His considerate response startled me. Normally, Frisk was relentless; if he wanted information, he would get it.
Perhaps this was a gesture of trust. One that I would need to return if I wanted to heal our friendship.
“Thank you,” I said uncertainly. “I appreciate that.”
“I hope that, one day, you’ll trust me with the full truth,” Frisk went on. “Even if it’s painful.”
I winced. Because yes, itwaspainful. Just skirting around the full truth had me quivering down to my bones. Those red eyes… the sharpened claws… the savage grin…
I shuddered and finished off my apple before tossing the core. I rubbed my arms. “How much farther?”
“Just one more peak to climb,” Frisk said.
“You’ve been here before, haven’t you?”
“What if I told you I simply have excellent tracking skills?”
I laughed. “I’d say that’s bullshit and you know it.”
He huffed another laugh. “This way, Snow.”
We continued our climb, my eyes burning from the harsh wind, the billowing flurries intensifying the higher we went. I was grateful for the setting sun because it reduced the painful brightness of the snow, but it also lowered the temperature by several degrees. Despite wearing many layers, my insides rattled with my shivering.
“F-F-Frisk?” I mumbled, teeth chattering.
“Shh,” Frisk said. I could no longer see him beside me.
I halted, my skin tingling with awareness. On instinct, I draped my invisibility over me like a cloak, raising one hand in front of me to ensure I was completely obscured. I saw nothing but the snowflakes.
With so much snow in the air, I couldn’t see Frisk at all. But as I stood there, body quivering, I realized I didn’t need to. A shimmering glow glinted in the distance, a mixture of pink and purple hues. I swallowed, my throat dry, as I made my way closer to the light. With each step, warmth crept through my layers of clothing, thawing my icy bones. I nearly sighed with relief, but I was too enamored with the brightening lights of the pixies’ magic. Gold and crimson bursts joined the pink and purple, creating a kaleidoscope of colors.
It was absolutely breathtaking. Like the northern lights, but with more vibrant colors.
“Let me approach first,” came Frisk’s soft voice. I stilled again and waited, placing a hand on the snowy rock wall next to me for support.
After a moment, hushed murmurs met my ears. No doubt they’d sensed Frisk’s presence. I held my breath. If they could spot Frisk in this blizzard, then I had no hope of blending in, even with my invisibility.
“I’m here to speak with Nyra,” Frisk said, his voice loud and clear. I’d never heard him speak with such authority before. I was accustomed to his sarcastic drawl, but this voice spoke of power. It made me wonder what his life had been like before he’d come to Knockspur.
“Intruders are not welcome here,” said a harsh male voice. “Be gone before we incinerate you with our magic.”
“Don’t make me speak her true name,” Frisk warned. “Because I will. And she knows it.”
A pixie’strue name? Not many fae species possessed true names. That magic had died out long ago. This meant that Nyra had to be hundreds of years old—perhaps even a thousand.
The pixies’ muttering intensified. I resisted the urge to fidget, my heart racing. Was Frisk in danger? Would the pixies harm him?
And how in the hell did he know a pixie’s true name?
At long last, a light, female voice said, “I’m here.”
“We request an audience with you, my queen.”
I stiffened.Queen? Frisk didn’t say anything about meeting a pixie queen.
“Since you’ve threatened me with my true name, I hardly have a choice, do I?”
“Give me your word you won’t harm me or my companions, and I’ll give you my word I will never utter your true name ever again.”
