Prisoner of Darkness (Whims of Fae Book 2)(26)

“It’s heated with magic,” Kaelem said.

“In my head again. Yay.”

“I told you, you need to learn to keep me out.”

“And how do I do that?”

“If it’s important enough, you’ll figure it out.”

God he was irritating. She resisted the urge to slug him in the stomach. She’d never been a violent person, but the anger inside her threatening to explode made violence seem a good option.

Next to her, he smirked.

They approached a fence. From afar, it looked like it was made of silver. But up close, Scarlett realized it was also ice. Two guards dressed in white suits stood outside the gate.

“Hello, there,” Kaelem said. “We are here for the Solstice by order of your queen.” His tone was playful, not serious. “No ‘welcome’ or ‘so honored?’”

They remained silent, but the gates swung inward.

“Bye now,” Kaelem said as he and Scarlett continued toward the castle.

The closer they got to the castle, the bigger it grew. It was at least twice the size of the Summer Court castle. Scarlett wondered if there were more Winter than Summer fae? There was still so much of this world Scarlett didn’t know. Part of her didn’t want to know. The more she learned, the more threaded into the supernatural would she would become. But try as she might to resist her new reality, she knew deep down that there was no going back. If she were to survive, she’d need to understand how the fae world worked.

They followed a cobblestone path cleared of the snow that covered the rest of the grounds. Red rose bushes dusted with snow lined the walkway. Their thorns looked larger than any rose bush thorns Scarlett had ever seen before. Their proximity to each other would make it impossible to get through without getting scratched. Perhaps that was the purpose. Were they to keep unwanted visitors out or keep those inside the castle in?

When Scarlett and Kaelem arrived at the tall ice doors, they swung open. A woman in a white dress that shimmered in the light stood in front of them. Her platinum hair was so blonde it looked almost silver. Her nearly black irises stared at Scarlett with such intensity, she gulped.

“A personal welcome from the Ice Queen, herself.” Kaelem moved closer to Scarlett, wrapping his arm around her waist and tugging her close. “We’re honored.”

“Welcome to my court, King.” Her gaze traveled up and down Scarlett as a frown covered her mouth. “And who is she?”

This woman matched Kassandra’s wicked aura, and it seemed she just loved Scarlett already. Though Scarlett couldn’t read her emotion, her expression of distaste screamed envy.

“This is Scarlett,” Kaelem said. “My date.”

Satisfaction poured from Kaelem like honey.

A twinge of delight hit Scarlett. She liked knowing the Winter Queen envied her. And whatever it was she’d stolen from Kaelem, Scarlett would be glad to steal it back.





Chapter Eleven





Raith followed the connection to Scarlett and evanesced to the edge of the forest. Snow crunched beneath his feet as he moved to keep hidden behind a tree. He peeked around it and saw the Ice Castle standing tall in the distance. The Winter Court? Why was Scarlett there? Raith sensed her nearby, the bond tugging him toward her like a magnet to metal.

Familiar voices caught his attention. Raith remained behind the cover of the tree but kept listening.

“The Winter Queen is dangerous,” Poppy said. “We need to be careful.”

“I know,” Cade said. “We are here for the Solstice. There’s no reason for her to hurt me.”

“You’re more trusting than I am,” Poppy scoffed. “Would you be here if the Unseelie King and the girl weren’t?”

Scarlett was still with Kaelem. Why had he brought her back to Faerie? He promised to help her control her power, not parade her around at the Winter Solstice.

And Cade had already seen Scarlett. Did he know Raith was still alive?

Something tickled Raith’s leg. He shook it, hoping to lose whatever was crawling on him. When his foot landed on the ground, a twig crunched beneath his feet.

Shit.

He froze, praying no one heard. The conversation stopped. Raith held his breath, inhaling the forest around him to absorb as much power as he could. His abdomen wound pulsed.

“We’ll make our appearance, be good guests, and then go home,” Cade continued. “Do you have any concerns?”

Whew, it seemed no one had heard. Who was Cade talking to?

“I’m good,” another familiar voice replied.

Jaser.

He was with Cade and Poppy. How did that happen? Raith held in a chuckle, not wanting to push his chances by making any more noise. Jaser didn’t seem the type to follow a king around as a minion, but if he’d been ordered to do so, he had little choice but to obey.

When the voices faded, Raith followed close behind, careful not to step on any more twigs. He needed to find a way onto the castle grounds if he wanted to find Scarlett. A barrier spell kept any visiting fae from evanescing inside—a protection every fae castle had—and the gate was the only way in.

When he reached into the bond, there was no panic. She must not be in danger. He should turn around and continue his quest for information on his mother as he’d intended when he entered Faerie. Yet, Scarlett was so close, and she deserved an explanation from him.