Reign of Ice (Forever Fae series)

by L. P. Dover

  Footsteps thundered from beneath us and I knew it would only be a matter of seconds before Brayden stormed through the door. Alasdair clucked his tongue and scolded me like a child, narrowing those evil gray eyes of his, “Now, now, Ariella that wasn’t nice using your bond to get your prince in here. I see we will have to delay this visit for another time.” He released my chin and flashed to the door in a matter of seconds, morphing back into Kamden in the process.

  “There’s not going to be another time,” I growled, rubbing my aching chin.

  He glanced over his shoulder at me and smiled. “Yes there will be, Your Highness. I can promise you that. It’s not going to matter where you are or what you’re doing. I will always have a way to get to you.”

  And I will soon have a way to get to you, I thought to myself, and with that last thought, he disappeared.

  When Brayden stormed through the door to my room, his body shook with pent up rage and worry as he scooped me up into his arms. Ryder and Kalen burst through the door behind him, swords drawn and ready for battle, but when they saw Brayden holding me their mouths flew open in surprise and they lowered their blades.

  “Are you okay? There were so many things going through my head on the way up here. I didn’t know if he was going to take you, or try to kill you. All I knew was that if he did take you I would hunt him down until the end of time to find you. I would’ve failed you not only as your guardian, but as—”

  “Brayden, I’m all right,” I interrupted him, pulling out of his arms to get some distance.

  His closeness confused me because I wanted it; I wanted him near. However, I couldn’t stop the ping of jealousy in my gut after what the dark sorcerer said about the many women Brayden had occupied his time with. It was basically the same thing Kamden told me before about him as well. Was I going to have to deal with other women falling at his feet, wanting him to have sex with them?

  Deep down I knew Alasdair wanted to plant the seed of doubt, but it still didn’t change the fact that Kamden said the same thing. He wouldn’t lie to me. My sisters’ never had to worry about other women with their men, well … except Meliantha when Kalen was about to bond with Breena when he thought she didn’t want him. From what I heard he had his fair share of women also, but I saw the way he looked at my sister at the Winter Solstice Ball. It was the same way Ryder would watch Calista. Why did I have to get the one who screwed around all the time and liked to keep his emotions hidden? Granted he was getting better at it, but still …

  “I can feel your tension and anger, angel. As much as you try to shield that I can still feel it, which means it’s of copious proportions. Talk to me,” he pleaded.

  “We can talk later,” I remarked verbally, heading out my bedroom door. “Right now I need to talk to the others. This needs to end.” Brayden followed quickly on my heels, along with his brothers and several of his Winter warriors. Their armor made clanking sounds as we briskly walked down the golden halls toward the Great Room where I knew everyone would be.

  I could hear Ryder whispering to Brayden behind me. “Don’t worry, brother. She’s exactly like Calista. When she’s pissed or worried just leave her be. The more you provoke her, the angrier she gets.”

  Brayden grunted in reply while Ryder and Kalen chuckled. I sent them both a quick glance over my shoulder and said, “I guess you learned pretty quickly, huh, Ryder?”

  Kalen spoke up, “I think we both had to learn. You Summer girls aren’t exactly easy to deal with.”

  “Please,” I remarked incredulously. “I don’t think you Winter men are easy to deal with either. It definitely hasn’t been a walk in the park.”

  “Well, technically Ryder and I are no longer Winter so you can’t include us in that,” Kalen said with a sly smile. “So that jab can only be directed at my little brother.”

  Brayden scowled and clenched his jaw while gripping onto the handle of his sword. Rolling my eyes, I shook my head and kept walking. “Calm down, oh silent one. Your brother is just picking on you. Loosen up a bit and get that scowl off your face.”

  “Right now is not a time of joking, angel. My brother has failed to realize what could’ve happened just now. The time for laughter has ended. We have bigger problems on our hands.”

  “Yes, we do,” I agreed. “But we can’t let Alasdair suck the life out of us. I still plan on living mine just as I’ve always had. Soon it’ll all be over.”

