by Julie Kagawa
Keirran looked grim. “If we do this,” he began, “you’ll raise Annwyl’s banishment and allow her to return to the Summer Court?”
“You make this sound like a contract, Prince Keirran,” Titania said, looking surprised. “Such an idea might spark a war between Summer and Winter. No, this is just a friendly conversation. Do what you wish, but if the creature does perish in some unfortunate event, it would please me greatly, and I will consider raising the girl’s exile. Provided you don’t perish on the way to the beast’s lair. That would be a tragedy. Now...” She leaned back, waving a hand. “I’ve become bored with this. Remove yourselves from my court, before I turn you all into rabbits and call in the hounds for entertainment.”
I shared a glance with Keirran, and he nodded. Silently, we bowed once more and left the queen’s presence, slipping back into the bramble tunnel and moving well out of earshot of the court before we stopped.
“Well, that went better than I expected,” I muttered, only now realizing my hands were shaking. “At least she didn’t turn us into marmosets or anything.”
Razor emerged from Kenzie’s hair, buzzing and hissing like a furious cat. “Bad queen,” he stated and leaped to Keirran’s shoulder, clinging like a leech and glaring back toward the court. “Not turn Master into rabbit. Bad.”
Kenzie was unusually quiet. In the shadows of the bramble tunnel, she looked pale, and her eyes were dull. “You okay?” I asked, knowing I was probably annoying her by asking about her health so often, but I couldn’t help it. Falling in love had apparently kicked my overbearing tendencies into overdrive.
She nodded without looking at me, and I moved closer. “You did good back there,” I said, half teasing, wanting her to argue, to see some kind of reaction. “I was sure you’d jump in and tell Titania what she could turn herself into.”
“I wanted to,” Kenzie replied. “But you and Keirran seemed to be doing fine on your own, and I didn’t want to make it harder. I do try to keep my promises, Ethan. Even though I poke my nose where it doesn’t belong, tag along when I’m not wanted and talk too much.”
“Hey,” I said quietly, taking her arm. “You know I didn’t mean any of that. I was just trying to throw Titania off.”
“I know,” Kenzie said and rubbed her eyes. “Sorry, I’m just tired. It’s hard hearing your shortcomings listed off in such an obvious manner. I know I can be pushy, and stubborn, and overbearing.” She turned away, not meeting my gaze. “I’ll try not to whine at you anymore.”
“Come here,” I muttered and pulled her to me, wrapping my arms around her. She leaned against me and closed her eyes, and I pressed my lips to the top of her head. “I’m sorry if I hurt you,” I whispered into her hair. “And for the record, I don’t want you to change, ever. I’m glad you were pushy and stubborn and wouldn’t leave me alone. I wouldn’t be here now if you weren’t.”
Kenzie sniffled. “So, what you’re saying is you want me to boss you around.”
“Me, Keirran, Razor, everyone,” I answered, making Keirran snort. “The kings and queens of Faery, too, if they would ever stop turning people into rodents every five minutes.”
She squeezed my waist. “Well, now I regret not telling Titania where she could stick her rosebushes.”
Keirran smiled. “I’m sure you’ll get the chance later,” he said as we drew apart. “After all, we have to return to the Summer Court when we’ve finished this task for Titania.”
“So we’re still planning to do it,” I said, glaring at him. “Head into Mab’s territory, cross this Frozen Wood, find this ancient power or whatever is sleeping beneath it and somehow manage to kill it.” Keirran nodded solemnly, and I half laughed. “Normal day in the Nevernever.”
“What’s normal?” said a voice behind us, and Puck poked his head out from behind a cluster of branches. “Sorry I had to split,” he apologized, grinning as he came into the open, dusting himself off. “Man, trolls can sure hold a grudge. You’d think she’d be flattered I think so highly of her food. Anyway.” He crossed his arms and gave us an appraising look. “Did you say you were going into Tir Na Nog? Lemme guess—you met with our lovely queen, she threatened to turn you into lemurs or something ridiculous and then she told you to go complete some ludicrously impossible task for her. Am I right?” When we nodded, he shook his head. “I thought so. Well, you know what this means, don’t you?”
