His knowledge of the palace’s back passages is evident in every turn. As we continue through them, his hand remains firm in mine, his magic settling with each step we take away from the ballroom.
Eventually, he leads me through a small door that opens into the winter night. Snow falls in lazy spirals, each flake glinting like scattered diamonds. And there, waiting in the courtyard as if they knew we’d come, are Ghost and Nebula.
Ghost stretches, his white fur gleaming silver in the moonlight, while Nebula pads over to me with fluid grace, her spotted coat rippling with each step. She nuzzles against my palm, her purr rumbling through my bones, while Ghost bumps his head against Riven’s shoulder in greeting.
“Did you call them?” I ask Riven, running my fingers through Nebula’s soft fur.
“I didn’t have to. They know us better than we know ourselves.” He moves to Ghost’s side and swings himself up with practiced ease. “So, what do you say, Starlight? Are you ready to run away from our responsibilities for a few hours?”
I look back at the palace, where light spills from countless windows, the distant sound of music drifting through the night air. Then I look at Riven, silhouetted against the star-filled sky on Ghost’s back, his silver eyes bright with mischief and desperate with longing.
The choice is easy.
I climb onto Nebula’s back, settling in like I’ve been doing this for my entire life. “Lead the way, Winter Prince,” I say, and we bolt into the forest, leaving the palace and politics behind, running away to a world that belongs only to us.
SAPPHIRE
Out in the winter forest,there’s only the thunder of paws against packed snow, the whisper of wind through frost-laden branches, and the wild joy of freedom.
“This is what I needed,” Riven calls from Ghost’s back, his voice carrying across the space between us.
“It is beautiful,” I agree, leaning forward to whisper in Nebula’s ear. “But let’s see how beautiful it looks when we’re ahead of them.”
Nebula’s answering purr vibrates through my body, and she shifts into a full sprint. The cold air whips past us so fast it brings tears to my eyes, but I’m laughing, exhilarated by the power beneath me as we speed past Riven and Ghost.
“Catch us if you can!” I shout back to Riven, his answering laugh echoing through the trees.
For a short, glorious moment, Nebula and I are in the lead. But then I hear it—the steady sound of Ghost gaining on us.
“Cheetahs are built for sprints,” Riven calls out as he and Ghost draw alongside us. Ghost’s breathing is steady and controlled, while Nebula’s has started to quicken. “Leopards are built for endurance.”
“Is that a challenge?” I grin at him.
“It’s a fact.” He leans forward, mischief in his silver eyes. “Although if you want to make it more interesting...”
Ice spreads across the forest floor ahead of us, creating a slick pathway that will give Ghost’s paws better grip. As we take off again, Riven’s magic pulses with playful intent, my own power eager to meet the challenge.
Water rises from the snow around us, forming perfect spheres that I send spinning through the air. Not to attack, but to play—to show off, to tease, and to celebrate the joy of magic being used for fun.
Laughing, I weave my water into ribbons that dance around Nebula and me.
Riven sends spirals of frost through the trees, creating temporary bridges and pathways along the ground that Ghost bounds across with feline grace. His laughter rings out across the forest, wild and joyous. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him this happy, and seeing him so free and unguarded makes my chest ache with determination to protect this happiness, no matter what comes next.
“Show off,” I tease as Ghost leaps from one of Riven’s ice bridges, landing in front of us.
“Says the woman painting the forest with water,” he retorts, gesturing to the ribbons of it I’ve been weaving through the trees.
Nebula slows to a trot, her sprint exhausted, and Ghost matches her pace. We ride side by side now, our familiars’ breathing returning to normal as our magic settles around us.
“I haven’t felt this free in weeks,” I admit, reaching across the space between us to take Riven’s hand.
“Neither have I,” he says, squeezing my fingers. Frost blooms where our skin touches, but it’s warm somehow, comforting rather than cold. “This is what I was trying to tell you back at thepalace. These moments between us are worth more than all the political maneuvering in the world.”
I take a moment to breathe, knowing he’s right. In two days, we’ll face the Night Court, fight for Zoey, and protect the realms from the ever-growing threat of Ambrogio and the Blood Coven. But right now, riding through an enchanted forest with my soulmate, surrounded by the wild beauty of winter and the dance of our intertwined magic, I feel like we can conquer anything.
“Race you to the clearing ahead?” I challenge, nodding to a break in the trees where moonlight pools like liquid silver.
“You’re on.” Riven grins, and the world explodes into motion once more.
