Naveer was already hunting.
Chapter 34
Reyla
Frosty air bit into my cheeks the moment we stepped through the door, the sudden shift from the castle’s warmth to the outside world nearly staggering. What should be a lush summer garden lay trapped beneath crystalline stillness. This part of the grounds was vast, stretching beyond where I could see. Almost nothing was blooming. Not in the usual sense, that is.
Ice cracked somewhere nearby, and I jolted.
A flick of Lore's fingers, and we all wore glasses that cut some of the glare. Farris shook his head, but when the glasses remained in place, he looked up at Lore and huffed. At least he wasn't dragging them off his face with his paw.
The paths looked like they’d been formed from pure crystal and equally encrusted trees arched overhead. Their bark gleamed silver, their branches dangling icicles. Every leaf appeared sharpened, not simply frozen but reshaped, some hooked at their tips. Frost coated the veins as if someone had drawn them onto the mirrored surfaces.
High hedges glittered with a thin sheen, their greenery encased in ice crystals. Fountains bubbled with tinkling sounds, and when I walked over to stare at a big one nearby shaped like a dragon, I gaped at the ice splinters cascading through the beast’s mouth, landing in the pool beneath where they fused to form an icy sheen. Cold magic hung in the air, pulling at my cloak with invisible fingers.
Even the air tasted sharp, laced with a chill that sought my lungs, eager to freeze them solid. Farris let out a low yowl but nosed along the nearest path, his breath puffing into mist. His tiny feet left prints that vanished seconds later beneath creeping frost.
It’s beautiful,I whispered.
Lore nodded, studying a branch gouging toward him like it wanted to draw blood.Equally deadly.
Do you see a frostwilla plant yet?
Not so far.
A shout caught my attention, and I watched as a group of lords and ladies, dressed only in their gowns and summer tunics, skidded along a path to our right, their arms outstretched to keep from falling, their excited cries echoing around us. The one at the rear fell, smacking onto his ass, and the others kept going, leaving him behind.
He scrambled to his feet, and with a shout, took off after them. They all disappeared down a curve in the path.
Ice flowers clustered beneath hedges, their crystalline petals holding trapped colors. Blues and purples bled through frozen surfaces like captured rainbows.
Some petals shimmered like blown crystal, glinting with fire where the light struck them. Many blossoms were open, their edges gleaming, while others remained in tight spirals, whorledlike the shells of frozen sea-creatures. I crouched beside one. Frost clinging to the stem crackled, shifting toward my fingers.
Don't touch, love.Lore’s hand landed on my shoulder.They're all alive.
So are regular plants.
Not like these.
I sensed this plant was watching me, assessing me, and it wasn't finding anything it liked.
“A nasty flower,” he said. “These blooms are beautiful, but they lack the predatory elegance of the frostwilla.”
“What does it look like?”
“Silver petals curved like hunting fangs, glistening with their own inner light.”
Straightening, I peered in the direction the other group had run.Should we follow the others? They may know where to find the right plant.
I never follow.Lore took my gloved hand in his own and urged me down a different path.I always lead.
So arrogant.
Ruthless, love. I’m ruthless, remember?
My heart tripped over itself.How could I forget?
Pausing on the path, he tugged at my hood, making sure it shielded most of my face from the cold, and kissed the tip of my nose before taking my hand again.
