It’s a testament to the king’s faith in me that he would trust me to escort his mate anywhere, and I am again relieved that he so easily accepted my resignation. With a fleeting glance at Helena, I can’t help but wonder what other changes she will influence. Because surely she is to blame, or perhaps to thank, for the difference I have noticed in the Winter King.
My heart softens as I glance down at Isabel. She’s been strangely quiet since we departed for the cabin, and I know the impending battle weighs heavily on her. I also know she’s thinking about her father.
She meets my eyes, and I send her a wave of warmth.
There is something I must tell you,little moth, I murmur through the bond.By order of King Theron, only the soldiers from Hollins will die tonight. Well, the soldiers and the mayor. No one else from Hollins will be harmed, and as I already promised you, your father will remain safe. I will personally verify his well-being before I return to you.
Shock ripples through her.Are you certain?she asks.The king really doesn’t plan to kill the regular citizens who are caught in the streets, or those who foolishly try to fight back?
Only the soldiers and the mayor will die, I tell her.The king did not explain his reasoning to me, but I have my suspicions. I would wager all the gold in the coffers of Frostfall Manor that his new mate had something to say about the killing of… innocents. Though I suppose you can ask Helena about it yourself after I leave you both in the warded cabin.
Her eyes dance with hope.Oh, Gideon, this is wonderful news, she says.Yes, I plan to interrogate Helena and ask her how she managed to civilize the king. She gives me a sly look.I suppose I need some ideas.
If you think you can civilize me, little moth, I may have to remind you of exactly who tamed whom last night.
A little gasp leaves her, and she blushes profusely.
I draw her closer, wrapping an arm around her as the cabin finally comes into sight. Though I’m still burning to seek my vengeance against the soldiers from Hollins, I am reluctant to leave Isabel behind. And for just a moment, I waver.
You don’t have to go, she says.The soldiers will die no matter what.
I must go, I tell her. I kiss the top of her head.But I will return to you, little moth. And then we will start our new life together.
Do you promise?she asks softly through the bond.
Yes, little moth, I promise.
CHAPTER 23
ISABEL
I can scarcely believeI’ve been reunited with Helena. So much has happened since I last saw her at the bakery on the morning she set out on her usual mail route. To think she was captured by Prince Alaric on the streets and then tossed before the Winter King as a gift is truly shocking. But the rest of the story she told me is even more shocking.
“I still can’t believe you are a reincarnated soul, and a fae soul at that. And technically, you are also part-fae, since in this lifetime, your father was part-fae. The father you never knew,” I say. “Oh, Helena, you are quite possibly the most interesting person I have ever met.”
She laughs. “Enough about me.” She blows on her tea. “I want to hear about you. Please. Tell me more about you and Commander Ashvale.”
My face heats. “I already told you that he tracked me down and we recently mated. What more is there to tell?”
“Everything!” She gives me an incredulous look. “How does he treat you? Is he terribly coldhearted sometimes like many Winter fae are? Or is he often kind to you? How old is he?”
I draw in a deep breath, preparing to answer, when I glimpse a shadow dart by the window from my peripheral vision. I startle and look outside. The snow is still drifting down from the sky, and it’s nearly dusk, but it’s still light enough that I ought to be able to see the soldiers who are supposed to be standing around the cabin. All fifty of them. But they are suddenly nowhere to be seen.
“What’s wrong?” Helena whispers.
“I thought I saw something move by the window just now, but when I looked, it was gone, and now… do you see that? The soldiers that were standing among the trees are no longer there. Look.” My gut twists with worry. I suddenly have a very bad feeling.
I search the bond, but Gideon is so far away, I can’t hear his thoughts. I feel his presence and I know he’s alive, but I can’t speak with him from this distance. He’s probably hiding in the trees outside Hollins with King Theron and the entire Winter Court army, ready to attack the soldiers and drag the mayor from his bed.
“You’re right,” Helena whispers. “Something is wrong. I-I feel it too.” She pales and her eyes go wide.
“Other than being able to pass through wards,” I say, “what fae powers do you possess?” My gaze darts to my rucksack. The knives I swiped from the cave a week ago are still inside. Maybe we should arm ourselves.
Helena sighs, sets her mug of tea down, and presses a finger to the table. A small line of frost spreads across the surface of the table. “That’s it,” she says. “I can only create frost, the most basic Winter fae power of all, one that I’m afraid isn’t reallyhelpful. I’m sorry.” She glances over her shoulder and peers out the windows near the front door.
“Well, the cabin is warded,” I say, striving for a confident tone. “Maybe the soldiers just moved elsewhere, and everything is fine. I’m probably just being paranoid.”
“You’re not being paranoid,” Helena whispers. “The back of my neck is prickling, and I swear someone is watching us.”
