Throwing my hands out, I launched icy walls down the length of the carpet, shielding everyone in attendance within them.
Jack was quick to coax me behind him. Nanok and Fintan barreled through the crowd. Nanok growled, the fur along his spine bristling. Fintan scraped his hooves, his antlers poised for attack.
“You call off those animals, or not only does the guard get his throat sliced, but I’ll make bear jerky and glue out of those two.” Diedre pinched the dagger closer to the guard’s neck, making him whimper and bleed slightly.
We gave our animals calming gestures to stay put, and I folded my wings defensively at my back.
“Diedre, I half expected you to crash the ceremony right as I was to put the crown on Sylvie’s head. How thoughtful of you towait,” Jack said through gritted teeth, holding me to his side tighter.
Diedre shrugged one shoulder. “I would’ve come sooner, but you keep quite the defenses up. It took me some time to break through the shielding spells. What sorcerers do you employ anyway, Jakzair?”
“As if I’d tell you.” Jack gripped my waist before stepping closer to Diedre. She tensed, the elbow holding the blade poised higher. “I’m going to ask you one final time, Diedre. I’ve been gracious to you, and there are far too many people I care about at risk now that I’ve run out of patience with you.”
Diedre’s glossy black eyes narrowed. “Ask mewhat?”
“Are you going to be aproblem?” Jack’s commanding voice was like thunder rattling the rafters, his ice creature poking through his face, the accompanying lightning strike.
Diedre’s resolve wavered when the ice monster started to reveal itself. She backed away, taking the guard with her. “I will never stop going after what should have rightfully been mine.”
Jack sighed, his right hand turning into crystallized magic. “Then I hereby revoke your kingdom, Diedre.”
His words were met with such shock and animosity that Diedre let the blade fall away from the guard’s neck. “You can’t do that. You don’t have the right, nor the power.”
Taking the small window of opportunity, I curled my magic around the guard’s torso, tugging him toward me and ushering him behind the shield wall.
“You’re right, I didn’t when youcursedme.” Jack lifted his icy fist, frosty vapors misting from it. “But now that it’s lifted—” His eyes glowed, the creature taking them over until they became icy hot.
“No, no. All I ever wanted was my birthright. You werecreatedto ensure I never got the throne.” Diedre spoke with venom dripping from her tongue, the black liquid that never ceased leaking from her eyes streaking her cheeks and dripping to the floor.
“Well, it’s a good thing destiny has its way of working things out. You spoiled your chances with this kingdom the day you succumbed to the darkness.” Jack thrust his arm forward, aiming his open hand at Diedre. “I’m banishing you to that very darkness you hold dear.”
Diedre’s eyes went wide, her fists shaking violently at her sides. “No. I will never let you live this down, Jakzair. Do you hear me?”
“You are hereby banished to the Outerwoods and stripped of your kingdom on the mainland. Though I can’t take away your title, perhaps you could become—” Jack smirked, his wrist twisting, fingers curling. “—queen of the goblins.”
Diedre set her jaw tight and lifted her chin, her gaze roaming the throne room of fae folk, peeking over the icy walls.
“Any last words?” Jack asked.
Diedre clicked her long, pointy, onyx nails together. “It may take me a thousand years to conjure a spell,KingJakzair—” She paused, her soulless eyes darting to me now. “—but Iwillfind a way to get my revenge.”
Glaring at her, I flared my wings, lightly flapping them to show Diedre I wasn’t afraid of her.
“Then I guess we have a thousand years to make our wards impenetrable. Have a nice life, Diedre.” Jack snapped his fingers, and she vanished with a wailing shriek.
Launching for my mate, I wrapped my arms around him, holding him tight. “Jack.”
“She left me no choice, Sylvie. I gave her every possible opportunity,” he mumbled against my neck.
I peeled back and searched his half-icy face. “I know. She was a threat to the kingdom, its people, to me, and our animals. All of it. You did the right thing.”
“I’m not sure I could ever convey to you in words how much that means to me. How much findingyoumeans to me.” Jack rested a hand on my nape, his shoulders sinking from the effort with Diedre.
“Then make this royal affair official andshowme how much, Jakzair.” Rising to my toes, I kissed him—deeply, profoundly, and with so much heat behind it that it melted the walls I created as shields for our people.
Jack’s arm curled around me, bending me backward with his own passion that he poured into that kiss. He grunted, pointing at someone, then to our animals for him to tend to them. In a shimmer of snow, we appeared in a massive bedroom, my back flopping onto the oversized kingly bed, ice-blue satin soft against my skin.
Jack’s mouth was still pressed to my lips, his tongue diving in to swirl with mine. I dug my fingers into his hair, gripping it, tugging it, before slipping a hand to his pants and greedily pulling at the belt.
