Reign of Ice (Forever Fae series) Read online

  “No,” I blurted out, drawing their attention. “If you take me there and for some reason the sorcerer finds me he will have us all. That’s the last place you would want to take me.”

  “Very well,” Brayden gave in, sighing. He glanced at me one last time before turning around and marching away. “Don’t you dare do anything stupid, angel. I know what you are capable of.”

  “But that is part of my charm,” I teased, hoping to break the tension. His shoulders tensed and he fisted his hands by his side, clearly not liking the joke. “I’ll be okay, Brayden. Just stay focused on defending your court and not worrying about me.”

  “Not possible,” he replied. “But for you I’ll try.”

  That was as good of an answer as I was going to get from him. Lukas grasped my elbow lightly and turned me to face him. “We need to go, Your Highness,” he said.

  I nodded and followed him deep into the castle. I had explored it pretty thoroughly when I came here for the Winter Solstice Ball over a year ago. I was amazed with the architecture and the paintings they had in the halls. However, at this moment, I couldn’t enjoy any of it because I was rushed down the corridors until I got to the end of one of the hallways. Lukas opened the heavy wooden door and ushered me inside. It was an old library filled with dusty books and scrolls.

  “How do you know we will be safe in here?” I asked him.

  He shut the door and locked it behind him. “I don’t, but I figured it would be one of the last places someone would come looking for you.”

  “Or one of the first,” I remarked, gazing at him warily. “Although one of the good things is that I can sense him when he’s near. I’ll know if he gets close.”

  Releasing a shaky breath, I ran my fingers over the ancient leather bound books stacked neatly on the shelves. I bet there was hundreds of year’s worth of written knowledge from the fae and the mortal realm. I loved to read, but I was sure Calista would be ecstatic to explore this room for a while. I’d have to make sure to bring her here when she came to visit.

  “How do you like being in the Winter Court?” Lukas asked. “I know it has to be a huge change coming from Summer.”

  “Oh, it has been a major change, but I had always been fascinated with the Winter Court. I think deep down I knew I was meant to be here,” I said, leaning against one of the old wooden desks. Flipping through some of the books, I noticed that whoever inhabited this library loved the mortal classics.

  “You fought well yesterday, Your Highness. I know the warriors were impressed with your ability to counter Prince Brayden. How did you know our technique?”

  I smiled at him as I remembered the fun I had training with Kamden. “I had a friend in the Spring Court who taught me some Winter techniques. He used to be Winter until he followed Kalen to the Spring Court,” I answered.

  “Who was it?” Lukas inquired, furrowing his brow.

  “His name is Kamden. Do you know who I’m talking about?”

  He grinned and started to chuckle. “Ah, yes, I know who Kamden is. He’s my younger brother. I wanted to come fight with him when we attacked to help Sorcha and your brother rescue her guardian and friend, except I was needed here. How is he by the way?”

  Thinking of Kamden and Zanna made me miss them greatly. “He’s doing really well. He and Zanna are going to bond soon,” I informed him.

  Lukas sighed happily and shook his head. “Well, it’s about time they decided on it. Our parents will be happy to hear it.”

  Before I could say anything else, the feeling of unease and despair engulfed my body. I clutched my stomach and swallowed hard. Lukas noticed my hesitation and flew over to my side. “Are you ill, Princess?” he asked, taking my arm to steady me.

  Without hesitating any further, I grabbed his hand and pulled him quickly to the door. “We have to get out of here, Lukas. He’s coming and he’s close,” I told him. “I knew I should’ve stayed with everyone else. The sorcerer knew I wouldn’t be with the army so he did the one thing that would ensure he could get to me easily.”

  Lukas unsheathed his sword and slowly opened the door, glancing back and forth down both sides of the hallway. “What do you suggest we do?” he whispered.

  “We need to get to Brayden and the others. Once everyone realizes what’s going on they’ll all come back inside the palace, but until then we’re stuck in here fighting our own battle. Let’s try to get outside with everyone else.”

