Frostbound Throne: Court of Sin Book Two: Song of Winter

by Sage, May

  Devi stiffened just as he noticed trees moving. It looked so close to the hill, but he knew it was at least ten miles away, back where they’d left the Elven Way.

  “Is that…?” she whispered.

  Vale nodded. It could only be orcs. No other creature was so disruptive and unrefined. The tree was shaken and broken, and branches fell. Animals stirred and ran, their cries of concern reaching Vale’s attentive mind.

  The tumult moved north.

  “Your plan is working,” Vale noted. “They’ll be out of the forest by morning, and we’ll ride behind them. Since we’re much faster with our dyrmounts, we should spend the rest of the night here.”

  He’d expected a fight, but Devi, head tucked under his chin, nodded against his chest and yawned. The poor female was exhausted.

  “Sleep. I’ll take tonight’s guard.”

  Thirteen

  Energy

  For the first time in days—actually, for the first time in over a year—Devi slept soundly and longer than necessary. When she opened her eyes, the sun was high in the sky, indicating it was close to midday.

  “How long was I asleep?” she asked groggily, blinking.

  “Long enough to render my legs entirely numb. You’re heavier than you look.”

  She punched Vale’s shoulder and got to her feet, stretching happily. Not even he could dampen her mood. She hadn’t felt this refreshed in years.

  “You shouldn’t have let me sleep for so long,” she admonished without much conviction.

  “Well, I hope you’re well rested now. I came to a decision overnight. We’re to approach Corantius from the east.”

  Her eyes bulged. They were but half a day’s ride from the fourth realm if they headed directly north, but from the east, it was two or three days away at least. Yet she knew where that suggestion had come from, and she couldn’t find any reason to object.

  Both she and Vale came from the west; Farj was nestled directly against the Graywoods, and Carvenstone, on the coast. Anyone looking for them—and by now, they likely knew the pair was traveling together—would think to double their spies on the west coast. That they would head to the seelie realm would be unexpected.

  Instead of arguing, she groaned.

  “If we go east, straight to the seelie borders, we’ll reach Rhionhave by nightfall,” said Vale.

  She tried to remember what she knew of seelie lands, which wasn’t much. Until recently, she’d been banned from their realm under the penalty of death, so she’d never expected to visit their realm. Devi hadn’t paid attention to any geography lesson about the kingdom of her ancestors.

  “That’s a port, right?” she asked.

  Vale nodded. “The largest in the north. They receive shipments from Corantius and the southern seelie realms. On any day, there are dozens of strangers in the streets of the town. Some don’t wish to be known—pirates and traders of illegal goods. I suspect there’d be little chance of two more foreigners under cloaks attracting much notice. We might sleep with a roof over our heads tonight.”

  That notion was less appealing than it should have been, but the two nights she’d actually gotten some rest had been under the stars and in Vale’s arms. And she’d rather die a thousand painful deaths than confess that to the egocentric jerk with whom she traveled.

  They broke fast with bread, dry meat, and cheese before setting off on their new path.

  Riding west felt less perilous. They’d journeyed for a handful of miles when the wind started to whisper again, and to Devi’s surprise, they encountered two elves in maille armor.

  “Hello,” she said politely, yet also somewhat awkwardly, for she recognized neither.

  She’d met so very few folks during her year in Elvendale, particularly not those who were regularly posted outside the city.

  Both had taken a knee, and they remained silent for a time.

  “Our apologies, my lady. We bear ill news.”

  Her mind flew to her sister first, then to her father. “Well?”

  “A legion of orcs attacked yesterday. They were led by scions, and our scouts perished at their hands. Many were tortured. We cannot know what they might have said to end their torment.”

  Ah. And that was why Vale had altered their course.

  She dismounted and extended a hand to the elves to help them to their feet.

  “No apologies. Not to me. I can only imagine the sorrow of losing your peers. Mourn your friends and cherish their memory. They have not betrayed you nor I.”

  The elves pressed their hands over their hearts and inclined their heads. Devi returned the show of respect. It wasn’t until they’d disappeared that Vale felt compelled to point out, “Well, technically, they might have betrayed us. Rather likely, in fact. But as they knew nothing of importance, it’s of no consequence.”

  “Valerius? People died. You’re heartless.”

  “On the contrary, my dear. I certainly have a heart, and it’s been beaten, battered, used, crushed, and spat out by unfortunate demises a dozen times, all before my twentieth winter. I am an old acquaintance of death, and I regard her with indifference when I can.”

  She ignored him, annoyed he’d so easily slipped his mask back on. Vale wasn’t indifferent to death. He abhorred it. She’d watched his eyes while he’d taken in the elf female on the ground in Elvendale. She’d felt his rage when he’d seen the lifeless child she held. This was just posturing. The fact he’d waited for the soldiers to disappear before spouting his nonsense was proof.

  She remained silent for hours, ignoring his attempts at casual conversation.

  As the hours passed, the surrounding trees grew thinner and younger, and they could see the sky between the branches. They reached the border of Wyhmur right after dusk.

  Devi bit her lip as she took in the large sea town in the distance.

