“Let’s go.” My magic was still repressed in this part of the castle, and I was desperate to get out of it. We hurried down the corridor and stopped at the door at the end to peer out.
It was another empty hallway, and I whispered, “Coast is clear.”
We slipped through the hall and stuck by the wall, trying to slink through shadows that were too small to really conceal us. This part of the castle was built of rough stone walls and floor, a distinctly un-Fae aesthetic.
Voices sounded from up ahead.
“We’re close,” Connor whispered.
We ducked into a dark, quiet antechamber that adjoined the kitchen. I could spot about a dozen guards through the crack in the door, all sitting around a table and quickly polishing off bowls of stew.
That was also strange Fae fare, but since their whole castle was coated in ice, I couldn’t really blame them for going for something hearty.
I leaned back toward Connor and whispered, “They look like they are finishing up. But there’s eleven of them.”
“Too many.”
“Maybe not.”
“Too much of a risk, then. Let’s wait it out.”
We tucked ourselves back into the corner of the antechamber, in a little nook in the wall that would hopefully conceal us well enough while we waited.
I leaned against the wall, straining my ears to hear whatever the guards were saying.
Voices filtered through.
“At least he’s found her,” grumbled one.
“About damned time. We’re at the end of the line here.” The voice reeked with desperation. “My wife’s already frozen.”
“My daughter is,” added another.
Frozen? Their families were freezing.
I shuddered.
This was so bad.
“It’ll be fine,” rumbled a third voice. “The solstice is in two days, and the king will complete the sacrifice ceremony. We’ll be fine.”
“I wish he could just get it over with,” said a fifth voice.
“Can’t,” said another. “Have to wait until the solstice or it won’t work.”
There was a grumble of disapproval, and the conversation turned to a low hum, as if people were talking in smaller groups.
I leaned back against the wall and processed what I’d heard. “They’re desperate to escape their fate.”
Connor nodded and whispered, “The whole castle stinks with it.”
“So the ice has been traveling fast, covering more and more?”
“From what I’ve heard guards saying, it’s picking up speed.”
“The stories are true that they were originally Sea Fae, but now the ice is taking their kingdom.”
“Soon their whole world will be covered in ice,” Connor said. “And they change as well, losing their Fae nature.”
“What do you mean?”
“The ice freezes their soul, and they turn into monsters. That’s what the guard meant by his wife freezing. I’ve seen one of them who’s already changed. They become gray and cold and slender, losing their wings and pointed ears. Their necks become longer and their eyes weird.”
“Oh.” Understanding hit me. “I saw one of them.”
“They’re miserable in that form.”
“No kidding.” I missed my wings like there was a physical ache where they were meant to be. “But how does it happen, exactly?”
“I don’t know, but it seems like things are really picking up pace, from the way the guards have been talking.”
“A curse, perhaps.”
“That’s the running theory that I heard.”
“Who would have cursed them?” I asked.
“No idea. But the king will do anything to break the curse.”
Including killing me in two days.
Connor met my gaze in the shadows, and it was clear he knew exactly what I was thinking.
“It won’t happen,” he said.
“I’m not going to let it.” I tilted my head, listening for the guards. “I think they’re almost done.”
I moved away from the nook and toward the door.
A flash of movement caught my eye, and the door swung open. A massive figure appeared, tall and strong, his broad shoulders cutting out most of the light from the room beyond.
The scent of an ocean storm rolled over me, followed by crashing waves.
The king.
I lunged backward, but not fast enough. He grabbed me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“Run!”
Connor lunged for the king, ready to attack. He was a strong guy, but nothing compared to the size of the man holding me. I thrashed, trying to stomp on the king’s foot or otherwise break his hold.
Another guard surged into the room from the other entrance and grabbed Connor’s shoulder. Two more guards joined him, jumping on my brother.
“Don’t hurt him!” I screamed.
They wrestled Connor to the ground.
I elbowed the king in the stomach as tears popped to my eyes. “Don’t hurt him!”
I sounded insane, frantic with fear.
And I was.
“Stop.” The king’s voice was rough with sharp command.
The guards stood, letting my brother rise to his feet. They surrounded him so he couldn’t move or make a run for it.
“You’re cleverer than I expected,” the king said.
“I’m a lot of things you would never expect.”
“I can see that.” The king turned to the guards. “Take him back to his cell.”
The guards grabbed Connor’s arms and turned.
Quickly, I reached for the comms charm that was around my neck and yanked it off, hoping no one noticed.
“Wait!” I shouted, shoving the comms charm into the pocket of the cloak that the Fae guard had given me. I took the cloak off and handed it to my brother, then shot the king a scathing look. “You didn’t even give him something warm to wear.”
The king’s expression was inscrutable. He looked at the guards. “Take him to the cell she used to be in.”
My brows rose. He was upgrading Connor’s accommodation. But still, he was locking him up. I wanted to go for his throat right now, but I needed to bide my time.
I shared one last look with Connor before he was dragged off.
The king’s blue gaze met mine. “Come with me.”
6
The king gripped my arm tightly and dragged me down the wide hallway. A tingle traveled up my arm, and I hated the physical response to him.
Would I have felt this way if he weren’t my fated mate?
No.
An irritating part of me called out that it was a lie, but I ignored it. I wasn’t some idiot with a death wish. This dude was planning to sacrifice me, and fates knew I wanted no part of that.
I hated even more that being close to him ignited my ability to read into his soul. He was good person. One who was hounded by guilt and regret.
Yet he would still kill me. So in the end, what did it really matter?
I’d still be dead.
He raised his other wrist to his lips and spoke quietly into his own comms charm. I got snippets of the words, like cloak and food. He lowered his hand a moment later.
We passed through an enormous antechamber, and the king’s footsteps faltered. I followed his gaze, spotting a woman standing dead still against the wall, her eyes vacant and her skin faintly blue.