by Nissa Leder
Raith continued, hurrying to catch the previous young man. He reached him as he opened a door and entered a huge dining room. A long marble table ran down in the middle, with at least thirty people seated on each side. A silver runner was rolled across it, accentuating its silver swirl pattern.
The Ice Queen sat at the head of the table, a cold expression on her face. Her white wrought-iron chair had a higher back than the rest.
Scarlett was near. Raith could feel it. He searched the far side of the table, and, when he found her, his chest tightened.
As if she could feel his stare, she turned her head and looked right at him. She sat in between Kaelem and Cade. What was she doing so close to him? He’d left her for dead; he’d left them both for dead.
Cade spoke to a Winter fae next to him, oblivious of Raith’s presence.
It wasn’t as if Raith had expected their brotherly connection to mean much, but he thought Cade might notice something was different about Raith’s disguise as a server. But Cade remained ignorant of his presence which, honestly, was for the best.
There was no time to be sentimental. Raith had found Scarlett. She wasn’t hurt or in any danger. There was no need for him to stay any longer, and definitely no time for a reunion with his little brother.
Raith passed out the food on his tray, hoping no one there had the gift of seeing through glamours. He needed to blend in until he could leave the room without notice, then bolt.
Scarlett’s gaze followed him across the room.
She appeared even more fae than the last time he’d seen her. Her ears came to a full point now, and her skin had smoothed. The biggest change was in her eyes, which had always been a bright blue, but now, when the light hit them, held a tint of violet.
He shouldn’t have told Kaelem where she was. Raith should have left the Unseelie Court and went straight to Scarlett, offering to help her in any way he could. He’d been the one to choose her to be his second. If he’d just left her out of it, Cade could have kept her safe.
But would he have? If his mother had told him to end Scarlett, would Cade have listened?
Raith could have taken Scarlett back to the mortal realm himself before the battle, but he’d been too set on his plan to outsmart his brother. And what did he have to show for it? He’d fled the only court he’d ever known and now followed a wild goose chase for information on a mother who was long gone. There was no saving her, yet he couldn’t resist the desire to learn more about her.
Keeping up the glamour exhausted him. He needed to leave—soon. He wasn’t sure when he’d see Scarlett again, but, even though it wasn’t with him, at least she looked happy.
With his tray empty, he left the room, sending Scarlett a silent goodbye.
Chapter Twelve
Scarlett had known it was Raith from the moment he stepped into the room. The bond erupted when their eyes met. The glamour may have fooled everyone else, but Scarlett longed to go to Raith.
What was he doing there? It was dangerous. So dangerous. If Cade saw him… Scarlett didn’t want to even ponder what might happen.
The bond grew weaker. Raith must be leaving. No.
Scarlett couldn’t let him think she was there because she wanted to be. Servers were still passing out food and drinks. If she hurried, she could be back before the meal started.
“I need to find a ladies’ room,” Scarlett said. She wasn’t sure if it was normal to share that kind of information in the fae world. But in her mortal upbringing, it was the perfect excuse to leave.
Kaelem gave her a suspicious look. Shit. He might be listening to her thoughts.
He gave a small nod with a curved eyebrow.
Please. Raith is here and I don’t know why. I need to let him know I’m okay and that he needs to get far, far away.
Kaelem’s eyes gazed into hers as his eyebrow returned to its normal position. “It’s at the end of the hallway. Best hurry.”
Thank you.
Scarlett rushed out of the room, desperate to find Raith before he was gone and she’d lost her chance to explain why she was there.
Scarlett sped past the Winter servers carrying in plates of salad. She didn’t have much time. She couldn’t risk Cade getting curious why she was gone and come looking. He had no right to care, but she’d felt his eyes watching her in the dining room.
At the end of the hall, Raith’s glamoured self turned into a room. Scarlett walked as fast as she could without jogging and followed him inside.
When she saw him, he wasn’t in the glamour anymore. Instead, he stood in front of her in his normal form, shirtless, with a smile spread across his face.