  “We need a story. A believable one this time,” she amended. “Names, a purpose, a destination, a ready answer to whatever questions strangers might ask.”

  “Our story,” he replied, “is that we are elves of the unseelie court. We’ve escaped the war, and we hope to catch a boat to Corantius.”

  Simple and, under the circumstances, highly believable. Devi doubted they were the only ones with such a tale, although she imagined few had crossed through Wyhmur.

  “I’ll let you come up with names.”

  “Won’t they ask how we got through the Graywoods?”

  “They will, and we’ll say we asked the elves for their blessing. Weaving an unlikely tale and looking suspicious as we attempt to recall its details will not serve us well.”

  She saw his point, but one issue remained. “What if the guards in town have been told to watch out for you? What if you’re recognized?”

  “Look at me, little elf.”

  She shifted her eyes from the port town to him and gasped. Instead of Valerius, a blond male of his height and stature, with piercing green eyes and familiar, almost effeminate features, sat astride Midnight. He’d turned into Kallan.

  “A simple illusion. I’m hijacking the signal your eyes send to your brain, so to speak. I’ve also altered your appearance a little, and that of the horses. Nothing but a parlor trick, but nevertheless, it’ll take some effort to maintain the illusion over a long period and with so many people around. We need to be fast and intelligent in our dealings with the folks of Rhionhave.”

  She acquiesced. “Are we to sail north, then?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t much like the thought of entering Corantius by port. It will be well guarded against intruders. We’ll let the seelie think that we intend to sail and leave at first light. Our business is to publicly purchase tickets, find an inn where we might spend the night, and rest.” He hesitated. “I must sleep tonight.”

  Devi winced, feeling guilty for having rested so well when he had confessed to not sleeping the night before. It was a wonder he could remain upright and use his mind mojo too.

  He didn’t look tired; his expression
was neutral as usual, but his eyes had lost some of their brightness.

  “I’ll take the first guard this time,” she promised. She then realized: “We’ll have to share a room.”

  Neither of them would sleep if they had to worry about someone breaking down their door while they were unconscious.

  “We should,” he replied without so much as a teasing word.

  By all gods, the poor male must have been at death’s door if he couldn’t flirt.

  Devi removed her glove and extended her arm toward him. He was riding Midnight beside her, keeping to her pace. Noticing her outstretched hand, he took it without question.

  Devi meticulously removed the pesky mental shields around her mind. They both knew he could push his way through them whenever he wanted to, but she let him pass through openly.

  “Channel me,” she told him.

  The fake Kallan watched her with an expression that definitely belonged to Vale.

  “Your entire plan depends on your ability to keep up this illusion, and you’re about to fall over. Riding might be hard on my body, but my mind is well rested, so channel me. Use whatever strength you need until we’re out of danger.”

  He gave her a moment or two to change her mind, and when her resolve didn’t waver, Vale called her energy to him. She let it flow out of her freely. It felt rather strange; all the masters of magic at the Academy had taught her to prevent enemies from sucking on her energy. A mage could die, drained of power. She’d been instructed to resist it with everything she had.

  Letting Vale take her strength was an intimate experience. For a moment, she felt him all around her—not his hand, not his presence, but his very spirit, his soul. She saw glimpses, just shapes, colors, and sounds she couldn’t make out. Some happiness, a lot of pain, and above all else, isolation. Not quite loneliness. It seemed more purposeful than that. Vale hadn’t been rejected; he’d stepped away from everyone, everything, keeping them at a distance.

  Something else dwelled underneath it all. A dark desire that overshadowed everything else. This male only cared about one thing. Only one thing he’d gladly kill and give his life for. A light in centuries of darkness. She wanted to push further, walk toward the light to get a glimpse.

  Vale let go of her hand, closing the connection just as she’d stepped toward it.

  “Eavesdropping is rude, little elf.”

  She cleared her throat. “Sorry, I don’t know what—”

  “No matter. No one can control mind-reading powers at first. It took me years to learn how to shut the voices off. From time to time, I still find myself doing it without any volition on my part.”

  Devi nodded awkwardly and apologized again.

  “How come I could read your mind?”

  He snorted. “I doubt you could read very much. That also takes skill and practice. But channeling is a two-way street. With your energy in me, I could probably use elemental magic for the next few moments if I knew how to.”

  She beamed, glad to hear about another thing the dark prince couldn’t do.

  “Thank you, by the way. I feel much refreshed. Young people are incredibly energetic.”

  “You’ve never succeeded in sounding so ancient before,” she retorted.

  His reply died on his lips. They’d arrived in the town, and malevolence hung in the air.

  Fourteen

  An Innocent Question

  Over half a century had passed since he’d set foot in the seelie realm, and perhaps two hundred years since he’d passed through Rhionhave, but he recalled it being a cheerful town. The harbor had flourished from the wealthy tourists passing through, so every night there were dancers and musicians in the streets and vendors at every corner.

  Now, the town was quiet and dim.

  Devi and he slowed their horses and advanced in silence, eyeing either side of the avenue. Where was everyone?