  We finally made it to the Great Room, and once the doors opened Calista and Meliantha both ran up to me while Sorcha acknowledged me with a thoughtful nod. They didn’t look surprised to see my changed skin so Brayden must’ve already had the chance to tell them before I called him up to my room.

  “Did he take your power?” Calista asked quickly, embracing me tight.

  I shook my head. “No, he didn’t, but he said he’d be back for me.”

  She sighed and hung her head, gritting her teeth with a low sounding growl. “And unfortunately he will. So is it true that you’ll be leaving with Brayden for the Winter Court today?”

  “Yes, it’s true,” I replied.

  She smiled and grabbed my hand, turning it over and to the side so she could inspect my skin. “It’s so weird seeing you like this. Meliantha and I only have subtle changes, but you—”

  “Yeah, I know it’s strange,” I interrupted her, spotting Durin over her shoulder. I grabbed her hand and pulled her with me toward our parents. I regretted that decision as soon as we came to my mother.

  My mother gasped and tears flew out of her eyes as she ran to me. “Oh my heavens, look at you. You don’t even look like my daughter anymore.”

  I rolled my eyes and bit my tongue from the comment I wanted to say. “Thanks, Mother. As if the circumstances aren’t already complicated enough,” I spouted sarcastically. “We have bigger problems to worry about and the fact that I’m a Winter Fae now can be discussed later.” Turning my head, I decided to ignore her and focus on Durin who already knew what I was going to ask.

  He acknowledged me with a nod and glanced at everyone in the room before announcing, “I am assuming now that the bonding has been completed that you wish for me to forge the final weapon?”

  “Yes,” I spoke up hastily over the crowd. “It needs to be done as soon as possible.”

  Calista, Meliantha, and Sorcha all three joined my side as Durin came toward us. “I will get it done, Your Highnesses. What type of blade would you prefer?” he asked us all. “It needs to be something you all can wield.”

  We all four studied each other, but it was clear what the weapon of choice needed to be. I would’ve suggested a sword since that was what I was good at, but a dagger would suffice. I knew for a fact that the others knew how to wield one along with their other talents. A dagger would be the easiest to drive through the dark sorcerer’s heart, if that’s what you wanted to call it. I didn’t think he’d have one, but obviously he did.

  “A dagger,” I suggested to Durin. “That’s what we need.”

  Elvena joined us and said, “That’s not all he will need.”

  She left the room, and came back moments later with a vial in one hand and a knife in the other. “He needs your blood, children. I want you all to cut your palms and let your blood flow into the vial.” She handed Calista the knife first, who sliced her palm and clenched her fist to squeeze the blood out faster. Once she completed her part she passed the knife to Meliantha, then to Sorcha, and then to me.

  I sliced the palm of my other hand, the one opposite to the one I bonded with Brayden with, and let my newly bonded essence fill up the rest of the glass vial. Once the first drop touched the others’ blood, the whole vial exploded with a burst of bright light that was stronger than the summer sun. The magic swirled around the tube and grew stronger the more blood I added to it.

  “What’s happening to it?” I asked, shielding my eyes.

  Elvena’s lip tilted up in a smile, but it was a sad kind of smile. Softly, she said, “It’s the power of th
e Four combined, child. What more can I say other than it’s the most potent and raw power this land has ever seen.”

  When the vial was completely filled up with our blood, I sealed it and handed it to Durin. He wrapped the vial in a black cloth so that we wouldn’t be blinded anymore and packed it away in his bag. “I will get the dagger made as fast as I can. It’s going to take some time, but as soon as it’s finished I will deliver it myself.”

  With those final words he bowed to us all and hastily retreated out of the Great Room. I could only pray to the heavens that he hurried. Now it was time to say good-bye to my parents before I had to leave and travel to my new home … the Winter Court.

