my mind to connect with the guards below. He needs to see Lady Cardinal. Where is she? As I sent these thoughts to the guards, a familiar voice behind me asked, “Virgie. What are you doing here?”
I whirled, breaking my focus, to find a blond vampire standing at the corner where Nathan had been a minute before. Thorsten’s arctic blue eyes drilled into me as he towered over me. He wore a black and cobalt blue uniform much like the guards’, only with a blue sash that signified some kind of rank.
“Thorsten,” I breathed. “We’re not here to hurt anybody. King Peter made
us come to deliver a message to Onyx.” I motioned to the scroll in the unconscious guard’s hand. “I don’t know what it says. He also sent us to...to get information from Lady Cardinal.”
Thorsten’s blue eyes narrowed, a hint of red creeping into his eyes. If he thought I was here to harm Onyx, he would attack. He would die for her.
And Nathan…
Nathan!
I’d lost focus. I sent the mental shout out to him, but he’d already run up the stairs that were just around the corner. Thorsten whirled, raising a hand to defend himself when Nathan appeared around the corner, lifting his crystal sword.
“Stop!” I pushed myself between the two men. “Thorsten is Onyx’s consort and a friend.”
Nathan halted and slowly lowered his sword. “If you say so.” His voice was full of wariness.
“Thorsten is with Onyx. He also doesn’t want a war,” I continued.
Nathan took my arm and pulled me away from the vampire. Thorsten stood completely still for a moment, making it clear he wasn’t a danger. Then in a low voice, he said, “Lady Cardinal managed to escape yesterday. We have countless men searching for her, but so far we have nothing.” He ran a hand through his blond hair. “I have no idea how she pulled it off.” He sighed. “The Winter fae are disgruntled. They don’t trust Onyx as she’s the first to want to end the war for good. They think she’s going to allow the Summer Court to run them over. They want to move against the Summer Court while Petra and Preston are gone.”
He trusts you, Nathan mind spoke, his voice ringing clear in my head for the first time.
Yes, he does. I knew I had to tell him more. “Nathan, I was friends with Onyx back at Nocturnal Academy.”
Nathan nodded. “I thought so. It’s why I worry about you so much. King Peter will see this as a weakness and use it against you.”
The Nocturnal and Fae Prison Academy Boxset [A Complete Paranormal and Fantasy Series Boxset] Page 84