I turned to Wrath. “I just received a message from the snow hag. The Wilding Fae are ready. We cannot wait for the vampires to wake-when they rise, so will the Indigo Court.”
“Then we will go to battle. We will do what Myst did to us, and once again, the barrows will run red with blood, but not from the Cambyra Fae this time.” He stood, then added, “Do you understand why you cannot carry the obsidian blade?”
I licked my lips. As much as I wanted it in my hand-it gave me comfort-I nodded. “I’m too impulsive when in the grips of its energy. It forces me to act rashly. I have the dagger you gave me, I will content myself with that and with the force of the wind.”
And so we instructed Lannan’s servants to sweep up the ring of salt and sulfur and silver-no use having him pissed at us because of the mess and the metal barrier-and prepared for battle. Lainule and Ysandra instructed their brigades to meet us in front of the Veil House-four dozen Fae warriors, and two dozen magic-born, including three healers.
As for the Wilding Fae, I sent a message through the slipstream for them to meet us at the Veil House. I received a riddle in return that told me they would.
We drove through the streets, taking Lannan’s limousine. Along the way, we saw scattered remnants of the bloody battle from the night before. The streets were filled with cars making their way out of town, frightened faces pressed against the windows. I felt a sense of loss, gazing over the exodus. With hope, we could make it safe for them to return-but would they? Would they brave coming back to a town that was so full of blood and bones?
As we pulled into the driveway, the warriors were there, along with the members of the Consortium. The Wilding Fae appeared as we spilled out of the car and cast our gazes over the assembled army.
“Be cautious.” Wrath’s voice echoed over the yard as we gathered in front of the burned shell of the Veil House. “While Myst and the Vampiric Fae will be asleep, you can rest assured they will wake when we attack, and the light-rage will make them strong and deadly. We go in with the element of surprise, but do not be complacent. We will not retain that edge for long. Kill all of the Vampiric Fae you see-but do not mistake and harm Prince Grieve, whatever you do. Are you ready?”
The warriors let out a loud cry and turned to the Golden Wood.
Grieve, Rhiannon, Chatter, and I stood apart, surrounded by Kaylin, Luna, Peyton, as well as Zoey, who had opted to join us. We stared at the woodland. While the others were focused on finding all the Shadow Hunters they could, it was our goal to find Myst’s personal nest. And Grieve knew where she was.
“There will likely be creatures guarding the woods,” he warned everyone. “Goblin dogs and other ill-fortuned Fae. Do not be deceived by the seeming weakness of some-they are all dangerous.”
The Wilding Fae nodded. They weren’t speaking much, but I could see the glimmer in their eyes. They seemed to anticipate the battle and I wondered just what I’d gotten myself into, aligning with them. Kaylin had thought to bring the snow hag’s meat with us, and he set it on the ground in front of her, neatly wrapped. She gave him a snaggletooth smile and motioned to the car.
“One might store this, if one had a thought, until after a skirmish is complete. Otherwise, beasties might snag the meat and be off with it and then both parties would be out meat and money.”
Kaylin let out a chuckle. “One might be wise to listen to such advice.” He put the meat back in the car until we were done.
And then, with nothing to hold us any longer, and the afternoon upon us, we marched across the backyard toward the Golden Wood. Toward our destiny.
The warriors went first, stretching through the undergrowth. Following them were the members of the Consortium, as the Wilding Fae spread out to the sides. We followed, taking the path with a group of eight guards to the front, and I was surprised to see Lainule waiting at the trail mouth. She answered my questioning look with a gentle smile.
“This was my home. This was my kingdom. I will fight to regain it for you and your cousin. I will not go easily into the fading mists.” She stepped into the formation beside Wrath, and leading the rest of us, they swept into the woods, and we followed.
The woodland seemed hushed. Neither bird nor beast made a noise, and I began to think that the Shadow Hunters had killed them all. We silently moved through the bushes, doing our best to keep from setting off any traps. Webs glistened between the trees, huge and filled with the giant fat snow spiders that were Myst’s pets and sentinels. Gold and white, they were as beautiful as they were deadly, and I kept my eyes overhead, making sure we weren’t being trapped from above.
As we approached a web stretching across the path, the warriors went first, shooting them with gleaming arrows. The spiders chattered, scuttling away, but one dropped, and soon a second and third. One of the guards stepped up to tear down the web that crossed the trail, but another spider that had been hiding in the trees lashed out, catching him in its mandibles. He let out a shout that was cut short as the creature injected him with its venom and he went limp. Three others who were at the front of the trail sent arrows into the spider, and it tried to run but then stumbled and fell, jerking spasmodically.
Two men brought the fallen guard back, but it was too late. The poison had worked quickly and he was stone dead. Laying him gently to the side, we moved on, cautious as the snow thickened and the woodland grew darker.
Everything seemed to glisten and glow in the dim light of afternoon. The silent hush of snow falling illuminated our backdrop as we followed the path to the ravine and set off down the hill. We’d fought a skirmish with Myst and her Hunters here, not all that long ago. It was slow going, but this time, the Shadow Hunters weren’t on the other side, and we could focus on making it down the hill in one piece.
My thoughts drifted ahead.
I was to be the Winter Queen. That seemed so preposterous on one hand, and yet…and yet…it felt like the snow and ice had become my unending home. And from now on, it would be. Winter would be my realm, and I would guard and caretake it like Lainule had been guarding the realm of Summer. I glanced over at Rhiannon and Chatter. So many times we’d joked about being amber and jet, fire and ice. And now it was true.
She looked so much stronger than just a few weeks back. Adversity often brought out the best in people. It formed character. And she was looking strong and confident and determined.
So deep was I in my thoughts that I did not see a stone in my path, and as I tripped over it, I went rolling down the ravine for a good ten feet before one of the guards managed to put a stop to my impromptu tumble.
“Are you hurt, Lady?” He offered his arm.
I took it, righting myself. After a brief check, I shook my head. “I’m fine. But you don’t have to call me Lady… I’m simply Cicely.”
He smiled softly. “Not for much longer, Lady. You are the Winter Queen-elect.” And with that reminder, which also felt like a gentle rebuke, he let go of my elbow and returned to breaking the path through the snow.
I looked over at Grieve. He’d asked me to be his queen, when all of this was over. I’d never quite thought about what that would mean. Now, I began to get a true glimpse into what the future would be like.
Summoning up a deep breath, I forced away thoughts of the years to come. We had to get through this mission first. We had to destroy Myst before any plans could come to fruition. And so I focused on putting one foot in front of another, in the silent march down the ravine to the stream below.
We reached the frozen stream but it would not be able to hold up those of us not of full Fae blood, who could simply glide over the ice. But the warriors picked the rest of us up and, with the blurring speed with which they could run, we found ourselves on the other side of the creek, dry and ready to press on.
Up the other side of the ravine we went, the silent snows so deep around us that should we break through, we could sink to our chests. Grieve took my hand as we walked, and the warmth of his palm in mine shored me up. Whatever happened, we had each other, and Myst no longer owned him, though he would never be the Cambyra Fae he once had. He was a new breed and would rule as king over a new kingdom.
I watched as Lainule and Wrath glided over the snow, dreading the knowledge that they would be fading away into whatever lands they were headed to. She turned, as if she could read my thoughts, and whispered something into the slipstream. I stopped and closed my eyes, listening.
