Frost (Frost and Nectar #1)(52)

Torin glanced at me as he led us into a hall at the lower level. “If you believe in the gods.”

I shrugged. “Why not? I’ve seen enough strange things here that we might as well add gods to the mix.”

“If you believe in the gods,” added Aeron, “then you must believe they ordained Torin to rule.”

“Will the Ostara ordain the reality TV queen to rule as well?” I asked.

Aeron snorted. “Personally, I think her annual spring festival was just an excuse for the fae to fuck in the forest— “Aeron,” said Torin, cutting him off.

“Sorry,” Aeron said. “To fornicate in the forest.”

Torin slid him a sharp look. “We may have to rethink your vow of chastity. I have a feeling it’s doing the opposite of keeping you focused.”

Torin led us out into the white, sparkling courtyard. My gaze roamed over the dark stone castle walls, which were adorned with icicles and carved with images of stags and serpents. “It really doesn’t look three thousand years old.”

“Because it’s blessed by the gods.” When Torin turned to look at me, the late morning light washed over his skin, giving him an otherworldly glow.

In the icy air, I pulled my cloak more tightly around me.

Aeron looped his arm through Shalini’s, and he began giving her a tour of the courtyard, explaining the mystical meanings behind each of the sculptures on the walls. Just like I’d expected, camera crews had taken locations in some of the towers, and I caught the glint of their lenses in the winter sun.

“This isn’t normally how these shows work,” I said. “The cameras are so far away.”

“I’m king of Faerie. I’m not allowing them to intrude on my privacy any more than they already have. I refused to wear a microphone or allow them to follow me twenty-four hours a day. They can film me from a distance and get their entertainment. I’ll get the money I need. And it will all be over soon.”

I fluttered my eyelashes at him. “You’re so romantic. Sounds like every girl’s dream wedding.”

He gave me a sly smile. “You’re not exactly every girl, though, are you? You’ve sworn off love, just as I have. We both know that love won’t feed you through the winter when ice encases the crops, and it won’t fill your children’s bellies when they are starving to death.”

“I couldn’t agree more. Love is for idiots. But you know, if you needed more children, you could always start stealing humans again.”

He moved in closer to me. “Ah, changeling. But we’ve long since decided that anything from the human realm isn’t worth the effort. Too much chaos.”

I glanced at the cameras again. “It must be annoying to need them.”

He cupped my chin, then brushed his thumb over my lower lip. The sensation sent a forbidden shudder of pleasure through me. “Once this is done, we won’t need a thing from the humans anymore.” He leaned closer, whispering in my ear. “Three weeks on the throne, changeling, is all it will take. Our lands will be restored, and our worlds will part ways. The way they were always meant to be.”

Was that a hint of regret in his tone, or was I imagining it?

He pulled away from me, sliding his hand into one of his pockets. And as he stepped back, I felt the loss of his heat.

The biting winter air reminded me of Torin’s magic, and I turned to him. “I have a question for you, Your Majesty. After I made the Manhattan for you, your magic did something to me.” I lifted my wrist and tugged up my sleeve, then pointed to a mark on my wrist. About the size of a fingerprint, it was a pale rose color, circled in white—like frostbite. “What is that? And why isn’t it going away?”

Shadows slid through his eyes as he stared at it. And though it didn’t seem possible, I felt the air growing even colder.

“Sometimes, when I’m very tired, I lose control of my magic.” He met my gaze, his preternaturally blue eyes seeming to take me in completely. “It will never happen again, Ava.”

I felt as if thorns were growing in the silence between us. There was something he wasn’t telling me.

But before I could ask for more details, he turned to walk away from me. “You wanted to see the thrones. Let’s see the thrones.”

Clearly, I’d annoyed him, but fuck if I knew how.

He crossed to an enormous oak door studded with black metal and heaved it open. Aeron and Shalini followed in after him, and I hurried to catch up.

Torin led us along a series of corridors until we reached the hall, where two thrones jutted from the center of the stone floor. One larger than the other, they appeared to be carved from a single block of marble, white mottled with dark streaks.

I pointed to the larger of the two. “Is that the king’s?”

“That’s the queen’s.” Torin turned to me, arching an eyebrow. “The magic of a fae queen is more powerful than a king’s, and she is the one who will bring life to this land once more.”

I felt as if the throne was pushing me away—a strange sense of dread warning me not to move closer. And yet, I couldn’t take my eyes off the pair. “Fascinating,” I said, and walked around the thrones.

“How long have these been in the castle?” asked Shalini, her footfalls echoing off the flagstones.