  “Let’s go,” Lukas agreed. With his sword poised in his grasp and mine held firmly in my hand, we both set out into the hallway and briskly walked toward the next corridor. The second we heard his voice we froze.

  “Ariella, where are you?” he called out. However, his voice wasn’t his normal one. It was one I knew well.

  “It’s Prince Brayden,” Lukas muttered, starting toward him. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

  “No, it’s not. Trust me, it’s not him. I would know if it was Brayden. Can you not feel the evil slithering around you?”

  The stench of dark magic permeated all around me and I knew we were almost out of time. We had nowhere else to go except in a different room. Taking Lukas’ hand, I pulled him through the door closest to us into the bedroom beyond and shut it quietly. I needed to think.

  “How do I kill him?” he asked.

  Turning to him, I sighed and shook my head. “You can’t. We don’t have a way to kill him right now. He can turn into his shadow self and disappear before a blade could even run him through.”

  Lukas grabbed my shoulders and squeezed, his blue gaze frantic yet determined. “I want you to hide, Princess. I’ll distract the sorcerer so you can get away.”

  “No,” I hissed quietly. “I’m not going to let you do this. I have an idea, but whatever you do don’t freak out on me, okay?”

  Impatiently, he furrowed his brows and started to protest, but then his mouth opened wide when he saw me change form right in front of his eyes. I was no longer Ariella, but a dark- haired, fair-skinned Winter Fae woman.

  “Princess?” Lukas asked. “How did you do that?”

  “I don’t have time to explain. Just play along with what I do.”

  I flung myself into his arms and pressed my body against his like we were lovers trying to steal a few moments together. The door burst open, and standing in the doorway was the sorcerer pretending to be Brayden with a smirk on his face, thinking he caught me. When he realized it wasn’t me in the room, his expression grew fierce, angry.

  “Where is the princess?” he demanded. “I know she’s here.”

  Lukas kept his expression blank and shook his head. In his hand he held his sword firmly, ready to strike. Please don’t let him do anything stupid. The sorcerer moved into the room and lifted his head as if he was trying to sniff me out.

  “She’s not in here,” Lukas said through clenched teeth.

  “Where are you hiding her? I can sense she’s near,” he snapped. He pulled out a dagger from his belt and Lukas and I both tensed. It was the iron blade that could poison us and kill us within minutes. Oh, no!

  “Ariella, what’s wrong?” Brayden screamed in my mind.

  “Lukas and I are in trouble. It was all a ruse. The sorcerer has been inside the palace trying to find me while all of you are out there guarding the gates,” I told him quickly.

  “She’s not here,” Lukas growled. “I would think, being her guardian, that you would know how to communicate with her.”

  The sorcerer laughed and used the tip of his iron dagger to scratch his chin. It was confusing seeing him as Brayden, but anyone could tell that it wasn’t my prince in there. He lowered the dagger and said, “You know very well who I am so stop messing with me. I need to find her and you’re going to tell me where she is. Or better yet, maybe your lover would be willing to tell me.”

  His dark eyes gleamed with anticipation as he approached me, but I stepped back and brought up my sword, ready to fight. Lukas blocked Alasdair from getting closer. “You are not goi
ng to touch her,” he hissed.

  Alasdair laughed evilly and shook his head incredulously. “I don’t think you can stop me, warrior. Or better yet, you can always try.” Everything after those words moved in slow motion. Lukas attacked at the same time I screamed for him to stop.

  All it would take is one cut from that iron blade and it would be over. Being almost immortal in our land didn’t mean anything against the poison in the sorcerer’s blade. The sorcerer appeared and reappeared in a different location as Lukas tried hard to fight him off. However, I knew it was a losing battle even before I saw the sorcerer sweep his iron dagger toward Lukas’ chest.

  I lunged into the fray, sword swinging to knock the dagger out of Alasdair’s hand, and immediately tried to push Lukas out of the way. I was too late. Lukas growled painfully as the iron blade grazed across his chest, and he fell to the floor, holding his hand over his wound.

  “Lukas,” I cried angrily, knowing he was two minutes away from dying.

