“Possibly,” I whispered, staring at the sticky spots on my counter that I had yet to wipe off.
“Wait, but that’s gr—” Chelsea started to say, her grin dropping into a smirk, her posture shifting so that one hip jutted to the side, her gaze becoming increasingly smug. “That’s great if you want to deal with all of thatbusiness.”
Chelsea’s voice had gone an octave deeper than her normal pitch. It made my neck numb, so I removed my hands from the processor and pressed my palms to the table. “Business? What do you mean?”
Chelsea rubbed her middle finger over her lips, a peculiar glint flashing in her eyes. “He’s a king looking for a queen, darling. A pretty thing to show off to the general public and nothing more.”
Nausea bubbled in my stomach now. I pressed the button on the processor to drown her out. I didn’t like where she was going with this, and the glare I tossed her, along with my flared wings, should have told her as much.
With a sly grin, Chelsea reached over the counter and slapped her hand on the power button, dousing the noise. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but I’m only saying it to protect you, Sylvie. He needs a queen for full reign, some pretty arm candy, and of course—” Her eyes panned to my stomach before launching back up. “—heirs.”
As if I already had a tiny, pointy-eared being growing inside me, I pressed my hands over my abdomen, my throat constricting. “You act like you know him, Chelsea. You’ve never even met him. Maybe he wants someone to rule at his side, tosharethe burdens.”
I’d haughtily spoken the words to Chelsea, but soon realized I needed to hear them myself, too.
Chelsea cackled and flicked an almond shell from the counter onto the floor. “Please. What man in history has ever wanted to share his power with their queen?”
Frowning, both my ears and wings folding back, I tore the lid from the processor and started scooping out enough to make frustrated balls of sugar plum fury. “What about Dion? He was different.”
Chelsea dragged a finger down her sternum, lazily playing it over the dip between her breasts. “You’re right. Heisdifferent. He’d want nothing to do with being royalty because he’s too much of a free spirit.”
Glancing at the shiny, silver box where the dress rested inside, her words ate at me like fermenting sugar. Somethingpretty. “You make it sound like he had a choice.”
Chelsea slammed her fist onto the counter, making me jump and drop the sugar plum I’d been rolling. “Healwayshas a choice.”
“Chelsea, are you okay? You’re really starting to scare me.” I slid the tray of sugar plums away from her and onto the counter behind me to save the rest of the batch from the other’s fated floor drop.
Chelsea blinked and smoothed out her shirt. “What? I’m fine.” Her demeanor softened, and she looked around. “Where are those cookies?”
Eyeing her peculiarly, I pointed to the lobby. “Where we left them. Next to the cash register.”
“Right.” Chelsea flashed a charming smile. “Tonight will be fun, huh?”
She walked away as if she hadn’t just said several things to rock my already chaotically spiraling world. It made me wonder if her moon magic were trying to tell me something, speaking through her to say the things she’d never want to say for fear of hurting me.
Walking to the box, I opened it and ran my fingers over the jewels and beading, staring in delight at my magic pulsing through it. I’d wear the dress, I’d wait for Jack, and tonight—we were going to make several things as clear as freshly frozen water.
I’d been puttingoff showing Sylvie the ice creature because we had barely begun to be civil to one another. Revealing that she’d be expected to deal with a monster for the rest of her life. It lay dormant inside me, save for times of distress such as a heated battle that we couldn’t have won without it, or—when I found my mate. I hadn’t recognized the sensation at first, the icy tendrils chilling beneath my skin like pulsing wintry veins. The transformation was instant when I called on it in war, but this was entirely different. It felt like a godsdamned hard-on that I couldn’t suppress or ignore if Itried.
Opting for attire I wouldn’t normally wear to a ball for fear it would be overkill, I slid on the high-collared jacket, its length draping past my knees. It was patterned sapphire and silver embroidered filigree on the forearms, the white, curved lapels, and flared shoulder pieces. I stared at myself in the mirror as I did up the shiny silver buttons of the satin blue vest, a matching shirt underneath it, undone enough to expose my chest. Makingthe snowflake emblem of my kingdom appear in my palm, I positioned it at my waist’s center, covering it with magic to make it sparkle and shine.
There was no telling how tonight would go. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t fear hernotshowing up. It was an opportunity, however, to show her a side of me that I was far more confident with—my charm.
After settling into a pair of knee-high black boots, I patted the frost giant’s enormous knee. “Thanks for letting me borrow your cave.”
“You made it after all. I am curious as to why you did not use one of these so-called friends you claim to be making in the village’s home, though.” The frost giant sat on the stony ground, his back pressed to the cave wall, one knee hitched to his chest.
Chuckling, I took one final glance in the mirror, spearing a hand through my hair to make the waves perfect and slicking back the shaved parts above my ears. “It’s winter. They all have raging fires or furnaces. I didn’t want to sweat out my suit before I even set foot into the place.”
“Heat around every corner. Sounds terrifying.” A deep rumble vibrated from the giant’s gut, his shoulders bouncing as if he’d learned how to laugh.
“You have no idea.” Turning to face him, I splayed my arms at my sides. “How do I look?”
The giant shrugged. “Like a buffoon, but I still do not see the point in clothes.”
Honestly? Neither had I. The world was far more comfortable without the restrictions of clothing, but I also couldn’t recall many places where nudity was acceptable in public.
“I’ll be seeing you,” I said through a smile, exiting the cave to the awaiting snowfall. Pausing to let some of it coat my face,breathing the chill into my lungs, I use my magic to prevent snowflakes from settling on my head or clothes.
