Whispers halt the moment I enter the entrance hall, but I don’t stop to eye the fae. I don’t care who is talking about Caelynn and me. Or the Shadow Court. I only care about finding Caelynn to ensure she’s okay after such shocking news, and to get to Kari as quickly as possible.
I force open the heavy front doors. Cold bites into my fingers, and I silently curse howeverythinghere is covered in ice.
Once there is enough space for me to sneak through, I let the doors close behind me. Icy cold wind slams into my cheeks, and I wince at the sharp pain. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the shockingly bright palace grounds, but then I make out the dark clothing and rustling blond hair.
My shoulders relax immediately, and I approach her calmly.
Caelynn
Snow flutters fromthe blue sky, and I shiver, watching the flakes dance. I try not to think about the ash fluttering in the same way in Schorchedlands. I try not to think about what it felt like when they landed and seared my skin.
A fur jacket drops onto my shoulders, and I wince at the sudden weight, but then its warmth infuses into my body and I close my eyes.In my rush, I hadn’t prepared for the short time we’d spend in this wintry court. In less than an hour, we’ll be in the Crystal Court, where it’s warmer, but the between time would have been very uncomfortable without a fur jacket.
“Better?” Rev asks, a small smile playing at his lips.
“Better.”
“We’ll be out of the cold soon,” he says, like we’re going on some pleasant trip.
I don’t know if we’ll be back here.I don’t know what will happen next.
I turn back to the palace, where the royal family watches us from the front steps. The Frost King and Queen wear their glistening crowns of pure ice, their smiles polite and demure. Their two children, a young boy and girl, are maybe fourteen at most. They whisper and laugh.
The High Queen also watches us with a flat expression from a balcony two stories up.
I'm not quite sure what the queen thinks of me now, after everything. She'd been fairly supportive of me during my time in the High Court, but then again, she had needed me. I was an important part of ending the scourge—a plague spreading across the land.
But the moment the scourge was gone, she banished me. Again. The queen knew I had nothing to do with the wraith attack, but that didn't matter. She knows quite well that the Night Bringer and his mate will not rest until I am destroyed. She’d rather be rid of me and the target on my back. But she was foolish to think that’s all it would take to be free of their evil.
"You alright?" Rev whispers, his warm breath sending shivers down my spine.
I nod, though we both know it’s a partial lie. I am eager to get to Kari. Part of me just wants to shadow leap—forget waiting for a damn carriage—but it wouldn’t get us there much faster and it would leave me vulnerable. The last time I was in the Crystal Court, someone in the crowd tried to attack me.Good times.
I’ve always been hated. Ever since I was a seventeen-year-old convicted assassin. Every court except my own has vilified me. For good reason.
Rev sniffs and stands up straighter. "We're going to destroy them," he tells me as the carriage pulls to a stop right in front of us. "We will." He keeps repeating it because he knows I need to hear it. I need the reminder that we are working together to stop this. It’s the only thing that’s keeping me from spiraling into panic and rage.