  Vale’s eyes narrowed as he passed a sign to his left. In bold red letters, someone had written “curfew,” and underneath, there were words of warning and promises of barbaric punishments to those who broke it.

  “Sundown,” Devi read out loud. She frowned and turned to him. “What now?”

  He remained silent, feeling the approaching presences before he heard their steps. Five men in blue and silver came into view. The colors of the realm house, meaning they were soldiers.

  They rushed to them, one soldier roaring, “You! What are you doing out here at this hour? Identify yourself immediately! What is your business here?”

  Vale’s darkest instinct reminded him that there was a sword at his side that could take care of the problem in no time. Instead, he said, “Peace! My wife and I have been traveling for days. We’re visiting family in the north. We hoped to spend the night at the Sailor’s Inn? I recall they made the most delightful clam chowder.”

  The soldiers’ shoulders relaxed with each word. Now that he had more energy to spare, he dared to brush their minds.

  Obviously unseelie, they thought, but the soldiers didn’t blame them for fleeing their land, what with his wife’s condition. He’d been right to conjure the vision of a pregnant female, although Devi might have had a thing or three to say about it, if he’d shared that piece of information. All high fae respected children and saw them as precious treasures, for they were too rare among their kind.

  “The inn is closed,” a male grumbled. “It accepts no strangers after sundown. Order of the King Father. There’s a nationwide curfew.”

  The King Father. Kravin Farel. Vale couldn’t say he was surprised.

  “We can sleep at the docks if we have to,” said Devi sweetly in a convincing impression of a mild-mannered female that would have had him laughing at any other time.

  One of the soldiers scratched his head. “I know ol’ Thomson well. We can make an exception, can’t we? Given the lady’s condition.”

  Devi’s eyes narrowed and she flashed Vale a glare. Then, she clutched her tummy, playing along.

  “Aye, I say we can. What did you say your names were?” the male in charge asked.

  Ah. They hadn’t sorted that out yet.

  “Naelynn and Ruven Norfiel, sir,” she improvised.

  Well played. The Norfiels were a minor high fae house, mostly inconsequential and without much money. There was no risk of their being recognized outside of the unseelie realm. And yet they were noble, for even with his visions, Vale couldn’t hide the strength of their auras. Had they pretended to be common fae, they might have seemed suspicious.

  “I’ll escort you to the Sailor’s. Name’s Wyn, my lady, my lord.”

  The seelie grasped the reins of their horses and led them through the dark streets.

  Vale had so many questions, but asking any of these strangers, right out in the open, would not be prudent, so he kept them to himself. What had Kravin done with this realm? What deal had he made with Corantius? It all made no sense to him.

  The Sailor was a modest inn near the harbor, known for its excellent food and its jovial owner. Thomson was as common as any fae and so very unlike most seelie that Vale liked him well enough.

  The soldier led them to a back door and knocked loudly. The man who opened wasn’t the smiling, round, loud host he remembered. Thomson was thinner and much older, and there was fear in his eyes.

  “What is it, Wyn? I’ve not done a thing, I swear.”

  “Quiet, now. I’m not here on official business. We found them two in the street, and what with the lady being fat and all, we wondered if you could put them up.”

  His eyes shifted from Vale to Devi, then back to Wyn.

  “Yes, yes, of course. There’s room in the stable and I have several rooms free tonight. Come on through. Let’s get you out of the cold. I’ll send Pip to take care of the beasts.”

  Vale did not relax, not after walking inside the inn, and not after the doors had closed behind him.

  His illusion hadn’t worked on Thomson. Somehow, the common fae had seen right through it.

 
But he hadn’t said a thing.

  Yet.

  After Wyn had left the alley, the host turned to Vale, his deep voice almost threatening as he said, “Whatever business you’re into, I want no part of it. You will keep this spell of yours in my house, understood? As far as anyone is concerned, I’ve housed a random stranger in need and his pregnant wife.”

  Vale nodded. “Thank you.”

  “Arr, none of that, you old bastard. Go on, you know where your damn room is. No one else has the coin for a master’s these days. You better pay me well—and tip, too!”

  He grinned, breathing a little easier.

  They walked through the back kitchen, where Thomson’s team was busy.

  “Are we too late for food?” Devi asked, hopeful.

  “No one’s ever gone hungry under my roof, young lady. I’ll bring your supper up in a few. Gotta serve those who ordered before you first, so you’ll have to wait. We had plumbing installed since the last time you were in. You can take a bath if you want while you wait. Go on, then.”

  He stayed back in the kitchen, letting them walk in by themselves.

  Out of the service corridor, Vale passed the common area, which had always been lively, with a full bar and a musician playing every night. An old lady played the piano beautifully, and a couple of customers were gathered around, but no one talked, no one laughed, and no one smiled.

  What had happened to this place, this town?

  Vale made his way up three flights of stairs to the principal suite. He opened the door to find it mostly unchanged.

  Devi burst in, threw her coat on the floor, and jumped on the bed, groaning in pleasure as she stretched her back languorously. Such a kitten.

  Smiling, Vale walked in, checked every corner of the room, and looked out the window.

  The harbor was dark and empty.