“That’s the one.”
“You helped the Cold Queenescape?” Friano snarls behind him on the ground. “It’s your fault she went to the bridge?”
The bridge?
Friano tries to launch himself at me, but he’s intercepted by the woman soldier darting forward. She moves fast, foot sweeping out as she knocks Friano onto the ground again. She has her own sword pulled free, and it’s pointed at his face in a blink.
She wears the same armor, and she has dark brown skin, with black hair that’s shaved short against her scalp with designs of blades all the way around. My hands itch to collect that look so I can use that hair glamour later.
“I suggest you don’t move,” she tells Friano in a hard tone. Then she looks up to the soldier still holding onto me. “Ryatt?”
My head swings up. “Ryatt?” I repeat. “As in causing a riot…or you’re so funny you’re a riot?”
He glares at me, so I’m going to confidently say it’s not the second option. It’s startling just how green his eyes are, though. Distracts me a bit.
I blame the concussion.
He points his sword down to the green spot in all that snow. “What is that?”
My gaze swings to the ground, but I don’t dare show any expression on my face. I lift a shoulder. “What’s what?” I ask breezily before I spit out a little blood. I really hope that’s just from my mangled tongue.
Impatient anger flashes through his eyes, just as the other soldier, the huge one with the messy beard starts stomping forward to the spot.
Panic flares through me. “Don’t touch it!” Friano and I both yell at the same time.
Luckily, the bearded soldier stops and cocks a bushy brow. “Yeah. That’s what I thought,” he rumbles out.
Ryatt’s grip tightens on my collar. He pulls me down slightly, making me hiss in pain as I’m forced to bend toward the ground. “Last chance to explain what this is and what you’re hiding, fae.”
My heart thumps wildly, nervousness gripping my thoughts. I lift my gaze to Friano. He’s got a boot to the chest by the woman soldier, but he’s staring at me, and he shakes his head with a clear threat in his dark eyes.
Ryatt notices. He drags me up so we’re face to face again, making me yelp.
And sure, he’smad, but he’s also a bit mesmerizing for some reason. I can’tnotnotice—not from this close up.
“You will tell me right now, or I will kill you both,” he says, his tone low and threatening.
I still like it though.
Great goddess, how hard did my head get kicked?
“We will tell younothing, Orean scum,” Friano hisses.
I wrinkle my nose, anger lashing toward the twin. “Don’t saywe. You and I are not on the same side.”
His attention lands on me with utter loathing. “Shut your mouth, you Orean-loving traitor whore!”
I ignore his jab. “Did you and your twin do this somehow?”
He doesn’t answer. Just stares at me with all the hate and pain from me mentioning his brother, but I don’t care. I hate him right back, and this is more important.
Because that swipe of green that rests against the snow? That spot that’s making my pulse race and my mind spin? It’s a patch of grass.
Grass that’s grown in the perfect circle of afairy ring.
And it carries familiar sweet-smelling air.
“Where does it lead?” I ask desperately, my gaze hinging on his. “Where?”
