by Kris Black
Of Snow & Blood Copyright © 2020 by Kris Black. All Rights Reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Kris Black
Visit my website at www.krisblack.ca
License Notes
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Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Alina has been torn from Christian just as they were growing closer.
Summoned to the castle by the king, Alina must struggle through understanding and accepting her identity, and learn how to break the curse while trying to find a way back to her mate.
Of Snow & Blood
A Supernatural Fairytale #2
KRIS BLACK
Chapter One
Of Snow
The carriage worked its way over the snow-covered trails, bumping and jostling its occupants as the manor continued fading into the distance. The shrinking form of the imposing building a stark reminder to Alina that she was being carried away. Carried away from her family, from the hidden pathway that leads to an enchanted land, and away from the man who ruled it. The man she swore to return to.
Christian.
Her mate. Her cursed prince.
Alina prayed that Charles listened to her and left for Christian’s lands as soon as possible. Not only to relay why she hadn’t returned home but for Charles’ own safety. An enchanted wolf bit him on the last full moon and needed to return to the castle before he shifted. He needed as much help as he could get, and Christian promised her he would take care of Charles.
How would William react when he found Charles, without Alina, after having camped outside in the snow for a week straight?
Perhaps it would be safer for Charles to stay home. William’s menacing face appeared in her mind, teeth bared and growling like a wild animal.
The landscape passed as Alina glanced out the window. The crunching of the hard snow beneath the blades of the coach and clamping of hooves almost lulled her into sleep. Instead, she turned her gaze from the window over to the king’s envoy. He sat straight and stiff in the seat across from her, gazing out the window as well. Felix, the envoy had said his name was. He had a strong, chiseled jaw, straight nose and a prominent cleft in his chin. His tawny hair neatly positioned, even after being jostled around from the unstable road.
“How long until we reach the king’s castle?” Alina inquired, filling the silence.
Felix turned from the window to look at her, his eyes a chocolate brown.
“A few days, Milady, depending on weather and road conditions.”
As she surmised. She laid her head against the back of the seat. “And do you know why I am being summoned by King Belmont?”
“I know little about it,” he deadpanned. “His Majesty ordered you brought to him immediately and in perfect condition. I followed my orders. I am not at liberty to question the king.”
“And who are you?”
“I am Lord Felix Forsythe, Viscount of Farley, Ward of the King.” He offered as much of a formal bow as the carriage would allow.
“Ward of the King?” She heard of the nobility sometimes sending their children to be wards of others of a similar class. She didn’t realize that the king also took part. But, she thought, it made sense. The king didn’t have any heirs, as far as she was aware.
Felix didn’t reply, just moved his slightly in what could be construed as a nod.
That left little room for comment. Alina wasn’t sure what to say. Felix didn’t seem to expect a response as he looked back out the window, disengaging himself from the conversation. It would be a journey of a few days and she hoped this wasn’t the kind of idle conversation she’d have to endure with her travel companion.
She wondered why the king summoned her, not for the first time, as she pulled the warm fur blanket in her lap closer to her body. She barely paid any attention to the ruler of their realm, or any rulers; that is until she met Christian, who was the ruler of his own, hidden domain. Did this have something to do with Christian? Did the king somehow discover that she met with and lived with a neighboring missing prince for these past few months? How would he have known?
“And what is the capital like? I haven’t been there since I was a small girl.” Alina tried once more at small talk.
Alina hadn’t visited the city since her family ran away from debtors. They used to live in the capital, back when her father was still a wealthy merchant and her mother a lady serving under the queen. Then her mother died, and her father lost their fortunes, forcing them to sell what little they had left and flee to the countryside to live in a farmhouse and hide from their creditors.
“It is busy and dirty,” Felix answered her question about the city. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Life in the country seems simple in comparison.”
Country life. She wanted to scoff. It was because of poor country life that, her father sold her to Christian in return for wealth, after which the family bought a manor home in the same town they fled to. Perhaps her father hadn’t minded the country, so long as he was rich there.
Though she would rather be on her father’s country estate than inside a dirty, smelly city any day, but remained quiet. Perhaps Felix wasn’t the best companion to speak to. He seemed distant, aloof and as though he would rather be anywhere than in the carriage with her. She supposed he must think of her station as beneath him - her, being an only re-wealthy merchant’s daughter and him, a viscount and Ward of the King. She wondered if he treated the other nobility’s daughters the same or if perhaps, they garnered more of this attention.