  I was mad with rage, with a burning fire in my gut that wanted blood and revenge … Alasdair’s blood. Screaming out my fury, I swung my sword, blind to anything but the consuming hate. Lukas only wanted to protect me and now he was going to die. How many more people were going to lose their lives because of this atrocity of a man who wanted to steal our land?

  The only thing I had was my sword, and I was up against his iron blade. One false move and everything could be lost, except I was angry and hurt, saddened by the fact that Lukas was lying there dying and was also the brother of my good friend. I was going to have to tell Kamden how I watched his brother die senselessly and how there was nothing I could do about it. I didn’t want to feel that pain, I only wanted to think of the anger, the burning rage in my soul that demanded justice.

  “Ariella!” Brayden shouted.

  I couldn’t respond to him. Instead, I screamed the loudest battle cry I could muster and thrust my sword into the sorcerer’s chest. Even though he had taken the form of Brayden, I didn’t let that sway me. He laughed as I pinned him up against the wall, my sword protruding out of his rib cage. My weapon was just a simple blade with no guardian qualities whatsoever, so I knew I didn’t do any damage. Durin hadn’t made my guardian sword yet for me to fight with, so I was stuck with nothing to defend myself with other than just a plain one. I could’ve wounded him if I only had what I needed.

  “You are a feisty one,” Alasdair taunted. “I think I could have fun playing around with you.”

  Thundering steps echoed down the hall and I knew it was Brayden and his warriors. The sorcerer slowly changed into his inky black form and escaped the clutches of my sword. “I’ll be back for the princess, and when I do I’ll come for you as well. I need someone who can keep up with me.”

  I scoffed, completely disgusted, and snarled angrily, “You make me sick, sorcerer. I would rather die than be anywhere near your clutches.”

  “That can be arranged, too,” he bellowed, disappearing into the shadows. When I knew he was gone for sure, I used my glamour to turn my body back to its usual self. Dropping down to the floor beside Lukas, I pulled him into my lap. I tried to transfer some of my power to him, wishing that I could heal like Meliantha could, but it didn’t work.

  I inspected the gash across his chest and winced as his skin turned black with the spreading poison. “Lukas, please forgive me,” I cried. “This wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for me. I thought I could help you.”

  He swallowed hard and his voice came out raspy when he said, “You did help, Princess. You fought like a true warrior when you saw me in trouble. I am honored to die beside you.”

  I took his hands in mine and closed my eyes, my lip trembling because I knew what was about to happen. With tears streaming down my cheeks, I gazed down at him and kissed his forehead. “As am I,” I whispered.

  Lukas’ body began to shake and I held him tighter. I could feel his soul slipping away to the Hereafter, but he gazed up into my eyes and mustered up the strength to say his last words, “Will you tell Kamden farewell for me? I’ve missed him so much.”

  I nodded fiercely and cried, “Of course I will, Lukas.” Before his body turned to ash, he smiled and released a final breath. “Safe journey to the Hereafter, warrior. As long as I live you will never be forgotten here.”

  “Ariella,” Brayden called, storming through the rooms frantically. When he reached the room I was in, he flung open the door and rushed to my side, followed by his warriors. He crouched down where Lukas’ ashes lay helplessly on the floor and bowed his head. “I should’ve known,” he expressed helplessly. “He knew I wouldn’t want you out there fighting and he anticipated that.” When his sorrowful gaze found mine, I wanted to cling to him and let the tears fall with no shame. Being strong and being a leader meant keeping your pain hidden, and for Brayden I could see it taking its toll.

  Another life was lost, another soul taken because of the sorcerer’s greed. Calling upon my wind, I closed my eyes and lifted my hands over Lukas’ ashes. The window burst open and in gusted the cold, snowy breeze of Winter. It swirled around the ashes and gathered them up, carrying them out to the land. “Take him somewhere special,” I breathed across the wind.