  SAYING GOOD-BYE TO my family wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be, but it still wasn’t easy. My mother was a blubbering mess, repeating over and over how she didn’t have any daughters left. I loved her, but she could be overdramatic at times and it was frustrating. The hardest farewell I had to make was to my father. His warm, loving smile was going to be the one thing I missed most about being at home … except Summer was no longer my home.

  I could feel the effects of my change when I stepped out into the Summer sun. It no longer soaked into my skin, making me feel refreshed, but burned and pierced through my flesh like hot coals. No wonder the Winter Fae never stay long when they visit. Even if I wanted to stay here and defy Brayden’s demand that I live with him in the Winter Court there was no way I could. I wouldn’t be able to stand the heat of the Summer for the rest of my life. The blood flowing through my veins knew where it belonged, and it wasn’t with the green meadows, waterfalls, and beaches. It was with the gray clouds, snow, and ice.

  Instead of riding to Winter on my horse, Lennox, I chose to ride in the carriage with Queen Mab, who was Brayden’s mother, and my mother’s archenemy. I had never really gotten the chance to talk to her, and I figured it would be a good time to find out more personal things about her son and why he was the way he was.

  Queen Mab twirled a lock of her long, black hair between her fingers as she studied me from across the carriage. Between her and my mother, Queen Mab was the only one who was happy about the change to my body. However, in a way I couldn’t tell if that was because she was truly happy about my change, or if it was because it caused my mother heartache. Their feud was a mystery to us all.

  “When do you think you’ll complete the bond with my son, Ariella?” she asked curiously. I averted my gaze to peer out the window in order to avoid her curious stare. I didn’t know how to answer her. When I turned back to her I could see it in her eyes that she understood my wariness to the question. Her gaze could freeze anyone where they stood, literally, but what she showed me was warmth and compassion.

  Leaning my head against the carriage wall, I sighed and regretfully answered, “To be honest, Queen Mab, I’m not sure when we will complete it. Brayden and I are complete opposites in every way imaginable. We have nothing in common, except a faraway attraction to each other that we can’t deny. I think we’ve only had one real verbal conversation the whole time I’ve known him.”

  The queen smiled and let out a sad sigh. “Oh, Princess, you couldn’t be more wrong. Not every relationship is based on how much you talk, but how your souls connect. I’ve watched my sons grow and turn into the men they are today, and since Brayden has always been a Winter Fae at heart, I’ve spent most of my time with him. He’s extremely gifted, and once he gets you home I’m sure you will find out for yourself. If you give him time I know things will change between you two. Your and Brayden’s relationship reminds me so much of a couple I used to know. They were very different, but their love was what they had in common.”

  “Really … so what happened to them? Did they live happily ever after?” I asked.

  She winced and bit her lip, her eyes closing as if in pain. When she opened them, a lone tear escaped the corner of her eye and froze on her skin before it could run down her cheek. She wiped it off and I could hear the clinking sound of it as it hit the carriage floor.

  Sadly, she explained, “No, darling, they didn’t. However, that’s not the point I wanted to make. You and Brayden won’t end up like them because your love isn’t forbidden, although you both have the same qualities and differences like they had. A long time ago when I was younger things weren’t like they are now. I don’t know how much of our history you are aware of, but there was a time when the Summer and Winter Courts were enemies. It was unheard of for a Winter Fae and a Summer Fae to fall in love. It just wasn’t the way things worked.”

  Intrigued by her story, I sat up and moved closer, wanting to hear more. “So I’m assuming this couple you knew of was a Winter Fae and a Summer Fae?”

  She nodded and smiled, but her eyes showed nothing except sorrow. “Yes, and I haven’t spoken of them in over a century.”

  My eyes went wide. “Wow, that’s a long time. I would love to hear the story if you want to tell it to me.”

  Queen Mab gazed out the window to the tall, plush trees of the Mystical Forest. The wind that blew through the carriage smelled of fall and changing leaves, signaling our approach to the Fall Court … Ryder and Calista’s court. I thought maybe she didn’t want to tell me the story since it was obviously hard for her. I could feel the sorrow pouring out of her mixed with the undertone of resentment, but it wasn’t directed at me. It was coming from deep within her soul as if …

  “It was you, wasn’t it?” I acknowledged softly. “You were the Winter Fae in the story you speak of.”