“Yes.” Keirran’s eyes were hard as he faced Puck, his expression one of grim determination. “We have to find a way into Winter.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
THE WAY TO WINTER
“Finding” the way to Winter wasn’t difficult. Puck bragged he had been there countless times, obviously to cause trouble, so he knew several paths to Queen Mab’s territory. Of course, if we wanted to remain in Faery, we could tromp back through the wyldwood until we reached the border of Tir Na Nog. But that would take time, Puck said, and the chances of getting through the wyldwood without running into trouble were slim. The quicker way to the Frozen Wood, he explained, was back through the mortal world.
“Why are you helping us?” Keirran asked as we followed Puck down the sidewalk of some unknown city. It was snowing lightly, and the gutters were full of slush. Beside me, Kenzie hugged herself and shivered, and I found myself wishing for a jacket, too. I didn’t know what we were going to do when we got to Winter, where it was probably far colder.
Keirran frowned at Puck, his expression both puzzled and wary, though the Summer fey seemed oblivious. “You know what Titania wants us to do,” he said. “Shouldn’t you be searching for my father or at least letting the Iron Queen know where I am?”
“Hey, I’m just looking out for my best friend’s kid,” Puck replied airily. “And her kid brother. But let me ask you this. If I wasn’t here, would you still be trying to get into Tir Na Nog?”
“Yes.”
“And if I told you not to go, would you stop?”
“No.”
“So, there ya go.” Puck shrugged. “Better that I’m here to bail you out of trouble than let you face whatever it is you’re going to face on your own. Besides, I never turn down the chance to annoy the Winter Court. I haven’t been to Tir Na Nog in a while. I’m sure they’ve missed me terribly.”
Kenzie sneezed then, rubbing her arms. I wished I could offer her a coat or something, though I was freezing myself. “Quick question,” she said through chattering teeth. “This is the Winter Court, right? Not that I’m complaining, but I assume it’s going to be very, very cold. And from what Titania said, this Frozen Wood doesn’t sound very nice. How are we going to keep from freezing to death?”
“Ah, worry not,” Puck stated and ushered us down an alley. “I’ve already got that figured out.”
A door stood at the end of the alley, narrow, unmarked and black. I stared at it uneasily as we approached. It reminded me of the entrance to Mr. Dust’s, but this door had a rectangular eye slit near the top and what looked like a pet door near the bottom. Weird. Maybe Grimalkin used this door sometimes?
Puck strode up without hesitation and rapped on the wood three times.
The small rectangular slit near the top snapped open, and two bloodshot eyes peered out, wary and guarded. “Who’s there? Go away. We’re closed!”
“Mortimer,” Puck said, all smiles. “Is that any way to treat an old friend?”
The beady eyes widened as they saw Puck. “Robin Goodfellow?” the voice rasped, and it was difficult to see, but I think the skin around the eyes paled a bit. “Why are you here? I have nothing for you. Go away!”
The slit door slammed, but not before Puck had shoved his hand inside, stopping it from closing. “Ow. Hey, Mort, you realize you still owe me a favor, right? That time I saved you from those redcaps? Remember that?”
“No!” howled the voice on the other side, futilely trying to shut the eye slit. “I cannot let you into Tir Na Nog this time! Queen Mab would skin me alive if she knew.”
“Life debt, Morty,
” Puck reminded him. “If it wasn’t for me, Mab would have to find a new trod gatekeeper. All we want is passage to Tir Na Nog. This wasn’t even my idea.”
I stood behind Kenzie, rubbing her cold arms and watching this little scene in wary amusement. I had no doubt Puck would get us into Tir Na Nog; when and how was the question. The trod keeper shouted a protest and tried shutting the door again, but Puck wasn’t going anywhere. I moved closer to Kenzie, protecting her from the wind, and sighed. This might take a while.
Suddenly, Keirran stepped forward, striding up to the door and bringing his face close to the opening. The bloodshot, beady eyes flickered to the prince as he leaned in.
“Do you know me?” Keirran’s voice was hard, the cold stranger that had reared its head on occasion. “Do you know who I am?”
Puck blinked, a dangerous look crossing his face as he stared at the prince, but Keirran wasn’t paying attention to him. The face peering through the crack nodded.
“I know who you are, Iron Prince.”
