She would marry the new king. She would kill him.
And then the kingdom would become hers. She would rule it without the wicked influence of the Selkirk family, bringing the air fae and the ice fae together as one. They would make a formidable alliance. A real one. Not one where half of the alliance murdered the other.
Still, she could not stop herself from trembling as Wingallock swooped nervously through the drawing room, knocking unlit candles off the chandelier. The situation was far more complicated than it had seemed at first. A band of wood fae were hiding out in the hills not far from the castle, plotting against the Air Court. There were spies lurking everywhere. Reyna was certain there were even more fae inside the castle, working for the Wood Court.
What would they do next? Who would they target?
She strode into her bedchamber and grabbed the knife from beneath her mattress. Then, she grabbed her cloak and pulled it tightly around her shoulders. There was no time to waste. Reyna must do something about the wood fae. She had to confront them before someone else found out they were there, before the war brought bloodshed to these city walls.
But what would she say? And how could she stop them from trying to kill her the moment she stepped foot on those hills? The wood fae clearly wanted something, and they would not stop until they had it.
They wanted their own princess on the throne.
Reyna could not give them that, but perhaps she could help them in another way. It would be a bit of a risk, but no great plans were ever easy. And she had no other choice. She knew they would keep coming for her, even if she married Thane. The only solution was to offer them something else instead. Something better.
Princess Etaine had two brothers, both older than she. Reyna would be free to marry either one after Thane’s death. And, in Tir Na Nog, kings had more power than queens. Her kingdoms would become her husband’s. If they allied, he would get two rather than just the one. Of course, she knew very little about these two princes. Were they kind? Were they honorable? Would either of them be any better than Thane?
Things were getting very complicated.
It was a dangerous plot, one that required her to play her hand. She would have to tell the Wood Court how she planned to seize control of the Air Court. But it was the only choice she had. The alternative was to tell Lorcan, who would no doubt tell Thane, who would then be forced to send his armies against his enemy. The Ice Court would get wrapped up in it all. So many of her people would die.
So, it was settled then.
“Wingallock,” she whispered. Her owl flew down from the ceiling and curled his talons around her shoulder. He blinked at her, his tormented soul matching hers. “I need you to create a distraction so I can sneak out of here. But please, distraction only. And then return here where it’s safe.”
He hooted, displeased. He did not like Reyna rushing into danger alone.
But she would not risk her familiar’s life.
With another agitated hoot, Wingallock took off through the window. A moment later, a heavy thud echoed in the corridor outside her chambers. Lorcan let out a shout. Footsteps pounded on the stone floor. She pressed an ear to the wood, listening. As soon as the footsteps faded into the distance, she threw the door open and ran.
She raced through the castle, retracing her steps. The towers and connecting walls were a maze of identical corridors. Fire flickered on the walls, a blur as she ran past. Dust swirled around her as her boots scuffed the ground.
Soon, she found the hidden tunnel. The wall that led out to the sea. She pressed a hand against the stone and closed her eyes, smiling when the pulse of magic responded to her touch. The hidden wall fell away, and she raced into the night.
Outside, bulbous clouds hid the moons from view, and a heavy rumble threatened rain. The temperature had warmed these past weeks, and the snow had already begun to melt. Patches of grass could be seen through the white. A strange longing filled Reyna’s heart.
But no matter. Now was not the time to be thinking of ice.
She ran down the dirt path that led deep into the Witchlight Woods, boots slurping on the melted snow. It would not take long for Lorcan to realize she’d gone. Reyna needed to find the wood fae fast, before guards were sent out to track her down.
A sharpcrackrang out behind her, the breaking of a branch. She whirled toward the sound, and a tall, muscular figure loomed from the shadows of the woods.
“Evening, princess.”
35
Lorcan
Reyna stared at him, unblinking. Her cheeks were flushed as the wild wind tossed her hair around her shoulders. With the flutter of her cloak, the rustle of her silver tunic, and the dagger clutched in her hand, Reyna Darragh was no princess. She was a warrior. Fierce, strong, courageous.
Of course, this wasn’t going to make Thane happy. What could she possibly be doing out here this time?
“Mind telling me why you’re stomping around the woods with a dagger?”
“Go back to the castle, Lorcan,” she said, stalking away from him.
He laughed, easily matching her stride, even though she made no attempt to mask her hurry. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