  With a heavy heart, she nodded and finally revealed the story of forbidden love, “Yes, it was me, Ariella. Sometimes it feels as if it was just a bad dream, but there are times when I can’t help but remember. When I see the one responsible for all the heartache, it all comes back to me. I’m sure you know of whom I speak. It’s not exactly a secret that I loathe her. To this day, she still refuses to accept the blame.”

  Her admission caught me off guard and I gasped, holding my hand over my mouth and shaking my head. She couldn’t be talking about my mother, could she? What had my mother done to earn that level of hatred?

  “Tell me what happened,” I demanded. “I have to know.”

  The queen closed her eyes and smiled as if remembering those times long ago, of a time when she was just a princess and in love with someone she could never be with. With tear filled eyes, Queen Mab began, “It all started about a hundred and thirty years ago. Going to the mortal realm was frowned upon, but I loved to sneak away and watch how the humans interacted with each other. I stayed away during the times they were at war, but when they weren’t I was there. I don’t know if you go there often, but when you spend a lot of time there our fae magic calls to each other. Faeries will always find other faeries no matter what, especially in a place where no other magic exists. Do you go there frequently?”

  I shrugged. “Not really. I only go there to procure paintings. I really love their art. I left all my pieces in my room back home. I didn’t see the point in packing them all.”

  A mischievous gleam sparkled in Queen Mab’s eyes when she said, “Oh, I don’t think you have anything to worry about with that.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  She waved her hand in the air dismissively and snickered. “You’ll find out later, my dear. It just goes with the theory that no matter how different you and my son are, there will always be something that ties you together. Okay, now back to the story. I was in the mortal realm and I had just gotten through walking across the Brooklyn Bridge when I spotted him. He was peering out over the bridge to the city, leaning over on his elbows on the railing. His golden skin stood out among the mortals, and even though he was dressed in mortal clothes I could tell underneath all of that that he was a warrior. I remembered just standing there, staring at him like I had never seen a Summer Fae before.”

  “What did he do when he saw you?” I wondered.

  Queen Mab laughed and shook her head. “He knew I was there the whole time wat
ching him. After a while, without turning around to look at me, he finally asked me to join him. He also promised he wasn’t going to throw me over the bridge. I knew we were supposed to be enemies, but I didn’t feel any animosity coming off of him at all.”

  I chuckled along with her and sat on the edge of my seat, dying to hear more. She wiped her eyes that were misty with tears and continued, “I had no clue what to expect from him. He was so full of life, just like you, and he brought me out of the shell I was in, made me feel things I never thought possible. I guess you could say Brayden is like me in that instance. He’s reserved, but he has a passion inside of him that’s stronger than any of my other sons. He likes to keep to himself, but even in the last day or two I could see a change in him. He just needs the right person to show him the way. You are that person to help him find that way.”

  I knew Brayden had started to change, especially since he became my guardian. He kept his emotions open to me fully, which I knew couldn’t be easy for someone who had kept them hidden all his life.

  Knowing Queen Mab’s story didn’t have a happy ending and that my mother was the cause of it, I had to know what happened. “What was his name?” I asked.

  “Alaric,” she whispered. “His name was Alaric.”

  I could feel her pain like a knife in the gut. She must’ve really loved him to have that kind of anguish inside her soul. “What did my mother do? How did she tear you and Alaric apart?”

  Queen Mab scoffed and shook her head. “What didn’t she do is the question. Alaric and I knew our relationship was forbidden, so we kept our love hidden from our world. We would meet on the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset, even if it was just for a moment. Staying apart made it hard to breathe and during the day I could barely think of anything else other than being in his arms and making love to him. He was my first love and I thought maybe … just maybe things would change in the Land of the Fae to where we could be together. It just so happens that your mother put a stop to it.”