by Nissa Leder
“Lucky you.”
Kaelem had told Raith to go to the Autumn Court for answers. Raith hadn’t made it to the castle yet, but he was with an Autumn fae. He should learn what he could while he healed.
“Are we close to the Autumn Court?” Raith asked.
“Somewhat.”
“That’s where I’m heading.”
“Why?” she asked in a loud voice.
She’d saved his life already, and he couldn’t think of any reason to hide anything, so he said, “To find out more about my mother.”
“And you think the Autumn Court will have information?”
Raith nodded. “It’s the only lead I have.”
“What happened to her?”
“She died. That’s all I know.”
Something tugged at Raith from his core. He grabbed at his stomach.
“Are you okay?” Sage scooted toward him.
It wasn’t pain that spread through him, but something else.
A connection.
Raith closed his eyes and reached inside himself to find the bond with Scarlett. She’d entered Faerie. He could feel it.
What was she doing there? Had Cade found her?
“I have to go.” Raith stood, ignoring the pain of his wounds.
“You’re too weak to get far.”
“I…” He wasn’t sure what to say to make her understand. “I have no choice. Someone needs me.”
“Whoever it is will have to make do without you.”
Scarlett was in Faerie, but she was far away. The connection was weak, but it was enough for Raith to evanesce to her if he tried. But what if he didn’t have enough magic to make it to her? He’d be lost in the middle of the forest again, with no magic to protect himself.
“Thank you for saving me.” Raith bowed to Sage. “But I have to go.”
Chapter Ten
Cade’s plans to visit the Seelie Court would have to wait. Attending the Winter Solstice was a more pressing matter. He needed to meet the Winter Queen at some point anyway, and what better time than when she hosted an event. It would seem rude not to attend, and that wouldn’t be a good start to their relationship as Faerie rulers.
It wasn’t because Scarlett would be there, Cade convinced himself. Sure, he was surprised to find her alive and with Kaelem of all people. But she didn’t concern him anymore.
Cade, Poppy, and Jaser had arrived back at the Summer Court. Jaser had excused himself to prepare for their visit to the Winter Court, but Poppy joined Cade as he searched for Kassandra.
“Your emotion is an open book,” Poppy said. “You still care for the human.”
“No,” Cade snapped. “I was just shocked to see her.”
Poppy laughed. “Please. I’m sure even Jaser could feel the relief bursting from you when you saw her, and he doesn’t have the benefit of the bond like I do.”
“I thought I’d killed her.” Cade stopped in the hallway and turned to Poppy. “I’m glad I didn’t. It was my fault she was in the battle.”
“Raith chose her as his second, not you.”
“To mess with me. I brought her to Faerie. I wanted to feed from her emotion, sure, but I’d never thought she might die.”
Or that he might be the one to kill her.
He wasn’t sure if he should be opening up to Poppy like this, but she was right, the bond between them made secrets nearly impossible. And he had no one else to confide in.
“It’s okay to care for someone,” Poppy said, her eyes softened. “It doesn’t make you weak.”
“Not everyone thinks like that.”
Poppy wouldn’t understand. She thrived on her own fierceness, in tough mode all the time. She knew who she was in life, and excelled at it. Cade, on the other hand, reeked of uncertainty. He’d thought he was prepared to be king, but ever since his mother mentioned the possibility of war, doubt consumed him.
His father should have prepared him better. Cade knew the Summer Court had an army, but he knew nothing about leading it. He’d barely even left the castle, and when he did, it was to refill his magic supply in the mortal realm, not explore the Summer Court outside the castle walls.
He would learn what he needed to know and be the king his people needed him to be.
Ahead, Kassandra turned a corner, dressed in a long golden gown. “Son, you’ve already returned?”
“I’ll find you later.” Poppy bowed to Cade, then curtsied to Kassandra.
Cade followed his mother into the parlor.
She sat in her usual spot by the window. “How did it go?”