“Scarlett.”
She closed the door behind her the mortal way and ran to him.
He opened his arms and pulled her into a hug. “How did you know?”
“The bond,” Scarlett said.
He grimaced. Scarlett looked to his abdomen. A bruise darkened his right side, surrounded by puncture wounds in the shape of a quarter moon.
“What happened?” Scarlett reached out to touch it but stopped.
“Some asshole shifters got to me,” Raith said. “I’ll be okay.” He hesitated like there was more to the story, but instead said, “Why are you here?” He eyed her up and down.
Scarlett was about to tell him about her sister, but she didn’t. She could handle it on her own. If Raith stayed to help her, Cade would find him. He’d already tried to kill Raith once. Scarlett wouldn’t be the reason he had another chance.
“Kaelem is teaching me how to control my magic,” Scarlett said. “He had to come to the Solstice, so I agreed to come if he’d continue to help me.”
It wasn’t a lie. Now more than ever, Kaelem needed Scarlett strong. It would have to be a crash course since they were already there at the Winter Court, but that was even better. Then, once Scarlett had Ashleigh back, she’d know enough to get away from the Unseelie King.
“You agreed?”
Scarlett nodded. She stared at his wound again. If she’d have known she’d find him hurt, she’d have filled her magic. As it was, her magic ran low. She’d been using it up practicing.
“I need to get back.” Scarlett sighed. Leaving was the last thing she wanted to do. A part of her told her to leave with Raith and never turn back—a devil on her shoulder reminding her of all the times Ashleigh had hurt her. She doesn’t deserve you, it said. Without her, you’d be free.
No, it wasn’t true. Their relationship as sisters had its rocky moments, sure, but her sister was trapped inside a mirror because of Scarlett, and the only way to free her was to stay and help Kaelem.
Scarlett rose to her tiptoes and gently took Raith’s face between her hands. He leaned into her. She pressed her body into his, careful not to put any pressure on his injured side, and softly kissed him.
Scarlett inhaled the lust between them. Her hands explored, tracing the curves of his biceps, moving gently to his abs. A fervor took hold. With her fae emotions on high, desire rooted itself inside Scarlett, its branches twisting through her and filling her with hunger.
She didn’t want to stop. But she’d been gone too long already.
When she pulled away, she dropped her hands to the wound and sent all the healing power in her to it. The bruise faded, but only slightly.
“It’s all I can do right now.” Her shoulders slumped. What good was having magic if she couldn’t use it when she needed to?
Raith bent down and crushed his lips into hers once more. “Go. I’ll be all right. I’ll find you after the Solstice.”
Everything in her wanted to take his hand and leave together. The bond inside her again hushed the thoughts of her sister. Ashleigh needed her, though.
Scarlett turned and left the room.
Chapter Thirteen
Raith felt the strength of the bond weaken as Scarlett walked away. She’d been lying when she said she’d agreed to come here. Something else had her here at the Winter Court.
Raith wouldn’
t kid himself into thinking he’d be much help. He hadn’t been thinking when he’d come with an injury and nearly no magic. But he now knew Scarlett was at least under the protection of the Unseelie King. No one would be stupid enough to mess with her if she’d arrived as Kaelem’s guest.
The Winter Solstice celebration would last three days. Raith could find Scarlett after. For now, he needed to get out of the castle grounds without being discovered.
He used a small amount of magic to glamour on a shirt, leaving the rest of himself in his natural form. The less attention he drew to himself, the better. He passed servers heading into the dining hall as he went straight for the front door.
Raith didn’t have the strength to jump the fence surrounding the castle grounds. He’d have to go out the way he came in. He picked up his speed. As he neared the castle gate, his heart raced. Raith wasn’t sure what he’d do once he made it to the forest. Last time he’d wandered there, he’d been bitten. If he could make it to his tree in the Summer Court, he could take a door back to the mortal realm. It was the best plan he had. Even though he wanted to continue his search for answers right then, his body needed time to heal.
