by Mila Young
"Everything you need is in there, Your Highness." She bows her head slightly and retreats.
"Thank you," I say, and Guendolyn gives her thanks too. Michae bows his head as we leave the dining hall.
By the time we head downstairs and step outside into a courtyard, the expression on my little wolf's face is bursting with excitement.
"Where are we going?" She looks at me for an answer, and there is something riveting about her childlike enthusiasm. My chest tightens as my heart pounds for her. She affects me so easily, so quickly.
"You'll see,” I assure her and guide her over the snow-covered yard to the large black sleigh harnessed to a large chestnut horse.
Guendolyn's mouth hasn’t closed yet, and she quickens her steps. "Is this really for us? Oh my god, it looks like Santa’s sleigh.” She mumbles things I don’t understand, but her excitement is contagious. Then she turns to me abruptly. “Wait, the Bloodcursed are outside the walls."
“Who said anything about leaving the kingdom grounds?”
She’s bouncing on her feet and runs ahead, then climbs up into the open sleigh. She flops down onto the two-seater wooden bench covered in blankets, laughing when she looks my way.
“Hurry up,” she calls.
This is how I want her to feel every day. Who would have thought I'd end up such a love-struck sucker. I need my little wolf by my side, always. That's what matters. I reach her and set the basket under the bench in the sleigh and turn to find our stable manager, an older fae with long pointy ears sticking over messy white hair, marching over to me.
“Your Highness, you are all set to go. The paths have been cleared of snow.” There’s a glint in his eyes just like the maid’s and Michae’s as he glances over to Guendolyn and back at me. I can’t help but get the impression the staff at the mansion are excited for me to be with her. Or maybe it’s hopeful thinking on my part.
“Thank you.”
Beyond the castle and town and within the kingdom walls lies a woodland safe from Bloodcursed, where fae can hunt game and pick wild fruit and vegetables.
I climb into the sleigh, take the reins, and sit next to my little wolf. “Are you ready?”
“You bet. I’m so excited to do something fun. I still remember the Ferris Wheel you made for me.” She presses up against my side, and I wrap an arm around her.
The horse takes off, and she bursts out giggling as we lurch backwards in our seat. We quickly fall into a steady trot, going over small bumps over the terrain. A few maids wave to us from the grounds, and Guendolyn repays the favor. Once we leave behind the castle yard, we start moving faster. I swing the horse right and take the path where pines and firs stripped of leaves and pine needles fill the landscape.
Behind us lays another path that leads into the Seelie Shadow town, but today I want us away from everyone and the fucking drama of royal life.
We jostle in our seat, but Guendolyn doesn't dislodge herself from my side. “When I was young,” I begin, “I used to go into these woods and stay out here for a week at a time. I’d camp out here, catch my own meals and build fires, and I usually only returned when one of my brothers came to collect me.”
“Escape?” she asks.
Sort of. A faint tingle of energy brushes over my skin, like it always does when I send her my thoughts.
She looks up at me, and it’s strange to sense her emotions while also seeing them dance across her face. That’s part of my ability… I may not clearly hear all of her response, but I do pick up on her feelings when she opens her mind to me. And right now, she’s beyond curious.
I beat her to the questioning as we head through the woods, jumping about in our seat from the bumpy land. “My second sight came from my grandfather on my father’s side. When we first moved to Shadow Court, I struggled to shut out the thoughts of people who had no idea how to guard their minds. You’d be surprised what people give away if I prod just enough. And I was young, still unable to control my power. So I used to hide here where I could keep my mind silent.”
“Didn’t your grandfather teach you to manage your power?”
I stare straight ahead at the path that starts to curve right and upward. Snow covers everything in sight, reminding me of the last time I saw my grandfather. A week before my tenth birthday, he’d entered my father’s mind a few too many times to steal guarded information. When my father caught him, he killed my grandfather for it. Knowledge is power and makes people gruesome beings.
“Not really,” I answer. “He wasn’t the friendliest or most helpful fae.” Which was the truth. He used to beat our real father as a child until he was bloody. Guess the whole apple not falling far from the tree applied here since Ahren was then treated the same. But the three of us made a pact to never become our father. And if we started down that road, we pulled each other back on track.
“That’s a shame.” She loops her arms tighter around my middle and nestles closer. “It seems to me you have it down pat if you were able to track me down on Earth.”
“With the use of magic,” I remind her.
“Still, what you can do is incredible.”
I lean down and kiss the top of her head. “Says the girl who can open portals and heal fae, not to mention communicate with fairies.”
“I think I have another ability,” she tells me and goes on to explain about the energy she used to combat the king’s mother in Ash Court.
My heart jackhammers at hearing she used energy to drive the Unseelie across the room. “You are incredible, my little wolf. And part of me wonders if you may even make a good mage.”
She stiffens and pulls back. “Don’t even say that. I’ve seen the mages in this court, and they are terrifying. I am nothing like that.”
“You’re right, you’re different, and this is why I vow to protect you with my life.”
