Frost (Frost and Nectar #1)(61)

“It’s the king.” His deep voice boomed through the wood. “And Aeron.”

Shalini unbolted the door and pulled it open, letting them in.

As Torin came into the room, I could see his exhaustion. His face was drawn, and there were shadows beneath his beautiful eyes.

Aeron held up the black dagger I’d seen jutting out of Alice’s body. He glanced at Shalini and me.

“You two are the only ones who got a glimpse of the assassin in action. Is this the same dagger you saw in your room that night?”

I took a step closer, staring at the hilt. “I think so. I mean, it was dark. But I do remember that it was black. Like onyx.”

“Did you find a secret passage in Alice’s room?” asked Shalini.

Torin ran a hand through his hair. “A painting of Finvarra that no one suspected was a door. It opened into her room, and the assassin must have entered while she slept. The passageway leads all the way down to the dungeons, and I have soldiers scouring the entire thing for evidence and interrogating the other princesses.”

Curiosity sparked. “Why don’t you suspect us?”

Aeron cocked his head. “You wouldn’t have made it past me, would you? Several of the other princesses have hidden passages in their rooms that would allow them out. Yours does not.”

I took a deep breath. “Let me guess. Moria is one of them?”

“I can’t accuse without evidence. It would tear the kingdom apart.”

Aeron fidgeted with his collar. “And there is, of course, the history the king has with Moria and her family.”

It’s not like he’d told me anything about that.

Torin glanced at Aeron for a moment before meeting my gaze. “I have plenty of guards collecting evidence now, Ava. But we only have a few days left, and I need to make sure you’ll be able to defend yourself in the fencing tournament.”

Despite everything happening, and despite my better judgment, I felt a hot shiver of excitement at the idea of being alone with him again.





28

A VA

W rapped in my white cloak, I followed Torin into the forest. But he wasn’t taking me toward the changeling cemetery, as usual. Instead, we walked on a winding path between the dark, snow-covered oaks.

“Do you really think I need more practice?” The air stung my lungs. “With everything else going on?”

“The fencing tournament is the night after tomorrow. I’m still worried, yes.” He glanced at me, his eyes bright in the darkness. “I’m not sure I should have brought you into Faerie.”

“Why?”

“Because you were safe in the human world, but you aren’t here. And now, it’s my responsibility to make sure nothing happens to you, but I don’t feel in control anymore. The forces of darkness are spreading here, along with the frost. It started with the boggarts spoiling the milk. Then I hear reports of dragons and the sluagh demons…the dark magic filling the void is taking over, and I suspect the princesses may feel that malign influence, making them more bloodthirsty.”

“Isn’t that why I’m here? To fix it all?”

“If you live. After the murder, I have no doubt the princesses will try to tear you to pieces in the tournament.”

Cold fingers of dread danced up my spine, but I tried to ignore them. “But you need a queen you can’t love, or the kingdom will die. So here I am. Torin, where are we going?”

Shadows seemed to cloak the king tonight, and I had the sense that something was weighing heavily on his mind. “To the old temple of Ostara. We’re going to practice there.”

“Why?”

“It’s none of your concern, changeling,” he said curtly. “Just focus on trying to stay alive. Tonight, when we practice, I’m going to be using magic. The princesses will do the same, and you need to be prepared for it.”

Apparently, Torin wasn’t in the mood for conversation tonight.

But as he led me to a towering temple made of stone, with arches that soared up to the stars, I was lost for words anyway. I wasn’t even thinking about the cold as I stared at the forlorn beauty of this place. We entered through an open archway into the old temple.

Snow covered the floor and dusted the stones. If medieval cathedrals were twice their actual size and left to fall to ruin in frozen lands for centuries, this is what they’d look like. Moonlight streamed in through open, peaked windows, and the decaying ceiling spread above us like the broken ribcage of a stone dragon. Statues adorned some of the alcoves, many of them of animals like hares and foxes.

I felt the rush of magic pulsing off the stones, vibrating over my skin. Icicles hung all around, crystals gleaming with silver. Thorny plants climbed the walls, no longer flowering in the cold, but the effect was forbidding and stunning at the same time.

I had no idea why we’d come here, but I wasn’t complaining. It was a privilege to get a glimpse of this magical place.

“Are you ready?” Torin was already drawing his sword, not wasting any time.

Sighing, I pulled off my cloak and draped it over a half-ruined statue of a hare. I lifted my rapier, steadying myself on the icy ground.

I raised my sword, meeting his gaze. Sometimes, when he looked at me, the intensity of his stare sent a shiver over my skin. This was a man with so much power, I almost felt like I was seeing something forbidden when I looked at him directly.