Not that she wanted his attention. No, she wanted to finish up whatever business the king had with her and go home. Home to Christian.
She fell in love with Christian over the course of her time with him, at his castle full of cursed subjects. Every full moon, the occupants of Christian’s lands transformed into wolves and wandered the forest and grounds for the entire night. Alina witnessed it happening once, the torturous cries of the people ringing out through the night as they turned into their canine counterparts. They were lucky enough to not remember the pain of it. Christian, however, was not so blessed. Charles, one of her elder brothers, was bitten by one of those
wolves while trying to come and rescue her. Now, the curse ran through his veins, infecting him and changing him.
The time Alina spent with her family and the round trip to the city - that would take the better part of three weeks. She had a slim chance of making it back before the next full moon, but she would try her damnedest. So long as the king wanted to meet with her briefly (and why would he want to meet with her at all?), she might return in time for the next full moon. In time for Christian and Charles.
As the hours and the caravan dragged on, Alina wished she had the forethought to have grabbed a novel.
They stopped at nightfall to have supper and sleep for the night at a small, local inn in a nondescript town. Alina wasn’t sure she even asked the name of either. When she asked the men why they didn’t change horses and drive all night, Felix explained that a convoy bearing the royal crest would be a target for bandits and thieves - and a greater target under the cloak of night. Alina knew she shouldn’t complain that she got to rinse the grime from the road off and sleep in a bed that was, at the very least, more comfortable than the seating in the accursed coach she spent her day in. But it also meant wasted time while they stopped. She wondered if Charles made it there already. How would Christian react to his news of her?
Not well, Alina thought, Christian’s anger a seared memory in her head. How he reacted to everything before she came along, before they fell in love. Christian would give William a run for his money in terms of a tantrum.
The number of issues that her absence would cause for the pack worried Alina. Her stomach roiled, guilt-ridden. Christian had been trying to reign himself in and control his temper, but without Alina there to talk him down, calm him and call him out on it she doubted any of the others would try it. With her gone and Christian not being able to reach her, he would be in a foul mood until she returned. Probably even after that.
She and Felix spoke little during the trip, often only commenting on the weather or the change in scenery. Alina was not in the mood for idle chatting. The longer away from the enchanted castle, the more anxious she became. Felix didn’t seem too bothered by the fact. Until the snow started midway through the second day. Felix gazed out the window and his brows furrowed.
“Is something wrong?” Alina asked.
“We didn’t think we would get so much snow so quickly,” Felix replied, almost to himself.
“Will we make it to the next town before the storm sets in?”
“I’m not sure.” He tapped on the roof of the carriage.
The coach slowed and stopped. Felix opened the door and stepped out, letting a chilly breeze blow a few crisp snowflakes in after him. Alina shivered, securing her blanket around herself. Only a few moments later Felix returned. He barely brushed himself off and sat down before the coach began once more at a steadier pace.
“The snow is picking up even now. We aren’t sure if we’ll make it to the next town before the road becomes impassable. We’re picking up speed and should reach the village before the worst of it hits.”
“And what’s the plan if we don’t?”
“Let’s cross that bridge when we get to it.”
They didn’t make it to the next town. They’d been making good time and managed a good distance. But the storm forced them to stop when the driver could no longer see through the blizzard and the horses needed shelter. A groomsman led the horses to a sheltered area of trees after they unhitched them, before tying them there for a break from the wind. The groomsmen stood outside, covered in snow, unsure of what to do.
“Come in!” Felix opened the door, calling out to them. “We’ll be on top of each other, but it’s better than standing in a snowstorm.”
The groomsmen shook off as much snow as they could and stepped inside the carriage. There were three of them, one drove the coach and the remaining two that flanked on horseback. Felix moved over to Alina’s side, sitting beside her while the other three squeezed onto the bench on the other side. The wailing wind rattled the carriage and blew more snow inside before the last man shut the door, fighting against the screaming wind. One man reached down and opened the shaft on the floor, showing a small metal box. Inside was the small coal box fire they used to heat the interior. He added a few more lumps of coal for good measure before he returned to his seat.
Everyone sat for a few moments, not saying anything - unsure of what to say.
“I’m Alina Everston,” Alina offered. “But I’m sure you know that already. We’ll be spending at least a few hours together here. Forgive me for not asking what your names are sooner.”