She smiles and buries her head against me as we make our way forward. Birds chirp, and a deer darts past our path. Finally, I guide our horse to a stop in a small clearing where the white snow on the ground looks untouched. It glistens under the sun that’s warmed up the icy day.
“We’re going on foot from here. I have something to show you. Bring a blanket to keep you warm.”
I jump out of the carriage and help her down as she holds onto the blanket from the bench. As she wraps it around her shoulders, I quickly give the horse feed to keep him content while we’re gone.
Hand in hand, Guendolyn and I trek through the ankle-deep snow, walking past trees and over logs, the land sloping upward sharply.
She’s gasping for air. “Are you trying to kill me?”
I laugh and draw her closer to me, helping her up the steep terrain to ensure she doesn’t slip. Trees grow thinner, the sun stronger, and I love it up here. Around us, the world seems farther away, smaller; it feels like nothing can touch us.
We rise over the treetops now, following the circular path around the rocky hill. Once we reach the flat platform on the summit, I glance out to Shadow Court. Lofty and dominating over the land, the castle is ancient, stones worn from centuries of wear. Walls rise from the ground and stand protective over the kingdom with steadfast towers to watch over them. The town surrounds it, homes covering the descending landscape. And snow covers everything in sight.
“Oh my god!” Guendolyn gasps at the sight. “It’s stunning up here. I need a camera because this is crazy beautiful.”
“Little wolf, that view is not what I brought you up here for. Turn around.”
She does, and her mouth drops open. “Are you freaking kidding me?”
Chapter 8
Guendolyn
Standing on a hill in the woods behind the castle, I stare out into the far distance, over the kingdom wall and another great expanse of woodland. My sight settles on an enormous tree I’ve never seen before. It towers over the woods around it as though someone placed a skyscraper in the middle of nowhere.
From our position on top of the hill, I can't make out the smaller details, only
the branches tangled around the trunk, shooting upward where the canopy springs outward like an oversized mushroom top.
Hundreds of tiny lights speckle along the branches like fireflies.
"So beautiful," I murmur. "What is that tree?"
"Take a closer look." Luther hands me a pair of black binoculars that definitely did not come from this world.
I peer through them, my eyes taking a moment to work out what I'm looking at. Then I lower them because I've been staring at the sky. I zoom over to the tree that glints in the sunlight. The leaves sparkle like jewels, and from the branches hang oversized beehives.
My heart skips a beat as the realization hits me that I've seen these before. After we stepped out of the portal when escaping Ash Court.
"Holy shit! Those are fairies' homes!" I lower the binoculars and turn to Luther, who's grinning ridiculously.
"Why didn't you tell me they lived so close to the castle?" I swing back around to stare at a fairy emerging from a hive, her wings spanning outward in brilliant reds and golds. There are so many of these gorgeous fairies, all buzzing about like bees, popping in and out of the homes and then vanishing into the canopy tops. "We need to come here at night. Can you imagine how stunning this will look?" I lower the binoculars and glance over at Luther. “Can we go there?”
"If anyone gets near the tree, they attack and kill them. Even the Bloodcursed are afraid. Many fear and hunt them down to ensure they don't swarm the kingdom. We're under a kind of unspoken agreement that we each stay on our side of the land." He gives me a wonky smile, almost awkward, almost apologetic.
"They are super protective of their homes. I don't blame them." I turn my attention back in the tree's direction, taken aback by the beauty this realm holds. I think back to the stories I've been told about the fairy queen, the tragedy she encountered, the history behind the fairies’ existence. The reactions from fae when fairies are mentioned, including the princes.
They are feared.
But also misunderstood.
I think of Hiss and how she helped me, of the hundreds of fairies that bowed and sang to me. Those are not the actions of a wild, vicious race. They are trying to survive in this terrifying world that hunts them down, exploits them. They are direct descendants from the fairy queen herself, pushed aside by the Unseelie and Seelie alike. I recall the Ash King's mother gloating about her bloodline being directly linked to the fairies. Then why don't they embrace them into their court?
My mind runs rampant with injustice.
Luther closes in behind me, his hard chest pressed against my back as his arms wrap around my waist. His breath is on my neck. "To answer your earlier question, it's only after our recent trip that I realized how closely connected you are to them. They recognize you as one of their own."
The reality of his words is too much, except deep down in my gut, I know it's true. From the first time I encountered them, they saved me. One of them talked to me in my mind. One word, but still—communication.
"Are the fairies known for having abilities other than devouring the flesh from a person's bones in seconds?" I ask.
"Not that I'm aware of, though the fairy queen carried incredible power. She tapped into elemental magic, the legends say. It's why fae have such a varying array of powers. But most have been diluted over the generations."
The more I discover about this realm's history and inhabitants, the more it starts to piece together and somehow seem normal to me.
"I like the fairies," I admit.
"Yes, I know," he answers and kisses my cheek. Warmth spreads over my body from his affection.
Twisting my head, I glance back at him, but he surprises me, sliding a hand across my jaw and kisses me.
Powerful and intoxicating, he knows exactly how to distract me and make me forget about what I'd been thinking about seconds earlier.
When he breaks away, I melt my back against his chest and hold onto his arms locked around me.
