I won’t admit the real reason I don’t want to leave Alaric behind. That I want to keep a close eye on him. At the first sign of treachery, I resolve that I will do what I must.
A stab of loneliness tightens my chest. I try but fail to brush it aside. My father is gone, and my mother has isolated herself at the Winter Court palace, rarely venturing outside her bedchamber.
My aunts, uncles, and cousins have already left the Winter Court, some of them sailing beyond the continent to parts unknown, pulled by the spread of ussha.
My youngest brother, Rumarc, is dead, killed by my own hand.
And Alaric… well, it remains to be seen whether he can be trusted. In the end, he might betray me, and I will then have no choice but to kill him.
I think of my mother, isolated in her grief as she mourns my father’s passing as well as the death of her most beloved son. Rumarc was always her favorite, the son she doted upon. Losing him nearly broke her. Most of the time when I visit the Winter Court, she refuses to see me.
Aware that I’ve been silent for too long, I take a step away from Commander Harann and allow my cold gaze to sweep around the hall. I don’t need to shout over the raucous laughter and merriment. All I must do is send a frigid breeze around the spacious hall, a signal that I wish to speak.
The room falls eerily silent and all eyes land on me.
“Tribute Day is tomorrow,” I say, and there’s a brief round of cheers before the room once again goes quiet. “We’ll open the castle just before sunrise to start processing the surviving humans of Braemar. As is our custom, the families who cannot offer ten pieces of silver will be forced to part with a son, daughter, property, or other goods that we deem adequate.”
Another round of cheers echoes through the hall.
“I will preside over the occasion with the newly appointed Warden of Braemar, Warden Harann, at my side.” I make a sweeping gesture at the newly appointed warden.
More cheers. More applause. My gaze travels around the hall as I wonder if any of the highborn fae or faefolk in attendance tonight are scheming against me. Paranoia rises from deep within, pervading my senses and stoking my agitation. I can’t help but wonder whose skull I will collect as a prize next.
I would never admit it aloud, but I often ruminate over how my life might’ve unfolded if I weren’t highborn. If I’d been born to regular faefolk parents, would I be living in a cottage on the outskirts of the Winter Court lands with a family of my own? Would I be mated to a fae female whose heart hadn’t been poisoned against me before we even met?
Power surges through me, winter winds, spreading frost, and thick, swirling snow. My palms tingle and my skin crawls, an uncomfortable sensation I recognize all too well. The banquet hall suddenly feels too small. There are too many bodies in the room. I long for escape.
But all eyes are still on me. They’re waiting, patiently and obediently, for the conclusion of my little announcement. I glance at my empty wine glass, wishing it were full. It would seem the servants are too frightened to come near me at the moment, not that I can blame them.
“Enjoy your evening, friends,” I say with a wicked grin. “Drink. Laugh.Play.”
Several commanders call for toasts in my honor, and I’m forced to endure their fawning speeches. But thankfully, this means a servant is forced to approach and refill my cup. I greedily drink of the wine, wishing it were something stronger.
To my relief, the hum of conversation soon returns to the hall. I bid farewell to Commander Harann and start to make my way out of the crowded room. Though it pains me, I feign an air of nonchalance and keep my steps slow, as though I’m in no hurry to leave the merriment behind, but also, the goings-on aren’t interesting enough to make me stay.
At last, I emerge into the courtyard outside. I lift my head to the sky and relish the cold wind that sweeps downward. I release a growl, summon my wings, and savor the sensation of the wind ruffling my feathers. Then I take a deep breath and bolt into the sky.
I fly toward the mountains, pulled by the glimmer of the ussha-blessed vegetation. I soar over the mountain range, bringing bursts of snow and ice, and wind, so much wind, as I release the agitation that’s been building inside me all evening.
Fatigue starts to pull at me, and the calm I was seeking finally descends. Sometimes I must drain my magic just so I can think more clearly. As I tread air in the raging winter winds that are part of me, I turn to face the city. My pulse quickens.
Helena. She’s waiting for me.
I fly toward the castle.
CHAPTER 13
HELENA
With the whiterobe wrapped tightly around me, I walk onto the balcony that overlooks the courtyard. King Theron has been absent all day. He was gone when I awoke and I haven’t seen him since, though glamoured slaves entered to bring breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I considered trying to run past them into the corridor, but each time the thought entered my mind, I hesitated.
The truth is, I’m not just afraid of the king’s reaction if I tried to escape. I’m afraid of the other fae males I might encounter during an attempt to flee. Each time I stepped onto the balcony today, I could see highborn fae, as well as faefolk, coming and going from the castle.
I gaze in the direction of Sinclair’s Bakery. I count the days in my head and a chill washes through me. Tomorrow is Tribute Day. Thankfully, Mr. Sinclair has the required ten pieces of silver for the tribute, but I’m still bothered that he must come to the castle and bring Isabel with him. It bothers me that entirehouseholds are expected to show up together, no matter how young or old.
Will I witness violence tomorrow? Tears burn in my eyes. There are more heads on the parapet today, and I don’t believe all of them belong to soldiers. The cruelty of the fae shouldn’t surprise me, but it does. It’s difficult to reconcile King Theron’s darkness with the gentle way he’s treated me thus far.
A vision of the king, stark naked, flashes in my mind. I close my eyes and give my head a shake, trying to banish the unwanted reminder of the vision I’d had yesterday. The vision I haven’t been able to make sense of. What could it mean?