“Kaelem seemed open to keeping the peace between our courts.” Cade stood in front of Kassandra. He didn’t plan to stay long, not if he wanted to make it to the Winter Court soon. He hoped he’d be welcomed. He hadn’t received an invitation, which was unusual. “Have you heard anything about our invitation to the Winter Solstice?”
Kassandra peered out the window behind her. “Yes, we received it a few weeks ago.”
“I didn’t realize.”
“I’ve been communicating with Nevina,” Kassandra said. “She understood you might not make it this year as you’re attending to other royal duties.”
Cade should have at least been informed of the invitation. He hadn’t realized it was already time for the solstice until Kaelem mentioned it. “I’ve decided to attend.”
“You haven’t visited the Seelie Court yet.”
“It will be there after the solstice,” Cade snapped. “And you’re the one who claims I need to prepare for a war against Winter. I’d prefer to try and prevent it, if possible.”
Kassandra clenched her jaw. “Very well.”
“I will see you when I return.”
His mother didn’t ask any more questions. Cade left before she found some way to change his mind.
All the reasons Cade mentioned were true, but he knew part of it had to do with Scarlett. That was a tidbit he did not want Kassandra knowing.
After he had won the Battle of Heirs and told her he had killed Raith, she immediately asked about Scarlett. Cade would have thought defeating his brother was news enough, but even the memory of the glee in Kassandra’s eyes when he’d said Scarlett had died too sent a chill through him.
What would his mother do if she knew Scarlett still lived or, worse, that she was somehow now fae?
Scarlett and Kaelem stood outside a wrought-iron door that sat in the middle of the Unseelie Palace entryway. Like Deja vu, she was about to disappear into the Faerie realm, but unlike the last time, she was not happy about it.
“Cheer up, darling. I promise we can cuddle at night to keep you warm,” Kaelem purred beside her.
“That’s the last thing I want.”
“Somehow, I doubt that,” he said.
Scarlett wore a long dress with a slip that covered her body and fell to the ground beneath a layer of lace. The rounded neckline and arms were made only of lace, her bare skin peeking through. Kaelem had told Scarlett the Winter Court was as formal as the Summer Court, and that etiquette was of the utmost importance.
The door opened in front of them. Kaelem gestured ahead. “Shall we?”
Scarlett didn’t answer. She stepped through the doorway, and as she crossed the threshold, a shiver ran through her.
Kaelem followed behind her.
When they both had crossed the barrier, the door shut and disappeared. Panic tightened in Scarlett’s chest. She’d made a vow to herself to never come back to Faerie, but she’d rather break a promise to herself than lose her sister.
They stood in the middle of the snow-covered forest. When Scarlett had entered with Cade, they’d been inside a castle. She wondered how the doors knew where to take them, but asking Kaelem would require talking to him, which she wasn’t in the mood to do.
Instead of keeping her warm, the lace sleeves of her dress actually made the cool temperature around her seem worse. The sooner they got to the Winter Castle, the better.
“Now where?” Scarlett sn
apped.
Kaelem grabbed both of her wrists and pulled her in front of him. His breath was warm in her face. “I’m sorry this isn’t where you want to be, but if you want me to release your sister, you’re going to need to be a better date.”
Scarlett’s jaw tightened. “I thought I had to help you get whatever it is that’s so important you’ve resorted to blackmail. There was no mention of being amiable.”
“You best keep our plan to yourself, or we’ll fail and your sister will spend the rest of her mortal life trapped.”
Scarlett glared.
Kaelem sighed. “If no one believes you are here because you want to be, it will raise suspicion. The more convincing we are as a couple, the better our chance at getting what I need.”
“Fine.”
Kaelem rested his hand on Scarlett’s back. His touch sent heat through her. She wanted to jerk away, but resisted. They’d made a bargain. If Scarlett helped him, she’d get her sister back. They could go into hiding and move far away—anything to get her away from the fae world.