Alina discovered that the driver was a young man named Rhys. The other two, Henry and Thomas, were in their mid-thirties and part of the king’s guard.
“King’s guard!” exclaimed Alina when Henry told her. “Why on earth did you get sent to retrieve me? I’m sure members of the regular guard would have sufficed.”
The guards shot a quick look at Felix who replied: “The king’s guard accompanies the royal coach anytime it leaves, regardless of who is in it.”
Alina wasn’t sure he was telling the truth. Not with the look that the guards shot him beforehand, no matter how smooth the lie flowed from his lips. No, something was afoot here, and she didn’t like it one bit.
A howling wind blew by the carriage again, rocking it.
“Will the roads be passable when the storm passes?”
“It seems to be light snow, Milady,” Rhys said. “It should be nothing for the horses to pass through once we can see again.”
“And the horses?”
“They’re built for the cold. So long as they are out of the wind, they will survive.”
Content that the horses would be fine, Alina wrapped her shawl and blanket even tighter. Though away from the wind, they weren’t away from the cold - and the small coal fire couldn’t sustain the entire coach for a long period, as they had been using it. Not in the middle of a blizzard.
“You all must be freezing,” Alina noted the men, only in their winter uniforms and far from as bundled as she. “Do we have anything else that would provide any warmth, Lord Forsythe?”
“Just Felix is fine. Or Lord Felix, if you must.” Felix flashed her a charming smile. “And, yes. We have furs under the benches in case of cold. I’ll retrieve them.”
After an awkward maneuver involving five people standing in the small coach, they managed to access the storage areas under the seats. Soon, they found themselves wrapped in large warm furs. They found only four stored, so Alina made sure that the men shared three between them (because of their bulk) and she shared one with Felix. Although the economical decision to keep them all warm, it also put her closer to Felix than what she would have liked.
Felix seemed like a nice man. He hadn’t hesitated to invite the guard and horseman into the carriage. They conversed little, but she wouldn’t be chatty if someone sent her in the middle of winter to retrieve some girl either. Christian and William would have been in a mood in the same situation.
Christian.
Alina felt a pang in her heart. She closed her eyes and tried to school her face, resisting the urge to touch the ring on her finger. This snowstorm would keep her from him even longer.
The storm continued blustering outside.
Chapter Two
The King and the Princess
The snowstorm cleared up overnight. In the morning, they found that the snow was powdery and light. It made an easy path for the horses to continue on. It was almost magical to watch out of the window, the horses' hooves turned the snow into clouds as the carriage raced on its way back to the castle.
Alina would have known they were in the final hours of their trip even if Felix hadn’t informed her. The king’s men sat taller on their steads and even Felix straightened himself up, as though the king could see the miles that stretched before them and the city.
When the palace came into view, the stark contrasts between it and Christian’s were like night and day. Where Christi
an’s castle was dark, this was bright. White brick with an admiral colored roof and lined with windows and turrets. It was an impressive sight to behold, that was for certain. Alina was sure she would have been awestruck under normal circumstances. Perhaps if she hadn’t been living in an enchanted castle for the last few months.
“Someone will lead you to your quarters for rest,” Felix offered as they pulled through the iron gates of the castle. “I doubt the king will see you this evening. You deserve to rest and freshen up after the journey.”
Alina would prefer to just meet King Belmont and get it over with, given the choice. Perhaps receive a ration of food and a good horse to make her way back. Or at least enough personal space to use her ring and have it magically whisk her back to the castle grounds.
If she used her ring, she would be back in a matter of moments. Hope shot through her. With her ring, she could make it back in time for the full moon. “There isn’t any way to see him today?”
“He is King, Milady. I imagine he is busy.”
“Of course. What was I thinking?” She sighed and laid her head back in frustration.
Felix smiled at her and patted her knee. “I’ll inquire and see if he will see you first thing tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Lord Felix.”
A footman opened the door of the carriage and stairs appeared from below. Felix stood and exited first before offering his hand to Alina to help her down, which she accepted. Over the course of their carriage ride together they became amiable, at least.
“Lady Alina, this is Lady Ella. She will be your Lady-in-Waiting for the duration of your stay here and will show you to your quarters.”
“Lady-in-Waiting?” Alina questioned. However, Felix just bowed and made his way into the palace.