  Still gazing out the window, keeping my tear-stained face away from the warriors, I silently pleaded with Brayden, “We need to send word to everyone and let them know what’s happened, especially Kamden. I didn’t know Lukas was his brother until he told me.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Brayden uttered soothingly. “Let’s get you out of here.” He took my hand and helped me to my feet. The warriors bowed their heads solemnly and backed out of the room, leaving Brayden and I alone. Wrapping his arms around me tight, he held me up against his chest and said, “From now on, you are not leaving my sight. If we have to fight, we fight together. We are in this as one.”

  With my heart tired and bruised, I gazed up at him with a newfound strength. Maybe he wouldn’t be too difficult to deal with after all. “And that’s how it should be,” I told him. “I will always fight for my people, for my court … and for you.”

  Always …

  THROUGHOUT THE EVENING, Brayden kept a contingent of warriors posted at the gates to keep lookout. There were times every now and again when we would see a scout scurrying along the forest line, keeping watch on our every movement. I couldn’t feel the evil of the dark sorcerer, which was good, but what bothered me was that he had his people monitoring us. It almost seemed like we were being trapped somehow. How was Durin going to deliver the dagger without being attacked?

  I watched as Brayden gave Coran his final commands before we could retire for the night. I had sat on the front steps of the palace for the past few hours, pondering how I was going to tell Kamden of his brother’s death. I wondered if he was going to blame me.

  Brayden approached me and reached out his hand. “He’s not going to blame you, angel. Come on let’s go home. You need your rest.”

  Taking his hand, I let him pull me up to lead me through the palace and out the back. The snow crunched beneath our feet as we somberly made our way to his dwelling, hand in hand. “How are Durin and everyone going to get here safely with Alasdair’s scouts watching our every move? I know we can fight them if we have to, but I don’t want to lose anyone else or put anyone in unnecessary danger,” I said.

  Nodding, he blew out a heavy sigh. “Right now I have an idea, and for the time being it’s going to have to work. I sent our sprites with letters to go to each court, and even to Durin, to inform them of what happened here today. I also sent in a request to Calista asking if we could compensate Nixie somehow to get her to transport everyone here when the time comes, and to also get Elvena to figure out what it would take to put up a protection spell against the dark sorcerer. It’s not safe for you anywhere if he can get to you.”

  Nixie was Calista’s friend who helped rescue her from the dark sorcerer when she was in the Black Forest. She can port travel to anywhere in the Land of the F
ae in a matter of seconds. Years ago, after the attack on Calista, Nixie was our only way of travelling safely and it appeared it was going to be that way again.

  “When do you think we will hear back from everyone?” I asked.

  “Most likely first thing in the morning, angel. Coran is going to keep watch for the rest of the night so I can be with you. There are some things I wanted to show you.”

  He let go of my hand and put his arm around my shoulders as we climbed up the stairs to his dwelling. “What did you need to show me?” I asked curiously, leaning my head on his shoulder.

  “You’ll see,” he whispered. “You need something to get your mind off of things.”

  When we got inside, I took a shower and changed into one of my silky nightgowns. I was exhausted, and what I really wanted was to lay my head on Brayden’s soft pillows and go to sleep. When I got back in the bedroom, Brayden was nowhere to be found. “I’m down the hall, angel. It’ll be your second door on the right.”

  Opening the bedroom door, I found the hallway dark except for the sliver of light coming from the room two doors down. I slowly crept across the soft rugs on the hardwood floor and when I got to the crack in the door I peeked inside. What I saw had me completely taken by surprise. Gently pushing the door open, I ambled inside and gazed at the pictures on the walls in awe. Some were of places in the mortal realm, but most were of different landscapes in the Winter Court. I scanned each picture with appreciation, one after the other, until I came upon a couple of paintings on the opposite side of the wall. Gasping, I placed a hand over my mouth and gazed at them with tear-filled eyes.

  “Brayden,” I whispered. “Did you paint all of these?”

  Brayden was behind the easel with a smirk on his face as his hands deftly moved up and down with the paintbrush. “I knew you would like them. My mother taught me how to draw when I was young, and over time I got really good at it. No one else knows I can do this other than her. I wanted to share something of me with you so you would know there is more to me than you realize.”