Anger curls down my back. “You’re ruining my day, and I was having a rather good one.”
“That’s just it,” he says, taking a step forward, and it’s far too close to be appropriate. So close, in fact, that I can feel the heat from his body as the misty shadows around him follow his movements, nearly stroking over my skin and making me shiver, making my pulse jump. “You’ve been having a good day every day since you’ve gotten here. You haven’t questioned anything at all.”
“What would I question?” I reply with scorn. “I’m a queen, this is a castle. They’re treating me as they should, especially after the ordeals I suffered.”
The man makes a noise that I think is supposed to be a laugh, though it sounds like gravel being scraped against glass. “I thought you were supposed to be at least a little bit intelligent with all of that cold bitch cunning.”
“Howdare—”
“Look around you,” he says, cutting me off. “See.Observe. You can’t trust the people here.”
I scoff. “Coming from the assassin who’s here to kill me.”
His dark eyes go flat. “Maybe I should finish you right here and now, since you’re so unwilling to listen.”
I open my mouth as if I’m going to reply, but instead, I shout out as loudly as I can for help.
The man doesn’t move. He doesn’t so much as twitch. The assassin simply watches me with dark eyes that I think might be made entirely of shadow. My heart slams against my chest when I hear footsteps running my way, but I can’t look away from him.
“Wake up, and don’t smell the flowers, Cold Queen, before it’s too late. You have to find a way to break whatever bargain you’ve made, because at this point, I don’t think your death is going to cut it.”
He pulls up his hood and disappears in a swirl of fathomless smoke, and by the time the three men reach me, there’s nothing here but gray-tinged light coming in from the window.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” the twins ask, faces synchronized with concern.
I have no idea why I lie.
“Nothing,” I answer, shaking my head, putting on an unadorned smile. I already feel so much better with them here. “I twisted my ankle and thought I would need help to walk back to my turret, but I’m alright.”
They look at me with worry. “Are you sure, my queen?”
“Yes. Could you have luncheon brought up to my rooms later? I think I’ll stay up for the rest of the day.”
They both bow at the waist, cutting a bend into their crisp shirts. “Of course, Your Majesty.”
I nod in thanks and start to turn, but not before I see Pruinn watching me with a frown. I turn and walk away, limping slightly as I go, warily eyeing the mist outside each window.
Yet by the time I get back to my rooms, when I’m basking in the bath soon after, the shock of seeing the assassin has faded. As I breathe in the perfumed steam, I sigh in contentment, all my worries bubbling away with the suds of the soap.
He was trying to scare me, trying to deter me from gaining power, because I’ll bet he can’t kill me while I’m in this castle. Fassa and Friano are too powerful. I’ll bet the assassin simply hoped to lure me away so he can finish the job. Trick me so that I don’t end up more powerful than Tyndall.
He said he’s been watching? Fine. Come the new moon, he can watch me rise up to glory and be rewarded with power.
Then he truly won’t like what he sees.
CHAPTER 45
AUREN
Three timberwings soar through thesky, cutting lines into the clouds and leaving trails of vapor behind.
We’ve been flying hard, day and night, only stopping for a handful of hours so we can all sleep and the timberwings can have some much needed rest and time to hunt. Being around Argo while I practiced my gold-touch helped me not be quite so scared of him, but it’s still a bit terrifying to be strapped to his back hundreds of feet up in the sky.
Although, I have it easy. Slade keeps me tucked against his chest, layered in coats and blankets, his strong body the perfect pillar for me to sleep and rest against while he holds the reins.
He’s been exhausted for the whole trip, ever since he expelled so much of his power into the rip. And even though he never complains, I can see the weariness clinging to him every time we dismount. I offer to take the reins so he can rest instead, but he always declines.
Stubborn male.
