The fae wrinkles his nose. “Some gods-forsaken place I’ve never desired to be,” he mutters, then holds out a hand toward each of us.
I gasp in shallow breaths as the water grows noticeably colder, a thin sheet of ice coating the surface.
Aspen slams a fist through the winter fae, but of course it’s no use.
My words are even more of a struggle to bite out now. “Why…are you…doing this?”
“Why am I babysitting you when I’m supposed to be a king?” He seems to be speaking more to himself than either of us. “We’re a joke. And two humans in exchange for thousands is supposed to make up for it.” He lets out a bitter laugh.
Two humans in exchange for thousands.What’s that supposed to mean? My mind spins to comprehend the implications, but all thoughts are stripped away when another set of footsteps sounds down the hall.
A whine comes from Amelie. She shakes her head, the sudden terror in her eyes telling me she recognizes those footsteps. It’s no surprise when Cobalt’s silhouette appears in the doorway.
What is surprising, however, is his appearance as he steps into the room; a leather patch covers one eye, so similar to ones I’ve used with Mr. Meeks when treating ocular damage. When Aspen said he’d slashed out one of Cobalt’s eyes, I assumed it would heal and grow back. Then again, it makes sense that full removal of vital limbs and organs are unable to grow back. The evidence being the scars on Mikaela’s back where the courtesan’s wings had been shorn.
Aspen crosses his arms and glares at Cobalt. “It looks good, brother.” His voice is thick with venom; I only wish Cobalt could hear it.
Cobalt falls to his knees before Amelie’s tub, lips pulling into an agonized frown. “Amelie.”
“Get away from me!” my sister shouts.
He blinks at her a few times, as if he can’t comprehend her scorn. “I’m sorry, my love. They won’t let me take you from here.”
Amelie’s lips peel back from her teeth. “Don’t you dare use that word around me.Love. I am not your love and you are not mine. I hate you and you know it.”
He puts a hand to his heart. “Dahlia deceived me. I never thought she’d trap you too.”
I analyze his words backwards and forwards, hating how slow the ice-cold water is making my mind. What he’s saying suggests he knew all along the Renounced were planning on capturing me.
“I promise you,” Cobalt says, “I will get you out of here. I will free you and we will be happy—”
“Cobalt,” Amelie hisses as she burns him with a glare. Even with the shivers that rack every inch of her body, her fury is palpable. She says his name again. Then again. “Cobalt. Cobalt.” With every repetition, her pitch shifts, changes.
Her mate shakes his head. “What is it, Amelie? Why do you…” He freezes, face going pale.
“Cobalt.” She says his name one more time, and this time, the hair on the back of my neck stands on end. I recognize the power wrapped in his name, her fury woven through each syllable. Even Aspen seems to notice, shoulders tense as he stares at my sister with wide eyes.
In a flash, Cobalt lurches away from her, scrambling to rise to his feet. His single eye bulges with terror as he backs away, tripping over his own feet. Before Amelie can say another word, he’s gone.
Amelie screams, thrashing against her bonds, sending water and shards of ice splashing over the sides of the tub. “Come back here!”
The winter fae, unaffected by the tense exchange, lets out a bored sigh. “Quiet down.” He approaches my sister, hand outstretched. The icy surface of the water in her tub begins to crack and ripple. I don’t understand what’s happening until I notice the orb of water in the fae’s palm, growing larger and larger until it’s the size of his head. Then it floats toward Amelie, which is threat enough to quiet her shouts.
Aspen stiffens and starts toward the fae, even though there’s nothing he can do.
“What are you doing?” I ask, pulse racing as the ball of water hovers above her scalp. Then, with a snap of his fingers, the ball loses shape and douses Amelie, coating her hair, her face. She gasps for air, her shuddering more intense.
The winter fae turns a cruel grin to me. “Might as well teach you both a lesson.”
Before I can react, a second orb of water crashes over my head, its icy shock turning my vision to black.
27
The cold. The cold is all I feel. Time loses meaning as I slip in and out of consciousness. The winter fae returns now and then to chill our water every time it grows even remotely comfortable. I only feel the slightest bit warm when Aspen visits through the Bond, rubbing his hands over my cheeks, my shoulders. Even if he were truly here, I doubt his actions would do much good.
For the love of iron, will this cold be the death of me?
Several times now, I’ve experienced what Mother once referred to asan attack by water. First, was when the kelpie took me under and Cobalt feigned his rescue. I must have come very close to losing my life by drowning, for I was unconscious for three days. Not long after that, Cobalt held me in a coral cage after pulling me underwater. I was sick and miserable afterward, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the first time.
