I stilled, digging through my memories to recall the exact terms of our bargain.
Shivering bones, she was right. The agreement was for me to bring her his heart. How could I have been so foolish?
If I had made a verbal vow to do so, I would be dead right now. The fae magic would have claimed my life as soon as I’d left Sir Ethan in the woods. Luckily, only Calista had spoken the words.
Which now meant she was no longer bound to let me take my leave.
Calista laughed, her smile widening to reveal her perfectly white teeth. I was half surprised she didn’t have fangs glistening with my blood.
“Who is the target?” I asked tightly.
“Princess Eira. My stepdaughter.”
My eyes widened. “The Snow Princess?” I’d never met the princess, as she had been banished years ago. But there were whispers of how she had been cast out for wreaking havoc among the court after King Judas died. The people still spoke of the Snow Princess and how she lived in the frost itself, always disappearing before anyone could find her.
Calista’s smile vanished, her eyes full of fury. “Yes. Theexiledprincess. She continues to cause disturbances in the lower towns, rounding up human rebels for her cause. Riots, brawls, thievery… Her latest exploits left the village of Raya burned to the ground. But she’s crafty and has managed to evade even my most skilled soldiers.” She shot a glare toward the guards lining the wall, as if they were directly to blame for this.
“This has gone on long enough,” she continued. “You must find and eliminate her before her crimes escalate and she starts a civil war among my people.”
“Can you not command her with her blood?” I asked. As the queen’s stepdaughter, surely the Snow Princess’s blood would be among her stores, just like mine. That was how hermagic worked—all she needed was a single drop to control someone.
Calista’s nostrils flared. “She is too far for my magic to reach her.”
My eyebrows lifted.Clever princess.
Calista leaned forward, bracing her arms on the gilded edges of her throne. “Do not fail me, Theron. I must have her heart. Agree to this bargain, and you will be permanently released from my service.”
My mouth fell open in blatant surprise, my calm facade shattering. We had originally agreed on just the storm season. Holed up in the mountains, I would have been undisturbed in my cabin, as it was dangerous to travel during a snowstorm, and the queen would have been limited in her dealings as well.
But permanently?Could she truly continue without my services?
“You mean, I will be released from my contract?” I clarified. I needed her to say the exact words.
“Yes. You will no longer be in my employ. I trust the generous funds you have received from me over the years will be enough for you to live comfortably for quite a while.” The knowing gleam in her eyes indicated she knew just how enticing this reward was for me. She knew how much I hated being her weapon.
And she was right. I did have enough funds saved to live comfortably for the rest of my life.
“I will not be labeled a traitor to the crown?” I asked, my eyes narrowing. It seemed like something she would do, to free me from my debts only to turn around and hunt me to the ends of the earth.
Calista laughed. “Youareclever, my fearsome hunter. Iswear on my life and my crown that when you are released from my service, you will have no obligations to me or this court, and you will be labeled a free and respected citizen, provided you continue to abide by my laws.”
“And my blood?”
The smile vanished from her face. “What about your blood?”
I knew she had a vial of it stored away for emergencies, in case I decided to betray her. This time, it was my turn to smirk at her. Did she really think I would agree to a bargain that only teased me with the illusion of freedom? No, if I was to be truly free of her, she could no longer hold on to my blood. “I’ll be wanting that back.”
Her nostrils flared. “Once blood goes into my vault, it does not come out.”
“I will never be truly free as long as you have it,” I countered. The pain of her magic would be more potent if the blood was fresh, but even a supply of my old blood would be powerful enough to cause severe damage.
I didn’t know if my cabin in the mountains was far enough away to escape her reach. And I didn’t want to test those limits.
Calista’s eyes fluttered shut for a moment. “Very well. Upon your release, I will also relinquish all of your blood to you.”
Shivering bones, she’d actually agreed to it. I didn’t think she would. Her hold on me was iron-clad as long as she had that vial. This bargain told me just how much she needed this assignment done—and done quickly.
She wasdesperate. Desperate enough to let go of her most skilled assassin. My brain worked furiously to come up withsome kind of loophole in her terms, but I couldn’t find one. Still, I said nothing. This felt too easy.
