Tears prick my eyes at the prospect. Could he be so cruel and conniving? He’s a fae male, so perhaps he could. Despite theapology he issued for threatening me with punishment, I don’t quite trust him. The bloodlust that fills him during battle… it terrifies me. What if I cross him? How will he react? Will he turn his violence on me?
His voice suddenly enters my head.
Fucking manggas.Will you all finish dying already?
Manggas? I’ve never heard of such creatures, though they must be a nuisance and perhaps even deadly if it’s taking him this long to vanquish them.
Worry for Gideon suddenly ignites inside me. Once I’m aware of it, it grows even stronger, becoming a panicked ache in my chest. I try to push the strange emotion away and tell myself that I’m not concerned about his fate. But the truth is… complicated. I really don’t want any harm to come to him, and this realization causes me to gasp.
I sink down on the makeshift bed and run my hands over the soft furs, anticipating and dreading Gideon’s return in equal measure. There. That’s an honest thought.
A few more flashes of blue light briefly illuminate the mountainside, and I surmise he must be using some type of winter magic to battle the fae creatures known as manggas.
The skittering noises grow louder, then I finally see the awful beasts. Over a dozen scurry inside the cave, heading straight for me, but when they reach the line of frost, they bump into the invisible barrier.
Each one is roughly the size of a well-fed housecat, and they have numerous spider-like legs. When they open their mouths, I glimpse rows of sharp teeth and fangs.
Though I doubt they can penetrate the barrier, I jump to my feet and once again eye the pile of weapons. But just as I reach for an ax, I sense Gideon’s presence in the cave. I glance up and watch as he vanishes his wings in a flash, then directs a beam of blue light at the manggas near the invisible barrier.
I watch, awestruck, as the creatures disintegrate before my eyes. Oh, my gods. I knew Gideon possessed great power, as I’d sensed it during the attack on Braemar, but witnessing the ease with which he can kill sends an icy chill down my spine.
And now I suddenly realize why my people were so quick to surrender to the fae. My father informed me that not even an hour into the battle, the former king of Braemar ordered a white flag to be raised. He also told me that the Winter Court army has about four hundred highborn fae in its ranks, and that’s in addition to the thirty thousand foot soldiers, the regular faefolk who don’t possess much magic if any yet are still formidable opponents in battle.
Dear gods.
Humans don’t stand a chance against the fae armies. Neither do the orcs. Are we truly destined to live under fae rule forever?
I think of the knives I hid in my rucksack and pray Gideon doesn’t find out. If he discovers I stole fae weapons or suspects I’m planning to escape him, I fear his reaction.
And while I appreciate that the invisible barrier he created ended up keeping me safe from the manggas, what will prevent him from using such magic against me in the future? He could easily use his powers to hold me captive. To keep me in a cage of sorts. His forever prisoner.
He walks closer to the line of frost and steps through the barrier with ease. I gasp and take a few steps back. His face is impassive as he approaches me. I keep retreating, unable to keep myself from shaking, unable to prevent the new fears rising within me, until my back hits the cool, damp wall of the cave.
A smirk dances across his lips as he finally reaches me. He places his hands on either side of me, blocking me in, reminding me that there’s nowhere to run.
His eyes bore into me, dark pools of heat. The intensity of his gaze leaves me feeling stripped naked, as though he’s learningmy secret thoughts, hopes, and dreams. Does he know how badly I wish to escape him? Does he know that I would give anything to return to the bakery right now and live a quiet but safe life in Braemar, unmated and alone?
His cold winter breath caresses my face, and I try to ignore the heated pangs this causes in my core. I don’t understand how I can be so drawn to him yet fearful at the same time.
If I thought we might enjoy a happy life together, I might give him a chance. But he’s a vicious fae lord. He’s a commander in the Winter Court army. He’s probably killed thousands of my people. There’s no denying that he holds a certain bloodlust for humans. I know he possesses a violent side. I felt it during the attack on Braemar.
He enjoyed taunting me earlier. Well, he enjoyed it until he realized just how scared he was making me.
But how can I bind myself to a male who’s conquered my people?
How can I allow him to touch me?
I can’t. I simply can’t. If I remain with Gideon, my life will be miserable and filled with pain and fear. I’m certain of it, and my resolve to escape strengthens as I hold his smirking gaze.
I’m starting to feel like he’s taunting me now, though I can’t imagine the reason behind his sudden cruelty.
He makes a show of glancing over his shoulder, looking toward the pile of weapons. Then his head swivels back to me, and his eyes gleam with amusement. But beneath that smirk, I glimpse a hint of accusation… a hint of danger.
My stomach plummets to the ground.
Oh, gods.
He knows. He knows I stole the knives.