“Let us through,” Keirran ordered, sounding very much like his father. “Or there won’t be a trod to Tir Na Nog here any longer, or a gatekeeper.”
The bloodshot eyes narrowed sharply. “Is that a threat, Iron Prince?”
Keirran didn’t answer, but the air around us began to chill. My breath writhed out in front of me, and frost spread over the door and brick walls of the alley. Kenzie shivered and pressed back into me, but the gatekeeper on the other side gave a harsh laugh.
“Winter magic, Iron Prince? I am the gatekeeper of the Frozen Wood. I do not fear the cold—”
A flash, and the acrid odor of smoke and metal. Keirran didn’t move, but the wooden door suddenly erupted with long spikes tipped with metal at the ends. Puck yelped and leaped back, barely missing being impaled, and the gatekeeper inside gave a piercing scream. Smoke began billowing out of the eye slit, along with the sudden stench of burned hair.
“Let us pass,” Keirran continued in that cold, lethally calm voice, “or I will infect your entire trod with Iron glamour, and then we’ll see how well it fares.”
“All right!” The eyes appeared again, wide and frantic. “Enough! Stop! I will give you passage to Tir Na Nog, but you’ll say nothing of how I let you into Winter. If the queen finds out, she’ll have all our heads.” A groan, and the eyes drew back a little. “One moment. I will prepare the trod to the Frozen Wood. It will take but a moment.”
“Be quick about it,” Keirran said, and the eye slit snapped shut.
Puck glared at the prince. “You didn’t have to do that, princeling,” he said in an annoyed voice. “I had it under control.”
“You probably did.” Keirran’s soft, cold tone hadn’t changed. The icy stranger stared unwaveringly at the door, frost continuing to spread over the pavement around him. “But he was in our way. I don’t have time to play with trod keepers, not with Annwyl’s life on the line.”
“Maybe,” I agreed, frowning at the prince over Kenzie’s head. “But that was kind of a dick move, Keirran.”
Keirran didn’t answer, and a moment later the slat opened again, the eyes peering out sullenly. “The trod is prepared,” the raspy voice announced. “And the door is unlocked. When you are ready, just open it, and the way to Winter will be revealed.”
“Not so fast,” Puck said, rapping the door as the eyes started to pull away. “We’re going into the Frozen Wood, and we have two humans in the party. Aren’t you forgetting something?”
The gatekeeper glared at the Summer fey, but a second later, the flap at the bottom swung up, and a bowl of strange orange fruits was shoved out. They were the shape of a pear but the size of a strawberry, and the air around them shimmered with heat. Then the eye slit slammed shut once more, and I knew it wouldn’t open again.
Puck sighed. “Well, better grab a few of those things,” he said, nodding to the fruit in front of the door. “You’ll need it where we’re going.”
Kenzie immediately stepped forward and snatched one, lifting it up curiously. The skin had an odd rippling effect, like the air around a fire. “What is it?”
“Flamefruit,” Keirran answered, sounding back to his normal self, though his voice was slightly weary. “It’ll keep you from freezing to death in Tir Na Nog. Don’t eat too many, though. It’s pretty potent for humans. Not as bad as summerpod, but still...be careful.”
“Ah, summerpod.” Puck sighed, sounding wistful. “Lots of fun with that little fruit. Good times, good times. Well...” He glanced at me and Kenzie with a grin. “Are you two ready for this party?”
Kenzie handed me a trio of the small orange fruit, and I took them reluctantly. “Ready as we’ll ever be, I suppose.”
“One more thing,” Keirran warned as Puck marched up to the door. “The Cold in the Frozen Wood is a living thing. The flamefruit will protect you from freezing, but if you get sleepy or want to close your eyes for a moment, don’t give in to the compulsion. Creatures that fall asleep in the wood never wake up again.”
A chill not related to temperature skittered up my back. With a grand gesture, Puck flung back the door, and a blast of icy cold whooshed into the alley, making me shiver. Kenzie stepped forward, her eyes bright as she gazed through the opening. Beyond the frame, a pristine, snowy forest stretched out before us, sparkling in the afternoon sun. Leafless trees grew close together, the sunlight peeking through their branches to dapple the snow, and every tree, trunk, twig and branch was coated in ice. Not just a little ice, either. Entire trees were encased in crystal, though you could still see every detail through the frozen shell. Huge icicles hung from everything, and the air swirling through the open door was so cold it hurt to breathe.