Ashleigh wouldn’t be happy, but Scarlett would make her understand. They were sisters, after all. They belonged together. She’d worry about the details after her sister was free.
Kaelem guided Scarlett through the trees. Snow coated the bare branches and trunks like powdered sugar. It also covered the ground, seeping into Scarlett’s shoes and causing her feet to grow numb from the chill. Thankfully, they didn’t go far before an opening appeared. Ahead, an enormous castle made entirely of ice stood. So much for it warming her up.
“It’s heated with magic,” Kaelem said.
“In my head again. Yay.”
“I told you, you need to learn to keep me out.”
“And how do I do that?”
“If it’s important enough, you’ll figure it out.”
God he was irritating. She resisted the urge to slug him in the stomach. She’d never been a violent person, but the anger inside her threatening to explode made violence seem a good option.
Next to her, he smirked.
They approached a fence. From afar, it looked like it was made of silver. But up close, Scarlett realized it was also ice. Two guards dressed in white suits stood outside the gate.
“Hello, there,” Kaelem said. “We are here for the Solstice by order of your queen.” His tone was playful, not serious. “No ‘welcome’ or ‘so honored?’”
They remained silent, but the gates swung inward.
“Bye now,” Kaelem said as he and Scarlett continued toward the castle.
The closer they got to the castle, the bigger it grew. It was at least twice the size of the Summer Court castle. Scarlett wondered if there were more Winter than Summer fae? There was still so much of this world Scarlett didn’t know. Part of her didn’t want to know. The more she learned, the more threaded into the supernatural would she would become. But try as she might to resist her new reality, she knew deep down that there was no going back. If she were to survive, she’d need to understand how the fae world worked.
They followed a cobblestone path cleared of the snow that covered the rest of the grounds. Red rose bushes dusted with snow lined the walkway. Their thorns looked larger than any rose bush thorns Scarlett had ever seen before. Their proximity to each other would make it impossible to get through without getting scratched. Perhaps that was the purpose. Were they to keep unwanted visitors out or keep those inside the castle in?
When Scarlett and Kaelem arrived at the tall ice doors, they swung open. A woman in a white dress that shimmered in the light stood in front of them. Her platinum hair was so blonde it looked almost silver. Her nearly black irises stared at Scarlett with such intensity, she gulped.
“A personal welcome from the Ice Queen, herself.” Kaelem moved closer to Scarlett, wrapping his arm around her waist and tugging her close. “We’re honored.”
“Welcome to my court, King.” Her gaze traveled up and down Scarlett as a frown covered her mouth. “And who is she?”
This woman matched Kassandra’s wicked aura, and it seemed she just loved Scarlett already. Though Scarlett couldn’t read her emotion, her expression of distaste screamed envy.
“This is Scarlett,” Kaelem said. “My date.”
Satisfaction poured from Kaelem like honey.
A twinge of delight hit Scarlett. She liked knowing the Winter Queen envied her. And whatever it was she’d stolen from Kaelem, Scarlett would be glad to steal it back.
Chapter Eleven
Raith followed the connection to Scarlett and evanesced to the edge of the forest. Snow crunched beneath his feet as he moved to keep hidden behind a tree. He peeked around it and saw the Ice Castle standing tall in the distance. The Winter Court? Why was Scarlett there? Raith sensed her nearby, the bond tugging him toward her like a magnet to metal.
Familiar voices caught his attention. Raith remained behind the cover of the tree but kept listening.
“The Winter Queen is dangerous,” Poppy said. “We need to be careful.”
“I know,” Cade said. “We are here for the Solstice. There’s no reason for her to hurt me.”
“You’re more trusting than I am,” Poppy scoffed. “Would you be here if the Unseelie King and the girl weren’t?”
Scarlett was still with Kaelem. Why had he brought her back to Faerie? He promised to help her control her power, not parade her around at the Winter Solstice.
And Cade had already seen Scarlett. Did he know Raith was still alive?