He approached the gate. He’d worn a glamour when he entered and prayed the guards wouldn’t notice his changed appearance.
The guards remained silent, but the gate swung open.
Raith relaxed. But his relief was short lived. Someone yelled his name.
He should have kept going. Ignored it. Pretended he wasn’t Raith.
But no, he made a mistake and turned to see Poppy running toward him.
Fuck.
Raith sprinted out through the gates before the guards could close him in. He made it out, but Poppy was gaining. He ran into the woods, hoping the trees would hide him. The crunch of footsteps approached.
“You are a brave soul, showing your face in Faerie again,” Poppy said.
Raith hid behind a tree. He didn’t know where to go. If he moved, she’d sense him. Poppy was a skilled fighter and tracker. She’d find him eventually even if he didn’t move. He wouldn’t go down as a coward.
He stepped out. “Hello, gorgeous.”
Poppy turned, daggers held in front of her. “Flattery will get you nowhere with me. You should know that.”
“Can’t a guy say something nice without expecting anything in return?”
Poppy carefully stalked toward him—she didn’t know how low his magic ran.
Raith inhaled the nature around him, giving him enough strength to keep his glamoured shirt up. He didn’t need Poppy knowing about his injury.
“You forget how long I’ve known you.” She kept her daggers raised.
“I’m not here for trouble. Just let me go and I’ll be out of your hair in a snap.”
Confusion crossed Poppy’s face. “You were here for the mortal.”
“Just saying hi to an old friend.”
“The bond remains between you two.”
Raith stepped back slowly. “Ahh, yes. Like it does between you and my brother, I’m assuming.”
“The battle is over. It should be gone.”
Raith searched for some advantage he could use. He noticed a tree root poking through the ground by Poppy’s feet. Raith pulled the lust he’d saved from his visit with Scarlett.
The root twisted up and latched around Poppy’s ankle. She cursed and chucked a dagger at him.
Raith ducked.
She tried again, this time sticking him in the arm.
He yanked the dagger out. Blood seeped from the wound.
“You aren’t healing,” she said.
Raith had used all his magic to trap her. He had nothing left to heal himself.
“Until we meet again.” Raith jogged away.
He glanced back to make sure she hadn’t followed him.
Someone jumped out from behind a tree and tripped Raith with a staff.
Raith rolled around, crossing his arms in front of him to protect his face.
Jaser stood above him, staff pointed at Raith’ skull. “Raith?” He kept his staff still. “You’re supposed to be dead.”
So Cade or Poppy hadn’t shared what they must have known when their bond didn’t break.
The whole Summer Court must think Raith was dead.
“Hey there,” Raith said. “Surprise.”
Jaser pulled back the staff, but kept it ready to strike.
“How are you here? Why are you here?”
Raith slowly sat up, careful not to move too quickly and scare Jaser. When Jaser didn’t try anything, Raith stood. Wet snow dripped from the sky like tears.
“I’m not sure why my brother didn’t kill me, but he didn’t. Somehow, we made it out.”
“You and Scarlett.” Jaser dropped the staff to his side. “I saw her with the Unseelie King.”
The tree root wouldn’t hold Poppy long. She’d thrown her daggers at Raith, thankfully, but she could wiggle out of it eventually. Raith needed to leave.
“I just needed to make sure she was okay,” Raith said.
“She’s full fae now. How?”
“Kaelem gave her something. I don’t know exactly how it worked. He’s supposed to be helping her learn to control her powers.”
Raith wanted to say more, but they were interrupted.
Poppy stepped out from behind a tree. “He has to die.”
Jaser looked back and forth—to Raith, then Poppy, then Raith again. Raith wanted to believe his friend would stand by him, but to go against the new Summer King could be a death sentence.
More movement caught the attention of all three. Sage evanesced in front of Poppy.