“Brr.” Kenzie shivered and quickly popped a fruit into her mouth before I could stop her. Instantly, a flush darkened her cheeks, her skin losing its paleness and regaining some color. “Oh, wow. That little thing works fast.” She looked at Puck and grinned. “You’ll have to get me some seeds one day. Think of the money we could make if we bottle that stuff.”
Puck laughed. “Oh, believe me, I’ve thought about it,” he said as we went through the door. My feet sank into about a foot of snow, and the air burned my nose and lungs when I inhaled, it was so cold. Shivering, I gritted my teeth and marched doggedly forward as Puck and Kenzie continued talking like they were on a forest stroll. “Sadly, there are two reasons that could put a damper on that plan,” Puck went on, holding up a finger. “One—flamefruit only grows beside pools of molten lava, so unless you want to move next to a volcano, it might be difficult to harvest. Second—eat too many, too fast, and you might...uh...spontaneously combust. Though that might make for some interesting conversations.”
“Can we please stay on target?” Keirran asked in an exasperated voice. “We have to find the creature that lives beneath the woods, and I haven’t any idea how to do that, do you?”
An icy wind cut through the forest, rattling icicles and making my skin shrink with cold. I’d wanted to hold off eating the faery fruit for as long as I could, but my willpower was rapidly disintegrating with all my body warmth, and I shoved a fruit into my mouth, swallowing quickly.
Instantly, I felt warmer, like I’d just taken a huge swallow of hot tea or coffee, except the sensation didn’t fade, and it spread to all parts of my body. Now that I could actually feel my face again, I concentrated on what Puck was telling Keirran.
“There’s a series of caves several miles north of here,” Puck said, nodding to where the snowcapped tops of a mountain range peeked over the forest of ice. “Stumbled onto them a few times with ice-boy, but we never went all the way to the bottom. Dunno what could be living down there, but that’s probably where you’ll find your beastie.”
Kenzie drifted closer and took my hand, holding it tightly as we made our way through the forest, the only sounds being the crunch of our feet in the snow. “I’m worried about Keirran,” she told me in a whisper, watching the Iron Prince stride purposefully through the
snow ahead. “He’s been acting really weird lately, not himself. I think whatever the amulet is doing has started to affect him.”
“I know,” I muttered. I was worried about him, too. “But there’s nothing we can do right now except get this stupid task done as quickly as possible. Then Annwyl can go back to Summer, and we can destroy that amulet.”
As we passed a clump of trees, a large shape between the trunks caught my eye and made me jump, hand going to my sword. It was an elk, shaggy and massive, with huge antlers branching out from its skull. It knelt in the snow between two trees with its head up and its eyes closed.
And it was completely encased in ice.
Kenzie blinked and stepped toward it, even as I hastily backed up. “Kenzie,” I warned as she put out a hand to touch its frozen muzzle. The stag was perfectly still, a motionless statue, but I had visions of it surging up with a roar and lunging at us. It was just too still, like the “corpses” in horror movies that you know will leap up and take a swat at the hero the second he gets close. “Don’t mess with it,” I told her. “We don’t know what it will do.”
Kenzie, of course, ignored me. Her eyes were wide as she ran a finger along its snout, shivering. “It’s so cold,” she whispered. “How long has it been like this, I wonder?”
“Kenzie...”
A shout boomed from behind me, and something grabbed my arms. I yelped and spun, drawing my swords and slashing wildly at whatever had sneaked up on me from behind.
Puck—of course it was Puck—staggered away, gasping with laughter, having already dodged my swords. I relaxed, lowering my weapons as annoyance swiftly replaced alarm.
“Hilarious.” I sheathed my blades and glared at him. He cackled, and I stifled the urge to march up and punch him in his grinning mouth. “I could’ve cut your head off, you know.”
“You’re way too uptight, kid,” Puck said, giving me a friendly wink. “Man, you’re just like your sister when she first came to the Nevernever, jumping at everything like a startled rabbit. And no, you couldn’t have. I spent decades tormenting ice-boy, who has far better reflexes than you. I’m afraid you’re no touch-me-and-I’ll-kill-you Unseelie prince, human.”