"I knew the first time I found you that there was something special about you," he muses.
"Well, of course. I was the girl with a curse," I answer with sarcasm.
His hold squeezes lightly around me. "Not what I meant. When I enter someone's mind, I can feel their aura. I can't explain it, but I sense in my heart how pure their soul is, and you are untouched."
"Untouched?" I turn around in his arms to face him.
"Nothing stains your soul. Everyone has some level of corruption or darkness in their aura. It's part of who we are. Except you. I've never seen that before."
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. I’m unsure what to ask.
He cups my cheeks and kisses my nose. "I think it means you are destined for something unimaginable."
"That sounds terrifying." My breath quickens. "I have yet to see when anything in this realm is filled with butterflies and rainbows rather than death and blood."
"These hardships will shape your legacy, little wolf."
I half-laugh at the motivational quote. "You are confusing me with someone else. Everyone wants me killed."
He leans in closer and whispers in my ear, “You got that backward, beautiful. Anyone with a death warrant is direly important. Even if you don't realize it yet.”
I frown and tilt back my head to look at him. "Do you know something I don't? Tell me; don't talk in circles, please. I've had enough of secrets."
"You are special, that part is obvious. Exactly why or how is still unclear, but it doesn't take anything away from you."
When his mouth grazes mine, I press myself against him and kiss him, tired of the merry-go-round conversations that leave me uncomfortable. I've never been anyone important, and I refuse to believe that somehow that has changed. I've experienced enough to know how the universe works. When it gives me something good in my life, it usually comes with a sucker punch. And I just feel like I haven't felt its full brunt yet. Luther telling me otherwise is his way of distracting me, to placate me.
With no answers, I prefer not to talk about this anymore.
I focus on how amazing Luther tastes instead, how his hands slide to my ass, fingers digging into me with a possessiveness I adore.
On my first time in this realm, I kissed Luther up in the treetops, so it fits perfectly that we find ourselves high up on a hill, overlooking the land, in each other's arms.
An icy breeze washes past, ruffling my hair and tugging on my clothes. Luther holds me closer, our lips still crushed together.
"I'll take you back to the sleigh. The winds are too harsh up here." His face is so close to mine, our noses touch.
I still struggle to believe that I somehow caught his attention. If it wasn’t for this wind, I'd insist we remain right where we are.
He takes my hand, and I race alongside him down the slope, staring out to the fairy tree one last time before it vanishes from sight behind treetops and the lofty kingdom wall.
By the time I climb back into the sleigh, my teeth are chattering, and the first feathery snowflakes cascade around us. Then it changes in the blink of an eye. Snow falls in thick sheets, the cold penetrating through to my core. I tuck the binoculars beneath our bench and touch the basket.
"We didn't eat our picnic meal," I remind him.
"It won't go to waste, trust me." Luther slides in next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and gripping the reins, then we are traveling through the woods again.
"The weather changed so fast." The earlier blue sky is now bruised with dark stormy clouds, darkening the woodland.
I rub my arms and curl in closer against Luther, absorbing his heat, though my nose still feels like ice.
The trees blanketed in snow blur past us as we move faster, and with the snow coming down quickly, I can barely see the track ahead of us, let alone anything else. Branches swing wildly in the blizzard, the wind howling around us.
My heart is beating with the thought that somehow we'll get stuck out here in the storm.
"Keep your head low," Luther
instructs.
That's when I feel the ice pellets bounce off the blanket around my shoulders and my head.
A sudden gust of freezing air rushes past, colliding into us, throwing us back into our seats.
"Oh shit!" I gasp, and I won't deny, I'm more than a bit scared at how horrible the weather has shifted.
Luther whistles and drives our poor horse forward, then swings down a path toward the right. We're bouncing in our seat, and I can't stop shivering.
Before us, a small wooden cottage materializes through the curtain of snow.
A sharply pointed roof, windows covered by curtains, and a small covered veranda at the front door.
"Where are we?" I raise my voice over the blustery weather.
"Hunter's lodge. It's always open for anyone stuck out here during a storm." He comes to a pause a small distance away. "Run inside, and I'll be there soon. I need to take the horse into the stable in the back."
I nod, already climbing up as I grab the basket from under the bench, then I jump out of the sleigh. My feet sink into the snow instantly.
Not wasting a second, I hug myself, tucking my chin into my chest and shoving against the wind to the front door. I look back as Luther ushers the horse and sleigh around the side of the hunter's lodge.
Quickly, I stamp my feet on the veranda to get rid of excess snow and push open the unlocked door, rushing inside.
It smells stale in here. I shut the door, pushing it against the ferocious gusts that whistle outside, closing it with a thump. I'm trembling and hurry to pull back the curtains to light up the dark room.
It’s a spacious room with an enormous fireplace. Table and chairs near the door, a couch facing the fireplace, and a bed covered in furs in the back corner. I move forward and find another door, behind which lies a makeshift toilet. Basically a bench with a hole in it. At least it's not outside, so for that I'm glad. I close that door and make my way to the fireplace and the large stack of wood neatly piled against the wall.