Surprise covered Poppy’s face. Then her features turned lethal and she swung a dagger at Sage’s head as a war cry exploded from her lungs.
Sage ducked and pulled a sword out from a scabbard slung across her back, slicing it at Poppy’s stomach. With the protection of her battle armor, Sage twisted through the strikes aimed at her limbs and throat. Her sword cut through the air silently as she tried to pierce skin.
Poppy screamed as her daggers stabbed at Sage’s neck. Her attempts failed with block after block. As her right arm struck, a kick to the stomach sent Poppy flying backward, grunting as her body collided with a tree. Poppy blinked, frozen in place just long enough for Sage to leap through the air and raise her sword above Poppy’s head.
A wave of fear hit Raith: Poppy’s fear. He could only imagine the fury in Sage’s eyes as she held back the killing blow.
“Don’t kill her,” he said.
Sage flipped her sword around and swung its handle into Poppy’s skull.
“She’ll wake up. Probably with a headache.” Sage shrugged. She kept her sword out as she looked at Jaser.
“He’s a friend,” Raith said.
He didn’t want to hurt Jaser. But could he trust him? He’d take the chance.
“Let’s get out of here,” Raith said.
Sage slipped her sword back into the scabbard. “I told you not to leave.”
“You’ll learn quickly that Raith is a stubborn ass,” Jaser said. He looked to Raith. “Be careful.”
Raith nodded. Before he could say anything, Jaser added, “I’ll keep an eye on her.”
Sage placed her hand on Raith’s shoulder and they evanesced away.
Scarlett was on edge the entire meal. She managed to eat most of her salad, but she only picked at the main course. She could sense both Kaelem and Cade stealing occasional glances at her.
So far, they were the only two fae rulers there at the Winter Court, aside from the Winter Queen herself. The rest would be arriving shortly. The lunch was to honor the most dedicated of her people, or so she had said in a toast before they ate.
Servers brought in the fourth and main course, topping off the guests’ wine and clearing out old plates. Scarlett had only seen high fae at the Winter Court so far, with no low fae or humans to speak of. She’d expected the ice all around to keep her cold, but the temperature was surprisin
gly pleasant.
As Scarlett stuck her fork into a piece of meat on her plate, she felt the bond weaken. She sighed with relief. Raith must have gotten away.
Kaelem smirked next to her. When she looked at him, he winked.
Thanks for letting me go.
He dipped his chin.
You’re still an invasive ass.
Scarlett chuckled under her breath. She wanted to hate him. He’d done the unforgivable by stealing her sister. But she still trusted him, at least enough to feel safe as his guest.
It might have just been a game to Kaelem, but he’d helped her survive. Without the pill he’d given her, she’d have died. Before that, he’d been the one to warn her of the ritual she’d face at the Blessing. And he’d come to offer his help training her to learn to control her magic.
She didn’t know why he’d done those things, but gratitude swirled with the anger she felt toward him.
Scarlett would have to sort out her feelings later. For now, she needed to focus on helping Kaelem and getting herself and her sister out of this mess.
Chapter Fourteen
When had Kaelem become so soft? Scarlett was there as his guest, which did not include pining after a fallen Summer prince.
Her emotions and mind were an open book—something she really needed to work on—and he couldn’t help but pity her desperation. Guilt crept in. He couldn’t erase the expression on her face when she’d seen her sister in the mirror. It had seemed like a good idea to Kaelem at the time—the perfect way to guarantee her loyalty.
Kaelem brushed the feelings aside. He had to focus on the mission. He could worry about feeling sorry for Scarlett later. As king, he’d learned to ignore remorse. Regret only lead to weakness, and as king, any sign of vulnerability could be used against him. Indifference made a strong ruler and he had no intention of being anything less.
After the meal was over, Nevina excused the guests to their rooms for a while. Except for Kaelem, who she requested meet her in the throne room for a private conversation.
“Why the grim face?” Nevina sat on her throne of ice, legs crossed and elbows resting on the arms of the throne.