Something tickled Raith’s leg. He shook it, hoping to lose whatever was crawling on him. When his foot landed on the ground, a twig crunched beneath his feet.
Shit.
He froze, praying no one heard. The conversation stopped. Raith held his breath, inhaling the forest around him to absorb as much power as he could. His abdomen wound pulsed.
“We’ll make our appearance, be good guests, and then go home,” Cade continued. “Do you have any concerns?”
Whew, it seemed no one had heard. Who was Cade talking to?
“I’m good,” another familiar voice replied.
Jaser.
He was with Cade and Poppy. How did that happen? Raith held in a chuckle, not wanting to push his chances by making any more noise. Jaser didn’t seem the type to follow a king around as a minion, but if he’d been ordered to do so, he had little choice but to obey.
When the voices faded, Raith followed close behind, careful not to step on any more twigs. He needed to find a way onto the castle grounds if he wanted to find Scarlett. A barrier spell kept any visiting fae from evanescing inside—a protection every fae castle had—and the gate was the only way in.
When he reached into the bond, there was no panic. She must not be in danger. He should turn around and continue his quest for information on his mother as he’d intended when he entered Faerie. Yet, Scarlett was so close, and she deserved an explanation from him.
Raith took a deep breath, devouring one last bit of magic from the forest around him. He put on a glamour to disguise his appearance. The last thing he needed was to be recognized as someone who was supposed to be dead. He hoped he had enough power in him to keep up the charade.
He used Cade’s entrance as a distraction to get closer. After Cade, Poppy, and Jaser were through and out of sight, Raith approached the two guards.
He couldn’t fight them. Not only was he injured, but they would be the strongest of the Winter Guard.
“I’m with the Summer King,” Raith said. “I was running behind and he told me to catch up as soon as I could.”
Neither guard spoke. The gate remained closed.
Raith stepped closer to one of the guards. “He’ll be angry if I’m not there soon.”
Nothing.
Using his body to block the other guard’s view, Raith quickly reached his hand to the hand of the guard in front of him. He found the memory of Cade walking by and altered it. Now the guard remembered Cade saying to let his other guard in once he arrived. Ma
gic dripped from Raith. With his mind magic, memories turned to power, but altering them drained it.
The gate swung open.
Raith wondered if the other guard would stop him, but he didn’t.
Had it been any other time of the year, the plan wouldn’t have worked. But guests from all over Faerie and the Seelie and Unseelie courts would be coming for the solstice. Raith was lucky. If he’d had to change the other guard’s memory, he might not have had enough magic left to hold his glamour.
Another group of Winter fae entered just behind him. He waited until they walked toward the castle to hide amongst them. Once inside, he slipped into an empty room to come up with a plan.
His magic ran low. At this rate, he only had a few more minutes of glamour.
Someone entered the room. “Are you lost?” It was a young man, dressed in a white uniform and holding a tray.
A perfect disguise and a source of more energy.
Raith approached the man and grabbed his wrist. The face of a woman filled his short-term memory. As he got ready to come there, he couldn’t wait to finish the stupid dinner and get back to her. He didn’t see why the queen made such a big deal about the Soltice.
Raith chuckled. If the Winter Queen knew of the server’s annoyance, well, it might be a while before he could see the woman he thought of.
He absorbed the magic from the memory.
“I’m meeting someone per request of the Queen,” Raith said. He hoped it sounded formal enough, yet not too formal. He wasn’t sure how Winter fae who worked for the queen spoke.
Raith could wipe his memory just to be safe. But that would take half the energy he’d just consumed. Viewing memories filled him. Erasing them, not so much.
“Very well.” The man left.
Raith drew from his magic reserve and glamoured his outfit to look the like the server’s. He changed the glamour of his face, too, so he wouldn’t recognize him, then hurried behind him.
Another servant held a tray like the man’s, filled with hors d’oeuvres.
“I’ve been instructed to take this in. You’re needed back in the kitchen.” Raith reached his hand out.